08/07--San Diego,CA
1 - The tying run should never have scored. Brian Schneider CLEARLY made the tag for the out. Evert replay on SNY showed that the runner was out at the plate. Not even close. The guys mentioned that the umpire was blocked by Schneider's body but I don't really buy it. The tag was on the hand. God forbid an umpire changes his mind to get it right and admit the initial call was wrong.
2 - K-Rod now has 5 blown saves. That is totally inexcusable for a closer. Especially one of his caliber and talent. There is no excuse for that at all. K-Rod has been pretty bad for the better part of a month now which leaves me and most Mets fans dumbfounded. Tonight not only did K-Rod blow the save, he gave up the game winning, walk off grand slam to Evereth Cabrera. It was only his second career home run in this, his rookie year.
3 - K-Rod's abysmal performance ruined Oliver Perez' best start all year. Perez went 6.1 innings in which he only walked 2 batters and struck out 7. Its unreal to see his best game in a very long time get ruined by this nonsense. K-Rod's ERA has ballooned to 3.31. that is WAY too high for a closer. Is he playing hurt and too proud to admit it considering all the injuries on this team? I sure hope not. if a player is hurt, take the necessary time off to heal. Being a martyr (if he is hurt - I am only making a guess here)clearly isn't helping the team. Without these 5 blown saves, the Mets would be 56-53 instead of 51-58 (math ?). That puts them in a much better position than they are in right now. That goes without saying...but the Mets continue to feel the wrath of old Murphy and his law.
4 - Hockey and football seasons cant come soon enough for those Mets fans that follow those sports.
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08/07--Bronx,NY. Alex Rodriguez' walk off 2 run homer in the 15th capped off an exciting night of baseball in the Bronx against rival Boston.
This game was extremely well-pitched by both AJ Burnett and Josh Beckett. This was definitely an enjoyable game to watch for fans of pitchers duels.
Beckett went 7 innings allowing 4 hits and striking out 7. He lowered his season ERA to 3.12. Beckett has been great since June, lowering his ERA 2 points or more (if I am recalling correctly). He did not factor in on tonight's decision.
Burnett went 7.2 innings allowing just 1 hit and striking out 6 batters. This was a great bounce back outing for him as he was not very effective his last time out. Burnett was able to work around 6 walks and got outs when he needed to.
Bottom line: Boston really has some work to do now. They have fallen 4.5 games behind the Yankees. While that can be reversed in a week or so, it is easier said than done. The Yankees have been absolutely red hot for the last 2 months. They have found ways to win in every fashion imaginable. They won a slugfest 13-6 in game 1 of this series, and a pitchers duel tonight.All naysayers in May have surely eaten their words as of late.
Showing posts with label New York Yankees. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New York Yankees. Show all posts
Friday, August 7, 2009
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Pagan's Grand Slam Lifts Mets Past D-Backs / Chi-Sox Trounce Yanks
08/01--Flushing,NY. Angel Pagan's grand slam in the 8th inning gave the Mets the lead that would decide the game. It was his first career grand slam and capped off a 5 RBI night.
Oliver Perez was erratic, as is to be expected. He pitched 5 innings, walked 5 and struck out 7. He looked just good enough to keep the Mets out of trouble. Its concerning for the Mets that Perez does not show much progress other than he has not gotten bombed since his return from the DL. Perez really needs to cut down his walks so that ha can pitch deeper into games and save the bullpen during his starts.
Max Scherzer want great in his 4 innings for Arizona. He allowed 4 runs on 6 hits.
Mark Reynolds did hit a tape measure shot into the second deck in the 9th inning off of Brian Stokes. Francisco Rodriguez came in to get the final out and earned his 24th save.
Mike Pelfrey vs Jon Garland tomorrow afternoon at 1:10PM.
Chicago,IL. The White Sox put up 6 spots in the 2nd and 8th innings en route to a 14-4 clobbering of the Yankees.
John Danks got the win after his 6 innings of work. He allowed 4 runs on 6 hits. His opponent, AJ burnett just didn't have it allowing 7 runs on 10 hits in just 4.2 innings.
The Yankees have lost 4 of the last 5 games and now only lead Boston in the AL East by 1/2 game. On top of that, Mark Buerhle is tomorrow's started for Chicago. The last time he was on the mound he pitched a perfect game against the Rays.
Buerhle is going to be coming into the game with a lot of confidence and it will surely be a tall task for the Yankees tomorrow. Not something they want to face in the midst of this skid they're in.
Oliver Perez was erratic, as is to be expected. He pitched 5 innings, walked 5 and struck out 7. He looked just good enough to keep the Mets out of trouble. Its concerning for the Mets that Perez does not show much progress other than he has not gotten bombed since his return from the DL. Perez really needs to cut down his walks so that ha can pitch deeper into games and save the bullpen during his starts.
Max Scherzer want great in his 4 innings for Arizona. He allowed 4 runs on 6 hits.
Mark Reynolds did hit a tape measure shot into the second deck in the 9th inning off of Brian Stokes. Francisco Rodriguez came in to get the final out and earned his 24th save.
