Die Hard Sports Fan

Die Hard Mets Fan would like to tip our cap to Johan Santana for winning his 100th game.  A lot of pitchers get to 100 wins, but I’m curious to see where he ends up when it’s all said and done.

The Mets had a succesful homestand, and now they headed back to Cali to take on the Giants.  Here’s the probable pitching matchups:

• 06/02/2008 - Oliver Perez (4-3) - Jonathan Sanchez (3-3)
• 06/03/2008 - Pedro Martinez (0-0) - Barry Zito (1-8)
• 06/04/2008 - John Maine (5-4) - Matt Cain (2-3)

Mets.com:

Staked to big lead, Johan wins No. 100 - Anthony DiComo summarized last night’s game between the Dodgers and the Mets.  DiComo also noted that Johan Santana won his 100th game.  Congrats to Johan.

No rest for weary Mets - Jon Blau put together a pregame analysis for tonight’s game between the Mets and the Giants.

Newsday:

Church helps Mets beat Dodgers in return - Anthony Rieber also summarized last night’s Dodgers-Mets game.

Now is perfect time for Mets to keep on winning

Healthy Church hits the ground running

Mets’ Randolph: Split-stadium doubleheader ‘fun’

Shea hey, Torre the toast of the town

New York Daily News:

Mets hammer Dodgers behind third-inning homers and Johan Santana - Peter Botte wrote a game summary for last night’s game between the Dodgers and the Mets.

With signs of swagger back, it’s no time for Mets to Coast

Ryan Church returns to Mets lineup with clear head and homer

Johan Santana, now a Shea favorite, savors 100th win - Santana had this to say about reaching 100 wins, “It always feels good. It’s a great feeling, I feel I still have a ways to go, but it is definitely an honor to win 100 in this level and hopefully there are more to come. It’s good to accomplish these kinds of milestones, but I know I still have a ways to go.”

Willie Randolph sees 2-borough day in June to make-up Yankee game

New York Post:

METS CONTINUE AN AMAZIN’ RECOVERY

NO DOUBT, RED-HOT REYES STILL HAS ‘IT’

CHURCH BLASTS HR IN RETURN

WITH PEDRO BACK, PELFREY OR VARGAS LIKELY MINORS-BOUND

New York Times:

The Comforts of Home - Joe LaPointe summarized last night’s game between the Dodgers and the Mets.

Church Back in Lineup With a Smile

The Star-Ledger:

Game 56: Mets at Giants - Jeremy Cothran provided the lineup for tonight’s Mets-Giants game.

Postgame musings

Santana, Mets shut down Dodgers

Healthy Church returns with a bang

Mets win, Santana gets No. 100

Share This

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

Share This

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

Share This

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.

Share This

It started pouring outside so who knows if today’s game will take place.  It starts at 3:55 p.m., but the weather forecast is calling for heavy rain according to Evan on WFAN.  It just started coming down about thirty minutes ago.  Since the Mets are playing on Sunday Night Baseball tomorrow, it would be relatively easy for them to reschedule the game early tomorrow.  Or they can go into a rain delay and wait for a window.

Mets.com:

Mets’ streak over after bullpen falters - Anthony DiComo summarized last night’s game between the Dodgers and the Mets.

Pelfrey hoping to make statement - Jon Blau put together a pregame analysis for today’s game between the Dodgers and the Mets.

Castillo day-to-day after injuring hip

Church feels good after pregame warmup - Samantha Newman pointed out that Ryan Church is waiting for doctor’s clearance before returning.

Pedro makes long-awaited return - Anthony DiComo reported that Pedro Martinez, “rejoined the Mets on Friday and is officially set to come off the disabled list and start against the Giants on Tuesday.”

Newsday:

L. A. routs Heilman in eighth as Mets lose - Roderick Boone also summarized last night’s Dodgers-Mets game.

Revved-up Pedro: ‘We owe something to fans’

Church says he’s ready; team will be cautious

New York Daily News:

Russell Martin gets four hits as Dodgers snap Mets’ win streak - Adam Rubin wrote up a game summary for last night’s game between the Dodgers and the Mets.

