Knuckleballer R.A Dickey made his  Met debut, Livan Hernandez worked on three days rest, Ike Davis was in the clean-up spot and very weary David Wright sat the bench. I don’t think there was a pitch clocked over 87 for the first three innings as these pitchers made quick work of the first nine batters of each side.Â
Dickey let up a walk to Ian Desmond in the bottom of the third, Hernandez popped up and kudos to a nice play by Davis and Castillo. Nyjer Morgan hit a hot shot that was booted by Davis and deflected toward Castillo who caught it and threw it back to Davis for the third out. The Mets got on the board in the top of the fourth when Angel Pagan went deep to to center field over the head of Nyjer Morgan. Pagan rounded third and slid home beating the tag for a in-the park home run.
The Nats would take the lead in the bottom of the fourth when Dickey had men on first and second and  Josh Willingham hit a single up the middle that scored a run. Bernadina would hit a Sac Fly to score Zimmerman from third.  Pagan easily saved two runs with a great catch in center. Â
Dickey ran into trouble again in the bottom of the fourth when Livan Hernadezled off  with a base hit and Morgan drew a walk. And  just about when you thought the game was going to get out of hand for Dickey, Christian Guzman hit a shallow fly ball to center that was caught on the shoe tops by Angel Pagan which turned into a 8-2-6-3 TRIPLE PLAY. The 10th triple play of Met franchise history.Â
The Mets would regain the lead when  Hernandez than ran into his own trouble he walked Bay who advanced to third on a Davis base hit/Bernadina error. Pagan drew the second walk of the inning and Frenchy took the plate and hit a Sac fly to left field thus tying the game. Dickey would go 6 innings and give up 2 runs.Â
The Nationals broke the game open in the bottom of the 7th when Nieve came to relieve Valdez who gave up a excuse-me double by Bernadina.  A Guzman triple would score 2 and a Zimmerman single would score Guzman from third. OLIVER PEREZ would come in relief of Nieve  and do what he does best—walk Adam Dunn but then induce a line drive out from Willingham.
Tatis would hit a solo home run off of Mike Capps to make the Mets come within 2 but the rally would fall short and the Mets would fall again to the Nationals.
Final Score Nationals 5- Mets 3
17 comments
koose
5/19/2010-10:23pm at 10:23 pm (UTC -4)
After that game sucide seems logical
stickguy
5/19/2010-11:09pm at 11:09 pm (UTC -4)
I decided, for a change, to pin this one on Jerry too. Of course thebats didn’t help, but they also have to overcome Jerry’s bone headed moves.
basically, a BB game is like one of those big domino set ups (where they fill up a whole gym). 1 tip, and all the dominos fall. So, you have to know which one to tip, and what will happen after that.
Jerry is the blindfolded puppy let loose in the gym.
pulling the SP after 6, just to send up a PH to bunt? And of course, going to his favorite burnt pen guy (that only Jerry doesn’t seem to noitce isn’t getting the job done), leading to runs and a steady stream of BP arms.
Of course, we don’t know how the 7th would have gone, but it was very logical to just let you SP go up to bunt, and continue into the 7th. If he has another good inning, the end game for the pen gets much shorter.
But damn, they need Iggy back. and probably 1 more arm, if Taka is out of the mix.
stickguy
5/19/2010-11:10pm at 11:10 pm (UTC -4)
I see on the spyder that Heyman says that Melvin would for sure be the Jerry replacement. Well, what are they waiting for?
metsfan4decades
5/19/2010-11:17pm at 11:17 pm (UTC -4)
How do you not win a game where you’re CF makes a great catch to save some runs, hits an inside the park HR, and starts a triple play?
Oh yeah….by not hitting – again – and the manager using half the BP again from the 7th inning on.
This weekend is starting to look like it might be brutal. No fresh long man in the pen. So we’re down one man there and an tough act to replace. Then we’ve got Ollie in there. And the bats have been M.I.A. for so long now I forgot what stringing together some hits looks like.
stickguy
5/19/2010-11:21pm at 11:21 pm (UTC -4)
so basically what you are saying, knowing our Mets, is they are going to come out and blow the yanks out of Citifield, and sweep the series.
gategem
5/19/2010-11:27pm at 11:27 pm (UTC -4)
We can dream, can’t we?
asod75
5/19/2010-11:48pm at 11:48 pm (UTC -4)
If Ollie has to be in the pen and Taka in the rotation, then I think it makes sense to send Mejia down and call up another starter like Dylan Owen or Dillon Gee, letting Dickey serve as another longman with Valdes. Being short, they need a rubber-armed guy like Dickey to save the bullpen. Or Jerry could keep Dickey in the rotation and I don’t know, not pinch hit for him in the 7th when a sac bunt was in order anyway. Who knows how it would have played out, but the Mets would have been in much better shape had Dickey gotten them through 7. Also, Valdes should have been left in to face Morse, a much less proven MLB hitter than Adam Kennedy or Willie Harris (Nats options on bench). You just knew Morse would be lifted when Nieve came in, so you get the inferior pitcher right now (Nieve) facing tougher hitters. Jerry is beyond an idiot at this point. He’s literally costing the team games.
njstuckintx
5/20/2010-12:48am at 12:48 am (UTC -4)
I’ve been getting confused of late, thinking that I was missing on something. It’s been more than once that Jerry has pinch hit with someone just to have them bunt. Is there some nuance that I’m missing?
stickguy
5/20/2010-12:57am at 12:57 am (UTC -4)
no, jerry just doing his own thing.
njstuckintx
5/20/2010-1:07am at 1:07 am (UTC -4)
It must be tough to manage when you have the deafening sound of the job clock ticking down in your ear. I might have a pinch hitter bunt too. Oh, wait, um, even hammered, I, uh, wouldn’t do that. Come on Jerry, take a step back and look at what you are doing!
trs86
5/20/2010-8:39am at 8:39 am (UTC -4)
It must be hard to play under those circumstances as well. Players knowing that if they struggle their coaches and managers will be fired. No pressure there.
trs86
5/20/2010-8:38am at 8:38 am (UTC -4)
I think Misch has earned that spot. He’s done nothing with the Mets but exceed expectations. He was very servicable as a reliever and a starter last year and is again performing well in AAA. He’s not a prospect so you don’t have to worry about the effects.
stickguy
5/20/2010-8:50am at 8:50 am (UTC -4)
if they want a swing man tye, then he is certainly an option. But, speaking of options, he is another guy that once he comes up, may not be able to get back down.
Wonder if they have any interest in bringing parnell back up? Not sure how the quest for a 2nd out pitch is coming.
trs86
5/20/2010-9:24am at 9:24 am (UTC -4)
Still walking too many. Yeah he might be lost if we send him down but how long will it be before both Dickey AND Taka are not needed in the rotation? By then we many not care if Misch gets claimed or not.
tkfj2
5/20/2010-12:03am at 12:03 am (UTC -4)
Test.
njstuckintx
5/20/2010-12:46am at 12:46 am (UTC -4)
testes testes, 1, 2…
trs86
5/20/2010-8:37am at 8:37 am (UTC -4)
Oh Goodness, there’s two of you?
LOL. Welcome TKFJ2.