Mets Fall to 1 – 5 on West Coast Trip

This West Coast trip shouldn’t have been so bad. 7 games in 7 days is a little exhausting, but the opposition is hardly tough. First, 4 games in San Diego, against a Padres team that is 48 – 66 and currently in last place in the NL West. The Mets, of course, lost 3 out of 4 in San Diego, barely avoiding the dreaded four-game sweep. Then, 3 games in Arizona, a place the Mets have historically done well in, and playing against a Diamondbacks team that was 50 – 62 going into the series and remains in second-to-last place in the NL West. But the Mets have dropped their first 2 games to the Diamondbacks, and are now on the verge of being swept.

There’s very few reasons why anyone would want to watch the Mets right now. They’re falling out of contention. They’re losing pretty much every game they play. Their offense lacks firepower. Their pitching is deeply flawed. And their fielding is highly lackadaisical at times. In short, it’s tough to be a Mets fan.

All of these aspects applied Wednesday night. Their offense managed 8 hits but only 2 runs. Livan Hernandez was terrible on the hill, giving up five earned in just four innings of work. And they made 2 errors, although the one against Cora may have been a little harsh.

Pretty much the only reason to watch a Mets game these days is to see Jeff Francoeur play. Francouer went 2 for 4 with a home run and a triple last night. The triple was particularly fun to watch. Francoeur may not be very fast, but he’s a hustler. He runs hard on the bases and in the field. And he’s hitting over .300 since joining the Mets. He’s been a real spark. And as the announcers pointed out last night, it seems like he really enjoys the game. That smile, that type of enthusiasm is what I like to see out of a player. In short, Francoeur has been a pleasure to watch.

Oh, and you might also tune in just to see what other teams can do against the Mets. Tonight, Diamondbacks rookie Trent Oeltjen went 4-for-4 with 2 singles, a double, and a triple. He nearly hit for the cycle. Who knows what he’ll do tomorrow against our pitching?

The Mets are now eleven and a half back in the NL East. Tough times indeed.

No Offense, No Chance – Mets Lose 3rd Straight to Padres

The second batter of the game for the New York Mets, Alex Cora, hit a solo home run to put the Mets up 1 – 0. That was the only run the Mets would score all game Saturday, as they fell 3 – 1 to the San Diego Padres at Petco Park.

The Mets really struggled on offense. They managed just five hits in the entire game. They failed to get a single  runner in scoring position from the third inning on. In short, it was another embarrassing display from a Mets offense that can’t seem to get it done against the Padres. Aside from Cora’s two hits and a hit from pinch-hitter Jeremy Reed, the only two other Mets to record hits were Daniel Murphy and Jeff Francoeur. Francouer, who went 1 for 3 with a walk Saturday, is now hitting .260 on the season and has gotten a hit in four consecutive games.

It was also a disappointing night for Bobby Parnell in his first start of the season. Parnell was unable to get out of the third, giving up two runs on four hits and three walks in two and a third innings of work. His early departure forced the Mets to dig deep into the bullpen. The bullpen hero of the night was Tim Redding, whose three innings of scoreless relief not only helped save the bullpen arms but also kept the Mets in the game. They were still down just 2 – 1 in the eighth when David Eckstein’s single gave the Padres a seemingly insurmountable 3 – 1 lead.

The Phillies lost their second straight so the Mets remain eleven back in the NL East. With the Giants’ 4 – 2 victory over the Reds Saturday, the Mets are now 10 back in the NL Wild Card.

Mets Break Three-Game Losing Streak, Trounce Cardinals 9 – 0

Jonathan Niese had been competent if not spectacular in his first four starts for the New York Mets. He lasted just one and a third innings Wednesday before becoming the latest Met to succumb to the injury bug.

That was the bad news. On the bright side, the Mets managed to break their three-game losing streak, defeating the St. Louis Cardinals 9 – 0 at Citi Field.

They were helped by big performances from the lineup and bullpen.  David Wright and Angel Pagan fueled a potent Mets offense Wednesday. Wright went 3 for 4, knocking an opposite-field, two-run homerun in the bottom of the first. Meanwhile, Pagan went 3 for 4, with an eighth-inning homerun and four RBIs overall. The Mets also got a fine game from Jeff Francoeur, who went 2 for 3 with a walk to help break a recent slump. Francoeur is now hitting .257. When he came to the Mets, he was hitting just .250.

