Brewers 9 Mets 7

It was three hours and 45 minutes of pure agony.

The Brewers jumped out to a two-run lead in the top of the first thanks to another dinger by Gabe Kapler, but the Mets stormed right back with a run in the bottom of the first, two runs in the bottom of the second, and another three in the bottom of the third inning, to take a four-run lead.

However, Oliver Perez did not have his “A” game, and lost the lead as quickly as he got it. The Brew Crew tied it up, and it remained 6-6 until the sixth, when Milwaukee scored two more off Perez and reliever Jorge Sosa to grab the lead. They added an extra insurance run in the seventh, thanks to a dropped third out by Carlos Delgado on a grounder by Rickie Weeks. Weeks proceed to steal second and score on a base hit by — who else — Gabe Kapler. Where was Kapler when the Mets were looking for a RH-hitting outfielder this winter?

Beside O-Pea crapping the bed, the Mets were the victim of bad luck, hitting into double plays in each inning from the fourth through the eighth. That last one in the eighth stung especially, as it was a grounder right to Prince Fielder with Brady Clark charging home from third. All fat boy Fielder had to do was step on the first base bag and toss the ball home. If that ball was hit anywhere else — anywhere — it would have been either or a run or only one out. Still, the Mets had old friend Guillermo Mota on the ropes, eventually loading the bases that same inning, before Carlos “runners on base break my concentration” Delgado popped up weakly to end the threat.

Fielder got in the way of another ball earlier in the game — a rip by Carlos Beltran — that he also turned into a DP. Strangely, it wasn’t Prince’s birthday. My theory is that he’s so damn obese, it’s hard for him not to be near any ball hit in fair territory. Either that or there’s something in cellulite that attracts horsehide like a magnet.

Notes

Why in god’s name was Aaron Heilman on the mound in the ninth? Billy Wagner will be lucky to get into 30 games this year, while Aaron appears in over 100.

Corey Hart was 4-for-4 by the sixth inning, but did not wear his sunglasses (it was a day game). The sixth and seventh hitters in Milwaukee’s lineup reached base seven times in ten plate appearances.

Good to see Damion Easley purposefully looking to go the other way in the second inning with no outs and men on second and third. Easley tends to pull the ball with his long, loopy swing, but in this particular situation, he shortened up an inch on the bat and was using an inside-out swing to punch the ball on the ground to the right side. He inside-outed the first pitch to him foul, but eventually got another ball that he rolled to the second baseman, scoring Carlos Delgado and moving Ryan Church to third. It seems like a little thing, but it was a heady play by a winning ballplayer. Well done.

Luis Castillo is the only player I know who can hit a broken-bat double.

Before his three hits today, Brian Schneider grounded out to the right side every time up, yet he’s hitting over .320. Go figure.

Endy Chavez has become a double play machine. Go figure.

Jason Kendall is batting over .400 this year but follows the pitcher in the lineup. Go figure. (Ned Yost is an idiot).

The Shea crowd did not get on Guillermo Mota nearly as hard as I hoped. Other than an initial “boo” when he was introduced, the fans weren’t too vehement. Guess I was looking for the vile scorn issued to Braden Looper way back when.

Next Game

Our lovable losers have WELLLLLLL deserved day off on Monday, then come back to work on Tuesday, tax day … oh, I’m sorry, Jackie Robinson Day … to face the Nationals. The entire Mets team will be wearing #42, so if it’s your first Mets game ever the scorecard won’t help you identify who’s who. Mike “The Stopper” Pelfrey takes the mound against Odalis “On This Team I’m an Ace” Perez. Game time is 7:10 PM.

Brewers 5 Mets 3

The Mets’ three-game winning streak came to an end, while the Brewers snapped a three-loss skid, as Milwaukee spoiled Johan Santana’s Shea debut.

The Mets jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the initial inning, on a sacrifice fly by David Wright that scored leadoff batter Angel Pagan and a booming double off the bat of Carlos Delgado that plated Carlos Beltran.

