Mets 7 Giants 2
Mets leave their hearts on the field as they sweep in San Francisco.
Mets Game Notes
The game occurred while I was at work, and I played a game that had an 8 PM start, so unfortunately I have no comment on what sounded like Zack Wheeler‘s most brilliant MLB performance to date.
So, if you could fill me in and build the conversation below, that would be great. Many thanks.
And if you care, the Livingston Dodgers won again, remaining undefeated for the season. Starting pitcher Al Lombardi went the full seven and has yet to allow a run this season. Yours truly walked twice but was charged with a passed ball and let a wild pitch go through the wickets. For shame!
Next Mets Game
The Mets have a day off on Thursday as they travel to play the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday. Game time is 7:05 PM and the pitching matchup is Jeremy Hefner vs. Charlie Morton. Didn’t Hefner just pitch the other day?
Wheeler at least looked like a serviceable #5 starter today. Thank the Giants’ bats for the nice line.
His fastball was 93-94 with no sink but good late run, a la John Maine. His location with the pitch was his best so far, though still not major league average. His only swings and misses were upstairs, but his pitches low and away produced several opposite-field pop-ups. He threw a handful of curveballs, 3 of which actually broke, and he got two 3rd strikes with the pitch. He threw one great change-up for a K, one awful one for an RBI hit, and a few more that were in between. He also threw some flat 88mph pitch that might have been a bad slider.
The Mets failed to fix Ike Davis. He got sent down to AAA for hitting with a style that gave him no chance, and he’s still hitting with that same style. He does seem to be seeing the ball better and laying off some (but not all) junk, but he’s still late to the hitting position on every single swing. Someday soon, some pitcher will hang an offspeed pitch down the middle at the knees and Ike, lunging out on his front foot, will run into it and hit it 400 feet. And Collins or somebody will declare “he’s back”. He’s not back. Further changes are required. Batting him 4th and sitting Satin is just dumb.
“Batting him 4th and sitting Satin is just dumb”
Sometimes the best observations are the most simple.
Extended time on the bench will cool off Satin, thereby justifying playing Ike. See how it works?
All this shaking my head is hell on my neck.
I also have to vent about Ike’s defense. Usually when I see a ball hit just out of a fielder’s range, I see that fielder take a first step in the direction of the ball. They often run or jog or stumble past where the ball just went, a result of a quick charge toward a hit they couldn’t reach. Ike doesn’t do that. Ike stands still and watches. Message to Mr. Davis: you won’t know for sure which balls you can get to until you try, so please try for all of them until they’re actually past you.
In Monday’s game, Posey hit a hard grounder to Davis’s right that went down the RF line for a double. Yes, you heard that right. It was on the second-base side of Ike, and still got into the OF in a spot where Byrd had to chase it forever and let the plodding Posey reach second. How is this possible? Well, Ike was holding on a runner, and he barely got off the bag as the pitch was delivered, and the ball was hit about two feet to his right, or as spectators often say “right at him”. Ike immediately found first base with his foot and then looked up to see if Murphy had gotten it. He made no move toward the ball.
Maybe I’m off when I say “two feet”, but whatever the measurement is, I know the spot on the field where the ball went, and I can name other first basemen who have fielded balls hit in that spot while they too were holding runners on:
– Adam Dunn
– Ryan Howard
– everybody else
Ike can stretch and pick throws and catch pop-ups, but someone needs to remind him that his job is to field grounders too. I’m serious, it truly looks like he’s forgotten that, especially when he’s holding a runner on.
Argon,
I agree with your take on Ike’s fielding, and hitting. I don’t see Ike playing for the 2014 Mets.
argonbunnies,
I read your post three times, that’s how much I enjoyed it. I commented on another site about that play which you described as soon as it happened, as I was incredulous with his effort, BTW. But, I disagree with Davis picking throws because this year he hasn’t.
Ike is done? I can’t disagree. My 9 year old daughter will be crestfallen.
I disagree bunnies ….Wheeler was more than serviceable today. His fastball hit 95 in the middle innings and his low and away slider was not hittable.
Yeah, he added a few 95s to the 93s and 94s. Is that important? As far as I could tell, they all seemed the same to the hitters.
An unhittable slider away means striking out lots of righties, right? Wheeler struck out one righty all game, when Pence swung under a nose-high fastball.
If you mean the pitch Wheeler was throwing near the outside corner to lefties, I think that was mostly change-ups, but I could be wrong.
argo yeh maybe I meant the change up to lefties…thanks for the clarification. either way we won’t know if wheeler is the number 2,3 or 4 or heaven forfend a 5 until next June, I would think.
Joe I would be hearing your take on Indian Gate or Native American Gate, the latest in a long line of embarassing missteps by Mets management. Could you imagine any other team scheduling a Native American event with the Braves in town? I don’t know whether to laugh or to cry. Where does this rank along with all the others? Another sign that the Wilpons, no matter how well the Mets do, must go?
Joe,
Keep drawing those BBs. If Buck gets dealt, you may get that call from Mr. Alderson. What would Izzy say about that?
What’s an “off day”?
Giants repeatedly made good defensive plays and then stopped even making them. They are not in a good place now. See, e.g., the starter out after .2 innings. The emergency long guy/rookie did pretty well though he was stretched an extra inning.
Both Gary and Howie couldn’t remember who got a hit in Bobby Jones’ one hitter vs. the Giants.
Darling looks a bit uncomfortable as a studio analyst.
Like someone else, I think Ike Davis is in trouble. There needs to be a housekeeping job done. Mr. Q is doing well in the field. His hitting is less ideal, but if he keeps up his fielding, he’s okay with some choice at bats in the bottom of the line up role.
If Ike play improves and he hit over 20 hrs and 70+ rbi, the Mets will never go to arbitration and pay him $4 mill. So why bother play him? Trade bait?
A few years back the Atlanta Braves came to the difficult decision that their home grown “star” was never going to fulfill their wishes. So Jeff Francoeur was dispatched. Others, including the Mets, drank from the kool-aid, but it was not to be.
It would seem that Ike Davis may just be another “Frenchy.”
How long before the Mets realize that the Emperor is not wearing clothing?