Die Hard Sports Fan

Jerry Manuel had some very interesting things to say during last night’s post game.  I waited up for a while for some articles to be written about it, but had no such luck.  I had to wait until today, and the quotes are from Newsday.

First, Manuel had this to say about getting ejected, “I thought that Mr. Runge was kind of baiting Carlos. That’s how I saw it. I could be wrong. So I wanted to go out and make sure everything was OK and it got a little heated. I thought he did step into me. I did not step into him. How they choose to handle that I have no idea, no clue. That was definitely the case.”  So Jerry got bumped by Brian Runge which allowed Runge to use the bumping as an excuse to eject Jerry.  Once Runge bumped Manuel, Manuel got his moneys worth and finally walked away.

Then Carlos Beltran, who never has anything to say, started shouting at Runge.  Beltran had this to say after the game, “After what he did to Jerry I really got mad. Because he really bumped Jerry to get an excuse to throw him out of the game. I just let him know that that was weak. This is the first time that I’ve been so angry in my career and I feel like I have a reason. If I get punished for my actions, he should get punished for his actions, also, because that was horrible.”  So Carlos backed up his manager who just backed him up, and there’s nothing wrong with that.  One thing that Beltran said that is not in the article is that the manager is supposed to back up his players so take that for whatever it’s worth.

Then Manuel began talking about the actual game where they got landslided 11-0 to the the Mariners.  Manuel said this about Oliver Perez, “I’m definitely concerned about his struggles right now and we’re going to have to address it at some time. We’ll have to seriously address it.”  Yes he does because I can’t watch Ollie anymore.  Next, Manuel said, “Right now, we’re a bad offensive club, period.”  That’s for damn sure.  In order to address these issues, Manuel stated, “It could mean some tough decisions. Could be lineup changes, could be rotation changes, could be all types of changes. We have to do what we have to do to get this team on track. We have such great fans and they’re just waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting for us to do well.”  I love what Jerry had to say last night because somebody in this organization needs to admit that problems exist for them to be addressed.  There are too many players on the roster that need to be shipped out of town.  Most importantly, the fans do deserve better.

** After writing this post, I found the entire transcript of the post game at The Star-Ledger which includes Jerry Manuel’s comments and Carlos Beltran’s comments.

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Seattle is winning this game 11-0 in the Top of the 9th, and the Mets couldn’t do anything right today.  With that said, we got to witness something that we haven’t seen since before Willie Randolph.  In the fourth inning, Carlos Beltran was at the plate with an 0-2 count.  There was some chatter back-and-forth between Beltran and the ump.  Then home-plate umpire Brian Runge began sweeping up home plate so he could talk smack to Beltran about the count.  Jerry Manuel came running out immediately to argue the fact that Runge was trying to lure Beltran into an arguement.  Manuel exploded on Runge, and I loved every minute of it.  We haven’t seen that in so long.  Jerry was obviously ejected.  After he walked away, Beltran began arguing his case which led to his ejection.  Hopefull Runge will be penalized for that.  The game is final now Mariners 11 - Mets 0, but at least Manuel fought for his player.

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The New York Mets (30-33) are playing Game 64 of the 2008 Regular Season against the Arizona Diamondbacks (35-30) at Shea Stadium.  It’s the second game of the three-game series.  The game began at 7:10 p.m., and it was aired on SNY.

Happy 25th Birthday Jose Reyes!

Diamondbacks Lineup: Young, Drew, Hudson, Jackson, Tracy, Reynolds, Snyder, Salazar, Brandon Webb (11-2).

Mets Lineup: Reyes, Castillo, Wright, Beltran, Delgado, Anderson, Schneider, Chavez, Mike Pelfrey (2-6).

In the Top of the 1st, Young grounded a leadoff single past Reyes.  Pelfrey picked off Young at first.  Drew grounded out to short.  Hudson grounded out to second to end the inning.  In the Bottom of the 1st, Webb pitched a 1-2-3 inning.  In the Top of the 2nd, Jackson lined a leadoff single into center.  Tracy grounded to short, and the Mets turned the double play.  Pelfrey fanned Reynolds to end the inning.  In the Bottom of the 2nd, Webb retired the side in the second straight inning.  In the Top of the 3rd, Snyder drew a leadoff walk.  Pelfrey caught Salazar looking at strike three.  Webb grounded to first, and Delgado made the out at first as Snyder advanced to second.  Young lined out to left to end the inning stranding Snyder on second.  In the Bottom of the 3rd, Webb retired the lineup in order the first time around.

In the Top of the 4th, Hudson lined a one-out double to the gap in right center.  Jackson grounded to short, and Reyes made the out at first as Hudson moved over to third.  Tracy grounded to short, and Reyes made the out at first to end the inning stranding Hudson on third.  In the Bottom of the 4th, Reyes beat out a drag bunt down the first base line for a leadoff single.  Castillo chopped the ball towards the pitcher so Webb (Error on Brandon Webb) attempted to make the out at first, but Tracy dropped the ball so Castillo is safe at first and Reyes advanced to third.  Wright grounded to third, and Reynolds held Reyes up at third before making the out at first as Castillo advanced to second.  Carlos Beltran lined a one-out 2-run single into right center which scored Jose Reyes and Luis Castillo.  Delgado lined the ball back to the pitcher and hit him in the back so Webb kneeled down as the ball rolled into left field, and Delgado ended up with a single as Beltran went from first to third (Melvin checked on Webb).  Marlon Anderson grounded to first, and the Diamondbacks only got the out at second on the double play attempt as Carlos Beltran came home to score.  Schneider grounded out to second to end the inning stranding Anderson on first, but the Mets got a 3-0 lead.  In the Top of the 5th, Pelfrey pitched his first 1-2-3 inning of the game.  In the Bottom of the 5th, Pelfrey grounded a one-out single up the middle for his first hit of the year.  Reyes grounded to second, and the Diamondbacks turned the inning ending double play.  In the Top of the 6th, Pelfrey retired the side in order for the second straight inning.  In the Bottom of the 6th, Melvin replaced Webb with Scherzer.  Beltran drew a two-out walk.  Scherzer fanned Delgado to end the inning stranding Beltran on first.

