Mets Fall 7 – 4 In Arizona

Mets In Midst of 1 – 4 West Coast Trip

In the list of things the Mets were counting on to help them bring home the NL East this year was offensive spark provided by Jose Reyes, power from Carlos Delgado, and good setup work by J.J. Putz. Injuries got in the way of those items. But another thing the Mets were counting on was Mike Pelfrey to step up as the team’s #2 starter and form a powerful duo with Johan Santana. Santana has done his part, but Pelfrey has struggled this year.

Pelfrey had another rough start Monday night giving up five earned in six innings. He gave up eight hits and two walks, striking out five, and is now 8 – 8 with a 4.88 ERA on the season. Hardly what the Mets were hoping for out of the #2 spot in the rotation.

On the bright side, Pelfrey was efficent, throwing just 94 pitches in six rough innings. They then brought in Dessens, who had two rough innings, giving up two earned runs on three hits and a walk. So, while neither pitcher was pretty, they both soaked up innings, meaning that the bullpen should be well-rested as the Mets hope to mount a strong finish to what has been a dreadful West Coast trip.

The Mets offense, meanwhile, didn’t fare very well against Doug Davis. Davis had his fourth strong start in a row, giving up just two earned runs in seven innings of work. Yet no matter how good Davis might be (and he didn’t seem all that good to tell the truth), this game was disappointing because of the multiple missed opportunities. Davis began three innings with leadoff walks.  But the Mets were able to do very little with these chances.

Luis Castillo had another strong game, going 2 for 4 with a walk to bring his average above .300. David Wright went 1 for 3 with a walk. Anderson Hernandez had another good game, going 2 for 3 with a run scored and a run batted in. Hernandez also walked once. But other than that, the offense was quiet.

Add in a sloppy play by Daniel Murphy failing to cover first, and a couple sloppy plays by Angel Pagan in center, and you see just how tough a game this was for the Mets.

The Mets are now 10 back in both the NL Wild Card and NL East. Their playoff hopes are slim to none, and hang on the balance each night the Mets step out onto the field.

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.

The Mets Off-Day Report: Dropping the Ball

The New York Mets made six errors in their three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Five of them came in Monday’s game. One came in Tuesday’s game. Rather than an aberration, this just continued a disturbing trend for the Mets, who have made the fourth-most errors in the major leagues. The Mets have made 32 errors. Compare that to the Phillies, who have made just 11.

The only three teams to make more errors than the Mets are the Arizona Diamondbacks, Seattle Mariners, and the Washington Nationals, all of whom are under .500 and struggling.

In terms of individual errors, David Wright leads the Mets with six errors, which also ties him for second among all major league third basemen. Jose Reyes has made five errors and Luis Castillo has made four, both numbers that are higher than ordinary for players at their positions. In the outfield, Daniel Murphy has had a terrible time of it. He is tied for the league lead in errors and has one of the worst fielding percentages in the major leagues.  Essentially, for any position, if you search for who’s made the most errors, a Met will be high on that list. It’s an embarassment, and something the Mets will need to work on.

There are reports that Jerry Manuel is going to start having the Mets take infield before games, and that’s probably a good idea. The Mets will need to cut out the errors, especially this weekend as they head to Fenway to take on a very tough Red Sox team.

Mets Run Wild, Defeat Giants 7 – 4

Victory Gives Mets Two Game Cushion in NL East

Bobby Parnell hadn’t given up an earned run since April 19, but on Thursday evening, Parnell blew his second save in two days, giving up two runs in the eighth to the San Francisco Giants. Yet, after watching their 4 – 2 lead slip away, the Mets responded immediately with three runs in the top of the ninth. A double by Carlos Beltran, a key steal, and then RBI singles from David Wright and Ramon Castro, and the Mets suddenly had a 7 – 4 lead. Francisco Rodriguez pitched a smooth ninth to secure his 10th save in 10 opportunities.

The Mets got a good outing from starter John Maine last night. Maine gave up two runs in the first but held the Giants scoreless from then on. He gave up a lot of baserunners (7H, 4BB) but managed to go 6.2 innings and would have gotten a win out of it if it were not for Parnell’s struggles. The Mets hitting (12 hits and 6 walks) was strong as well, and the baserunning was stellar. The Mets stole a franchise-record seven bases Thursday, including four from David Wright. The most amazing thing is they did this without any help from Jose Reyes, who sat out Thursday with a stiff right calf.

To make things even sweeter for the Mets, the Phillies and Marlins both lost. The Mets now hold a two-game lead over the Braves and Phillies and a two and a half-game lead over the Marlins.

Weekend Outlook

The Mets continue their series with the Giants tonight as Livan Hernandez (3 – 1, 5.08 ERA) faces off against Giants ace Tim Lincecum (3 – 1, 3.25 ERA). Meanwhile, Philadelphia has a good chance to gain ground as they head to Washington for a three-game series. Atlanta hosts the struggling Arizona Diamondbacks, and Florida hosts red-hot Los Angeles this weekend.

