Die Hard Sports Fan

The Mets were fortunate enough to win the series against the Phillies.  That call at the plate last night could’ve went either way as I mentioned in the game summary.  I’ve seen the play a dozen more times today, and I still can’t figure out what happened.

This weekend, the Brewers are in Flushing for a three-game series.  This should be a good NL matchup for the Mets to see where the Mets really are right now.  Here’s a look at the expected pitching matchups this weekend:

• 04/11/2008 - Manny Parra (1-0) - Nelson Figueroa Jr. (0-0)
• 04/12/2008 - Ben Sheets (1-0) - Johan Santana (1-1)
• 04/13/2008 - Jeff Suppan (1-0) - Oliver Perez (1-0)

After the Brewers leave town, the Nationals come to Queens for a three-game set.  The nine-game homestand will be over then, and the Mets will go on the road.

Mets.com:

Mets edge Phils in 12 on Pagan’s single - Marty Noble summarized last night’s game between the Phillies and the Mets.

Controversy surrounds song choice - According to Anthony DiComo, the initial online voting was rigged by fans to pick the Rick Astley tune.

Figueroa hopes to impress in first start - Marty Noble put together a pregame analysis of tonight’s game between the Brewers and the Mets.  Nelson Figueroa Jr. is scheduled to make his first start since 2004.

Mets sign righty Vargas to Minors deal

Remembering Negro Leaguer Vazquez - Danny Torres noted that Armando Vázquez passed away in March, and Torres feels like this native Cuban was an ambassador for the game on and off field.

Newsday:

Heilman has been weak link in Mets’ bullpen - Ken Davidoff takes his shots at Aaron Heilman, and deservedly so.

Mets’ Santana not thrown by high expectations

Mets sign ex-Brewer Vargas as rotation insurance

METS INSIDER: Grumpy old ballpark - David Lennon describes Mets fans leaving Shea Stadium after Tuesday’s game.

Mets beat Phillies again on Pagan’s hit in 12th

Pagan has seized opportunity Mets have given him - Erik Boland praises Angel Pagan for filling in wonderfully for Moises Alou.

New York Daily News:

Angel Pagan delivers in 12th inning, singles in winning run in Mets win

Mets-Phillies rivalry looking like what Mets-Braves used to be - Filip Bondy describes the play at the plate in the Bottom of the 12th, and how it might play into the 2008 Mets-Phillies rivalry.

Mets sign Claudio Vargas

Nelson Figueroa full circle with Mets - Mark Lelinwalla takes us through how the Mets drafted Figueroa in 1995, he has pitched for various teams (home and abroad), and he finally will be be making his first start as a Met tonight.

Panic is too much, too soon for Mets

New York Post:

STRIKING 12TH - Brian Costello walks us through the 12th inning of last night’s game between the Phillies and the Mets.

REYES SLIDE COULD LEAVE SKID BEHIND

PAGAN ENJOYING AN AMAZIN’ START

SCHOENEWEIS GETS METS OUT OF JAM

METS SIGN VARGAS

REYES NEEDS TO PHIL UP STAT SHEET - Prior to last night’s game, Tim Bontemps felt like Jose Reyes needed to get more involved.  It was good timing for the article because Reyes had two hits last night, and he was the tying run.

New York Times:

Mets Slide Past Phillies as Bullpen Holds Late

With Hernández Hobbled, Mets Come Back to Vargas

The Star-Ledger:

Mets Lineup

BRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - M.A. Mehta says he’s freezing at Shea.

Figueroa pitches tonight for Mets

Reyes scores winning run in 12th to lift Mets

Santana ready for Shea debut - David Waldstein pointed out that Johan Santana is scheduled to make his Shea debut tomorrow.

Reyes hits and Mets Win in 12

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The New York Mets are playing Game 8 of the 2008 Regular Season against the Philadelphia Phillies at Shea Stadium.  It’s the rubber game of the first home series of the year.  The game began at 7:10 p.m., and it was aired on SNY.

Phillies Lineup: Victorino, Bruntlett, Utley, Howard, Burrell, Jenkins, Feliz, Coste, Eaton.

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

On the Mound

John Maine (0-1) was the starting pitcher for the Mets.  In the Top of the 1st, Victorino grounded a leadoff single up the middle.  Bruntlett popped up along the first base line as Victorino took off for second, but Delgado made the catch and throw to Easley at first for a double play.  Utley flied out to left to end the inning.  Maine gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 1st Inning.  In the Top of the 2nd, Jenkins lined a two-out double off the wall in left center before Feliz flied out to center to end the inning.  Maine gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 2nd Inning.  In the Top of the 3rd, Coste drew a leadoff walk.  Eaton dropped down a sacrifice bunt towards first base to move Coste over to second, and Maine made the out at first.  Victorino grounded to the pitcher, and Maine made the out at first as Coste moved over to third.  Bruntlett flied out to center to end the inning.  Maine gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 3rd Inning.  In the Top of the 4th, Burrell drew a two-out walk before Jenkins grounded out to first to end the inning.  Maine gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 4th Inning.  In the Top of the 5th, Maine retired the bottom of the lineup in order.  Maine gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 5th Inning.  In the Top of the 6th, Victorino drew a leadoff walk.  Bruntlett flied out to right.  With Utley in the batters box, Victorino took off for second and Schneider threw him out (Schneider made a great throw to Reyes).  Utley grounded to first and the ball hit first base and shot up in the air so Easley came towards first to field it and flipped it to Maine on the bag, but Utley beat out the play and collided with Easley.  Howard drew a two-out walk.  Burrell drew a two-out walk to load the bases.  Peterson paid a visit to the mound, and Smith and Schoeneweis are warming up in the bullpen.  Jenkins grounded to second, and Easley made the force play at second to get the Mets out of a jam.  Maine gave up 1 Hits, 0 Runs, 3 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 6th Inning.  In the Top of the 7th, Ruiz led off with a solo shot down the left field line.  Coste lined a no-out double off of the wall in left field.  Maine left the game after pitching 6.0 Innings allowing 5 Hits, 1 Run (1 ER), 5 BBs, and he had 1 SO.

Randolph replaced Maine with Pedro Feliciano after Maine faced two batters in the 7th and retired none.  Werth is pinch hitting for Eaton, and Werth drew a no-out walk.  Feliciano struck out Victorino, Bruntlett, and Utley to leave two runners straned.  Feliciano gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 3 SOs in the 7th Inning.

Randolph replaced Feliciano with Aaron Heilman to begin the Top of the 8th.  Howard led off by jacking a solo shot to deep center field to make it a one-run game (Heilman keeps on giving up homers in the 8th).  Burrell drew a no-out walk, but Taguchi is pinch running for Burrell.  Jenkins pulled a single into right field as Taguchi advanced to third.  Feliz grounded to third, and Wright made the out at first as Taguchi came home and Jenkins moved over to second.  Heilman fanned Coste.  Werth grounded out to first to end the inning as the Shea Faithful boo Heilman.  Heilman gave up 2 Hits, 2 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO in the 8th Inning.

