Mets(courtesy of mlb.com)
The Phillies suddenly don’t look like the team to beat in the National League East. And the Mets have some reasons to be feeling good following their 5-0 win on Wednesday — their fourth straight victory — as they eye a sweep heading into the series finale.
Mets shortstop Jose Reyes appears to be clicking into gear following a slow start. He added two more hits on Wednesday, including his first home run of the season, and made a nice over-the-shoulder catch in shallow center.
Reyes has nine hits in his past 14 at-bats.
“This was a lesson definitely for me, when a guy misses as much time as he missed, thinking that he could pick it right up and be fine,” Mets manager Jerry Manuel said. “I think it was very challenging to him.”
A night after Reyes recorded his first triple of the year, he hit his first home run — a solo shot to right field in the third. Reyes is hitting .392 over his past six games. Just how important is he to the lineup? The Mets are 16-4 this season when Reyes scores a run.
Phillies(courtesy of mlb.com)
The Phillies’ bats went silent for back-to-back games because they were facing two pitchers who throw the rarest pitch in baseball — Boston’s Tim Wakefield and New York’s R.A. Dickey. But after the Mets shut down Philadelphia again on Wednesday, with Hisanori Takahash on the mound, the Phillies are puzzled about the sudden disappearance of their potent offense.
On Saturday night, Red Sox starter Daisuke Matsuzaka held the Phillies to one hit in seven innings at Citizens Bank Park. What could’ve been a one-game occurrence has prolonged into a serious drought that has manager Charlie Manuel questioning the team’s effort.
“We’re getting outplayed,” Manuel said following an 8-0 loss Tuesday night to the Mets at Citi Field. “We’re getting outhustled. About the last three or four games, we’ve been playing real bad. … You guys always talk about how resilient we are and things like that. We didn’t look too resilient tonight.”
Philadelphia has been shut out three times in the past four games.
“We stink when it comes to hitting,” Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. “We just haven’t been that good. It’s pretty simple.”
Catcher Carlos Ruiz admitted to some soreness in his right shoulder that has plagued him for about a month. Ruiz doesn’t expect to miss any time, but may be getting more days off in the near future. He recently missed three games with a knee injury and is hitting just .095 since May 17. Amaro said Ruiz was seen by a doctor who determined the arm is just sore.
4 comments
ceetar
5/27/2010-9:03pm at 9:03 pm (UTC -4)
game on in about 2 minutes. lets go.
metsfan4decades
5/27/2010-9:05pm at 9:05 pm (UTC -4)
LGM! SWEEP!!!
metsfan4decades
5/27/2010-11:57pm at 11:57 pm (UTC -4)
SWEEP !!!
njstuckintx
5/27/2010-11:58pm at 11:58 pm (UTC -4)
w00t w00t!