Die Hard Sports Fan

The Metropolitans finally decided to place Luis Castillo on the 15-day DL this morning, according to Mets.com.  Argenis Reyes from Triple-A New Orleans will take Castillo’s roster spot, and they also recalled outfielder Chris Aguila from New Orleans on Thursday, optioning reliever Carlos Muniz back to the Zephyrs.

I’m thrilled that Castillo was placed on the DL, and I would be even happier if they just got rid of him.  Unfortunately, Castillo is another old injury prone player on the Mets that Omar did not have a backup plan for so he is better than our other current options.  However, the Mets have a much better record when Castillo is not in the 2 hole.

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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 New York Mets (30-31) are playing Game 62 of the 2008 Regular Season against the San Diego Padres (27-37) at Petco Park.  It’s the final game of the four-game series.  The game began at 4:05 p.m., and it was aired on WB11.

Mets Lineup: Reyes, Castillo, Wright, Beltran, Easley, Delgado, Casanova, Chavez, Pedro Martinez (1-0).

Padres Lineup: Gerut, Ed Gonzalez, Giles, Adrian Gonzalez, Kouzmanoff, McAnulty, Greene, Carlin, Wil Ledezma (0-2).

In the Top of the 1st, Castillo drew a one-out walk.  Wright also drew a one-out walk.  Beltran flied out to right.  Damion Easley lined a two-out RBI single into center which scored Luis Castillo, and Wright went to second.  Carlos Delgado lined a two-out 2-run triple into the right field corner scoring David Wright and Damion Easley giving the Mets an early three-run lead.  Casanova grounded out to short to end the inning with Delgado stranded on third.  In the Bottom of the 1st, Ed Gonzalez lined a one-out single into left field.  Giles grounded a one-out single through the hole on the right side, and Chavez threw out Ed Gonzalez as he tried to go from first to third.  Adrian Gonzalez lined a two-out single into center, and Giles went to second.  Pedro hit Kouzmanoff with the pitch which loaded the bases.  With McAnulty at the plate, Martinez was called for a balk which scored Brian Giles and advanced both runners.  Paul McAnulty dumped a two-out 2-run single into left scoring Adrian Gonzalez and Kevin Kouzmanoff.  Greene flied out to center to end the inning leaving McAnulty stranded on first and making this a tie game.  In the Top of the 2nd, Chavez grounded a leadoff single up the middle.  Martinez dropped down a sacrifice bunt towards the pitcher, and Chavez advanced to second.  Reyes drew a one-out walk.  With Castillo in the batters box, the Mets put on the double steal and both runners arrived safely.  Luis Castillo hit a sacrifice fly to center as Endy Chavez tagged up and scored, and Reyes tagged up and went to third.  Wright flied out to center to end the inning with Reyes stranded on third, but the Mets added on another run giving them a 4-3 lead.  In the Bottom of the 2nd, Gerut grounded a two-out single through the hole on the left side.  With Ed Gonzalez at the plate, Gerut beat out the throw by Casanova as he stole second.  Martinez fanned Ed Gonzalez to end the inning leaving Gerut stranded on second.  In the Top of the 3rd, Easley dropped a one-out blooper into center for a double.  Ledezma fanned Delgado.  Casanova drew a two-out walk on four pitches.  Chavez grounded to second, and Ed Gonzalez made the out at first to end the inning leaving runners stranded on first and second.  In the Bottom of the 3rd, Giles lined a leadoff single into left.  Adrian Gonzalez flied out to center.  Then Kouzmanoff flied out to center.  McAnulty popped up to shallow center, and Reyes made the final out of the inning stranding Giles on first.

