Game Time: 7:10pm
The Wild Things Record: 2-2 Era: 8.78 K: 22 BB: 28 WHIP: 2.25
Mets Notes:
- Hopeful of keeping Perez in some sort of routine, wanting to afford Johan Santana extra rest and mindful of how the schedule breaks after the first series, the Mets have Perez starting the first game after the break. Some of his best performances have come against the Braves, mostly because they were a predominantly left-handed-hitting team. That no longer is as much a factor in his favor. He has a 5-2 record 3.47 ERA in 13 starts against the Braves since the beginning of the 2006 season. He has a 2-1 record and 3.06 ERA in five career starts at Turner Field. Chipper Jones has a .423 average in 26 career at-bats against Perez.
- The losses of Carlos Beltran (bruised right knee), Jose Reyes (right calf tendinitis), Carlos Delgado (right hip surgery), starting pitcher John Maine (right shoulder fatigue) and set-up man J.J. Putz (right elbow surgery) are some big reasons why fourth-place New York (42-45) is 6 1/2 games behind NL East-leading Philadelphia.
- After notching a career-best 15 victories with a 3.56 ERA in 2007, inconsistency has plagued the left-hander the last two seasons. He went 10-7 with a 4.22 ERA last year, but never recorded victories in consecutive outings. In April, he was booed after getting shelled in an exhibition loss at Citi Field, and went 1-2 with a 9.97 ERA in five regular-season starts before his injury.
LINEUP
Pagan, CF
Castillo, 2B
Wright, 3B
Sheffield, LF
Franceour, RF
Murphy, 1B
Cora, SS
Schneider, C
Perez, P
- Record: 8-7 Era: 4.39 K: 61 BB: 37 WHIP: 1.40
Braves Notes:
- The Braves’ Derek Lowe (8-7, 4.39) comes out of the All-Star break looking to improve on his worst ERA in five NL seasons, and trying to build off what he called his “best start of the year.†Lowe allowed one run over six innings in a 4-1 win Friday at Colorado after going 0-4 with an 8.61 ERA over his previous five outings.
- The right-hander recorded his second career victory over the Mets on May 11 by giving up two runs and five hits in an 8-3 win in New York. After going 1-8 in Atlanta last season, the Mets swept a two-game series at Turner Field from May 4-5.
LINEUP
McLouth, CF
Prado, 2B
Jones, 3B
McCann, C
Escober, SS
Anderson, LF
Diaz, RF
Kotchman, 1B
Lowe, P
- Let get off to a hot start!
Dont forget you can chat live in the Real Dirty Dugout! LGM!
80 comments
metsfan4decades
7/16/2009-7:05pm at 7:05 pm (UTC -4)
Dare I say it?
Let’s Go Mets !!
All the news today was so discouraging. Not only do we have multiple players on the DL, NONE of them did a 15 day DL stint. All are multiple months. We could have maybe survived each of our core on the DL for 15 days.
And I have yet to figure out just exactly what Reyes’ problem is. First it was something with the thigh, then they talked about something with the back of the knee, lastly a hamstring pull, then hamstring tear. Just completely bizarre…
oleosmirf
7/16/2009-7:07pm at 7:07 pm (UTC -4)
great Ollie Vs. Lowe
i don’t know if I can watch this…
Kingman 26
7/16/2009-7:18pm at 7:18 pm (UTC -4)
Lowe is 8-7, with a mediocre ERA and a bad WHIP….not worth REMOTELY what they paid for him.
A good move by Omar.
But you were right about Church.
wannybackstra
7/16/2009-7:23pm at 7:23 pm (UTC -4)
It’s a little early to make that judgment, no?
Kingman 26
7/16/2009-7:26pm at 7:26 pm (UTC -4)
Lowe or Church?
Maybe early on both…..
wannybackstra
7/16/2009-7:27pm at 7:27 pm (UTC -4)
I guess both. But I was referring to Lowe.
fongy2
7/16/2009-7:30pm at 7:30 pm (UTC -4)
Fooled me too!
Kingman 26
7/16/2009-7:31pm at 7:31 pm (UTC -4)
Yeah, you are probably right…but the same people who were trashing Omar for not giving Lowe that contract would be the first to scream even louder at how Lowe has performed lately…
fongy2
7/16/2009-7:47pm at 7:47 pm (UTC -4)
Right about that Brock. My 3 guys would have been Manny,Lowe&Cora.
I’d have been OK w/Abreu BUT thought Lowe was the most important guy to sign.
For all the known reasons.I do admit though that I didnt kill O,mar once he went to Atl b/c 4yrs sounded excesive.
By that time though he painted himself into a corner b/c No one but OLlie was left.So,I’m not killing him on Lowe now BUT Ollie,thats a dif story. With Ollie,he may never “get it” BUT hes the type THAT could be crazy good in his walk yr ! Always gonna tease!
wannybackstra
7/16/2009-7:57pm at 7:57 pm (UTC -4)
See Fongy, I am/was right with you on all of that.
