There's no place like...the road?
The New York Mets went through the Baltimore Orioles like a twister this weekend, further decimating the already impoverished franchise. Today the Mets unleashed an offensive storm and got some gutty pitching en route to an 11-4 victory. Watching the Orioles the past 3 days reminded me of something: the post-All Star break 2009 Mets. What they lack in talent they make up for in ineptitude.
Pay no attention to the home team's second baseman
Today’s poor execution came courtesy of second baseman Scott Moore. With the Orioles still in striking distance of the Mets down 7-3 in the 6th inning, Henry Blanco hit a 1 out single which knocked starter Kevin Millwood (0-8) from the game. Jose Reyes greeted reliever Mark Hendrickson with a bunt which Hendrickson quickly fielded, but Moore was late covering first base and Hendrickson’s throw glanced off him into foul territory giving Reyes a generously scored single and allowing Blanco to go to third base. Angel Pagan then hit a seeming double play grounder to shortstop Julio Lugo who threw to Moore at second for 1 out but Moore then casually lobbed the ball to first base where Pagan beat the play as Blanco scored the Mets 8th run. Not turning the double play extended the inning to the delight of David Wright who launched his 2nd home run of the game making it 10-3 Mets and the Orioles players began wishing a house would fall on them.
Liza Minnelli's mother
Liza Minnelli’s mother wasn’t at the game but according to the Mets radio announcers, Howie Rose & Wayne Hagin, Wright’s mother was. He put on quite a show for her. With 1 out and Reyes on second base in the 1st inning Wright homered making it 2-0 Mets. Wright finished the game 3 for 5 with a double, 2 homers and 4 RBI. Following the Wright homer Ike Davis singled and Jason Bay, who homered later in the game, walked, then Chris Carter hit the 2nd home run of his career and of this series and after the top of the 1st inning it was 5-0 Mets. The Mets had 4 home runs today and 7 for the series.
I can barely hear my heart beating!
Mike Pelfrey (9-1) eventually showed some heart but it took a while. Staked to a big early lead he didn’t have his best stuff. In the bottom of the 1st he gave up 3 hits and a walk which the Orioles converted into 2 runs and after 1 it was 5-2 Mets. Then in the bottom of the 2nd he gave up 2 more hits and a sacrifice fly allowing the Orioles to cut it to 5-3. Pelfrey then settled down and didn’t allow another run over the rest of his 6 inning, 101 pitch outing.
The Lollipop Guild pitched in too for NY
Some of the Mets minor characters contributed as well. In the 7th after a Bay double, Jesus Feliciano singled him to third from where he scored on a sacrifice fly by Alex Cora. That would prove to be the Mets final run and made the score 11-3. Jenrry Mejia relieved Pelfrey to start the bottom of the 7th and allowed the Orioles last run on a single, a wild pitch then an RBI single which made it 11-4. Ryota Igarashi and Raul Valdes each threw a hitless, scoreless inning to finish off the game and the sweep.
Perhaps this road sweep gets the monkey off the Mets backs
43 comments
dirtysanchez
6/13/2010-4:50pm at 4:50 pm (UTC -4)
my broom is 5-5 lol…good job Mets
prismo
6/13/2010-5:04pm at 5:04 pm (UTC -4)
I’ll be very curious to see who gets the pitching MUA today. Iggy for his comeback maybe?
Mr North Jersey
6/13/2010-4:53pm at 4:53 pm (UTC -4)
7 Games above .500!!!!
3 Wins in a row on the road!!!
Bay hits a homer and has an rbi!!!!
My Dark Horse aka The Animal aka MR. 4A Player hits another HR!!!
Feliciano Gets his 1st and 2nd MLB Hits!!!
Pelfrey is 9-1!!!!
Wright has a 2 homer game!!!
Cora goes 3 for 4!!!!
What a great game indeed!
Kingman 26
6/13/2010-4:53pm at 4:53 pm (UTC -4)
LOL!
