Mets Game 13: Loss to Cardinals

Posted on April 21, 2009 by Joe Janish

Cardinals 6 Mets 4

Memories of 2008 refuse to fade.

Once again, the Mets scored early, then stopped scoring. Once again, they helped beat themselves with poor fundamentals and inattention to detail. Once again, a certain lefthander remains an enigma.

Oliver Perez shut out the Cardinals through four frames, then fell apart in the fifth, and the Mets never recovered.

Perez was handed a 4-0 lead thanks to RBI hits by Carlos Beltran, Jose Reyes, Danny Murphy, and David Wright, but gave it all back in the fifth inning, allowing four runs on four hits and two walks. Casey Fossum actually walked in the fourth run, which was charged to Perez.

Though they manhandled starter Todd Wellemeyer, the Mets didn’t collect a hit after the sixth against the St. Louis bullpen, and the score remained tied four-all until the bottom of the eighth. Brendan Ryan greeted reliever J.J. Putz with a line drive to left field that was misjudged by Danny Murphy, who fell flat on his back as the ball soared to the wall. Ryan eventually landed on third with a triple (though it probably should have been scored a three-base error), and was chased home on a double by Rick Ankiel. Ankiel took third on a fly ball by Albert Pujols and scored on a sac fly by Ryan Ludwick.

Game Notes

Carlos Beltran nearly scored the go-ahead run in the top of the 8th. Standing on second base with one out, Beltran tagged up and ran for third on a fly ball by Ramon Castro. Third baseman Joe Thurston tried to quickly catch the ball and slap the tag on Beltran, but in the process the ball flew toward the pitcher’s mound. Beltran alertly raced for home, and would have scored had he (a) slid; (b) barreled over Yadier Molina; or (c) not slowed down within the last 5-10 feet of the plate. Unfortunately, Beltran wasted a great head’s up, hustling effort by slowing down and standing up, and in a bang-bang play, Molina tagged him out as Beltran stepped on Molina’s foot instead of the plate.

Iona alum Jason Motte was credited with the win. He threw one pitch that resulted in two outs thanks to Beltran’s aggressive running.

Gary Sheffield ripped what should have been a single up the middle as a pinch-hitter in the ninth, but second baseman Brendan Ryan was positioned directly behind the bag and handled the sizzler easily.

It wasn’t a good night for Murphy, who in addition to the misplayed liner in the fateful 8th, also was picked off first by Yadier Molina and tagged out at home when he (also) failed to slide on a play at the plate.

Ankiel’s mustache is ridiculous. He reminds me of a player (pick one) from the early 80s. Jerry Martin? Mike Vail?

Next Mets Game

Mets try again at 8:15 PM in St. Louis tomorrow night. John Maine goes against Joel Pineiro. The game will be carried on TV by ESPN and also broadcast on WFAN and XM 187.

Posted in Mets 2009 Games | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Mets Series Preview: Cardinals

Posted on April 21, 2009 by Joe Janish

st. louis cardinals baseball logoThe New York Mets visit St. Louis for the first time in 2009 to play the Cardinals in a three-game series.

Pitching Matchups:

Game 1: Oliver Perez vs. Todd Wellemeyer

Which Ollie will show — Dr. Perez or Mr. Hyde? Nobody knows. Wellemeyer is a prime example of why Dave Duncan cannot be paid enough to be an MLB pitching coach.

Game 2: John Maine vs. Joel Pineiro

Will John Maine ever get past the fifth inning? Pineiro, another scrap heap success story for Duncan’s resume, has a perfect 2-0 record but a 5.40 ERA and a 1.80 WHIP thus far. Last year, the Mets battered him for 21 hits, 2 homers, and 9 runs in 9 innings, so perhaps this can be the game in which they finally send some runners home.

Game 3: Livan Hernandez vs. Kyle Lohse

This is a day game, 1:40 PM start. Before the season, I predicted Livan would be the Mets’ third-best starter before it was all said and done. He’s currently #2, which is as much a credit to Hernandez as it is due to the erratic performances of the other Mets starters. Lohse is off to a hot start, with two wins and a 2.57 ERA. Lohse was 1-1 vs. the Mets last season.

Offensive Concerns

The Mets are hitting .236 with RISP, with David Wright going 2-for-13 by himself. Wright, however, is 5-for-7 lifetime against Wellemeyer, and could shake his slump in the opener. Luis Castillo is currently leading the Mets with a .389 AVG while Ryan Church leads the team with 6 doubles, a .477 OBP, and a 1.018 OPS.

