Results tagged ‘ Carlos Delgado ’
David, the Giant-killer…Part 2
Through the first 5 weeks or so of the the season, the Mets hadn’t been overly impressive in games in which they didn’t get control of the game, early. However, lately, they seem to be relishing that role. Last night was no exception…
Livan Hernandez retired the 1st batter he faced and did little in the 1st inning after that. 5 of the next 6 hitter got hits, including a 2 out, 2 run single by Rich Aurilia, giving the Giants an early 4-1 lead. That’s the second game in a row that the Mets scratched together a run in the Top of the 1st, only to have their starter give the lead away in the bottom of the inning. Fred Lewis homered in the 2nd inning off of Hernandez to make it 5-1. Now, there’s a couple ways to look at this…but I believe I called one of Livan’s starts “professional” a week or so ago, and that adjective applied here, again. Granted, the game is looking out of reach because of the opposing pitcher (Lincecum), but he needed to be in this game…and for a few innings. Its the 2nd game of a long road trip, the bullpen has been taxed lately…and Livan buckled down. He sucked it up for the next 3 innings and kept the Giants scoreless, giving the Mets a chance to comeback.
Despite blowing chances in the 3rd and 4th, comeback they did. In the 6th, a leadoff double by Sheff, a one out single by Church, and a Sac Fly by Santos got the Mets a 2nd run. After Reed singled, Murph came through with a pinch-hit RBI single to make it 5-3.
In the bottom of the 6th, the Giants got a 2 out RBI single from Lincecum, himself, increasing the Giant lead to 6-3. It was then that the Giant-killer would add to his reputation…
After a single and a couple walks in the 7th and Lincecum out, David Wright stepped up and ruined Lincecum’s effort all together. He slashed a double down the left-field line, emptying the bases. Unfortunately, after he stole 3rd, the Mets would strike out 3 times, failing to get the lead. After 2 nice innings by Feliciano and Stokes, the Mets would strike again in the 9th. A couple singles by Sheff and Wright, lead to a throwing error by Giant closer Brian Wilson on Church’s sacrifice attempt…that would score Sheff. With Wright standing at 3rd, Omir Santos would deliver another Sac Fly to give the Mets a 2 run lead and hand the ball to K-Rod. He would notch his 11th save. Santana to the hill with a chance to start the road trip 3-0…
Comebacks:
- Jose Reyes pinch-hit…but struck out…
- David Wright is absolutely ablaze…he went 3 for 5 with 4 RBI and a run scored. This makes him 6 for 8 with 2 BBs with 4 RBI and 2 runs scored in this series…
- Carlos Delgado is now on the DL retroactive to May 11th…Angel Pagan (the man with the most contradicting name) has been called up from Buffalo…
- Tim Lincecum looked ok…he did have 8 Ks…but could not get the outs when he needed to…
- Omir Santos is now tied for 5th on the team in RBI, despite playing in only 20 games…he has a knack for getting people in, especially by the Sac Fly…
- The Mets have roughed up Brian Wilson, handing him his only 2 losses in the past 2 days…
- Zack Greinke wins again…he went 7 innings, 6 hits, 1 run, 2 BBs, and 6 Ks. He gives up 1 run again and his ERA shot up to 0.60…He is now 7-1…
Saturday, 4:10, AT&T Park, Santana vs. Johnson…
Walk the Plank!
So, I was out of town for the weekend and my information/visuals of the 3 game sweep of the Bucs was more limited than normal. I’ve read up on Friday’s game, listened to most of Saturday’s, and watched Sunday’s game. So, here’s a couple of quick thoughts and hopefully some statistics to ponder…
Friday:
I think the main thing to take in from Friday is the 2009 debut of Jon Niese, I believe he pitched well. He went 6 innings, allowing 7 hits, 2 runs, 5 Ks, while walking 0. That’s definitely a positive for this rotation. He also did very well in the 1st couple innings by really only using his fastball. He also has a “Barry Zito” curveball…which might be one of the most fun things to watch in sports. I think my favorite aspect of his outing was the fact that he wasn’t phased by the 2 runs in the 3rd inning. With 2 outs in the top of the 3rd and a runner on 2nd, McClouth hit a fly ball to right-center that, despite being in position, both Beltran and Church flat out missed. He could have easily come un-raveled, but remained calm and got the next hitter to ground out. Unfortunately, that hit cost him the win. But, he held his own and kept his team in the game. The offense finally came around during a 5 run 8th inning. The highlight was a 3 run bomb by Delgado, his 4th of the year. The Mets held on, 7-3.
