Red Cabrera sends Mets fleeing in terror
The Cincinnati Reds took the series from the New York Mets with yet another extra-inning victory, this one in the bottom of the 10th on a lead off Orlando Cabrera solo home run off of reliever Pedro Feliciano (1-1) to give the Reds a 5-4 win. All series the Mets would fall behind, then come back, but after losing 2 of 3 games in extra innings perhaps they’ve learned that there is no opportunity to come back in extra innings on the road.
The Force was strong with Cora in the 3rd
The Mets got on the board first. In the top of the 3rd inning Gary Matthews Jr. led off with a single to right off of Reds starter Johnny Cueto. Henry Blanco followed with a single to right putting runners on 1st and 2nd with no out and bringing starting pitcher Jonathon Niese to the plate. Niese dropped a nice sacrifice bunt down in front of the plate moving the runners over. Angel Pagan then drew a walk to load the bases. Cueto then walked Alex Cora forcing in a run giving the Mets the 1-0 lead.
Pikachu and The Nutcracker scored, but Mr. Potato Head was out at the plate and Garfield was stranded
The Reds took the lead in the bottom of the 4th. Jay Bruce and Jonny Gomes started the inning with back-to-back singles. Ramon Hernandez continued the parade with an RBI single plating Bruce. After Miguel Cairo lined out to left Cueto came to the plate. He attempted to lay down a sacrifice bunt that Niese fielded nonchalantly and Cueto reached 1st base safely with an infield single loading the bases. Drew Stubbs struck out bringing Cabrera up with 2 outs and the bases loaded. Cabrera singled to shallow right driving in Gomes but Hernandez was thrown out by Matthews Jr. at the plate ending the inning with the score Reds 2, Mets 1.
"Here I come to tie the game!"
As they have all series, the Mets answered quickly. In the top of the 5th with 1 out Pagan reached on a bunt single. Cora doubled down the left field line moving Pagan to 3rd base. Pagan scored when Jose Reyes grounded out to shortstop and it was 2-2 after 4 1/2 innings.
"That's a fact, jack. Oh and that's another jack."
The Reds re-took the lead in the bottom of the 5th. With 1 out Brandon Phillips hit a solo homer. One out later Gomes slapped a solo jack and the Reds were up 4-2 after 5 innings. In the top of the 6th David Wright hit a solo homer to get 1 run back right away. Then in the 9th the Mets tied it up off of Reds closer Francisco Cordero. Pinch-hitter Frank Catalanotto led off with a single. Luis Castillo sacrificed him to 2nd base. Pagan singled on a hard liner to right moving Cat to 3rd base. Jeff Francoeur hit a sacrifice fly to the warning track in center driving Cat home with the tying run. The Mets biggest mistake was allowing it to go to extra innings, where the rest as they say is history.
18 comments
Mr North Jersey
5/5/2010-4:11pm at 4:11 pm (UTC -4)
Its Pikachu by a nose.
dirtysanchez
5/5/2010-4:15pm at 4:15 pm (UTC -4)
lol, pikachu as a tag…
Just a thought, had we gotten out of the 10th inning…we still have to talk about jerry managing to switch out both bay and wright…what is that about?
Hazmet
5/5/2010-4:20pm at 4:20 pm (UTC -4)
Don’t even have to get out of the 10th. Bay should have been up in the tenth before Wright. In that park wouldn’t it have been nice to have Jason with a chance to redeem his earlier strike outs in the 10th with a blast? And, why oh why is Feliciano in vs. a Righty in the 10th? He doesn’t bring him in the night before against the lefty Votto and then brings him in today against a righty? Is there any logic to the moves? I know I shouldn’t be b**chin so much since they’ve exceed my expectations so far without Beltran back, etc but I must ask the question “Why is our manager such a tool?”
dirtysanchez
5/5/2010-4:29pm at 4:29 pm (UTC -4)
His managerial moves are pretty questionable at best. I guess he had too much confidence in Felicianos recent ability to pitch to RH batters? I dont agree since we have mejia and manny in the pen. I guess he had pedro in to face the next few lefties…who knows but i dont understand why he would switch out bay and wright…
Hazmet
5/5/2010-4:38pm at 4:38 pm (UTC -4)
I’m right there with ya Dirty had righties he could have used to start the inning or go one. He could have brought him in for the 2 lefties and the next inning, etc.