The bullpen, meanwhile, was fantastic, pitching seven and a third shutout innings after Niese’s sudden departure. Nelson Figueroa pitched four and a third scoreless after a rough start Monday, and Bobby Parnell pitched three scoreless, marking his second consecutive nice outing following a blown save this weekend.

The Mets got more good news Wednesday with the return of Gary Sheffield. That being said, this really is a ragtag lineup. With Luis Castillo out as well, the Mets were forced to start Alex Cora at 2nd and Angel Berroa at short. Pagan was in center.

The Mets still have a lot of ground to make up. They are 10 back in the NL East and 8.5 back in the Wild Card.

With Ace on the Mound, Mets Fall Flat

They have an old saying in baseball. Throw strikes. Let them hit the ball. That’s what the eight guys behind you are for. That advice certainly worked for the Pittsburgh Pirates Tuesday night. The combination of Zach Duke, John Grabow, and Matt Capps failed to record a single strikeout. Yet, they found other ways to get 27 outs, giving up just one run in a big 3 – 1 victory over the visiting New York Mets.

The game began as a pitcher’s duel between two aces: Zach Duke of the Pirates and Johan Santana of the Mets, and remained scoreless until the fifth. In the top of the fifth, Ramon Martinez and Jeremy Reed singled. Johan Santana sacraficed, moving Martinez to third and Reed to second. Luis Castillo followed with a sacrafice fly, giving the Mets a 1 – 0 lead.

The Pirates responded with one out in the bottom of the fifth when Jason Jamarillo hit a solo home run to tie the game at one. Then, in the bottom of the sixth, Freddy Sanchez singled and moved to second on a wild pitch. This was followed by conseutive RBI doubles from Nate McLouth and Adam LaRoche giving the Pirates a 3 – 1 lead.

Giving the lead, Zach Duke managed to go one more scoreless inning for the Pirates. He was followed by John Grabow, who pitched a 1-2-3 eighth, and Matt Capps, who pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to record his 12th save in 14 chances.

It was a continuation of woes for the Mets offense, who after scoring five runs in the first three innings of Monday’s game have scored just one run in their last fifteen innings at the plate. David Wright is one for his last sixteen. His average is now down to .328 down from a high of .362 on May 22. Fernando Martinez went 0 for 4 Tuesday after a couple of big games. Omir Santos also went 0 for 4.

Of course, it’s hard to get too mad at the Mets offense, seeing as they were without Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado, Ryan Church, Alex Cora, and Jose Reyes on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Santana went six innings, giving up three earned runs on seven hits and a walk. After a nearly perfect beginning to the season, Santana has “struggled” of late. He gave up four runs in seven innings to the Giants. He then had a beautiful start against Boston, but followed that with a subpar start against Washington when he gave up three runs in six innings. And now, in this game against the Pirates, he again gave up three runs in six innings of work, which was particularly surprising giving his record of domination of the Pirates. On the bright side, Sean Green, Ken Takahashi, and Brandon Stokes combined to pitch two scoreless innings out of the bullpen.

Meanwhile, the Phillies gained yet another game on the Mets Tuesday night. They dispatched of the Padres to move two and a half games ahead of the Mets in the NL East. Thankfully, for the Mets, the Brewers also lost, so the Mets remain just one and half games back in the NL Wild Card race.

The Mets will aim to end their two-game losing skid Wednesday night as they send Mike Pelfrey (4 – 1, 3.88 ERA) against Ross Ohlendorf (5 – 5, 4.45 ERA) of the Pirates.

Player Profile: Wilson Valdez

Mets fans watching the series against the Florida Marlins this weekend could be forgiven for not knowing who was playing shortstop. That’s because with Jose Reyes and Alex Cora still on the disabled list, the Mets have brought up a new infielder, Wilson Valdez.

Valdez is a 31 year old journeyman from the Dominican Republic. He never went to college. He wasn’r drafted either. He first broke into the big leagues in 2004 when he got 43 at-bats for the Chicago White Sox. Since then, he has played for the Mariners, Padres, and Dodgers. Now, he is a New York Met.

He made his Mets debut May 27 against Washington and made an appearance in all three games against the Marlins. He is two for seven on the season with one walk and one run scored. In the field, he has yet to make an error.