In the Top of the 4th, Reyes lined a one-out double off of the wall in left field.  With Castillo at the plate, Reyes beat out the throw by Carlin as he stole third.  Luis Castillo dropped a one-out RBI single into center which scored Jose Reyes.  With Wright in the batter box, Castillo stole second safely beating out the throw by Carlin.  Wright hit a sacrifice fly out to right, and Castillo tagged up and went to third.  Ledezma fanned Beltran to end the inning leaving Castillo stranded on third, but the Mets were able to tack on a run and take a 5-3 lead.  In the Bottom of the 4th, Greene dropped a leadoff single into center.  Carlin grounded to first, and the Mets only got the out at second on the double play attempt.  Huber is pinch hitting for Ledezma, and Huber grounded a one-out single through the hole on the left side, and Carlin moved over to second.  Jody Gerut lined a one-out RBI single into center scoring Luke Carlin, and Huber went to second.  Ed Gonzalez flied out to right.  Giles flied out to the warning track in right to end the inning with runners on second and third.  In the Top of the 5th, Black replaced Ledezma with Hampson.  Delgado lined a one-out single into shallow right center.  Casanova grounded a one-out single through the hole on the left side, and Delgado went to second.  Chavez grounded to second, and both runners advanced a base.  Martinez grounded to third, and Kouzmanoff made the out at first to end the inning stranding runners on second and third.  In the Bottom of the 5th, McAnulty drove a two-out double to the gap in right center.  Greene lined out to the wall in left to end the inning with McAnulty stranded on second.  In the Top of the 6th, Black replaced Hampson with Meredith after Hampson retired the first two hitters.  Wright drew a two-out walk.  Beltran grounded to second, and Ed Gonzalez made the out at first to end the inning stranding Wright on first.  In the Bottom of the 6th, Randolph replaced Martinez with Vargas.  Gerut grounded to first, but Delgado botched the ball so Gerut beat it out giving the Padres a two-out base runner.  Ed Gonzalez grounded towards first, and Delgado fielded the ball and applied the tag on Ed Gonzalez to end the inning.

In the Top of the 7th, Delgado drove a one-out double off of the wall in left field.  Casanova grounded to second, and Ed Gonzalez made the out at first as Delgado went to third.  Chavez bunted towards first, and Adrian Gonzalez could not field the ball properly so Endy Chavez was safe and Carlos Delgado scored.  Nunez is pinch hitting for Vargas, and Nunez popped out to short to end the inning as the Mets tacked on another run giving them a 6-4 lead.  In the Bottom of the 7th, Randolph replaced Vargas with Schoeneweis so this can get very scary.  Giles led off by grounding a single up the middle.  Adrian Gonzalez grounded to second, and the Mets turned the double play.  Kouzmanoff flied out to right to end the inning.  Thank God Schoeneweis did not give up any runs.  In the Top of the 8th, Black replaced Meredith with Guevara.  Guevara pitched a 1-2-3 inning.  In the Bottom of the 8th, Randolph replaced Schoeneweis with Sanchez.  Stansberry is pinch hitting for Meredith, and Stansberry dropped a leadoff single into left.  Sanchez fanned Greene.  Carlin drew a one-out walk.  Hairston replaced McAnulty, and Sanchez fanned Hairston.  Randolph replaced Sanchez with Wagner.  Jody Gerut grounded a two-out RBI single through the hole on the right side which scored Craig Stansberry, and Carlin advanced to second.  Clark is pinch hitting for Guevera, and Tony Clark crushed a two-out 3-run homer scoring Luke Carlin and Jody Gerut.  Wagner fanned Giles to end the inning after the Padres put up four runs and took an 8-6 lead.  In the Top of the 9th, Black replaced Guevera with Hoffman.  Hoffman retired the side in order.

Final Score: New York Mets 6 - San Diego Padres 8.  The MLB.com Box Score is attached.  Billy Wagner (0-1) took the loss and Carlos Guevera (1-0) got the win.

Game Notes:

• Pedro Martinez was not very good today.  He pitched 5.0 Innings allowing 10 Hits, 4 Runs, 4 ERs, 0 BBs, and he had 4 SOs.
• Billy Wager gave up a 3-run jack to former Met Tony Clark which won the game for the Padres.
• Luis Castillo actually had 2 RBIs.
• Carlos Delgado was a homer short of batting for the cycle and had 2 RBIs.

