"I pwn you!"
In the bottom of the 6th inning of a 2-2 game New York Mets starting pitcher Mike Pelfrey (15-9) came to the plate with 2 outs and the go-ahead run on 2nd base. Pelfrey singled between shortstop and third to drive in that go-ahead run, then pitched out of a 1-out, 2 runners on jam in the top of the 7th by inducing Pittsburgh Pirates LF Jose Tabata to ground out weakly to pitcher and striking out their 2B Neil Walker to end the threat. The Mets added an insurance run in the 7th on an Ike Davis sacrifice fly and 2 in the 8th on a 2-run double by Angel Pagan for the eventual final score of 6-2. Pedro Feliciano and Bobby Parnell each tossed a scoreless frame to finish up the game and the 4-game sweep which puts the Mets 1 game over .500 at 74-73 while reducing the Pirates to 48-98.
Not exactly a bouncy C
Prior to all that the Mets had fallen behind 2-0. In the top of the 2nd inning Pelfrey allowed a 1-out double to Pedro Alvarez who scored on a John Bowker single to make it 1-0 Pirates. Then in the top of the 4th Ronny Cedeno tripled to drive in Garrett Jones and the Pirates were up 2-0. Just prior to that Cedeno triple Bowker came up with 2 runners on and hit a long drive to deep right center field that Pagan made a nice diving catch on, then got up and fired the ball to the infield to double off Alvarez at 1st base. Alvarez had run past 2nd base on the play. The Mets got one back in the bottom of the 4th when Lucas Duda, who came into the game 1 for 37 in the major leagues, doubled to drive in Davis and Josh Thole to tie the game a 2 runs apiece. Duda hit a 2nd double later and scored on the aforementioned Pelfrey hit.
29 comments
metsfan4decades
9/16/2010-10:52pm at 10:52 pm (UTC -4)
LOL – Love the pics
Hey…I don’t care that we just swept a team 50 games under .500.
Four game sweep, not accomplished by this team since 2003. At least we should some signs of life out there.
Angel Pagan has had a hell of a season, despite slumping in Aug and first part of Sep. I’d say he has come a long way since the label of ‘good 4th OF for a team’. He’s a big part of the reason we’ll probably finish around .500 in this lost season.
No one thought Pagan could step it up and play with his head in the game at all times. Said he lacked baseball instincts. Good for him for proving the naysayers wrong.
Give credit to Pelfrey also. He just might finish the season with 16 or 17 wins.
metsfan4decades
9/16/2010-11:00pm at 11:00 pm (UTC -4)
I’ll give Jerry some credit in these post game interviews.
Rubin asked him, given the great defense Pagan shows out there in CF, do you think it will make it difficult next season to decide who will play CF – ‘to have that conversation?’ ( I guess he was afraid to say ‘with Beltran’.)
Jerry says something like: ‘I just hope I’m here to be in on that discussion. I’d like to make that decision. Wouldn’t you like that too?’
Rubin replies: ‘I’d like that’.
Later they interviewed Pelf and asked him if he was glad the ‘exchange of the ball’ took place in the dugout tonight and not the mound.
Pelfrey joked that Jerry said: ‘Good thing I didn’t have to come out there tonight. I was almost afraid to’.
Pelf says: ‘Hope the cameras were on in the dugout. I gave him a big smile there. Next time he comes to the mound to get me, I’ll give him a big hug’.
stickguy
9/16/2010-11:07pm at 11:07 pm (UTC -4)
good old jerry. I never hated the guy, I just did not want him managine “my” team.
he can swing by the house for lasagna and a beer anytime.
metsfan4decades
9/16/2010-11:14pm at 11:14 pm (UTC -4)
Yum…..lasagna.
stickguy
9/16/2010-11:22pm at 11:22 pm (UTC -4)
reminds me, I never got my snack!
metsfan4decades
9/16/2010-11:25pm at 11:25 pm (UTC -4)
Haha – Pizza goes down good anytime. Although yogurt is probably healthier….
stickguy
9/16/2010-11:06pm at 11:06 pm (UTC -4)
supposed to beat up on the bad teams. The mets have done fine against good teams overall, so it they could be even .500 against the other dregs, they would be right in the WC hunt.
since they are getting a new manager, it should give more hope for next year, since usually playing down to weak opponents is not a talent issue per se.
