Plenty of brooms for the sweep kept the Clay well groomed
With no outs and runners on first and third in a 6-6 game in the bottom of the 8th inning, Florida Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez curiously played his infield back. Pitcher Clay Hensley (1-2) threw a pitch to Ike Davis who grounded it sharply to shortstop Hanley Ramirez who started a 6-4-3 double play as Angel Pagan scored the go-ahead run. New York Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez then allowed his usual runner into scoring position before striking out Cody Ross to end the game, earning his 12th save of the season and finishing a Mets 3-game home sweep of the Marlins. Pedro Feliciano (2-2) picked up the win in relief as the final score was Mets 7, Marlins 6.
My name is (wicky wicky) Dan Uggla
His name is Dan Uggla and today he opened the scoring when he hit his 13th home run of the season just over the tall left field wall at Citi Field in the 4th inning making it 1-0 Marlins. The score remained that way until the top of the 6th when a Jorge Cantu RBI single and a Ross 3-run homer made it 5-0 Marlins and knocked Mets starter Hisanori Takahashi from the game.
Takahashi knows late payments are better than none
Takahashi may sue the Mets for non-support. Of all 5 current Met starting pitchers he receives the least run support of them all at 2.44 per start prior to today’s game (yes even less than Johan Santana who you may be surprised to learn receives 4.60). Today the Mets did score well above that average, but not until Takahashi was gone from the game. In the bottom of the 6th Chris Carter pinch-hit for Jenrry Mejia, who had taken over on the mound for Takahashi, and popped a single to short center driving in Rod Barajas to make it 5-1. That hit knocked Marlins starter Ricky Nolasco from the game and after reliever Tim Wood got Jose Reyes to fly out to shallow center, Pagan singled to drive in Barajas and Alex Cora and after 6 innings it was 5-3 Marlins.
Crank up the French Power!
The Marlins added a run in the top of the 7th on a Ronny Paulino sacrifice fly. Then in the bottom half the Mets cranked up the French Power. Davis led off with a walk and 1 out later Barajas doubled moving Davis to third base. Then Jeff Francoeur deposited a Wood pitch into the left field seats for a game-tying 3-run homer, setting the stage for the Mets to secure game, set and match on Clay.
47 comments
dirtysanchez
6/6/2010-4:45pm at 4:45 pm (UTC -4)
very clever grave…as usual lol
great game, note to the league, DONT PLAY THE METS AT HOME
Kingman 26
6/6/2010-4:47pm at 4:47 pm (UTC -4)
Great, great win.
Must win on the road before we can think contention.
After SD, we go to Bal and Cle, two rotten last place teams.
Time to WIN 2 road series, obliterate that damn monkey on our back, and maybe move towards serious contention.
LGM!!!!
And way to work Marshall Mathers in Grave; his comeback CD Relapse is very good.
CaseStreet
6/6/2010-4:48pm at 4:48 pm (UTC -4)
what a shot by frenchy! and nice outings from Mejia, Feliciano and K-Rod, though if it wasn’t for the wind …. well, no reason to play that game.
Nice Sweep!
Mr North Jersey
6/6/2010-4:51pm at 4:51 pm (UTC -4)
How about “The Animal”?
Takahashi gave the Mets 5 great innings.
The sixth killed him but even though he gave u 5 runs I felt this was a better outing than his last one.
Frenchy has been hot the last 17 games coming into today he is hitting .317
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.cgi?n1=francje02&t=b&year=2010&share=0.28#746-762-sum:batting_gamelogs
What can you say about Pagan? He has filled in and played better than anyone could have hoped for.
Kingman 26
6/6/2010-4:53pm at 4:53 pm (UTC -4)
Pagan is the best surprise of the year, along with Pelf.
I want Pagan to keep playing if he continues as he has been; let he, Frenchy, and Beltran be a 3-man platoon in CF and RF–keep Beltran fresh, and always have an excellent PH/OF replacement on the bench.
metsfan4decades
6/6/2010-5:02pm at 5:02 pm (UTC -4)
If/when Beltran returns, I’m thinking it’s going to take awhile for him to get back his timing at the plate. And no one knows if he’ll be up to full speed in the OF. So I think you’re idea is a very good one.
stickguy
6/6/2010-5:02pm at 5:02 pm (UTC -4)
don’t get ahead of yourself. I will still be amazed if beltran actually plays for the mets this year.
Kingman 26
6/6/2010-5:04pm at 5:04 pm (UTC -4)
Haha, I agree!!