However the Brewers battled back with three of their own — the first on a sac bunt by Ben Sheets that scored Corey Hart, the other two on solo homers by Billy Hall and Rickie Weeks — and the game remained tight until the seventh, when Gabe “Welcome Back” Kapler blasted a 2-run homer into the leftfield seats to make it 5-2.

The Mets were completely inept against Sheets after the first frame, and didn’t score again until David Wright swatted a homerun in the eighth.

Notes

Just before Delgado’s blast in the first, Brewers ace Ben Sheets scolded himself — and pounded himself in the chest, in fact — after hanging a curveball to Beltran, which resulted in a line drive single. One must wonder if Sheets anger with himself had something to do with throwing a meaty fastball over the center of the plate for Delgado to jump all over.

No worries about the homeruns given up by Santana … he is aggressive and throws strikes and therefore homers are going to happen. Usually, they happen with nobody on base. I think he might want to get the fastball inside a little more on occasion, though, because the Brewers hitters looked way too comfortable at the plate.

Johan should have looked back the runner on third on Sheets’ run-scoring sacrifice. Not sure whether to blame Santana for not looking, or Brian Schneider for not yelling out instruction. It was good baserunning by Corey “Sunglasses” Hart.

Speaking of sacrifices and Santana, Johan attempted one with men on first and second in the second inning, but Milwaukee catcher Jason Kendall nailed Damion Easley at third on a bang-bang play to spoil the strategy. I wonder if Willie Randolph was paying attention, and possibly took note of the fact that someone was standing on third base to receive the throw? Because Randolph doesn’t incorporate a defensive strategy that entails third base coverage.

Nice job by Carlos Muniz, who threw two scoreless innings to finish the game for the Mets.

The Marlins are in first place with a 7-3 record, BTW. It’s early, folks.

Next Game

The rubber match pits Oliver Perez vs. Jeff Suppan in a 1:10 PM start. I won’t have a postgame until later in the day, as I have a game of my own at 2:30 … however I’ll leave the comments open.

Mets 4 Brewers 2

Hometown boy Nelson Figueroa made good in his Shea debut!

Figgy pitched six strong innings, earning his first MLB win in five years. He gave up two hits, two walks, and two earned runs, while striking out six in an impressive performance. He was perfect through the first four innings, mixing up an array of breaking pitches and changeups to keep the Brew Crew off balance. He was far from overpowering, but did an outstanding job of dropping in overhand curves mixed with sinking fastballs at several speeds. This is what you call “crafty”.

While Figgy was mowing down the Milwaukee batters, the Mets offense gave him just enough for a victory, thanks to a three-run fourth. David Wright singled to lead off the inning and Carlos Beltran followed with a walk. Then Carlos Delgado rapped a single to right under the glove of Prince Fielder to score Wright, and Damion Easley popped a fly ball to left to score Beltran. A passed ball (really, though, it should have been ruled a wild pitch) chased Delgado to second, and Ryan Church absolutely blistered a ball up the middle that couldn’t score Delgado because it was hit too hard. No matter, because Raul Casanova ripped a liner into left that scored Delgado for the third run of the inning and game.

Miraculously, the Mets bulllpen held up Figgy’s lead, pitching three hitless inning of relief. Billy Wagner earned his first save of the year while expending only 7 pitches.

Notes

If Figgy can give us six innings with only two runs every time out, then we’ve found a #4 starter — never mind a #5.

Adding to the story was the start by Raul Casanova, who was originally drafted by the MEts in 1990 (!). Yes he has some MLB experience, but it took him 18 years to start a game behind the dish with the Mets. Wow.

Isn’t Ryan Church supposed to have problems with lefties?

Rumor has it that Nelson Figueroa — who dropped a beautiful bunt and beat it out for a hit in the fourth — is a switch-hitter. We’ll see, perhaps, next time.