Pedro Martinez: We owe fans for ‘07

Mike Pelfrey can make pitch to stay - Andy Martino believes that Mike Pelfrey may be pitching for his job today.

 Ryan Church on Sunday? Maybe so

New York Post:

ANOTHER HEIL OF A MESS FOR METS - Bart Hubbuch walks us through another choke by Aaron Heilman last night.

TORRE FAMILIAR WITH WILLIE’S TURMOIL

CASTILLO MAY LAND ON DL

BAD CALL CAN’T BE DODGED - Brian Costello described the bad call by first-base umpire Tim Welke who called Juan Pierre safe in the eigth inning.  This was the beginning of a 5-run inning for the Dodgers.  Welke had this to say about the play,

After watching the replay three times I know why I called him safe. In my judgment his heel was on the bag before Delgado caught the ball. I know his toe is in the air and that makes it look as though he hasn’t reached the bag but I know why I called him safe.

PEDRO: ‘GREAT’ DAYS ARE AHEAD

New York Times:

Mets Give Their Fans Reasons to Boo - Joshua Robinson summarized last night’s Dodgers-Mets game.

Martínez Is Back in Mets’ Dugout, Bringing His Upbeat Attitude With Him

Church Says He Does Not Regret Helping Out Mets

The Star-Ledger:

Today’s Lineup…

Good vibes turn sour for Mets

Pedro ready to provide a lift

Mets winning streak ends; Dodgers win, 9-5 - Colin Stephenson also wrote up a game summary for last night’s game between the Dodgers and the Mets.

Uh-oh - During last night’s game, Colin Stephenson pointed out that, “Luis Castillo has left the game with some sort of leg injury.”

Pelfrey sees the handwriting on the wall

Share This

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.

Share This

For one day, the Metropolitans were able to put it all together.  They came home from their west coast trip with a 3-3 record.   The Mets are sporting a 17-15 record now.  Kinda boring, huh?  It seems like they are always around .500.  My expectations of the ‘08 season are dwindling because they aren’t showing me anything special.  Something isn’t right with the team, and it doesn’t make sense because I thought they had a shot at winning the World Series a month ago.

When I just watched the Giants win the Super Bowl, they did it by having a chip on their shoulder.  They got into that ‘us against the world’ mindset in Week 3 in Washington when they had the goalline stand, and they carried it through the Playoffs.

The Mets don’t have that chip on their shoulder, and they should because they never won anything yet.  Except their division in 2006.  When Beltran stared at strike three in game 7 of the NLCS, the team should’ve had a chip on their shoulder to do it again in 2007 and gone even further.  That didn’t happen because of the collapse.  By now, they should have a chip on their shoulder for ‘06 and ‘07, but they appear content playing .500 ball.  These are the four players that have been in the lineup since 2006: Beltran, Delgado, Reyes, and Wright.  These are the players that should have the most to prove now.  Beltran declared that the Mets are the team to beat, but hasn’t backed it up on the field.  Delgado appears to be in the twilight of his career.  He was bored in ‘07 with a .259 average, and it’s even worse now.  Reyes has all of the skills in the world, but he appears to be too soft mentally to play the game.  Wright has been the only one of these four to play at a high level consistentely since ‘06.  On the mound, the Mets mostly have the same rotation: Martinez, Hernandez, Perez, and Maine.  Pedro and El Duque have barely pitched since going on the DL a few days prior to the Playoffs in 2006.  Perez has remained inconsistent since then, and Maine has improved a great deal since then.  These players need to communicate how pissed off they are for not winning the World Series in ‘06 and/or ‘07 in order to motivate them to play at the highest level each and every game.  Nothing less than the best should be tolerated.

Mets.com:

Beltran waiting for something to click

Mets run on all cylinders in LA blowout - Anthony DiComo summarized today’s game between the Mets and the Dodgers.

Mets return home, aim to impress fans - Anthony DiComo put together a pregame analysis for Friday’s game between the Reds and the Mets.

Mets cautious with Pagan after catch - Anthony DiComo reported that Angel Pagan will have an MRI on Thursday to determine the severity of the injury.

El Duque cleared for next step - Anthony DiComo informed us that Orlando Hernandez had the protective boot removed.  He will begin a rehab program soon.