Saturday:
Game 2 was all about John Maine and the Offense. Maine continued his comeback trail, giving another quality start. He earned his 3rd win by going 6 innings, 3 hits, 1 run, 2 BBs and 3 Ks. The only thing Maine didn’t do well was give up a HR to opposing starter Paul Maholm…but no one is perfect. The Mets offense almost looked perfect, though. They scored 10 runs on 17 hits. 7 Mets starters had at least 2 hits, including Jose Reyes who went 3 for 5 with 3 RBI and a run scored. Beltran also tacked on his 6th HR of the year. Jerry Manuel was suspended for this game for contact with an umpire during Thursday’s win over the Phillies. Apparently, the Mets didn’t need him, as the game was all but over by the end of the 4th, when it was 6-0.
Sunday:
Coming into this game, the Mets were 0 for 3 in potential 3-game sweeps (after winning the 1st and 2nd games). But, Sunday, they were 1 for 1. The best word to describe Hernandez’s pitching performance is ‘professional.’ In the first couple innings, it was clear he did not have his best stuff. However, he battled and hung around long enough for the offense to come through with some runs. He even stuck around to finish the 6th. After the 3rd, it seemed like getting 5 from him would be a stretch. The Mets finally wrestled the lead from the scrappy Pirates (and tough pitcher Ian Snell) on Omir Santos’s opposite field base hit, knocking in 2 runs. They tacked on more runs in the 7th and 8th. That is a great sign of a championship team. The Mets are already great at getting out of the gate quick by scoring in the 1st inning. Now, being able to add to that, should only solidify those chances at wins. Reyes ripped his 10th bag of the year, taking 3rd. He got a couple more hits, raising his average to .276. When he gets going, it will be tough to stop this team. They really are starting to click on all cylinders and are turning would-be weaknesses (starting rotation, clutch hitting) into strengths. The winning streak is now at 7, with the hyped “Santana/Lowe” matchup looming Monday night.
Weekend Stats:
- K-Rod got the weekend off…he deserved it after getting 4 saves in 4 days.
- In the 7 wins in a row, the Mets have had 7 quality starts…coincdence? I think no…
- Tying in with the previous stat, the Mets clutch hitting was unreal this weekend. Going 18 for 33 with RISP…they only left 21 runners on base this weekend. With pitching and hitting like that…but then, its also against the Pirates.
- Part of the Mets success also stems from their increased stolen bases. They swiped 7 more bags this weekend.
- After struggling lately, Jose Reyes ripped up the Pirates, going 7 for 13 with 4 RBI and 4 runs scored this weekend. He is such a key to success for the Mets. When he is on base, stealing bases, and wreaking havoc, the Mets are as dangerous as any other team in the league.
- David Wright had a nice weekend, offensively and defensively…but also struck out 5 more times…
- Brain Stokes came out of exile and worked a scoreless inning on Saturday…
- Zack Greinke finally lost Saturday night, despite throwing ANOTHER complete game, going 8 innings, 4 hits, 1 run, 0 BBs and 5 Ks. With that game, his ERA went UP eleven points.
- After Sunday, the Mets are in 1st place by at least a game for the 1st time this year…
Monday, Citi Field, 7:10, Lowe vs. Santana…
Old-fashioned baseball…
Tonight was a great throwback baseball game. A good old-fashioned pitcher’s duel. And you wouldn’t have thought that, after reading the pitching matchup. Chan Ho Park might have just saved his spot in the rotation…at least for now. He went 6 innings, 1 hit, 0 runs, 2 BBs and 5 Ks…a far cry from what the Mets did to him last Friday night. Daniel Murphy finally broke through for the Mets in the 5th inning by blooping a double into left-center. That was the only hit the Mets would get until the 7th inning. With Delgado on 1st and 2 outs, Tatis pinch-hit for Jeremy Reed and singled to 3rd, when Pedro Feliz made an ill-advised throw that Ryan Howard could not get to. The ball went into foul/shallow right field. Before Jason Werth could get to it and throw home, Delgado rumbled around 3rd and beat the tag of Ruiz to break the 0-0 tie. That would be the only productive offense of the game for either team.
Johan Santana saw and raised Park’s performance, going 7 innings, 2 hits, 0 runs, 3 BBs, and 10 more K’s. He did another amazing job getting out of jams in the 3rd and 7th. However, 2 of his BBs were to the opposing pitcher. The error-produced run allowed Santana to be on the winning side of another of his wonderous outings. He is now 4-1, despite very little run support. Although, I would much rather have the Mets have their scoring outbursts when pitchers other than Santana are on the mound.
