Die Hard Sports Fan

So most Mets fans wanted Willie whacked and those of you who wanted that got their wish. The only improvement since then is the play of Jose Reyes. Reyes has decided to finally play baseball once Jerry Manuel took over which is another reason why this guy is so hard to root for. Otherwise, the team is playing exactly the same under Manuel as they did under Willie.

Last night, Manuel took Johan Santana out of the game against the Phillies after pitching eight innings. The score was 2-2 at the time, and Manuel brought in Duaner Sanchez to save the game but ended up giving a two-out RBI single to Shane Victornino. It was a very questionable move Mets fans because Santana only had 95 pitches when he was taken out. We know that Willie would’ve taken Johan out too. So what’s different? Absolutely nothing. The Bullpen still couldn’t save the game. It’s the same problem as last season. The Bullpen was smokin’ until July of 2007, and then they couldn’t hold a lead the rest of the season. Since I’m such a realistic Mets fan, I saw the collapse coming a mile away. It began in July, and I knew that the Mets wouldn’t have been able to do anything in the Playoffs if they ended up making it. Of course I thought that they would’ve made the Playoffs, but I saw the flaws and knew that they would’ve been outed in the first round. We were hoping that Sanchez would’ve come back and pitch like he did in ‘06. Omar brought in Matt Wise in the offseason. Duaner’s return didn’t live up to the hype, and Wise hasn’t done much of anything before being placed on the DL.

My point has always been that this is on the players. It doesn’t matter if Willie or Jerry is the Coach. I also heard on WFAN that Willie wasn’t able to punish Reyes whenever Reyes acted up because Minaya said that Reyes was too valuable to the team. So Jose has gotten away with whatever he wanted. You can see on the field that Reyes’ immaturity has regressed. He never showed it until he was benched by Willie for not running out a few ground balls last year. These on-the-field temper tantrums are current because Reyes never did that in his first few seasons. Now, the Mets fired the Manager who did the right thing by benching him so Jose can continue to feel like he’s bigger than the team. I’ve got a huge problem with all of this. The Phillies had no problem benching Jimmy Rollins for not running out a ground ball, and Rollins was the MVP last year. Jimmy said he deserved to be benched. So why can’t the Mets do this? Why can’t Reyes handle being benched? I have no idea, but the Mets have to do something with Reyes. I know that Jose puts up great numbers when it doesn’t matter a la A-Rod, but where was Reyes in the ‘06 Playoff, in September ‘07, and in the first half of ‘08? He’s nowhere to be found when there’s pressure or criticism which means he lacks Rocky Balboa heart. It’s a shame with all of that talent. Just like Lorenzo said to Calogero in A Bronx Tale, “There’s nothing worst than wasted talent.”

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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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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 Metropolitans were unable to provide Willie with a post-meeting victory last night.  Various Mets were asked if Willie should be their manager, and only Wagner stated that he supported Willie.  Other players danced around the question, and tried to be politically correct.  Delgado got really weird about the question.  I’ve been trying to find the full quote, but none of the papers got it.  Here’s a portion of what Carlos said, “I’ll tell you what I think. I think we need to play better. I think they don’t pay me to think. They pay me to play baseball. … (That’s) not a good question to ask.”  When I listened to it, he finished the last question by saying that it’s not a good question to ask in front of everybody.  So when should reporters ask the question?  Also, Delgado was very nasty to the reporters after the first couple of questions.  He began swearing which is probably why I can’t find it in the papers.  Remember this, Delgado didn’t want to be on the Mets so he went to the Marlins instead.  So what did Omar do?  He went out and got Delgado.  Carlos had one good year on the Mets in ‘06.  In ‘07, he had a .258 average and was bored.  This year, he has a .215 average.  He’s a classless bum so get rid of him.  The team chemistry should improve a little bit from this.  I’m sure there’s more problems, but this is a good start.  Thanks Willie for benching Delgado tonight.  There are much bigger problems than Willie.  Omar believes that he has championship talent so he is the first person that needs to wake up and smell the coffee.  Once he realizes how wrong he is in his assessment, he will have to get rid of the bums and bring in championship talent.  Even if these players have the physical talent, they don’t have the mental talent.  Take Reyes for example.  He has been great until Willie benched him.  Once there was adversity, he has sucked.  Down the stretch in ‘07, he sucked.  Now that the Mets are supposed to win, Reyes sucks and the Mets are playing .500 ball.  Reyes was able to succeed without pressure.  After the collapse, my question was whether or not Reyes was injured or childish.  I was upset with the Mets for not stating what the problem was until Spring Training.  I thought Reyes should’ve been dealt to the Twins if he was being childish, but not if he was injured.  In Spring Training, we found out that he was being a baby and he’s still on the Mets.  Omar needs to take a better look at this team, and there are so many more issues.

Mets.com:

Mets reliving a bit of history - Marty Noble compared the ‘08 Mets to the ‘04 Mets.

Mets held at bay by first-place Marlins - Marty Noble summarized last night’s game between the Marlins and the Mets.

Heilman locating pitches better of late - Jon Blau put together a pregame analysis for tonight’s game between the Marlins and the Mets.

Pedro to make return on June 3

Randolph to remain manager of Mets

Church to see a neurologist - Marty Noble reported that Ryan Church, “is to be examined by a neurologist.”  Also, Marlon Anderson was, ”assigned to the disabled list because of a strain of his left hamstring.”

Tigers and Mets have common ground - Fred Claire believes that the Mets and the Tigers are struggling despite big offseason moves.

Newsday:

In the end, this town could make Willie toast

Same old ending as Marlins top Mets, 7-3 - Arthur Staple also summarized last night’s Marlins-Mets game.