Series Notes:

• The Padres swept the Mets 4-0.
• The Padres beat the Mets by the score of 2-1 in the first three games of the series.

Other Notes:

• Since June 1st, this is the Mets trend: w-l-w-w-l-l-l-l.
• The Mets are currently 2-5 on this road trip.
• The Mets are two games under .500 with a 30-32 record.

No, the Padres didn’t beat the Mets 2-1 again.  But the Padres won again.  Swept by the Padres, how do they let that happen?  The Padres are a last place team.

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The New York Mets (28-27) are playing Game 56 of the 2008 Regular Season against the San Francisco Giants (24-33) at AT&T Park.  It’s the first game of the three-game series.  The game began at 10:05 p.m., and it was aired on SNY.

Mets Lineup: Reyes, Castillo, Wright, Beltran, Church, Tatis, Delgdo, Castro, Perez.

Dodgers Lineup: Winn, Castillo, Rowand, Molina, Aurilia, Durham, Horwitz, Burriss, Sanchez.

At the Plate

Jonathan Sanchez (3-3) was the starting pitcher for the Giants.  In the Top of the 1st, Wright lined a two-out single into center.  Beltran drew a two-out walk.  Church drew a two-out walk to load the bases.  Sanchez struck Tatis out looking to end the inning with the bases loaded.  Sanchez gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 2 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 1st Inning.  In the Top of the 2nd, Delgado led off with a double to the base of the base of the right field wall.  Castro grounded to third, and Delgado held up.  Sanchez fanned Vargas.  Jose Reyes lined a two-out RBI double down the left field line, and Carlos Delgado came around to score.  Castillo popped up in foul territory along the right field line, and Winn made the catch to end the inning with a runner on second.  Sanchez gave up 2 Hits, 1 Run, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 2nd Inning.  In the Top of the 3rd, Wright struck out swinging at a wild pitch that went to the backstop so he ended up beating it out to give the Mets a leadoff baserunner.  Sanchez fanned Beltran.  Church grounded to first, and Aurilia got the lead runner out at second.  Tatis grounded to short and beat out the throw by Burriss for a two-out single, and Church moved over to second.  Delgado popped up to shallow center, and Burriss made the catch to end the inning with Mets stranded on first and second.  Sanchez gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 2 SOs in the 3rd Inning.  In the Top of the 4th, Castro drew a leadoff walk.  Vargas bunted towards third, and Castillo made the out at first as Castro advanced to second.  Reyes lined out to second.  Luis Castillo grounded a two-out RBI single up the middle, and Ramon Castro came around to score.  Wright grounded to deep second, and the ball deflected off of the glove of Durham (Error on Ray Durham) so Wright ended up on first and Castillo on second.  Beltran grounded to short, and Burriss got the force out at second to end the inning with runners on first and second.  Sanchez gave up 1 Hit, 1 Run, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 4th Inning.  In the Top of the 5th, Sanchez hit Delgado with the pitch to give the Mets a two-out base runner.  Castro grounded to third, and Castillo made the out at second to end the inning.  Sanchez gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 2 SOs in the 5th Inning.  In the Top of the 6th, Sanchez pitched a 1-2-3 inning.  Sanchez gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 6th Inning.  In the Top of the 7th, Beltran grounded a one-out single through the hole on the left side.  Sanchez fanned Church.  Tatis grounded to third, and Castillo made the final out of the inning at second.  Sanchez gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 7th Inning.  Sanchez left the game after pitching 7.0 Innings allowing 6 Hits, 2 Runs, 2 ER, 3 BBs, and he had 8 SOs.

Bochy replaced Sanchez with Billy Sadler to begin the Top of the 8th.  Sadler pitched a 1-2-3 inning.  Sadler gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 8th Inning.  In the Top of the 9th, Sadler retired the side in order for the second straight inning.  Sadler gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 9th Inning.  Sadler left the game after pitching 2.0 Innings allowing 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO.