Randolph replaced Heilman with Billy Wagner to begin the Top of the 9th.  Rollins is pinch hitting for Romero, and Wagner caught Rollins swinging at strike three.  Bruntlett flied out to right field.  Utley drew a two-out walk.  Wagner fanned Howard.  Wagner gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 2 SOs in the 9th Inning.

Randolph replaced Wagner with Joe Smith to begin the Top of the 10th.  Jenkins drew a one-out walk.  Feliz flied out to center.  Coste lined out to first.  Smith gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 10th Inning.  In the Top of the 11th, Werth grounded to third and beat out the throw at first.  Hamels is pinch hitting for Seanez, and Hamels dropped down a bunt in front of home plate and Schneider fell so everyone is safe (Hamels was credited with the hit).  Bruntlett struck out trying to bunt.  Smith left the game after pitching 1.1 Innings allowing 2 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO.

Randolph replaced Smith with Scott Schoeneweis with one out in the Top of the 11th.  Utley grounded to second, and the Mets turned the double play.  Schoeneweis gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 11th Inning.  In the Top of the 12th, Jenkins grounded hard to second, but Easley (Error on Easley) couldn’t field it cleanly or make the throw on time whcih gave the Phillies a two-out base runner.  Schoeneweis gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 12th Inning.  Schoeneweis left the game after pitching 1.1 Innings allowing 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs.

Randolph replaced Schoeneweis with Jorge Sosa with two outs in the Top of the 12th.  Feliz grounded to third, and Wright got the force play at second to end the inning.  Sosa gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 12th Inning.

At the Plate

Adam Eaton (0-0) was the starting pitcher for the Phillies.  In the Bottom of the 1st, Eaton sent the Mets down 1-2-3.  Eaton gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 1st Inning.  In the Bottom of the 2nd, Delgado drew a one-out walk.  Church grounded a single through the hole on the right side as Delgado moved over to second.  Easley grounded to short, and the Phillies turned the double play to end the inning.  Eaton gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 2nd Inning.  In the Bottom of the 3rd, Eaton retired the side in order.  Eaton gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 3rd Inning.  In the Bottom of the 4th, Pagan lined a leadoff single into shallow left field.  Eaton caught Wright looking at strike three.  Beltran drew a one-out walk.  Delgado grounded to second, and Utley made the out at first as the runners advanced.  Church lined an RBI single into left center which scored Pagan and Beltran.  Easley grounded to short, and Bruntlett made the force play at second.  Eaton gave up 2 Hits, 2 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 4th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 5th, Eaton pitched a 1-2-3 inning.  Eaton gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 5th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 6th, Pagan lined a leadoff double into the corner in left field.  Wright grounded to short, and Bruntlett made the out at first as Pagan advanced to third.  Beltran lined an RBI single into right which scored Pagan.  Eaton fanned Delgado.  With Church in the batters box, Beltran took off for second and was thrown out by Coste.  Eaton gave up 2 Hits, 1 Run, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 6th Inning.  Eaton left the game after pitching 6.0 Innings allowing 5 Hits, 3 Runs (3 ER), 2 BBs, and he had 5 SOs.

Manuel replaced Eaton with Ryan Madson to begin the Bottom of the 7th.  Easley lined a one-out double into the right field corner.  Schneider lined out to second.  Anderson is pinch hitting for Feliciano, and Anderson grouned out to short.  Madson gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 7th Inning.

Manuel replaced Madson with J.C. Romero to begin the Bottom of the 8th.  Reyes grounded to short, but Reyes beat out the throw to first for a leadoff single.  Pagan dropped down a sacrifice bunt towards third, and Romero made the out at first as Reyes moved over to second.  Romero intentionally walked Wright.  With Beltran in the batters box, the Mets put on a double steal as Reyes and Wright advanced safely.  Romero fanned Beltran.  Delgado grounded out to third to end the inning while leaving to men on.  Romero gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO in the 8th Inning.

Manuel replaced Romero with Brad Lidge to begin the Bottom of the 9th.  Lidge got Church swinging at strike three.  Easley grounded out to third.  Schneider drew a two-out walk.  Chavez is pinch hitting for Wagner, and Chavez grounded out to short.  Lidge gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO in the 9th Inning.

Manuel replaced Lidge with Rudy Seanez to begin the Bottom of the 10th.  Wright drew a two-out walk.  With Beltran in the batters box, Wright stole second base.  Beltran worked himself into a full count before swinging at strike three.  Seanez gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 2 SOs in the 10th Inning.

Manuel replaced Seanez with Tom Gordon to begin the Bottom of the 11th.  Gordon sent the Mets down in order.  Gordon gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 2 SOs in the 11th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 12th, Schneider popped up to second.  Clark replaced Church, and Clark grounded out to third.  Reyes hit a two-out gaper to right center for a double.  Pagan grounded up the middle to bring Reyes home, and Reyes may have been safe or may have been out.  The Umpire called him safe.

Final Score: Philadelphia Phillies 3 - New York Mets 4.  The MLB.com Box Score is attached.  John Maine (0-1) and Adam Eaton (0-0) each got a no decision.

The Mets were able to grind out a win tonight so they won the series against the Phillies that they needed to win.  The Brewers are coming to Shea for a three-game series tomorrow, and then the Nationals come to Shea for a three-game series on Tuesday.

The Mets got themselves back to a .500 record (4-4) which moved them up to 2nd place.  Atlanta (3-6) went out to Colorado, but the game was postponed due to snow.  Go figure.  The Marlins beat the Nationals so the Marlins are 6-3 and the Nationals are 3-7.

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Injuries are the biggest Mets stories of the day.  We saw that Castillo was replaced with Easley in the 5th Inning of yesterday’s game, Castillo has soreness in his knees, and is listed as day-to-day.  Matt Wise was placed on the DL due to forearm strain.  El Duque is going to be inactive for two weeks due to a strained tendon in his right foot.

The good news is that the Mets have a 5-1 lead over the Phillies right now.  We’ll bring the game summary shortly.

Mets.com:

In last Shea opener, Mets fall to Phillies - Marty Noble summarized yesterday’s game between the Phillies and the Mets.

Pelfrey set to make first start of 2008 - Anthony DiComo put together a pregame analysis for tonight’s game between the Phillies and the Mets.

Wise lands on DL with forearm strain - Marty Noble reported that “The assignment was made on Tuesday, retroactive to April 2, the day after Wise surrendered the walk-off home run to Robert Andino in the Mets’ 5-4 loss to the Marlins. The club recalled right-handed reliever Carlos Muniz from its Triple-A New Orleans affiliate to take Wise’s place. Muniz pitched the ninth inning of the Mets’ 5-2 loss to the Phillies on Tuesday.”

Mets return to past in final Shea opener -  Anthony DiComo wrote about how Bill Shea threw out the first pitch to kick off a year-long celebration.

The future looms large over Shea - Marty Noble describes how far along Citi Field has come.

Castillo leaves with right knee soreness - Anthony DiComo reported that Luis Castillo left Tuesday’s Mets Home Opener against the Phillies after four innings with right knee soreness. Castillo is listed as day-to-day.

