Mets(courtesy of mlb.com)
Oliver Perez started this streak of crazy, wonderful pitching and now it becomes up to him to keep the ball rolling — and keep Mets opponents from hitting it hard anywhere.
The left-hander’s stellar outing on Friday in St. Louis, where he held the Cardinals to four hits and a run in 6 1/3 innings, launched the New York rotation into its current untouchable mode.
When Perez faces the Cubs in Wednesday night’s third game of the series, he will try to fall in line with a pace that has seen Mets starters allow a total of four runs in their past 38 innings — that’s an ERA of 0.95.
David Wright ran Cubs starter Carlos Zambrano to a full count in the third inning — the 18th time he reached 3-and-2 this season, second most in the Majors to the Cubs’ Derrek Lee — who reached that count twice Tuesday night to run his total to 24.
Lineup
Reyes, SS
Castillo, 2B
Wright, 3B
Bay, LF
Francoeur, RF
Davis, 1B
Barajas, C
Pagan, CF
Perez, P
Cubs(courtesy of mlb.com)
The Cubs, with Carlos Silva coming off a strong effort for his first win with the North Siders, present a notable challenge for Perez, approaching the seventh anniversary of his last victory over them.
But Perez’s rut against the Cubs hasn’t been as deep as that last triumph on April 24, 2003, when he was pitching for the Pirates, would imply. In all that time, he has faced them a mere six times.
Out to curb a four-game losing streak, the Cubs desperately need Silva to at least approximate the performances in his first two starts, which have yielded an ERA of 0.69. The Cubs are 1-2 against left-handed starters, and all they have to look forward to beyond Perez is Johan Santana, due to start the finale of the four-game series on Thursday.
“He’s pitched well. He throws strikes and competes well, and he’s been very successful and very productive,” said Cubs manager Lou Piniella of Silva, who won only one game for the Mariners in an injury-wrecked 2009 season.
Still, Piniella hasn’t been shocked by the early success of Silva, who won 24 games in 2006-07 for the Twins prior to moving on to Seattle as a free agent.
“He had success over in Minnesota a few years back,” Piniella said, “so there was some history there. Let’s hope it continues.”
The Cubs last lost five in a row Aug. 9-13 of last season. … Tuesday was the 94th anniversary of the Cubs’ first game at Federal League Park, which would be rechristened as Wrigley Field. The Cubs beat the Reds, 7-6, in 11 innings that day.
Lineup
Theriot, SS
Baker, 2B
Lee, 1B
Byrd, CF
Ramirez, 3B
Soriano, LF
Soto, C
Colvin, RF
Silva, P
21 comments
whataputz
4/21/2010-7:14pm at 7:14 pm (UTC -4)
Is it possible to listen to the game on wfan.com? I always thought you couldn’t, but i am on the site and the broadcast is on. Is this just because of the delay and it’s just going to cut off when the game starts? And does anyone know a site where i can watch the game?
metsfan4decades
4/21/2010-7:17pm at 7:17 pm (UTC -4)
I beleive you will be able to listen to the game via WFAN.com. Website if advertising the game – On Now – starting at 6:30 which would have been the pre-game. I can’t help you with any site that would allow you to actually watch it online, unless you subscribe to some service.
They’re announcing a 7:35 game start so WFAN should pick it up then.
metsfan4decades
4/21/2010-7:18pm at 7:18 pm (UTC -4)
*Website IS advertising the game….
whataputz
4/21/2010-7:19pm at 7:19 pm (UTC -4)
Thanks. I’ve tried wfan.com and usually it just goes to boomer and carton during gametime, but hopefully it will work. It sucks not being able to watch the games, but it’s only for a couple more weeks.
metsfan4decades
4/21/2010-7:46pm at 7:46 pm (UTC -4)
Game has started. Bottom of the 1st.
ceetar
4/21/2010-8:09pm at 8:09 pm (UTC -4)
Sometimes it takes them a couple of minutes to hit the switch, but no, you can’t listen to the game online with an mlb.tv audio account. They’ll let you listen to pregame and everything right up until first pitch usually, it’s only the actual game that’s property of mlb or wahtever.
I’m not sure I like Howie calling LF the “Great Wall of Flushing”.
asod75
4/21/2010-9:06pm at 9:06 pm (UTC -4)
Is the NL really this bad? I mean Carlos Silva was perhaps the worst starting pitcher in the AL over the last two years, and he’s dominating in his first three NL starts this year.
asod75
4/21/2010-9:09pm at 9:09 pm (UTC -4)
GMJ really is a worthless pile of crud right now, but he’s laughing all the way to the bank with that ridiculous contract he got based on one performance-enhanced season.
ceetar
4/21/2010-10:15pm at 10:15 pm (UTC -4)
the NL isn’t actually any worse. That’s a fallacy.
asod75
4/21/2010-10:18pm at 10:18 pm (UTC -4)
Seems like it. Carlos Silva is complete garbage.
ceetar
4/21/2010-10:33pm at 10:33 pm (UTC -4)
not really. and small sample.
asod75
4/21/2010-11:49pm at 11:49 pm (UTC -4)
Ceetar,
During the last five years, the AL holds a 714-546 advantage in interleague play, good for a .567 winning percentage. They’ve dominated the All-Star game, and have won 12 of the last 18 World Series titles. It seems whenever a good AL pitcher comes to the NL (and sometimes bad ones), they shave a run off their ERA. Look how good Cliff Lee was last year and the start Halladay is off to. I love NL baseball and prefer it big-time over the AL, but right now I’d give them the ege.
asod75
4/21/2010-9:24pm at 9:24 pm (UTC -4)
Somebody get a hit off this guy…he sucks!
asod75
4/21/2010-9:34pm at 9:34 pm (UTC -4)
Ballgame…
asod75
4/21/2010-10:19pm at 10:19 pm (UTC -4)
And could Bay and Francouer take a few pitches. Had a nice little rally going. Then three pitches, two outs…..horrible approaches at the plate.
Mr North Jersey
4/21/2010-11:08pm at 11:08 pm (UTC -4)
I guess you have to give it to Silva. It is tough to watch though.
Manuel said he may have to break up the 3 righties (Wright,Bay,Frenchy) next time unless something changes.
Mr North Jersey
4/21/2010-11:09pm at 11:09 pm (UTC -4)
Manuel said he has 2 consider batting Pagan 3rd the next couple of nights.
Mr North Jersey
4/21/2010-11:10pm at 11:10 pm (UTC -4)
Ojeda agrees with breakin up da righties at this moment.
Mr North Jersey
4/21/2010-11:18pm at 11:18 pm (UTC -4)
Phils win 2-0 Halladay is now 4-0 he threw a complete game shutout.
-Sigh
whataputz
4/21/2010-11:22pm at 11:22 pm (UTC -4)
Halladay in a landslide for cy young…the man didn’t come to philly to f*** around.
Mr North Jersey
4/21/2010-11:26pm at 11:26 pm (UTC -4)
I sure hope your wrong putz.