Beltran fights flu, returns to Mets’ lineup

Mets falter against Dodgers - Anthony DiComo summarized last night’s game between the Mets and the Dodgers.

Mets anticipating Castillo surge - Anthony DiComo wrote up a pregame analysis for today’s game between the Mets and the Dodgers.

Boras: Perez, Mets on good terms

Newsday:

Mets’ bats wake up, back Maine in rout of Dodgers - David Lennon also summarized today’s Mets-Dodgers game.

Maine goes into 9th on eve of 27th birthday

Mets’ Pagan may have to pay for hard-nosed play

Mets fall to Dodgers, 5-4 - David Lennon also summarized last night’s Mets-Dodgers game.

Mets’ Martinez shows some progress

Agent Boras shows up to support Mets’ Perez

New York Daily News:

John Maine dominant as Mets deck Dodgers in Los Angeles

Angel Pagan hits seats and maybe DL

Ryan Church brushes off Brad Penny’s brushback

Inside-the-park homer, strikeouts doom Mets in loss to Dodgers

Omar Minaya sees Pedro’s progress

New York Post:

AMAZIN’S AWAKE FROM LUMBER SLUMBER

PAGAN HURTS SHOULDER AFTER GREAT CATCH

METS, MAINE MAUL DODGERS - Bart Hubbuch summarized yesterday’s Mets-Dodgers game.

IT’S AN INSIDE JOB - Bart Hubbuch describes the inside the park home run that Blake DeWitt hit on Wednesday night.

WISE WILL SHAKE UP WILLIE’S PEN

New York Times:

Hitting the Wall and the Ball, the Mets Lack for Nothing

Randolph Preaches Patience While Rotation Tests His

The Star-Ledger:

Mets put it all together

acrobatic catch bangs up Pagan

Final: Mets 12, Dodgers 1

Church can’t corral ball as Mets drop another

Dodgers catch Mets napping

Share This

The New York Mets (16-15) are playing Game 32 of the 2008 Regular Season against the Los Angeles Dodgers (19-14) at Dodger Stadium.  It’s the final game of a three-game series.  The game began at 3:10 p.m., and it was aired on SNY.

Mets Lineup: Reyes, Castillo, Wright, Beltran, Church, Pagan, Anderson, Casanova, Maine.

Dodgers Lineup: Pierre, Ethier, Kemp, Kent, Loney, Martin, DeWitt, Hu, Penny.

At the Plate

Brad Penny (5-2) was the starting pitcher for the Dodgers.  In the Top of the 1st, Penny retired the side in order.  Penny gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 1st Inning.  In the Top of the 2nd, Church lined a one-out single into center.  Pagan lined a one-out opposite field single into left, and Church moved over to second.  Marlon Anderson worked himself into a full count before driving a one-out RBI Ground Rule Double over the center field fence, and Ryan Church came around to score while Pagan advanced to third.  Raul Casanova grounded a one-out 2-run single through the hole on the right side which scored Angel Pagan and Marlon Anderson.  Maine dropped down a bunt towards the pitcher, and Penny made the out at first as Casanova moved over to second.  Reyes drew a two-out walk.  Luis Castillo grounded a two-out RBI single up the middle which brought Raul Casanova around to score and Reyes advanced to second.  Penny fanned Wright after the Mets batted around the order.  Penny gave up 5 Hits, 4 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO in the 2nd Inning.  In the Top of the 3rd, Beltran led off by grounding a single through the hole on the left side.  Church hit a no-out broken bat line drive into shallow right, and Beltran went first to third.  Angel Pagan grounded to second, and Kent only made the out at second while Carlos Beltran scored.  Anderson flied out to the warning track in right.  With Casanova at the plate, Pagan stole second by beating out the pitch out.  Casanova grounded out to second to end the inning.  Penny gave up 2 Hits, 1 Run, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 3rd Inning.  In the Top of the 4th, Castillo lined a two-out double down the right field line.  Wright grounded out to third to end the inning.  Penny gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 4th Inning.  In the Top of the 5th, Penny hit Church with the pitch to give the Mets a one-out base runner.  Chavez replaced Pagan, and Penny fanned Chavez on three pitches.  Anderson grounded to short, and Anderson beat out the throw for a two-out single as Church moved over to second.  Casanova worked himself into a full count before drawing a walk that loaded the bases.  John Maine lined a two-out 2-run single into center which scored Ryan Church and Marlon Anderson while Casanova advanced to second.  Reyes drew a two-out walk to load the bases.  Penny gave up 2 Hits, 2 Runs, 2 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 5th Inning.  Penny left the game after pitching 4.2 Innings allowing 10 Hits, 10 Runs, 10 ER, 3 BBs, and he had 2 SOs.

