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.

Mets Begin West Coast Trip On the Wrong Side of a Blowout

New York Mets 3 @ San Diego Padres 8

After a couple strong bounce back starts, Livan Hernandez struggled Thursday night, giving up six runs in the first three innings and seven runs in his five total innings of work. The big blow was Adrian Gonzalez’s two-run homerun in the bottom of the third that turned a 2 – 0 lead into a 4 – 0 one. That was followed by a few more runs in the third, and a run in the fifth, which gave the Padres a 7 – 0 lead.

The Mets mustered a bit of a rally in the top of the sixth, scoring three runs on a couple of walks and a couple of singles, but the inning could’ve potentially been a lot bigger if Daniel Murphy didn’t hit into an RBI double-play with runners on first and third and just one out.

After putting up a good fight in the top of the sixth, the Mets offense slumped to the finish, failing to get a runner past second in the final three innings.

Angel Pagan and David Wright both had rough days, striking out twice. Fernando Tatis and Daniel Murphy got two hits apiece. Tatis’s single in the top of the sixth drove in the Mets second run of the evening.

On the bright side, by making it through five innings, Hernandez saved the Mets bullpen some work. Manuel ended up using Sean Green, Tim Redding, and Elmer Dessens to get through the final three innings, thus giving Pedro Feliciano some much-needed rest. So by soldiering through five tough inning, Hernandez avoided ruining the Mets bullpen for a week, instead just ruining their chances in one game, something that ought to be appreciated.

Hernandez is now 7 – 6 on the season with a 5.08 ERA.

With Thursday’s loss, the Mets are now 11 games back in the NL East and 9 back in the Wild Card hunt.

For Mets Fans, Putz Lives Up to His Name

Five Run Eighth Inning Dooms Mets in Pittsburgh

The Mets got off to a good start Monday. Jeremy Reed led off with a double in the top of the second. Wilson Valdez followed with a RBI triple. Brian Schneider followed with a single, knocking in Valdez to make it 2 – 0.

The Mets continued the onslaught against Pirates starter Ian Snell in the top of the third. Fernando Martinez walked to lead off the inning, stole second, and then advanced to third on a throwing error by Jason Jamarillo. Daniel Murphy followed with a walk, and then Gary Sheffield grounded into a fielder’s choice making it 3 – 0. Snell got David Wright to fly out for the first out of the inning, but he then gave up another double to Reed. That’s when Valdez struck again, doubling to deep right to make it 5 – 0.

Livan Hernandez, meanwhile, was coming off his best start of the year, a complete game victory against the Washington Nationals. When he put up zeroes in each of the first three innings, it seemed the Mets were well on their way to victory. Then, he ran into trouble in the bottom of the fourth. After striking out Nate McLouth to begin the inning, he gave up a double and a walk. Throughout the inning, he kept missing the strike zone by the smallest of margins, and it seemed like that took him off his game. After the walk, he gave up a 2-RBI triple followed by an RBI groundout that made it 5 – 3. This was followed by a deep hard-hit fly ball that was snagged just a small distance from the fence. After that, things calmed down. Ian Snell recovered after giving up five early runs to throw six solid innings. Meanwhile, Hernandez recovered and made it five-plus innings without any further damage.

In the bottom of the sixth, Pittsburgh threatened and forced Hernandez out of the game. Bobby Parnell came in with runners on first and second and two outs. After a single off Parnell’s glove, the bases were loaded, but Parnell struck out Ramon Vazquez to end the inning. The score was still 5 – 3, and after Pedro Feliciano set down the Pirates 1-2-3 in the seventh, it seemed like the Mets superb bullpen once again had things under control.

But in the top of the eighth, Feliciano gave up a double and a groundout before Manuel lifted him in favor of J.J. Putz. Putz has looked shaky on the mound of late, and on Monday night, he was simply horrendous. Putz faced five batters. He gave up four hits and one walk on just 12 pitches. More importantly, he gave up four runs (three earned) and the runner he inheirited from Feliciano without recording an out. By the end of the inning, the Pirates led 8 – 5. The Mets mustered a small rally in the ninth, but nothing came of it, and in the end the Pirates has dealt the Mets one of their most devastating defeats of the season. And with the Phillies victory later in the evening, the Pirates had pushed the Mets one and a half games back in the NL East standings.