And, I see to my left in the twitter list that that jackass Davidoff is still harping on his idiotic 80-82 campaign. someone with a twitter account should start slamming him for being a tool.
stickguy
9/16/2010-11:25pm at 11:25 pm (UTC -4)
random thoughts:
1) mets running out of SP. Really think Ollie needs to get a start or 2. Probably a good idea, since it might be the only way to generate any interest in him for potential trades, and he needs to go.
Of course, the danger is he looks pretty good, and the team gets suckered into keeping him!
another reason Omar needs to go, and someone more dispassionate about some of these guys needs to be brought in.
2) pelf actually has better overall numbers than Phil Hughes. he really died off in the 2nd half.
oleosmirf
9/17/2010-11:50am at 11:50 am (UTC -4)
nothing Ollie can do going forward will enhance his trade value.
he has a bad attitude, a bad contract and bad results. i would rather flat out release him then trade him and bring back another clubhouse cancer like Milton Bradley or Carlos Zambrano.
stickguy
9/17/2010-12:03pm at 12:03 pm (UTC -4)
bottom line is, ollie is still a 28(?) YO LHSP. LHSP is like crack to GMs. They know they shouldn’t but they still do. And making a couple of starts where he looks reasonably OK (considering he has been sitting for so long) will be like putting a match to the pipe.
I will give you bad results. But, that is where the sucking in comes (someone always thinks they can finally fix him).
The contract, with one year left, is no longer that bad. Sure, mets have to eat a chunk, but on a 1 year commitment, it puts him in the same class as Webb, and what’s his name from the A’s. The injury guys you take a flyer on, except in theory Ollie is not injured.
And the attitude has been fine. No whining or pouting since he has been exciled, just positive comments about wanting to pitch, and being ready when they need him. If you mean the not going to the minors thing, not looking good in hindsight, but that is probably largely boras, and the fact that very, very few guys ever do it. His right not to.
oleosmirf
9/17/2010-12:06pm at 12:06 pm (UTC -4)
why would a team pay 1-2 mil for Oliver Perez (who they cant send to the minors should he continue sucking) when they can have any one of the handful of other LHP on the market this offseason????
stickguy
9/16/2010-11:53pm at 11:53 pm (UTC -4)
from the times. Who knows what it will really end up meaning, but I am worried about the future of the johan! and the Mets really, really need to add a dependable SP. if not more.
“Johan Santana’s surgery went fine by all accounts, but it is worth noting this: Because of the location of the issue in the front of Santana’s shoulder, team doctor David Altchek was unable to use arthroscopic procedures and instead had to make a full incision, a source with knowledge of the procedure confirmed to ESPNNewYork.com.
That can contribute to scar tissue developing and lengthen the recovery time. Arthroscopic surgery is considered minimally invasive.”
GravediggerHebner
9/17/2010-12:08am at 12:08 am (UTC -4)
Even though I’m not a doctor I get how arthroscopic surgery is less invasive and thus preferred. This is hard to portray as anything other than bad news.
I don’t have it right in front of me but I think the general pre-surgery information was 1 month in a cast followed by 3-6 months before throwing and could be 9-10 months before reaching full velocity which may not be former full velocity.