Feliciano arrives late to home opener - Anthony DiComo pointed out that Pedro Feliciano had his original flight from Puerto Rico canceled which is why he was unable to pitch in the Home Opener.

Newsday:

Mets’ 9th straight loss to Phils recalls collapse

Rollins loves to fan the fire - Roderick Boone captured the throughts of Jimmy Rollins after yesterday’s game,

I’m almost disappointed - I always expect more. But it’s like the fans aren’t at the game yet. And then when they come in, the game is already going, so it’s like, ‘Ah, well, you missed your chance to do the big boo.’ But it helps you concentrate. It does make the games more interesting because the fans are going to do their best to get under your skin, try to get in your head. So when you smile and give it to them back, then they’ll realize, ‘That’s a pretty good dude. All right, I’ll keep booing him, anyway.’

Randolph critical of Perez’s good outing for Mets

New season, but Phillies still own Mets

Cheer up Mets fans: You can’t collapse in April

Tearing down Shea still unthinkable - Steven Marcus tells us why tearing down Shea Stadium is unthinkable.

Beautiful Citi Field makes switch from Shea easy

Castillo forced out of home opener with sore knee

Strawberry to be joining ‘86 teammates on SNY - Neil Best explains that Darryl Strawberry will be working as a studio analyst with SNY for 15 games beginning April 28.

New York Daily News:

Mets still can’t solve Phillies as final Opening Day at Shea ends in loss

Willie Randolph ignores fans’ sentiment about Scott Schoeneweis - Willie shouldn’t ignore it because Scoeneweis is a steroid user and he sucks.

Never too early to begin booing

Darryl Strawberry joins SNY April 28

Carlos Delgado throws away his good day with error - Christian Red pointed out that Carlos Delgado was having a good day at the plate before the throwing error that costed the Mets two runs.

Jimmy Rollins’ band makes noise 

Billy Wagner throws heat at idea of Mets’ ‘baggage’ - Anthony McCarron wrote that, “Wagner bristled at the suggestion that his team has lost confidence against the team that has beaten the Mets nine straight times. He also griped about some television analysis in which one Daily News reporter said the Mets are bringing psychic baggage into games with the Phils.

Shea patriarch missed at final opener

Mets’ fans wipe tears at last opener in old park, but Phils rain on parade

Pedro Feliciano’s travel woes deprive Mets of relief

New York Post:

PHILS HAVE THEIR SHEA WITH METS

IT COULDN’T START MUCH WORSE THAN THIS

PHILS STILL ROLLIN’ ALONG

BROKEN CLUTCH - Mark Hale pointed out that the Mets are not hitting in the clutch.

FELICIANO ARRIVES IN 7th INNING

DELGADO’S THROW A BACK-BREAKER

IT’S DEJA BOO - Kevin Kernan takes some jabs at the Mets bullpen.

METS DROP FINAL SHEA OPENER

New York Times:

Familiar Bullpen Job Ends in Familiar Way

With Words or His Bat, Rollins Shakes Up Mets

Strawberry Joins SNY as Part-Time Analyst

The Star-Ledger:

Game 7: Phillies at Mets - Jeremy Cothran provided the lineup for today’s game between the Phillies and the Mets.

El Duque shuts it down - Jeremy Cothran reported that, “El Duque has a strained tendon in his right foot and was placed in a protective boot. He’ll be inactive the next two weeks and will then be evaluated.”

Mets suffer 9th-straight loss to Phillies in final Shea Stadium opener

Castillo’s knee forces him out

Company line on Philly needs to be rethought

Even when he’s down, it’s hard to get Rollins out

Final: Phillies 5, Mets 2 - Jeremy Cothran summarized yesterday’s game between the Phillies and the Mets.

I mean, seriously? - Jeremy Cothran wrote a quick blurb about Delgado’s throwing error in yesterday’s game.

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The Mets honored William A. Shea in a pregame ceremony on the field.  The Mets retired the Shea name and hung up the plaque next to the other retired numbers.

The New York Mets are playing Game 6 of the 2008 Regular Season against the Philadelphia Phillies at Shea Stadium.  Today’s game is the 2008 Home Opener for the Mets, and the final Home Opener at Shea Stadium.

Phillies Lineup: Rollins, Victorino, Utley, Howard, Burrell, Werth, Feliz, Ruiz, Moyer.

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

On the Mound

Oliver Perez (1-0) was the starting pitcher for the Mets.  In the Top of the 1st, Victorino dropped a one-out single into shallow center field.  Perez hit Utley with the pitch.  Howard popped up to center, and the runners held up.  Perez caught Burrell looking at strike three.  Perez gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and Struck Out 1 in the 1st Inning.  In the Top of the 2nd, Werth grounded a leadoff single through the hole on the right side.  Feliz grounded out to first, and Werth was off the bag so Delgado got the unassisted double play.  Ruiz popped up to shallow center to retire the side.  Perez gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he didn’t Strike Out anybody in the 2nd Inning.  In the Top of the 3rd, Perez sent the Phillies down in order.  Perez gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he didn’t Strike Out anybody in the 3rd Inning.  In the Top of the 4th, Perez hit Utley with another pitch.  Perez struck Howard out swinging.  Burrell lined out to right.  Werth grounded to short, and Reyes made the out at second to retire the side.  Perez gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he Struck Out 1 in the 4th Inning.  In the Top of the 5th, Ruiz lined a one-out single into right field.  Moyer drew a one-out walk.  Rollins grounded to third, and Wright made the out at second.  Victorino popped up to shallow left field to end the inning.  Perez gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he didn’t Strike Out anybody in the 5th Inning.  In the Top of the 6th, Utley popped up to shallow center field.  Howard also popped up to shallow center.  Burrell drew a two-out walk.  With Werth in the batters box, Perez was called for a balk and Burrell advanced to second.  Perez threw a passed ball on ball four, so Burrell took off for third as Werth was granted first base.  Perez pitched 5.2 Innings giving up 3 Hits, 0 Runs, 3 BBs, and he Struck Out 2.

Randolph replaced Perez with Joe Smith with two outs in the Top of the 6th, Feliz drew a two-out walk to load the bases.  Ruiz grounded out to short to leave three Phillies stranded.  Smith gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he didn’t Strike Out anybody in the 6th Inning.

Randolph replaced Smith with Scott Schoeneweis to begin the Top of the 7th.  Taguchi is pinch hitting for Moyer, and Taguchi grouned out to second.  Rollins lined a one-out single to left.  Victorino grounded a single up the middle, and Rollins moved over to second.  Shoeneweis hit Utley with the pitch to load the bases.  Howard grounded an RBI single to first, and Delgado hit Utley in the back as he was running to second which scored Rollins and Victorino (an Error by Delgado allowed Victorino to score).  Shoeneweis pitched 0.1 Innings giving up 2 Hits, 3 Runs (1 Earned), 0 BBs, and he didn’t Strike Out anybody in the 7th Inning.