Grave, you continue to outdo yourself.
rustyjr
6/13/2010-4:53pm at 4:53 pm (UTC -4)
Okay I take back what I said of Jesus ” cowardly lion” feiciano
stickguy
6/13/2010-4:56pm at 4:56 pm (UTC -4)
fine game all around.
a good sign? Even late in the game with a big lead, guys were busting it down the line to beat out infield hits or DPs.
ceetar
6/13/2010-10:43pm at 10:43 pm (UTC -4)
and bunting for one run!
stickguy
6/13/2010-11:13pm at 11:13 pm (UTC -4)
I so do NOT miss slappy. I would be happy as a clam if he just disappeared for good.
ceetar
6/13/2010-11:14pm at 11:14 pm (UTC -4)
well, disagree there. Tejada hasn’t been bad, but he hasn’t been good either. could ues a healthy Castillo with his high OBP, pitch taking, and clutch hitting.
stickguy
6/13/2010-11:37pm at 11:37 pm (UTC -4)
well, are we going to get a healthy, high OBP slappy or the one we had all year, with the tanking OBP, .270ish slugging, and missing alternate games?
Unfortunately, I think the one we saw so far this year is what we are going to get back, but maybe in a few more games.
Not that I think cora or tejada has done particularly well. I just want someone else besides slappy!
rustyjr
6/13/2010-5:01pm at 5:01 pm (UTC -4)
Jeez Maine always looks upset
prismo
6/13/2010-5:05pm at 5:05 pm (UTC -4)
Maine saying that he wasn’t paying attention/caring/whatever about his velocity basically tells me that it’s still not there. If he was hitting 92+ again, I think he’d want to bring it up.
Kingman 26
6/13/2010-5:16pm at 5:16 pm (UTC -4)
They said he was hitting like 88 or something.
Hard worker, nice guy, he’s a bullpen setup man if he cannot hit 90+.
Which is A-OK with me.
Johan, Pelf, Niese, Dickey, Taka should be ridden hard until they start to falter…and something tells me that isn’t happening anytime soon.
metsfan4decades
6/13/2010-5:20pm at 5:20 pm (UTC -4)
I saw Maine’s interview and stats on his outing today. The stats were very good, the FB velocity was 86-88. To me, that isn’t going to cut it at the ML level.
Bobby O said in his opinion, you do not bring Maine back and stick him back in the rotation, especially at the expense of Taka and Dickey who are getting the job done. Said you put him in the BP, start him off slow, and when or until, he proves he’s effective and the velocity is where it should be, he stays in the BP.
stickguy
6/13/2010-6:33pm at 6:33 pm (UTC -4)
have to figure that he will get at least 1 more start in the minors. And if they velocity does not pick up, maybe another one after that.
because if this is the best he can do, he shouldn’t be any place other than the pen (if he does come back).
prismo
6/13/2010-5:08pm at 5:08 pm (UTC -4)
Wright’s on pace to hit 31 home runs and 121 RBI.
Still can’t understand how Polanco is going to be the starting 3B in the all-star game. His lead’s been INCREASING. Ugh!
Also surprised that Barajas isn’t even in the top five catchers.
People really hate the Mets…
rustyjr
6/13/2010-5:10pm at 5:10 pm (UTC -4)
back to ’06 i guess
Kingman 26
6/13/2010-5:15pm at 5:15 pm (UTC -4)
To paraphrase the late great Tupac “Metz against the world!!”
Mr North Jersey
6/13/2010-5:28pm at 5:28 pm (UTC -4)
I personally don’t care about ASG. More important is to play well and finish strong.
Personal accolades are the last thing on my mind.
If he doesnt make the A.S.G. will not be a travesty where I am concerned. We all know his value as a Met and that’s suffice for me.
Kingman 26
6/13/2010-5:33pm at 5:33 pm (UTC -4)
I sure agree with you here Mr N.