Mr North Jersey
5/5/2010-4:28pm at 4:28 pm (UTC -4)
Wright Mystery pulling solved.
http://twitter.com/AnthonyDiComo/statuses/13444390053
Hazmet
5/5/2010-4:36pm at 4:36 pm (UTC -4)
I saw this on the post game but I just don’t buy it. He could have moved Tatis to 1B or RF he didn’t have to swap him for Wright. Jerry didn’t think far enough ahead when he pulled Bay in the first place. The answer Jerry gave in the post game was a condescending answer when he gave this excuse and said ” I thought I explained this to you 3 years ago” to the reporter. Seriously, Jerry baby, bubbaluh darling how’d 3 years ago work out. Jerry the educator, Jerry the communicator. I’m so done with him, if he could just rip his shirt off and challenge the clubhouse maybe we could get rid off him.
stickguy
5/5/2010-4:41pm at 4:41 pm (UTC -4)
jerry really does rear up and jidiot this team at the worst possible times.
But frankly, as bad as the offense continues to be (and in big spots), they aren’t goin gvery far. Hope I am wrong, but losing every series on teh road is just not a good way to be, this far into the season.
maybe the 9-1 stretch on that homestand was just a tease?
This weekend at home should be telling I guess. Get swept, and all the good will is gone, and back to rabid can Jerry uproar.
take 2/3 or sweep, and damned if I know if it really means anything!
or go 1-3, and pretty much just fade back to the mediocre .500 pack.
dirtysanchez
5/5/2010-5:13pm at 5:13 pm (UTC -4)
problem is they needed this series…they have tim/cain/sanchez coming up, not to mention 17 straight after tomorrow. I love the fight from the team but if they keep getting undermined by their manager(taking out bay/wright) and their GM(having gmj and cat on the ML roster) theres not going to be many times they can fully come back…
asod75
5/5/2010-7:03pm at 7:03 pm (UTC -4)
I also think it’s time to get rid of HoJo as hitting coach. This is one of the worst situational hitting teams I’ve ever seen, and it’s been like this for three or four years now. Everyone tenses up with runners on base. And Jerry obviously needs to go, he’s a moron. Had the game gone longer, the Mets didn’t have much of a chance to win anyway. Strange to say (as much as I’ve ripped him over the years), Warthen is the only guy doing a somewhat decent job. You can’t complain too much about the pitching, which is what we were all worried about coming into the season. Turns out, the offense is far more troubling to me right now. That and Jerry’s mismanaging of the bullpen and Omar’s crappy choice of bench players.
trs86
5/5/2010-8:14pm at 8:14 pm (UTC -4)
Mr. Oliver Sanchez put up his normal schizophrenic start his last time out. 4.2 innings 3 runs, 3 hits, 5 walks, 1 HBP and 94 pitches. The start before that he managed 5 innings of 1 run ball walking 5 and throwing 107 pitches.
Sound familiar?
asod75
5/5/2010-8:36pm at 8:36 pm (UTC -4)
And actually, Mets don’t face Cain. He goes tomorrow. Mets have a very favorable Wellemeyer/Johan matchup on Saturday. Of course I felt the same way about the Moyer/Johan matchup and look how that turned out….
trs86
5/5/2010-8:57pm at 8:57 pm (UTC -4)
I actually like all of our matchups considering.
Pelfrey vs Sanchez I expect Pelfrey to come back out and be fine. Sanchez has been walking the tightrope with walks and short innings.
Johan vs Wellemeyer I expect Johan to come out and shut a lot of us up.
Perez vs Linny. I expect Linny to throw a no hitter, BUT if we have a guy that could match him for 6-7 innings it’s Perez. Of course he could also blow up after 2 innings.
asod75
5/5/2010-9:06pm at 9:06 pm (UTC -4)
True. Luckily, the Giants don’t have a great lineup, because it’s the offense I’m most concerned about right now, especially Bay. Would love the Reyes batting third experiment to end as well.
trs86
5/5/2010-9:10pm at 9:10 pm (UTC -4)
I don’t think the Reyes hitting 3rd experiment is hurting him. I see no reason not to give it more time. Especially with Bay struggling.
asod75
5/5/2010-9:29pm at 9:29 pm (UTC -4)
He’s just not being very aggressive on the basepaths anymore. Although I guess that could be a hangover effect from the leg injuries.
trs86
5/5/2010-9:44pm at 9:44 pm (UTC -4)
I don’t think he is going to steal much the first half of the year either way.
stickguy
5/5/2010-5:49pm at 5:49 pm (UTC -4)
Posting from new phone. Weird stuff. Not sure I can. Handle this