Mets 8 Reds 3

Is Mike Pelfrey the answer?

For six innings, it sure looked like he might be. Of course, it was only his second ML start, and even Mr. Willie was barely interested in the results. He thoroughly downplayed Pelfrey’s performance, keeping to his “even keel” way about things, and vehemently insisted that one cannot get too excited about one or two starts by a young pitcher. And he is quite right to feel that way.

But then, Mr. Willie still won’t admit that Jose Valentin is the starting second baseman, so everything he says must be taken with a grain of salt.

As Met fans, we are allowed to be excited. Yesterday’s Pelformance began to fulfill our hopes that Mikey is the second coming of The Franchise Himself, Tom Seaver.

True enough, he threw about 90% fastballs, and many “experts” have already stated that he’ll need more than a fastball to win at this level.

However, he threw 90% fastballs and still stifled a very strong Cincinnati lineup. Which leads one to wonder how much more effective Pelfrey will be if and when he actually does establish a second or third pitch. After all, with “just” a fastball, he struck out Adam Dunn and Junior Griffey, among others, instigating 12 ground balls and allowing only 2 fly balls. He showed his breaking pitch — looks to be part slider/part curve — just enough to keep the batters guessing, and did very nicely, thank you, relying on the command of his sinking fastball and infield defense. If he can continue to pound the lower part of the strike zone with his 92-96-MPH heavy ball, all the “experts” saying he needs another pitch will change their tune to ” … he’s a lot like Brandon Webb … ” (interesting, isn’t it, that no one every says Webb needs another pitch?).

Pelfrey’s strong outing was well supported once again by the powerful Mets lineup; this time the hero was Carlos Beltran, who hit his second grand slam in as many days. Beltran turned on and cah-reamed a hanging curveball far into the upper deck in left field. His monster shot gave the Mets a five-run cushion and blew the air out of the Reds’ collective balloon. Interestingly, Reds starter Eric Milton pitched around Paul LoDuca to face Beltran, who thus far has put up weak numbers from the right side of the plate. That stuff might work with Strat-O-Matic, but unfortunately for Milton he had to face the real, live Beltran and not one-dimensional card stock; and he had to toss a real baseball rather than a pair of the dice.

Notes

Cliff Floyd went 0-4 but pounded the heck out of the ball. He is looking great.

As usual, it took only four relievers to close out innings seven through nine. All arms were effective, though it took the group a total of 60 pitches in those three innings. That said, it’s possible Mr. Willie will have to go to a combination of Heath Bell and Aaron Heilman in game two.

Crazy when you think back about 25 years, and guys like Goose Gossage pitched three full innings in one game to earn a save. Of course, the Goose didn’t always have to come back and throw the next day, as pitchers often finished what they started back then.

Speaking of the old days, Edgardo Alfonzo went oh-fer-four in his AAA debut. Those who remember Fonzie’s early days know that he skipped that level and came straight to the bigs from AA.

Steve Trachsel looks to keep his winning streak alive vs. Aaron Harang tonight. Meanwhile one wonders who the Mets are scouting tonight … Benson vs. Zito, Javy Vasquez, or Greg Maddux? Or did they see Mark Redman lose a 1-0 gem this afternoon vs. Boston?

Mets 13 Cubs 7

OK, I’ll admit it: in the second inning, after El Duque gave up two walks, seven hits, and five runs, I was ready to to turn off the TV and do something else with my Sunday evening.

Then came the sixth. Hooo boy!

Two grand slams, 17 batters, about 75 pitches and eleven runs later, the Mets were ahead 13-5 and the Cubs were not only losing but completely demoralized.

It was a great game for just about everyone, save El Duque and Aaron Heilman, whose performances are getting more and more concerning. In particular, it was a great day for Cliff Floyd, who seems to have erupted in his hometown. With Carlos Delgado putting up Mientkiewicz-like numbers over the last month, some production from Uncle Cliffy is just what the Mets need. Hopefully this successful Chicago trip will parlay into a great second-half for Floyd.

Notes

The Mets bullpen — other than Heilman — was practically perfect in relief of Orlando Hernandez. Heilman, though, has pitched so poorly I wonder if the Mets will consider sending him to AAA to get back on track. Wishful thinking has me plotting to send him to Norfolk as a starter: stretch him out with 3, 4, 5, then 6-inning starts over the next month, then have him ready to join the rotation at the end of August. Presto! there’s your #3 playoff starter.

Of course that will never happen, but if Henry Owens hadn’t self-destructed on Saturday, one must wonder if there was a real possibility of Heilman being moved — to Norfolk or elsewhere. Heath Bell threw a strong inning in his first appearance back from AAA, and a string of good outings could put him in Heilman’s 7th-inning role. With the ChiSox desperate for relief pitching, and dangling Minaya favorite Javy Vasquez, it’s easy to envision a deal sending Heilman to Chicago. Personally, I’m hoping for the aforementioned AAA starter plan … and yes, I continue to dream …

Jose Reyes missed another game. No biggie, and I see no reason to rush him back with the Mets dominating the division. Let him get completely healed and hungry to play; we’ll need him in September and hopefully October.