This brief stint in the majors figures to end soon for Valdez. Alex Cora is set to return Tuesday, presumably meaning reduced playing time for Valdez. And then, Reyes is expected to return later this week assuming his rehab stint goes without incident. When Reyes does return, it seems likely that Valdez will be sent back down to the minors.

Livan Hernandez Goes the Distance, Mets Win 6 – 1

Santana Will Go For Sweep Tonight

The biggest move the Mets made this winter was getting Francisco Rodriguez. Yet, that was hardly the only move Omar Minaya made this past off-season. He brought in J.J. Putz, Ken Takahashi, and Sean Green as well to help shore up the bullpen. Sean Green aside, those moves have worked out pretty well. He also brought in some key position players. Gary Sheffield was clearly the biggest and best acquisition, but Minaya also brought in solid players like Jeremy Reed and Alex Cora to provide depth. But perhaps, one of Minaya’s biggest and most underated moves was bringing in Livan Hernandez.

Livan Hernandez is 33 years old, and presumably past his prime. Yet, he brings plenty of experience, craftiness, and of course his rubber arm to the Mets. He has been remarkably consistent this year. He is rarely spectacular, but he keeps the Mets in games. As evidence of the statement, Hernandez has lost only one game this entire year. The fact is he may not win every game, but he usually gives his team a chance. And on a starting staff that has been wildly inconsisten this year, Hernandez’s work has to be appreciated.

Last night, against one of the worst teams in baseball, Hernandez was hardly spectacular, but remarkably efficent. In going all the way for the Mets, he gave up nine hits and a walk, but just one earned run. It took 127 pitches, yet at the end of the evening, Livan Hernandez had gotten the first complete game at Citi Field.

Despite their depleted lineup,  the Mets provided plenty of offense for Hernandez. Ramon Martinez hit an RBI double in the bottom of the second. The Mets added another two runs in the bottom of the third, and then with the Mets leading 3 – 1 after six and a half innings, Gary Sheffield put the game out of reach with his three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh.

In other good news, Oliver Perez made his first rehab start for triple-A Buffalo, and presumably, dependent on how Perez does for Buffalo and on how Tim Redding does for the Mets, could rejoin the big club within the next few weeks.

With the Braves loss to the Giants last night, the Mets are now two games ahead of the Braves. They remain a half-game behind the Phillies iu the NL East and 1.5 games behind the Brewers/Cardinals in the Wild Card chase.

Reds Come Alive Against Oliver Perez, Defeating Mets 8 – 6 In Series Finale

Only 17, 837 fans showed up for Thursday afternoon’s series finale between the New York Mets and Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. But those who did show up got to see the Reds pick up their first win of the season against an erratic Oliver Perez.

The Mets got off to a good start Thursday, scoring 3 runs with two outs in the top of the third. The inning started with a single from Jose Reyes who was then caught stealing, and a groundout by Daniel Murphy. But with two outs, David Wright walked, Carlos Delgado singled, Carlos Beltran drove in Wright with a single, and then Ryan Church hit a double that drove in both Delgado and Beltran. 3 – 0 Mets.

But then Perez, who had retired the first six hitters of the game, began to unravel in the bottom of the third, giving up four runs on two walks and two hits. The big hit of the inning was a three-run homerun by Joey Votto, who hammered the Mets all series long. 4 – 3 Reds.

The Mets fought back in the fifth, with singles by Murphy and Wright, and then an RBI fielders choice by Carlos Delgado. The game was tied. But once again, the Reds answered. Perez gave up a bunt single, a walk, an RBI single to Votto, a sRBI acrafice fly to Brandon Phillips, and then another walk, before Jerry Manuel finally took him out with two runners on and with the Reds leading 6 – 4. Darren O’Day managed to record the final two outs of the inning but not before letting both inherited runners score on a critical 2-RBI single by Paul Janish. 8 – 4 Reds.

Oliver Perez was horrible. 4.1 innings, 5 hits, 5 walks, and 8 earned runs. Yet, the Mets refused to give up. The bullpen delivered 4 and two-thirds shutout innings, including two sterling innings from Brian Stokes and a good comeback performance from Pedro Feliciano (2 batters faced, 2 strikeouts). Meanwhile, the Mets offense put together a few runs. A sacrafice fly by Alex Cora in the 6th. A sacrafice fly by Carlos Delgado in the 7th. But then the Mets ran into the heart of the Reds bullpen. Arthur Rhodes, David Weathers, and Chad Cordero, who pitched 2 and two-thirds perfect innings to seal the victory for the Reds.

