Die Hard Sports Fan

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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Die Hard Mets Fan would like to wish you a Happy Mother’s Day!  The Mets won the weekend series against the Reds, and then the Nats are coming to Queens tomorrow for a four-game series.  Hopefully, we can continue to watch the Metsies beat up on the scrubs of the NL.  Next weekend begins the first interleague series, and the Mets will be in the Bronx for the weekend for the first Subway Series of ‘08.

Mets.com:

Quirks and all, Perez picks up victory - Marty Noble summarized today’s game between the Reds and the Mets.

Strained left quad stops Castillo - Marty Noble reported that Luis Castillo had to leave today’s game against the Reds because he strained his left quad in the 5th Inning.

Pelfrey undergoing transformation - Marty Noble stated that last night’s loss to the Reds was in some ways a moral victory for Mike Pelfrey because he pitched 6 innings allowing 2 runs.  After a couple of poor performances, Pelfrey made some changes which led to an improved outing last night.  His teammates informed him that he was tipping off his pitches by chewing on his mouthpiece when he threw fastballs, but not when he threw breaking balls.  So one change was getting rid of the mouthpiece, and the other change was not using what he claims is his best pitch (the two seam fastball) because it hasn’t been successful lately.

Pelfrey solid, but Mets fall in nightcap - Marty Noble summarized last night’s game between the Reds and the Mets.

Beltran powers Mets in matinee - Marty Noble summarized yesterday’s game between the Reds and the Mets.

Mets aim to stay solid vs. weaker clubs - Marty Noble put together a pregame analysis for today’s game between the Reds and the Mets.

Son of former Met a chip off old block - Marty Noble lets us know how the son of former Mets’ catcher Ron Hodges, Casey Hodges, who pitches for Mount Olive College is doing so far in his collegiate career.

Newsday:

Subpar Santana still good enough for Mets - Mark Herrman summarized yesterday’s double header between the Reds and the Mets.

Pelfrey still improving despite loss

Mets’ Beltran primed to break funk - Ken Davidoff stated that Carlos Beltran may get out of the funk after his 5-RBI game in the first game against the Reds.

New York Daily News:

Carlos Beltran, Ryan Church hit back-to-back homers as Mets blast Reds - The AP summarized today’s Reds-Mets game.

Mets are like night and day in doubleheader, split games vs. Reds - Anthony McCarron also summarized yesterday’s Reds-Mets double header.

Johan Santana seems slow to change up Mets’ fortunes

Wagner loses his cool on watercooler - Kristie Ackert tells us that Billy Wagner took out his frustrations on the water cooler in the dugout after he stunk it up in the 9th Inning of last night’s game against the Reds.

Like night & day for Aaron Heilman - Kristie Ackert explained how different Aaron Heilman was when used in both games of yesterday’s double header.

Lucky 7th for Carlos Delgado - Mark Lelinwalla describes how successful Carlos Delgado was when batting in the seventh spot of the lineup in yesterday’s day game against the Reds.

Junior achievements wow Willie - Since the Reds are in town and Griffey is close to hitting his 600th Home Run, Anthony McCarron found out what Willie Randolph’s thoughts are on Ken Griffey Jr.’s exceptional career.  McCarron also provided some stats for what could’ve been for the slugger.

Griffey has struggled to stay healthy his entire career. He could have played 3,115 games over his career if he had played every game of every season he’s been in the majors, including this one. But he’s only played in 2,414, or 77.5%. He’s missed 701 games, or more than four full seasons. Still, he’s hit 597 homers.

Bobby Valentine has ‘zen’ moment in new movie - Patrick Huguenin found out that three NYU students made a documentary about Bobby Valentine titled, ”The Zen of Bobby V”.  The documentary “examines Valentine’s remarkable adaptation to a baseball culture far from home.”  Bobby V is now the manager of Japan’s Chiba Lotte Marines.  I gotta check out this flick because it seems like it will crack me up.

New York Post:

BELTRAN, CHURCH POWER METS OVER REDS - Mike Puma summarized today’s game between the Reds and the Mets.

METS SUFFER FROM SPLITTIN’ RED-ACHE - Mike Puma summarized both games of yesterday’s double header between the Reds and the Mets.

DELGADO GETTING THINGS IN ORDER

PASSION IS KEY TO BEIN’ AMAZIN’ - Kevin Kernan believes that the Mets didn’t have enough passion to win both game of the double header yesterday.

DAVID HAS RIGHT IDEA - Mike Puma stated that “When David Wright is going right, he’s thinking right (field).”

25 BEST MOMENTS AT SHEA: NO. 20

METS BEAT REDS 12-6 - Mike Puma summarized the first game of yesterday’s double header between the Reds and the Mets.

New York Times:

Mets’ Offense a Safeguard Against a Potential Pérez Combustion - Ben Shpigel summarized today’s Reds-Mets game.

The Star-Ledger:

Mets roll over Reds, 8-3 - Alex Delanian summarized today’s game Reds-Mets game.

BREAKING NEWS: Delgado’s agent is insane - Dan Graziano walks us through his encounter with Delgado’s Agent David Sloane.

Get your pink caps on - Alex Delanian provided the lineup for today’s game between the Reds and the Mets.

Santana gets himself out of a jam

Mets’ pop goes flat - Colin Stephenson explains some reasons why the Mets were not able to win the nightcap of the double header against the Reds.

What to do with three hours of dead time - Colin Stephenson lets us know what some of the players did during the three and a half hour break in between yesterday’s double header.

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The New York Mets (18-15) are playing Game 34 of the 2008 Regular Season against the Cincinnati Reds (14-22) at Shea Stadium.  It’s the second game of a three-game series.  The game began at 7:30 p.m., and it was aired on SNY.

Reds Lineup: Freel, Hairston Jr., Griffey Jr., Encarnacion, Dunn, Keppinger, Hatteberg, Bako, Arroyo.

