Nationals 1 Mets 0

Mike Pelfrey had one bad inning, the fifth. He walked two and allowed two doubles in that frame, and gave up one run. Otherwise, he was outstanding, pitching seven innings of one-run ball, allowing seven hits, four walks, and striking out four.

Unfortunately for Big Pelf, Odalis Perez was slightly better, shutting out the Mets through 7 1/3 and allowing only four hits, walking none and striking out six. But then, he IS the Nationals “ace” and was their Opening Day starter. Sheesh.

Not much else to say about the ballgame. I think I heard Aerosmith’s “Same Old Song and Dance” playing in the background …. or was it in my head?

Notes

Fernando Tatis left the game with a shoulder separation, suffered while diving for a fly ball. I’m going out on a “limb” (pardon the pun) and guess we won’t see him again in ’08. Tough break for a guy who was delivering a wonderful comeback story. The Mets will miss his all-out hustle and team-first attitude as much as his bat.

Joel Hanrahan spent 11 pitches to strike out David Wright leading off the ninth, finishing him with a 97-MPH fastball. Wright was the only non-catcher to collect a hit — the other three Mets hits came off the bats of Brian Schneider, Ramon Castro, and Robinson Cancel.

Carlos Delgado struck out on a breaking pitch in the dirt to end the game, but didn’t run to first when the ball got away from the Nats catcher. He wouldn’t have made it, but it would have been nice to see him force the throw — you never know.

Something I haven’t touched on, and must. Mike Pelfrey has done a wonderful job of not only pitching, but developing his entire game. This time last year, he was horrendous at holding runners, fielding bunts, and hitting. Now, he’s actually very good at keeping runners close and preventing them from getting good jumps, he’s much better as a fielder, and he’s adequate at sacrifice bunts and hitting in general. Kudos to Mike for putting it all together — because those parts of the game have nothing to do with god-given talent, and everything to do with hard work and repetition.

During the top of the third inning, Gary Cohen pointed out that, like last season, Jose Reyes is slumping in September — though, “the eyes don’t show it, the numbers do.” Ron Darling piped in with the comment, “… last year there was a lot of non-hustling …” REALLY? No, Ron, really? What games were YOU watching last September? From game 1 through 162, Reyes was the one guy on the club who played all-out, all the time. The one time he didn’t “hustle” was on a ball he thought was going foul — similar to Brian Schneider’s snafu the other day. I’m really tired of this “non-hustling” label that Reyes has undeservedly been slapped with — it’s completely off base.

Jerry Manuel held a closed-door meeting prior to the game. Didn’t appear to help anything. There’s that deja vu feeling again …

The Mets have lost three in a row, can do no better than a split, and are facing the very real possibility of being swept by the worst team in the MLB. The worst team in MLB, if you didn’t read it right the first time. If the Mets can’t beat the worst team in MLB at this point of the year, I’m not sure they deserve to reach the postseason.

Next Game

Another 7:10 pm start on Wednesday. Brandon Knight goes to the mound against Shairon Martis (who?). Could be a slugfest.

Figures …. only hours after I state the Mets will be fine because the offense can carry the team, the offense goes to sleep.

An appropriate video describing the Mets bats lately:

The Mets actually won the game that this “fan” attended — the second of Sunday’s doubleheader — so it’s not a perfect fit for the subject at hand. However, let’s hope we don’t see boredom like this on the field level in the last week of the season.

Nationals 7 Mets 2

The only positive in this evening was the fact the Phillies had the night off.

Still, the Mets lost not only the game but another half game from their NL East Division lead.

Pedro Martinez was OK — not great, but not bad either — but it didn’t really matter since the offense was paralyzed by Nats starter and winner John Lannan. Lannan allowed only one hit and one run through seven stellar innings, striking out seven. Meantime, Pedro gave up four runs on eight hits and four walks in his six innings of work — a decent enough outing for an explosive offensive team, but certainly not what we hope to get from Pedro Martinez. His fastball occasionally hit the low 90s, but his command was inconsistent. He’s become a fifth starter on a team that needs him to be a #4.