In the Top of the 7th, Hudson lined a leadoff single into left.  Jackson flied out to left.  Tracy drew a one-out walk (Peterson made a visit to the mound).  Pelfrey then fanned Reynolds and Snyder to end the inning stranding runners on first and second.  In the Bottom of the 7th, Scherzer pitched a 1-2-3 inning.  In the Top of the 8th, Pelfrey retired the side in order.  In the Bottom of the 8th, Melvin replaced Scherzer with Cruz.  Reyes struck out swinging at a wild pitch that went to the backstop so Reyes arrived safely at first giving the Mets a one-out base runner.  With Castillo at the plate, Snyder threw out Reyes as he attempted to steal second.  Castillo drew a two-out walk.  With Wright in the batters box, Snyder threw out Castillo as he stole second.  In the Top of the 9th, Pelfrey will be attempting a complete game shutout.  Drew lined a leadoff single into right.  Randolph replaced Pelfrey after his best outing of his career with Wagner.  Pelfrey received a standing ovation from the Shea Faithful.  Wagner fanned Hudson.  Jackson drove a one-out double into the gap in left center, and Drew went from first to third.  Wagner struck out Tracy, but the pitch went in the dirt so Schneider looked back Drew and made the out at first.  Mark Reynolds smoked a two-out 3-run homer to left scoring Stephen Drew and Chad Tracy to tie this game up.  The fans let him the Mets hear it after that.  In the Bottom of the 9th, Melvin replaced Cruz with Peña.  Beltran drew a one-out walk.  Peña struck Delgado out swinging.  Aguila is pinch hitting for Wagner, and Aguila lined a two-out single into right, and Beltran moved over to second.  Schneider flied out to center to end the inning stranding runners on first and second.

In the Top of the 10th, Randolph replaced Wagner with Feliciano.  Burke is pinch hitting for Salazar, and Burke drew a leadoff walk on four pitches.  Owings is pinch hitting for Peña, and Feliciano fanned Owings.  Young grounded to second, and Castillo got the lead runner out at second.  Drew grounded to second, and Castillo made the out at first to end the inning stranding Burke on first.  In the Bottom of the 10th, Melvin replaced Peña with Qualls.  Qualls retired the side in order.  In the Top of the 11th, Randolph replaced Feliciano with Heilman.  Tracy grounded a two-out single through the hole on the right side.  Heilman struck out Reynolds to end the inning stranding Tracy on first.  In the Bottom of the 11th, Wright grounded a one-out single up the middle.  Beltran grounded to short, and Drew tagged second to get the lead runner.  Delgado grounded out to first to end the inning stranding Beltran on first.  In the Top of the 12th, Heilman retired the side in order.  In the Bottom of the 12th, Melvin replaced Qualls with Gonzalez.  Schneider lined a one-out single into right.  Chavez flied out to right.  Tatis is pinch hitting for Heilman, and Tatis grounded out to short to end the inning strandind Schneider on first.

In the Top of the 13th, Randolph replaced Heilman with Vargas.  Drew grounded to third, and Wright dove to stop the ball but could not get up on his feet to make a better throw to first on time giving the Diamondbacks a one-out base runner.  Upton lined a one-out single into center, and Drew moved over to second.  Jackson grounded to third, and Wright turned the inning ending double play.  In the Bottom of the 13th, Castillo grounded to third and beat it out for a one-out infield single.  Wright popped up in foul ground along the first base line, and Tracy made the catch.  Carlos Beltran hit a two-out 2-run walk off home run to right center field scoring Luis Castillo.

Final Score: Arizona Diamondbacks 3 - New York Mets 5.  The MLB.com Box Score is attached.  Claudio Vargas (3-2) got the win while Edgar Gonzalez (1-3) took the loss.

Game Notes:

• Mike Pelfrey pitched an absolute gem tonight.  He pitched 8.0 Innings allowing 5 Hits, 1 Run, 1 ER, 2 BBs, and he had 8 SOs before Willie pulled him after giving up a hit to the first batter in the 9th.
• Carlos Beltran lined a 2-run single into right to put the Mets on the board in the 4th.
• Billy Wagner gave up a 3-run shot in the 9th which tied up the game.
• Carlos Beltran hit a 2-run walk off in the 13th.

Series Notes:

• The Diamondbacks and the Mets are tied 1-1.

Other Notes:

• Since June 1st, this is the Mets trend: w-l-w-w-l-l-l-l-l-w.
• The Mets are currently 1-1 on this home stand.
• The Mets are two games under .500 with a 31-33 record.

I’m very happy that the Mets were able to at least win this game after how well Big Pelf pitched.  Pelfrey had two pretty good outings prior to tonight and a great outing tonight, and he still hasn’t gotten a win.  As a fan, I just want to see my boys in blue and orange win sometimes.  And a walkoff homer by Beltran is always entertaining.  It would be better if they weren’t in a rut.

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The New York Mets (30-32) are playing Game 63 of the 2008 Regular Season against the Arizona Diamondbacks (34-30) at Shea Stadium.  It’s the first game of the three-game series.  The game began at 7:10 p.m., and it was aired on SNY.

Diamondbacks Lineup: Young, Drew, Hudson, Jackson, Reynolds, Snyder, Upton, Salazar, Micah Owings (6-4).

Mets Lineup: Reyes, Castillo, Wright, Beltran, Delgado, Alou, Schneider, Chavez, John Maine (6-4).

In the Top of the 1st, Drew lined a one-out single up the middle.  Hudson drew a one-out walk.  Conor Jackson grounded a one-out RBI single threw the hole on the right side scoring Stephen Drew, and Hudson went from first to third.  With runners on the corners, Maine struck out Reynolds and Snyder to get out of the inning limiting the damage to a run.  In the Bottom of the 1st, Reyes chopped an infield single over the head of the pitcher which redirected towards second giving the Mets a leadoff runner.  With Castillo at the plate, Snyder threw out Reyes as he attempted to steal second.  Castillo drew a one-out walk.  Wright grounded to first, and Jackson tagged first for the second out as Castillo advanced to second.  Beltran grounded very slowly to short and beat it out for a two-out single, and Castillo went to third.  Carlos Delgado grounded a two-out RBI single up the middle scoring Luis Castillo, Beltran went from first to third, and Delgado slid into second base because Young bobbled the ball in center.  In his first at bat back from the DL, Moises Alou lined a two-out 2-run single into left scoring Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado.  Schneider drew a two-out walk so Price came out to visit Owings.  Chavez popped up to short to end the inning after the Mets took a 3-1 lead.  In the Top of the 2nd, Salazar drew a one-out walk.  With Owings in the batters box, Schneider threw out Salazar as he attempted to steal second.  Maine struck out Owings looking to end the inning.  In the Bottom of the 2nd, Castillo slapped a two-out single through the hole on the left side.  David Wright smoked a two-out two run shot to left scoring Luis Castillo, and there was no doubt about it.  Beltran flied out to right to end the inning after the Mets took a 5-1 lead.  In the Top of the 3rd, Hudson grounded a two-out single up the middle and Reyes stopped it from going into center but made no throw.  Jackson drew a two-out walk.  Maine fanned Reynolds to end the inning stranding runners on first and second.  In the Bottom of the 3rd, Schneider drew a two-out walk.  Chavez lined out to right to end the inning stranding Schneider on first.