Mike Pelfrey vs Jon Garland tomorrow afternoon at 1:10PM.
Chicago,IL. The White Sox put up 6 spots in the 2nd and 8th innings en route to a 14-4 clobbering of the Yankees.
John Danks got the win after his 6 innings of work. He allowed 4 runs on 6 hits. His opponent, AJ burnett just didn't have it allowing 7 runs on 10 hits in just 4.2 innings.
The Yankees have lost 4 of the last 5 games and now only lead Boston in the AL East by 1/2 game. On top of that, Mark Buerhle is tomorrow's started for Chicago. The last time he was on the mound he pitched a perfect game against the Rays.
Buerhle is going to be coming into the game with a lot of confidence and it will surely be a tall task for the Yankees tomorrow. Not something they want to face in the midst of this skid they're in.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Tatis' Grand Slam lifts Mets to Third Straight Win / Yanks Roll Past Rays Behind Burnett
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
Monday, June 29, 2009
Rivera gets career save number 500, RBI number 1 in sweep of Mets
I have been saying this for awhile now- the Mets are depleted because of injury. Fine. Its frustrating but it happens. Congratulations to Mariano Rivera on his 500th save but you do not walk the opposing closer under any circumstance! You throw him 3 fastballs down the middle. If he hits one, it is not likely to go very far and if it does, hats off.
K-Rod, stop being cute and get outs. This is the third time K-Rod has been on the mound in an embarrassing moment for the team and himself. He has shown time and time again he can blow hitters away but for some reason decided to throw his secondary pitches against a closer with 2 career at-bats.
The Mets main concern right now, it looks, is getting another bat via trade. Jerry Manuel even said that himself in last night's post game interview - and he is right. The Mets cannot continue to play this poorly (3 runs on 9 hits against the Yankees) and expect to be above water after the All-Star break. Does Omar Minaya not see this as well? It dosn't have to be a blockbuster trade but the Mets need to acquire someone that is able to hit in the .280-.300 range and drive some runs in.
The two positives for the Mets last night were Livan Hernandez and Fernando Martinez. Livan was solid again giving up 3 runs in the 1st and then shut the Yankees down for 6 innings thereafter. Martinez made a spectacular catch in the outfeild in the second inning and had an RBI double in the fourth.
Maybe the Mets need to go after an infielder that has first base experience so that Daniel Murphy and Nick Evans are not playing a relatively unfamiliar position, thus, limiting the errors that lead to runs. Something must be done and it looks like sooner than later for the Mets.
K-Rod, stop being cute and get outs. This is the third time K-Rod has been on the mound in an embarrassing moment for the team and himself. He has shown time and time again he can blow hitters away but for some reason decided to throw his secondary pitches against a closer with 2 career at-bats.
The Mets main concern right now, it looks, is getting another bat via trade. Jerry Manuel even said that himself in last night's post game interview - and he is right. The Mets cannot continue to play this poorly (3 runs on 9 hits against the Yankees) and expect to be above water after the All-Star break. Does Omar Minaya not see this as well? It dosn't have to be a blockbuster trade but the Mets need to acquire someone that is able to hit in the .280-.300 range and drive some runs in.
The two positives for the Mets last night were Livan Hernandez and Fernando Martinez. Livan was solid again giving up 3 runs in the 1st and then shut the Yankees down for 6 innings thereafter. Martinez made a spectacular catch in the outfeild in the second inning and had an RBI double in the fourth.
Maybe the Mets need to go after an infielder that has first base experience so that Daniel Murphy and Nick Evans are not playing a relatively unfamiliar position, thus, limiting the errors that lead to runs. Something must be done and it looks like sooner than later for the Mets.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Yankees/Burnett dominate Game 2 of Subway Series at Citi Field
6/27--Flushing,NY. The Yankees embarrassed the Mets once again last night at Citi Field. AJ Burnett pitched 7 innings allowing only 1 hit (to Alex Cora) and struck out 10.
The Mets looked absolutely flat showing no signs of fight at all in them going down quietly in each inning.
The Mets are becoming painful to watch as of late. I don't know how longer they can tread water without Reyes,Delgado and Beltran. According to an entry in metsblog.com, the Mets are one of a few teams interested in the Royals' Mark Teahan. That would not be a bad pickup if the Mets do not have to give up much. The bottom line for the Mets is that they must do something to get another bat for this lineup. Maybe trade a pitcher or two that are expendable to get a bat. The Mets always can call up Nelson Figueroa if Tim Redding is included in a deal to get another hitter. Dillon Gee may be another option if the organization feels he is ready to step in. They are high on him but weather he is ready or not is the question there.
The Yankees have been looking better lately and their record is beginning to show it. Hopefully fr them, this start by Burnett will carry over for the rest of the season and he will begin to find consistency. That is a great 1-2 punch with CC Sabathia now beginning to look as advertized. The Yankees can be a very dangerous team for the rest of the year with those two firing on all cylinders.
Tonight Chien-Ming Wang pitches for the Yankees. He has been a concern all season long as his ERA has been awful as has his command. He has had to pitch better lately just to get his ERA to just over 12! It was over 34 at one point early in the year as everyone is aware of.