The Mets might have had a chance in this game, but Duaner Sanchez obliterated it by serving up a three-run homer to Elijah Dukes in the seventh. After Ricardo Rincon retired the two batters he faced, Mets manager Jerry Manuel saw fit to bring in Sanchez to face the righthanded batters. Duaner responded by allowing a walk, a single, and a wild pitch before the dinger.

In the bottom of the eighth, the Mets scared up a rally sparked by a Luis Castillo (!) double and scored a run, but David Wright killed the threat by bouncing into an inning-ending double play.

Notes

Bobby Parnell finally made his Major League debut, after pulling splinters from his keister the last few weeks. Parnell faced three batters and retired them all, lighting up the radar gun with a 95-MPH heater. Al Reyes was also spotted warming up in the bullpen, but did not get into the game.

Castillo and Ryan Church were the only Mets to reach base more than once in the contest.

The Mets have lost three of their last four and five of their last nine.

Next Game

The Mets and Nats do it again at 7:10 pm in DC, with Mike Pelfrey facing Odalis Perez.

Braves 7 Mets 4

If the Mets played high school rules — seven-inning games — they’d have this NL East title wrapped up. Unfortunately, the games in MLB go nine, which means that every contest is a crapshoot.

Oliver Perez spun seven stellar frames, allowing only two runs on four hits and three walks, striking out 8, and left the game with a two run lead. From this point of view, he wasn’t dominating, but he pitched well enough to win. Unfortunately, he didn’t.

Because for the second time in two days, the Mets bullpen blew the game and wasted a valiant effort from the starting pitcher. Once Oliver exited, Scott Schoeneweis and Joe Smith squeaked through a stressful eighth, then handed the game over to “closer” Luis Ayala. Ayala, who had converted seven saves in eight opportunities, did not gain an eighth. In fact, he did not retire a batter, allowing three hits, the third a three-run homer that put the Braves ahead 5-4. Ayala was replaced by Pedro Feliciano, who helped the Braves ignite a second rally in the inning by giving up two hits and two walks. Brian Stokes was brought in to throw more gas on the fire, and by the time the top of the ninth inning closed, it was 7-4 Braves.

The Mets were unable to come back from the three-run deficit in the bottom of the ninth, and ended the game with the tying run at the plate.

Former Met Jorge Julio earned his second victory of the season in relief for the Bravos.

Notes

David Wright went 4-for-5 with 2 homers and 3 RBI. Carlos Delgado had three hits but neither a run nor a run driven in. No one else in the lineup did anything of consequence, as the offense stranded a dozen runners.

Speaking of Wright, did anyone else notice his slight change in approach? Over a week ago I mentioned that he was over-rotating during his stride, and no longer doing his “toe-tap”. In this game, however, the stride, toe-tap, and waiting back returned, and he wasn’t “winding up” that front shoulder. The result? Four hits including two homers, and one of those blasts going to the opposite field. David, don’t go changin’ — we love you just the way you are!

Strange to see the same relief pitchers two days in a row, particularly after getting two days off and having 18 pitchers on the roster. It’s sort of like deja vu, like we’ve seen this type of (mis)management before, at a similar time of year.

Though, I find Jerry Manuel’s relief strategy very smart — borderline genius, in fact. If you haven’t noticed, he puts a pitcher in until that pitcher gives up a run, and then replaces him with someone else. That pitcher remains in the game until he gives up a run, and so on. If a pitcher doesn’t give up a run at all, then he pitches again, either the next inning or the next day. Manuel is really “reinventing” the bullpen by committee, if you ask me.

Corky Miller, batting .086 on the season, drove a 1-2 pitch from Brian Stokes to center for a sac fly to drive in the Braves’ seventh run of the game.

The Phillies won both ends of their doubleheader, and now sit one game behind in the standings. Thank goodness Jon Niese pulled that amazing performance out of his keister, or the Mets would be in deep doo-doo right now.

Next Game

The Mets play another “easy” team, the Nationals, in a four-game series in Washington. Pedro Martinez faces John Lannan in the opener. I’m nervous.