Mets Lineup: Reyes, Chavez, Wright, Beltran, Delgado, Easley, Anderson, Castro, Pelfrey.

On the Mound

Mike Pelfrey (2-2) was the starting pitcher for the Mets.  In the Top of the 1st, Freel pulled a leadoff double over the third base bag and down the line.  Hairston dropped down a bunt towards first, and Pelfrey made the out at first while Freel advanced to third.  Ken Griffey Jr. lined a one-out RBI single into left, and Ryan Freel came home to score.  Encarnacion flied out to right.  Dunn flied out to left to end the inning.  Pelfrey gave up 2 Hits, 1 Run, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 1st Inning.  In the Top of the 2nd, Keppinger grounded a leadoff single through the hole on the right side.  Pelfrey fanned Hatteberg and Bako back-to-back.  Arroyo lined to center, and Beltran dove to make a beautiful catch.  Pelfrey gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 2 SOs in the 2nd Inning.  In the Top of the 3rd, Pelfrey pitched a 1-2-3 inning.  Pelfrey gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 3rd Inning.  In the Top of the 4th, Keppinger lined a two-out single to right.  Hatteberg blooped the ball along the left field line, but Anderson dove for it but couldn’t hold onto the ball so Keppinger advanced to third.  Bako drew a two-out walk which loaded the bases.  Arroyo grounded to first, and Delgado tagged first to end the inning leaving the bases full.  Pelfrey gave up 2 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 4th Inning.  In the Top of the 5th, Griffey dropped a two-out single into right.  Encarnacion popped up to second to end the inning.  Pelfrey gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 5th Inning.  In the Top of the 6th, Keppinger grounded a one-out single under Reyes and into center.  Scott Hatteberg drove a one-out RBI double to the gap in right center, and Jeff Keppinger came all the way around to score.  Bako lined the ball foul of the left field line, and Anderson made the catch.  Arroyo grounded out to third to end the inning.  Pelfrey gave up 2 Hits, 1 Run, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 6th Inning.  Pelfrey left the game after pitching 6.0 Innings allowing 8 Hits, 2 Runs, 2 ER, 1 BB, and he had 3 SOs.

Randolph replaced Pelfrey with Aaron Heilman to begin the Top of the 7th.  Heilman pitched a 1-2-3 inning.  Heilman gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 7th Inning.

Randolph replaced Heilman with Duaner Sanchez to begin the Top of the 8th.  Dunn hit a slow grounder to third, and Wright didn’t make a play on it so Dunn ended up with a one-out single (Patterson replaced Dunn).  Keppinger grounded a one-out single through the hole on the left side, and Patterson moved over to second.  Scott Hatteberg grounded a one-out  RBI single through the hole on the left side which scored Corey Patterson and Keppinger went first to third.  Paul Bako grounded a one-out RBI single through the hole on the right side which scored Jeff Keppinger and Hatteberg advanced to second.  Arroyo flied out to left.  Freel grounded to third, and Wright made the force play at second.  Sanchez gave up 4 Hits, 2 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 8th Inning.

Randolph replaced Sanchez with Billy Wagner to begin the Top of the 9th.  Griffey drew a one-out walk.  Encarnacion grounded to third, and Wright (Error on David Wright) misfielded the ball so Encarnacion is safe and Griffey moved over to second.  Patterson grounded to first, and Delgado (Error on Carlos Delgado) made a high throw to second so the bases are loaded.  Jeff Keppinger grounded an RBI single to short, and Reyes attempted to make a play at third but it was not in time and Ken Griffey Jr. scored.  Scott Hatteberg hit a sacrifice fly to left, and Edwin Encarnacion came home to score.  Paul Bako grounded a two-out RBI single through the hole on the right side scoring Jeff Keppinger.  Wagner gave up 2 Hits, 3 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 9th Inning.

Randolph replaced Wagner with Jorge Sosa with two outs in the 9th Inning.  Valentin popped up to right to end the nightmare.  Sosa gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 9th Inning.

At the Plate

Bronson Arroyo (1-4) was the starting pitcher for the Reds.  In the Bottom of the 1st, Arroyo struck out the side.  Arroyo gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 3 SOs in the 1st Inning.  In the Bottom of the 2nd, Beltran drew a leadoff walk.  Delgado grounded a no-out single up the middle, and Beltran moved over to second.  Easley lined out to center.  Anderson grounded to first, but Hatteberg (Error on Scott Hatteberg) dropped the ball so the Reds couldn’t turn the double play so Hatteberg flipped the ball to Arroyo to try to get the out at first and Arroyo dropped the ball so everybody is safe.  Arroy struck out Castro swinging.  Pelfrey lined out to right leaving the bases loaded.  Arroyo gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO in the 2nd Inning.  In the Bottom of the 3rd, Reyes led off with an opposite field double to left.  Chavez dragged a bunt towards first, and Arroyo made the out at first while Reyes advanced to third.  David Wright grounded to short, and Keppinger dropped the ball so Wright beat it out as Jose Reyes came home to score.  Beltran drove a one-out double to the gap in right center and bounced to the wall, but Wright got thrown out at home plate.  Beltran went to third on the throw to home.  Delgado grounded out to short to end the inning.  Arroyo gave up 3 Hits, 1 Run, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 3rd Inning.  In the Bottom of the 4th, Castro drew a two-out walk.  Pelfrey grounded to second, and Hairston made the force play at second.  Arroyo gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 4th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 5th, Arroyo retired the side in order.  Arroyo gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 5th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 6th, Arroyo pitched another 1-2-3 inning.  Arroyo gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 6th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 7th, Arroyo struck out the side for the second time tonight.  Arroyo gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 3 SOs in the 7th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 8th, Arroyo now retired the Mets in order for 4 straight innings.  Arroyo gave up 0 hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 8th Inning.

Baker replaced Arroyo with Francisco Cordero to begin the Bottom of the 9th.  Cordero pitched a 1-2-3 inning to end the game.  Cordero gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 2 SOs in the 9th Inning.