Notes:
- In Santana’s 6 starts this year, the Mets have scored 12 runs. That’s 2 runs a game. However, he has won 2 games, 1-0.
- The Phillies had committed 5 errors coming into Wednesday’s game. In the game they committed 3 more.
- K-Rod is now tied for the most saves in the Majors with 8. He has 3 saves in the last 3 games.
- JJ Putz got the day off, as Feliciano pitched the 8th. This was also to be expected, though, as the 8th inning went through the heart of the Phillies order, including Utley and Howard.
- Carlos Beltran did not reach base for the 1st time this season. He also had his 16 game hitting streak snapped.
- I went to the Michigan/ohio state softball game today, as the Wolverines swept the buckeyes to clinch at least a tie for the Big Ten Title. Go Blue!!
Thursday, Citi Field, 7:10pm, Moyer vs. Pelfrey…
Sweep!
So, I almost had to re-do my entire entry for tonight. Like any writer, I was putting my thoughts together and organizing how I was going to write everything down, when the bottom of the 9th happened. My TV’s life was extended after Ryan Church caught Chipper’s attempt to win the game for the Braves. With a 4-1 lead and 2 down in the bottom of the 9th, K-Rod gives up a hit and a walk, when Omar Infante pops up a bloop right to Delgado. I was about to walk into my kitchen, but thought that nothing is a sure thing (especially with the Mets) and stayed to watch Carlos flat out DROP the ball. Funny thing is, if everyone runs it out, the runner on 1st is at least on 3rd and Infante is easily on 2nd, instead of 1st. He would then have scored on Escobar’s single, tying the game. Thankfully, Omar loafed it, made it to 3rd on the single, and was stranded on Chipper’s flyout.
Up until the 2 out roller coaster ride, the pitching for the Mets was amazing. Livan went 6 1/3, 7 hits, 1 run, 2 BBs and 2 Ks, only throwing 75 pitches (discounting the Ollie start, it was the Mets 4th straight quality start). He totally could have gone at least another inning, but got into a bit of a jam, and Manuel decided not to push his luck (not a bad decision at all). Parnell, Putz, and K-Rod did their respective jobs. K-Rod’s would have been smoother, if not for Delgado’s error. In keeping with the theme of not allowing runs, the Mets defense (in the 1st 7 innings) was great. They turned 3 double-plays. And on Prado’s run-scoring double, Murphy made a great play, cutting the ball off, otherwise, Schafer probably scores and ties the game at 2. Then, the defense went downhill, as Castillo and Delgado made routine-play errors.
Offensively, the effort was mixed. They got 11 hits: good. Only 4 runs (including leaving 2 on in the 9th…2nd and 3rd with no out and neither scored): bad. 4 players wth multiple hits, including Castro with 3: good. Leaving 12 on base and goin 3 for 13 with RISP: bad. Luckily, the pitching out-weighed the hitting and the Mets got away with a sweep in the ATL…
Points for your morning coffee:
- Daniel Murphy had a nice game. He went 1 fo 4 with a run scored. Also, he saved a run with a nice defensive play in the 7th. And, after a botched throw by Chipper in the 9th, moved up to an un-occupied 2nd base. That forced the Braves to walk Beltran, creating a big opportunity for Delgado. As defensively challeneged as he was to start the year, I’m enjoying watching his progress, not only as a fielder, but as a baseball player.
- Despite his almost biffing the game away, Delgado did have a huge hit in the 9th with the bases loaded, plating the soon-needed 2 runs. Give and Take, I guess…
- The Mets have swept a series -albeit a mini 2 game series- in Atlanta for the first time in 2 years…winning there will never get old for me.
- Yunel Escobar is just adding to the log-jam of great short-stops in the NL East…he went 3 for 5 with an RBI tonight…
- Johan Santana has given up 4 earned runs this year. That is fewer than 3 Mets relievers (Putz, 6; Feliciano, 5; Green, 12 -yikes)…
- Is anyone else excited about the Royals? The epitome of a small market team and they are leading their division by 1.5 games (I know its early May, but let’s enjoy it while we can). Greinke has 37.5% of their wins…
- This is fun: the Nats and Astros had their 10-10 game called in the 11th inning today because of rain. The game was played in DC. But they don’t play again until July 9th (in Houston). That will be the date that this game will be continued. So, the home team will wear gray in the1st game? And, given the probable lack of success of both teams (sorry, Nats and Astros fans *Cassie*) and it being near the trade deadline, how will they handle players who won’t be on the roster then and players who weren’t today but will be on the roster then? Yay for tight schedules and short series…
- Also, tough loss for the Wings to the Ducks tonight…sometimes, life just isn’t fair…not much else you can say about that game…
Quote of the Night:
“Keith, its your favorite song.” “[Its] all around major league baseball. You just can’t get away from it.” -Gary Cohen and Keith Hernandez, upon hearing the sound bite “Everybody Clap Your Hands.”