Torre replaced Penny with Scott Proctor with two outs in the Top of the 5th.  Luis Castillo drew a two-out walk which brought home Raul Casanova.  David Wright drove a two-out Ground Rule Double over the left field wall which scored John Maine and Jose Reyes while Castillo advanced to third.  With Beltran in the batters box, Proctor threw a wild pitch which brought home Luis Castillo.  Beltran grounded out to second to end the inning.  Proctor gave up 1 Hit, 2 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the Top of the 5th.  In the Top of the 6th, Ryan Church hit the first pitch of the inning over the wall in right center.  Chavez flied out to center.  Proctor struck out Anderson swinging.  Casanova drove a two-out double that one-hopped the wall in left center.  Proctor fanned Maine on three straight pitches.  Proctor gave up 2 Hits, 1 Run, 0 BBs, and he had 2 SOs in the 6th Inning.  Proctor left the game after pitching 1.1 Innings allowing 3 Hits, 2 Runs, 2 ER, 1 BB, and he had 2 SOs.

Torre replaced Proctor with Chan Ho Park to begin the Top of the 7th.  Park pitched a 1-2-3 inning.  Park gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 7th Inning.  In the Top of the 8th, Park sent the Mets down in order again.  Park gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 8th Inning.  In the Top of the 9th, Maine was still batting and he struck out looking.  Park gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 2 SOs in the 9th Inning.

On the Mound

John Maine (3-2) was the starting pitcher for the Mets.  In the Bottom of the 1st, Ethier flied to foul territory along the left field line and Pagan dove over the wall to make the catch and landed on his head in the stands (Randolph and the Trainors came out to check up on him, and he got up eventually and recieved a standing ovation which is the opposite of what Reyes got in Philly).  Maine pitched a 1-2-3 inning.  Maine gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 1st Inning.  In the Bottom of the 2nd, Maine retired 6 straight Dodgers.  Maine gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 2nd Inning.  In the Bottom of the 3rd, Hu pulled the ball down the right field line for a leadoff double.  Penny popped in foul ground along the third base line, and Wright made the catch.  Pierre grounded to short, and Reyes made the out at first to leave Hu at second.  Maine gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 3rd Inning.  In the Bottom of the 4th, Maine pitched another 1-2-3 inning.  Maine gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 2 SOs in the 4th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 5th, Loney drove a leadoff double into the gap in left center.  Martin drew a no-out walk.  Maine fanned DeWitt.  Hu grounded to second, and the Mets turned the inning ending double play.  Maine gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO in the 5th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 6th, Maine pitched a 1-2-3 inning.  Maine gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 6th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 7th, Maine retired the side in order again.  Maine gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 7th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 8th, Maine now retired 10 straight (John Maine is the first Mets pitcher to record an out in the 8th Inning).  Maine gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 8th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 9th, Jones blooped a pinch hit double near the right field line.  Pierre drew a no-out walk.  Ethier lined out to deep left.  Matt Kemp lined a one-out RBI single into center which brought Andruw Jones around to score and Ethier moved over to second.  Maine gave up 2 Hits, 1 Run, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 9th Inning.  Maine left the game after pitching 8.1 Innings allowing 4 Hits, 1 Run, 1 ER, 2 BBs, and he had 4 SOs.

Randolph replaced Maine with Duaner Sanchez with one out in the Bottom of the 9th.  Young grounded to third, and Wright tagged third and attempted to make the out at first but Young beat it out.  Sanchez struck out Loney on a check swing.  Sanchez gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 9th Inning.