Final Score: Cincinnati Reds 7 - New York Mets 1.  The MLB.com Box Score is attached.  Mike Pelfrey (2-3) got the loss and Bronson Arroyo (2-4) got the win.

Big Pelf pitched six solid innings allowing only 2 runs, but the offense must’ve exhausted itself this afternoon because they only put up 1 run tonight.  The Mets’ Bullpen got taxed for 5 runs late in the game, and they called it a night in Flushing.  Tomorrow’s another day.  After the Reds and Mets split today’s double header, the Mets will host the rubber game tomorrow.  Johnny Cueto will face Oliver Perez.

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The Mets currently have a 2-1 lead over the D-Backs.  Santana is doing what he does right now, and he just worked himself out of a bases loaded jam as well.  He’s finished after 6 Innings so we’ll see how this plays out.  I definitely want the Metropolitans to win the series before leaving the Valley of the Sun.  The Mets will head out to the City of Angels after the game.

Mets.com:

Schneider to play through the pain - Anthony DiComo noted that Brian Schneider was going to start today, and he has to play through the pain of his injury.

One step forward, two steps back - Anthony DiComo summarized yesterday’s game between the Mets and the Diamondbacks.

Mets display their offseason prize - Anthony DiComo put together a  pregame analysis for today’s game between the Mets and the Diamondbacks.

Franco officially ends 23-year career - The AP reported that former Met, Julio Franco, officially retired on Wednesday at the age of 49.

Reyes was caught in the moment - Anthony DiComo says Jose Reyes played it smart when he attempted the cycle on Friday.

Church’s lineup spot benefits everyone - Anthony DiComo stated that the Mets are wig when Reyes is succeeding and Ryan Church is batting second in the lineup.

Newsday:

Mets catcher Schneider ready for duty

Pitching meltdown sinks Mets in Phoenix - David Lennon summarized yesterday’s Mets-Diamondbacks game.

Ex-Met Gary Carter never shy about curtain calls

New York Daily News:

Mets finally fall to D-backs in Arizona

Brian Schneider to return in L.A.

Boo-birds in full flock this spring - Jesse Spector explains why the Mets are getting booed so much in ‘08.

New York Post:

DUD IN DESERT

SERBY’S SUNDAY Q&A WITH… - Billy Wagner.

DELGADO FINDING GROOVE

25 BEST SHEA STADIUM MOMENTS: NO. 21

VERSATILE MURPHY TURNING HEADS - Tim Bontempts tells us how a prospect named Dan Murphy, third baseman of Double-A Binghamton, had a great April, hitting .363 with one home run and 18 RBI in 26 games.

New York Times:

Webb Is the Model, and Pelfrey Learns a Lesson About His Craft

The Star-Ledger:

Game 29: Mets at Diamondbacks - Jeremy Cothran provided the lineup for today’s game.

A tough day for Pelfrey as D’Backs roll

Delgado shows signs he’s still got it

Final: Diamondbacks 10, Mets 4

Mets lose to Diamondbacks, 10-4 - Jeremy Cothran summarized yesterday’s game.

Game 28: Mets at Diamondbacks - Jeremy Cothran provded the lineup for yesterday’s game.

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The good news is that I’m flying down to Charleston, SC for a wedding this weekend.  The bad news is that I won’t be able to cover the Mets-Braves series.  I’m a Rangers fan too so I’m going to miss a Braves-Mets series and Games 1 & 2 of the Rangers-Penguins series.  I set my DVR to record all of that except for Game 1 of the Rangers-Penguins series because it’s on Versus, and I don’t have it.  I’m also going to miss the NFL Draft.  Our output is going to be limited this weekend.  When I get home, I’m going to watch all the Mets-Braves series because I’d never miss it.

Here’s the probable pitching matchups:

• 04/25/2008 - Jair Jurrjens (2-2) - Mike Pelfrey (2-0)
• 04/26/2008 - Tim Hudson (3-1) - John Maine (1-2)
• 04/27/2008 - John Smoltz (3-1) - Nelson Figueroa Jr. (1-1)

I’m not sure about tonight, but the pitching matchups looks like it’s in the Braves favor on Saturday and Sunday.

Mets.com:

Mets’ early lead disappears in D.C. - Anthony DiComo summarized last night’s game between the Mets and the Nationals.

Mets hope to find groove vs. Braves - Anthony DiComo put together a pregame analysis for tonight’s game between the Braves and the Mets.

Thumb infection hospitalizes Schneider - Anthony DiComo reported that Brian Schneider, “was hospitalized on Thursday with a left thumb infection and will remain in New York’s Hospital for Special Surgery overnight.”  DiComo also thinks that it is possible that Schneider may end up on the DL.  In the meantime, the Mets brought up Gustavo Molina as a backup catcher.

Mets treading lightly with Sanchez - Anthony DiComo pointed out that Duaner Sanchez has looked superb, but the Mets are mindful of his past injuries.

Wright’s Foundation continues to grow - Anthony DiComo tells us about the David Wright Foundation which serves children in NYC and Virginia.

Newsday:

Heilman allows slam as Mets fall to Nationals - David Lennon also summarized last night’s Mets-Nationals game.

Pelfrey’s mouthpiece a distraction for opponents - David Lennon lets us know why Mike Pelfrey wears a mouthpiece, and how it affects his opponents.

Ex-Met Milledge sits after arriving late for game - According to the AP, Lastings Milledge wouldn’t state why he was late for last night’s game.  Maybe MC Millidge was recording a new gansta rap song.  What a dusch bag.

Infected thumb lands Mets’ Schneider in hospital

Lack of save opportunities not fazing Wagner

New York Daily News:

Mets drop early lead, lose to Nationals - Adam Rubin put together a game recap for last night’s game between the Mets and the Nationals.

Harold Reynolds, Omar Minaya reunite

Brian Schneider’s thumb worsens

Joe Smith offers his own curses to Cubs fans - According to Adam Rubin, Joe Smith was swearing at Cubs fans this week, and it ended up on YouTube.

