It was one of the most exhilarating and exciting comebacks of the year for the 2011 Mets.
And then it wasn’t.
In many ways, it was the defining moment of the season — for both the team and for Mets fans.
For a moment, it appeared as though it would, for once, be the Mets who come from behind after the seventh inning to win a ballgame.
Because they did come from behind, and went ahead comfortably, in the 8th. Then, the bullpen let a four-run lead disappear as if it weren’t there at all.
The game was a little closer than the final score would indicate.
The Brewers and Mets swapped leads early in the contest, until the Mets pulled ahead 4-2 in the sixth, then extended it to 6-2 in the seventh against Jeff Suppan, then trounced Zach Braddock for another four runs in the top of the ninth to put the game away.
R.A. Dickey is starting to make a case to remain in the rotation indefinitely. He tossed 7 full innings, allowing 4 runs on 9 hits and no walks, striking out 3. Not the most brilliant outing ever, but the Mets could use a starter who can provide that kind of length on a consistent basis.
If I told you that a Mets starter would pitch 7 innings and not walk a batter, would you guess it to be a knuckleballer?
Jeff Francoeur had a chat with Jerry Manuel after Saturday night’s game and went 4-for-4 with 2 RBI and 3 runs scored. Cause and effect or coincidence? If the former, then is Jerry to blame for Francoeur’s extended slump? Considering that Frenchy was hitting .400 in the four games previous to his meeting with Manuel, I’m betting on the latter. But I won’t be surprised to hear/see a ton of hype about how Manuel got Francoeur back on track.
Henry Blanco also had a big day, going 3-for-4 with two doubles, two runs, and an RBI. He also threw out Carlos Gomez attempting to steal.
Angel Pagan collected another two hits, including his fourth homer of the season.
Jonathan Lucroy struggled behind the plate for the Brewers, halting the game with incessant mound conferences and unable to get into a rhythm with starter Randy Wolf nor most of the Milwaukee relievers. To be that much of a distraction can negatively affect an entire pitching staff — remember Omir Santos? Don’t be surprised to see the Brew Crew pick up a veteran backstop such as Paul Lo Duca, or deal for someone like Chris Iannetta.
The Mets head further west, playing the Padres in San Diego on Monday night. Hisanori Takahashi goes to the mound against Kevin Correia. Game time is 10:05 PM EST. Ugh.
A quick update on the goings-on in Indianapolis today …
Free agents go on the open market today, and with a lack of trading chips, the Mets are expected to dive in deep to fill their multiple holes.
At minimum, they need at least one starting pitcher — maybe two; a catcher; a left fielder; a utility infielder; a LOOGY; a righthanded reliever; and a first baseman (though, that one’s up for argument).
With so many holes to fill and the Mets desperate to erase the 2009 season from memory, fans should fear the following.
So much for building on a big win over the best team in baseball.
The Dodgers shrugged off a 5-4 loss on Wednesday night to demolish the Mets, reminding them of their place in the world.
Orlando Hudson wrapped a three-run double in the first frame, putting the Dodgers up by four, and from there it was just a long, painful, dreary wait for the game to end. I’ve had two root canals, and the agony did not compare to what had to be endured through the final 8 1/2 innings of this dreadful contest.
By the time Livan Hernandez was mercifully removed, he had allowed 8 earned runs on 11 hits and 4 walks in 4 frames. Pat Misch and Brian Stokes were passable in relief, but Tim Redding was Livanlike in his two innings, allowing another 3 runs on 6 hits and a walk.
What is there to say? Livan Hernandez put the team in a hole, and this team — with or without “the cavalry” — does not have the gumption to come back from such a deficit. There’s no way you can convince me that Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, and Jose Reyes would’ve made a difference in this game.
On a positive note, David Wright was 2-for-3. Gary Sheffield showed a modicum of interest, showing enough emotion to get himself tossed from the game. I’m not saying it’s good to get thrown out, but, it’s nice to see that someone on this team gives a crap.
The score could’ve been worse when you consider that the Dodgers left 13 men on base. Thirteen. Wow.
Jerry Manuel finally came to his senses in penciling in Luis Castillo and his .380 OBP at the top of the lineup. Though, I can’t explain Nick Evans in the two-hole, the insistence of forcing Fernando Tatis into the lineup, nor the decision to sit Dan Murphy after a two-double day. Is the lefty-lefty thing really THAT big a deal? And how can that be, when Manuel openly admits that he doesn’t pay much attention to the numbers?
Speaking of the numbers, Fernando Tatis is now 3-for-31 lifetime vs. Randy Wolf.
