Braves 7 Mets 6

Anyone else get the feeling of deja vu during this game?

The Mets jump out with an early lead, the starting pitcher mows down the opposition, meantime the offense goes to sleep, the bullpen blows the lead, and the Mets lose the game. It’s as if the Mets were following a script.

Mike Pelfrey pitched well, allowing only three runs on six hits in six innings. However, the bullpen was not so good. Jerry Manuel once again went to the “bullpen carousel” strategy, sending in a new arm for each individual Braves batter. The last time Manuel pulled this insanity, it worked, and he was lauded for his great managing. Today, it didn’t work, so I suppose we’ll blame it on Aaron Heilman. Sound good? (Yeah, I want Jerry’s job too.)

In truth, the Mets would not even have been in the game if not for Carlos Delgado, who continues to carry this team on his shoulders. Delgado went 4-for-5 with 2 runs and 3 RBI, and collected both his 2000th hit and his 37th homer of the season. David Wright played a supporting role, scoring 3 runs and collecting two hits, including a two-run homerun (his 32nd of the year). Wright and Delgado, in fact, combined for 6 of the Mets’ 8 hits and 5 of thier runs, and for those keeping score, Luis Castillo drove in the sixth Mets run.

Notes

Manuel used six relievers for innings seven and eight. The only one whose performance could be described as effective was Ricardo Rincon, who retired the one batter he faced.

Despite this game, I’m still not worried about the Mets’ chances for the playoffs. The Brewers won, yes, putting them only a game and a half behind the Mets in the wild card standings. And though Milwaukee has three games coming up against Pittsburgh, they finish with a three-game set against the Cubs — a team they have had trouble with all year. Not to mention that they don’t have Ben Sheets and their bullpen is in worse shape than the Mets, if you can believe that. The Brewers have earned exactly one save this month.

Next Game

The Mets begin the final homestand in the history of Shea tomorrow night, opening a four-game series with the Cubs at 7:10 pm. Rookie Jonathan Niese faces Jason Marquis.

Braves 4 Mets 2

Pedro Martinez wasn’t awful, but he wasn’t great, either, and he didn’t get enough offensive support to make up the difference.

The Mets managed just two runs on five hits against starter Jorge Campillo, and were shut out by three Atlanta relievers the rest of the way.

Ironically, Pedro drove in both of the Mets runs with a fifth-inning double. Go figure.

Notes

If this were 1960, the season would be over (154-game season back then) …. though, there wouldn’t be any divisions so they’d have finished in second place, behind the Cubs.

In a move that surprised everyone, Bobby Parnell made his second MLB appearance in this contest, spinning a perfect two-thirds of an inning. The Mets were down by only two — I’m going to guess that Jerry Manuel’s glasses fogged up in the Atlanta humidity and he thought the score was 8-2.

David Wright’s slump continued — he went only 2-for-4 with a double. Hopefully he’ll break out of this soon, as the Mets need 5-for-5 days from him.

Next Game

The rubber match will be played at 1:35 pm. Mike Pelfrey goes against James Parr.

Mets 9 Braves 5

What a sloppy, annoying game … but in the end the Mets won so who gives a hoot?

I apologize, but have little energy for a postgame due to a really bad cold and sinus infection, which makes me cranky and ornery. Or maybe it was seeing a different pitcher for each batter in the seventh that made me ornery …

Anyway, I’ve come to the conclusion that the Mets are guaranteed to make the playoffs, which makes the inane pitching changes even more ludicrous. Here’s the thing: the Brewers are done, no question, no worries, and no concern. The next-closest wild card team is the Marlins, who at five games out probably are too far away to realistically sneak in. Further, if the Marlins beat the Phillies, then that helps propel/keep the Mets into first place. If the Phillies beat the Marlins, that pushes the Fish further away in the wild card. Either way, the Mets benefit.

The worst possible scenario is if the Fish win all of the rest of their games, AND the Phillies win all of their games after their series with the Fish, AND the Mets go 3-3 in their next six games. It’s mathematically possible, not realistic — it would mean the Marlins finish the season with an 18-game winning streak. Or something like that … the medicine is clouding my head …

Please post your comments on the game below …

Mets 7 Nationals 2

Now that’s more like it … a playoff-bound team is supposed to be beating up on the last place teams at this time of year.

Johan Santana made the Nats hitters look like minor leaguers, allowing only one run in seven innings of balls missing bats. Johan allowed 8 hits, 2 walks, and struck out 8.

On the other side of things, the offense continued its onslaught, again sparked by Jose Reyes. Reyes doubled to lead off the game and scored on a single by Daniel Murphy to give the Mets a lead they never relinquished.

The Mets added two runs to their lead in the second inning, thanks to the first of two homers by Brian Schneider and an RBI single by Reyes. And they plated another pair in the third, courtesy of a Carlos Beltran triple and a Ryan Church single. In the fourth, Schneider blasted another bomb to put the Mets ahead 6-zip, and Church drove in another run in the fifth frame to give the Mets a 7-0 advantage.

The Nationals held the Mets scoreless through the remainder of the game, but the damage was done.

