Fernando Tatis' pinch hit grand slam in the 8th inning last night gave the Mets a 7-3 win at home over Colorado. The win was the Mets' third in a row after they took the final two games of the previous series against Houston. The win has got to feel good for the team and the Mets fans after everything that the Mets have had to go through with all the injury problems. Does this mean everything is back to normal? Certainly not, they won't be until the injured players return.
Carlos Delgado and Jose Reyes seem like they might return within the next week or so. If either one returns in that time frame, it will be a big boost for the team.
Oliver Perez was not bad last night. He pitched 5 innings and allowed 3 runs on 5 hits. There is still room for improvement, obviously. At least he has not gotten bombed yet since his return from the DL. That is encouraging at least.
Luis Castillo has been on a hot streak lately. He has 9 hits in his last 4 games and has pulled his batting average up to .305.
Another hot Met right now is Jeff Francoeur. He is 5 for 15 in his last four games. During that span he has 2 home runs and 8 RBIs. Overall, as a Met, Francoeur is hitting .326 with 15 RBIs in 13 games since coming over from the Braves. Imagine the help he will get in the lineup once Beltran, Delgado and Reyes return.
Mike Pelfrey vs Jason Marquis tonight in game 2.
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After last nights 11-4 in over the Rays, the Yankees are now 10-1 after the All Star Break and have a 2.5 game lead on Boston in the AL East. I would challenge anyone to tell me what team is hotter right now than the Yankees. They have been getting great starting pitching every night and are scoring runs in bunches.
Burnett pitched 7 innings and only allowed 1 run on 2 hits. He struck out 5. David Robertson pitched 1.1 innings for his first save, giving Mariano Rivera the day off.
Johnny Damon and Nick Swisher had 3 RBIs each. Swisher's came on 2 home runs. Damon also hit a home run, the 200th of his career. For Damon, the Florida native, the home run was extra special.
Robinson Cano also had a good night at the plate going 2 for 2 with 2 RBIs.
Ben Zobrist, Pat Burrell and Carl Crawford had an RBI each for the Rays.
Scott Kazmir vs CC Sabathis tonight in game 2 of the series.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Nats take 2/3 From Mets / Yanks Keep A-Rollin'
7/22--Washington,DC. The Nats took 2/3 from the Mets tonight following a 3-1 win behind strong pitching from Craig Stammen and a timely home run by Josh Willingham.
Willingham's home run broke up a 1-1 tie in the 6th inning with a runner on. That would be Mike Pelfrey's only big mistake in the game but it cost his team the victory. Pelfrey went 7 tonight, unintentionally walking 1 and allowing those 3 runs on 6 hits.
Stammen pitched 7.1 innings allowing 1 run on 4 hits. He walked 2 and struck out 5. Mike MacDougal picked up save number 6 for the Nats with a scoreless 9th.
Losing 2/3 from Washington is flat out embarrassing. Scoring only 1 run in the last 2 games is unacceptable. Plain and simple. I wont even elaborate on the missed chances this team had. Mets fans are probably well aware of that.
I know Omar Minaya likes to build a team with home grown players but right now, if the team is to have any chance of getting back into it, the Mets need to make some sort of move for a player that can drive runs in. The Mets would actually have a chance if they drove in some runners in not stranded them. Especially in big spots.
Minaya and the Mets organization do not want to throw the towel in yet. So what keep waiting to get help while the big 3 hitters are gone? Logic says do something fast (but not irrationally).
Mets/Astros - Friday @ 8PM.
7/22--Bronx,NY. The Yankees are on a roll and do not look like they're stopping anytime soon. AJ Burnett won his 4th straight in the 6-4 win over Baltimore today. Phil Hughes also pitched well and as he often does, Mariano Rivera got the save. His 28th.
In between Hughes and Rivera, Brian Bruney came in and made the game more interesting than it had to be. [Bruney] gave up back to back HR's in the 9th. That made it 6-4 Yankees...so Rivera had to come in [and bail Bruney out]. Bruney has not been good since coming back from injury.
*Thanks to my friend Alex for bringing this observation to my attention. ANy help is appreciated regarding the Yankees games.
The Yankees are 20 games over .500 now and have opened up a 2 game lead in the AL East over Boston who lost to Texas tonight, 3-1. This is what was what Yankees fans, and the organization expected to see coming into the year. It took time but the Yankees look quite potent now.
Nick Swisher had a 2 RBI game and made 3 fine plays in the outfield.
Oakland comes to The Stadium tomorrow for a 7:05 game to kick ff a 3 game set. CC Sabathia (9-6) vs Vin Mazzaro (2-6).
Willingham's home run broke up a 1-1 tie in the 6th inning with a runner on. That would be Mike Pelfrey's only big mistake in the game but it cost his team the victory. Pelfrey went 7 tonight, unintentionally walking 1 and allowing those 3 runs on 6 hits.
Stammen pitched 7.1 innings allowing 1 run on 4 hits. He walked 2 and struck out 5. Mike MacDougal picked up save number 6 for the Nats with a scoreless 9th.