Kingman 26
6/6/2010-5:05pm at 5:05 pm (UTC -4)
And I really don’t even care!
Onward!!!!
Kingman 26
6/6/2010-5:08pm at 5:08 pm (UTC -4)
Hey Stick, will you tell all your little friends at FWICG.com that Thole was not brought up due to an injury; otherwise he surely would have been over Santos.
stickguy
6/6/2010-5:22pm at 5:22 pm (UTC -4)
will do co-driver.
nice to have you back from the dark place.
Kingman 26
6/6/2010-5:28pm at 5:28 pm (UTC -4)
Nice to be back.
I love this team; just cannot wait to have a new manager.
stickguy
6/6/2010-5:32pm at 5:32 pm (UTC -4)
at this point, probably have to wait until next year.
but, if that means the team is winning enough to be in it, I will suffer through the end of the Jerry era a little longer.
metsfan4decades
6/6/2010-4:55pm at 4:55 pm (UTC -4)
Wicky, wicky….great stuff.
Loved the fight in this game today. Never say die.
Can we just play all our games at home?
That at bat by Frenchy in the 7th. He was gonna keep swinging and fouling those off until he got the pitch to hit out. Great at bat.
Too bad Wright kept coming up first in the inning his first at bats. We might not have stranded so many runners. And Pagan and Rod getting it done as usual.
BP is shaky, to say the least. KRod doing his usual in the 9th but got the job done.
SWEEP!
GravediggerHebner
6/6/2010-5:03pm at 5:03 pm (UTC -4)
I’m a big fan of this “Maine to the bullpen” talk, especially if it facilitates Mejia to the minors as a starter. Today he came in down 5-0, I am confident Maine can handle that role. It’s a total waste of a role for Mejia. Captain, make it so!
Kingman 26
6/6/2010-5:06pm at 5:06 pm (UTC -4)
Yes sir, agreed as usual!
2011 rotation:
Johan, Pelf, Lee, Mejia, Niese.
CaseStreet
6/6/2010-5:19pm at 5:19 pm (UTC -4)
I know we have some contract increases next year but we should be able to afford a big contract for Lee.
Pelf will have his first arbitration year and Mejia and Niese would be league minimum.
stickguy
6/6/2010-5:23pm at 5:23 pm (UTC -4)
a big LT deal for lee scares me. he will be expensive. And I doubt mejia will be ready for the mets rotation next year.
CaseStreet
6/6/2010-5:31pm at 5:31 pm (UTC -4)
all true, though I think Lee @ 5/82.5 = $16.5M per year(Lackey deal with league minimum option if significantly injured)might not be too bad.
stickguy
6/6/2010-5:34pm at 5:34 pm (UTC -4)
that might not get it done, but really hard to tell at this point.
but, if neise, santana and pelf keep this up, I could live with a couple of solid reliable guys. a #2 won’t be required.
of course, the better the SP the better, but if they can redirect the resources to other holes, I am fine with that.
CaseStreet
6/6/2010-5:54pm at 5:54 pm (UTC -4)
well, we might have a #2 in Pelf.
As far as other holes, I don’t see too many for the next couple of years.
11
SP – ollie and maine’s spot if they’re not in the rotation
OF – gotta figure 2 of Beltran, Pagan and Frenchy make up CF and RF
2B – Castillo will likely still be here but could be replaced by Tejada or Havens if they’re ready
C – maybe Rod comes back w/ Thole as backup
SS – Reyes will have his option picked up
12
SP – Ollie and Maine are both FA, so if they weren’t replaced in 11 then they’ll have to be replaced in 12
OF – we lost Beltran and Frenchy, but maybe F-Mart will finally be ready
SS – can’t imagine the Mets letting Reyes walk away
2B – Castillo finally off the books
C – maybe Thole is ready to go full time
So, yeah there’s some spots especially in SP but nothing other than SP that’ll require a big contract
CaseStreet
6/6/2010-5:56pm at 5:56 pm (UTC -4)
Implied that I don’t think Reyes will require a huge contract, either.
stickguy
6/6/2010-6:30pm at 6:30 pm (UTC -4)
Oh, reyes is going to cost a lot more than you think.
If the mets want to extend him after this year, figure at least 5/75-80.
And if they do have money saved, might be able to get a better RF option, a studly CF if there is one, or a 2B.
or at least eat ollie and castillo $$ to move them this off season.
metsfan4decades
6/6/2010-5:22pm at 5:22 pm (UTC -4)
I’m in favor of it also. But will Maine be?