Final Score: New York Mets 12 - Los Angeles Dodgers 1.  The MLB.com Box Score is attached.  John Maine (4-2) got the win and Brad Penny (5-3) got the loss.

Close, but no cigar.  The Maine Man was two outs away from handing the Mets their first complete game shutout of ‘08.  I knew this game was over when Maine drove in 2 runs in the 5th, and Maine only allowed 1 hit up to that point.  Maine went into the Bottom of the 9th with a two-hit shutout and got into some trouble and gave up a run.  Once the run scored, Willie replaced Maine with Sanchez.  Offensively, the Mets batted around in two separate innings.  Everybody but Reyes got a hit, but Reyes did walk twice and score once.  Church had 3 Hits today including a solo shot.

It was a great game for the Amazins’, but they lost the series to Dem Bums.  The Mets finished their road trip 3-3 against the team with the best record and against the hottest team in baseball.  3-3 isn’t good, but it could be worse.  The Mets have an off day tomorrow before they host the Reds for a weekend series.

Share This

The New York Mets (16-14) are playing Game 31 of the 2008 Regular Season against the Los Angeles Dodgers (18-14) at Dodger Stadium.  It’s the second game of a three-game series.  The game began at 10:10 p.m., and it was aired on SNY.Mets Lineup: Reyes, Church, Wright, Alou, Delgado, Pagan, Schneider, Castillo, Figueroa.

Dodgers Lineup: Pierre, Jones, Kemp, Kent, Loney, Martin, DeWitt, Hu, Kuroda.

At the Plate

Hiroki Kuroda (1-2) was the starting pitcher for the Dodgers.  In the Top of the 1st, Ryan Church hit a one-out solo shot to center.  Wright drove the ball just foul of the right sideline, and Kemp made the out.  Alou lined a two-out single into center.  Delgado grounded to short, and Hu made the force out at second to end the inning.  Kuroda gave up 2 Hits, 1 Run, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 1st Inning.  In the Top of the 2nd, Pagan dropped down a bunt towards the pitcher and Kuroda made a bad throw to first so Pagan is safe.  Schneider pulled a single down the right field line, and Pagan went first to third.  Luis Castillo lined a no-out RBI single into center which brought Angel Pagan home, and Schneider advanced to second.  Figueroa dropped down a bunt towards the pitcher, and Kuroda (Error on Hiroki Kuroda) made a bad throw to third so the bases are loaded.  Jose Reyes lined a no-out RBI single into center, and Brian Schneider scored.  Church grounded to the pitcher, and Kuroda got the out at home before Martin got Church out at first.  Kuroda fanned Wright with Mets on second and third.  Kuroda gave up 4 Hits, 2 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 2nd Inning.  In the Top of the 3rd, Alou grounded to third and DeWitt (Error on Blake DeWitt) couldn’t field it properly so Alou is on base.  Delgado grounded a no-out single up the middle, and Alou went first to third.  Pagan grounded to third, and DeWitt got the force out at second.  With Schneider at the plate, Pagan stole second so Martin attempted to throw him out but didn’t and then Moises Alou stole home.  Schneider drew a one-out walk.  Castillo grounded to second, and the Dodgers only got the out at second on the double play attempt.  With Figueroa in the batters box, Castillo stole second.  Figueroa drew a two-out walk to load the bases.  Reyes grounded to short, and Hu tagged second to leave the bases loaded.  Kuroda gave up 1 Hit, 1 Run, 2 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 3rd Inning.  In the Top of the 4th, Wright drew a one-out walk.  Alou lined a one-out single into left, and Wright advanced to second.  Kuroda gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 4th Inning.  Kuroda left the game after pitching 3.1 Innings allowing 8 Hits, 4 Runs, 2 ER, 3 BBs, and he had 1 SO.