Not making it can serve a purpose by giving them further motivation to keep playing great, and can foster the us-against-the-world mentality that worked so well in 1986.
prismo
6/13/2010-5:49pm at 5:49 pm (UTC -4)
I don’t care either, and to be honest sometimes I’d rather the players get the extra days off.
However, my complaint is about the principle of the situation! Wright should be the leading 3B and Barajas should at least be in the hunt for C.
DNDJohan aka kistics
6/13/2010-5:59pm at 5:59 pm (UTC -4)
agreed. Barajas & Wright deserve to be on the All-Star team. but then it’s a popularity contest and front-running fan voting contest
GravediggerHebner
6/13/2010-6:02pm at 6:02 pm (UTC -4)
Unfortunately it’s more a popularity contest and less a talent contest.
While I agree that Wright is the superior choice to Polanco, I don’t see him as the clear class of the field. He’s got plenty of competition from Zimmerman, Rolen and to a lesser extent McGehee who he disposes of by virtue of his steals. But IMO the other two are outperforming Wright in enough other ways that his SB alone don’t carry him past them.
prismo
6/13/2010-6:11pm at 6:11 pm (UTC -4)
I agree. Rolan, Zimmerman, and Wright all actually have very similar stats (aside from Wright’s SB). However, Polanco isn’t even in the picture. I mean…his OPS is 200 points below Zimmerman’s. That’s HUGE.
GravediggerHebner
6/13/2010-6:23pm at 6:23 pm (UTC -4)
The fact that, as you point out, Polanco is not only leading but increasing his lead shows how little actual performance is factored in by voters.
When I was like 8 years old I just looked at BA and voted for the guy at each position who had the highest BA, so it appears that over 700,000 8 year olds have voted for Polanco.
stickguy
6/13/2010-6:27pm at 6:27 pm (UTC -4)
the phils have a very strong campaign as an organization to get the ballot box stuffed.
very good chance, at this pace, that DW makes it as a reserve anyway.
Just as long as he does not enter the HR contest, I am good.
hey, should be fun seeing that when the ASG is at citifield. Might cut the scores down just a tad.
GravediggerHebner
6/13/2010-6:26pm at 6:26 pm (UTC -4)
And since we both find Polanco’s lead in 3B upsetting, we REALLY shouldn’t discuss Utley’s huge 2B lead…
prismo
6/13/2010-6:30pm at 6:30 pm (UTC -4)
UGH!! I voted for Luis Castillo, mostly because of his glove.
Kidding.
I voted for Kelly Johnson.
Oh, by the way…I HATE THE PHILLIES!!!!
metsfan4decades
6/13/2010-9:29pm at 9:29 pm (UTC -4)
Ditto! I voted for Kelly Johnson.
And I Hate The Phillies!
ceetar
6/13/2010-10:46pm at 10:46 pm (UTC -4)
no, Mets fans really hate the Mets. Everytime I bring it up anywhere there’s always resistance to the idea of Mets in the game. Either they roll out the BS “lock ‘em in a box and don’t let them out until games are on again” or they find someone reason to say some other player is better.
If Mets fans were voting, these guys would be winning in the votes. That’s all there is to it.
btw, the rest argument is even more stupid considering meaningless exhibition games are the perfect situation to keep skills fresh yet still be relaxing.
oh, and they beat jetlag by already being out there before SF.
Mr North Jersey
6/13/2010-11:27pm at 11:27 pm (UTC -4)
I can see how a meaningless game may be relaxing but I don’t know how much are a players skills fresh by having possibly 1 at bat over a 3 day period or pitching 1 inning over 3 days. I don’t say there is no benefit but I find it hard to believe there is enough of a benefit where it is a good argument for a player to play in the ASG.
stickguy
6/13/2010-11:38pm at 11:38 pm (UTC -4)
It makes them feel good to be included.
Hey, better than going on a 3 day gambling, booze and hooker binge in Vegas!
ceetar
6/14/2010-12:00am at 12:00 am (UTC -4)
agreed. I mean, they’re doing pregame warm ups, batting cage stuff, and hanging around other superstars.