His opponent on the mound is Livan Hernandez. Livan needs to be as good as he has been all year to make sure the Mets stay in this game. The offense has not been able to manage much with they're 3 stars on the shelf. I think Mets pitching needs to limit the Yankees to 3 runs for the Mets to have any chance to win. Also, since what Wang will show is a toss up, the Mets absolutely need to cash in any opportunity they have with men in scoring position. The Yankees will take advantage if the Mets leave men on base. They're offense is very capable and will eventually score runs if they are left hanging around in a tight game.
What's on tap:
Subway series game 3 recap
Knicks draft recap
Rangers hockey
The Mets looked absolutely flat showing no signs of fight at all in them going down quietly in each inning.
The Mets are becoming painful to watch as of late. I don't know how longer they can tread water without Reyes,Delgado and Beltran. According to an entry in metsblog.com, the Mets are one of a few teams interested in the Royals' Mark Teahan. That would not be a bad pickup if the Mets do not have to give up much. The bottom line for the Mets is that they must do something to get another bat for this lineup. Maybe trade a pitcher or two that are expendable to get a bat. The Mets always can call up Nelson Figueroa if Tim Redding is included in a deal to get another hitter. Dillon Gee may be another option if the organization feels he is ready to step in. They are high on him but weather he is ready or not is the question there.
The Yankees have been looking better lately and their record is beginning to show it. Hopefully fr them, this start by Burnett will carry over for the rest of the season and he will begin to find consistency. That is a great 1-2 punch with CC Sabathia now beginning to look as advertized. The Yankees can be a very dangerous team for the rest of the year with those two firing on all cylinders.
Tonight Chien-Ming Wang pitches for the Yankees. He has been a concern all season long as his ERA has been awful as has his command. He has had to pitch better lately just to get his ERA to just over 12! It was over 34 at one point early in the year as everyone is aware of.
His opponent on the mound is Livan Hernandez. Livan needs to be as good as he has been all year to make sure the Mets stay in this game. The offense has not been able to manage much with they're 3 stars on the shelf. I think Mets pitching needs to limit the Yankees to 3 runs for the Mets to have any chance to win. Also, since what Wang will show is a toss up, the Mets absolutely need to cash in any opportunity they have with men in scoring position. The Yankees will take advantage if the Mets leave men on base. They're offense is very capable and will eventually score runs if they are left hanging around in a tight game.
What's on tap:
Subway series game 3 recap
Knicks draft recap
Rangers hockey
Friday, June 26, 2009
Mets come out flat in Game 1 of Subway Series
June 26-- Just 1 day after taking 3 of 4 from the Cardinals, the Mets put on a very poor performance against the Yankees. A terrible defensive 2nd inning led to 4 Yankees runs in what would be a 9-1 win for them. The Mets looked completely uninspired all night scoring only on a Gary Sheffield solo home run. Mike Peflrey looked as if he didn't have it again while the Mets could not solve CC Sabathia all night.
Things are really getting bad for the Mets as they are hanging on by a thread because the Phillies continue to lose at the same time. I this was not the case, the Mets might be 10 games back in the standings with a lot o work ahead of them (not as if that is not true none the less).
On the positive side for the Mets, the team is ravaged with injuries and things can only get better once Carlos Delgado, Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran and John Maine come back from their injuries (Oliver Perez is a toss up once he comes back). The Mets need to keep above water for the time being until they get healthy again. Hopefully they will be able to pick up seam with a full deck after the All-Star break.
Whats on tap:
Subway Series game 2
New York Knicks - NBA Draft*
NHL Draft - New York Rangers, New York Islanders*
* = by Monday
Things are really getting bad for the Mets as they are hanging on by a thread because the Phillies continue to lose at the same time. I this was not the case, the Mets might be 10 games back in the standings with a lot o work ahead of them (not as if that is not true none the less).
On the positive side for the Mets, the team is ravaged with injuries and things can only get better once Carlos Delgado, Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran and John Maine come back from their injuries (Oliver Perez is a toss up once he comes back). The Mets need to keep above water for the time being until they get healthy again. Hopefully they will be able to pick up seam with a full deck after the All-Star break.
Whats on tap:
Subway Series game 2
New York Knicks - NBA Draft*
NHL Draft - New York Rangers, New York Islanders*
* = by Monday
Monday, June 22, 2009
Struggling Yankees Drop 2 of 3 to Marlins / Big Day for BJ Upton/Rays take rubber game from Mets
6/21--Miam,FL. A late rally was not enough for the New York Yankees to get past the Florida Marlins. A solo home run in the 6th inning by Cody Ross off of Brett Tomko put the Marlins ahead in the game for good. This came after Hanley Ramirez' home run had tied the game in the previous inning.
The loss was a big blow to the Yankees as Josh Johnson looked dominant in game 2 of the series, a 2-1 Marlins win. The loss in game 3 made it four losses in the last five games - to the Nationals and Marlins.