Wednesday, 7pm, Park/Santana…
Maine Man!
John Maine has returned to his old glory…at least for one start. John Maine had arguably a do-or-die start last night and he came through. He was in control of his fastball and went right after hitter…a receipe that helped him succeed the past few years. In his six innings of work, Maine allowed an un-earned run and a hit. He struck out 4, but did walk 3. Despite his walks not coming back to bite him, it is still something that he needs to cut down on. He has walked 12 in 21 2/3 innings. He definitely has the stuff…if he can control it. But, Big Ups to you, Maine! Bring it again, next week!
I’m really getting tired of writing about this, but the first batter of the game hit a fly ball to left field…and Gary Sheffield just flat out dropped it (that ended up being the un-earned run). Now, I don’t expect everyone’s fielding % to be 1.000, but these fly balls are going to have to be caught. Everyone misses one from time to time, but it is happening at an alarming rate to numerous different outfielders. Gladly, its only April and the Mets are still only a couple games back, but I am sick and tired of dropped fly balls and flailing about in the outfield! Let’s cut the excuses and get it together out there!!
Some “Offensive” Points…er, Runs:
- The Mets actually scored some runs on Monday (7)…but it did all come in one inning. It was nice to see the “tack-on” run in the 8th. It can be alarming when a club can get hot for an inning, score a few, and then go silent the rest of the game. Consistent hitting is always better.
- Omir Santos hit his first HR (a grand slam) in the 1st inning! Props to you, Omir! I think I heard he hit 4 in 23 ABs during the Spring. I’m guessing he will stay in the lineup…
- David Wright MAY be on the verge of breaking out of his slump?? He went 2 for 4 with an RBI and 2 runs scored and…NO Ks!! Yay for David. Keep it going!
- Delgado sat out with an injury and Castillo left the game with back spasms. Delgado’s is not too serious, I don’t think and Manuel was looking for a reason to give him a day off. Not too sure about Castillo…tonight’s lineup should give some more insight.
Tonight at 7:10 at Citi Field, Ricky Nolasco vs. Livan Hernandez…
Deja Vu
First of all, I am very excited that random people are reading what I have to say…thanks, Dan! Enjoy Happy Valley! I’ve been to a couple of games there…good times!!
Now, I feel like I did that all of last Summer. Geez. This time, however, we actually closed the deal. It’s nice to see that we can get out of a jam from time to time, despite a very questionable call by the 1st base umpire. Delgado’s foot MAY have been off the bag, but it was ridiculously close. I feel like in the bottom of the 9th in such a tight game, you had better be 100% sure to make that call.
Some things to think about:
- I was actually ok with Pelfrey tonight. Yes, he did not have control at all and made a mess of the 1st inning, but he bounced back, battled and stuck around long enough to get the win. You have games like that and fighting through them and controling the damage are what great pitchers do. Build on it, Pelf!
- Big ups to Delgado for continuing his torrid start(maybe keep your foot on the bag a TAD longer…haha). 2 for 5, 4 rbi, hr
- The more I watch D. Murphy, the more I like him. He plays solid D, battles at the plate,and works hard.
- Joey Votto is going to be a star (already is?)…
- Also, what is with the length of games? Monday’s game went way over 3 hours and tonight’s topped 4 hours!! Neither game went to extras…
- Into the 5th, Nick Adenhart is having a nice game for the Angels (actually traveled around the Midwest League in summer of ’06 to watch him)…
Quote of the Night(s):
Keith Hernandez commenting on Brandon Phillips shading up the middle, leaving Murphy with a huge hole on the right side…”You could drive a Panzer Division through there!”
Gary Cohen on how cold it was getting: “You’r not going to find much body heat in the stands…as no one is left.”
Also…big comeback for the Phils tonight…Yankees get beat again…Kazmir pitches well for Rays(sigh) as they beat the BoSox…and the Tigers get their first win(I’m happy for you, Tony)…Perez at Arroyo at 12:35 in Cincy tomorrow
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