On the Mound

Oliver Perez (4-3) was the starting pitcher for the Mets.  In the Bottom of the 1st, Randy Winn led off with a solo shot to left.  Rowand pulled a one-out double down the left field line.  Bengie Molina lined an RBI single into left, and Aaron Rowand came around to score.  Aurilia drew a one-out walk.  Ray Durham lined a one-out 2-run double to the gap in left center scoring Bengie Molina and Rich Aurilia.  Brian Horwitz crushed a one-out 2-run homer to left scoring Ray Durham.  Burriss drew a one-out walk.  Perez gave up 5 Hits, 6 Runs, 2 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 1st Inning.  What starting pitcher only records one out?  It was like Tom Glavine on that Sunday in September against the Marlins.

Randolph replaced Perez with Claudio Vargas with one out in the Bottom of the 1st.  Sanchez bunted right into the glove of Delgado.  Vargas fanned Winn to end the inning.  Vargas gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 1st Inning.  In the Bottom of the 2nd, Castillo grounded a leadoff single up the middle.  Vargas struck out Rowand on three pitches.  With Molina at the plate, Castro threw out Rowand as he attempted to steal second.  Molina grounded a two-out single through the hole on the left side.  Aurilia grounded to short, and Reyes made the out at second to end the inning stranding a runner on first.  Vargas gave up 2 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 2nd Inning.  In the Bottom of the 3rd, Durham grounded the ball down the first base line but got thrown out by Church when trying to take second base.  Horwitz grounded out to third.  Burriss grounded out to short to end the inning.  Vargas gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 3rd Inning.  In the Bottom of the 4th, Vargas pitched a 1-2-3 inning.  Vargas gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 4th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 5th, Vargas retired the side for the second inning in a row.  Vargas gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 5th Inning.  Vargas left the game after pitching 4.2 Innings allowing 3 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 ER, 0 BBs, and he had 4 SOs.

Randolph replaced Vargas with Carlos Muniz to begin the Bottom of the 6th.  Durham lined a leadoff single into right.  Horwitz grounded a no-out single up the middle, and Durham went from first to third.  Burriss grounded to second, and Castillo made the out at first as both runners advanced.  Jonathan Sanchez hit a one-out 2-run double off of the right field wall which scored Ray Durham and Brian Horwitz.  Winn lined out to right, and Church doubled up Sanchez at second.  Muniz gave up 3 Hits, 2 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 6th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 7th, Rowand grounded a one-out single up the middle.  Molina lined a one-out single into left, and Rowand moved over to second.  Aurilia grounded to third, but Wright could not field it properly so everyone was safe.  Ray Durham drew a one-out walk which scored Aaron Rowand.  Brian Horwitz hit a sacrifice fly to center which scored Bengie Molina.  Burriss drew a two-out walk which loaded the bases.  Muniz gave up 3 Hits, 2 Runs, 2 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 7th Inning.  Muniz left the game after pitching 1.2 Innings allowing 6 Hits, 4 Runs, 4 ER, 2 BBs, and he had 0 SOs.

Randolph replaced Muniz with Aaron Heilman with two outs in the Bottom of the 7th.  Bowker is pinch hitting for Sanchez, and Bowker flied out to right to end the inning with the bases loaded.  Heilman gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 7th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 8th, Winn drew a leadoff walk.  Castillo hit a no-out Ground Rule Double to center, and Winn ended up on third.  Heilman hit Rowand with the pitch which loaded the bases.  Aurilia popped up to second, and Castillo made the out.  Durham grounded to short, and Reyes made the out at first to end the inning.  Heilman gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 8th Inning.  Heilman left the game after pitching 1.1 Innings allowing 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 ER, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO.

Final Score: New York Mets 2 - San Francisco Giants 10.  The MLB.com Box Score is attached.  Oliver Perez (4-4) took the loss and Jonathan Sanchez (4-3) got the win.