Losing 2/3 from Washington is flat out embarrassing. Scoring only 1 run in the last 2 games is unacceptable. Plain and simple. I wont even elaborate on the missed chances this team had. Mets fans are probably well aware of that.
I know Omar Minaya likes to build a team with home grown players but right now, if the team is to have any chance of getting back into it, the Mets need to make some sort of move for a player that can drive runs in. The Mets would actually have a chance if they drove in some runners in not stranded them. Especially in big spots.
Minaya and the Mets organization do not want to throw the towel in yet. So what keep waiting to get help while the big 3 hitters are gone? Logic says do something fast (but not irrationally).
Mets/Astros - Friday @ 8PM.
7/22--Bronx,NY. The Yankees are on a roll and do not look like they're stopping anytime soon. AJ Burnett won his 4th straight in the 6-4 win over Baltimore today. Phil Hughes also pitched well and as he often does, Mariano Rivera got the save. His 28th.
In between Hughes and Rivera, Brian Bruney came in and made the game more interesting than it had to be. [Bruney] gave up back to back HR's in the 9th. That made it 6-4 Yankees...so Rivera had to come in [and bail Bruney out]. Bruney has not been good since coming back from injury.
*Thanks to my friend Alex for bringing this observation to my attention. ANy help is appreciated regarding the Yankees games.
The Yankees are 20 games over .500 now and have opened up a 2 game lead in the AL East over Boston who lost to Texas tonight, 3-1. This is what was what Yankees fans, and the organization expected to see coming into the year. It took time but the Yankees look quite potent now.
Nick Swisher had a 2 RBI game and made 3 fine plays in the outfield.
Oakland comes to The Stadium tomorrow for a 7:05 game to kick ff a 3 game set. CC Sabathia (9-6) vs Vin Mazzaro (2-6).
Sunday, July 19, 2009
The beat goes on for the Mets / Yanks Sweep Tigers
7/19--Atlanta,GA. One night after Johan Santana's great performance against the braves to earn a win, the Mets became they're usual selves again falling to the Braves 7-1. It all began in the very first inning when the Mets could not get Angel Pagan in from third with less than 2 outs. You got the feeling just from that what kind of night it was going to be.
Fernando Nieve was carted off the field in the second inning with a right quad strain. And the injuries continue to pile up for the Mets. What else is new lately?
Philadelphia defeated Florida tonight putting the Mets even farther in a hole.
The other night, Gary Cohen mentioned that even though the 1993 Mets lost 110 games, most of those losses were in close games. The 2009 team has been blown out more than the '93 team already. Weather this team loses 110 is yet to be seen. This is very alarming but also indicative of the "Murphy's Law" -esque season that the Mets are suffering through this year.
Eddie Murray had the best offensive season of any Met that year. He hit 27 home runs and drove in 100 runs. He had a .285 average to go along with those production numbers. Bobby Bonilla had the next most run production that year with 34 home runs and 87 RBIs with a .265 batting average.
So far, no Met this year looks like they will match the numbers of those two guys that played on a bad team. Right now, Gary Sheffield leads the Mets with 10 home runs and at 40 years old, it is not certain he will reach Bonilla's 1993 total. In fact, it is probably unlikely that he will do so.
On the other hand, Johan Santana looks like he will put up better numbers than the 1993 ace, Dwight Gooden. This year, Santana is 11-7 with a 2.92 ERA and 117 strikeouts to 39 walks. Gooden, in 1993, went 12-15 with a 3.45 ERA. He struck out 149 and walked 61.
John Franco led the Mets that year with 10 saves and had 29 strikeouts. Francisco Rodriguez has already obliterated those totals.
Pete Schourek lead all Mets relievers with 5 wins (and 12 losses). He struck out 72 batters (41 games). He sported a 5.26 ERA. In 45 games this year, Bobby Parnell has 31 strikeouts and 17 walks with a 4.37 ERA so far. Parnell's 2009 is shaping up to be similar to Schourek's 1993. Parnell should end up with a better win/loss record than Schourek did in '93.
Meanwhile, in the Bronx, the Yankees capped off a 3 game sweep of Detroit today with a 2-1 victory. Joba Chamberlain piched 6.2 strong innings allowing only 1 run on 3 hits. Joba struck out 8 and walked 3. Mariano Rivera continued his great pitching as well, picking up save number 26. Rivera picked up saves 24 and 25 in games 1 and 2 in the series as well.
The Yankees remain 1 game behind Boston in the AL East.
At this rate, the Yankees look like they will be making a playoff appearance this year after not doing so last year.
Fernando Nieve was carted off the field in the second inning with a right quad strain. And the injuries continue to pile up for the Mets. What else is new lately?
Philadelphia defeated Florida tonight putting the Mets even farther in a hole.
The other night, Gary Cohen mentioned that even though the 1993 Mets lost 110 games, most of those losses were in close games. The 2009 team has been blown out more than the '93 team already. Weather this team loses 110 is yet to be seen. This is very alarming but also indicative of the "Murphy's Law" -esque season that the Mets are suffering through this year.