If you care, the Phillies have Monday off, then face the Braves, who will be throwing James Parr (who?) and Jo-Jo Reyes in two of the three games. Again, I’m nervous.

Mets 5 Braves 0

The rookie came up big.

The sleepy Mets bats woke up in the nightcap, pounding Braves starter and loser JoJo Reyes for four runs in the first two innings. David Wright delivered the initial blow, a two-run homer to score Jose Reyes, and Fernando Tatis singled in Carlos Beltran only minutes later to give the Mets a quick 3-0 advantage. Jose Reyes blasted a solo homer in the second frame, giving rookie Jon Niese an early four-run cushion in his second big league start.

Niese then mowed down the Braves for eight innings, allowing only six hits, two walks, and striking out seven, in a fairly efficient 116-pitch effort. Luis Ayala preserved the young lefty’s first big league win by pitching a perfect ninth. The win kept the Mets 2.5 games above the Phillies, who won earlier in the day.

Notes

Carlos Beltran also homered, smashing a solo shot in the seventh. Beltran was 3-for-4, and also stroked a double and stole a base. He’s seven for his last seventeen, with a 1.209 OPS over the last four games.

Tatis also went 3-for-4.

Next Game

The rubber match will be played on Sunday at 1:10 pm. Oliver Perez takes the hill against Jorge Campillo. Ollie needs to shake his recent Mr. Hyde episodes and get back on track.

Braves 3 Mets 2

Another heartbreaker for Johan.

The Mets gave their ace a two-run lead in the fourth, and looked like it would be all he’d need against the fast-fading Atlanta Braves.

Johan Santana pitched seven shutout innings, but unfortunately couldn’t make it eight. He ran out of gas in the top of the 8th, allowing two singles to start the inning, then handed off his 2-0 lead to the Mets bullpen — and that didn’t go so well.

Scott Schoeneweis was the first to answer the call, and he allowed a third single to load the bases. Manager Jerry Manuel immediately went to Brian Stokes, who gave up a two-run single to Jeff Francoeur to tie up the game. Stokes remained in the game, and a few batters later, allowed the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly. The sleepy Mets offense couldn’t respond, and that’s the way the game ended — yet another strong performance by Santana wasted.

Notes

Carlos Delgado went 2-for-4, the only Met with more than one hit.

The Braves left 11 men on base to the Mets’ 8.

Mets 13 Nationals 10

Another wild one.

The Mets squandered a six-run lead, but stayed in the game and squeaked out a win thanks to the suddenly explosive offense.

Carlos Delgado didn’t hit ANY homeruns, but David Wright, Carlos Beltran, and Fernando Tatis picked up the slack for the MVP candidate in leading the Mets to victory.

Mike Pelfrey was far from dominating, but kept the Mets in the game through five so-so innings. However, he allowed the Nats to chip away at an ample advantage, and handed a slim two-run lead to Aaron Heilman. Heilman promptly allowed a walk and a two-run homer, tying up the game and likely terminating any possibility of his entering another contest in 2008.

The game remained 7-7 until the 7th, when the Mets exploded for four runs, capped off by a two-run, single by Brian Schneider. The Nats came roaring back with three of their own in the top of the eighth, but the Mets answered with another two in the bottom of the frame to seal the game.

Notes

David Wright was 4-for-4 with a walk, 4 runs, 3 RBI, a double, and a homerun. Beltran went 3-for-5 with a double, 2 RBI and 2 runs. Tatis was 3-for-3 with a double, 2 RBI and 2 runs. Jose Reyes and Ryan Church drew a combined four walks hitting first and second in the lineup.

Brian Stokes finally broke his string of stupendous pitching, allowing a three-run homer in the eighth to Cristian Guzman.

Luis Ayala converted his seventh save of the season. Joe Smith earned his second win in as many days, and fifth of the year.

There are 17 games left, and the Mets are up by 3.5 over Philadelphia, with a four-game advantage in the loss column (you can always win more games, but you can’t lose less).

Next Game

The Mets get another day off on Thursday, then host the Atlanta Braves for a three-game series. Johan Santana faces Mike Hampton in the opener on Friday night. Game time is 7:10 pm.