In the Top of the 4th, Maine pitched his first 1-2-3 inning of the game.  In the Bottom of the 4th, Castillo grounded a two-out single up the middle.  Wright flied out to the warning track in right center to end the inning stranding Castillo on first.  In the Top of the 5th, Owings grounded a leadoff single through the hole on the right side.  Maine struck out Young looking.  Drew flied out to left.  Orlando Hudson hit a two-out 2-run bomb to right field scoring Micah Owings.  Jackson flied out to center to end the inning after the Diamondbacks made it a 5-3 game.  In the Bottom of the 5th, Beltran grounded to the grass at second and Hudson dove to stop it and threw it to first as Beltran dove in for a leadoff single.  Delgado flied out to right.  Owings hit Alou in the back with the rear.  Melvin replaced Owings with Cruz.  Schneider popped up to second on the first pitch.  Chavez flied out to center to end the inning leaving runners stranded on first and second.  In the Top of the 6th, Randolph replaced Maine with Vargas.  Reynolds drew a leadoff walk.  Snyder lined out to left.  Vargas hit Upton near the knob of the bat, and Randolph came out to argue the call.  Salazar grounded to the pitcher, but the ball redirected to second so Castillo made the out at first as both runners advanced a base.  Ojeda is pinch hitting for Owings, and Augie Ojeda lined a two-out 2-run double through the hole on the right side scoring Mark Reynolds and Justin Upton.  Young flied out to right to end the inning stranding Ojeda on second, but the Diamondbacks tied up the game at 5-5.  In the Bottom of the 6th, Melvin replaced Cruz with Slaten.  Tatis is pinch hitting for Vargas, and Tatis lined a leadoff single into right center.  Reyes flied out to left.  Castillo grounded to second, and the Diamondbacks turned the inning ending double play.

In the Top of the 7th, Randolph replaced Vargas with Feliciano.  The game has gone into a rain delay because the thunder and the lightning has begun, but not the rain.  The grounds crew just covered the infield with the tarp because the wind is blowing paper around.  After an hour rain delay, Feliciano retired the first two batters.  Randolph replaced Feliciano with Smith.  Smith got the final out to retired the side.  In the Bottom of the 7th, Melvin replaced Slaten with Qualls.  Qualls retired the side in order.  In the Top of the 8th, Chris Snyder hit a one-out solo shot to left.  Smith struck out Upton looking.  Salazar grounded out to second to end the inning after the Diamondbacks took a 6-5 lead.  In the Bottom of the 8th, Melvin replaced Qualls with Peña.  Easley lined a leadoff single through the hole on the left side.  Schneider dropped down a sacrifice bunt, and Snyder made the out at first as Easley advanced to second.  Chavez lined out to short.  Anderson is pinch hitting for Smith, and Anderson flied out to left to end the inning leaving Chavez stranded on second.  In the Top of the 9th, Randolph replaced Smith with Sanchez.  Romero replaced Salazar, and Romero lined a leadoff double down the left field line.  Young grounded back to the pitcher, and Sanchez looked Romero back and made the out at first.  Stephen Drew smoked a one-out 2-run homer to right center which scored Alex Romero.  Sanchez fanned Hudson.  Conor Jackson smoked a solo shot to left field which just cleared the foul pole.  Reynolds lined a two-out single into left.  Snyder lined a two-out single into left, and Reynolds went from first to third.  Randolph replaced Sanchez with Heilman.  Upton popped up to first to end the inning with runners stranded on the corners.  In the Bottom of the 9th, Melvin replaced Peña with Lyon.  Reyes grounded a leadoff double down the right field line.  Castillo grounded back to the pitcher, and Lyon made the out at first.  Wright flied out to the wall in right field, and Reyes tagged up and went to third.  Beltran grounded out to first to end the game with Castillo stranded on third.

Final Score: Arizona Diamondbacks 9 - New York Mets 5.  The MLB.com Box Score is attached.  Joe Smith (0-1) took the loss and Chad Qualls (1-5) got the win.

Game Notes:

• Johm Maine was decent at best tonight.  He only pitched 5.0 Innings allowing 5 Hits, 3 Runs, 3 ERs, 3 BBs, and he had 7 SOs.
• Claudio Vargas gave up a 2-run double Ojeda that allowed the D-Backs to get tie up the game.
• David Wright crushed a 2-run homer in the 2nd inning which seemed like it broke the game open at the time.
• Duaner Sanchez gave up 3 runs on 2 dingers in the 9th.

Series Notes:

• The Diamondbacks are leading the series with the Mets 1-0.

Other Notes:

• Since June 1st, this is the Mets trend: w-l-w-w-l-l-l-l-l.
• The Mets are currently 0-1 on this home stand.
• The Mets are three games under .500 with a 30-33 record.

It really bothers me this season when the Mets actually score a few runs early that they cannot tack on more runs or have the bullpen shut down the opposition.  It seems like when they get rolling early that they still end up losing the games.  Nothing is going right for them.

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The Mets pulled off the victory and won the series which is great.  They are on a nice little hot streak, and I hope it continues.  The Amazin’s had to trave down to San Diego for a 4-game series which I’m looking forward to.  Here’s the probable pitching matchups for the series:

• 06/05/2008 - Mike Pelfrey (2-6) - Josh Banks (2-0)
• 06/06/2008 - Johan Santana (7-3) - Randy Wolf (3-4)
• 06/07/2008 - Oliver Perez (4-4) - Cha Seung Baek (1-2)
• 06/08/2008 - Pedro Martinez (1-0) - Wilfredo Ledezma (0-2)

Mets.com:

Maine unsinkable in series finale - Marty Noble summarized yesterday’s game between the Mets and the Giants.

With spot secure, Pelfrey marches on - Jon Blau wrote a pregame analysis for tonight’s game between the Mets and the Padres.

Pedro’s progress: Righty regains health - Marty Noble pointed out that Pedro Martinez feels no soreness after tossing six frames on Tuesday.  It made me happy that Petey got to pitch until Willie pulled him rather than having to leave the game due to an injury.  Hopefully he’ll be able to make at least a few starts.

Alou unlikely to return before homestand - Moises Alou said, “The way they do things here, trying to be extra careful, it’s probably going to be when we get back.”

Newsday:

Mets top Giants behind Reyes homer, Maine - David Lennon also summarized yesterday’s Mets-Giants game.

Mets’ Pedro feeling just fine day after start

Could the Mets have used Tatis last year? - Ken Davidoff pointed out that, “Fernando Tatis has already won two games for the Mets this season, during a time that Willie Randolph’s club desperately needed some victories. You can’t help but wonder if Tatis could have been helpful at a similar time - last September.”

THIS DAY AT THE OLD BALLPARK - Newsday lets us know what took place at Shea Stadium and Yankee Stadium on June 5 of a year in the past.

New York Daily News:

Jose Reyes comes through for Mets in 5-3 win over Giants - Adam Rubin wrote up a game summary for yesterday’s game between the Mets and the Giants.