Same goes for Pedro. I’d be fine with Pedro missing his next five starts and not returning till late August. Let him rest up and get ready for the playoffs; John Maine and Mike Pelfrey can pull up the slack, and don’t we have Brian Bannister coming back soon?

Cubs 9 Mets 2

Early on, Tommy Glavine looked to be back to his usual self, though the home plate umpire seemed to be squeezing him on the corners. It’s apparent in this stage of his career that if Tommy isn’t getting the corners, he’s going to stuggle; though he can still be effective, it will take him many more pitches. With Mr. Willie’s 100-pitch program, that makes it tough for Tommy to go deep in such games.

As well as Glavine pitched, Cubs’ starter Carlos Zambrano was that much better. He cruised through the first five innings, breezing the ball past the Mets’ batters in an effortless style.

Then came the sixth inning, and both pitchers faltered.

Zambrano gave up a leadoff triple to the Stache, and eventually allowed two runs to score. Little did we know that would be all the scoring the Mets would do on the afternoon.

Glavine gave up three of the five runs scored in the bottom of the inning, though it really wasn’t all his fault … and he certainly didn’t deserve to be removed from the game. The leadoff triple he allowed to Ryan Theriot should have been caught had Endy Chavez not lost the ball in the sun. After the triple, he wisely gave Derrek Lee nothing to swing at. Unfortunately, Aramis Ramirez drove in Theriot on a ball that just got by Chris Woodward, and Mr. Willie inexplicably removed Glavine from the game in favor of Chad Bradford. Why? No one’s sure. Glavine didn’t look like he was tiring, despite throwing 90 pitches.

Let’s take another look at the situation. You bring in Bradford, presumably, to get a ground ball double-play. Well, isn’t that Glavine’s forte? The DP grounder? I understand removing a guy like Steve Trachsel, who isn’t known to get very far beyond the fifth inning, or a youngster, but a veteran workhorse like Glavine, who used to be a bonafide ace — and who may very well be the Mets’ current ace — should be kept in the game to work out of the inning. He’s done it hundreds of times before, and unless there is a physical issue (injury, exhaustion), I just don’t see how you remove a top dog like Tommy Glavine from the ballgame after throwing just five innings. I have before and will continue to be against this seventh game of the World Series strategy. It’s fine once in a while, such as when your bullpen is abnormally well rested or other circumstances allow it, but to apply this quick-hook strategy every single game is dangerous over the long haul. First, you burn out your bullpen, and second, your starters never learn how to pitch through tough situations. Eventually, you condition starting pitchers to pitch to the predefined limit, and then they have little or no chance of going past that limit — mentally or physically. Which means that when playoffs arrive, you MUST rely on the bullpen every game. And there is no bullpen on the planet that can pitch every single day and be perfect.

Had Glavine remained in the game, the Mets still would have lost, since they stopped scoring. But he may have been able to wiggle out of sixth without too much damage, and possibly thrown at least another inning. Instead, the Mets used four relievers, including rookie Henry Owens, who had a meltdown in the seventh. Maybe Glavine throws the seventh instead, then gives way to a reliever in the eighth, and then the Mets have used only two pitchers in the game instead of five.

Sure the Mets are so far ahead of everyone right now that the point seems moot. However, I’m looking ahead, to the end of September and beginning of October, when we’ll need starters who, when they’re pitching effectively, can remain in the game through seven or eight innings. And if we need to go to the bullpen, I want them fresh and healthy, not overworked and riddled with tendinitis all around.

Mets 6 Cubs 3

I missed the game … I hate 1pm games on workdays …

Sounds like Uncle Cliffy’s bat has woken up … thank goodness … though just in time to fill in an RBI slot for Beltran, who may be having another one of those hurt-but-not-enough-for-DL spurts.

Glavine vs. Zambrano … should be an interesting game.

Mets 7 Marlins 6

After a few weeks of easy wins and blowouts, the Mets finished the first half of the season in much the same way they started it: with a dramatic, come-from-behind, late-inning, one-run win.

Who was the hero? C’mon, now, you know it had to be David Wright. D-Wright hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth to give the Mets the lead plus a much-needed insurance run that became the winning run when Billy Wagner surrendered a solo homer in the ninth en route to his 18th save. (Hmmm, Billy was doing things like that earlier in the year, too … guess he didn’t want to feel left out of this nostalgic win.)