New York Times:

Against Nationals, Not Much Goes Right for the Mets

His Forearm Is Better, but Schneider Is Out With Infected Thumb

The Star-Ledger:

Heilman slammed as Mets end road trip with dud

Schneider spends night in hospital

Final: Nationals 10, Mets 5

Schneider hospitalized

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The Mets are in Chicago for a quick two-game set with the Cubies.  By quick, I mean that the Mets will play a night game followed by a day game and then they leave the Windy City.  Tonight’s game begins at 7:05 p.m. ET, and tomorrow’s game begins at 2:20 p.m. ET.  Here’s the pitching matchups for this series:

• 04/21/2008 - John Maine (1-1) - Carlos Zambrano (2-1)
• 04/22/2008 - Nelson Figueroa Jr. (1-0) - Ted Lilly (0-3)

Hopefully, the Metropolitans can rebound from last night’s loss and sweep this two-game series against the Cubs.  It’s time for the Mets to stomp on the NL, seriously.  It will make up for losing the series to the Brewers.  After this Chicago trip, the Mets head down for a quick series in D.C.  It’s the first time the Mets will play the Nats in their new stadium.  On the weekend, the Mets host the Braves at Shea, and it’s on.

Mets.com:

Chicago busy with Mets, Yanks - In case you didn’t know this already, Anthony DiComo reminds us that both New York teams will be playing in the Windy City on Tuesday.

Mets rally, but can’t sweep Phillies - Marty Noble summarized last night’s game between the Mets and the Phillies.

Mets no strangers to ‘grind’ of season - Marty Noble put together a pregame analysis for tonight’s game between the Mets and the Cubs.

Schneider out with bruised right forearm - Marty Noble pointed out that Brian Schneider didn’t play in last night’s game due to a bruised right forearm.  Schneider is expected to return to the lineup tonight in Chicago.

Alou progressing in rehab stint - Joseph Santoliquito tells us how Moises Alou is doing with his rehab assignment down in Port St. Lucie.  If all goes well then Alou may be back at Shea this weekend when the Mets host the Braves.

Church was ready to toe slab - Marty Noble pointed out that Ryan Church would’ve pitched in the 14-inning game last week against the Nationals.  It turns out that Church was a pitcher during his freshman year at the University of Nevada which was eight years ago.

Newsday:

Three Phillies HRs negate Mets’ comeback - Anthony Rieber also summarized last night’s game between the Mets and the Phillies.

Everything adding up for Mets’ rising star Wright - Johnette Howard wrote an article about how David Wright is a rising star.

Mets’ Schneider sits with bruised forearm

New York Daily News:

Pedro Feliz slugs pinch-hit homer to lift Phillies past Mets, 5-4 - Adam Rubin summarized last night’s game between the Mets and the Phillies as well.

Mets’ Home Run Apple loved to core - Anthony McCarron tells us why the Home Run Apple is loved.

Moises Alou may return Friday

A Shea honor for Jack Lang - Adam Rubin reported that, “The Mets will honor the late Daily News sports writer Jack Lang with a ceremony and video tribute before Saturday’s 1:10 p.m. game against the Braves at Shea. Lang, who died in January 2007, covered the Mets for 25 years, from the team’s inception in 1962.”

Brian Schneider: One day at a time

New York Post:

HOMER COOKIN’ BEATS METS - Bart Hubbuch also wrote up a game summary about last night’s Mets-Phillies game.

WILLIE: NO SYMPATHY FOR PHIL ILLS - Bart Hubbuch captured Willie Randolph’s thoughts on the injuries that the Phillies are suffering.  Willie said, “Welcome to the club, just like everybody else. No one feels sorry for us when we have injuries, so we’re definitely not going to feel sorry for them, that’s for sure. Injuries are part of the game. We’ve got guys out, too.”

AMAZIN’ OPPORTUNITY MISSED - Mike Vaccaro lets us know that the Mets missed out on a golden opportunity by not being able to sweep the Phillies.

PELFREY ON RIGHT TRACK - Dan Tomasino liked what he saw out of Mike Pelfrey last night.

New York Times:

Two Homers From Utley as Phillies Top the Mets

The Star-Ledger:

Greetings from Chicago

Mets fall in series finale

Forearm bruise sits Schneider

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The New York Mets (10-6) are playing Game 17 of the 2008 Regular Season against the Philadelphia Phillies (8-10) at Citizens Bank Park.  It’s the third game of the three-game series, and the Metsies can sweep the Phils.  The game began at 8:05 p.m., and it was aired on ESPN.

Mets Lineup: Reyes, Castillo, Wright, Beltran, Delgado, Church, Casanova, Chavez, Pelfrey.

Phillies Lineup: Werth, Dobbs, Utley, Howard, Burrell, Jenkins, Coste, Bruntlett, Eaton.

At the Plate

Adam Eaton (0-0) was the starting pitcher for the Phillies.  In the Top of the 1st, Wright drew a two-out walk.  Beltran grounded to second, and Utley made the out at first to end the inning.  Eaton gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO in the 1st Inning.  In the Top of the 2nd, Casanova grounded a two-out infield single to short.  Chavez grounded out to first to end the inning.  Eaton gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 2nd Inning.  In the Top of the 3rd, Eaton sent the Mets down in order.  Eaton gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 3rd Inning.  In the Top of the 4th, Wright lined a leadoff single into right field.  Eaton caught Beltran looking at strike three.  Delgado grounded out to first, and Howard tagged the first base bag as Wright advanced to second.  Eaton also got Church watching strike three.  Eaton gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 2 SOs in the 4th Inning.  In the Top of the 5th, Eaton sent the Mets down in order.  Eaton gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 5th Inning.  In the Top of the 6th, Reyes lined the ball off of the right field wall for a leadoff triple.  Luis Castillo lined a no-out RBI single into left scoring Jose Reyes.  Wright pulled a standup double down the left field line, and Castillo went first to third.  Carlos Beltran lined a 2-run single into center scoring Luis Castillo and David Wright.  Eaton gave up 4 Hits, 4 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 6th Inning.  Eaton left the game after pitching 5.0 Innings allowing 6 Hits, 4 Runs, 4 ER, 1 BB, and he had 4 SOs.