Randolph still Mets manager after meeting

Beltran on manager situation: It’s a distraction - Carlos Beltran had this to say about Willie’s status:

I think they should say that and come out with something like that. Because it is a distraction. The reality is people say, ‘No, that doesn’t affect the ballclub,’ but it does. It does because you come to the ballpark wondering what’s going to happen. It’s natural as players, we all think like that.

At one point, I was in that situation when they were talking every day about me being traded when I was in Kansas City. To me, it was thinking it might be today. Tomorrow might be the day. It’s not fun coming wondering like that every day to the ballpark.

Randolph saga is field day for media - I bet it is.  It’s been so overdone.  I was bored of the story after the first two days.

Lightning kills former Mets pitcher Gonzalez - The AP reported that “Former Mets pitcher Geremi Gonzalez was killed by a lightning strike in his native Venezuela on Sunday. He was 33.”  I’ve never actually knew anybody that was killed by lightning.  That is an awful story.  Die Hard Mets Fan sends our prayers to Geremi Gonzalez.

THIS DAY AT THE OLD BALLPARK - Newsday lets us know what happened at Shea Stadium and Yankee Stadium on May 27 of a year in the past.

New York Daily News:

Embattled Mets manager Willie Randolph has brass’ support - for now

Fielding gaffes fail to boost Willie Randolph and doom Mets vs. Marlins - Peter Botte wrote up a game summary for last night’s game between the Marlins and the Mets.

Willie Randolph survives to manage the Mets another day

One meeting can’t clean up the Mets

Met players: It’s on us and not Willie Randolph

Thank Aaron Heilman for preventing blowout vs. Marlins

Ryan Church service still on hold

Lightning kills ex-Met riding boat

New York Post:

THERE’S A WILL, BUT NOT A WAY

DON’T BLAME WILLIE

THE SACRIFICIAL LAMB ON A TEAM OF GOATS

PELFREY’S PUZZLED BY POOR START

BLAME FOR THIS MESS GOES BEYOND DUGOUT

JOSE’S HOT BAT CAN’T START FIRE

WILLIE’S REPRIEVE

PLAYERS: BLAME SHOULD FALL ON US

WILLIE RANDOLPH KEEPS HIS JOB

TRADING PLACES - Dan Tomasino pointed out that, “The first-place team in the NL East will play at Shea Stadium tonight, but it’s not the hometown Mets.”

New York Times:

Randolph Is Still Mets’ Manager

No Good News for Randolph as Mets Lose Again - Joe LaPointe summarized last night’s game between the Marlins and the Mets.

The Star-Ledger:

Game 50: Marlins at Mets - Jeremy Cothran provided the lineup for tonight’s game between the Marlins and the Mets.

Wise placed on DL - Jeremy Cothran reported that, “Matt Wise was placed on the 15-day disabled list with weakness in his throwing (right) shoulder. To fill the void in the bullpen, the Mets called up RHP Carlos Muniz from Triple-A New Orleans.”

Somebody has to go, but it’s not Willie

Players speak volumes by staying silent

Reyes continues puzzling season

Willie will, for now

It’s all about the manager right now

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The New York Mets (23-24) are playing Game 48 of the 2008 Regular Season against the Colorado Rockies (19-30) at Coors Field.  It’s the final game of the three-game series.  The game began at 3:05 p.m., and it was aired on CW11.

Mets Lineup: Reyes, Castillo, Wright, Beltran, Delgado, Schneider, Evans, Chavez, Maine.

Rockies Lineup: Podsednik, Herrera, Helton, Spilborghs, Smith, Stewart, Torrealba, Quintanilla, Cook.

At the Plate

Aaron Cook (6-3) was the starting pitcher for the Rockies.  In the Top of the 1st, Cook pitched a 1-2-3 inning.  Cook gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 1st Inning.  In the Top of the 2nd, Schneider grounded a two-out single up the middle.  Evans grounded to third, and Stewart made the out at first to end the inning.  Cook gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 2nd Inning.  In the Top of the 3rd, Chavez grounded a leadoff single through the hole on the right side.  Maine dropped down a sacrifice bunt down the third base line, and Stewart made the out at first as Chavez went to second.  Jose Reyes lined an RBI single into shallow center, and Endy Chavez came around to score.  Cook picked off Reyes at first.  Castillo dropped down a bunt towards third, and Stewart made the out at first to end the inning.  Cook gave up 2 Hits, 1 Run, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 3rd Inning.  In the Top of the 4th, Cook retired the side in order.  Cook gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 4th Inning.  In the Top of the 5th, Cook retired the side in order for the second straight inning.  Cook gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 5th Inning.  In the Top of the 6th, Maine grounded to third but Stewart (Error on Ian Stewart) batched the ball so Maine ended up on first.  Reyes grounded to second, and the Rockies only got the lead runner out on the double play attempt.  Castillo grounded to the pitcher, and the Rockies turned the inning ending double play.  Cook gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 6th Inning.  In the Top of the 7th, Beltran lined a one-out single into the gap in right center.  Delgado drew a one-out walk.  Cook struck out Schneider swinging.  Church is pinch hitting for Evans, and Cook fanned Church to end the inning with two Mets on base.  Cook gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 2 SOs in the 7th Inning.  In the Top of the 8th, Cook pitched a 1-2-3 inning.  Cook gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 8th Inning.  In the Top of the 9th, Cook slammed the door on the Mets.  Cook gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 9th Inning.

