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September 22, 2012 Mets 2012 Games Joe Janish

Mets Game 151: Win Over Marlins

Mets 4 Marlins 3

Since this game was not broadcast on a television station I could watch, and I couldn’t attend the game in person, I’m taking for granted that Howie Rose and all the tweeters weren’t lying when they said the Mets won.

Mets Game Notes

Hard to comment on something I didn’t see, but will offer notes based on what I heard.

First, I have no idea why R.A. Dickey was removed after eight spectacular innings. He was in a bit of a fix in the ninth, I get it, but personally, I trust R.A. more than any other Mets pitcher to work out of that mess.

Laughably, Jon Rauch “earned” a save for giving up a three-run homer and nearly obliterating R.A.’s 19th victory. Though, the drama he provided was entertaining, so there’s that.

Two outfielders who have zero bearing on the Mets future — immediate and long-term included — led the way with homers. Scott Hairston blasted his 19th, a solo shot, and Jason Bay hit his 8th, a two-run bomb. I’m happy for Bay and mildly surprised he has as many as eight homers this year. He’s still stuck on a .155 batting average and I’m convinced there’s something about baseball math that prevents it from going any lower.

Lucas Duda started at first base and walked twice before handing over the reins to Ike Davis. Duda was removed from Friday night’s game for not hustling on a pop up. Shouldn’t he have sat, or at least, not started, this game? I wonder if getting Duda reps is more important to upper management than establishing a winning culture. Maybe they figure the roster is getting blown up over the winter anyway, so who cares?

From what it sounded like, this was a more crisply played game than Friday’s opener, though, it still felt like the type of win where the Mets simply weren’t as bad as their opponent. The Mets were 0-for-8 with RISP.

If you saw this game and have further details, please share them in the comments section. Thank you.

For those who care, my dog made it through another day, seems to be improving, and if all continues the way it’s going, she may come home eventually.

Next Mets Game

The final game of this series will begin at 1:10 p.m. on Sunday afternoon, with Chris Young going to the mound against Ricky Nolasco. It will be broadcast on WPIX, so once again I won’t be able to see anything happening. Though, maybe I could drive 3-4 hours, out of the “blackout restriction” area imposed by MLB.com, and watch the game on my laptop at a Starbucks. And before you say “sports bar,” remember tomorrow is NFL Sunday and the Mets are irrelevant — there is no way it will be on one of the big screens.

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Joe Janish began MetsToday in 2005 to provide the unique perspective of a high-level player and coach -- he earned NCAA D-1 All-American honors as a catcher and coached several players who went on to play pro ball. As a result his posts often include mechanical evaluations, scout-like analysis, and opinions that go beyond the numbers. Follow Joe's baseball tips on Twitter at @onbaseball and at the On Baseball Google Plus page.
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  1. Dan B September 22, 2012 at 8:20 pm
    Gio Gonzalez is 20-8 (71.4% winning percentage) on a team that has a 60.9% winning percentage. He has a 2.84 era on a team that gives up on average 3.6 runs per game and is ranked 8th in fielding. R.A. Dickey is 19-6 (76% winning percentage) on a team that has a 45% winning percentage. He has a 2.66 era on a team that gives up on average 4.5 runs per game and is ranked 19th in fielding. Seriously, would there be any question on who the Cy Young winner would be if Dickey pitched for Washington and Gonzales pitched for New York?
    • Brainsliver September 22, 2012 at 9:03 pm
      Sorry, it is the week end and I save my best thinking for the work week, but I am not sure I understand. Are you saying it is obvious Dickey would get it or that Gonzales would get it. On the one hand, you point out that Gonzales hasone more win and is a better fielder. But Dickey has a lower ERA for a worse team. Dickey benefits from the visibility of NY (which is unfair) but Washington is getting a lot visibility for its team and because of the major industry in that town. So what are you suggesting?
  2. Dan B September 22, 2012 at 11:53 pm
    I am saying if Dickey pitched for a better team (such as the Nationals) he would have even more wins and a lower ERA then he does now. It is no contest that he has had the best year of any NL pitcher.
    • Brainsliver September 23, 2012 at 3:50 pm
      Okay, I see now, and, FWIW, I agree.
  3. argonbunnies September 23, 2012 at 8:06 am
    As far as the Cy voters go, I think Dickey’s edge in “durability” (27 more innings) trumps Gio’s edge in “dominance” (higher K rate, lower hit rate), but just barely. Thanks to Rauch, the difference in their ERAs is now minuscule. If Gonzalez wins 22 games and R.A. finishes with 19, I bet Gio wins the award. The push for 20 is on!
  4. argonbunnies September 23, 2012 at 8:23 am
    Joe, here’s what you missed:

    Dickey cruised through the 8th inning, looking in complete command.

    In the bottom of the 8th, with 2 outs, Dickey struck out swinging at a pitch that skipped away from the catcher a few feet. R.A. busted it down to first base as fast as he could go. The catcher took his time with the ball and threw Dickey out by a few steps. There was no big run-scoring opportunity that Dickey was preserving, he was simply hustling on principle. Good to see.

    Except in the 9th he suddenly looked gassed. His first two pitches of the inning (both knucklers) were slower and farther outside than any of his previous 98 pitches. He suddenly wasn’t the same guy at all. If Terry had pulled him after that leadoff walk, I wouldn’t have argued, because R.A. didn’t look right.

    I hope he didn’t pull a hamstring or something.

    Oh! Joe, the other thing you missed was Dickey’s at bat in the 6th! With 2 outs and men on 2nd and 3rd, the Marlins walked Thole. R.A. took a huge cut at the first pitch and drilled it 360 feet to right field. A little bit of wind, and it would have been a grand slam. As it was, Bryan Petersen made a spectacular play, reaching over his head in full stride to snatch the ball inches from the wall. He even got a cleat up just in time to avoid wrecking himself against the wall. On a Marlins team that otherwise mailed it in, Petersen played this game hard.

  5. Dan B September 23, 2012 at 9:33 am
    Great point. I remember thinking that Dickey should stand there with the bat on his shoulder. But him busting it to first with no chance is also great leadership. Is there a pitcher who does more little things right then Dickey?
  6. Izzy September 23, 2012 at 11:06 am
    Couldn’t watch two Met games in a row! As Ozzie said to a reporter who said he watched the game on Friday night…..”Too bad for you”. But in reverse, Lucky you.
  7. Joe September 23, 2012 at 5:34 pm
    Dickey, not for the first time, ran out of gas after eight. He put two on and other than being gassed (after the game, it was noted he was tired by the 7th but had an easy 8th and said he could stay in), they didn’t want to risk giving him a L.

    Rauch gave up a HR right away. 4-3. No outs. Then, he saved it. That’s earning a save. If it is not, well, lots of other closers who give up runs to make it more interesting don’t save games. As to the “thanks to R.” thing … if R. gave up a long single, with three outs to get, those runs could have been earned. Come on. Any number of closers could have given up the two base runners.

    It is also noted that Duda was started so it is wondered if they were more concerned about his reps than “winning.” I don’t know how serious that is but Davis is doing better, but he still isn’t like Wright or something out there. Anyway, honestly, i don’t care how they win for Dickey. I just want him to win.

    BTW, I noticed the Channel 11 thing — it isn’t available if you have the wrong provider — a few weeks back when I wanted to see a game at a relative’s house. Annoying.