Manuel replaced Eaton with Chad Durbin with no outs in the Top of the 6th.  Delgado flied out to deep left field so Beltran held up.  With Church in the batters box, Beltran stole second safely.  Ryan Church blooped a one-out RBI single into right which brought Carlos Beltran around to score to tie this baby up.  Casanova drew a one-out walk.  Chavez flied out to center.  Anderson is pinch hitting for Pelfrey, and Durbin fanned Anderson to end the inning.  Durbin gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO in the 6th Inning.

Manuel replaced Durbin with J.C. Romero to begin the Top of the 7th.  Wright drew a two-out walk.  With Beltran at the plate, Wright stole second.  Romero caught Beltran staring at strike three to end the inning.  Romero gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO in the 7th Inning.  In the Top of the 8th, Casanova drove the ball to deep left field, but Taguchi didn’t catch the ball so Casanova ended up with a two-out double.  Pagan is pinch hitting for Chavez, and Pagan popped up to second to end the inning.  Romero gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 8th Inning.

Manuel replaced Romero with Brad Lidge to begin the Top of the 9th.  Easley is pinch hitting for Smith, and Easley drew a leadoff walk.  Reyes grounded to the pitcher, but the ball bounced off of Lidge and everyone was safe.  Lidge fanned Castillo.  Wright popped up in foul territory near the Phillies dugout, and Howard made the catch.  Beltran grounded hard to short, but Bruntlett made the out at first to end the game.  Lidge gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO in the 9th Inning.

On the Mound

Mike Pelfrey (2-0) was the starting pitcher for the Mets.  In the Bottom of the 1st, Chase Utley crushed a two-out solo shot to right center.  Howard lined a two-out single into the gap in right center.  Pelfrey got Burrell swinging at strike three.  Pelfrey gave up 2 Hits, 1 Run, 0 BBs, and he had 2 SOs in the 1st Inning.  In the Bottom of the 2nd, Coste lined a one-out single down the line in right.  Bruntlett grounded to short, and the Mets turned the double play to end the inning.  Pelfrey gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 2nd Inning.  In the Bottom of the 3rd, Eaton drew a leadoff walk.  Werth grounded to short, and Castillo made the force out at second.  Dobbs flied out to right.  Utley drew a two-out walk.  Howard flied out to left to leave two stranded.  Pelfrey gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 2 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 3rd Inning.  In the Bottom of the 4th, Burrell led off by lining the ball into left that one-hopped the wall.  Burrell took off for second, but Chavez threw Burrell out by a mile.  Jenkins lined a one-out single up the middle.  Coste grounded to short, and the Mets only got the out at second on the double play attempt.  Bruntlett grounded a two-out single up the middle.  Eaton popped up in foul territory near the Phillies dugout, and Delgado made the catch.  Pelfrey gave up 3 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 4th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 5th, Werth dumped a leadoff single into right field.  Dobbs lined a no-out opposite field single into left.  With two outs, Chase Utley hit a towering 3-run homer that hit the right field foul pole scoring Jayson Werth and Greg Dobbs.  Burrell popped up in foul territory along the right field line, and Church made the catch.  Jenkins grounded towards first and the ball hit the bag, bounced up in the air, and ended up in right field so Jenkins ended up with a two-out single.  Coste grounded to third, and Wright made the out at first to end the inning.  Pelfrey gave up 4 Hits, 3 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 5th Inning.  Pelfrey left the game after pitching 5.0 Innings allowing 10 Hits, 4 Runs, 4 ER, 2 BBs, and he had 2 SOs.

Randolph replaced Pelfrey with Jorge Sosa to begin the Bottom of the 6th.  Sosa pitched a 1-2-3 inning.  Sosa gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 6th Inning.

Randolph replaced Sosa with Pedro Feliciano to begin the Bottom of the 7th.  Feliz is pinch hitting for Dobbs, and Pedro Feliz led off with a solo shot to right center.  Utley lined a no-out single into right field.  Feliciano caught Howard looking at strike three.  Burrell drew a one-out walk.  Jenkins flied out to left.  Feliciano gave up 2 Hits, 1 Run, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO in the 7th Inning.

Randolph replaced Feliciano with Joe Smith with two outs in the Bottom of the 7th.  Smith struck out Coste looking.  Smith gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 7th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 8th, Smith retired the side in order.  Smith gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 8th Inning.

Final Score: New York Mets 4 - Philadelphia Phillies 5.  The MLB.com Box Score is attached.  The starters got a no decision.  Pedro Feliciano got the loss and J.C. Romero got the win.

Chase Utley immediately gave the Phils the lead with a solo shot in the 1st Inning.  Then Utley hit a 3-run shot in the 5th Inning to give the Phils a 4-0 lead.  That must of pissed of the Mets because they put up a 4-spot in the 6th to tie it up.  However, another pinch hitter named Pedro Feliz came in and jacked one out of the ballpark.  That one run lead was enough for the Phillies bullpen to hold on to.  So the Metsies were not able to take the brooms out tonight, and the 5-game winning streak came to an end.

The Mets travel to Chicago to take on the Cubs next for a pair of games on Monday and Tuesday.  Then they travel to D.C. to play the Nationals on Wednesday and Thursday.

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The New York Mets are playing Game 12 of the 2008 Regular Season against the Washington Nationals 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.

It was Jackie Robinson Day in Major League Baseball.  The Mets announced those nominated by the Jackie Robinson Foundation.  Then the Mets unveiled that Jackie Robinson Rotunda for the fans at Shea Stadium.  Last, Rachel Robinson spoke on behalf of her late husband.