Eddie Murray had the best offensive season of any Met that year. He hit 27 home runs and drove in 100 runs. He had a .285 average to go along with those production numbers. Bobby Bonilla had the next most run production that year with 34 home runs and 87 RBIs with a .265 batting average.
So far, no Met this year looks like they will match the numbers of those two guys that played on a bad team. Right now, Gary Sheffield leads the Mets with 10 home runs and at 40 years old, it is not certain he will reach Bonilla's 1993 total. In fact, it is probably unlikely that he will do so.
On the other hand, Johan Santana looks like he will put up better numbers than the 1993 ace, Dwight Gooden. This year, Santana is 11-7 with a 2.92 ERA and 117 strikeouts to 39 walks. Gooden, in 1993, went 12-15 with a 3.45 ERA. He struck out 149 and walked 61.
John Franco led the Mets that year with 10 saves and had 29 strikeouts. Francisco Rodriguez has already obliterated those totals.
Pete Schourek lead all Mets relievers with 5 wins (and 12 losses). He struck out 72 batters (41 games). He sported a 5.26 ERA. In 45 games this year, Bobby Parnell has 31 strikeouts and 17 walks with a 4.37 ERA so far. Parnell's 2009 is shaping up to be similar to Schourek's 1993. Parnell should end up with a better win/loss record than Schourek did in '93.
Meanwhile, in the Bronx, the Yankees capped off a 3 game sweep of Detroit today with a 2-1 victory. Joba Chamberlain piched 6.2 strong innings allowing only 1 run on 3 hits. Joba struck out 8 and walked 3. Mariano Rivera continued his great pitching as well, picking up save number 26. Rivera picked up saves 24 and 25 in games 1 and 2 in the series as well.
The Yankees remain 1 game behind Boston in the AL East.
At this rate, the Yankees look like they will be making a playoff appearance this year after not doing so last year.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Perez Puts in Decent Performance But it is Not Enough As Mets Fall 5-3
7/16--Atlanta,GA. Oliver Perez did not look bad on the mound in his first start back from the All-Stra break and second since coming off the DL. Perez went 6 innings allowing 3 earned runs on 5 hits. He walked 4 and struck out 6. He kept his team in the game as he exited in a 3-3 tie.
The Braves took the lead in the 7th on a Chipper Jones (who else?) RBI single off of Bobby Parnell. Parenell has really been struggling over the better part of a month or so. His command just is not where it was at the beginning of the year. Maybe a minor league stint of a week or 2 to help his command issues would be a help to the team in the long run.
Raphael Soriano looked great for Atlanta pitching a scoreless 9th to earn the save.
Reading metsblog.com I noticed that Michael Baron mentioned that Alex Cora is 7 for his last 39 over the last 10 games. Maybe the torn ligament in his thumb is bothering him at the moment, effecting his hitting. Maybe Angel Berroa, who was just signed on Saturday, should get a chance at short for a game or two to give Cora some time to feel better physically and mentally. Fernando Tatis could also play short if the mets want to do that to Give Cora a game or two off.
Berroa was 3/22 with an RBI for the Yankees this season.
Tonight Mike Pelfrey is on the mound for the Mets to be opposed by Jair Jurrjens for the Braves.
The Braves took the lead in the 7th on a Chipper Jones (who else?) RBI single off of Bobby Parnell. Parenell has really been struggling over the better part of a month or so. His command just is not where it was at the beginning of the year. Maybe a minor league stint of a week or 2 to help his command issues would be a help to the team in the long run.
Raphael Soriano looked great for Atlanta pitching a scoreless 9th to earn the save.
Reading metsblog.com I noticed that Michael Baron mentioned that Alex Cora is 7 for his last 39 over the last 10 games. Maybe the torn ligament in his thumb is bothering him at the moment, effecting his hitting. Maybe Angel Berroa, who was just signed on Saturday, should get a chance at short for a game or two to give Cora some time to feel better physically and mentally. Fernando Tatis could also play short if the mets want to do that to Give Cora a game or two off.
Berroa was 3/22 with an RBI for the Yankees this season.
Tonight Mike Pelfrey is on the mound for the Mets to be opposed by Jair Jurrjens for the Braves.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
New York Mets & Yankees Mid-Season report
We are midway through the 2009 MLB season and the New York teams are on opposite paths so far this year. I will begin with discussing the Yankees first half.
The Yankees ended the first half of 2009 losing all 3 games of their series with the Angels.That sweep did damage to the Yankees in the standings. Going into the Angels series, the Yankees were only 1 game behind AL East leading Boston and are now 3 back. A good week should close the gap in the standings.
With the way that the Yankees started the year, no one would have predicted they would be as close as they are now. Nothing seemed to gel for this team until around mid-June. At that point the pitching really came together and allowed the team to stay in ballgames. Shortly after that, the offense really rounded into form like everyone knew it would. The lineup is too talented to have stayed as cold as it was at the start.
Mark Taxiera leads the team in home runs (21) and RBIs (63).
Derek Jeter's .321 average leads the team.
AJ Burnett has a 3.77 ERA which leads the Yankees rotation.