Game Notes:

• Oliver Perez gave up 6 runs in 1/3 of an inning which was too much for the Mets to climb back from.
• Ryan Church had 2 assists from right.

Series Notes:

• The Dodgers are winning the series against the Mets 1-0.

Other Notes:

• Since June 1st, this is the Mets trend: w-l.
• The Mets are currently 0-1 on this road trip.
• The Mets are at .500 with a 28-28 record
• Jose Reyes has an 18-game hitting streak, and a 33-game on-base streak.

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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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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

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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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So Mets.com wrote an article stating that no Mets have been voted to the top of their respective positions in the early tabulations of the All-Star ballots.  The funny thing about it was that I was going to discuss it today anyway.  Now, I have some supporting evidence thanks to Marty Noble.

Fans can cast their votes for starters up to 25 times with the Monster 2008 All-Star Game Online Ballot at MLB.com and all 30 club sites until 11:59 p.m. ET. on Wednesday, July 2. Starting rosters will be announced during the 2008 All-Star Game Selection Show presented by Chevrolet on TBS on Sunday, July 6. Baseball fans around the world will then be able to select the final player on each team via the Monster 2008 All-Star Final Vote at MLB.com.

As usual, fans can vote so go out and vote if you haven’t done so already.  Obviously, I encourage you to vote for all of the Mets.

1. First Base - No Mets are currently in the Top 5.
2. Second Base - Luis Castillo is currently 5th in the All-Star ballot.  I have no idea how that happened.
3. Third Base - David Wright is currently 2nd in the All-Star ballot.  Even though Wright is struggling, vote for him over Larry Jones.
4. Shortstop - Jose Reyes is currently 3rd in the All-Star ballot.
5. Catcher - No Mets are currently in the Top 5.
6. Outfield - Carlos Beltran is currently 4th, and Ryan Church is currently 13th in the All-Star ballot.  Church has to make it in the outfield, and he should be ahead of Beltran right now.

If you want to vote for the 2008 All-Star Game, click here.

Mets.com:

Latest injury most disappointing for Alou - Moises Alou had this to say, “I got known as the person who gets injured all the time, and it’s embarrassing getting that label this late in my career.”

Mets starting slowly in All-Star ballots - Marty Noble pointed out that no Mets have been voted to the top of their respective position in the early tabulations.  The All-Star game is what I wanted to talk about today.

Santana puts a stop to Mets’ slide - Marty Noble summarized last night’s game between the Marlins and the Mets.

Wagner only concerned about winning - Jon Blau put together a pregame analysis for tonight’s game between the Marlins and the Mets.

Wise the latest Mets player on the DL - Jon Blau reported that Matt Wise was placed on the 15-day DL because of a right rotator cuff tendinitis.  Carlos Muniz was called up from the Minors to take his place on the roster.

Newsday:

Santana gives Mets much-needed win - Anthony Rieber summarized last night’s Marlins-Mets game.

If Mets don’t win now, they could have long wait

Church sees neurologist, takes night off

Randolph’s mood brightens as job status improves - Anthony Rieber pointed out that,

Randolph joked with reporters before last night’s game against the Marlins. He was particularly comical about a photo on the front page of the New York Post that he said made him “look ugly.”

“You couldn’t find a better picture than that?” he asked. “That was a tired picture. Do I look that bad? It was a big ‘ Moon Mullins’ shot. I looked tired. They made sure my eyes were a little bit closed.”

Marlon, Wise are hurting

Marlins showing they are more than spoilers

Vote of confidence for Mets’ Randolph could be kiss of death

New York Daily News:

To Omar Minaya, racial divide on Mets sounds altogether wrong

Mets surpass Knicks at doctoring attendance figures

Thanks to Johan Santana, Mets and Willie Randolph get much-needed win - Peter Botte wrote up a game summary for last night’s game between the Marlins and the Mets.