Yankees starter CC Sabathia had to leave the game in the second inning due to tightness in his left biceps. He does, however, expect to make his next scheduled start. “It wasn’t a sharp pain or anything,” Sabathia said. “It just felt a little tight. It’s something I felt before, between starts or something. It’s nothing major (Source: Antonio Gonzalez, AP writer - http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/recap;_ylt=Ar9p_eWGlf81OALErvmPzkM5nYcB?gid=290621128&prov=ap).”
Florida starter, Chirs Volstad, pitched 6 innings allowing 3 runs on 5 hits. He struck out 4 and walked 1. The win was his 5th of the year. Matt Lindstrom closed the game to earn his 14th save.
Thoughts: For the Yankees, it seems like a normally potent offense needs to wake up and start producing like they know they can. Losing 4 of 5 to the Marlins and Nationals came as a complete shock as both of those teams are on the bottom of the NL east standings. While the Marlins do have a pretty good lineup, there is no excuse for the Yankees pitching staff to allow the Nationals to outscore them. Maybe a trade to sure up the 6th and 7th innings would be in their best interest. That still depends on who is out there as there is no reason to trade and not have it benefit the team.
6/21---Flushing,NY. BJ Upton went 4/6 with a home run and 4 RBIs as the Tampa Bay Rays won the rubber game from the struggling New York Mets.
Mets starter Mike Pelfrey seemed to be cruising along until an offensive explosion in the 5th inning gave the Rays the lead for good. He allowed 4 runs on 8 hits in his 5 innings of work. Bobby Parnell also continued to struggle, allowing 4 runs without retiring a batter in the 7th.
The Mets offensive star was Brian Schneider who hit his second 3 run homer in the last 2 games.
Thoughts: The Cardinals come into Citi Field for a 4 game series starting tonight. The Mets can ill afford to have streaky pitching against a team like St. Louis has. Any mistakes by Mets pitching will mst likely be jumped on by Albert Pujols and company. The Mets need to score runs against some of the more inexperienced Cardinals starters before running into Chris Carpenter in the series finale. Bottom line is the Mets need at least a series split to keep above water until hopefullt the team gets healthy again.
The loss was a big blow to the Yankees as Josh Johnson looked dominant in game 2 of the series, a 2-1 Marlins win. The loss in game 3 made it four losses in the last five games - to the Nationals and Marlins.
Yankees starter CC Sabathia had to leave the game in the second inning due to tightness in his left biceps. He does, however, expect to make his next scheduled start. “It wasn’t a sharp pain or anything,” Sabathia said. “It just felt a little tight. It’s something I felt before, between starts or something. It’s nothing major (Source: Antonio Gonzalez, AP writer - http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/recap;_ylt=Ar9p_eWGlf81OALErvmPzkM5nYcB?gid=290621128&prov=ap).”
Florida starter, Chirs Volstad, pitched 6 innings allowing 3 runs on 5 hits. He struck out 4 and walked 1. The win was his 5th of the year. Matt Lindstrom closed the game to earn his 14th save.
Thoughts: For the Yankees, it seems like a normally potent offense needs to wake up and start producing like they know they can. Losing 4 of 5 to the Marlins and Nationals came as a complete shock as both of those teams are on the bottom of the NL east standings. While the Marlins do have a pretty good lineup, there is no excuse for the Yankees pitching staff to allow the Nationals to outscore them. Maybe a trade to sure up the 6th and 7th innings would be in their best interest. That still depends on who is out there as there is no reason to trade and not have it benefit the team.
6/21---Flushing,NY. BJ Upton went 4/6 with a home run and 4 RBIs as the Tampa Bay Rays won the rubber game from the struggling New York Mets.
Mets starter Mike Pelfrey seemed to be cruising along until an offensive explosion in the 5th inning gave the Rays the lead for good. He allowed 4 runs on 8 hits in his 5 innings of work. Bobby Parnell also continued to struggle, allowing 4 runs without retiring a batter in the 7th.
The Mets offensive star was Brian Schneider who hit his second 3 run homer in the last 2 games.
Thoughts: The Cardinals come into Citi Field for a 4 game series starting tonight. The Mets can ill afford to have streaky pitching against a team like St. Louis has. Any mistakes by Mets pitching will mst likely be jumped on by Albert Pujols and company. The Mets need to score runs against some of the more inexperienced Cardinals starters before running into Chris Carpenter in the series finale. Bottom line is the Mets need at least a series split to keep above water until hopefullt the team gets healthy again.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Another solid start from Nieve/Schneider's home run lead Mets over Rays / Yankees defeat Marlins behind good pitching from Pettite
6/19--Flushing, NY. Fernando Nieve turned in his second straight good start to lead the Mets over the visiting Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night. The Mets also got power from a rare source in Brian Schneider as his 3 run home run in the second inning helped the Mets in the victory.
Nieve has only allowed three runs to cross the plate in his two starts and 1 relief appearance this season. The first start came against the Yankees who are the league's highest scoring team. “Oh, it’s been a tremendous surprise. Obviously, a pleasant one. His history wouldn’t have indicated he would be this good,” Mets manager Jerry Manuel said (Source: Mike Fitzpatrick, AP Sports Writer - http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/recap?gid=290619121). Nieve ended up going 6 innings, giving up 1 run on 3 hits. He struck out 4 and walked 3. “Here I feel more confident in all my pitches,” Nieve said. “I want to show them that I can be in the rotation (Source: Mike Fitzpatrick, AP Sports Writer - http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/recap?gid=290619121)."