Notes

Though he threw into the seventh, Tommy Glavine was not vintage, again. He’s leading the NL in wins, but that is more to do with excellent run support than great pitching. In his last 10 starts, he’s allowed four runs or more five times, and has pitched seven innings plus only three times. Now, some might say that he’s pitched a number of “quality starts” in the last ten, but this is a guy who we are leaning on to be a co-ace. Giving up four runs over nine innings is OK, giving up four in less than seven is not good enough. He needs to at least pitch further in games, as he was in the first two months of the season. He pitched through at least six innings in all of his first 12 starts, and gave up three runs or less in all of those starts but one. Since that 12th start, however, he has had trouble getting to, and through, the sixth. Hopefully the pre-June Tommy will reappear after the All-Star break.

Mets 17 Marlins 3

If I’m John Maine, I’m running up and down the dugout screaming “where was that an hour ago???!!!!”

Anyone with a remote interest in the Mets was excited about this game for one reason: the debut of Mike Pelfrey. With barely three months of professional ball under his belt, Pelfrey was brought in to start a Major League game. He struggled a bit, but was given enough support get through.

Cliff Floyd and Jose Valentin drove in a combined 12 runs, and Paul LoDuca added another 3 RBI, as the Mets trounced, thrashed, and completely devastated the Marlins. Talk about erupting …

Valentin, in fact, nearly hit two grand slams in back-to-back innings, missing his second granny by just a few feet. Whatever he had for an in-between-games meal, I’ll take two, please.

Marlins’ rookie starter Ricky Nolasco has been fairly impressive against everyone else in the NL, but can’t seem to find a groove against the Mets. He gave up 10 hits and seven runs in his earlier outing, and the Mets roughed him up again for nine in less than two innings. Joe Girardi used nearly his entire bullpen in the first game, and made Jason Vargas the sacrificial lamb for the remainder of the game. I’m not sure if Girardi didn’t want to waste another arm in this game, or if he just didn’t have a better bat to pinch-hit for Vargas when his turn came up.

Notes

Pelfrey was a little shaky in his first ML start, which we can probably chalk up to first-game nervousness. The reports we heard were that Pelfrey threw nothing but fastballs in the minors, and he didn’t have a breaking pitch. Well, I saw a pretty good fastball, a nice breaking ball, and I thought I saw some changeups in his debut. If nothing else, his fastball and the breaking ball should be enough to help the Mets out of the bullpen right now; whether or not he can anchor a spot in the rotation this year depends on whether he really does have a change-up and/or he can command the fastball up here the way he did in AA. According to Omar Minaya, Pelfrey or Maine will get the next start when the #5 spot comes up. I like Maine, and I think he’ll be fine as a #5. However, I’d like to see a less-nervous Pelfrey make another start, and see what he can do.

The reports we got on Henry Owens were that he had a heater and a good breaking ball, and that he had an injury earlier in the year which precluded him from pitching back-to-back days. So what does Mr. Willie do? Pitch him on back-to-back days, of course. One inning on Friday, and two innings on Saturday. Maybe Randolph read the report as back-to-back “games”, and therefore counted the first game of the doubleheader as an off-game for Owens.

In any case, it is fun to watch Owens throw gas with that funky delivery. He seemed to either get tired or nervous in this outing, as he did walk two batters. However, if he settles down and can go every other day, he looks like he could be a good matchup ROOGY for days that Bradford needs a rest. He might even vie for a setup role as early as next year. Unfortunately, for 2006, he might be on his way back to the minors until September. That is, unless Mr. Willie plans to carry 15 pitchers on the roster.

Aaron Heilman closed out this blowout, probably to get game work in a relaxed situation and be able to work on some things. Though he threw a perfect inning, he still doesn’t look “good”. His body language is less fierce and confident than it was in April; he’s clearly concerned about his mechanics and his command. I really think it’s time to demote him to the starting rotation, and promote El Duque to #2 setup guy behind Dirty Sanchez. El Duque is much to valuable to the bullpen to keep him in the rotation.

Marlins 3 Mets 2

Tough loss for John Maine, who pitched a good game except for three swings of the bat — three that produced three solo homers and were ultimately the deciding runs of the game.

Perhaps tougher to take was losing by one run in the first game, then watching the Mets’ lineup terrorize Marlins pitching in the second game, scoring 17 runs. Where were those bats in the opener?

Marlins starter Jason Johnson was underwhelming in five innings, walking five, but managed to escape the game with only two runs scored against him. Joe Girardi put a new pitcher out for every inning thereafter, and the Mets could manage only a walk and a hit against them. The batters were lackadaisical, as if they were just trying to get the game over with.

On the bright side, Chad Bradford and Dirty Sanchez both pitched well in relief. John Maine deserved better. He’s no ace, but he looks to have the makings of a solid #4 or #5. In fact, he should give the Mets the same kind of production they’re getting from Steve Trachsel. I see a string of 12-12 seasons in his future.