Burnett, CC Sabathia and Andy Pettite each have 8 wins to lead the team.
Burnett also leads the Yankees with 101 strikeouts.
Mariano Rivera has 23 saves at the All Star break.
Mets
The Mets situation could be a whole lot worse than it is at the season's midway point. The Mets are 42-45 and are 6 games behind the Phillies. It may seem like a lot of work to catch up, and it is, but without Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, JJ Putz and Jose Reyes on the DL for a significant amount of time, his could have been a whole lot worse. The Mets very easily could be buried in the standings right now.
The last series before the break was a positive one for the Mets as they took 2 of 3 from the Reds. Angel Pagan who had also been hurt for most of the year returned and was a big contributor in the series.
The Mets traded Ryan Church to Atlanta for Jeff Francoeur before the series. I think the move will help the Mets in the long run. Francoeur is a good outfielder that can cover a lot of ground which is a good thing to have at spacious Citi Field. The knock on Francoueur, though, is his lack of patience at the plate. If Howard Johnson can get him to take more pitches and draw more walks, his bat will be a huge plus in the lineup. He has power and will be able to help the Mets score more runs, something they have struggled to do for the most part all year. Francoeur's bat will likely be an even bigger help to the team once Beltran, Reyes and Delgado return as the presure to produce runs will be eased.
Simply, the Mets need to get healthy if they want to make a playoff push during the second half of the year. The pitching also needs to be a bit more consistent. For this team to succeed, the starters need to pitch at least 6 quality innings each time out. With the injuries, even better than that it seems is needed. Oliver Perez' return from the DL can help in this area. If Perez can command his pitches each night, he can be among the top pitchers in the game as is well documented.
Gary Sheffield leads the team with 10 home runs
David Wright's 44 RBIs are the most on the Mets. He also leads the team in steals with 20.
Carlos Beltran's .336 average leads the Mets.
Johan Santana leads all starters with a 3.09 ERA, 112 strikeouts and 10 wins.
Francisco Rodriguez has 23 saves and a 1.90 ERA.
The Yankees ended the first half of 2009 losing all 3 games of their series with the Angels.That sweep did damage to the Yankees in the standings. Going into the Angels series, the Yankees were only 1 game behind AL East leading Boston and are now 3 back. A good week should close the gap in the standings.
With the way that the Yankees started the year, no one would have predicted they would be as close as they are now. Nothing seemed to gel for this team until around mid-June. At that point the pitching really came together and allowed the team to stay in ballgames. Shortly after that, the offense really rounded into form like everyone knew it would. The lineup is too talented to have stayed as cold as it was at the start.
Mark Taxiera leads the team in home runs (21) and RBIs (63).
Derek Jeter's .321 average leads the team.
AJ Burnett has a 3.77 ERA which leads the Yankees rotation.
Burnett, CC Sabathia and Andy Pettite each have 8 wins to lead the team.
Burnett also leads the Yankees with 101 strikeouts.
Mariano Rivera has 23 saves at the All Star break.
Mets
The Mets situation could be a whole lot worse than it is at the season's midway point. The Mets are 42-45 and are 6 games behind the Phillies. It may seem like a lot of work to catch up, and it is, but without Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, JJ Putz and Jose Reyes on the DL for a significant amount of time, his could have been a whole lot worse. The Mets very easily could be buried in the standings right now.
The last series before the break was a positive one for the Mets as they took 2 of 3 from the Reds. Angel Pagan who had also been hurt for most of the year returned and was a big contributor in the series.
The Mets traded Ryan Church to Atlanta for Jeff Francoeur before the series. I think the move will help the Mets in the long run. Francoeur is a good outfielder that can cover a lot of ground which is a good thing to have at spacious Citi Field. The knock on Francoueur, though, is his lack of patience at the plate. If Howard Johnson can get him to take more pitches and draw more walks, his bat will be a huge plus in the lineup. He has power and will be able to help the Mets score more runs, something they have struggled to do for the most part all year. Francoeur's bat will likely be an even bigger help to the team once Beltran, Reyes and Delgado return as the presure to produce runs will be eased.
Simply, the Mets need to get healthy if they want to make a playoff push during the second half of the year. The pitching also needs to be a bit more consistent. For this team to succeed, the starters need to pitch at least 6 quality innings each time out. With the injuries, even better than that it seems is needed. Oliver Perez' return from the DL can help in this area. If Perez can command his pitches each night, he can be among the top pitchers in the game as is well documented.
Gary Sheffield leads the team with 10 home runs
David Wright's 44 RBIs are the most on the Mets. He also leads the team in steals with 20.
Carlos Beltran's .336 average leads the Mets.
Johan Santana leads all starters with a 3.09 ERA, 112 strikeouts and 10 wins.
Francisco Rodriguez has 23 saves and a 1.90 ERA.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Dogers Defeat Mets 11-2 / Yankees sweep Twins, Keep Rolling
7/09--Flushing,NY. Just as it looked like the Mets might be heading in the right direction, they get blown out again. Livan Hernandez gave up 4 runs before the Mets even got up to bat. You could predict the Mets impending doom from watching that alone. Now, I understand that the Mets are depleted due to injury but this is just embarrassing. The players on the field are still pro players and should take pride in going out there. I just do not see that desire right now.