On the Mound

John Maine (5-3) was the starting pitcher for the Mets.  In the Bottom of the 1st, Podsednik drew a leadoff walk.  With Herrera in the batters box, Schneider threw out Podsednik as he attempted to steal second.  Herrera grounded the ball through Delgado’s (Error on Carlos Delgado) glove and into right field which allowed Herrera to end up on second base.  Helton grounded to second, and Castillo made the out at first as Herrera advanced to third.  Maine caught Spilborghs looking at strike three to end the inning with Herrera stranded on third.  Maine gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO in the 1st Inning.  In the Bottom of the 2nd, Maine pitched a 1-2-3 inning.  Maine gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 2 SOs in the 2nd Inning.  In the Bottom of the 3rd, Maine struck out the side.  Maine gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 3 SOs in the 3rd Inning.  In the Bottom of the 4th, Helton drew a one-out walk.  Spilborghs grounded the ball through Jose Reyes’ (Error on Jose Reyes) legs so everybody is safe.  Seth Smith crushed a one-out 3-run homer to right center which scored Todd Helton and Ryan Spilborghs.  Stewart lined out to short.  Torrealba flied out to center to end the inning.  Maine gave up 1 Hit, 3 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 4th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 5th, Quintanilla drew a leadoff walk.  Cook dropped down a sacrifice bunt towards first, and Maine made the out at first as Quintanilla advanced to second.  Podsednik flied out to center.  Maine fanned Herrera to end the inning.  Maine gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO in the 5th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 6th, Helton lined a leadoff double into the corner in left.  Spilborghs lined out to first.  Smith drew a one-out walk.  Stewart grounded a one-out single through the hole on the left side to load the bases.  Yorvit Torrealba hit a sacrifice fly to left, and Todd Helton tagged up and scored.  Maine fanned Quintanilla to end the inning with the bases juiced.  Maine gave up 2 Hits, 1 Run, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO in the 6th Inning.  Maine left the game after pitching 6.0 Innings allowing 3 Hits, 4 Runs, 3 ER, 4 BBs, and he had 8 SOs.

Randolph replaced Maine with Scott Schoeneweis to begin the Bottom of the 7th.  Cook drew a leadoff walk.  Podsednik grounded to short, and the Mets turned the double play.  Herrera grounded out to short to end the inning.  Schoeneweis gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 7th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 8th, Schoeneweis retired the first batter.  Schoeneweis gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 8th Inning.  Schoeneweis left the game after pitching 1.1 Innings allowing 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 ERs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs.

Randolph replaced Schoeneweis with Matt Wise with one out in the Bottom of the 8th.  Wise got the two batters he faced out.  Wise gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 8th Inning.

Final Score: New York Mets 1 - Colorado Rockies 4.  The MLB.com Box Score is attached.  John Maine (5-4) got the loss and Aaron Cook (7-3) got the win.

Game Notes:

• Reyes drove in the only Mets run today.
• Maine only gave up 3 hits, but he gave up a 3-run dinger in the 4th.
• Maine had 8 K’s.

Series Notes:

• The Rockies won the series 2 games to 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.
• For the first time this month, the Mets did not win as many games as they lost.
• The Mets finished this road trip with a 3-6 record.
• The Mets are now two games under .500 with a 23-25 record.

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The New York Mets (22-12) are playing Game 43 of the 2008 Regular Season against the Atlanta Braves (23-21) at Turner Field.  It’s the second game of the four-game series.  The game began at 7:00 p.m., and it was aired on SNY.

Mets Lineup: Reyes, Anderson, Wright, Beltran, Church, Easley, Delgado, Castro, Vargas.

Braves Lineup: Escobar, Infante, Jones, Teixeira, Johnson, Diaz, Blanco, Miller, Campillo.

At the Plate

Jorge Campillo (0-0) was the starting pitcher for the Braves.  In the Top of the 1st, Campillo retired the first three Mets he faced.  Campillo gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 1st Inning.  In the Top of the 2nd, Campillo retired the first six Mets he faced.  Campillo gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 2 SOs in the 2nd Inning.  In the Top of the 3rd, Campillo retired the first nine Mets he faced.  Campillo gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 3rd Inning.  In the Top of the 4th, Reyes lined a leadoff single into right field.  With Anderson in the batters box, Reyes got thrown out stealing second.  Anderson flied out to second.  Wright lined a two-out single into left.  Beltran grounded out to first to end the inning.  Campillo gave up 2 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 4th Inning.  In the Top of the 5th, Church lined a leadoff single into left.  Easley grounded to short, and the Braves turned the double play.  Campillo fanned Delgado.  Campillo gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 5th Inning.  In the Top of the 6th, Campillo pitched a 1-2-3 inning.  Campillo gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 6th Inning.  Campillo left the game after pitching 6.0 Innings allowing 3 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 ER, 0 BBs, and he had 7 SOs.

Cox replaced Campillo with Jeff Bennett to begin the Top of the 7th.  Bennett pitched a 1-2-3 inning.  Bennett gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 7th Inning.

Cox replaced Bennett with Blaine Boyer to begin the Top of the 8th.  Delgado drew a two-out walk.  Ramon Castro lined a two-out RBI double to the gap in right center which scored Carlos Delgado.  Alou is pinch hitting for Vargas, and Alou grouned a two-out single through the hole on the right side so Castro advanced to third.  Boyer gave up 2 Hits, 2 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO in the 8th Inning.

Cox replaced Boyer with Manny Acosta with two outs in the Top of the 8th.  Jose Reyes grounded a two-out RBI single up the middle which scored Ramon Castro, and Alou moved over to second.  Anderson grounded out to second to end the inning leaving two Mets stranded.  Acosta gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 8th Inning.  In the Top of the 9th, Beltran beat out a slowly hit ground ball to third to give the Mets a one-out base runner.  Church grounded a one-out single through the hole on the right side, and Beltran advanced to second.  Easley grounded to short, and the Braves turned an inning ending double play (Ryan Church took a shot to the head as he attempted to take out Escobar to interupt the double play.  Church was bleeding, and the training staff took a look at him.  The trainors carried him off of the field.) (Yunel Escobar also needed to be carried off of the field by the Braves trainors).  Acosta gave up 2 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 9th Inning.  Acost left the game after pitching 1.1 Innings allowing 3 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs.