Braves @ Mets: Series Summary

Monday: Braves 8 @ Mets 3 

• W: Derek Lowe (6.2 IP, 2ER)
• L: Johan Santana (6.1 IP, 2R, 0ER, 7K)
• The Big Hits: Matt Diaz and Casey Kotchman seventh inning 2-RBI singles that turned a 1 – 1 tie into a 5 – 1 Braves lead. 

Tuesday: Braves 3 @ Mets 4 (10 innings)

• W: Frankie Rodriguez
• L: Jeff Bennett
• Mets Starter: Mike Pelfrey (7 IP, 2ER)
• Braves Starter: Jeff Jurrjens (7.2 IP, 2ER)
• Hits of the Game: Jose Reyes 2-RBI single in the 8th and Luis Castillo game-tying sac fly in the 9th

Wednesday: Braves 8 @ Mets 7 (12)

• W: Jeff Bennett 
• L: Ken Takahashi
• S: Mike Gonzalez
• Mets Starter: Jonathan Niese (4.2 IP, 5ER, 7H, 2BB) 
• Braves Starter: Jo-Jo Reyes (3 IP, 5ER, 4H, 3BB)
• Hits of the Game: Fernando Tatis grand slam, Gary Sheffield solo HR in the 8th for the Mets. Garrett Anderson two RBI-singles and a sac fly and a Martin Prado 12th inning game-winning homer for the Braves.

The Amazings

Grittiness, Gary Sheffield, Reyes Talent, Carlos Beltran, Fernando Tatis grand slam, not leaving as many runners on base

The Lows

Ken Takahashi (gave up a run in multiple outings), J.J Putz (same as Takahashi), Reyes Baserunning, Poor Performance from Jonathan Niese

Braves Edge Mets in Series Finale

Phillies Remain One Game Behind

The Mets made a valiant effort Wednesday afternoon, but fell short against the Atlanta Braves by a score of 8 to 7 after 12 innings of hard-fought baseball.

The game featured multiple lead changes. The Braves jumped out to a 2 – 0 lead in the top of the first spurred by a Chipper Jones RBI double and Garret Anderson RBI single. The Mets came back with 2 runs in the bottom of the first. But the Braves broke the 2 – 2 tie with two more runs in the top of the third. Garret Anderson was again in the middle of things, knocking an RBI single for the Braves.

 The Mets took a 6 – 4 lead in the bottom of the fourth on a tremendous grand slam to center field by reserve outfielder Fernando Tatis. Yet, Niese failed to pitch effectively with the lead, and Parnell and Putz both gave up runs out of the bullpen. 

The Braves went into the bottom of the eighth with a 7 - 6 lead. Then, the Mets got a long overdue homerun from Gary Sheffield which tied the game at 7. Both bullpens then put up zeroes until the 12th, when Martin Prado hit what would prove to be the game-winning long ball against Mets reliever Ken Takahashi.

 Jose Reyes nearly tied the game with a ball that nearly cleared the left-center field wall in the bottom of the inning, but ended up with just a double (it probably would’ve been a triple had Reyes been running). Reyes got to third with one out, but was stranded there, as the Braves held on to take the series.

Yet, the Los Angeles Dodgers blowout of the Philadelphia Phillies ensured that the Mets would remain a game ahead in the NL East standings. Atlanta now stands 1.5 games back as do the Florida Marlins.

Mets Return Home In Desperate Need of a Win

The bad news: The Mets are 6 – 9. They have lost four straight.  They are next-to-last in the National League East. And they are already 5 games behind the first-place Florida Marlins.

The good news: They’re playing the last-place Washington Nationals. The Nationals, widely expected to be one of the worst teams in the league this year, are off to a horrendous start. The Nationals started by going 1 – 10, and are currently 3 – 11.

A word of caution: The Nationals did play well against the Braves, winning two of three, and holding the Braves to just six runs in the three-game series.

Nationals @ Mets (Friday, April 24, 2009 – 7:10PM)

Friday’s game is a must-win for the Mets. The Metropolitans will send Johan Santana (2 – 1, 0.46 ERA) against a rather weak Nationals batting order. Santana is off to an incredible start. In addition to his sterling ERA, he also has a WHIP of 0.81, and has 27 strikeouts against just 5 walks.

Santana will be opposed by the Nationals #2 starter, Scott Olsen. Olsen (0 – 2, 9.00 ERA) got kicked around in his first two starts, but pitched a beautiful game against the Marlins his last time out. The Mets have a lot of experience against Olsen, who spent his last four years with the Marlins. Both Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran have batting averages of at least .400 against Olsen. Reyes is 14 for 35. Beltran is 13 for 30.