Johan Santana aces Mets’ gut check

Ten ways to fix the Mets - Peter Botte provided a list of, “10 things the Mets need to do to save their season and/or Randolph’s job over the final 112 games.”

Ryan Church’s bell is still ringing

Backup plan is a hit - Mark Lelinwallasays, “Maybe Willie Randolph should give his starters the night off more often.”

Tuesday the target for Pedro’s return

Brochure chumps make ‘07 Mets champs - Brendan Brosh found out that, “A tourism brochure, printed for $9,300 by the borough president’s office, hails the Mets as winners last year - when they endured a historic collapse to miss the playoffs.”

New York Post:

SANTANA & SUBS SUBDUE MARLINS

RANDOLPH WARMS UP HIS BENCH

QUEST FOR LEADER LOST IN TRANSLATION

CHURCH MIGHT GO ON THE DL

New York Times:

Santana Provides Relief for Mets - Ben Shpigel summarized last night’s Marlins-Mets game.

Doctors See Danger in Letting Church Play

Delgado Benched as Slump Deepens

The Star-Ledger:

Ryan Church update

Ryan Church fallout

If it ain’t broke, why fix it? - Colin Stephenson provided the lineup for tonight’s Marlins-Mets game.

Shakeup helps Mets get a win

Church told to stay away from Shea - Jeremy Cothran noted that, ”a neurologist ordered the right fielder to stay home.”

Final: Mets 5, Marlins 3 - Jeremy Cothran summarized last night’s game between the Marlins and the Mets.

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The New York Mets (22-24) are playing Game 47 of the 2008 Regular Season against the Colorado Rockies (19-29) at Coors Field.  It’s the second game of the three-game series.  The game began at 3:55 p.m., and it was aired on FOX.

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

Rockies Lineup: Podsednik, Herrera, Holliday, Helton, Stewart, Smith, Iannetta, Quintanilla, Francis.

At the Plate

Jeff Francis (1-4) was the starting pitcher for the Rockies.  In the Top of the 1st, Reyes grounded a leadoff single up the middle.  Castillo drew a no-out walk.  With Wright in the batters box, the Mets put on the double steal without a throw.  Wright drew a no-out walk which loaded the bases.  Carlos Beltran drove a no-out bases clearing double into the gap in left center which scored Jose Reyes, Luis Castillo, and David Wright.  Tatis grounded a no-out single through the hole on the left side, and Beltran advanced to third.  Francis fanned Delgado.  Ramon Castro grounded an opposite field RBI single through the hole on the right side, and Carlos Beltran came home to score and Tatis went to second.  Nick Evans lined a one-out opposite field RBI double into the right field corner so Fernando Tatis came around to score while Castro went first to third.  Vargas lined out to second.  Reyes grounded out to first to end the inning with runners on second and third.  Francis gave up 5 Hits, 5 Runs, 2 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 1st Inning.  In the Top of the 2nd, David Wright went yard with a solo shot to right.  Beltran grounded out to second.  Francis fanned Tatis.  Francis gave up 1 Hit, 1 Run, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 2nd Inning.  In the Top of the 3rd, Evans lined a two-out opposite field double into right center.  Francis fanned Vargas to end the inning.  Francis gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 3 SOs in the 3rd Inning.  In the Top of the 4th, Francis hit Wright with the pitch to give the Mets a two-out base runner.  With Beltran at the plate, Wright beat out the throw as he stole second base.  Francis struck out Beltran swinging at ball four stranding Wright at second.  Francis gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 4th Inning.  In the Top of the 5th, Castro drew a two-out walk.  Evans worked the count full before grounding out to second.  Francis gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO in the 5th Inning.  In the Top of the 6th, Francis pitched a 1-2-3 inning.  Francis gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 6th Inning.  Francis left the game after pitching 6.0 Innings allowing 7 Runs, 6 Hits, 6 ER, 3 BBs, and he had 8 SOs.