Randolph replaced Schoeneweis with Jorge Sosa with one out in the Top of the 7th.  Burrell lined out to right field, and Utley tagged and moved over to third.  Werth grounded an RBI opposite field single through the hole on the right side to score Utley.  Feliz popped up to shallow center to end the inning.  Sosa pitched 0.2 Innings allowing 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he didn’t Strike Out anybody in the 7th Inning.

Randolph replaced Sosa with Aaron Heilman to begin the Top of the 8th.  Ruiz drew a leadoff walk.  Taguchi laid down a sacrifice bunt towards first, and Heilman made the out at first.  Rollins pulled an RBI single into right field scoring Ruiz.  With Victorino in the batters box, Heilman threw a passed ball which moved Rollins to second.  Victorino drew a one-out walk.  Utley pulled an RBI double into right that one-hopped the wall and scored Rollins.  Heilman intentionally walked Howard to load the bases.  Jenkins is pinch hitting for Burrell, and Jenkins popped up to first.  Werth lined out to right to end the inning.  Heilman gave up 2 Hits, 2 Runs, 3 BBs, and he didn’t Strike Out anybody in the 8th Inning.

Randolph replaced Heilman with Carlos Muniz to begin the Top of the 9th.  Ruiz retired the side in order.  Ruiz gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he didn’t Strike Out anybody in the 9th Inning.

At the Plate

Jamie Moyer (0-0) was the starting pitcher for the Phillies.  In the Bottom of the 1st, Castillo drew a one-out walk.  Wright flied out to the warning track in center field.  Beltran grounded out to third to end the inning.  Moyer gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he didn’t Strike Out anybody in the 1st Inning.  In the Bottom of the 2nd, Delgado belted a leadoff home run off the scoreboard in right center.  Pagan flied out to deep left center.  Moyer hit Church with a pitch.  Schneider grounded into a double play to end the inning.  Moyer gave up 1 Hit, 1 Run, 0 BBs, and he didn’t Strike Out anybody in the 2nd Inning.  In the Bottom of the 3rd, Moyer got all three batters he faced to ground out.  Moyer gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he didn’t Strike Out anybody in the 3rd Inning.  In the Bottom of the 4th, Wright flied out to deep right center, and Victorino collided into Werth but held onto the ball.  Beltran drew a one-out walk.  Delgado softly hit an opposite field single into left as Beltran advanced to second.  Pagan grounded hard to second and beat out the play at first to load the bases.  Church grounded out slowly to first which scored Beltran, and the runners advanced to second and third.  Moyer intentionally walked Schneider to load the bases.  Moyer struck out Perez swining to limit the damage.  Moyer gave up 2 Hits, 1 Run, 2 BBs, and he Struck Out 1 in the 4th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 5th, Wright pulled a two-out double into the left field corner.  Beltran lined out to deep center to end the inning.  Moyer gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he did’t Strike Out anybody.  In the Bottom of the 6th, Moyer sent the Mets down 1-2-3.  Moyer gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he didn’t Strike Out anybody in the 6th Inning.  Moyer pitched 6.0 Innings and gave up 4 Hits, 2 Runs, 3 BBs, and he Struck Out 1.

Manuel replaced Moyer Chad Durbin with to begin the Bottom of the 7th.  Church led off with a ground ball up the middle.  Chavez replaced Pagan, and Chavez grounded to short and the Phillies turned the double play.  Reyes grounded a two-out single up the middle.  Easley replaced Castillo, and Easley flied out to the warning track in left field to end the inning.  Durbin gave up 2 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he didn’t Strike Out anybody in the 7th Inning.

Manuel replaced Durbin with J.C. Romero to begin the Bottom of the 8th.  Beltran pulled a line drive down into the left field corner for a one-out double.  Delgado grounded out to second as Beltran moved over to third.  Clark is pinch hitting for Chavez, and Clark drew a two-out walk.  Church grounded out to second to end the inning.  Romero gaveup 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he Struck Out 1 in the 8th Inning.

Manuel replaced Romero with Tom Gordon to begin the Bottom of the 9th.  Gordon struck Schneider out swining.  Chavez grounded out to the pitcher.  Reyes flied out to the warning track in right to end the game.  Gordon gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he Struck Out 1 in the 9th Inning.

Final Score: Philadelphia Phillies 5 - New York Mets 2.  The MLB.com Box Score is attached.

Oli pitched shutout ball through 5 2/3 innings before the Bullpen gave another game away.  It was a good thing that the Mets beat the Marlins in the 2008 Season Opener because they were unable to win their final Home Opener at Shea.  The Bullpen gave away 3 straight games to the NL East contenders which is really bad.  The Mets need to win the final two games of this series so Pelfrey needs to step up big tomorrow night.  Even more than that, the Bullpen needs to resolve their issues so the Mets can win some games.

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Proir to the Mets-Braves game, the Nationals lost last night so the Mets moved into first place.  Let’s hope they stay there until they clinch the NL East.  The Mets are playing Game 4 of the 2008 Regular Season against the Braves at Turner Field in Atlanta.  It is the first time they face each other this year.

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

Braves Lineup: Escobar, Kotsay, Jones, Teixeia, McCann, Francoeur, Diaz, Prado, Hudson.

At the Plate

Tim Hudson was the starting pitcher for the Braves.  Hudson got the first three Mets to ground out in the Top of the 1st.  In the Top of the 2nd, Hudson got Beltran to ground out.  Delgado grounded a single up the middle, and then Church grounded a single up the middle to advance Delgado to third.  Pagan hit a ground ball to short where the Braves made the out at second but couldn’t turn the double play which allowed Delgado to score.  Hudson fanned Schneider to end the inning.  Hudson gave up 1 Run on 2 Hits while Striking Out 1 in the 2nd Inning.  In the Top of the 3rd, Hudson retired the side in order while Striking Out 2.  In the Top of the 4th, Hudson retired the heart of the Mets order.  Hudson gave up 0 Runs and 0 Hits in the 4th.  In the Top of the 5th, Church hit a leadoff single into center field.  Pagan slapped an opposite field single into left which moved Church over to second base.  Schneider grounded out to first which advanced both runners.  Clark was pinch hitting for Maine, and Hudson hit Clark with the pitch to load the bases.  Reyes slapped a single into center field that hopped before a diving Kotsay got the leather on the ball.  The Mets thought it bounced, and the runners took off so the Braves turned the double play (On the replay, the ball clearly bounced before Kotsay caught the ball).  The call was reversed after the Umpires had a meeting of the minds.  The Umpires called it an RBI single for Reyes, and the runners were allowed to advanced one base which scored Church.  Castillo hit an RBI ground out to second which scored Pagan and moved the runners over to second and third.  Wright grounded out to third to end the inning.  Hudson gave up 2 Runs, 3 Hits, and 1 HBP in the 5th.  In the Top of the 6th, Hudson gave up 0 Runs, 1 Hit, and Struck Out 1.  Hudson pitched 6.0 Innings giving up 6 Hits and 3 Runs while Striking Out 4.