Frank Robinson says Willie Randolph erred on timing, not on race point

Pedro Martinez ‘not even sore’ on day after victorious return

New York Post:

REYES OF LIGHT - Bart Hubbuch stated that Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran helped fuel the resurgent Mets.

MARTINEZ OK AFTER OUTING

METS DEFEAT GIANTS, 5-3 - Bart Hubbuch summarized yesterday’s game between the Mets and the Giants.

New York Times:

Mets and Reyes Changing Attitudes and Getting Results - Ben Shpigel summarized yesterday’s Mets-Giants game.

Martínez Feels Fine but Keeps Outlook Day to Day

The Star-Ledger:

Pedro feels fine after long start

Mets eat up another series - Jeremy Cothran pointed out that the Mets have won their third consecutive series.

Final: Mets 5, Giants 3 - Jeremy Cothran wrote up a game summary for yesterday’s game between the Mets and the Giants.

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The New York Mets (28-28) are playing Game 57 of the 2008 Regular Season against the San Francisco Giants (25-33) at AT&T Park.  It’s the second game of the three-game series.  The game began at 10:05 p.m., and it was aired on SNY.

Mets Lineup: Reyes, Easley, Wright, Beltran, Church, Tatis, Delgado, Castro, Martinez.

Giants Lineup: Lewis, Durham, Winn, Molina, Rowand, Bowker, Aurilia, Vizquel, Zito.

At the Plate

Barry Zito (1-8) was the starting pitcher for the Giants.  In the Top of the 1st, Reyes grounded to third but Aurilia (Error on Rich Aurilia) misfielded the ball so Reyes ended up on first giving the Mets a leadoff runner.  Easley lined a no-out single into center, and Reyes went first to third.  David Wright hit a sacrifice fly to right which scored Jose Reyes.  Beltran grounded to short, and turned the inning ending double play.  Zito gave up 1 Hit, 1 Run, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 1st Inning.  In the Top of the 2nd, Tatis drove a one-out double to the gap in left center.  Delgado worked the count full before lining out to left.  Zito intentionally walked Castro.  Martinez grounded to short, and Vizquel tagged second to end the inning leaving runners on first and second.  Zito gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 2nd Inning.  In the Top of the 3rd, Easley lined a one-out single into center.  Wright drew a one-out walk.  Beltran popped up along the first base line, and Molina made the out.  Church flied out to left to end the inning leaving runners on first and second.  Zito gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 3rd Inning.  In the Top of the 4th, Delgado drew a one-out walk.  Castro lined out to left.  Martinez grounded a two-out single up the middle, and Delgado advance to second.  Reyes grounded to third, and Aurilia tagged third to end the inning leaving two Mets stranded.  Zito gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO in the 4th Inning.  In the Top of the 5th, Easley drew a leadoff walk.  Wright grounded a on-out single through the hole on the left side, and Easley went to second.  Carlos Beltran lined a no-out RBI double down the left field line which scored Damion Easley, and Wright went from first to third.  Ryan Church hit a sacrifice fly to center which scored David Wright, and Beltran tagged up and went to third.  Tatis drew a one-out walk.  Carlos Delgado grounded to short, but Vizquel tried to tag second himself but Tatis was already there and then the throw to first was not in time so everybody is safe.  Zito gave up 3 Hits, 3 Runs, 2 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 5th Inning.  Zito left the game after pitching 4.1 Innings allowing 7 Hits, 6 Runs, 5 ER, 5 BBs, and he had 1 SO.

Bochy replaced Zito with Vinnie Chulk with one out in the Top of the 5th.  Ramon Castro lined a single into shallow right center which scored Carlos Beltran, and everyone moved up a base.  Pedro Martinez lined an RBI single over the head of Durham which scored Fernando Tatis, and everyone is safe.  Jose Reyes grounded to second, and Durham (Error on Ray Durham) could not field the ball properly so Carlos Delgado scored, and everyone is safe.  Damion Easley lined a one-out bases clearing double into the gap in left center which scored Ramon Castro, Pedro Martinez and Jose Reyes went from first to third.  Wright flied out to right.  Beltran flied out to center to end the inning stranding Easley on second base.  Chulk gave up 3 Hits, 3 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 5th Inning.  In the Top of the 6th, Church grounded to first but Bowker (Error on John Bowker) botched the ball so Church ended up on first giving the Mets a leadoff runner.  With Tatis in the batters box, Chulk threw a wild pitch so Church stole second without a throw.  Tatis grounded to second, and Denker held up Church at second before making the out at first.  Delgado grounded to second, and Denker made the out at first as Church moved over to third.  Castro popped up to shallow left, and Vizquel made the out stranding Church on third.  Chulk gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 6th Inning.  Chulk left the game after pitching 1.2 Innings allowing 3 Hits, 3 Runs, 2 ER, 5 BBs, and he had 1 SO.

Bochy replaced Chulk with Patrick Misch to begin the Top of the 7th.  Misch pitched a 1-2-3 inning.  Misch gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 7th Inning.  In the Top of the 8th, Misch retired the side for the second inning in a row.  Misch gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 8th Inning.  In the Top of the 9th, Misch now retired the Mets for the third straight inning.  Misch gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 9th Inning.

On the Mound

Pedro Martinez (0-0) was the starting pitcher for the Mets.  In the Bottom of the 1st, Lewis grouned a leadoff single up the middle.  Durham flied out to left.  With Winn at the plate, Lewis stole second on a bad throw by Castro.  After the ball went into center field, Lewis went to third.  Randy Winn lined an RBI double down the left field line which scored Fred Lewis.  Molina grounded to short, and Reyes made the throw to third because Winn took off for third and Wright applied the tag.  Rowand flied out to center to end the inning.  Martinez gave up 1 Hits, 1 Run, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 1st Inning.  In the Bottom of the 2nd, Pedro walked Bowker on four straight pitches to give the Giants a leadoff runner.  Aurilia flied out to right.  Vizquel flied out to left.  Zito grounded to second, and Easley tagged second himself to end the inning leaving Bowker stranded on first.  Martinez gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 2nd Inning.  In the Bottom of the 3rd, Durham drew a one-out walk.  Pedro struck out Winn swinging.  Molina grounded to second, and Easley made the out at first to end the inning stranding Durham on first.  Martinez gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO in the 3rd Inning.  In the Bottom of the 4th, Bowker hit a routine fly ball to left which Tatis (Error on Fernando Tatis) dropped so Bowker ended up on second.  Aurilia grounded to second, and Easley made the out at first as Bowker went to third.  Martinez intentionally walked Vizquel.  Zito grounded to short, and Reyes got the force out at second to end the inning leaving runners stranded on the corners.  Martinez gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in te 4th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 5th, Lewis led off with a Ground Rule Double to right.  Denker is pinch hitting for Durham, and Denker lined a no-out single into right, and Lewis moved over to third.  Randy Winn lined a no-out RBI single into left which scored Fred Lewis, and Denker advanced to second.  Molina flied out to left, and both Denker and Winn tagged up and advanced a base.  Aaron Rowand grounded to second, and Easley made the out at first so Travis Denker scored and Winn went to third.  Bowker flied out to center to end the inning with Winn stranded on third.  Martinez gave up 3 Hits, 2 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 5th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 6th, Aurilia drove a leadoff double to the gap in left center.  Vizquel grounded a no-out single up the middle, and Aurilia advanced to third.  Horwitz is pinch hitting for Chulk, and Pedro fanned Horwitz.  Pedro struck Lewis out looking.  Durham grounded to short, and Reyes made the out at first to end the inning with runners stranded on the corners.  Martinez gave up 2 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 2 SOs in the 6th Inning.  Martinez left the game after pitching 6.0 Innings allowing 7 Hits, 3 Runs, 3 ER, 3 BBs, and he had 3 SOs.