The Cardinals still have Albert Pujols, and surround him with a fairly balanced attack of LH and RH hitters. Ryan Ludwick is so far showing that 2008 was not a fluke, leading the Cardinals in the three major offensive categories. He’s batting .405 with 5 HR and 15 RBI through 10 games. However, another player to watch is 3B fill-in Brian Barden, who has slugged 3 dingers and 19 total bases in 22 ABs and is hitting .409.

Conclusion

Hard to say which way this series will go. Much depends on the efforts of Perez and Maine, who have become the poster children for inconsistency.

Posted in Series Previews | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Mets Series Preview: Cardinals

Where They Are Now: Philip Humber

Posted on April 21, 2009 by Joe Janish

phil_humber_pitch.jpg
A little over a year ago, former #1 pick and Rice alum Philip Humber was one of the crown jewels of the Mets’ farm system and a key component in the trade that brought Johan Santana to the Mets. Today, he finds himself on the junk pile.

Humber, who barely made the Minnesota Twins out of spring training, was DFA’d the other day to make room for fireballer Juan Morillo.

Aaron Gleeman put it best:

… many Twins fans have simply assumed that Humber is a good prospect because he was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2004 draft after a brilliant college career and once received a ton of hype coming up through the Mets system. However, his stuff hasn’t been the same since undergoing Tommy John elbow surgery in July of 2005 and little in Humber’s post-surgery performance suggests that he’s capable of becoming more than a fifth starter or long reliever.

Humber certainly still has some value and keeping him around to soak up low-leverage relief innings and perhaps make a spot start or two would have been just fine, but the payoff is minimal given that he’s already 26 years old and the Twins develop pitchers in such a way that they will rarely be lacking in back-of-the-rotation starters or long relievers.

Personally, I’m a big fan of Humber, and hope he can one day make it back to the bigs.

Posted in Where They Are Now | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Where They Are Now: Philip Humber

Mets Sign Wily Mo Pena

Posted on April 20, 2009 by Joe Janish

The Mets have signed enigmatic slugger Wily Mo Pena to a minor league deal.

Pena hit only .205 with 2 homers in 195 ABs last year with the Washington Nationals. However, he suffered from a strained oblique and shoulder issues last season. After undergoing rotator cuff surgery for his right shoulder last year, Pena this year reported discomfort in his left shoulder.

If healthy, the 27-year-old Wily Mo would have the most pure power in the Mets’ minor league system, and is at an age when players generally begin to peak. It’s a no-risk, high-reward signing for the Mets, who can use some righthanded power hitters.

Pena has never been able to recapture the magic of 2004, when he hit 26 HRs in 364 at-bats — a time when players didn’t have to worry about taking drug tests.

Posted in Latest Post | Tagged | 3 Comments

NY Post: Dopey Mets Want to Erase Dwight’s Citi Autograph

Posted on April 20, 2009 by John Fitzgerald
Memo to the Mets: ERASE THIS!

Memo to the Mets: ERASE THIS!

The NY Post’s George Willis is reporting that the Mets are up to their old tricks:

WHEN Dwight “Doc” Gooden attended the Mets’ Opening Day ceremonies at Citi Field last week, he stopped by the Ebbets Club along the first-base line and mingled with fans who cheered him during his Mets career. He shook hands, took pictures and signed autographs.

Someone thought it would be a nice idea if one of the greatest pitchers in franchise history signed a blank gray wall next to the bar. Gooden obliged, taking a black Sharpie and writing in script “Doc Gooden 84 R.O.Y., 85 Cy Young, 86 W.S. Champs.”

Gooden took a picture next to the signature, and so did countless fans lucky enough to afford the price of a ticket that allows them access to the club.

But now the Mets – who have been criticized for not showcasing enough of their history in their new ballpark – plan to erase Gooden’s signature from the wall, treating it as if it were unwanted graffiti.

Read the whole article here. Granted, it’s a little strange that Gooden autographed a wall, but it’s not like he could have posed for pictures in front of a photograph of himself or the ’86 Mets – from what I’ve heard, those photographs are nowhere to be found at the new ballpark.