On the Mound

Claudio Vargas (0-1) was the starting pitcher for the Mets.  In the Bottom of the 1st, Escobar grounded a leadoff single up the middle.  Infante flied out in foul ground along the right field line, and Church made the catch.  Chipper Jones lined an RBI double down the left field line which scored Yunel Escobar.  Teixeira drew a one-out walk.  Vargas fanned Johnson.  Diaz grounded to the pitcher, and Vargas made the out at first.  Vargas gave up 2 Hits, 1 Run, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO in the 1st Inning.  In the Bottom of the 3rd, Infante drew a one-out walk.  Jones grounded a one-out single through the hole on the right side, and Infante advanced to second.  Mark Teixeira grounded a one-out RBI single through he hole on the right side which scored Omar Infante, and Jones moved over to second.  Kelly Johnson lined a one-out 2-run triple down the right field line which scored Chipper Jones and Mark Teixeira.  Diaz flied out to right, and Johnson held up.  Blanco lined out to short leaving Johnson stranded on third.  Vargas gave up 3 Hits, 3 Runs, 1 BB, 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 0 SOs in the 4th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 5th, Vargas retired the Braves in two consecutive innings.  Vargas gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 5th Inning.  Vargas left the game after pitching 5.0 Innings allowing 5 Hits, 4 Runs, 4 ER, 2 BBs, and he had 1 SO.

Randolph replaced Vargas with Pedro Feliciano to begin the Bottom of the 6th.  Feliciano hit Johnson with the pitch to give the Braves a leadoff runner.  Diaz worked the count full before Feliciano struck him out swinging.  Feliciano hit Blanco with the pitch to give the Braves a one-out base runner.  Miller flied out to right.  Norton is pinch hitting for Campillo, Norton grounded to the pitcher so Feliciano made the out at first leaving two Braves stranded.  Feliciano gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 6th Inning.

Randolph replaced Feliciano with Duaner Sanchez to begin the Bottom of the 7th.  Escobar lined a leadoff single to left.  Infante lined a no-out double down the left field line, and Escobar went from first to third.  Jones grounded to second, and Easley ran over to the third base line to tag Escobar out (Infante ended up moving to third, and Jones ended up moving to second).  Sanchez intentionally walked Teixeira to load the bases.  Johnson popped up in foul ground near first, and Delgado made the catch.  Diaz grounded to third, and Wright tagged the bag to end the inning full of Braves.  Sanchez gave up 2 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 7th Inning.

Randolph replaced Sanchez with Matt Wise to begin the Bottom of the 8th.  Miller lined a one-out single to right.  Mark Kotsay pulled a one-out 2-run shot to right scoring Corky Miller.  Escobar grounded out to short.  Infante flied out to right to end the inning.  Wise gave up 2 Hits, 2 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 8th Inning.

Final Score: New York Mets 2 - Atlanta Braves 6.  The MLB.com Box Score is attached.  Claudio Vargas (0-2) took the loss and Jorge Campillo (1-0) got the win.

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.  It’s Amazin that the trend hasn’t broken yet.  What a horrible day for the Metropolitans.  It seems like the Mets haven’t won an important division series since they beat the Phillies in early May with the entire lineup playing poorly except for Utley.  Willie had his team meeting on Friday.  The Mets beat up on the Yankees over the weekend.  Did you see Willie manage differently against the Yankees?  Where was Heilman in that series?  Both starting pitchers went 8 2/3 innings and right to the closer.  Willie did not switch relievers every inning like he does against the division.  The Mets lost both games of the day/night double header against the Braves today.

Jorge Campillo, whoever that is, shut down the lifeless Mets for 6 innings.  Castro drove in both Mets runs with a 2-run shot which was all for the Mets.  As soon as the Mets put up a little fight in the 8th inning, the Braves tacked on 2 insurance runs in the bottom of the inning to make it even more difficult for the Mets to come back and win this game.  The Braves had no trouble scoring on Vargas and Wise.

Once again, the Mets can’t win a division series.  At best, they can split.

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The New York Mets (22-19) are playing Game 42 of the 2008 Regular Season against the Atlanta Braves (22-21) at Turner Field.  It’s the first game of the four-game series.  The game began at 1:10 p.m., and it was aired on SNY.

Mets Lineup: Reyes, Castillo, Wright, Beltran, Church, Alou, Delgado, Schneider, Maine.

Braves Lineup: Escobar, Kotsay, Jones, Teixeira, McCann, Francoeur, Johnson, Blanco, Glavine.

At the Plate

Tom Glavine (1-1) was the starting pitcher for the Braves.  In the Top of the 1st, Luis Castillo somehow pulled a one-out solo shot down the left field line.  Wright grounded a one-out single up the middle.  Beltran drew a one-out walk.  Church lined a one-out opposite field single into left, and Wright advanced to third and Beltran advanced to second.  Moises Alou lined out to third, and the runners stayed put.  Delgado lined out to right to end the inning with the bases juiced.  Glavine gave up 3 Hits, 1 Run, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 1st Inning.  In the Top of the 2nd, Glavine pitched a 1-2-3 inning.  Glavine gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 2nd Inning.  In the Top of the 3rd, Glavine retired the side again.  Glavine gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 3rd Inning.  In the Top of the 4th, Glavine retired the side for the third time.  Glavine gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 4th Inning.  In the Top of the 5th, Glavine now sent the Met down in order for the fourth straight inning.  Glavine gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 5th Inning.  In the Top of the 6th, Glavine now sent the Mets down in order for the fifth inning in a row.  Glavine gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 6th Inning.  Glavine left the game after pitching 6.0 Innings allowing 3 Hits, 1 Runs, 1 ER, 1 BB, and he had 4 SOs.