The bullpen, other than Putz, was fairly good. Parnell got out of the bases-loaded jam. Feliciano delivered a solid performance, just giving up that one double to get things started in the bottom of the eighth. Brian Stokes replaced Putz fairly successfully. But Putz’s struggles were enough to derail the entire team.

The offense was good early, but was shut out from the fourth inning on. This failure to tack on runs ended up costing the Mets. On an individual level, Jeremy Reed and Wilson Valdez had fine offensive games. Reed doubled twice, and Valdez doubled, tripled, and knocked in three runs. Valdez did make a big error in the field, but it was an understandable one, a simple error on the transfer, trying to get the ball out of his glove.

The loss is a tough one, but the Mets hope to regain their winning ways tomorrow with Johan Santana on the mound. The game begins at 7:05 Eastern time.

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.

Mets Greet Home Fans With 5 – 2 Victory Over Nationals

Mets Bullpen Bends But Doesn’t Break Against Nationals

Over 41,000 fans greeted the Mets at Citi Field Monday night as they returned home from a 5 – 5 road trip through San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Boston. And the Mets, in turn, treated their fans to a 5 – 2 victory over the last-place Washington Nationals.

The Nationals got on the board first Monday, when Wil Nieves hit an RBI single in the second-inning to give the Nats a 1 – 0 lead, but the Mets responded just one inning later with an RBI single by Carlos Beltran. The game remained tied at 1 until the sixth inning, when Gary Sheffield hit a 3-run homerun to give the Mets a 4 – 1 lead. Ramon Martinez added a sacrafice fly to make it 5 – 1.

The Nationals threatened in the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings. In the seventh, Bobby Parnell, coming in for John Maine, walked the first batter he faced. He struck out pinch-hitter Justin Maxwell, but then gave up a single to Carlos Guzman and walked Nieves to load the bases with just one out. Next up was Nationals third-basemen Ryan Zimmerman, who Parnell proceeded to walk. With the score 5 – 2 and the bases still loaded, Jerry Manuel brought in Pedro Feliciano to face Adam Dunn. After Dunn flied out to deep center, Manuel replaced Feliciano with J.J. Putz, who was able to record the final out of the seventh.

In the eighth, J.J. Putz walked two, but was able to keep the Nationals from scoring. Then, in the ninth, Nick Johnson singled off Francisco Rodriguez, and Zimmerman walked again, but once again, the Mets bullpen was able to avoid damage, as Rodriguez struck out Austin Kearns and got Willie Harris to pop out to preserve the 5 – 2 victory.

It was a scary but encouraging victory for the Mets. John Maine had a nice comeback outing Monday. After giving up five runs (four earned) against the Dodgers, Maine gave up just one run in six innings of work against the Nationals. It wasn’t his best performance.  Yet, it was a solid performance, one that was good enough to get Maine his fourth win of the season.

Meanwhile, the bullpen was shaky yet ultimately effective. In three innings of work, the bullpen (Parnell, Feliciano, Putz, and Rodriguez) gave up two hits and six walks but only gave up one run. Parnell’s performance was discouraging, but Feliciano recorded a crucial out with the bases loaded, and Putz and Rodriguez showed mental toughness getting out of jams.

On offense, there were lots of good signs. David Wright had more than one walk for the fifth time in eight games. Meanwhile, Gary Sheffield had two hits, including the three-run home run. His average is now up to .277 with 4 home runs and 14 RBI. Angel Pagan walked twice in the leadoff spot. And Beltran got another two hits to raise his average to an astounding .367.

Monday’s victory combined with losses by Philadelphia and Atlanta, put the Mets all alone in second place and just a half game out of first. Tonight, the Mets will send Livan Hernandez against Craig Stammen. The game is scheduled to start at 7:10 EST.

Dodgers Quiet the Bats and Bring Out the Brooms

Mets Lose Fourth Straight, Fall 2 – 1 to Dodgers

Every single game at Dodger Stadium was close, but in the end the Mets were unable to win a single game. The Dodgers beat the Mets 3 – 2 in 11 innings on Monday, beat them again on Tuesday by a score of 5 to 3, and then secured the series sweep with a 2 - 1 victory Wednesday night. The Mets have now lost four straight.