Torre replaced Kuroda with Hong-Chih Kuo with one out in the Top of the 4th.  Kuo fanned Delgado.  Then Kuo fanned Pagan leaving two Mets stranded.  Kuo gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 2 SOs in the 4th Inning.  In the Top of the 5th, Kuo hit Castillo with the pitch to give the Mets a one-out base runner.  Figueroa drew a one-out walk.  Reyes worked the count full before looking at strike three.  Church also worked the count full prior to staring at strike three with two Mets on base.  Kuo gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 3 SOs in the 5th Inning.  In the Top of the 6th, Kuo quickly retired the side.  Kuo gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 2 SOs in the 6th Inning.  In the Top of the 7th, Kuo sent the Mets down in order again.  Kuo gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 7th Inning.  Kuo left the game after pitching 3.2 Innings allowing 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 8 SOs.

Torre replaced Kuo with Jonathan Broxton to begin the Top of the 8th.  Church lined a two-out double into the right field corner.  Broxton struck out Wright looking.  Broxton gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 2 SOs in the 8th Inning.

Torre replaced Broxton with Takashi Saito to begin the Top of the 9th.  Pagan lined a two-out bloop single into center.  Schneider lined a two-out single into right, and Pagan advanced to second.  Saito caught Castillo looking at strike three to end the game.  Saito gave up 2 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 S in the 9th Inning.

On the Mound

Nelson Figueroa Jr. (2-1) was the starting pitcher for the Mets.  In the Bottom of the 1st, Jones drew a one-out walk.  Kemp grounded to third, and the Mets only got the out at second on the double play attempt.  With Kent at the plate, Kemp stole second.  Kent drew a two-out walk.  Loney grounded the ball hard down the third base line, and Wright dove to make the stop but couldn’t get the out so the bases are loaded.  Martin flied out to center to leave the bases juiced.  Figueroa gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 2 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 1st Inning.  In the Bottom of the 2nd, DeWitt grounded a leadoff single through the hole on the right side.  Figueroa fanned Hu.  Kuroda dropped down a bunt towards first, and Figueroa made the out at first as DeWitt moved over to second.  Juan Pierre lined a two-out RBI single into right, and Blake DeWitt came around to score.  With Jones in the batters box, Pierre attempted to steal second and Schneider threw him out.  Figueroa gave up 2 Hits, 1 Run, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 2nd Inning.  In the Bottom of the 3rd, Kemp drew a one-out walk.  Kent grounded to third, and the Mets only got the out at second on the double play attempt.  Loney grounded a single up the middle, and Kent went first to third because Pagan bobbled the ball.  Martin drew a two-out walk to load the bases.  Blake DeWitt pulled a two-out 2-run single past Delgado and into right which scored Jeff Kent and James Loney, and Martin advanced to second.  Hu flied out to right to leave two Dodgers stranded.  Figueroa gave up 2 Hits, 2 Runs, 2 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 3rd Inning.  In the Bottom of the 4th, Jones lined a two-out single up the middle.  Kemp lined out to third to end the inning.  Figueroa gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 4th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 5th, Martin lined a two-out single into center.  Blake DeWitt hit a two-out in the park home run off of the top of the wall which scored Russell Martin and himself (Church attempted to make the catch and just laid on the ground thinking it was a Homer, and didn’t make a play).  Hu grounded to third, and Wright (2 Base Error on David Wright) made a poor throw to first so Hu advanced to second.  Kuo grounded to third, and Wright tagged Hu as he was running to third.  Figueroa gave up 2 Hits, 2 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 5th Inning.  Figueroa left the game after pitching 5.0 Innings allowing 8 Hits, 5 Runs, 5 ER, 4 BBs, and he had 3 SOs.

Randolph replaced Figueroa with Aaron Heilman to begin the Bottom of the 6th.  Kemp lined a one-out single into right field.  With Kent in the batters box, Kemp stole second.  Kent grounded to short, and Reyes made the out at first.  Heilman gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 6th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 7th, Heilman pitched the Mets first 1-2-3 inning of the game.  Heilman gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 7th Inning.  Heilman left the game after pitching 2.0 Innings allowing 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 2 SOs.

Randolph replaced Heilman with Pedro Feliciano to begin the Bottom of the 8th.  Hu grounded a leadoff single up the middle.  Young is pinch hitting for Broxton, and Young dropped down a sacrifice bunt which moved Hu to second while Feliciano made the out at first.  Pierre grounded to first, and Delgado tossed it to Feliciano who tagged first while Hu advanced to third.  Feliciano gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 8th Inning.