Nationals Lineup: Guzman, Milledge, Zimmerman, Johnson, Kearns, Estrada, Pena, Belliard, Perez.

Mets Lineup: Reyes, Church, Wright, Beltran, Delgado, Pagan, Schneider, Castillo, Pelfrey.

On the Mound

Mike Pelfrey (1-0) was the starting pitcher for the Mets.  In the Top of the 1st, Milledge got lined a one-out double into the left field corner.  With Zimmerman in the batters box, Schneider threw out Milledge attempting to steal third.  Zimmerman lined out to center to end the inning.  Pelfrey gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 1st Inning.  In the Top of the 2nd, Johnson grounded a single through the hole on the right side.  Kearns grounded to short, and the Mets turned the double play.  Pelfrey hit Estrada with a pitch to give the Nationals a two-out base runner.  Pena grounded out 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 2nd Inning.  In the Top of the 3rd, Belliard grounded up the middle for a leadoff single.  Perez dropped a bunt in front of home plate, and Schneider got the lead runner at second but Perez arrived safely at first.  Guzman hit a broken bat flair into left for a one-out single as Perez advanced to second.  Milledge drew a one-out walk to load the bases.  Zimmerman popped up to second.  Pelfrey fanned Johnson to get out of a bases loaded jam.  Pelfrey gave up 2 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO in the 3rd Inning.  In the Top of the 4th, Pelfrey retired the side in order.  Pelfrey gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 4th Inning.  In the Top of the 5th, Perez lined a one-out single to right.  Guzman grounded to short, and the Mets only got the out at first on the double play attempt.  Pelfrey caught Milledge swinging at strike three.  Pelfrey gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 5th Inning.  In the Top of the 6th, Johnson drew a one-out walk.  Kearns grounded to third, and Wright made the out at first while Johnson moved over to second.  Estrada grounded out to second to end the inning.  Pelfrey gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO in the 6th Inning.  In the Top of the 7th, Pelfrey had a 1-2-3 inning.  Pelfrey gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 7th Inning.  Pelfrey left the game after picthing 7.0 Innings allowing 5 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO.

Randolph replaced Pelfrey with Aaron Heilman to begin the Top of the 8th.  Guzman led off by lining a double into the right field corner.  Heilman fanned Milledge.  Zimmerman popped up in foul territory along the first base line, and Delgado made the out.  With Johnson in the batters box, Heilman threw a passed ball to Schneider and Guzman advanced to third.  Johnson drew a two-out walk.  Kearns grounded to third, and Wright made the force at second to end the inning.  Heilman gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO in the 8th Inning.

Randolph replaced Heilman with Duaner Sanchez to begin the Top of the 9th.  Johnson lined out to second.  Pena grounded a one-out single up the middle.  Sanchez caught Belliard swinging at strike three.  Mackowiak is pinch hitting for Hanrahan, and Mackowiak grounded out to first to end the game.  Sanchez gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 9th Inning.

At the Plate

Odalis Perez (0-2) was the starting pitcher for the Nationals.  In the Bottom of the 1st, Reyes lined a leadoff single through the hole on the left side.  With Church in the batters box, Perez threw to first as Reyes took off for second.  Johnson threw it over to Belliard to pick Reyes off.  Church lined a one-out single into center.  Wright belted a 2-Run homer to left scoring Church and himself.  Perez fanned Beltran.  Delgado drew a two-out walk.  Pagan grounded out to third to end the inning.  Perez gave up 3 Hits, 2 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO in the 1st Inning.  In the Bottom of the 2nd, Perez got the bottom of the lineup to ground out.  Perez gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 2nd Inning.  In the Bottom of the 3rd, Reyes led off with a gaper to to left center for a double.  Church dropped a bunt down the first base line, and Perez made the out at first as Reyes moved over to third.  Wright drew a no-out walk.  Beltran grounded to short, and the Nationals turned the double play to end the inning.  Perez gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 3rd Inning.  In the Bottom of the 4th, Pagan lined a one-out single to right.  Schneider grounded to first, and Guzman tagged first for one out and threw to Belliard but Pagan was safe at second.  Castillo drew an intentional walk.  Guzman fanned Pelfrey to end the inning.  Perez gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO in the 4th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 5th, Reyes led off with a triple that was halfway up the wall in left field (Reyes is a HR away from the cycle).  Perez got Church to strike out swinging.  Wright grounded out to third, and Zimmerman was able to hold Reyes at third before making the out at first.  Beltran drew a two-out walk.  Delgado was hit by the pitch by Perez which loaded the bases.  Pagan lined out to left to leave the bases loaded.  Perez gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO in the 5th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 6th, Perez retired the side in order.  Perez gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 6th Inning.  Perez left the game pitching 6.0 Innings allowing 6 Hits, 2 Runs, 2 ER, 4 BBs, and he had 3 SOs.

Acta replaced Perez with Ray King to begin the Bottom of the 7th.  Reyes led off by lining to short, but Guzman (Error on Guzman) dropped the catch and then threw it off the bag at first so Reyes advanced to second.  Church grounded out to first as Reyes moved over to third.  King gave up 1 Hit, 1 Run, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 7th Inning.

Acta replaced King with Luis Ayala with one out in the Bottom of the 7th.  Wright pulled a one-out RBI double down the left field line scoring Reyes.  Beltran lined a one-out RBI single into left which brought Wright around to score.  Delgado popped up to second.  Pagan drew a two-out walk.  Schneider grounded out to third to end the inning.  Ayala gave up 2 Hits, 1 Run, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 7th Inning.

Acta replaced Ayala with Joel Hanrahan to begin the Bottom of the 8th.  Castillo drew a leadoff walk.  Anderson is pinch hitting for Heilman, and Castillo stole second while Anderson was in the batters box.  Anderson grounded out to first, and Castillo moved over to third.  Hanrahan caught Reyes at a high fast ball to strike him out.  Church drew a two-out walk.  Wright crushed a two-out 2-Run double to left center which scored Castillo and Church.  Hanrahan fanned Beltran to get out of the inning.  Hanrahn gave up 1 Hit, 2 Runs, 2 BBs, and he had 2 SOs in the 8th Inning.