Manny Ramirez was 5-for-11 with 3 runs scored and 6 RBI in this series. Good thing I sat him on my fantasy team. I left Randy Wolf on the bench, too. This is why I finish last every year.
The Mets navigate their way to the All-Star Break via a three-game weekend series hosting the Cincinnati Redlegs. Fernando Nieve faces Bronson Arroyo in the opener at 7:10 PM on Friday night in Flushing.
A comedy of errors.
The Mets and Dodgers locked horns for 10 innings, tied up at two apiece, until Angel Pagan drove a ball deep to the outfield wall to drive home Ryan Church with the go-ahead run.
Except, Church missed third base. And everyone saw it.
The Dodgers appealed the play, Church was punched out, and the top of the 11th was over, with the game remaining tied.
In the bottom of the inning, the Dodgers quickly put runners on second and third with none out, thanks to a walk and a missed fly ball by Carlos Beltran in centerfield. The Mets then intentionally loaded the bases and brought Beltran in to play short-field. Brian Stokes induced a short flyout to left from Rafael Furcal, then got a grounder to first base from Orlando Hudson — but Jeremy Reed threw the ball way wide of Omir Santos, allowing the winning run to score.
All in all, the Mets committed five errors in the field, a few more on the basepaths, and wasted a strong effort by Tim Redding.
After a rough start, Redding settled down to pitch surprisingly well in his 2009 debut. After allowing two runs in the first frame, he didn’t allow another as he cruised through the sixth, expending 92 pitches. However, Randy Wolf hung just as tough, allowing only the Mets two runs through 7 2/3 and 96 pitches. Despite their impressive performances, neither pitcher was still around when the winning run crossed the plate.
Redding held the NL’s top-hitting team to only two hits in his six innings of work.
In the starting lineup as the leadoff hitter, Angel Pagan responded as well as one could hope, going 4-for-6 with a run scored and almost the game-winning hit.
David Wright remains unconscious. He was 2-for-3 with two doubles and two walks and a run scored.
As usual, some strange things from the Mets side. For example, Luis Castillo attempting to bunt Pagan to third base with none out in the 8th and the Mets down by one. It appeared as though it was Castillo’s idea. Whosever it was, it was a bad one. What made it worse was that Castillo popped up back to the pitcher. Pagan eventually scored, but nonetheless the out was given away.
Yet again, a Met did not slide when he should have. Ryan Church did not slide back into first on a pickoff attempt by Russell Martin, and was tagged out. Luckily for the Mets, the umpire missed it and called him safe. Still, no excuse for not sliding. Is Charlie Samuels on the players’ cases for getting their uniforms dirty?
Luis Castillo saved the game by stopping an errant throw to first by Sean Green in the bottom of the ninth, holding Juan Pierre at third base. Had Castillo not been backing up, the ball would’ve rolled into right field and Pierre would’ve scored the winning run easily. And Mets fans would’ve had another big reason to call for Green’s head on talk radio on Tuesday.
I can’t believe Fernando Tatis is 3-for-24 with RISP this year.
Reed was looking pretty good with the glove at first base, until that bad throw. Can you expect him to make a good throw in that situation, with a grand total of 16 professional innings at the position under his belt? I doubt he’s had much time to practice such a play — most likely he’s spent most of his time with footwork around the bag, fielding grounders, and digging out low throws. There are only so many hours in the day.
Church seemed to be hobbling after the non-score / missing third base in the 11th. Just what the Mets need — another injury.
The Mets and Dodgers face each other again on Tuesday night at 10:10 PM EST. John Maine faces Chad Billingsley.
According to several reports, the Arizona Diamondbacks have signed Jon Garland to a one-year contract that includes a club option for 2010.
There had been rumors that the Mets were mildly interested in the sturdy, steady, yet unspectacular righthander, who won 14 games last season.
Garland would have been a nice addition to the back of the Mets’ rotation, as they need an innings-eater and he has hurled at least 190 innings and won in double digits for each of the last seven years. He would not have been the type of guy to put the Mets over the top, but considering all the question marks in the rotation currently, it would have been nice to have a “sure thing” in place. One cannot overestimate the value of having a starter take the ball every fifth day and giving the team 6 innings.
In any case, Garland’s signing means that the Dodgers may turn their attention to LHP Randy Wolf, who also has been connected to the Mets this winter.
Certainly the Mets need to sign at least one more starter, preferably two or three. The question is whether they’ll lock up Oliver Perez, which is looking more and more like a necessity, or if they’ll roll the dice on Ben Sheets.