Notes

Schneider, Church, and Murphy all went 2-for-4, and Reyes had two safeties in five tries.

David Wright continued his “slump” with another oh-fer. It’s obvious he’s pressing, but the question is why? Wright was unconscious against the Braves last weekend, then goes hitless one game and everyone is wondering what’s wrong with him. He must have been reading / listening to the pundits, because he’s looked tight ever since that 0-for-4 Monday game.

Speaking of tension, it should be relieved for the Mets, and we should see them go ballistic on the Braves. That is, if they’re being realistic and can see what everyone else is seeing: the Milwaukee Brewers are finished, which means the Mets can skate into the postseason via the wild card. Earlier in the day, the Cubs essentially ripped the heart out of the Brewers, overcoming a 4-run deficit in the ninth and taking the game in the 12th inning. The Brew Crew was already on its last shred of courage, and this latest disaster no doubt will put them into a mental state that will be next to impossible to overcome.

And while we’re segueing into mental games, what’s up with Jerry Manuel’s quick hook in the ninth inning? I realize the bullpen has been shaky, but why is he managing a 5-run lead like it’s the seventh game of the World Series? It’s bad enough he’s been doing it in three-run games since June, but I don’t see the advantage of burning through both of your top LOOGYs in a 7-2 contest. Besides wearing out arms that might be needed tomorrow, he’s also sending a negative message to every man in the ‘pen: be perfect, or be gone. Who can perform their best with that kind of expectation? The pundits can keep yapping about the relievers being “terrible”, but I’m sticking to my evaluation that Manuel is an absolute moron when it comes to bullpen management — yes, he’s WORSE than Willie.

Which brings me to one more point: where the heck was Bobby Parnell? Before the game, a reporter asked Manuel if it would take another blowout situation for him to see Parnell, and the answer was “no”. Yet, this would have appeared to be a perfect time to see what the kid could do — finish up a game with a five-run cushion. I understand that there is still the concern that he’ll crap the bed and ruin Santana’s gem, but wouldn’t you rather find out now, rather than, say, game 160? Further, isn’t Parnell one of the “untouchables” who the Mets couldn’t trade away for people like Jon Rauch, Huston Street, Jason Bay, Xavier Nady, or Manny Ramirez? If he’s that good and is on the roster of a team vying for the postseason, shouldn’t we be seeing him make a contribution? For all the hype we were fed, I was expecting Parnell to be our version of the 2006 Adam Wainwright. Instead, we get a combination of Philip Humber / Aaron Sele.

Last bullpen point: Al Reyes was released. I’m guessing that he never fully recovered from the shoulder ailment that kept him out for the past few months.

Oh, in case you missed it, Brian Schneider is looking fresh. We know this because Gary Cohen, Keith Hernandez, Ron Darling, and Kevin Burkhardt all brought up the fact that Schneider’s lack of playing time early in the season means he’s fresh now, at the end of the season. Lee Mazzilli mentioned it in the postgame, as well, and Burkhardt brought it up with both Jerry Manuel and Schneider himself in postgame interviews. Matt Yalloff and Gary Apple mentioned it too, so it must be true. So why are we worried about the tendinitis in Schneider’s knee?

A good, much-needed win. I really feel like it’s going to be smooth sailing from here on — the Brewers are dead and the Fish have too much ground to cover in too short a time.

Next Game

The Mets begin a three-game series in Atlanta on Friday night with Oliver Perez going to the hill against Jo-Jo Reyes. First pitch is at 7:30 pm.

Mets 9 Nationals 7

If you want to see the Mets in the playoffs this year, you better get used to games like this.

The Mets offense woke up, charging to a 7-1 lead by the fourth inning. Jose Reyes set the tone with a leadoff homer on the fifth pitch of the ballgame, and Carlos Delgado added a dinger of his own a few minutes later.

Reyes again was the catalyst in a four-run third, as he led off with a walk and scored on a triple by Daniel Murphy. Delgado drove in Murphy, and Carlos Beltran hit the first of his two homers in the game to plate Delgado. Reyes drove in the seventh Mets run with a single in the next frame, and Beltran’s blast in the eighth put the Mets ahead 9-5.

You’d think a four-run lead and a nine-run outburst would be enough to get a Mets fan off the edge of his chair, but lo and behold, the bullpen nearly gave the game away in the ninth. The Nats rallied for two runs off Joe Smith and Pedro Feliciano to make the game 9-7, but Luis Ayala came on to put out the fire, striking out pinch-hitter Roger Bernadina to end the game.

Notes

The Mets scored nine runs, but required eight pitchers to complete the contest.

Reyes, Murphy, Beltran, Delgado, and Brian Schneider all collected two hits apiece.

Aaron Heilman made his first appearance in a week and gave up a double and a single before yielding to Scott Schoeneweis — who remarkably did not allow either of his inherited runners to score.

Next Game

The Mets have a chance to salvage a split by winning Thursday’s game, which begins at 7:10 pm. Johan Santana goes to the hill against Tim Redding.

Hold on to your caps, folks … the next ten days are going to be a rough ride.