The Dodgers got off to a nice start Wednesday. Dodgers starter Jeff Weaver managed to work around a Carlos Beltran double and David Wright walk in the top of the first. Then, in the bottom of the first, Juan Pierre and Rafael Furcal each singled. After Orlando Hudson grounded out, moving Pierre to third, Andre Ethier hit a sacrafice fly, putting the Dodgers up 1 – 0.

The Mets got the run back in the top of the third, when Luis Castillo hit a one-out single, and Carlos Beltran hit another double to bring Castillo in. After that, the two teams traded zeroes until the fateful bottom of the eighth. J.J Putz got the first out of the inning, but then gave up a single to Hudson, a walk to Ethier, and then an RBI single to Russell Martin. Putz was able to escape the inning without giving up any more runs, but by then, the damage had been done. The Mets got a runner to second in the top of the ninth off ,Jonathan Broxton, but were unable to score, and so the Dodgers prevailed by a score of 2 to 1.

It was another disappointing day for the Mets, who failed to capitalize on an excellent start from Livan Hernandez. Hernandez pitched seven strong innings for the Mets, giving up seven hits but just one run. Perhaps, most critically, he walked only one.

Yet, it was all for naught, as the Mets continued their struggles at the plate. Weaver pitched five solid innings for the Dodgers, and was followed by a strong crew of relief pitchers, who held the Mets to just three hits in four innings of work. There were some good individual performances once again. David Wright had yet enother good game for the Mets, walking twice and singling to center. Beltran, meanwhile, doubled twice, drove in the only run of the game, and walked. Yet, overall the Mets were horrible on offense. They managed just seven hits Wednesday and left nine runners on base.

The Phillies lost Wednesday, so the Mets remain just one game back in the NL East. Atlanta trounced the Colorado Rockies and are in third place, just a half-game behind the Mets and just one and a half behind the Phillies. The Cardinals also won so the Mets are now two games back in the NL Wild Card standings.

Mets Beat Lincecum on Friday, Give Santana Win on Saturday

Mets One Game Away from Sweeping San Francisco

Friday’s pitching matchup looked unfavorable for the Mets, as they sent Livan Hernandez to the hill against Giants phenom Tim Lincecum. Things looked even worse when they found themselves down 5 – 1 after two innings of play. Yet, in a impressive display of resilience, the Mets offense heated up, scoring two runs in the sixth and four runs in the seventh. David Wright had the big hit. With the team down 6 – 3 in the top of the seventh and the bases loaded, David Wright hit a bases-clearing double, tying the game at 6. The Mets then put together two runs in the top of the ninth to win it 8 – 6.

After giving up five runs in the first two innings, Hernandez settled down ending with a line of: 5 IP, 8H, 5ER, 0BB. Most impressive was the lack of walks. The bullpen pitched an excellent game, giving up just one run in four combined innings. Sean Green gave up the run and looked bad once again, but Pedro Feliciano, Brian Stokes, and Francisco Rodriguez all put up scoreless innings to help the Mets win the game.

Then, on Saturday, Johan Santana had a rare bad game. He was shaky throughout giving up 11 baserunners and six runs, although only four of those runs were earned. Fortunately, Santana was backed by a potent Mets offense, who had an awful lot of success against Randy Johnson.

The Mets got off to a good start, scoring three runs in the top of the first. They were led by a 2-RBI double off the bat of Carlos Beltran. Then after Santana and the defense gave away the lead, the Mets scored four runs in top of the fifth, led by RBI doubles from Carlos Beltran and David Wright and an RBI single by Ramon Castro.

The Giants continued to chip away at the Mets lead eventually turning it into a 7 – 6 game, but that’s when the Mets did something they rarely did last season, which is put the game away. In the top of the ninth, the Mets scored two runs on a Fernando Tatis RBI sacrafice fly and a Ramon Castro single. J.J. Putz then threw 13 pitches, 11 for strikes, to close out the game, and the Mets would end with a 9 – 6 victory and an impressive 21 – 15 record.

The Mets  would end the night with a slim 1.5 game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies. They have a 3-game lead over the Atlanta Braves though, and a 3.5-game lead over the Florida Marlins.

Tomorrow’s game features Mike Pelfrey (4 – 0, 4.89 ERA) versus Matt Cain (3 – 1, 3.00 ERA) of the Giants.

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.

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.