When you think about it, it’s amazing that Gooden is still alive, much less visiting the new ballpark and interacting with fans. Leave it to Mets management to step in and screw it up.

The fact is, Gooden DID autograph the wall and now that it is there, it should be left alone. It should be allowed to become part of the stadium and part of the team’s history.  The minutiae and folklore of this team – like skydivers, black cats and Bill Buckner – are created and shared by players and fans. Ownership can build the ballpark, assemble a roster and sell the tickets, but they can’t control the memories. Unfortunately, that is exactly what they are trying to do.

[NY Post via MetsBlog]

Posted in citi field, Latest Mets News | Tagged , | 3 Comments

The Nelson Figueroa Era is Probably Over

Posted on April 19, 2009 by John Fitzgerald
Nelson Figueroa dressed as Prince for Halloween (via MrIrrelevant.com)

Nelson Figueroa dressed as Prince for Halloween (via MrIrrelevant.com)

MetsBlog is reporting that the Mets have designated Nelson Figueroa for assignment, following the Mets 4-2 loss the Brewers.

Figueroa had a decent outing for the Mets as an emergency starter in place of the injured Mike Pelfrey. In order to make room for Figueroa, the Mets had to place reliever Darren O’Day on Rule 5 waivers.

Matt Cerrone of MetsBlog is understandably confused by this move:

…so, let me get this straight, essentially, the Mets just traded figueroa and Darren O’Day for fossum… i mean, there really wasn’t a more efficient way to bring on a spot starter for the afternoon… seriously, any time roster management comes to in play, i panic, because, while i believe Omar Minaya does a good job with major acquisitions, i feel he fumbles the ball a lot on these little moves…

I couldn’t have said it better myself…

Posted in Latest Mets News | 7 Comments

Mets Game 12: Loss to the Brewers

Posted on April 19, 2009 by John Fitzgerald
JJ Hardy was called out when a fan reached over and caught this fly ball (Photo from NJ.com)

JJ Hardy was called out when a fan reached over and caught this fly ball (Photo from NJ.com)

The Mets dropped the final game of the series, losing to the Brewers by a score of 4-2. Nelson Figueroa did a great job filling in for the injured Mike Pelfrey. Figueroa tossed six innings, allowing 3 runs on 5 hits.

Milwaukee starter Jeff Suppan was also solid, throwing 6 innings and allowing two runs on eight hits. Brewers reliever Todd Coffey entered the game in the seventh inning and closed out the game for an eight-out save.

Game Notes:

  • Jose Reyes and Danny Murphy each collected 3 hits
  • JJ Hardy was called out on fan interference in the sixth inning when a fan reached over the left field rail to grab his fly ball.
  • WFAN’s Wayne Hagin did his best to describe the Hardy interference play, but confessed that he can’t view the left field corner from the broadcast booth and he doesn’t have a monitor. Take heart Mets fans – the BROADCASTERS can’t even see the field.
  • Hardy’s interference fly ball was followed by a Mike Cameron home run
  • The Mets were 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position
  • The Mets left 10 runners on base
  • The Mets are now 51-28 against the Brewers since Milwaukee joined the National League
  • The Mets are now 6-6
Posted in Latest Post, Mets 2009 Games | 3 Comments

The Darren O’Day Era is Probably Over

Posted on April 18, 2009 by John Fitzgerald
ODay and Morrissey, courtesy of Angels blog Halos Heaven

O'Day and Morrissey, courtesy of Angels blog Halos Heaven

Rotoworld is reporting that the Mets have designated reliever Darren O’Day for assignment. O’Day – a Rule 5 pick – will be placed on Rule 5 waivers. If he clears waivers, he will be offered back to the Angels.

O’Day’s departure will make room for Nelson Figueroa, who will start in place of Mike Pelfrey in Sunday’s series finale against Milwaukee.

I’m surprised Omar Minaya is so quick to scrap a piece of the bullpen that has been dominant so far this season. In four games with the Mets, O’Day had not allowed an earned run.

Given Pelfrey’s youth and his workload last season, I can’t imagine why they wouldn’t put him  on the DL, retroactive to his last start. He’d only end up missing one extra start and the bullpen could remain intact.

Then again, maybe the Mets weren’t high on O’Day in the first place and/or maybe they have a late inning reliever in mind to replace him once Pelfrey gets back.

Posted in Bullpen Blueprint, Latest Post | Tagged , , | 6 Comments