What a wonderful world.
trs86
7/16/2009-7:56pm at 7:56 pm (UTC -4)
Kingman you know my feeling on this. 2 wrongs do not make a right. Both Perez and Lowe’s contracts were bad.
fongy2
7/16/2009-8:48pm at 8:48 pm (UTC -4)
God bless us all!
Everyone
I was leary oe Wolf
b/c of his injury
history.
dentulous
7/16/2009-7:25pm at 7:25 pm (UTC -4)
yes, Lowe has not been so great. def not worth what they paid. If only ollie had not been so damn bad, it would make the FO’s refusal to sign Lowe for 4 years seem genius.
fongy2
7/16/2009-7:35pm at 7:35 pm (UTC -4)
Unless ofcourse,if the
Bravos play “meaningful”
games the next few
September/Octobers!
Then they’ll feel pretty
good with him taking
the mound.
GravediggerHebner
7/16/2009-7:14pm at 7:14 pm (UTC -4)
I won the lawsuit that stopped all publishing of pictures of my unfortunate hair fire incident. My lawyer will be in touch!
fongy2
7/16/2009-7:29pm at 7:29 pm (UTC -4)
Paging Wanny!
wannybackstra
7/16/2009-7:32pm at 7:32 pm (UTC -4)
I don’t represent freaks!
wannybackstra
7/16/2009-7:35pm at 7:35 pm (UTC -4)
Okay, maybe if the case is worth enough. But images of fire on Michael Jackson’s head didn’t cause him any problems.
fongy2
7/16/2009-7:39pm at 7:39 pm (UTC -4)
good one.
gipperpdx
7/16/2009-7:15pm at 7:15 pm (UTC -4)
2nd half off to a roaring start!
dentulous
7/16/2009-7:31pm at 7:31 pm (UTC -4)
implosion time….
asod75
7/16/2009-7:36pm at 7:36 pm (UTC -4)
I’m so glad we get to watch Ollie for the next three years…..
wannybackstra
7/16/2009-7:39pm at 7:39 pm (UTC -4)
Glavine’s and Maddux’s involvement in the “Chicks Dig the Long Ball” commercials has lead feeble-minded Ollie to misunderstand the message.
asod75
7/16/2009-7:44pm at 7:44 pm (UTC -4)
Yet another misuse of the Mets money by Omar. You can’t tell me the team wouldn’t have been better off signing both Wolf and Garland on one-year deals and then picking up a bat like Dunn at basically the same cost as the money committed to Ollie and Redding, if not cheaper? I know Garland isn’t great and Wolf doesn’t scare people, but those guys were solid back-end of the rotation guys that could have been had rather cheaply while addressing another need of the team’s (outfield production). It was like he had this plan (sign Lowe) and when that plan backfired, he just gave Ollie the money they were going to give Lowe instead of coming up with a creative Plan B. It’s so frustrating sometimes yet so predictable with Omar….
fongy2
7/16/2009-7:50pm at 7:50 pm (UTC -4)
Ahh ya talkin
crazy! Omar’s
da man!
wannybackstra
7/16/2009-7:55pm at 7:55 pm (UTC -4)
Garland + Dunn + Wolf = $20.25m this year plus $12m guaranteed next year (Dunn) and an unlikely option for Garland next year. It’s a total of $32.25m guaranteed over two years.
Perez + Redding = $14.25 this year and $38.25m over three years.
Obviously, Wolf and Dunn would have been better. But I know I was against Wolf because of his track record of injury. Last season was his first full season since 2003.
Garland is pretty awful, though, and getting worse. A 1:1 BB:KK ratio and a 1.5 WHIP is not good.
Of course, Perez and Redding have been beyond awful so far.
trs86
7/16/2009-7:59pm at 7:59 pm (UTC -4)
Great thing about both again are they are 1 year contracts. That was why I kept preaching, and you know I did, for Omar to blow off Lowe AND Perez and pickup Wolf and Garland. Wolf and Livan would have been just fine too.
wannybackstra
7/16/2009-8:03pm at 8:03 pm (UTC -4)
If we had Garland right now you know we would be ripping him (and Omar) mercilessly.
At the same time we’d be celebrating Randy Wolf as if he was Jerry Koosman.
asod75
7/16/2009-8:07pm at 8:07 pm (UTC -4)
Who knows, maybe in cavernous CitiField, Garland’s numbers would be slightly better, you never know. The point is, you’re not making a longterm commitment while giving Niese another year to get ready. Also, they would have been able to add offense, that’s the big argument here.
trs86
7/16/2009-8:38pm at 8:38 pm (UTC -4)
Wanny you are talking to the wrong one. How often do I rip Omar for a bad decision?
fongy2
7/16/2009-8:51pm at 8:51 pm (UTC -4)
Holy crap!