Randolph replaced Martinez with Joe Smith to begin the Bottom of the 7th.  Smith pitched a 1-2-3 inning.  Smith gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 7th Inning.

Randolph replaced Smith with Pedro Feliciano to begin the Bottom of the 8th.  Feliciano pitched a 1-2-3 inning.  Feliciano gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 8th Inning.

Randolph replaced Feliciano with Scott Schoeneweis to begin the Bottom of the 9th.  Holm is pinch hitting for Misch, and Holm drew a leadoff walk on four pitches.  Lewis drew a no-out walk.  Travis Denker hit a no-out 3-run shot to left field scoring Steve Holm and Fred Lewis.  Winn lined out to second.  Molina grounded a one-out single through the hole on the left side.  Schoeneweis gave up 2 Hits, 3 Runs, 2 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 9th Inning.

Randolph replaced Schoeneweis with Billy Wagner with one out in the Bottom of the 9th.  Rowand grounded to short, and the Mets turned the game ending double play.  Schoeneweis gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 9th Inning.

Final Score: New York Mets 9 - San Francisco Giants 6.  The MLB.com Box Score is attached.  Pedro Martinez (1-0) got the win and Barry Zito (1-9) got the loss.

Game Notes:

• Pedro Martinez was pretty effective in his first game back from the DL.
• The Mets put up an 8 spot in the 5th.
• Barry Zito sucks so I’m glad we didn’t get him.  I wanted him to come to the Mets until he expressed his contract demands, and then I didn’t want him on the Mets anymore.

Series Notes:

• The Mets evened up the series with the Giants 1-1.

Other Notes:

• Since June 1st, this is the Mets trend: w-l-w.
• The Mets are currently 1-1 on this road trip.
• The Mets are one game over .500 with a 29-28 record
• Jose Reyes had an 18-game hitting streak, and a 33-game on-base streak which came to an end tonight.

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The New York Mets (27-27) are playing Game 55 of the 2008 Regular Season against the Los Angeles Dodgers (27-28) at Shea Stadium.  It’s the final game of the four-game series.  The game began at 8:05 p.m., and it was aired on ESPN.

Dodgers Lineup: Pierre, Kemp, Kent, Loney, Martin, Young, DeWitt, Maza, Kuroda.

Mets Lineup: Reyes, Castillo, Wright, Beltran, Delgado, Church, Schneider, Chavez, Santana.

On the Mound

Johan Santana (6-3) was the starting pitcher for the Mets.  In the Top of the 1st, Pierre led off with a double down the third bas line.  Matt Kemp lined a no-out RBI single into center, and Juan Pierre came around to score.  Santana struck out Kent looking.  Santana picked off Kemp at first, and the Mets got Kemp in a rundown and Reyes applied the tag.  Santana struck out Loney looking to end the inning.  Santana gave up 2 Hits, 1 Run, 0 BBs, and he had 2 SOs in the 1st Inning.  In the Top of the 2nd, Martin drew a leadoff walk.  Santana fanned Young.  Santana struck out DeWitt on three straight pitches.  Maza drew a two-out walk.  Kuroda popped up to first, and Delgado made the final out of the inning.  Santana gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 2 BBs, and he had 2 SOs in the 2nd Inning.  In the Top of the 3rd, Kemp beat out a one-out infield single to short that Wright barehanded and threw to first.  Kent grounded to short, and the Mets turned the inning ending double play.  Santana gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 3rd Inning.  In the Top of the 4th, Santana pitched a 1-2-3 inning.  Santana gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 4th Inning.  In the Top of the 5th, Santana retired the side for the second straight inning.  Santana gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 5th Inning.  In the Top of the 6th, Pierre lined a leadoff single up the middle.  Kemp grounded to short, and Reyes got the lead runner out at second.  Kent grounded to third, and the Mets turned the inning ending double play.  Santana gave up 1 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 6th Inning.  In the Top of the7th, Loney lined a leadoff single up the middle.  Martin flied out to left center, and Beltran made the catch.  Young grounded to first, and Delgado made the throw to second to get the lead runner out.  Santana struck out DeWitt looking at strike three.  Santana gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 7th Inning.  In the Top of the 8th, Pierre drew a two-out walk.  Kemp grounded a two-out single up the middle, and Pierre advanced to second.  Santana gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 8th Inning.  Santana left the game after pitching 7.2 Innings allowing 6 Hits, 1 Run, 1 ER, 3 BBs, and he had 6 SOs.

Randolph replaced Santana with Joe Smith with two outs in the Top of the 8th.  Smith hit Kent with the pitch which loaded the bases.  Smith gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 8th Inning.

Randolph replaced Smith with Scott Schoeneweis with two outs in the Top of the 8th.  Loney grounded to short, and Reyes made the out at first to end the inning with the bases loaded.  Schoeneweis gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 8th Inning.

Randolph replaced Schoeneweis with Pedro Feliciano to begin the Top of the 9th.  Feliciano slammed the door on the Dodgers.  Feliciano gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 9th Inning.

At the Plate

Hiroki Kuroda (2-4) was the starting pitcher for the Dodgers.  In the Bottom of the 1st, Reyes grounded a leadoff single up the middle.  With Castillo at the plate, Reyes beat out the throw as he stole second base.  Castillo flied out to center, and Reyes held up.  David Wright lined a one-out RBI single into right, and Jose Reyes came around to score.  Beltran hit a slow ground ball towards third, and Kuroda made the out at first as Wright advanced to third.  Delgado flied out to center to end the inning with Wright stranded on third.  Kuroda gave up 2 Hits, 1 Run, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 1st Inning.  In the Bottom of the 2nd, Kuroda pitched a 1-2-3 inning.  Kuroda gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 2nd Inning.  In the Bottom of the 3rd, Reyes lined a one-out double into the gap in left center.  Castillo grounded to short, andent made the out at first as Reyes moved over to third.  David Wright grounded a two-out RBI single through the hole on the left side, and Jose Reyes scored.  Carlos Beltran hit a two-out 2-run bomb to right field scoring David Wright.  Kuroda hit Delgado with the pitch.  Ryan Church drilled a two-out 2-run jack to right field scoring Carlos Delgado.  Schneider pulled a two-out double down the left field line.  Kuroda intentionally walked Chavez.  Kuroda gave up 5 Hits, 5 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 3rd Inning.  Kuroda left the game after pitching 2.2 Innings allowing 7 Hits, 6 Runs, 6 ER, 2 BBs, and he had 0 SOs.