Cox replaced Hudson with Peter Moylan to begin the Top of the 7th.  Schneider lined a leadoff single into center.  Chavez is in to pinch hit for Schoeneweis, and Chavez grounded hard to second.  The ball bounced off of Prado and into right field so the runners are on first and second (It was ruled a hit).  Moylan worked himself out of the jam leaving two Mets stranded.  Moylan gave up 2 Hits and 0 Runs in the 7th.

Cox replaced Moylan with Royce Ring to begin the Top of the 8th.  Beltran led off with a double that one-hopped the left field wall.  Delgado pulled an RBI double into the right field corner which scored Beltran.  Church grounded out to first, and Delgado advanced to third.  Pagan lined an RBI sacrifice fly to left field which brought home Delgado.  Schneider grounded out to second to end the inning.  Ring gave up 2 Hits and 2 Runs, in the 8th Inning.

Cox replaced Ring with Rafael Soriano to begin the Top of the 9th.  Anderson is pinch hitting for Figueroa, and Anderson lined out to right field.  Soriano struck Reyes out swinging.  Castillo popped out to short to end the game.  Soriano retired the Mets in order in the 9th.

On the Mound

John Maine was the starting pitcher for the Mets.  In the Bottom of the 1st, Maine caught Escobar looking at strike three.  With one out, Kotsay grounded a single through the hole on the left side.  Jones lined a single into right field, and Kotsay advanced to second.  Maine walked Teixeira to load the bases.  McCann hit an RBI sacrifice fly to right field which scored Kotsay and Jones advanced to third.  Maine struck out Francoeur swinging.  Maine is throwing heat but doesn’t look sharp as he gave up 1 Run, 2 Hits, and 1 Walk while Striking Out 2 in the 1st Inning.  In the Bottom of the 2nd, Prado flaired a one-out single into right and that was it.  Maine gave up 1 Hit and Struck Out 2 in the 2nd Inning.  In the Bottom of the 3rd, Jones grounded a one-out single through the hole on the right side.  Maine walked Teixeira…again.  McCann flied out to center, and the runners held up.  Francoeur blooped an RBI single into shallow left field which scored Jones and advanced Teixeira to third.  Diaz hit an RBI single into center field scoring Teixeira and Francoeur advanced to second.  Prado grounded out to second to end the inning.  Maine gave up 2 Runs, 3 Hits, and 1 Walk in the 3rd.  In the Bottom of the 4th, Maine struck out Hudson, and then he walked Escobar.  Kotsay popped up to left, and Escobar stayed put.  Jones singled up the middle to advance Escobar to third.  Teixeira pulled an RBI single through the hole on the right side to score Escobar and advance Jones to second.  McCann popped up to short to end the inning.  Maine gave up 1 Run, 2 Hits, 1 Walk, and Struck Out 1 in the 4th.  John Maine left the game after pitching 4 Innings giving up 8 Hits, 4 Runs, 4 ER, 3 BB, and 5 SO.

Randolph replaced Maine with Joe Smith to begin the 5th Inning.  Smith sent the Braves down in order, and he Struck Out 1 in the 5th.  In the Bottom of the 6th, Gotay came in to pinch hit for Hudson.  Gotay hit a leadoff single up the middle.  Escobar sacrifice bunted to the pitcher, and Smith made the play at first while Gotay moved over to second.

Randolph replaced Smith with Scott Schoeneweis with 1 Out in the 6th Inning.  Kotsay ripped an RBI single into right field which scored Gotay (Gotay got his revenge on the Mets).  As Kotsay took off for second base, Church threw out Kotsay.  Jones popped up just foul of the first base line to end the inning.  Schoeneweis gave up 1 Hit and 1 Run (Charged to Smith) in the 6th Inning.

Randolph replaced Schoeneweis with Jorge Sosa to begin the Bottom of the 7th.  Sosa fanned Teixeira.  McCann doubled into the gap in right center.  Francoeur grounded the ball through the hole on the left side for a single which moved McCann over to third.  Sosa then fanned Diaz.  Sosa walked Prado to load the bases.  Johnson is in to pinch hit for Moylan, and Johnson lined a Grand Slam into right field scoring McCann, Francoeur, Prado, and himself (a pinch hit Grand Slam…that is the last thing I ever want to see the Braves do).  Escobar lined out to right to end the inning.  Sosa gave up 3 Hits, 4 Runs, 1 Walk, and Struck Out 2 in the 7th.

Randolph replaced Sosa with Nelson Figueroa Jr. to begin the Bottom of the 8th.  Kotsay grounded out to second.  Jones grounded out to first.  Teixeira lined a single into right.  Figueroa walked McCann.  Francoeur lined into center, but the diving Beltran couldn’t get to the ball in time, and Teixeira and McCann both scored.  Diaz flied out to center to end the inning.  Figueroa gave up 2 Hits, 2 Runs, and 1 Walk in the 8th Inning.

Final Score: New York Mets 5 - Atlanta Braves 11.  The MLB.com Box Score is attached.  John Maine got the loss (0-1) and Tim Hudson (1-0) got the win.

What an ugly game down in Atlanta.  Maine was throwing heat, but couldn’t locate his pitches.  The Bullpen gave up a ton of runs after Maine gave up 4.  Larry and Francoeur each went 3-5.  Teixeira was on base too much.  And worst of all…the Grand Slam by the pinch hitter, Kelly Johnson.  That’s not what I expected with Johnnie on the mound.  The Amazins’ will find out how for real Santana is tomorrow when he goes up against Smoltz.  The Mets need Santana to be the stopper that they paid $150 million for because they need to even out this series at 1-1.

On more of a positive note, the Phillies lost to the Reds, and the Nationals lost to the Cardinals which means that the Mets are still tied for first place pending the outcome of the Marlins-Pirates game where the Marlins have a 1-0 lead over the Pirates in the 2nd Inning.

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The Marlins hosted the Mets at Dolphin Stadium for a 7:10 PM start.  The Mets trailed 4-0 early as Pedro got rocked and injured, but the Mets fought back to tie the game.  The Bullpens held it down until Wise gave up a walkoff home run to Andino in the 10th.  The Mets can still win the series with a win tomorrow.

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

Marlins Lineup: Ramirez, Uggla, Jacobs, Willingham, Cantu, Gonzalez, Treanor, Amezaga, VandenHurk.

At the Plate

VandenHurk was the starting pitcher for the Marlins.  VandenHurk got threw the Top of the 1st only giving up a hit where Castillo beat out a ground ball to short.  In the Top of the 2nd, VandenHurk walked Pagan with 2 outs.  Then Schneider singled through the hole on the right side to advance Pagan to third, but VandenHurk struck out Martinez during a 12 pitch at-bat to retire the side.  In the Top of the 3rd, Reyes lined a leadoff single to center.  Castillo dropped down a sacrifice bunt to advance Reyes to second, but VandenHurk got through another scoreless inning.  In the Top of the 4th, Delgado drove the ball up the middle for a leadoff single.  Church pulled a single through the hole on the right side to advance Delgado to second.  Pagan also pulled an RBI single through the hole to score Delgado and advanced Church to second. 