I agree
with every
word.
Repent!
The End is Near!
trs86
7/16/2009-7:57pm at 7:57 pm (UTC -4)
Asod, no fair, you know you stole my idea. Not to mention we could have most likely gotten some picks out of Ollie and those two when they left. We could have netted somewhere around 4-6 picks by doing that.
asod75
7/16/2009-8:00pm at 8:00 pm (UTC -4)
No I was for signing one of those cheaper pitchers in the winter, knowing it could let the Mets make a run at Manny or Dunn. And Wanny, you may have been against Wolf for his injury history, but I’m against Ollie for his history of giving me an ulcer
wannybackstra
7/16/2009-8:02pm at 8:02 pm (UTC -4)
I never accounted for the injuries Ollie inflicts on the fans!
By the way, I was in favor of Lowe, not Ollie. But once Lowe was gone, I agreed with those of us who thought Ollie was the only choice.
asod75
7/16/2009-8:03pm at 8:03 pm (UTC -4)
I think my main problem with the Ollie signing had more to do with the long-term commitment and money tied up. Don’t believe there was any team out there that would have come close to giving him 3 years, $36 million.
wannybackstra
7/16/2009-8:09pm at 8:09 pm (UTC -4)
No doubt. He had Omar bent over the barrel.
And nothing could be better for your ulcer than watching Ollie nurse a one run lead.
trs86
7/16/2009-8:39pm at 8:39 pm (UTC -4)
I do, I think the Cardinals would have went 3/30 at least. Maybe even the Dodgers.
asod75
7/16/2009-8:53pm at 8:53 pm (UTC -4)
If that was the case, let him walk and go with Wolf/Garland and a bat. Not too difficult but we have common sense…
asod75
7/16/2009-7:52pm at 7:52 pm (UTC -4)
Sung to the tune of Another One Bites the Dust by Queen.
Another one walks to first, another one walks to first, another free pass, another free pass, Another one walks to first
Hey, ollie’s gonna walk you, another one walks to first…
metsfan4decades
7/16/2009-8:10pm at 8:10 pm (UTC -4)
LOL. Too funny. And sad.
But hey, we have the lead right now.
fongy2
7/16/2009-8:52pm at 8:52 pm (UTC -4)
Very,very good one!
asod75
7/16/2009-8:01pm at 8:01 pm (UTC -4)
Don’t look now but the Mets have somethin’ brewin’
asod75
7/16/2009-8:04pm at 8:04 pm (UTC -4)
Yeah Sheff!
dentulous
7/16/2009-8:09pm at 8:09 pm (UTC -4)
with ollie on the mound they need to tack on runs all nite long…
asod75
7/16/2009-8:09pm at 8:09 pm (UTC -4)
Nice to see Murph’s bat showing signs of life lately. Now Jerry will sit him tomorrow and put Tatis at first because his gut told him Fernando needed to “get it going.”
dentulous
7/16/2009-8:12pm at 8:12 pm (UTC -4)
wait, Jerry was actually talking of a stable lineup, so…nope its jerry, nevermind
asod75
7/16/2009-8:25pm at 8:25 pm (UTC -4)
With a lefty on deck, any particular reason to be pitching to Diaz there, especially after falling behind 3-0. We all know he kills lefties, do the Mets not know that?
wannybackstra
7/16/2009-8:37pm at 8:37 pm (UTC -4)
We learned that they did not know that when Pedro Feliciano, the lefty specialist, was permitted to pitch to him earlier in the season with Brian Stokes warm in the pen.
asod75
7/16/2009-8:38pm at 8:38 pm (UTC -4)
That’s exactly the scenario I was getting at. Idiots never learn apparently….
asod75
7/16/2009-8:26pm at 8:26 pm (UTC -4)
Here comes the hit/walk to Lowe….
asod75
7/16/2009-8:27pm at 8:27 pm (UTC -4)
Warthen visit to mound: “Ollie, for once in your life, kindly remove your head from your anus and throw some strikes. It’s the pitcher, for God’s sake!”
dentulous
7/16/2009-8:29pm at 8:29 pm (UTC -4)
lol. What could you possibly say to that airhead. he probably forgets as soon as Warthen leaves the mound. this guy is hopeless
asod75
7/16/2009-8:35pm at 8:35 pm (UTC -4)
Note to Jerry: Leave Castillo in the 2 hole. It’s the only place (other than leadoff perhaps) that he’s useful….
fongy2
7/16/2009-8:44pm at 8:44 pm (UTC -4)
Heyoooooooo!!!!
YOU..are correct Sir!!
fongy2
7/16/2009-8:58pm at 8:58 pm (UTC -4)
Moyer with a one hitter thru 7.