Hurdle replaced Francis with Alberto Arias to begin the Top of the 7th.  Arias hit Tatis with the pitch to give the Mets a two-out base runner.  Delgado grounded out to first to end the inning.  Araias gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 7th Inning.  In the Top of the 8th, Castro lef off with a Ground Rule Double to left center.  Nick Evans grounded an opposite field RBI double down the right field line, and Ramon Castro came around to score.  Chavez grounded out to second, and Evans advanced to third.  Reyes grounded to first, and Helton held up Evans at third and tagged first.  Luis Castillo lined a two-out RBI opposite field double down the left field line which scored Nick Evans.  Arias fanned Wright to end the inning with Castillo stranded on second.  Arias gave up 3 Hits, 2 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 8th Inning.  Arias left the game after pitching 2.0 Innings allowing 3 Hits, 2 Runs, 2 ER, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO.

Hurdle replaced Arias with Josh Newman to begin the Top of the 9th.  Carlos Delgado crushed a solo shot to right field.  Castro grounded a two-out single up the middle.  Easley grounded to short, but Quintanilla (Error on Omar Quintanilla) threw the ball to second off target so Herrera was off the bag and then Castro beat out the throw at first.  Chavez lined out to first to end the inning with two Mets on base.  Newman gave up 2 Hits, 1 Run, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 9th Inning.

On the Mound

Claudio Vargas (0-2) was the starting pitcher for the Mets.  In the Bottom of the 1st, Matt Holliday hit a two-out jack to left field.  Helton grounded out to first to end the inning.  Vargas gave up 1 Hit, 1 Run, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 1st Inning.  In the Bottom of the 2nd, Vargas pitched a 1-2-3 inning.  Vargas gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 2nd Inning.  In the Bottom of the 3rd, Francis drove a one-out single off of the right field wall.  Podsednik grounded to first, and Delgado tagged first and made the throw to second to second but not in time.  Jonathan Herrera lined an RBI single into shallow right, and Jeff Francis came around to score.  Holliday grounded to short, and Reyes got the force out at second to end the inning.  Vargas gave up 2 Hits, 1 Run, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 3rd Inning.  In the Bottom of the 4th, Helton drew a leadoff walk.  Vargas then struck out Stewart, Smith, and Iannetta to end the inning.  Vargas gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 3 SOs in the 4th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 5th, Quintanilla grounded a leadoff single up the middle.  Francis dropped down a bunt down the first base line, and Delgado made the out at first as Quintanilla moved over to second.  Podsednik flied out to left, and Quintanilla tagged up and ran to third.  Herrera lined out to left leaving Quintanilla stranded on third.  Vargas gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 5th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 6th, Vargas pitched a 1-2-3 inning.  Vargas gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 6th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 7th, Vargas retired the side for the second straight inning.  Vargas gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 7th Inning.  Vargas left the game after pitching 7.0 Innings allowing 4 Hits, 2 Runs, 2 ER, 1 BB, and he had 3 SOs.

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

Randolph replaced Sanchez with Pedro Feliciano to begin the Bottom of the 9th.  Stewart drew a two-out walk.  Smith flied out to left to end the game and the Mets finally won a game.  Feliciano gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO in the 9th Inning.

Final Score: New York Mets 9 - Colorado Rockies 2.  The MLB.com Box Score is attached.  Claudio Vargas (1-2) got the win and Jeff Francis (1-5) got the loss.

Game Notes:

• Carlos Beltran hit a bases clearing triple in the first inning to set the tone in this game.
• Nick Evans went 3 for 4 in his MLB debut with 3 opposite field doubles and 2 RBIs.
• Ramon Castro had 3 hits.
• Claudio Vargas had a solid outing today.

Series Notes:

• The Mets evened up the series with the Rockies today with one game to go.
• Carlos Delgado hit a homer in each game this series, plus one in Atlanta on Thursday night.

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.
• The Mets ended their 5-game skid.
• I do believe that the Mets will win the next 4 games to even out losses.
• The Mets are 3-5 on this road trip.
• The Mets are now one game under .500 with a 23-24 record.

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