David Wright and Ryan Church contributed the Mets 2 other RBI's and Daniel Murphy had 3 hits in the game.
Carlos Pena had 1 RBI and BJ Upton had 2 RB's in the first meeting between the Mets and Rays in 8 years (2001).
Tampa starter Andy Sonnastine was mediocre again in a season to forget so far. He went 6 innings giving up 4 runs on 7 hits while striking out 5 and walking 2.
Sean Green pitched a scoreless 8th that included getting into and out of a jam (thanks to a great catch by Luis Castillo) and Francisco Rodriguz redeemed himself with a scoreless 9th to record his 18th save.
6/19 --Miami, Florida. Even without A-Rod (fatigue), the Yankees were able to defeat the Florida Marlins 5-1 behind starter Andy Pettite. Said Pettite “They hit a couple balls tonight that would have been home runs probably at Yankee Stadium,” Pettitte said. “So instead of giving up one run, I might have given up three or four tonight at home (Source: Antonio Gonzalez, AP - http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/recap;_ylt=AiGgY5LwStMDdmQsEI0MluE5nYcB?gid=290619128&prov=ap).”
Pettite went 7 innings allowing 1 run and 3 hits. Pettite struck out 7 and did not walk a batter. The only blemish in hot outing was a 3rd inning home run by Cody Ross. He even contributed with the bat, collecting an RBI double in the second inning. Brian Bruney and Brett Tomko each pitched 1 scoreless inning of relief behind Pettite.
Th other 4 runs were driven in by Jorge Posada, Angel Berroa, Johnny Damon and Melky Cabrera. Cabrera's came on a solo home run in the 3rd inning.
Florida starter Sean West had his evening cut short after 4 innings giving up 5 runs on 10 hits. He did strike out 7 and walked 2. By the 5th inning, every Yankes starter had at least 1 hit. Renyel Pinto, Brian Sanches, Dan Meyer and Matt Lindstrom each pitched scoreless baseball behind West.
Derek Jeter's leadoff double in the first tied Babe Ruth for fourth most doubles in Yankees history with 423.
Nieve has only allowed three runs to cross the plate in his two starts and 1 relief appearance this season. The first start came against the Yankees who are the league's highest scoring team. “Oh, it’s been a tremendous surprise. Obviously, a pleasant one. His history wouldn’t have indicated he would be this good,” Mets manager Jerry Manuel said (Source: Mike Fitzpatrick, AP Sports Writer - http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/recap?gid=290619121). Nieve ended up going 6 innings, giving up 1 run on 3 hits. He struck out 4 and walked 3. “Here I feel more confident in all my pitches,” Nieve said. “I want to show them that I can be in the rotation (Source: Mike Fitzpatrick, AP Sports Writer - http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/recap?gid=290619121)."
David Wright and Ryan Church contributed the Mets 2 other RBI's and Daniel Murphy had 3 hits in the game.
Carlos Pena had 1 RBI and BJ Upton had 2 RB's in the first meeting between the Mets and Rays in 8 years (2001).
Tampa starter Andy Sonnastine was mediocre again in a season to forget so far. He went 6 innings giving up 4 runs on 7 hits while striking out 5 and walking 2.
Sean Green pitched a scoreless 8th that included getting into and out of a jam (thanks to a great catch by Luis Castillo) and Francisco Rodriguz redeemed himself with a scoreless 9th to record his 18th save.
6/19 --Miami, Florida. Even without A-Rod (fatigue), the Yankees were able to defeat the Florida Marlins 5-1 behind starter Andy Pettite. Said Pettite “They hit a couple balls tonight that would have been home runs probably at Yankee Stadium,” Pettitte said. “So instead of giving up one run, I might have given up three or four tonight at home (Source: Antonio Gonzalez, AP - http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/recap;_ylt=AiGgY5LwStMDdmQsEI0MluE5nYcB?gid=290619128&prov=ap).”
Pettite went 7 innings allowing 1 run and 3 hits. Pettite struck out 7 and did not walk a batter. The only blemish in hot outing was a 3rd inning home run by Cody Ross. He even contributed with the bat, collecting an RBI double in the second inning. Brian Bruney and Brett Tomko each pitched 1 scoreless inning of relief behind Pettite.
Th other 4 runs were driven in by Jorge Posada, Angel Berroa, Johnny Damon and Melky Cabrera. Cabrera's came on a solo home run in the 3rd inning.
Florida starter Sean West had his evening cut short after 4 innings giving up 5 runs on 10 hits. He did strike out 7 and walked 2. By the 5th inning, every Yankes starter had at least 1 hit. Renyel Pinto, Brian Sanches, Dan Meyer and Matt Lindstrom each pitched scoreless baseball behind West.
Derek Jeter's leadoff double in the first tied Babe Ruth for fourth most doubles in Yankees history with 423.