The offense was decent and efficent for the Mets Thursday. They scored 6 runs and only left 5 runners on base. The bullpen was strong. The only real problem was with Oliver Perez. The pressure is really building on Perez, to show Mets fans why he deserves his big paycheck. Mark the date April 15 on your calendar. That’s Oliver Perez’s next start. At Citi Field. ESPN2. Against the San Diego Padres. It will be primetime. It might be exactly what the doctor ordered for Oliver Perez.

NL East Scouting Report: The New York Mets

Over the next few days, The Evanston Sports Radar will be beginning our 2009 Mets baseball coverage with a team-by-team summary of the National League East. Starting tonight with the New York Mets infield, I will analyze all five teams in the division to give you all some idea of what each team brings to the table this year.

The New York Mets (Part 1 of 2)

Infield: B … The left side of the Mets infield is arguably the best of the game, but the rest of this infield is average.

Catcher: C- … Defensively speaking, Brian Schneider is one of the best, but on offense, he provides very little. His on-base percentage last year was just .339. This is a definitely weak spot for the Mets.

First Base: B … Carlos Delgado is coming off a brilliant 2008 season, when he came back from a rough 2007 to put up excellent stats for the 2008 Mets. He has the potential to hit .280, hit 30 home-runs, and knock in over 100 runs. He also provides a steady veteran glove at first. He brings a lot to the table, except he’s 36 years old which brings up various concerns about a 2009 decline.

Second Base: C+ … Luis Castillo is only 33 years old, and he’s put together some great seasons in the past. He has the potential to hit .300, steal 20 bases, and drive in a fair amount of runs. And he apparently is in good shape this year. That being said, he has a lot to prove after a miserable 2008 season. 

Third Base: A … David Wright is 26 years old and presumably entering his prime. He’s hit over .300 each of the last three seasons. He’s scored at least 100 runs and hit in over 100 runs each of the last two years. He hit 26 homeruns in 2006, 30 in 2007, and 33 in 2008, so there’s a chance that the total could increase this year again. One of the best in the game.

Shortstop: A- … Jose Reyes, at just 25-years-old, is one of the best shortstops in the game. One can easily see him hitting .300 in 2009, with 15 home-runs, 70 RBI, 120 runs. and 60 stolen bases. He’s that good. The only thing that really leaves me concerned is the fact that Jose’s stolen-base number dropped from a career-high 78 in 2007 to just 56 in 2008. And Jose also has a frustrating tendancy to get into slumps. That being said, he’s a potential All-Star and a huge part of this Mets lineup.

Infield Bench: C+ … Fernando Tatis is coming off an excellent comeback year in 2008, and Alex Cora is coming off an impressive 2008 season with the Red Sox. Yet, this infield bench is for the most part unimpressive.

Outfield: B … For all the recent talk concerning the Mets starting rotation, the Mets season could well hang on the fate of the Mets outfield. If Carlos Beltran can rediscover his power stroke, if Daniel Murphy can continue last season’s success, and if Ryan Church can stay healthy, the Mets may be the team to beat in the NL East. The problem is: those are some awfully big “ifs”.

Left Field: B … Daniel Murphy was one of the Mets surprise stars last year. He hit .313 for the Mets in his rookie campaign with an on-base percentage of nearly .400. His pretty swing convinced manager Jerry Manuel to move Murphy to #2 in the lineup. Certainly, he could be a star in the Mets outfield for years to come, yet there is also a risk that Murphy goes through the dreaded sophomore slump in 2009.

Center Field: A- … Carlos Beltran’s glove is priceless in center field. And he has put together three straight seasons of 110+ RBIs for the Mets. He hits for decent average, and stole 25 bases last year. Yet, one must be concerned about his declining power numbers. Despite having more at-bats than in previous years, Beltran hit just 27 home runs last year, compared to 33 in 2007 and 41 in 2006.

Right Field: B- … If Ryan Church could only figure out a way to stay healthy. When healthy, Church is a tremendous asset. He hits for average and has decent pop. Yet, Church still has to show fans that he can keep it up for an entire season.

Outfield Bench: C+ … Fernando Tatis is a talented player to be able to put in off the bench. And Jeremy Reed and Cory Sullivan are decent. Yet, this bench certainly doesn’t strike me as being anything special.