Matthew Cerrone from metsblog.com predicts a change in the starting rotation after the All-Star break for the Mets. He predicts Santana, Perez, Pelfrey,Jon Neise and Nelson Figueroa to be the starting 5 after the break.
The Mets are 2-8 in Livan's last 10 starts and his ERA is 30.00 in his last 3. Since the Mets need excellent starting pitching in the absence of Beltran, Delgado and Reyes, outings like this are just not acceptable. Period.
Mets fans might be looking towards 2010 if things do not shape up soon after the All-Star break. I'd give it until he first week of August has concluded. If things do not shape up by then it may be time to look forward to football, hockey and basketball. We will see...
Minneapolis,MN. The Yankees completed a sweep of the Twins with a 6-4 victory at the Metrodome. The won behind Alfredo Aceves, who was making a spot start in place of Chien Ming Wang, and 5 relievers. Aceves allowed 4 runs, only 2 earned, in 3.1 innings pitched.Cody Ransom and Brett Gardner had 2 RBIs each and Mark Taxiera added s solo home run.
Phil Hughes seems to have really found his niche in the bullpen recently as he has become the 8yh inning guy setting up Mariano Rivera. The move has bumped Brian Bruney out of that spot for now. Hughes went 1.1 innings and struck out 2 batters. After a poor start to his season, Hughes has lowered his season ERA to 4.01.
The only thing in the Yankees way right now is the fact that Boston keeps winning to stay 1 game ahead.
The Yankees face the Angels in the last series before the All-Star Break. LA has given the Yankees a lot of problems in the past so let's see how this series plays out. Torii Hunter and Vladimir Guerrero are on the DL so that should give the Yankees some more confidence going into the series.
Boston's last series before the break is with the bottom-dwelling Kansas City Royals. Brain Bannister (KC) and Jon Lester (BOS) open that series on the mound.
Matthew Cerrone from metsblog.com predicts a change in the starting rotation after the All-Star break for the Mets. He predicts Santana, Perez, Pelfrey,Jon Neise and Nelson Figueroa to be the starting 5 after the break.
The Mets are 2-8 in Livan's last 10 starts and his ERA is 30.00 in his last 3. Since the Mets need excellent starting pitching in the absence of Beltran, Delgado and Reyes, outings like this are just not acceptable. Period.
Mets fans might be looking towards 2010 if things do not shape up soon after the All-Star break. I'd give it until he first week of August has concluded. If things do not shape up by then it may be time to look forward to football, hockey and basketball. We will see...
Minneapolis,MN. The Yankees completed a sweep of the Twins with a 6-4 victory at the Metrodome. The won behind Alfredo Aceves, who was making a spot start in place of Chien Ming Wang, and 5 relievers. Aceves allowed 4 runs, only 2 earned, in 3.1 innings pitched.Cody Ransom and Brett Gardner had 2 RBIs each and Mark Taxiera added s solo home run.
Phil Hughes seems to have really found his niche in the bullpen recently as he has become the 8yh inning guy setting up Mariano Rivera. The move has bumped Brian Bruney out of that spot for now. Hughes went 1.1 innings and struck out 2 batters. After a poor start to his season, Hughes has lowered his season ERA to 4.01.
The only thing in the Yankees way right now is the fact that Boston keeps winning to stay 1 game ahead.
The Yankees face the Angels in the last series before the All-Star Break. LA has given the Yankees a lot of problems in the past so let's see how this series plays out. Torii Hunter and Vladimir Guerrero are on the DL so that should give the Yankees some more confidence going into the series.
Boston's last series before the break is with the bottom-dwelling Kansas City Royals. Brain Bannister (KC) and Jon Lester (BOS) open that series on the mound.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Mets End Skid in Perez' return
7/8--Flushing, NY. It wasn't the prettiest game but the Mets got the victory last night over the LA Dodgers 5-4.
Results / Box Score: http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/boxscore;_ylt=AjqMWXthe2FhgXhmkFNqcLG4u7YF?gid=290708121
Oliver Perez didn't look great last night but he was good enough and the start can definitely be built upon. He walked 7 batters an struck out 3 in 5 innings of work. As is usually the problem, Perez needs to cut own his walks. As everyone knows, that is his biggest problem. Other than the walks, he looked pretty good. His velocity was around 93 or so which is about where it needs to be as long as the command improves over the next few starts - and hopefully for the rest of the season.
This game seemed like an offensive explosion for the Mets as they had been absolutely been searching for any kind of offense all week. Jeremy reed had a good night with the bat, going 2-3 with an RBI. He may be in center field every day if he keeps hitting until Beltran returns.
The highlight of the game from a viewer's perspective had to be Daniel Murphy's behind the back throw to get Mark Loretta out in the 7th. It looked like the call could go either way but it was good to see the Mets catch a break there.