Friday, June 19, 2009
K-Rod has rare bad performance, Orioles rally to beat Mets in 9th / Stammen, Nationals shut out Yankees
6/18--Baltimore, MD. Francisco Rodriguez did not have his best stuff tonight and the Baltimore Orioles were able to rally for 2 runs in the 9th to defeat the New York Mets 5-4. Matt Weiters led off the inning with a double and was lifted for pinch runner Felix Pie. Nolan Reimold came up next as a pinch hitter for SS Robert Andino and drew a walk. The next batter was Brian Roberts. He bunted and catcher Omir Santos elected to throw to third but it was not in time, loading the bases for Adam Jones who walked in the tying run.The next batter was Nick Markakis. Carlos Beltran then came in to be a "5th infielder" in case of a ground ball that was unreachable for second baseman Luis Castillo. Rodriguez was able to strike Markakis out to birng up the hero, Aubrey Huff. Beltran was sent back to play his normal center field position but it would make no difference where he stood as Huff singled giving the O's a 5-4 win. Said Rodriguez “It was awful. I didn’t get the job done,” he said. “I’m a human being. Unfortunately, days like this are going to happen. It happened to me and I’ve just got to move on.” (Source: David Ginsburg, AP sports writer - http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/recap?gid=290618101)
All of this came after a 7th inning in which both Daniel Murphy and Carlos Beltran each singled home runs giving the Mets a 4-2 lead.
Mets starter, Livan Hernandez was very good allowing only 2 runs on 8 hits over 7 innings. He struck out 4 and walked 1. Despite his team letting him down, Hernandez remains unbeaten since April 23rd.
Orioles starter Jason Berken pitched well in his 6.2 innings of work. He allowed 4 runs on 7 hits while striking out 8 and walking only 1. He stared to weaken in the 6th and 7th when he allowed the tying runs to score and the lead runs to get on base before bieng replace by Danys Baez with 2 outs in the 7th.
6/18--Bronx, NY. After a 5 1/2 hour rain delay, the Washington Nationals shut out the New York Yankees 3-0 behind Craig Stammen who got his first major league victory. This was also the first game at new Yankee Stadium in which no home runs were hit.
The Nationals were led by Ryan Zimmerman's 3 hits and slick fielding to give them they're first 2 game win streak since they had a 3 game streak from May 7-9. They also became the last team in the majors to record a shutout as Stammen, Ron Villone, Julian Tavarez, Joe Beimel and Mike MacDougal (second save) combined on the effort.
Starter Stammen went 6.1 innings allowing 6 hits, striking out 2 while not walking a batter.
Adam Dunn, Wil Nieves and Ryan Zimerman drove in the Nationals runs. They were numbers 47, 10 and 43 respectively. Robinson Cano and Nick Swisher led the Yankees with 2 hits each. 7 Yankees were left on base in the game.
Whats on tap:
Mets vs Rays
Yankees vs Marlins
All of this came after a 7th inning in which both Daniel Murphy and Carlos Beltran each singled home runs giving the Mets a 4-2 lead.
Mets starter, Livan Hernandez was very good allowing only 2 runs on 8 hits over 7 innings. He struck out 4 and walked 1. Despite his team letting him down, Hernandez remains unbeaten since April 23rd.
Orioles starter Jason Berken pitched well in his 6.2 innings of work. He allowed 4 runs on 7 hits while striking out 8 and walking only 1. He stared to weaken in the 6th and 7th when he allowed the tying runs to score and the lead runs to get on base before bieng replace by Danys Baez with 2 outs in the 7th.
6/18--Bronx, NY. After a 5 1/2 hour rain delay, the Washington Nationals shut out the New York Yankees 3-0 behind Craig Stammen who got his first major league victory. This was also the first game at new Yankee Stadium in which no home runs were hit.
The Nationals were led by Ryan Zimmerman's 3 hits and slick fielding to give them they're first 2 game win streak since they had a 3 game streak from May 7-9. They also became the last team in the majors to record a shutout as Stammen, Ron Villone, Julian Tavarez, Joe Beimel and Mike MacDougal (second save) combined on the effort.
Starter Stammen went 6.1 innings allowing 6 hits, striking out 2 while not walking a batter.
Adam Dunn, Wil Nieves and Ryan Zimerman drove in the Nationals runs. They were numbers 47, 10 and 43 respectively. Robinson Cano and Nick Swisher led the Yankees with 2 hits each. 7 Yankees were left on base in the game.
Whats on tap:
Mets vs Rays
Yankees vs Marlins
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Strong outing for Pelfrey as Mets defeat O's / Cano/Sabathia lead Yanks past Nats
6/16--Mike Pelfrey hadn't won in his last 5 decisions before last night's 6-4 win at Camden Yards. Pelfrey went 5.2 innings allowing 2 runs on 2 hits while walking 3 and striking out 2 to improve his season record to 5-2. Pelfrey's velocity increased over the course of his outing as his fastball was able to max out at 94mph in the 5th inning.