Cox replaced Glavine with Will Ohman to begin the Top of the 7th.  Ohman pitched a 1-2-3 inning also.  Ohman gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 2 SOs in the 7th Inning.  In the Top of the 8th, Ohman struck out Schneider before Cox made a pitching change.  Ohman gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 8th Inning.  Ohman left the game after pitching 1.1 Innings allowing 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 ER, 0 BBs, and he had 3 SOs.

Cox replaced Ohman with Blaine Boyer with one out in the Top of the 8th.  Reyes lined a two-out single into right.  Castillo grounded out to third to end the inning.  Boyer gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 8th Inning.

Cox replaced Boyer with Manny Acosta to begin the Top of the 9th.  Beltran lined a one-out single up the middle.  Church grounded to first, and the Braves only got the out at second on the double play attempt.  Alou grounded a two-out single up the middle, and Church advanced to second.  Delgado grounded to first, and Teixeira made the toss to Acosta who tagged first to end the game.  Acosta gave up 2 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 9th Inning.

On the Mound

John Maine (5-2) was the starting pitcher for the Mets.  In the Bottom of the 1st, Escobar lined a leadoff double down the right field line.  Kotsay grounded to short, and Reyes made the throw to Wright who tagged Escobar as he was sliding into third.  Jones grounded to second, and Castillo made the out at first as Kotsay advanced to second.  Mark Teixeira lined a two-out RBI single into center, and Mark Kotsay came around to score.  McCann popped up to left, and Alou made the final out of the inning.  Maine gave up 2 Hits, 1 Run, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 1st Inning.  In the Bottom of the 2nd, Blanco drew a two-out walk.  With Glavine in the batters box, Blanco beat out the throw as he stole second safely.  With Glavine at the plate, Maine threw a wild pitch so Blanco advanced to third.  Glavine grounded to the pitcher, and Maine made the out at first to end the inning.  Maine gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 2 SOs in the 2nd Inning.  In the Bottom of the 3rd, Escobar grounded a leadoff single up the middle.  With Kotsay in the batters box, Schneider threw out Escobar as he attempted to steal second.  Kotsay lined out to left.  Jones lined a two-out single into right.  Teixeira grounded a two-out single up the middle, and Jones advanced to second.  Brian McCann lined a two-out RBI single into center, and Chipper Jones came around to score while Teixeira moved over to second.  Francoeur popped up to shallow left, and Reyes made the out leaving to Braves on base.  Maine gave up 4 Hits, 1 Run, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 3rd Inning.  In the Bottom of the 4th, Johnson drove an opposite field leadoff double to the gap in left center.  Blanco drew a no-out walk.  Glavine dropped down a sacrifice bunt towards the pitcher, and Maine made the out at first as both runners advanced.  Yunel Escobar lined out to right, and Kelly Johnson tagged up and scored while Blanco advanced to third.  Kotsay popped up to left, and Alou made the final out of the inning.  Maine gave up 1 Hit, 1 Run, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 4th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 5th, Jones drew a leadoff walk.  Teixeira beat out a ground ball down the third base line for a no-out single, and Jones moved over to second.  Maine gave up 1 Hit, 1 Run, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 5th Inning.  Maine left the game after pitching 4.0 Innings allowing 8 Hits, 4 Runs, 4 ER, 3 BBs, and he had 2 SOs.

Randolph replaced Maine with Scott Schoeneweis with no outs in the Bottom of the 5th.  McCann grounded to first, and Delgado made the throw to Schoeneweis at first for the out while both runners advanced.  Schoeneweis intentionally walked Francoeur to load the bases.  Kelly Johnson hit a sacrifice fly to left, and Chipper Jones tagged up and scored while the other runners held up.  Blanco grounded to short, and Reyes made the out at first to end the inning.  Schoeneweis gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 5th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 6th, Gotay led off with a pinch hit ground ball through the hole on the right side for a single.  Escobar flied out to left.  Kotsay flied out to left.  Jones popped up to first to end the inning.  Schoeneweis gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 6th Inning.  Shoeneweis left the game after pitching 2.0 Innings allowing 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 ER, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs.

Randolph replaced Schoeneweis with Aaron Heilman to begin the Bottom of the 7th.  Teixeira drew a leadoff walk.  Brian McCann crushed a no-out 2-run home run to left center which scored Mark Teixeira.  Francoeur popped up to short.  Johnson grounded out to second.  Blanco grounded out to first to end the inning.  Heilman gave up 1 Hit, 2 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 7th Inning.

Randolph replaced Heilman with Matt Wise to begin the Bottom of the 8th.  Kotsay grounded a two-out single up the middle.  Wise got Jones looking at strike three.  Wise gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 8th Inning.

Final Score: New York Mets 1 - Atlanta Braves 6.  The MLB.com Box Score is attached.  John Maine (5-3) got the loss and Tom Glavine (2-1) got the win.

Since May 1st, this is the Mets trend: w-l-w-l-l-w-w-l-w-l-w-l-l-w-w-?.  Each time they lose one or more games, they mitigate a losing streak with the exact number of wins.  Once the Mets win enough games to offset the losses, they lose again.  That question mark is for today’s which game which resulted in a loss.  The unpredictable part of this is trying to determine how long the losing streak will be.  The Mets haven’t lost more than two games in a row this month yet so it seems like the worst thing that can happen is that the Mets loss two games before winning two games to go even with the Braves.