Randolph replaced Feliciano with Joe Smith with two outs in the Bottom of the 8th.  Smith got Jones looking.  Smith gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 8th Inning.

Final Score: New York Mets 4 - Los Angeles Dodgers 5.  The MLB.com Box Score is attached.  Nelson Figueroa Jr. (2-2) took the loss and Hong-Chih Kuo (2-1) got the win.

The Mets already lost this series against the Dodgers.  The Mets were smacking the ball around the park against Koruda, but Torre had enough of that and replaced him with Kuo.  Kuo was lights out against the Mets giving up no hits, one walk, and 8 K’s.  Then the Dodgers’ Bullpen continued to keep the Mets from scoring.  The inside the park homer by DeWitt was pathetic because Church just laid there on the ground.  In the Bottom of the 9th, I had no confidence in Castillo to do anything at the plate.  He had an RBI in the 2nd Inning so it was very unlikely that he would do it again.  This slump he’s in is serious.  The Mets left a ton of men on base all night though so it’s not just his fault.

Maybe the Mets can get out of there without getting swept.  Maine is facing their ace Penny tomorrow.

Share This

Tonight, Nelson Figueroa (2-1) will toe the rubber for the Mets.  He will face Hiroki Kuroda of the Dodgers and has a 1-2 record.   If the Mets are going to win this series, Figueroa has to come through.  Also, John Maine is going to face the Dodgers’ ace, Brad Penny, tomorrow night.  I was hoping the Mets would win the first two, but that’s not possible anymore.  We’ll have to wait and see if the Mets can come home with a succesful road trip.

Mets.com:

Marking Strawberry’s silver anniversary - Marty Noble pointed out that Darryl Strawberry made his Shea Stadium debut 25 years ago today.  Noble really put together an excellent article about Straw here.  Doc and Darryl were my favorite Mets back then.  I always wondered what they could’ve accomplished if they stayed off the crack and out of trouble.  Both of them were Hall of Fame bound but couldn’t stay on the right track.  It really is a shame, but they are adults and made their own choices.  It’s like in “The Bronx Tale”, “There’s nothing worst than wasted talent.”

Perez dropped by Dodgers - Anthony DiComo summarized last night’s game between the Mets and the Dodgers.

Figueroa must shake off rust - Anthony DiComo put together a pregame analysis for tonight’s game between the Mets and the Dodgers.

Randolph keeping eye on Delgado - Anthony DiComo found out that Willie Randolph doesn’t want Carlos Delgado to get too homer conscious.

Newsday:

Perez, Mets roughed up by Dodgers, 5-1 - David Lennon also summarized last night’s Mets-Dodgers game.

Pressure is lighter for Torre in LA - Shaun Powell says that Joe Torre enjoys the laid back atmosphere out in L.A.

Delgado is HR king for Puerto-Rican born players - David Lennon pointed out that Delgado hit his 435th Home Run on Saturday which crowned him as the Home Run Kin for Puerto Rican-born players.  I thought he already did that.

For Mets, there’s no place like mild, mild West - David Lennon tells us why he thinks the Mets play better baseball on the road.

New York Daily News:

Oliver Perez loses again, Mets dropped by Dodgers 5-1 - Adam Rubin wrote up a game recap for last night’s game between the Mets and the Dodgers.

Joe Torre’s enjoying California dream

Wise decision looming for Mets - The Mets have to make room for Matt Wise’s return, and Adam Rubin lists three options that the Mets can make.

New York Post:

OLLIE FLOPS AGAIN

WILLIE: SHEA FANS A DRAG - According to Bart Hubbuch, Willie believes that the Mets appear more relaxed on the road because the team doesn’t have to hear all of the negativity at Shea.

New York Times:

Mets’ Pérez Absorbs Hits, Including One in the Gut

Torre Says Wins Will Help Mets Win Back Fans

The Star-Ledger:

Chilly day here in Pasadena - Jeremy Cothran offers more thoughts on Perez.

Schneider backs Ollie

Torre enjoying California sun

Perez stumbles again

Final: Dodgers 5, Mets 1

Fading… - Dan Graziano was falling asleep.

Share This