Final Score: Washington Nationals 0 - New York Mets 6.  The MLB.com Box Score is attached.  Mike Pelfrey (2-0) got the win and Odalis Perez (0-3) got the loss.

Pelfrey pitched seven innings of shutout ball which was crucial.  He got into some jams, but got out of them.  Heilman pitched a scoreless inning before Sanchez pitched for the first time in over 2 years.  Sanchez pitched a scoreless inning as well.  The Mets got in base, but Wright was the only one driving them in.  Wright drove in 5 of the 6 runs himself.  I guess we would’ve won this game 1-0 if he wasn’t in the lineup.  Beltran had the only other RBI tonight.  A 6-0 win over the Nats is great.  The fans booed Milledge, but Lo Duca didn’t play tonight.

The Mets are back to .500 with a 6-6 record.  They have two more games against the Nats before they go down to Philly for a weekend series.

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The New York Mets are playing Game 7 of the 2008 Regular Season against the Philadelphia Phillies at Shea Stadium.  The game began at 7:10 p.m., and was aired on SNY.

Phillies Lineup: Victorino, Bruntlett, Utley, Howard, Burrell, Jenkins, Feliz, Ruiz, Kendrick.

Mets Lineup: Reyes, Pagan, Wright, Beltran, Delgado, Church, Easley, Schneider, Pelfrey.

On the Mound

Mike Pelfrey (0-0) was the starting pitcher for the Mets.  In the Top of the 1st, Pelfrey sent the top of the lineup down in order.  Pelfrey gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 1st Inning.  In the Top of the 2nd, Pelrey struck Howard out swinging.  Burrell grounded a one-out single up the middle.  Jenkins grounded a single through the hole on right side which moved Burrell over to second. Feliz grounded to short, and Reyes (Error on Reyes) flipped it to Easley but it went into center field which loads the bases.  Ruiz grounded an RBI single through the hole on the right side which scored Burrell.  Kendrick grounded to first, and Delgado made the out at home plate.  Victorino grounded to third, and Wright made the out at first.  Pelfrey gave up 3 Hits, 1 Run, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 2nd Inning.  In the Top of the 3rd, Pelfrey retired the side in order.  Pelfrey gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 3rd Inning.  In the Top of the 4th, Feliz drew a one-out walk.  Ruiz grounded into a double play.  Pelfrey gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 4th Inning.  In the Top of the 5th, Bruntlett drew a two-out walk.  Utley doubled with a gaper to left center which scored Bruntlett.  Howard grounded out to first to end the inning.  Pelfrey gave up 1 Hit, 1 Run, 1 BB, and he 0 SOs in the 5th Inning.  Pelfrey pitched 5.0 Innings and allowed 5 Hits, 2 Runs, 2 ER, 2 BBs, and he had 3 SOs.

Randolph replaced Pelfrey with Jorge Sosa to begin the Top of the 6th.  Sosa got three batters to ground out.  Sosa allowed 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SO in the 6th Inning.  In the Top of the 7th, Sosa had another 1-2-3 inning.  Sosa allowed 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 7th Inning.

Randolph replaced Sosa with Pedro Feliciano to begin the Top of the 8th.  Bruntlett lined a leadoff single into center.  Utley flied out to left field.  Feliciano struck Howard out swinging.  Burrell grounded a single through the hole on the right side as Bruntlett advanced to second.  Werth replaced Jenkins, and Werth drew a two-out walk to load the bases.  Feliz popped up to shallow center to end the inning.  Feliciano allowed 2 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO in the 8th Inning.

Randolph replaced Feliciano with Carlos Muniz to begin the Top of the 9th.  Muniz fanned Ruiz.  Coste is pinch hitting for Seanez, and Coste lined a one-out double into the left field corner.  Victorino grounded out to short as Coste moved over to third.  Bruntlett popped up at home plate, and Schneider made the final out.  Muniz allowed 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 9th Inning.

At the Plate

Kyle Kendrick (1-0) was the starting pitcher for the Phillies.  In the Bottom of the 1st, Reyes drew a leadoff walk.  Pagan grounded to the pitcher, and Reyes advanced to second safely as Kendrick made the out at first.  Wright grounded to second base which bounced off of Utley (Error on Utley) and went into center field as Reyes came home to score.  Beltran line out to deep right center.  Delgado drew a two-out walk.  Church drew a two-out walk to load the bases.  Easley grounded to short, and Bruntlett made the out at first to end the inning.  Kendrick gave up 0 Hits, 1 Run (Unearned), 3 BBs, and he didn’t Strike Out anybody in the 1st Inning.  In the Bottom of the 2nd, Schneider drew a leadoff walk.  Pelfrey dropped down a sacrifice bunt along the first base line to move Schneider over to second while Pelfrey was tagged out.  Reyes grounded to first, and Howard flipped it to Kendrick at first as Schneider advanced to third.  Pagan drew a two-out walk.  Wright drew a two-out walk to load the bases.  Beltran grounded out to second to end the inning.  Kendrick gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 3 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 2nd Inning.  In the Bottom of the 3rd, Delgado hit a leadoff double that one-hopped the wall in left.  Church lined a single to center which moved Delgado over to third.  Easley grounded an RBI single through the hole on the left side to score Delgado and advance Church over to second.  Schneider lined out to first.  Pelfrey dropped a bunt right in front of home plate, and Ruiz (Error on Ruiz) attempted to make the out at third, but Feliz couldn’t make the catch so the bases are loaded.  Reyes grounded to short, but Brutlett (Error on Bruntlett) couldn’t field the ball which led to Church coming home to score and the bases remained loaded.  Pagan grounded an RBI double over the third base bag and into the left field corner which scored Easley and Pelfrey and moved Reyes over to third.  Kendrick pitched 2.1 Innings allowing 4 Hits, 7 Runs, 1 ER, 6 BBs, and 0 SOs.