Gonazalez made a pitching change so Pinto replaced VandenHurk.  Schneider lined an RBI single up the middle to score Church and Pagan advanced to second.  Martinez dropped down a sacrifice bunt to advance both runners.  Reyes sacrificed flied to left scoring Pagan while Schneider remained on second.  The Mets got 3 runs back in the 4th.  In the Top of the 5th, Wright lined a leadoff single into left field.  Pinto walked Beltran on 5 pitches before striking out Delgado.  Pinto walked Church to load the bases.  Pagan sacrifice flied to center to score Wright which tied the game.  Pinto got out of the 5th only giving up 1 run.

Gardner replaced Pinto for the Marlins in the Top of the 6th, and Gardner retired the Mets in order.

Kensing replaced Gardner in the Top of the 7th, and Kensing pitched a scoreless inning.  In the Top of the 8th, Kensing walked Schneider with one out.  Gonzalez replaced Kensing with Tankersly.  Tankersly retired the two Mets he faced.

Gregg replaced Tankersly in the Top of the 9th, and Gregg pitched a scoreless 9th.

Miller replaced Gregg in the Top of the 10th, and Miller pitched a scoreless 10th.

On the Mound

Martinez was the starting pitcher for the Mets.  In the Bottom of the 1st, Martinez hit Ramirez with a pitch to give the Marlins a leadoff runner.  Uggla lined a 2-run shot to left to score Ramirez and himself.  Pedro got out of the 1st giving up 2 Runs.  In the Bottom of the 2nd, Gonzalez drove a solo shot to deep center to lead off the inning.  Amezaga beat out a ground ball to second base with one out, and then VandenHurk sacrifice bunted to advance Amezaga to second.  Ramirez drove the ball to the wall in right center for a triple scoring Amezaga.  Pedro walked Uggla to put runners on the corners before getting Jacobs to fly out to center.  After 2, Pedro gave up 4 runs.  Martinez retired the side in order in the Bottom of the 3rd.

In the Bottom of the 4th, Randolph came out to mound to pull Martinez because Pedro pulled his hamstring after getting the first batter out.  Sosa replaced Martinez.  Amezaga hit a ground rule double to right center off of Sosa.  Pinto sacrificed bunted to advance Amezaga to third.  Sosa intentionally walked Ramirez to put runners on the corners, but Sosa was able to get out of the 4th inning without any damage.  With 2 outs in the Bottom of the 5th, Sosa only gave up 1 Hit.  In the Bottom of the 6th, it was a little hectic, but Sosa got out of the inning without giving up any runs.

In the Bottom of the 7th, Schoeneweis replaced Sosa.  Ross pinch hit for Jacobs.  After Schoeneweis got Ross out, Randolph replaced him with Smith.  Smith got the two batters he faced out.

In the Bottom of the 8th, Heilman replaced Schoeneweis on the mound.  Heilman pitched a scoreless 8th and 9th.

Wise replaced Heilman in the Bottom of the 10th.  With two outs, Andino jacked a walk-off homerun to left field to win it for the Marlins.

Final Score: New York Mets 4 - Florida Marlins 5.  The MLB.com Box Score is attached.

Mets.com:

Santana as advertised as Mets roll - Marty Noble put together an extensive article about Johan Santana’s Opening Day performance.

Wright doesn’t miss a beat in opener - Charlie Nobles pointed out that David Wright extends his two-year hitting streak to 18 with two doubles.

Forecast mixed for Pedro’s debut - Marty Noble provided the weather forecast as Pedro Martinez is about to take the mound.

Johan shows off ability to vary speeds - Charlie Nobles describes Santana’s performance on Opening Day.

Concepcion makes trip to see Santana - According to Joe Frisaro, Dave Concepcion, also Venezuelen, flew in from his native country specifically to see Johan’s debut as a Met.

Santana’s debut brings smiles - Fred Claire captured the thoughts of Willie Randolph regarding Santana’s debut as a Met.

Newsday:

Santana takes charge as Mets top Marlins in opener

Mets come out swinging in knockout of an opener

Randolph gets third degree after Mets win - David Lennon tells us why Willie got angry at the reporters after the game.

Don’t celebrate yet, Mets fans

Good day for ex-Mets - Newsday let us know how Lastings Milledge, Paul Lo Duca, Tom Glavine, Guillermo Mota, and Carlos Gomez did on Opening Day.

New York Daily News:

Johan Santana is best changeup of all

Johan Santana wins debut as Mets down Marlins 7-2

Impressed Pedro Martinez sings Johan Santana’s praises

New York Post:

PEDRO PUMPED FOR 2008 DEBUT

FIREWORKS IN THE 4TH - Bart Hubbuch noted how hot the bats were in the 4th Inning yesterday.

PERFECT RX AFTER LONG WINTER - Mike Vaccaro offers his thoughts on Johan.

WILLIE’S GAMBLE WINS BIG - Bart Hubbuch tells us what he thought when Randolph brought in Jorge Sosa.

New York Times:

Santana’s Start Helps Mets Forget Finish

The Star-Ledger:

Diagnosis: Strained left hamstring

Breaking: Pedro’s out with injury

Hurk OUT

Pedro Update

The Incredible Hurk

Petey’s progress

From the clubhouse

Million Dollar Men - Joel Magaraci lists how much 5 Mets are making this year.

Smoke and a Pancake? - Jeremy Cothran tells us a little bit about tonight’s starting pitcher for the Marlins, Henricus VandenHurk.

BREAKING NEWS: Mets writers are huge wimps

Mmmm….burgers…. - Dan Graziano preps us for tonight’s game.

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Today is Opening Day for the New York Mets.  The Florida Marlins are hosting the Mets at Dolphin Stadium.  When I was walking my dog, I walked onto the overcross to see Shea Stadium on Opening Day even though the Mets are out of town.  It is the final year at Shea which is somewhat upsetting so I went to catch a glimpse of it.

Mets lineup: Reyes, Castillo, Wright, Beltran, Delgado, Pagan, Church, Schnieder, and Santana.

At the Plate 

Meanwhile, the Mets didn’t do much with the bat early on.  Hendrickson was the starting pitcher for the Marlins.  2 Hits and 0 Runs through the first 3 Innings.  In the 4th, Beltran lined a double to the corner in left to lead off the inning.  Hendrickson walked Delgado to put runners on first and second.  Pagan pulled an RBI double over third base to drive in Beltran and Delgado advanced to third.  Church pulled an RBI single through the hole on the right side to drive in Delgado and Pagan advanced to third.  Schneider lined out to first, and Church ran around Jacobs to get back to the bag safely for the first out.  Hendrickson fanned Santana for the second out.  Reyes lined an RBI single to left to score Pagan and advanced Church to second.  Hendrickson walked Castillo to load the bases.  Wright lined a base clearing double into the gap in left to score Church, Reyes, and Castillo.  Beltran lined out to center field to end the inning.  The Mets scored 4 runs on 5 hits in the 4th inning.