The Mets got their big break offensively in the 4th inning which also saw the Orioles play some bad defense. Fernando Martinez lead off with a walk that was followed by a Brian Roberts error that allowed Carlos beltran to reach safely.Wright then singled Martinez home and Beltran was able to advance to third on on a bad throw from the outfeild. Ryan Church came up next and singled Beltran home and then Gary Sheffield singled to load the bases. The next batter, Daniel Murphy, hit a sac fly and Brian Schneider singled home the Mets fourth run of th inning before Louis Castillo grounded into a double play.
The Orioles made it 4-2 in the 6th inning with a Nick Markakis home run with Adam Jones singling before him. In the 7th the Mets were able to plate two more due to more poor defensive play by the O's, with Alberto Castillo having replaced Jeremy Guthrie on the mound. Two singles by Alex Cora and Fernando Martinez chased Castillo from the game and h was replaced by Danys Baez. A David Wright pop up was dropped by first baseman Aubrey Huff leading to two Mets runs scoring.
In the 9th, the Orioles tried getting the game tied by getting the first two men on against Bobby Parnell. Francisco Redriguez came into the game next and the Orioles could only manage 2 more runs before K-Rod closed the door for his 17th save in 18 trys.
Jeremy Guthrie ptceh farily well for the O's. Of the 5 runs he gave up in 6.1 innings, only 3 were earned. He struck out 4 and walked 2.
The combination of Sean Green and Pedro Feliciano continued they're fine pitching that they have been doing of late. Green went 1.2 innings and Feliciano 0.2 allowing nothing in they're combined efforts. Green continues to improve,looking nothing like he did when he struggled mightliy from May until this recent hot streak.
6/13 -- Bronx, NY. The Yankees were able to get another strong outing from ace CC sabathia as they defeated the lowly Washington Nationals 5-3. Sabathia pitched a strong 7.2 innings while striking out 2 and walking 1. The only hiccup in his outing was a 5th inning 3 run home run off the bat of Anderson Hernandez who is not known for his power.
The New York runs came on RBIs by Mark Taxiera, Melky Cabrera, Ramiro Pena and 2 from Robinson Cano, his 40th and 41st of the year.
Sabathia was able to keep his team in the game after the Hernandez home run until the offense was able to tie and eventually get the lead. Mariano Rovera cam on in the 9th to get his 15th save.
Nat's starter Shairon Martis was solid, keeping his team in the game during his 6 innings on the mound. Martis' problem was 5 walks which shortened the length of his outing. “His sinker was working real good but he started a little up and that’s why he threw so many pitches,” catcher Wil Nieves said of Martis. “His sinker was moving so good it was running away from the corner.” (Source: Jay Cohen, AP sports writer - http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/recap?gid=290616110)
The Mets got their big break offensively in the 4th inning which also saw the Orioles play some bad defense. Fernando Martinez lead off with a walk that was followed by a Brian Roberts error that allowed Carlos beltran to reach safely.Wright then singled Martinez home and Beltran was able to advance to third on on a bad throw from the outfeild. Ryan Church came up next and singled Beltran home and then Gary Sheffield singled to load the bases. The next batter, Daniel Murphy, hit a sac fly and Brian Schneider singled home the Mets fourth run of th inning before Louis Castillo grounded into a double play.
The Orioles made it 4-2 in the 6th inning with a Nick Markakis home run with Adam Jones singling before him. In the 7th the Mets were able to plate two more due to more poor defensive play by the O's, with Alberto Castillo having replaced Jeremy Guthrie on the mound. Two singles by Alex Cora and Fernando Martinez chased Castillo from the game and h was replaced by Danys Baez. A David Wright pop up was dropped by first baseman Aubrey Huff leading to two Mets runs scoring.
In the 9th, the Orioles tried getting the game tied by getting the first two men on against Bobby Parnell. Francisco Redriguez came into the game next and the Orioles could only manage 2 more runs before K-Rod closed the door for his 17th save in 18 trys.
Jeremy Guthrie ptceh farily well for the O's. Of the 5 runs he gave up in 6.1 innings, only 3 were earned. He struck out 4 and walked 2.
The combination of Sean Green and Pedro Feliciano continued they're fine pitching that they have been doing of late. Green went 1.2 innings and Feliciano 0.2 allowing nothing in they're combined efforts. Green continues to improve,looking nothing like he did when he struggled mightliy from May until this recent hot streak.
6/13 -- Bronx, NY. The Yankees were able to get another strong outing from ace CC sabathia as they defeated the lowly Washington Nationals 5-3. Sabathia pitched a strong 7.2 innings while striking out 2 and walking 1. The only hiccup in his outing was a 5th inning 3 run home run off the bat of Anderson Hernandez who is not known for his power.
The New York runs came on RBIs by Mark Taxiera, Melky Cabrera, Ramiro Pena and 2 from Robinson Cano, his 40th and 41st of the year.
Sabathia was able to keep his team in the game after the Hernandez home run until the offense was able to tie and eventually get the lead. Mariano Rovera cam on in the 9th to get his 15th save.