Isn’t it funny how Tom Glavine can pitch effectively against the Mets?  When he was on the Mets, he can pitch well except every team except the Braves.  That is why I always thought he was secretly on the Braves payroll because he got like one win in 6 years against the Braves.  I thought the Mets were going to knock Tommy out of the game in the first inning, but the Mets only got one run.  After that, Glavine retired 17 straight Mets.  I wanted him to feel devastated.  Maine didn’t have it today which is unfortunate because we’re playing the Braves.  Willie was kind enough to bring in Heilman for an inning so we can watch McCann hit a 2-run homer off of him.  The last thing I want to watch is the Braves tack on runs even if Willie didn’t think the team could come back and win the game.  Don’t give them the satisfaction.  The Mets only got 5 hits today.  We’ll see what happens tonight.

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The New York Mets (20-18) are playing Game 39 of the 2008 Regular Season against the Washington Nationals (17-24) at Shea Stadium.  It’s the final game of the four-game series.  The game began at 1:10 p.m., and it was aired on SNY.Nationals Lineup: Lopez, Guzman, Zimmerman, Boone, Milledge, Kearns, Mackowiak, Flores, Bergmann.

Mets Lineup: Reyes, Castillo, Wright, Beltran, Church, Delgado, Castro, Anderson, Pelfrey.

On the Mound

Mike Pelfrey (2-3) was the starting pitcher for the Mets.  In the Top of the 1st, Pelfrey retired the side with three fly outs.  Pelfrey gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 1st Inning.  In the Top of the 2nd, Pelrey now retired the first six batters he faced.  Pelfrey gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 2nd Inning.  In the Top of the 3rd, Flores drew a one-out walk.  Pelfrey struck out Bergmann.  Lopez drew a two-out walk.  Guzman grounded to second, and Castillo made the out at first to end the inning.  Pelfrey gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 2 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 3rd Inning.  In the Top of the 4th, Pelfrey pitched a 1-2-3 inning.  Pelfrey gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 4th Inning.  In the Top of the 5th, Flores drew a two-out walk.  Bergmann flied out to center to end the inning.  Pelfrey gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO in the 5th Inning.  In the Top of the 6th, Pelfrey retired the side in order.  Pelfrey gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 6th Inning.  In the Top of the 7th, Boone led off with a leadoff single into right which was the first hit Pelfrey allowed today.  Milledge popped up to shallow center, and Castillo made the out.  With Kearns at the plate, Castro threw out Boone as Boone attempted to steal second.  Pelfrey hit Kearns with the pitch to give the Nationals a two-out base runner.  Mackowiak grounded to short, and Reyes made the out at first to end the inning.  Pelfrey gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 7th Inning.  In the Top of the 8th, Flores led off by lining a double off of the left field wall.  Harris is pinch hitting for Bergmann, and Harris bunted towards first so Delgado made the out at first as Flores advanced to third.  Felipe Lopez flied out to the warning track in left, and Jesus Flores tagged up and scored.  Guzman lined a two-out single to center.  Pelfrey gave up 2 Hits, 1 Run, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 8th Inning.  Pelfrey left the game after pitching 7.2 Innings allowing 3 Hits, 1 Run, 1 ER, 3 BBs, and he had 4 SOs.

Randolph replaced Pelfrey with Matt Wise with two outs in the Top of the 8th.  With Zimmerman in the batters box, Guzman stole second without a throw.  Wise fanned Zimmerman to strand Guzman at second.  Wise gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 8th Inning.  In the Top of the 9th, Boone led off by lining a single into center.  Milledge grounded to short, and Reyes made the out at first as Boone moved over to second.  Kearns grounded to the pitcher, and Wise made the out at first as Boone advanced to third.  Belliard is pinch hitting for Ayala, and Belliard drew a two-out walk.  Wise fanned Flores on three straight pitches stranding runners at the corners.  Wise gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO in the 9th Inning.  Wise left the game after pitching 1.1 Innings allowing 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 ER, 1 BB, and he had 2 SOs.

At the Plate

Jason Bergmann (0-1) was the starting pitcher for the Nationals.  In the Bottom of the 1st, Castillo beat out a bunt towards the pitcher for a one-out single.  Wright flied out to right.  Beltran flied out to center.  Bergmann gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 1st Inning.  In the Bottom of the 2nd, Church drew a leadoff walk.  Bergmann fanned Delgado.  Castro lined out to left.  Anderson flied out to right to end the inning.  Bergmann gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO in the 2nd Inning.  In the Bottom of the 3rd, Castillo dropped a two-out single into shallow right as Kearns dove but could not get full control of the ball.  Wright hit a fly ball along the right field line which Kearns (Error on Austin Kearns) dropped so Wright ended up with a two-out single, and Castillo went first to third.  Beltran lined out to right to end the inning with runners on the corners.  Bergmann gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 3rd Inning.  In the Bottom of the 4th, Bergmann pitched a 1-2-3 inning.  Bergmann gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 4th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 5th, Anderson lined a leadoff single into center.  Bergmann struck out Pelfrey on three straight pitches.  Bergmann fanned Reyes.  With Castillo in the batters box, Anderson stole second.  Castillo drew a two-out walk.  Wright popped up to shallow left, and Guzman made the catch to leave two Mets stranded.  Bergmann gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 2 SOs in the 5th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 6th, Bergmann retired the side in order.  Bergmann gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 6th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 7th, Bergmann struck out the side.  Bergmann gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 3 SOs in the 7th Inning.  Bergmann left the game after pitching 7.0 Innings allowing 3 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 ER, 2 BBs, and he had 9 SOs.

Acta replaced Bergmann with Luis Ayala to begin the Bottom of the 8th.  Reyes led off by beating out a slow ground ball down the third base line for a single.  Castillo dropped down a bunt towards third, and Zimmerman made the out at first.  Reyes was going to third, but Boone threw the ball to Guzman who tagged Reyes before Reyes got to third.  Wright popped up to first to end the inning.  Ayala gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 8th Inning.