In the 6th inning, Nolasco came in in relief.  With 2 outs, Reyes hit a single through the hole on the right side.  With Castillo in the batters box, Reyes got caught stealing second to end the inning.  With one out in the 7th, Wright hit a double to the gap in right center.  With Beltran in the batters box, Wright was thrown out trying to steal third.  Nolasco struggled a little bit in the 8th, but got through it without giving up any runs.

In the 9th inning, Lindstrom came in for the Marlins.  Anderson, pinch hit for Sosa, had a leadoff flair to center over the second baseman’s head.  Reyes dropped a sacrifice bunt to move Anderson to second while the Marlins through out Reyes at first.  Lindstrom threw a wild pitch which allowed Anderson to steal third, and a bad throw to third allowed Anderson to score.  Castillo grounded out.  Lindstrom walked Wright.  Beltran grounded out to second to end the inning.

On the Mound

Johan Santana was on the mound, and he retired 9 straight before walking Ramirez in the 4th inning.  Willingham hit a 2-run shot to score Ramirez and Willingham.  The Marlins put up 2 Runs on 1 Hit in the 4th inning.  After giving up the homer, Santana stuggled a little bit in the 5th but didn’t give up any runs.  Johan went through the 6th in order.  Santana gave up 1 Hits and 0 Runs in the 7th.  Johan pitched 7 Innings giving up 2 Runs, 3 Hits, and 2 Walks while Striking Out 8 in his Mets debut.

In the 8th inning, Wise came in in relief.  Wise struggled in the 8th so Randolph brought Schoeneweis in with runners on first and second.  Schoeneweis gave up a ground ball where the Mets got the out at first, but the runners advanced to second and third.  Willie replaced Schoeneweis with Sosa.  Sosa fanned Willingham to end the 8th without giving up any runs.

In the bottom of the 9th, Randolph put Heilman in.  Heilman struck out the first two batters.  Gonzalez grounded to Heilman, and Heilman made the throw to first for the final out.

Final Score: New York beat Florida 7-2.  The MLB.com Box Score is attached.

Mets.com:

Facts and figures: Mets Opening Day

Mets ready to put ‘07 in the past 

Newsday:

Mets are anxious to bury memories of fall - David Lennon believes that the Mets are anxious to put 2007 behind them.

Johan Santana’s a Met for one thing: Ring!

Duque on DL; Pelfrey gets spot

New York Daily New:

Johan Santana starts new era for Mets

Remember to forget 2007 collapse

New York Post:

LET’S ROCK ‘N’ ROLL - Bart Hubbuch points out that Johan Santana is the starting pitcher on Opening Day.

PELFREY GRABS DUQUE’S SPOT

‘TIS THE SEASON TO FORGET 2007

New York Times:

From Views to Fastballs, Wagner Won’t Hold Back - Ben Shpigel chats with Billy Wagner about the ‘08 season.

Pelfrey, With 8.14 E.R.A., Gets the Nod for the Mets

The Star-Ledger:

Manatees

That’s right

Shea Stadium South…Part II

Santana!

Moments away…

Game 1: Mets at Marlins - Jeremy Cothran provided the Opening Day lineup between the Mets and the Marlins.

Shea Stadium South - Jeremy Cothran discovered that Dolphin Stadium filled with Mets fans wearing Santana jerseys.

Live from the clubhouse

It’s time to get the Mets season underway

Pelfrey named fifth starter; El Duque to the DL

Mets moved by visit to Civil Rights museum

The heat is on Mets manager Willie Randolph

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The Mets dropped another Spring Training game to the Cards.  Like I said the last time the Mets lost to the Cardinals, I hate when that happens.

Once again, Die Hard Mets Fan would like to remind you that you can send us photos of you and your buddies in Mets gear so we can post it on the appropriate page above.  Click on one of the photo tabs in the header bar for more information.  Readers love to see pics of other Mets fans.  I can tell that many people find our fansite looking for photos of Mets fans and Mets tattoos, but there aren’t any yet.  We would greatly appreciate it if you send us some.

Note: We are looking for a few more Mets Bloggers to become a better Mets blog.  We are looking to cover many aspects of the Mets daily so you can more or less choose to write where your strenghts are.  If you are interested then please click on the ‘Write for Us’ link in the sidebar for more information.

Mets.com:

Castillo reaps benefits of slow return - Anthony DiComo lets us know that Luis Castillo feels great in his Grapefruit League debut.

Johan, Mets remain vexed by Cards - Anthony DiComo summarized today’s game between the Cardinals and the Mets.  The Cards beat the Mets 10-3.  Johan Santana got the start.  The Mets are 10-7-1 in the Grapefruit League standings.

Vargas seeks second opinion on hip - Anthony DiComo reported that ”Jason Vargas traveled to Colorado on Saturday for a second opinion on his sore left hip, which may require surgery.”

Camp nearing end, Mets roster ailing - Marty Noble stated that the calendar is counting down and the lineup remains incomplete.

Which teams have the best defense? - Lyle Spencer pointed out that MLB.com produced a list of the five premier defensive units heading into 2008.  This list includes these teams: New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays, Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, and Kansas City Royals.  Spencer explained why each of these teams made the list, and here is what he wrote about the Mets:

Johan Santana, whose glove is a matching accessory to his golden arm, will enjoy watching his new teammates pick it. Jose Reyes is the game’s premier defensive infielder in the view of advance scouts participating in MLB.com’s survey, and his partner on the left side, Gold Glover David Wright, also is first-rate. Ryan Church enhances an outfield that features Gold Glover Carlos Beltran and arguably the game’s best all-purpose sub in Endy Chavez. There are no serious chinks in manager Willie Randolph’s defensive armor.

Pitchers row laughs are par for course - Marty Noble revealed that Pedro Martinez was never into golfing like most MLB pitchers are, but now Martinez brought a golf bag to Spring Training, and said this to his colleagues, “You guys are going to teach me. If someone can tell me where to put my feet, I’ll be all right.”

Newsday:

Mets’ Valentin makes a major plea about his role - Anthony Rieber wrote that “Jose Valentin knows the Mets have made him no promises. He knows they signed Luis Castillo to a four-year contract to play second base. He also knows he signed a minor-league deal that allows the team to send him down if he doesn’t make the Opening Day roster.”  If Valentin does not make the team, he said, “I mean, I’m not going down there because they say I don’t make it. I don’t have to prove something in Triple-A. Money-wise, it’s not a big deal. I think that if I just shut it down right now and retire, I’ve still got enough money to live the rest of my life.”

New York Daily News:

Willie Randolph closes in on opener - Adam Rubin pointed out that Willie Randolph needs to get the full squad together in order to get ready for the season.

Jimmy Rollins repeats NL East boast - Here’s what Jimmy Rollins was quoted as saying in the April issue of Men’s Journal.  “That wasn’t a one-year thing. It’s still gonna ring true in 2008, and every year I’m with the Phillies. We’re going to win. It’s gonna come down to who wants it more, and we want to win more than the Mets do. Truthfully, I don’t worry about anybody in our division, or anybody in our league for that matter. I’m not worried about getting into the playoffs, because that part is accomplished. We’re a playoff team now. Our next goal is to win the World Series.”