Is it just me or does watching K-Rod in his last few outings scream Armando Benitez? Last night he gave up a solo home run to Manny but luckily the Mets had a 2 run lead and he was able to shut the door thereafter. K-Rod hasnt been lights out dominant in a week or 2 and that is likely to have Mets fans nervous. Especially now we need the lights put K-Rod to show up and nail down every save opportunity that he gets.
Tonight's pitching matchup has Livan Hernendez for the Mets against Randy Wolf for LA. Livan has gotten a few hard luck losses in his last few outings. Hopefully he can get some runs scored behind him tonight.
Results / Box Score: http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/boxscore;_ylt=AjqMWXthe2FhgXhmkFNqcLG4u7YF?gid=290708121
Oliver Perez didn't look great last night but he was good enough and the start can definitely be built upon. He walked 7 batters an struck out 3 in 5 innings of work. As is usually the problem, Perez needs to cut own his walks. As everyone knows, that is his biggest problem. Other than the walks, he looked pretty good. His velocity was around 93 or so which is about where it needs to be as long as the command improves over the next few starts - and hopefully for the rest of the season.
This game seemed like an offensive explosion for the Mets as they had been absolutely been searching for any kind of offense all week. Jeremy reed had a good night with the bat, going 2-3 with an RBI. He may be in center field every day if he keeps hitting until Beltran returns.
The highlight of the game from a viewer's perspective had to be Daniel Murphy's behind the back throw to get Mark Loretta out in the 7th. It looked like the call could go either way but it was good to see the Mets catch a break there.
Is it just me or does watching K-Rod in his last few outings scream Armando Benitez? Last night he gave up a solo home run to Manny but luckily the Mets had a 2 run lead and he was able to shut the door thereafter. K-Rod hasnt been lights out dominant in a week or 2 and that is likely to have Mets fans nervous. Especially now we need the lights put K-Rod to show up and nail down every save opportunity that he gets.
Tonight's pitching matchup has Livan Hernendez for the Mets against Randy Wolf for LA. Livan has gotten a few hard luck losses in his last few outings. Hopefully he can get some runs scored behind him tonight.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
The Mets Are In Trouble / Yankees Continue to Roll
7/7--Flushing,NY. Another blowout loss for the Mets last night at the hands of the LA Dodgers. There really is very little to say anymore at this point. Gary Cohen put it best during the broadcast - The Mets pitching and defense needs to be absolutely spotless right now for this team to win. Even if that were to happen there are no guarantees because of how awful the offense is right now. The are no threat at all and runs need to be scored to win games and it looks as if the Mets are unable to score runs right now. Gary is right in my opinion. The Mets are no threat to beat anyone right now, even with a good outing form whoever starts the game. A quality start is 6 innings allowing 3 runs or less. The way the Mets are playing now, falling behind 3 runs pretty much seals the deal.
Luckily, the Phillies lost as well last night.
In 2005, the Mets turned a corner. Management finally decided to get serious and make the team a contender again. Even though the Mets missed the playoffs that year, you could see they were heading in the right direction. In 2006, the Mets new direction payed off as they were s close to reaching the World Series. 2007 and 2008 ended on sour notes but the team played well until the end of each of those seasons.
Maybe it is the injuries to Beltran, Reyes and Delgado that are holding the team back. It also seems to me at times that the Mets are once again regressing somewhat. Maybe I'm just worrying a bit too much and it is the lack of personnel. The Mets do need to address first base though, as Delgado will not return until mid-August.
Oliver Perez comes off the DL today to make the start for the Mets. Let's hope he can command his pitches and give the Mets a chance.
Perez will be opposed by Hiroki Kuroda for LA tonight.
7/7--Minneapolis,MIN. The Yankees continue to play exceedingly well as they defeated the Twins handily 10-2 behind CC Sabathia.Sabathia pitched innings and only allowed 1 run.
Right now everything is going right for the Yankees right now. everyone is chipping in on offense and the pitching is absolutely getting the job done night in and night out. The Yankees are still only one game behind Boston in the AL East. The way things are going now it seems like the Bronx Bombers taking first place may be only a matter of time.
Luckily, the Phillies lost as well last night.
In 2005, the Mets turned a corner. Management finally decided to get serious and make the team a contender again. Even though the Mets missed the playoffs that year, you could see they were heading in the right direction. In 2006, the Mets new direction payed off as they were s close to reaching the World Series. 2007 and 2008 ended on sour notes but the team played well until the end of each of those seasons.
Maybe it is the injuries to Beltran, Reyes and Delgado that are holding the team back. It also seems to me at times that the Mets are once again regressing somewhat. Maybe I'm just worrying a bit too much and it is the lack of personnel. The Mets do need to address first base though, as Delgado will not return until mid-August.
Oliver Perez comes off the DL today to make the start for the Mets. Let's hope he can command his pitches and give the Mets a chance.
Perez will be opposed by Hiroki Kuroda for LA tonight.
7/7--Minneapolis,MIN. The Yankees continue to play exceedingly well as they defeated the Twins handily 10-2 behind CC Sabathia.Sabathia pitched innings and only allowed 1 run.