Acta replaced Ayala with Jon Rauch to begin the Bottom of the 9th.  Beltran lined a leadoff single to right.  Church lined out along the left field line, and Harris made a beautiful diving catch to save a hit.  With Delgado at the place, Beltran stole second as Flores’ throw went into center field.  Beltran advanced to third on the poor throw by Flores (Error on Jesus Flores).  Delgado lined out to first, and Beltran got doubled up because he could not get back to third in time.  Rauch gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 9th Inning.

Final Score: Washington Nationals 1 - New York Mets 0.  The MLB.com Box Score is attached.  Mike Pelfrey (2-4) got the loss and Jason Bergmann (1-1) got the win.

Mike Pelfrey pitched a gem today.  Pelfrey got a standing ovation after giving up his first hit in the 7th Inning, and he got another standing ovation after he got pulled after pitching 7.2 Innings allowing 3 hits and 1 run.  Jason Bergmann pretty much matched Pelfrey today, except he gave up 0 runs.  The Mets could not score.  In the Bottom of the 8th, Jose Reyes made a really bad base running mistake.  He attempted to take two bases on a sacrifice bunt rather than one, and it costed the Mets with the opportunity to tie this game up.  When Carlos Delgado hit a rocket to first and Beltran got doubed up in the Bottom of the 9th, that was just bad luck.

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I’ve read a bunch of articles about everyone thinks that the Mets are doing the right thing by holding back Johan Santana until Friday night against the Yankees.  I strongly disagree with this concept, and I can care less what the Mets do in the interleague games.  The Mets need to win as many interleague games as possible, but not as much as they need to win division games and NL games.  The Mets make sure that their aces face the Yankees every year.  Last season, if they lost one more game against the Yankees and won one more game in their division then they would’ve won the NL East and played in the Playoffs.  The Mets are playing a four-game series against the Nationals right now.  They lost one already so they need to slam the door on the Nats.  So I believe Santana should remain in his normal spot.  Should New York bragging rights cost the Mets the division title?

Mets.com:

Order is restored - Marty Noble summarized last night’s game between the Nationals and the Mets.

Mets anything but conventional - Marty Nolbe wrote a pregame analysis for tonight’s game between the Nationals and the Mets.

Mets make several roster moves - Marty Noble lists all of the roster moves that the Mets made yesterday.  The New York Post covered this yesterday.

Shea Apple may move over to Citi Field - Marty Noble stated that the Home Run Apple may move over to Citi Field.  Mets COO Jeff Wilpon stated that it hasn’t yet been determined whether the old one can handle the move or whether a replacement will be necessary.  This is already old news.  This was released during Spring Training.

Newsday:

Church leads Mets to victory over Nationals - Anthony Rieber also summarized last night’s Nationals-Mets game.

Mets cut Figueroa loose

Vargas, Wise, Tatis replace Figueroa, Sosa, Pagan

Looks like Mets will have big apple at Citi Field

New York Daily News:

Ryan Church, John Maine lead Mets past Nationals 6-3 at Shea - Adam Rubin also put together a game recap for last night’s game between the Nats and the Mets.

Forget collapse, time for Mets to avoid a May daze - John Harper believes that the Mets have to take advantage of winning in May so they don’t have to worry about must wins in September when they may be unable to do it.

‘Girls’ can cheer as Figgy gets cut

Mets finally relieved of Jorge Sosa

New York Post:

METS GOING TO CHURCH - Bart Hubbuch summarized last night’s Nats-Mets game.

SANTANA GETS OK TO START VS. YANKEES

CITI FIELD SHAPING UP - Howie Rumberg describes how far along Citi Field has come.

New York Times:

For the Mets, New Faces, Better Result - Ben Shpigel summarized last night’s game between the Nationals and the Mets also.

Mets Making Moves and Noise

The Star-Ledger:

Clearer picture at new ballpark

Church rings true in win

Santana will start vs. Yanks

Final: Mets 6, Nationals 3

Thank you, Rick Peterson… - Dan Graziano thanks the Mets as an organization for pitching Johan Santana against the Yankees.

Game 37: Nationals at Mets - Jeremy Cothran provided the lineup for last night’s Nats-Mets game.

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The New York Mets (19-17) are playing Game 37 of the 2008 Regular Season against the Washington Nationals (16-23) 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.

Nationals Lineup: Lopez, Guzman, Zimmerman, Johnson, Milledge, Kearns, Dukes, Nieves, Lannan.

Mets Lineup: Reyes, Church, Wright, Beltran, Alou, Delgado, Easley, Schneider, Maine.

On the Mound

John Maine (4-2) was the starting pitcher for the Mets.  In the Top of the 1st, Maine hit Lopez with the first pitch of the game to give the Nationals a leadoff runner.  Guzman grounded to short, and Reyes made the force out at second.  Maine fanned Zimmerman.  Johnson grounded to the pitcher, and Maine made the out at first to end the inning.  Maine gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and 1 SO in the 1st Inning.  In the Top of the 2nd, Kearns grounded a one-out single through the hole on the right side.  Dukes drew a one-out walk.  Nieves grounded to short, and Reyes got the lead runner out at third.  Lannan grounded to the pitcher, and Maine made the out at first to end the inning.  Maine gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO in the 2nd Inning.  In the Top of the 3rd, Guzman beat out a ground ball to second on a bad throw by Easley (Error on Damion Easley) to give the Nationals a one-out base runner.  Ryan Zimmerman crushed a one-out 2-run homer to left field scoring Cristian Guzman.  Johnson grounded out to first.  Maine struck out Milledge again to end the inning.  Maine gave up 1 Hit, 2 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 3rd Inning.  In the Top of the 4th, Maine pitched his first 1-2-3 inning of the game.  Maine gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 4th Inning.  In the Top of the 5th, Maine retired the side for the second straight inning.  Maine gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 5th Inning.  In the Top of the 6th, Milledge grounded to second but it went through Easley’s (Error on Damion Easley) legs so the Nationals have a two-out base runner.  Maine struck out Kearns looking to end the inning.  Maine gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 6th Inning.  Maine left the game after pitching 6.0 Innings allowing 2 Hits, 2 Runs, 1 ER, 1 BB, and he had 5 SOs.