Manuel replaced Kendrick with Chad Durbin with one out in the Bottom of the 3rd.  Wright grounded an RBI single under the glove of Bruntlett (Error on Bruntlett) on the left side to score Reyes and moved Pagan over to third.  With Beltran in the batters box, Durbin threw a wild pitch which led to Pagan scoring.  Beltran drew a one-out walk.  Delgado lined out to right field.  Durbin struck out Church to finally bring the inning to a close.  Durbin allowed 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO in the 3rd Inning.  In the Bottom of the 4th, Durbin retired the bottom of the lineup in order.  Durbin gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 4th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 5th, Durbin sent the top of the lineup down 1-2-3.  Durbin allowed 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 5th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 6th, Durbin retired the side again.  Durbin allowed 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 6th Inning.  Durbin pitched 3.2 Inning allowing 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 4 SOs.

Manuel replaced Durbin with Clay Condrey to begin the Bottom of the 7th.  Easley drew a leadoff walk.  Schneider lined a single into right which moved Easley over to second.  Anderson is pinch hitting for Sosa, and Anderson flied out to the gap in left center, and Easley moved over to third.  Reyes grounded to second, and Schneider stalled running to second which allowed Easley to score before the double play was complete.  Condrey allowed 1 Hit, 1 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 7th Inning.

Manuel replaced Condrey with Rudy Seanez to begin the Bottom of the 8th.  Pagan drew a leadoff walk.  Wright lined out to short.  Beltran flied out to right field.  Delgado flied out to left.  Seanez gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 8th Inning.

Final Score: Philadelphia Phillies 2 - New York Mets 8.  The MLB.com Box Score is attached.  Mike Pelfrey (1-0) got the win, and Kyle Kendrick (1-1) got the loss.

I’m very happy that the Mets sent a message to the Phillies by beating them 8-2.  Prior to the game, I was very concerned about Pelfrey.  Pelfrey looked really good tonight.  One of the runs he gave up in the 2nd Inning was the result of an error on Reyes which should’ve resulted in at least one out and maybe a double play.  The Bullpen put up the goose eggs today which does not follow the early trend.  The Mets only had 5 Hits today, but they cashed in on 9 BBs and 4 Errors.  With the Mets winning tonight, at least they have a shot at winning the series tomorrow with Maine on the mound.  The Mets need to win the series against the Phillies since they lost the last series to the Braves.   Last, the Amazins’ finally ended the 9-game winning streak that the Phillies were on…which is huge!

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The final home opener at Shea Stadium will take place tomorrow at 1:10 p.m.  The game will be aired on SNY.  Who better to come to Flushing for the final home opener than the Phillies?  The NL East has long been dominated by the Braves, but the Mets ended the Braves reign of the division in 2006.  Prior to the 2007 season, Jimmy Rollins declared the Phillies as the “team to beat”.  After an epic collapse by the Mets, it turned out that Rollins was correct.  Prior to the 2008 season, Carlos Beltran declared the Mets as the “team to beat”.  Now that the Braves have been out of the mix for two years and the Mets and the Phillies are the new sheriffs in town, why not make this divisional rivalry better by having the Mets host the Phillies for the final home opener at Shea?  After both teams talked trash all offseason, let’s see what they can do on the field in ‘08.

The Phillies will be in Queens for a three-game series against the Mets.  Here’s a look at the expected pitching matchups:

• 04/08/2008 - Jamie Moyer (0-0) vs. Oliver Perez (1-0)
• 04/09/2008 - Kyle Kendrick (1-0) vs. Mike Pelfrey (0-0)
• 04/10/2008 - Adam Eaton (0-0) vs. John Maine (0-1)

These probable pitching matchups are from MLB.com.  Perez is getting to start the home opener because of Pedro being placed on the DL.  Hopefully, Oli will take advantage of the opportunity that has been given to him.  Pelfrey’s ‘08 debut is a question mark after a poor Spring Training.  Hopefully, Maine will let us Mets fans know that his 2008 debut was nothing more than trying to do to much and all will be fine the rest of the year.

Mets.com:

Mets ready to open Shea one last time - Marty Noble says both new and old members of the Mets are expecting a warm welcome from the fans.

Beltran, Rollins linked by leadership - Anthony DiComo believes that the bold statements made by Carlos Beltran and Jimmy Rollins about their own team led to getting the rivals’ attention.

Perez to open final season at Shea - Marty Noble assembled a pregame analysis of the Mets home opener against the Phillies.  Oliver Perez will get the start against Jamie Moyer.

Newsday:

Mets can’t help Santana, lose again to Braves - David Lennon summarized yesterday’s game between the Mets and the Braves.

For openers, Mets fans: forgive, forget, forward - Shaun Powell discusses the final home opener at Shea Stadium.

Mets’ Church thought he would haul in home run - According to David Lennon, Ryan Church thought he was going to catch Mark Teixeira’s two-run homer in the 8th Inning.  Church was very close, but no cigar.

New York Daily News:

Carlos Beltran will Shea it again: Mets are No. 1

No stolen moments for Mets - Adam Rubin asks, “What’s happened to Jose Reyes as a base-stealing threat?”  I want to know what happened to Jose Reyes as a baseball player?

New York Post:

JOHAN CAN’T DO IT ALONE

HAPPY TO FINALLY BE BACK IN NY

SILVER LINING FROM DELGADO - George Willis critiques the play of Mets through 5 games into the season, but he only has positive things to say about Carlos Delgado.

SANTANA CAN’T SAVE METS FROM 3-1 BRAVES LOSS

25 GREATEST MOMENTS IN SHEA STADIUM

The Star-Ledger:

Randolph taking cautious steps after Wise MRI

Santana sharp but Mets’ bats go dull

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