Right now everything is going right for the Yankees right now. everyone is chipping in on offense and the pitching is absolutely getting the job done night in and night out. The Yankees are still only one game behind Boston in the AL East. The way things are going now it seems like the Bronx Bombers taking first place may be only a matter of time.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Mets swept by Phillies. Yankees continue to roll.
The Mets are in a real hole now. After being swept by the Phillies this weekend, the Mets are now 4 games behind the division leaders and 1 behind the Florida Marlins. Yesterday afternoon's game could have been the most devastating of the series. There were two innings in which the Mets had at least 2 runners on with less than 2 outs and failed to score. Had they cashed in on 1 of those opportunities, the game might have gone into extra innings.
Johan Santana pitched well enough to win, only allowing solo home runs by Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley. That bad feeling really swept over me after Rollins' home run led off the bottom of the first. Right now, the Mets can ill afford to be down early on in games. I can't say that enough.
Now the Mets must win series' from the NL best LA Dodgers and Cincinnati Reds. The Mets really need to go 4-2 in these last 6 games before the All-Star break.
The Yankees continue to be hot to begin July after finishing June hot. In July, the Yankees are 4-1 coming into tonight's series finale with the Blue Jays. Andy Pettite will be on the mound going for the 4 game sweep.
The Yankees current hot streak finds them only 1 game behind division leading Boston. The Yankees seem to be doing everything right of late to get the job done. They do not look at all like the team that struggled out of the gate.
The Yankees play the Minnesota Twins ans LA Angels to end the first half of their season.
Johan Santana pitched well enough to win, only allowing solo home runs by Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley. That bad feeling really swept over me after Rollins' home run led off the bottom of the first. Right now, the Mets can ill afford to be down early on in games. I can't say that enough.
Now the Mets must win series' from the NL best LA Dodgers and Cincinnati Reds. The Mets really need to go 4-2 in these last 6 games before the All-Star break.
The Yankees continue to be hot to begin July after finishing June hot. In July, the Yankees are 4-1 coming into tonight's series finale with the Blue Jays. Andy Pettite will be on the mound going for the 4 game sweep.
The Yankees current hot streak finds them only 1 game behind division leading Boston. The Yankees seem to be doing everything right of late to get the job done. They do not look at all like the team that struggled out of the gate.
The Yankees play the Minnesota Twins ans LA Angels to end the first half of their season.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Mets come from Behind to Defeat Pirates Twice
7/2--Pittsburgh,PA. The Mets were down 5-0 before the 4th inning began. Going into the 9th, the Mets had come all the way back and led 8-6. Francisco Rodriguez let that lead get away, blowing his 3rd save of the season as Adam LaRoche took him deep with a man on. The Mets again showed their resiliency in the 10th when Ryan Church singled in what would be the eventual winning run. K-Rod stayed in to pitch the 10th and shut the door on Pittsburgh.
Tim Redding was not good. He was unable to get out of the 4th inning but the bullpen was good only allowing 1 more run to cross the plate before K-Rod's blown save.
Pittsburgh starter, Paul Maholm, was not much better allowing 6 runs in 4.1 innings.
Left fielder, Garrett Jones, was impressive fr Pittsburgh. He went 3-5 and only needed a single to complete the cycle.
Hopefully this game will have little effect on game 1 of the Phillies series that begins tonight. The Mets are only 1 game out of first place, believe it or not, and taking 2 out of 3 this weekend would be just what the doctor ordered.
Toights starters are Rodrigo Lopez for Philadelphia and Livan Hernandez for the Mets. Livan has given the Mets quality starts all year but has taken hard-luck losses in his last 2 outings due to the lack of offense.
I expect another solid outing from Livan but the Mets need to score some runs for him. If the Mets can manage somewhere in the neighborhood of 5 to 7 runs, they should have a good chance to win the game. On the other hand, you can never tell at Citizens Bank Bandbox.
The keys to the game for Philadelphia are Utley,Howard and Werth who is always a thorn in the Mets side. Werth is having a very good season overall as well. Those 3 guys can provide the usual power, look for the Phillies to score a lot of runs. This is key because they do not know what Lopez will provide them on the mound. Once highly regarded, Lopez has bounced around of late.
For the Mets, Ryan Church has had a great couple of days with the bat. It will be a big boost for the team if he can stay hot. Maybe with the short right field porch in Philadelphia, he can find a way to put a few over the fence. David Wright will also be important for the Mets' success this weekend. The NL's second leading hitter will be counted on to get hits in front of Church and Gary Sheffield (who can also be a power source in the hitter friendly ballpark in Philly).
Tim Redding was not good. He was unable to get out of the 4th inning but the bullpen was good only allowing 1 more run to cross the plate before K-Rod's blown save.
Pittsburgh starter, Paul Maholm, was not much better allowing 6 runs in 4.1 innings.
Left fielder, Garrett Jones, was impressive fr Pittsburgh. He went 3-5 and only needed a single to complete the cycle.
Hopefully this game will have little effect on game 1 of the Phillies series that begins tonight. The Mets are only 1 game out of first place, believe it or not, and taking 2 out of 3 this weekend would be just what the doctor ordered.