New York Post:

BURNING QUESTION - Bart Hubbuch believes that Aaron Heilman has settled into the bullpen, but he still would prefer to be in the starting rotation.

AMAZIN’ STAFF HAS ANOTHER MAINE MAN

New York Times:

Soothsayer to Mets Won’t Brush Off Signs - Karen Crouse tells a story of a Mets fan in Floriday.

Castillo Feels No Pain in Spring Debut

Mets’ Schoeneweis Puts Painful Year Behind Him - Charlie Nobles discusses the injuries that Scott Schoeneweis suffered last season, and how he aims to put last year behind him.

The Star-Ledger:

Castillo plays, feels healthy

Getting Things Started Wright - Matthew Artus has spent the last few days pondering a debate that arose recently over at Shea Nation regarding where David Wright should bat in the Mets’ lineup.  In his article, he makes his case.

Castro is also a big hit on field - Jeremy Cothran revealed Ramon Castro as the prankster that placed the bubble gum on Castillo.

With 5 at-bats, Schneider feels he’ll be ready

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Angel Pagan seems like he can be a huge contributor with the Mets in ‘08.  I know it is Spring Training, and he isn’t facing the the elite, but he is smoking hot right now.  Pagan should easily make the roster.  He has a shot at starting in left field as well, unless the Mets use Endy.  The Mets should definitely take advantage of all of the hits that Angel has left in the bat.

Mets.com:

Pagan notches two-run triple in loss - Ian Browne summarized today’s game between the Red Sox and the Mets.  The Red Sox beat the Mets 4-3.  Nelson Figueroa got the start.  The Mets are 8-5-1 in the Grapefruit League standings.

Simulated game adds up to success - Marty Noble stated that health, not velocity, is what matters the most to Pedro Martinez.

Hip, hip hooray: Maine mostly pain free - Marty Noble noted that therapy and conditioning has been playing a big role for John Maine.

Schneider learning to take charge - Marty Noble felt like Brian Schneider got the opportunity to get on the same page with Johan Santana on Monday.

Delgado, Beltran return to action - Marty Noble pointed out that Carlos Delgado and Carlos Beltran returned to action yesterday, and the sluggers were hitless in a combined five at-bats vs. Red Sox.

Veterans able to skip long road trip - Marty Noble noted that Martinez and Scott Schoeneweis are staying to pitch simulated games.

Newsday:

Beltran, Delgado struggle in return to lineup

Santana shows Bosox what might have been - David Lennon wrote, “A few hours before the game, Red Sox manager Terry Francona refused to comment about Santana but emphasized how much the organization values young players such as Lester. Still, Francona had to be a tiny bit envious as he watched Santana mow through his scoreless four innings with machine-like efficiency.”  Lennon also found out that Luis Castillo expects to be in the lineup either Thursday or Friday.

New York Daily News:

Pedro Martinez has final warmup before Grapefruit League start - The AP reported that ”Martinez’s first scheduled Grapefruit League game was rained out March 6 when the Mets were to play the Washington Nationals. He threw a simulated game, and the team then chose not to send him to Fort Myers on Tuesday.”

Johan Santana shows he is Mets’ ace and No. 1 pitcher Red Sox are missing

Johan Santana fans 4; Delgado, Beltran spring into action

Brian Schneider catches Johan Santana for first time

New York Post:

SANTANA MAKES SOX RED-FACED

WILLIE MUST TAKE SOME GIANT STEPS - Joel Sherman believes that Willie Randolph must change like Tom Coughlin did to win a World Series.  Willie disputed this theory by saying, “I’m a winner and I have always been a winner.”

CARLOSES TWICE AS NICE - Bart Hubbuch wrote about how Delgado and Beltran returned from a lengthy absence yesterday.

METS ARE FEELING AMAZIN’ - Bart Hubbuch said that the injury-battered Mets should be able to move closer to full strength over the next couple of days.

New York Times:

For Mets, Tradition Field Looks Like Red Sox Nation

The Star-Ledger:

Recap on Pedro - Jeremy Cothran explained how Pedro’s second simulated game went.

Breaking Down the Leftover Campers - Matthew Artus analyzed who he thinks will make the team.

Santana well worth price of admission

Beltran, Delgado return to lineup

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Single-game tickets for the final season at Shea Stadium go on sale tomorrow at 9 a.m.  You can order the tickets at Mets.com or by calling the Mets’ ticket office at (718) 507-TIXX for more information.

The Amazins’ are playing in split-squad games today.  The Mets beat the Orioles by a score of 4-1 in the non-televised game.  Jonathan Niese got the start.  The Mets are 7-3 in the Grapefruit League standings.  The Mets got smoked 12-4 by the Marlins in the second game which was televised.  Mike Pelfrey finally had a bad outing in Spring Training, and it was really bad.  The seven-game winning streak came to an end.  The Mets are 7-4 in the Grapefruit League standings.

Mets.com:

Notes: MASH unit stays home - Tom Singer pointed out that the road lineup is full of prospects as many starters deal with injuries.

Pedro gets work in at simulated ‘event’ - Marty Noble let us know how Pedro Martinez performed in his simulated start.

Mets subs shine in win over Indians - Anthony Castrovince summarized yesterday’s game between the Mets and the Indians.  Oliver Perez got the start.  The Mets were able to put together another comeback to beat the Tribe by a score of 8-6.  The Mets are now 6-3 in the Grapefruit League standings.

Newsday:

Mets’ Pedro has work cut out after simulated game - After the simulated game, David Lennon felt like Martinez had some things to improve upon.

Pain fading for Delgado, who takes recovery slow

New York Daily News:

Moises Alou insists he will make return from hernia injury

Pedro Martinez can’t wait to deal for real

Ryan Church takes batting practice - Peter Botte lets us know what he thought when Ryan Church returned to BP.

New York Post:

SLOW PITCH - Bart Hubbuch also wrote how Pedro wants to pitch in a real game already.

OLIVER GETS ROUGHED UP AGAIN - Bart Hubbuch reveals his thoughts on Oli’s outing against the Indians yesterday.

New York Times:

Martínez’s Changeup: Less Talk, More Action

The Star-Ledger:

Mets vs. Marlins - Lisa Kennelly provided the lineup and a summary of the early innings for today’s game between the Marlins and the Mets.

Leave No Stone Unturned - Matthew Artus suggests Barry Bonds as a right fielder for the Mets.  I think that all of the steroid users should be permanently banned from the majors to avoid any more unneccary embarrassment.

Trade rumors putting the heat on Schoeneweis - Jeremy Cothran wrote “What upsets Schoeneweis, who is out of Lenape High in Medford, is that the team is so quick to dismiss him after one below-par season.”  The Mets are not dismissing him for one below-par season.  The below-par season is a direct result of the lack of needles being injected into his rump.  I grew up in Medford, but I went to another high school called Shawnee for my Freshman year before moving to Long Island.  We competed against Lenape.  I wish the Mets would get rid of this guy already.

Pedro eager to make it real

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