Nat's starter Shairon Martis was solid, keeping his team in the game during his 6 innings on the mound. Martis' problem was 5 walks which shortened the length of his outing. “His sinker was working real good but he started a little up and that’s why he threw so many pitches,” catcher Wil Nieves said of Martis. “His sinker was moving so good it was running away from the corner.” (Source: Jay Cohen, AP sports writer - http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/recap?gid=290616110)
Monday, June 15, 2009
Yankees take rubber game of Subway Series in 15-0 rout of Mets
There's not too much to talk about regarding this one. Johan Santana had a rare awful start, giving up 9 runs in 3 innings. The Mets offense was unable to do anything against AJ Burnett and the Yankees bullpen. Below is the link to the Yahoo coverage of the game where there is more information.
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/recap?gid=290614110
Whats on tap:
Ring of Honor on HD Net from 6/13 (either later tonight or tomorrow).
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/recap?gid=290614110
Whats on tap:
Ring of Honor on HD Net from 6/13 (either later tonight or tomorrow).
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Mets rebound to take game 2 of the Subway Series
6/13- After Friday's embarrassing loss in the Bronx, the Mets were able to come back to win game 2 behind Fernando Nieve. Because of the Ring of Honor event last night I was unable to watch the entire game. From what I did see and what I heard, Nieve pitched a very strong game, limiting the Yankees to 2 runs on 4 hits in 6.2 innings. He struck out 2 and only walked 2 in his outing. From there, Sean Green was impressive again as he continues to improve going 1.1 innings allowing 1 hit and striking out 1 in the game. Francisco Rodriguez pitched next and closed the door on the 6-2 Mets win.
Offensively the Mets did what they had to do. Catcher Omir Santos got things started by collecting 2 of his 3 RBIs (21) with a second inning home run. Gary Sheffield also homered, his seventh, for one of his 2 RBI's (24) in the game. The other RBI came from first baseman Fernando Tatis (13).
The Yankees would only get a solo home run from Alex Rodriguez (9, 26th RBI) and an RBI hit from Derek Jeter (28). Starting pitcher, Andy Pettite (6-3) did not pitch his best game. He allowed 5 runs on 12 hits in 5 innings. He struck out 3 and walked 1.
Today's game is the rubber match in the Yankee Stadium pottion of the season series as Johan Santana (8-3, 2.39 ERA) gets the start for the Mets to be opposed by A.J. Burnett (4-3, 4.89 ERA) for the Yankees.
Offensively the Mets did what they had to do. Catcher Omir Santos got things started by collecting 2 of his 3 RBIs (21) with a second inning home run. Gary Sheffield also homered, his seventh, for one of his 2 RBI's (24) in the game. The other RBI came from first baseman Fernando Tatis (13).
The Yankees would only get a solo home run from Alex Rodriguez (9, 26th RBI) and an RBI hit from Derek Jeter (28). Starting pitcher, Andy Pettite (6-3) did not pitch his best game. He allowed 5 runs on 12 hits in 5 innings. He struck out 3 and walked 1.
Today's game is the rubber match in the Yankee Stadium pottion of the season series as Johan Santana (8-3, 2.39 ERA) gets the start for the Mets to be opposed by A.J. Burnett (4-3, 4.89 ERA) for the Yankees.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Introduction:What this blog will cover
This blog is going to be a forum to discuss topics in NY sports and independent wrestling. Some things that will be covered are reviews of each game, big discussion topics of the day or week (whenever things come up), rumors, general opinions and suggestions
Regardless of my rooting interests, I am going to keep this blog as impartial as I can. That way fans of every team can get something more than hearing me rant out of this. That dosn't mean I won't point out the fact that a team or player(s) are not doing well at any particular time.
I want this blog to be a place where New York sports fans can have good discussions about anything regarding these topics. These are two things I enjoy talking about and like sharing with people that enjy them as much as I do.
As far as rules or etiquette goes, just remember to respect each other and each other's opinions. That's not much to ask and should be pretty simple to follow. If for some reason you can't follow this simple rule, find somewhere else to go that will tolerate your bullshit.
One last thing, since I do have rooting interests (as all fans do) I will be getting help from freinds who do not root for the same teams to share opinions of the teams and their games in my stead. Hopefully I can get enough coverage of the teams I do not root for so that this blog can discuss each team is evenly as possible. If I have any trouble with this, I will see what I can do about it in the future.
-Mike
Tomorrow's agenda: Subway Series game 1 coverage
Regardless of my rooting interests, I am going to keep this blog as impartial as I can. That way fans of every team can get something more than hearing me rant out of this. That dosn't mean I won't point out the fact that a team or player(s) are not doing well at any particular time.
I want this blog to be a place where New York sports fans can have good discussions about anything regarding these topics. These are two things I enjoy talking about and like sharing with people that enjy them as much as I do.
As far as rules or etiquette goes, just remember to respect each other and each other's opinions. That's not much to ask and should be pretty simple to follow. If for some reason you can't follow this simple rule, find somewhere else to go that will tolerate your bullshit.
One last thing, since I do have rooting interests (as all fans do) I will be getting help from freinds who do not root for the same teams to share opinions of the teams and their games in my stead. Hopefully I can get enough coverage of the teams I do not root for so that this blog can discuss each team is evenly as possible. If I have any trouble with this, I will see what I can do about it in the future.
-Mike
Tomorrow's agenda: Subway Series game 1 coverage
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