He has to realize the bigger picture is about the Mets winning ball games and not so much putting him out there every 5th day until he figures it out. I remember the last time that idea was put out there, Maine saying something like he’d go to the BP if he had to but he’s a SP and he wasn’t in favor of it.
stickguy
6/6/2010-5:24pm at 5:24 pm (UTC -4)
if maine came back next week (I know, he probably isn’t),more likely he goes back in rotation, and taka back to pen.
CaseStreet
6/6/2010-5:25pm at 5:25 pm (UTC -4)
If I were Maine I wouldn’t be in favor of it either. He’s a year removed from FA and you know he’ll want SP money not RP money.
stickguy
6/6/2010-5:29pm at 5:29 pm (UTC -4)
maine will be lucky if he is still able to pitch when he hits FA.
Kingman 26
6/6/2010-5:29pm at 5:29 pm (UTC -4)
He’s lucky to be getting his per diem meal money at this point.
Kingman 26
6/6/2010-5:03pm at 5:03 pm (UTC -4)
Geez, 3 ahead of FLA in the loss column and 4 ahead of the Nats….wow.
Please, don’t let this be an illusion….must win 6 of the next 9 before visiting Yankee Stadium and hosting the Tigers and Twins.
GravediggerHebner
6/6/2010-5:08pm at 5:08 pm (UTC -4)
Padres just went ahead of the Phils 6-5 in the top of the 10th.
Mr North Jersey
6/6/2010-5:09pm at 5:09 pm (UTC -4)
Dont look now but of all teams in the NL East that is last in rbi’s can you believe coming into today its the Phillies?
Link
GravediggerHebner
6/6/2010-5:11pm at 5:11 pm (UTC -4)
What jumps out at me is “BatAge” which I assume is the average age of their hitters, they have an old team by comparison to the rest of the division.
Mr North Jersey
6/6/2010-5:11pm at 5:11 pm (UTC -4)
Nice observation as usual Grave.
Kingman 26
6/6/2010-5:14pm at 5:14 pm (UTC -4)
Yeah, sure is.
GravediggerHebner
6/6/2010-5:16pm at 5:16 pm (UTC -4)
To be fair to them I suppose Moyer is included in that since in the NL pitchers bat.
stickguy
6/6/2010-5:21pm at 5:21 pm (UTC -4)
they are much older than the other teams in the east overall. Cetainly the mets.
Mr North Jersey
6/6/2010-5:15pm at 5:15 pm (UTC -4)
Tell you what the Braves are smokin hot.
Kingman 26
6/6/2010-5:18pm at 5:18 pm (UTC -4)
Sure are; and alas, they are definitely not going away.
metsfan4decades
6/6/2010-5:55pm at 5:55 pm (UTC -4)
Tied 3-3 in the 6th. Go Dodgers!
stickguy
6/6/2010-5:20pm at 5:20 pm (UTC -4)
the lesson, don’t give up too early on this team, at least at home.
nice that they are at least putting some distance on the Marlins in the standings!
still wonder why the marlins even threw something close enough to the strike zone to reach. he probably would have swung, no matter where the pitch was.
I am also thinking it is time to get Taka back into the pen. he was a life saver, but I don’t think he has to stamina to stay there. Someone like millwood would be nice, Omar.
anyway, top 3 SP is locked up now. And I think Dickey has the legs to stay in the rotation. do whenever the next SP arrives, taka back to the pen.
may need another fresh are out there soon. probably to cover fro valdes.
metsfan4decades
6/6/2010-5:27pm at 5:27 pm (UTC -4)
That and Iggy doesn’t look like he has any confidence since he came back from the DL. Fresh arm or two in the BP soon will be warranted.
stickguy
6/6/2010-5:30pm at 5:30 pm (UTC -4)
he has good velocity. maybe it is a matter of confidence? Hopefully whatever it is he gets it worked out soon.
dirtysanchez
6/6/2010-5:25pm at 5:25 pm (UTC -4)
philly lost
marlins lost
mets won
Mr North Jersey
6/6/2010-5:26pm at 5:26 pm (UTC -4)
dont look now but the Mets are 1 game behind phils.
stickguy
6/6/2010-5:30pm at 5:30 pm (UTC -4)
and that is truly amazing.
just don’t tell ken rosenthal.
CaseStreet
6/6/2010-5:32pm at 5:32 pm (UTC -4)
I guess the Phillies aren’t contenders either.
stickguy
6/6/2010-5:36pm at 5:36 pm (UTC -4)
they get the incumbent spot.