Torre replaced Kuroda with Hong-Chih Kuo with two outs in the Bottom of the 3rd.  Santana grounded to first, and Loney tagged first to end the inning.  Kuo gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the Bottom of the 3rd.  In the Bottom of the 4th, Wright grounded a two-out single up the middle.  With Beltran at the plate, Wright beat out the throw by Martin as he stole second.  Kuo intentionally walked Beltran.  Delgado lined out to left to end the inning leaving Mets on first and second.  Kuo gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 4th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 5th, Church led off with a leadoff double over the head of Loney.  Schneider grounded to short, and Maza looked Church back to second before making the out at first.  Chavez grounded to second, and Kent made the out at first.  Santana lined out to left ending the inning leaving Church stranded on second.  Kuo gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 5th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 6th, Kuo pitched a 1-2-3 inning.  Kuo gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 6th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 7th, Beltran grounded to short but Maza (Error on Luis Maza) made a wild throw to first to Beltran is on first.  Delgado grounded to second, and Kent got the lead runner out at second.  Church grounded a one-out single through the hole on the left side, and Beltran advanced to second.  Kuo struck out Schneider looking.  Chavez lined out to left to end the inning.  Kuo gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 7th Inning.

Torre replaced Kuo with Cory Wade to begin the Bottom of the 8th.  Wade quickly retired the side in order.  Wade gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 2 SOs in the 8th Inning.

Final Score: Los Angeles Dodgers 1 - New York Mets 6.  The MLB.com Box Score is attached.  Johan Santana (7-3) got the win and Hiroki Kuroda (2-5) took the loss.

Game Notes:

• Johan Santana pitched a great game tonight allowing only 1 run.
• David Wright drove in Jose Reyes twice.
• Carlos Beltran hit a 2-run bomb the second game in a row.
• Ryan Church had a 2-run jack in his first game back from the concussion.

Series Notes:

• The Mets won the series against the Dodgers 3-1.

Other Notes:

• Since June 1st, this is the Mets trend: w.
• The Mets are currently 5-2 on this homestand.
• The Mets are one game above .500 with a 28-27 record

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It is June 1, so the Metropolitans are in a new calendar month.  The Mets are 27-27 right now, so the Mets would be 81-81 if you prorate it over the course of the season.  This is worse than at the end of April when they were on pace to get 87 wins.  They haven’t hit their stride yet, as Willie would say.  The good news is that they are coming off of a productive week where they won 4 out of 5 games.  Will this hot streak carry over to June?  And for how long?

Mets.com:

Church set to resume productive role - Anthony DiComo reported that Ryan Church returns after suffering his second concussion in three months.

Tatis, Mets turn fortune around - Anthony DiComo summarized yesterday’s game between the Dodgers and the Mets.

Reyes rebounds from early slump - Samantha Newman put together a pregame analysis for tonight’s game between the Dodgers and the Mets.

Pelfrey shakes off pressure at Shea

Castillo rests injured left leg - Anthony DiComo reported that the Doctors called Luis Castillo’s ’sore knee’ a strained hip flexor.

Injured Wise to seek second opinion - Jon Blau stated that Matt Wise wants to confirm the rotator cuff tendinitis diagnosis.

Newsday:

Mets rally in 8th, beat Dodgers on Tatis’ hit

Pelfrey sharp, but is it enough to stay a Met?

Peering over the .500 hump

Beltran’s big blast wakes up Mets

Beltran, Tatis rally Mets to 3-2 win over Dodgers - Mark Herrmann also summarized yesterday’s Dodgers-Mets game.

New York Daily News:

Carlos Beltran, Fernando Tatis spark comeback as Mets beat Dodgers - Adam Rubin wrote up a game summary for yesterday’s game between the Dodgers and the Mets.

Avoiding case of the Willies

Fernando Tatis is marvelous once again

Unlike old days, MLB teams hold fire on managers like Willie Randolph

Every time Gary Carter opens his mouth, he hurts his own cause

Mike Pelfrey throws curve into Met plans with Saturday’s performance

Ryan Church, Luis Castillo set for returns Sunday night

New York Post:

ANOTHER AMAZIN’ RALLY AT SHEA - Mike Puma summarized yesterday’s Dodgers-Mets game.

CASTILLO PINING TO PLAY

THE WAY TO ‘BELT’ BROXTON

25 BEST MOMENTS AT SHEA: NO. 17

PEDRO MUST DELIVER MORE THAN LAUGHS

MAJOR OBSTACLE - Kevin Kernan explains why it is hard for Wally Backman to find a job in the Majors.

New York Times:

Tatis Plays the Star in Another Comeback - Ben Shpigel summarized yesterday’s Dodgers-Mets game.

For Mets, Tatis’s Timing Is Perfect

The Star-Ledger:

Mets may be turning a corner

Church on Sunday - Colin Stephenson provided the lineup for tonight’s game between the Dodgers and the Mets.

Some extra postgame quotes from the Mets’ clubhouse

Another Amazin comeback

Pelfrey makes his case to stay in rotation

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The New York Mets (26-27) are playing Game 54 of the 2008 Regular Season against the Los Angeles Dodgers (27-27) at Shea Stadium.  It’s the third game of the four-game series.  The game began at 3:55 p.m., and it was aired on FOX.

Dodgers Lineup: Pierre, Kemp, Kent, Loney, Martin, Ethier, DeWitt, Maza, Billingsley.

Mets Lineup: Reyes, Chavez, Wright, Beltran, Delgado, Easley, Schneider, Tatis, Pelfrey.