I think as minute as it may be, it’s better than a 3-4 day layoff of just working out and (in many cases) media blitzes and events, etc.
GravediggerHebner
6/14/2010-12:24am at 12:24 am (UTC -4)
Which Met do we truly feel is going on a 3 day booze & hooker binge?
The parameters for selecting participants in the ASG are fairly undefined, people can vote how they wish.
Personally, I vote for the players in both leagues that I think have had the “best first half” at their position. The only Mets that even enter the decision making process for me are Wright, Barajas & Pagan (I vote for an LF, CF & RF), the rest just haven’t done well enough to merit my consideration. If we could vote for pitchers I would certainly vote for Pelfrey, but we can’t.
If someone else wants to vote for favorite veterans around the league, or everyone from their favorite team, or guys who have brown eyes, I can’t quarrel it’s their choice and there are no rules.
oleosmirf
6/14/2010-7:08am at 7:08 am (UTC -4)
as much as i like Pagan, only a Met fan would vote for him as one of the 3 best CF in the NL so far…just as only a phillies fan would vote for Polanco.
metsfan4decades
6/13/2010-5:17pm at 5:17 pm (UTC -4)
Dang…I missed another good game today – family function.
I heard the bottom of the 9th on the radio on the way home.
We won 3 in a row, on the road, with just about all contributing all weekend. And even though Pelf didn’t appear to have his best stuff (listening to the post game), he limited the damage and the Mets offense got him the win. 9-1 with a 2.39 ERA. Just wonderful.
Wright, I think we can officially say, has found his swing.
And Bay…here’s hoping this is the game that gets him going the rest of the way.
Carter hit a 3R HR and was taken out for Tatis to PH? Did I see that right?
I guess it wouldn’t be a Met game without Jerry being Jerry.
Looks like all NL east teams won so standings remain the same.
stickguy
6/13/2010-6:32pm at 6:32 pm (UTC -4)
yeah, I was scratching my head on that one. Carter has HRs in back to back games, and as soon as a lefty comes in (even though Carter raked them in AAA), jerry sends up Tatis. Who promptly K’d. Then next AB, RHP in, he K’s again.
Since the mets had a large lead at the time, it made zero sense to put in tatis. even by Jerry’s standards, it was a head scratcher. Unless he said he was sore from the HBP or something, if it was just strategic, made zippo sense.
njstuckintx
6/13/2010-6:37pm at 6:37 pm (UTC -4)
Agreed and I was shaking my head at this one too. If anything, you bring in Tatis for Wright and get Tatis some time in the field. Then again, I wouldn’t have brought in Tatis at all. Jerry has to put some sort taint to the game. When you are up 6 or 7 runs, these mistakes don’t hurt much. When the game is on the line… that’s were we see our beloved team get burned.
stickguy
6/13/2010-6:46pm at 6:46 pm (UTC -4)
you are right that it served no purpose but to get tatis a few more ABs. And at this point, the fewer he gets, the better.
saltygary
6/13/2010-8:16pm at 8:16 pm (UTC -4)
Simply Amazing week for Mets baseball. Hopefully this weekend will show Mets fans that Millwood and Guthrie are the last guys the Metsies should be trading for.
And hopefully Valentine will think again about taking that managing jog.
stickguy
6/13/2010-8:40pm at 8:40 pm (UTC -4)
well, guthrie didn’t do too bad yesterday. At least as good as Pelf did today!
MIllwood has been terrible his last 4 or so starts.
stickguy
6/13/2010-8:41pm at 8:41 pm (UTC -4)
if you want a “value” signing, jake westbrook and brett myers seem to be the best of that (theoretical) bunch.
Still, lots can change in the next month.
oleosmirf
6/14/2010-7:10am at 7:10 am (UTC -4)
These are the NL All Star Starters IMHO C: Molina 1B: Pujols 2B: Johnson SS: Tulowitzki 3B: Wright OF: Braun, Byrd, Ethier