Randolph replaced Maine with Matt Wise to begin the Top of the 7th.  Dukes grounded a leadoff double down the left field line.  Nieves grounded to third, and Wright made the out at first as Dukes advanced to third.  Mackowiak is pinch hitting for Lannan, and Rob Mackowiak grounded out to second which scored Elijah Dukes.  Lopez grounded to short, and Reyes made the out at first to end the inning.  Wise gave up 1 Hit, 1 Run, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 7th Inning. 

Randolph replaced Wise with Duaner Sanchez to begin the Top of the 8th.  Guzman drew a leadoff walk.  Zimmerman flied out to right.  Johnson drew a one-out walk.  Sanchez fanned Milledge on three straight pitches.  Kearns grounded to third, and Wright got the force out at second to end the inning.  Sanchez gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 2 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 8th Inning.

Randolph replaced Sanchez with Billy Wagner to begin the Top of the 9th.  Boone is pinch hitting for Hanrahan, and Boone lined a two-out single into center.  Wagner fanned Lopez to end the game.  Wagner gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 2 SOs in the 9th Inning.

At the Plate

John Lannan (3-3) was the starting pitcher for the Nationals.  In the Bottom of the 1st, Wright lined a two-out single to left center.  Beltran popped up to first to end the inning.  Lannan gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and 0 SOs in the 1st Inning.  In the Bottom of the 2nd, Alou grounded to deep short but Guzman threw off the bag so Alou ended up with a leadoff single.  Delgado dropped down a bunt towards third (because nobody was there) so he ended up with a no-out single, and Alou went to second.  Easley drew a no-out walk on four straight pitches to load the bases.  Brian Schneider grounded to first, and the Nationals only got the out at second on the double play attempt as Moises Alou came home.  Maine bunted towards the pitcher, and Lannan made the out at first as Schneider moved over to second.  Reyes grounded to short, and Guzman made the out at first leaving two Mets in scoring position.  Lannan gave up 2 Hits, 1 Run, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 2nd Inning.  In the Bottom of the 3rd, Ryan Church smacked a solo shot to dead center to lead off the inning.  Wright grounded a no-out standup double down the right field line.  Beltran grounded out to short.  Alou popped up to shallow right, and Kearns made the catch.  Delgado grounded out to second to end the inning.  Lannan gave up 2 Hits, 1 Run, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 3rd Inning.  In the Bottom of the 4th, Schneider grounded a one-out single up the middle.  Maine lined a one-out single into left, and Schneider advanced to second.  Reyes grounded to third, and the Nationals turned the inning ending double play.  Lannan gave up 2 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 4th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 5th, Beltran lined a two-out single up the middle.  Alou grounded a two-out single up the middle, and Beltran advanced to second.  Delgado flied out to the warning track in dead center to leave two Mets stranded.  Lannan gave up 2 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 5th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 6th, Schneider lined a one-out single into center.  Tatis is pinch hitting for Maine, and Tatis lined a one-out single into right so Schneider went to second.  Lannan fanned Reyes.  Ryan Church lined a two-out 2-run double over Kearn’s head which scored Brian Schneider and Fernando Tatis.  Wright grounded out to second to end the inning.  Lannan gave up 3 Hits, 2 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 6th Inning.  Lannan left the game after pitching 6.0 Innings allowing 12 Hits, 4 Runs, 4 ER, 1 BB, and he had 2 SOs.

Acta replaced Lannan with Luis Ayala to begin the Bottom of the 7th.  Ayala retired the side in order.  Ayala gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 7th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 8th, Schneider led off by lining an opposite field double down the left field line.  Anderson is pinch hitting for Sanchez, and Anderson drew a one-out walk.  Jose Reyes lined a one-out RBI single up the middle which scored Brian Schneider, and Anderson went first to third because Milledge (Error on Lastings Milledge) bobbled the ball.  Ayala gave up 2 Hits, 1 Run, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 8th Inning.  Ayala left the game after pitching 1.1 Innings allowing 2 Hits, 2 Runs, 2 ERs, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO.

Acta replaced Ayala with Joel Hanrahan with one out in the Bottom of the 8th.  Ryan Church flied out to right, and Marlon Anderson tagged up and scored.  With Wright at the plate, Hanrahan threw a passed ball and Reyes advanced to second.  Wright flied out to center to end the inning.  Hanrahan gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 8th Inning.

Final Score: Washington Nationals 3 - New York Mets 6.  The MLB.com Box Score is attached.  John Maine (5-2) got the win and John Lannan (3-4) got the loss.

Well, the Mets settled the score with the Nats.  It’s even at one with two games to go in the series.  Maine pitched another pretty good game.  Good enough to win the game.  The Mets scored 4 runs off of Lannan, and then they were able to add on 2 insurance runs against the Bullpen in the 8th Inning.  Schneider had the most hits in the game (3), and Church had the most RBIs in the game (4).  So the former Nats made a statement against their former team.  Yesterday, Milledge was the hero.  Today, he was the goat.  He went 0-4 with 3 SOs, and a costly Error out in center field.  And most importantly, the win keeps the w-l-w-l-w-l-w-l streak going.  For the ‘08 Mets, it’s all about .500.

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