On the Mound

Mike Pelfrey (2-6) was the starting pitcher for the Mets.  In the Top of the 1st, Pierre grounded a leadoff single up the middle.  Kemp lined a no-out single down the right field line so Pierre went first to third, but Kemp tried to make it a double but Reyes (Error on Jose Reyes) could not catch the throw so Kemp was safe at second while Juan Pierre scored.  Kent grounded to short, and Kemp moved over to third.  Loney grounded to second, and Easley made the throw home and Schneider applied the tag in time.   Martin lined a two-out single up the middle.  Ethier flied out to center to end the inning.  Pelfrey gave up 3 Hits, 1 Run, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 1st Inning.  In the Top of the 2nd, DeWitt grounded a leadoff single through the hole on the right side.  Maza grounded to second base, and Reyes tagged second and turned the double play.  Pelfrey fanned Billingsley to end the inning.  Pelfrey gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 2nd Inning.  In the Top of the 3rd, Kent lined a two-out single up the middle.  Loney flied out to left to end the inning.  Pelfrey gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 3rd Inning.  In the Top of the 4th, Martin drew a leadoff walk.  Ethier worked the count full before lining a no-out single into right, and Martin went from first to third.  Blake DeWitt lined a no-out RBI single into right which scored Russell Martin, and Ethier went to second.  Maza flied out to right, and the runners held up.  Billingsley struck out trying to bunt with two strikes.  Pierre flied out to left to end the inning with two Dodgers stranded.  Pelfrey gave up 2 Hits, 1 Run, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO in the 4th Inning.  In the Top of the 5th, Pelfrey pitched a 1-2-3 inning.  Pelfrey gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 5th Inning.  In the Top of the 6th, Pelfrey now retired the side for the second straight inning.  Pelfrey gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 6th Inning.  In the Top of the 7th, Pelfrey retired the side for the third straight inning.  Pelfrey gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 2 SOs in the 7th Inning.  Pelfrey left the game after pitching 7.0 Innings allowing 7 Hits, 2 Runs, 2 ER, 1 BB, and he had 6 SOs.

Randolph replaced Pelfrey with Duaner Sanchez to begin the Top of the 8th.  Sanchez pitched a 1-2-3 inning.  Sanchez gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 8th Inning.

Randolph replaced Sanchez with Billy Wagner to begin the Top of the 9th.  Wagner was throwing some serious heat (97 mph on the gun) and struck out the side.  Wagner gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 3 SOs in the 9th Inning.

At the Plate

Chad Billingsley (4-6) was the starting pitcher for the Dodgers.  In the Bottom of the 1st, Billingsley retired the side with three ground balls.  Billingsley gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 1st Inning.  In the Bottom of the 2nd, Delgado lined a one-out opposite field single into left.  Easley grounded back to the pitcher, and Billingsley made the out at first as Delgado advanced to second.  Schneider grounded to second, and Kent made the out at first to end the inning.  Billingsley gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 2nd Inning.  In the Bottom of the 3rd, Reyes lined a two-out single into right.  With Chavez in the batters box, Reyes took off for second base and beat out the high throw by Martin.  Chavez lined out to center to end the inning.  Billingsley gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 3rd Inning.  In the Bottom of the 4th, Wright drew a leadoff walk.  Beltran worked the count full before drawing a no-out walk.  Delgado lined out to center.  Billingsley struck out Easley looking.  Schneider flied out to center to end the inning leaving two Mets stranded.  Billingsley gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 2 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 4th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 5th, Tatis beat out a ground ball to third that DeWitt (Error on Blake DeWitt) misfielded to give the Mets a leadoff base runner.  Pelfrey dropped down a sacrifice bunt towards the pitcher, and Martin made the out at first as Tatis advanced to second.  Reyes drew a one-out walk.  Chavez grounded to second, and Loney made the out at second.  Wright grounded to short, and Maza made the out at second leaving Mets stranded on the corners.  Billingsley gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 5th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 6th, Billingsley pitched a 1-2-3 inning.  Billingsley gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 2 SOs in the 6th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 7th, Schneider grounded a leadoff single through the hole on the right side.  Tatis lined out to right.  Casanova is pinch hitting for Pelfrey, and Casanova grounded a one-out single down the third base line as Schneider went from first to third.  Reyes popped up in foul ground near the third base line, and DeWitt made the catch.  Chavez worked himself into a full count before popping up to third leaving Mets stranded on the corners.  Billingsley gave up 2 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 7th Inning.  Billingsley left the game after pitching 7.0 Innings allowing 4 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 ER, 3 BBs, and he had 4 SOs.

Torre replaced Billingsley with Jonathan Broxton to begin the Bottom of the 8th.  Wright drove the ball to the base of the wall in right center for a leadoff double.  Carlos Beltran crushed a no-out 2-run shot to right scoring David Wright which tied the game.  Delgado lined a no-out single into center (Evans came in to pinch run for Delgado).  Easley dropped a sacrifice bunt down along the first base line, and Loney made the out at first as Evans advanced to second.  Broxton intentionally walked Schneider.  Fernando Tatis grounded an RBI single up the middle which scored Nick Evans to give the Mets the lead, and Schneider went to second.  Broxton gave up 4 Hits, 3 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 8th Inning.

Torre replaced Broxton with Joe Beimel with one out in the Bottom of the 8th.  Castillo grounded to second, and Maza made the out at first as both runners advanced.  Beimel intentionally walked Reyes to load the bases.  Beimel fanned Chavez to end the inning leaving the bases loaded with Mets.  Beimel gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO in the 8th Inning.

Final Score: Los Angeles Dodgers 2 - New York Mets 3.  The MLB.com Box Score is attached.  Duaner Sanchez (2-0) got the win and Jonathan Broxton (2-2) blew the save and took the loss.

Game Notes:

• Mike Pelfrey had a solid outing tonight.  He pitched 7 strong innings allowing only 2 runs, he had 6 K’s, and he retired 13 hitters before being taken out of the game.  That’s impressive for his standards and those of the 5th starter.
• Carlos Beltran tied up the game with a 2-run jack in the 8th inning.
• Fernando Tatis drove in the go ahead run in the 8th inning.
• Billy Wagner slammed the door on the Dodgers by striking out the side in the 9th for the save.

Series Notes:

• The Mets are ahead in the series with the Dodgers 2-1.

Other Notes:

• Since May 1st, this is the Mets trend: w-l-w-l-l-w-w-l-w-l-w-l-l-w-w-l-l-l-l-l-w-l-l-w-w-w-l-w.
• The Mets are currently 4-2 on this homestand.
• The Mets are back to .500 with a 27-27 record.

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The New York Mets (26-26) are playing Game 53 of the 2008 Regular Season against the Los Angeles Dodgers (26-27) at Shea Stadium.  It’s the second game of the four-game series.  The game began at 7:10 p.m., and it was aired on SNY.

Dodgers Lineup: Pierre, Kemp, Kent, Loney, Martin, Ethier, DeWitt, Maza, Kershaw.

Mets Lineup: Reyes, Castillo, Wright, Beltran, Tatis, Castro, Delgado, Evans, Maine.