Like I said, the phils are gone.
asod75
7/16/2009-9:08pm at 9:08 pm (UTC -4)
Yeah, if the Mets have any chance (which is unlikely at this point given the injuries), it will be for the wild card. The Giants are far more vulnerable than the Phillies, even with great young pitching studs in Cain and Lincecum…
GravediggerHebner
7/16/2009-9:11pm at 9:11 pm (UTC -4)
What about when they add Halladay to that mix?
asod75
7/16/2009-9:13pm at 9:13 pm (UTC -4)
If the Giants added Halladay, the Mets are pretty much screwed. But I’d much rather that happen than for him to go to the Phillies and have to deal with him next season….
GravediggerHebner
7/16/2009-9:10pm at 9:10 pm (UTC -4)
Arent’ they cutting him soon, the 46 yo in the 1st year of a 2 year contract, to make room for 37 yo Pedro who throws slightly harder?
asod75
7/16/2009-9:14pm at 9:14 pm (UTC -4)
Nah, Rodrigo Lopez will be cut….
GravediggerHebner
7/16/2009-9:20pm at 9:20 pm (UTC -4)
Yeah, I know. I just like to pretend that the Phillies don’t have room for both Pedro and Halladay, it makes me feel better.
My gut feeling is that the Phillies won’t go for Halladay unless someone in the division makes a sudden run at them in the standings in the next 2 weeks, which I don’t see happening.
asod75
7/16/2009-8:58pm at 8:58 pm (UTC -4)
Here comes the righty to face Diaz, who will then be pinch-hit for with Ryan Church. The situation is set and Church, I’m afraid, will make the Mets pay…..
asod75
7/16/2009-8:59pm at 8:59 pm (UTC -4)
Umm, I still would have preferred that option than having Perez face Diaz. Uh oh…
fongy2
7/16/2009-9:01pm at 9:01 pm (UTC -4)
Don’t know if you noticed
but Soriano has been really
nasty his 20 or so appearances. We better get to
whoevers on in the 8th.
asod75
7/16/2009-9:02pm at 9:02 pm (UTC -4)
Yeah I keep waiting for Soriano’s arm to fall off like it always does, but so far it hasn’t happened. And when he’s right, he’s nasty.
asod75
7/16/2009-9:02pm at 9:02 pm (UTC -4)
Thanks for proving me wrong, Ollie. I owe you an apology. Now don’t mess it up!
fongy2
7/16/2009-9:04pm at 9:04 pm (UTC -4)
Matt Diaz could never play for Omar!
asod75
7/16/2009-9:05pm at 9:05 pm (UTC -4)
6 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, 4 BB, 6 K. It’s not great but it’s a step in the right direction at least…..
fongy2
7/16/2009-9:07pm at 9:07 pm (UTC -4)
He owns Atlanta!
asod75
7/16/2009-9:09pm at 9:09 pm (UTC -4)
Hey I’m trying to extract something positive from the performance. Yes he owns Atlanta, but when you come into the game with an ERA close to 9, you take what you can get!
fongy2
7/16/2009-9:26pm at 9:26 pm (UTC -4)
atleast ya got
the sarcasm.
asod75
7/16/2009-9:30pm at 9:30 pm (UTC -4)
Sarcasm sometimes tough to get in online posts…..
GravediggerHebner
7/16/2009-9:34pm at 9:34 pm (UTC -4)
Yup. At the old place a bunch of us had come to the conclusion that we would include a “sarcasm symbol” in a post to save the 7 follow up posts that resulted from the misunderstanding.
The symbol was the dollar sign.
$ = sarcasm
Saves everybody trouble and embarrassment.
asod75
7/16/2009-9:10pm at 9:10 pm (UTC -4)
It soon maybe time to wave bye bye to Mr. Comeback Player of the Year
asod75
7/16/2009-9:31pm at 9:31 pm (UTC -4)
Larry strikes again. oh the humanity….
metsfan4decades
7/16/2009-9:31pm at 9:31 pm (UTC -4)
So how many pitchers does it take to get through one inning here in the 7th?
asod75
7/16/2009-9:33pm at 9:33 pm (UTC -4)
I would have just left Feliciano in to face Prado, Chipper and McCann. I hate how much games are overmanaged at times. Prado, despite his homer off Takahashi earlier this season, really doesn’t have all that much power so there’s no reason to lift him there but oh well.
asod75
7/16/2009-9:58pm at 9:58 pm (UTC -4)
Come on fellas. I feel a rally coming on for some reason. Why? I have no clue.
asod75
7/16/2009-10:05pm at 10:05 pm (UTC -4)
Larry leaves the door open, albeit just a small crack.
asod75
7/16/2009-10:08pm at 10:08 pm (UTC -4)
Well that sucked, until the next Mets loss ladies and gentlemen (tomorrow night), I’m outta here…..