Toights starters are Rodrigo Lopez for Philadelphia and Livan Hernandez for the Mets. Livan has given the Mets quality starts all year but has taken hard-luck losses in his last 2 outings due to the lack of offense.
I expect another solid outing from Livan but the Mets need to score some runs for him. If the Mets can manage somewhere in the neighborhood of 5 to 7 runs, they should have a good chance to win the game. On the other hand, you can never tell at Citizens Bank Bandbox.
The keys to the game for Philadelphia are Utley,Howard and Werth who is always a thorn in the Mets side. Werth is having a very good season overall as well. Those 3 guys can provide the usual power, look for the Phillies to score a lot of runs. This is key because they do not know what Lopez will provide them on the mound. Once highly regarded, Lopez has bounced around of late.
For the Mets, Ryan Church has had a great couple of days with the bat. It will be a big boost for the team if he can stay hot. Maybe with the short right field porch in Philadelphia, he can find a way to put a few over the fence. David Wright will also be important for the Mets' success this weekend. The NL's second leading hitter will be counted on to get hits in front of Church and Gary Sheffield (who can also be a power source in the hitter friendly ballpark in Philly).
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Yanks defeat Mariners, Win 7th Straight
7/1--Bronx, NY. The Yankees are on a role again. Wednesday night they defeated the Seattle Mariners 4-2 to win their 7th consecutive game. Andy Pettite pitched well in his 7 innings and Alex Rodriguez hit a tie-breaking home run in the win.
Alex Rodriguez looks like hes is finally coming around after coming off hip surgery this past March. He is 10 for 23 (.435)with 4 home runs, 13 RBIs and 10 walks in his last 7 games. This is a good sign for the Yankees. A-Rod is arguably the most important hitter in that lineup. If he continues to go well, his numbers will show it and the numbers of his teammates will also benefit. Mark Taxiera and Jorge Posada or Nick Swisher (depending on which one of them hits 5th on a given day)will see more pitches to hit in their at bats as long as A-Rod continues to surge.
Johnny Damon is having a surprisingly good year and it will be key down the stretch for him to continue his fine hitting. It goes with the whole A-Rod thing - if Damon, along with Derek Jeter, continue to be able to set the table, this lineup will be dangerous to pitch to the rest of the year.
The starting pitching has also been exceptional during this streak and everyone knows how important that is to a team.
Things are looking good in the Bronx right now. The Yankees need to continue to ride this hot streak and hope Boston falters at the same time. The Sox continue to play good ball and hold the lead atop the AL East.
What's on tap:
Mets vs Pirates
New York Rangers off season moves
Alex Rodriguez looks like hes is finally coming around after coming off hip surgery this past March. He is 10 for 23 (.435)with 4 home runs, 13 RBIs and 10 walks in his last 7 games. This is a good sign for the Yankees. A-Rod is arguably the most important hitter in that lineup. If he continues to go well, his numbers will show it and the numbers of his teammates will also benefit. Mark Taxiera and Jorge Posada or Nick Swisher (depending on which one of them hits 5th on a given day)will see more pitches to hit in their at bats as long as A-Rod continues to surge.
Johnny Damon is having a surprisingly good year and it will be key down the stretch for him to continue his fine hitting. It goes with the whole A-Rod thing - if Damon, along with Derek Jeter, continue to be able to set the table, this lineup will be dangerous to pitch to the rest of the year.
The starting pitching has also been exceptional during this streak and everyone knows how important that is to a team.
Things are looking good in the Bronx right now. The Yankees need to continue to ride this hot streak and hope Boston falters at the same time. The Sox continue to play good ball and hold the lead atop the AL East.
What's on tap:
Mets vs Pirates
New York Rangers off season moves
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Mets end 5 game Skid with 1-0 win
7/1--Milwaukee, WI. Ryan Church singled Luis Castillo home in the 5th inning for the only run in today's game and that was enough to defeat the Brewers 1-0. Mike Pelfrey looked great over his 7.2 innings of work allowing 6 hits and striking out 6. He walked only 2. This was a very encouraging sign for Pelfrey to get him and the team back on track. If he can be consistent like this every time out, it will give the tam a much needed boost while they are waiting for Beltran, Delgado, Putz, Pagan, Perez and Reyes to get healthy. Consistent pitching like that is what will help get the Mets past they're current shortcomings. This is especially important coming into the next 4 games. 1 with Pittsburgh and 3 with the NL East leading Phillies.
Yovani Gallardo was great in his own right today, striking out 12 in his 7 innings.
Francisco Rodriguez picked up his 21st save with a strong 9th.
On to Pittsburgh tomorrow where a win is essential to bring the Mets back to .500 and have them on somewhat of a role going into Philadelphia.
Yovani Gallardo was great in his own right today, striking out 12 in his 7 innings.
Francisco Rodriguez picked up his 21st save with a strong 9th.
On to Pittsburgh tomorrow where a win is essential to bring the Mets back to .500 and have them on somewhat of a role going into Philadelphia.
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