On the Mound

John Maine (5-4) was the starting pitcher for the Mets.  In the Top of the 1st, Pierre drew a leadoff walk.  With Kemp at the batters box, Pierre beat out the bad throw by Castro as he stole second.  Maine fanned Kemp.  Kent grounded to third, and Wright looked Pierre back to second before making the out at first.  James Loney drove a two-out RBI double into the gap in right center, and Juan Pierre came around to score.  Russell Martin lined a two-out opposite field RBI double down the right field line, and James Loney came around to score.  Andre Ethier grounded a two-out single up the middle, and Russell Martin came around to score.  DeWitt grounded to first, and Delgado tagged first to end the inning.  Maine gave up 3 Hits, 3 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO in the 1st Inning.  In the Top of the 2nd, Maine pitched a 1-2-3 inning.  Maine gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 2nd Inning.  In the Top of the 3rd, Maine now retired the Dodgers for the second inning in a row.  Maine gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 2 SOs in the 3rd Inning.  In the Top of the 4th, Russell Martin hit a leadoff jack to left field.  Maine fanned Ethier.  Maine struck out DeWitt on a foul tip.  Maza grounded out to third to end the inning.  Maine gave up 1 Hit, 1 Run, 0 BBs, and he had 2 SOs in the 4th Inning.  In the Top of the 5th, Maine retired the side in order.  Maine gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 5th Inning.  In the Top of the 6th, Martin lined a two-out single into left.  Ethier grounded to second, and Castillo made the out at first to end the inning.  Maine gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 6th Inning.  Maine left the game after 6.0 Innings allowing 5 Hits, 4 Runs, 4 ER, 1 BB, and he had 6 SOs.

Randolph replaced Maine with Pedro Feliciano to begin the Top of the 7th.  DeWitt lined a leadoff single into left.  Maza grounded to short, and the Mets turned the double play (Castillo had to leave the game after this play, and Easley replaced him).  Park grounded towards the pitcher, and Feliciano made the out at first to end the inning.  Feliciano gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 7th Inning.  In the Top of the 8th, Pierre beat out a ground ball to short for a leadoff single.  Feliciano gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 8th Inning.  Feliciano left the game after pitching 1.0 Innings allowing 2 Hits, 1 Run, 1 ER, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs.

Randolph replaced Feliciano with Aaron Heilman with no outs in the Top of the 8th.  Matt Kemp drove a no-out double into the gap in right center, and Juan Pierre came all the way around to score.  Jeff Kent lined a no-out opposite field single into right, and Matt Kemp came around to score (Hu came in to pinch run for Kent).  Loney grounded a no-out single through the hole on the right side, and Hu went from first to third.  Russell Martin grounded a no-out RBI single through the hole on the right side which scored Chin-Iung Hu, and Loney went from first to third.  Heilman gave up 4 Hits, 4 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 8th Inning.

Randolph replaced Heilman with Scott Schoeneweis with no outs in the Top of the 8th.  Schoeneweis threw a wild pitch that hit the bat of Ethier and redirected to the backstop, and James Loney came home to score and Martin advanced to second.  Schoeneweis struck out Ethier looking.  Blake DeWitt lined a one-out RBI single into center which scored Russell Martin, and then the Mets got DeWitt caught in a rundown as he attempted to go to second and Delgado applied the tag.  Maza grounded to first, and Delgado tagged him to end the inning.  Schoeneweis gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 8th Inning.

Randolph replaced Schoeneweis with Carlos Muniz to begin the Top of the 9th.  Muniz pitched a 1-2-3 inning.  Muniz gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 9th Inning.

At the Plate

Clayton Kershaw (0-0) was the starting pitcher for the Dodgers.  In the Bottom of the 1st, Reyes grounded a leadoff single up the middle.  Luis Castillo pulled a no-out 2-run shot to left scoring Jose Reyes.  Kershaw struck out Wright looking.  Beltran grounded out to short.  Tatis grounded out to second to end the inning.  Kershaw gave up 2 Hits, 2 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 1st Inning.  In the Bottom of the 2nd, Kershaw pitched a 1-2-3 inning.  Kershaw gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 2nd Inning.  In the Bottom of the 3rd, Reyes drew a one-out walk.  Castillo drew a one-out walk.  Wright drew a one-out walk to load the bases.  Carlos Beltran hit a sacrifice fly to deep center field, and Jose Reyes tagged up and scored as Castillo tagged up and advanced to third.  Tatis gounded to third, and DeWitt made the out at first leaving Mets stranded at the corners.  Kershaw gave up 0 Hits, 2 Run, 3 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 3rd Inning.  In the Bottom of the 4th, Castro lined a leadoff single into left.  Delgado lined a no-out single into center, and Castro went to second.  Evans lined a single into left, and both runners advanced to load the bases.  Maine grounded to third, and DeWitt got the lead runner out at home while Maine ended up on first.  Jose Reyes grounded to third, but DeWitt could not field it cleanly so Ramon Castro scored and everybody is safe.  Castillo drew a two-out walk to load the bases.  Kershaw gave up 3 Hits, 1 Run, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 4th Inning.  Kershaw left the game after pitching 3.2 Innings allowing 5 Hits, 4 Runs, 4 ER, 4 BBs, and he had 2 SOs.

Torre replaced Kershaw with Chan Ho Park with two outs in the Bottom of the 4th.  Wright grounded to short, and Maza made the out at first to end the inning leaving the bases full of Mets.  Park gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 4th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 5th, Park retired the side in order with three ground outs.  Park gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 5th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 6th, Casanova drew a two-out pinch hit walk.  Reyes grounded out to second, and Kent made the force out at second to end the inning.  Park gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 2 SOs in the 6th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 7th, Wright drove a one-out double to the base of the center field wall.  Park intentionally walked Beltran.  Tatis lined a one-out single through the hole on the right side to load the bases.  Ramon Castro grounded back to the pitcher, and the ball redirected off of Park and towards third so DeWitt made the out at first as David Wright came home to score.  Park intentionally walked Delgado to load the bases.  Park fanned Evans to end the inning with the bases full of Mets.  Park gave up 2 Hits, 1 Run, 2 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 7th Inning.  Park left the game after pitching 3.1 Innings allowing 2 Hits, 1 Run, 1 ER, 3 BBs, and he had 3 SOs.

Torre replaced Park with Jonathan Broxton to begin the Bottom of the 8th.  Broxton pitched a 1-2-3 inning.  Broxton gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 8th Inning.

Torre replaced Broxton with Takashi Saito to begin the Bottom of the 9th.  Beltran drew a one-out walk.  Tatis grounded to second, and Maza got the out at first and Beltran moved over to second.  Castro got hit by the pitch.  Delgado grounded to second, and Maza made the out at first to end the game.  Saito gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO in the 9th Inning.

Final Score: Los Angeles Dodgers 9 - New York Mets 5.  The MLB.com Box Score is attached.  Aaron Heilman (0-2) blew the save and took the loss and Chan Ho Park (2-1) got the win.

Game Notes:

• Luis Castillo hit another 2-run dinger.
• Aaron Heilman blew the save giving up 4 runs without recording an out.

Series Notes:

• The Dodgers and the Mets are tied up 1-1.

Other Notes:

• Since May 1st, this is the Mets trend: w-l-w-l-l-w-w-l-w-l-w-l-l-w-w-l-l-l-l-l-w-l-l-w-w-w-l.
• The Mets are currently 3-2 on this homestand.
• The Mets are now one game under .500 with a 26-27 record.

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