On Saturday, the Mets will send Mike Pelfrey (1 – 0, 8.10 ERA) against Daniel Cabrera (0 – 1, 4.50 ERA). It’s an interesting match-up. On one hand, the Nationals send Daniel Cabrera to the mound. Cabrera, a star prospect for the Orioles, has never been able to put it all together. Cabrera had ERAs over 5 the past two seasons. As he approaches his 28th birthday, it looks like he may never realize his talent. On the other hand, the Mets send Mike Pelfrey to the hill. Pelfrey looked like he too would be a bust. Pelfrey, the Mets first-round pick in 2005, struggled in 2006 and 2007, but then had an excellent 2008 season, posting 13 wins and a 3.72 ERA. He’s off to a rough start in 2009 though, and one has to wonder if his 2008 season wasn’t just a fluke.

Mets Battered, Swept, and Utterly Humiliated by the Cardinals

Sports Illustrated boldly picked the New York Mets to win the World Series. Expectations are high for the Mets. And thus far, the Mets are disappointing on every level. The offense hits, but not with runners in scoring position. The bullpen has a few studs, but lacks depth. And the starting pitching, aside from Santana, has been dreadful from the second spot to the fifth.

On Thursday afternoon, the Cardinals finished off their three-game sweep of the New York Mets, withstanding a late Mets rally to win 12 – 8. Each game of the series presented a whole new set of issues for the Mets.

On Tuesday, Oliver Perez was given an early 4 – 0 lead, but promptly threw the game away, giving up four runs in the bottom of the fifth. Perez would leave after 4 and two-thirds innings, giving up four runs on six hits and five walks. After three starts, Perez has an ERA of 7.80. The bullpen pitched well until the eighth when Putz had his first bad game, giving up two runs. The Cardinals were helped by a crucial error from Mets left-fielder Daniel Murphy.

On Wednesday, the Mets once again received a subpar performance from their starter. John Maine lasted 5 and two-thirds innings, giving up five earned runs on seven hits and five walks. Manuel was forced to go to his bullpen early again, bringing in both Casey Fossum and Brian Stokes for the second straight game. The two pitched well, but it was of no use, as the Mets couldn’t manage any offense against Cardinals starter Joel Pineiro. The Mets would fall 5 – 2.

Then, on Thursday, the Mets left ten runners on-base in a 12 - 8 loss to the Cardinals. But the big story was once again the starting pitching. Livan Hernandez struggled Thursday afternoon giving up seven runs in just four and a third innings. Manuel once again needed big innings out of his bullpen. Brian Stokes was brought in for the third straight game, which has to worry Mets fans who watched Stokes and Joe Smith burn out last year.

General Observations: The Mets are hitting the ball well. Most of their starters are off to fast starts. Reyes, Beltran, Wright, Murphy, and Church are all hitting over .300. Yet, the Mets are having a hard time bringing runners home. And Sheffield is off to a terrible start. He has just two hits in eighteen at-bats. Meanwhile, the Mets starting pitching has been simply horrific. Perez and Maine are both off to terrible starts. Hernandez looked terrible on Thursday. Pelfrey is injured forcing the Mets to turn to Nelson Figueroa, a rather mediocre veteran from Pittsburgh. Thus far, the rotation, with the exception of Santana, has been among the worst in the Major Leagues. And the bullpen has had to work way too hard these past few weeks. For the most part, they are doing well, but there have been some problems with the middle relievers. Pedro Feliciano continues to struggle and Sean Green gave up five runs on Thursday. The pen is being overused and is in danger of burning out as spring turns into summer.

Two Out of Three in Cincinnati. Next Stop, Florida!

New York Mets @ Florida Marlins

Friday, April 10, 7:10 EST: John Maine (10 – 8, 4.18 ERA*) @ Anibal Sanchez (2 – 5, 5.57 ERA*)

Saturday, April 11, 6:10 EST: Livan Hernandez (13 – 11, 6.07 ERA*) @ Ricky Nolasco (1 – 0, 7.50ERA)

Sunday, April 12, 1:10 EST: Johan Santana (1 – 0, 1.59 ERA) @ Josh Johnson (1 – 0, 0.00 ERA)

* = 2008 statistics

Series Overview

Friday pits the Mets starter John Maine against Marlins starter Anibal Sanchez. Sanchez is out to protect the Marlins undefeated record and prove that his fabulous rookie year (10 – 3. 2.83 ERA) in 2006 was no fluke. Meanwhile, John Maine hopes to help the Mets rebound from a rough loss Thursday and begin a personal comeback after a frustrating 2008 season.

Saturday will see the Mets put their #5 starter Livan Hernandez against Marlins ace Ricky Nolasco. The good news for the Mets is that many of their hitters have strong career records against Nolasco. Jose Reyes is 11 for 26. David Wright is 12 for 25. Carlos Beltran is 8 for 23. Brian Schneider is 9 for 16.

Sunday promises to be a great day for baseball purists. The matchup between Johan Santana and Josh Johnson should be a classic pitcher’s duel. The Mets hitters do not have a very good history against Johnson. Delgado is 0 for 11 lifetime. Beltran is 0 for 10. Even Wright is just 1 for 11. Same for the Marlins against Santana. Hanley Ramirez is just 2 for 12 lifetime versus Santana. Dan Uggla is 1 for 14. And Jorge Cantu is 5 for 23. Look for this to be a very good low-scoring series finale.