I don’t know but I am guessing that was assuming arthroscopic surgery. For my own mental health I am going to assume that Johan won’t be back for 2011 but that he will be back and close enough to his old self as to be a 1 or 2 type starter for the Mets in 2012. Anything better than that will be a nice bonus for me.
stickguy
9/17/2010-12:27am at 12:27 am (UTC -4)
ditto. My theory was to treat it like getting TJ. approach 2011 as if he does not exist, but figure that he will be back in 2012 as a productive SP. will he be what he was? Who knows. At this stage of his career, even without the surgery, that was going to be a crap shoot season to season anyway.
hey, who knows. maybe next year the mets are in the playoff hunt late in the year, and johan comes back for the push!
stickguy
9/17/2010-2:02am at 2:02 am (UTC -4)
saw this line in a post at BMF. exactly what I have been saying.
“If you didn’t see the standings and based your judgement solely off media (blogs and newspapers) you’d think we’re looking at a 95-100 loss season. ”
except for Davidon (sp?), whoever the hell he actually is. Read his stuff, and you are pretty sure they are looking at 82 losses!
TRS86
9/17/2010-8:32am at 8:32 am (UTC -4)
Stick has got the right idea. The Mets are not in the playoff race because they did not take care of business against the teams that 100% should be below them. It’s not because the Phillies are better, Atlanta is great or Omar is an idiot. It’s because of our record against teams like Houston, Washington, Arizona…
TRS86
9/17/2010-8:45am at 8:45 am (UTC -4)
1-5 vs Arizona
6-10 vs FLA
7-8 vs Wash
1-2 vs Brewers
4-3 vs Houston
19-28
Playing .500 vs those teams gets you 5 more wins. Playing .600 against the teams below you (as you should) gets you 9 more wins. Where would we be with 9 more wins? Tied with Atlanta.
So to me sweeping the Pirates shows me what should have been.
stickguy
9/17/2010-9:37am at 9:37 am (UTC -4)
yup. I know that are some here that will respond that it just shows a lack of heart, grit, mentl focus, or ability to concentrate.
Well, even if so, it also shows the talent to play with the “big boys”.
ANd with a new manager and attitude next year, and a new GM bringing in some better filler/role guys, that might just take care of the mental aspect.
and frankly, it is way the hell harder to address a lack of actual talent! All the Eckencrappys in the world won’t get too many wins vs. good teams.
Oh, and something passing for normal years (even close to it) from your 2 middle order hitters should largely take care of the gaing hole on the offense.
TRS86
9/17/2010-9:47am at 9:47 am (UTC -4)
I get so tired of the Phillies heart and grit discussion. Has no one looked that they have the most talented roster as well as the most expensive one or maybe #2 to the Cubs pending on how much they actually paid Oswalt this year?
The Phillies play with a lot of confidence but that confidence has to come from winning. They are a very good team and have set themselves up for a very successful 5 year run. Stop with the heart and grit and give them credit for building a very talented team both through their farm, FA and by trade. To cheapen it and write it off as grit and heart is not fair to the work done by their organization.
Now I will go puke for giving them credit and will try to redeem myself with a good ole “Phillies suck”.
stickguy
9/17/2010-10:07am at 10:07 am (UTC -4)
Yeah, the phillies had that once a century perfect storm of good fortune, with everything coming together perfectly to set up a mini dynasty. In some ways, very similar to the Yankees in 1995-96.
an abnormally big group of young “core” studs all hitting together, and then staying healthy together, and hitting the lotto on some scrap heap pick ups (both Vicky and Werth fall into this catagory). Being able to pull off 2 smart trades for SP (halladay, who kind of Johan’d himself here, and Oswalt, who was a gift from old friend Wade). Even Lee.
but, as with all teams, nothing lasts forever. They are one of th eoldest teams in the league (by far), and they can drop like a stone with a couple key injuries and/or guys hitting that age wall.
and when that happens, all the grit in the world won’t save them!
metsfan4decades
9/17/2010-10:34am at 10:34 am (UTC -4)
LOL…I don’t want to get started on that ‘heart’ and ‘grit’ baloney.
Ceetar
9/17/2010-9:53am at 9:53 am (UTC -4)
You could make a case for anything. I mean, the Mets had a goose egg sweep of the Phillies.
The difference between a winning team and an average team is minute. sometimes it’s as simple as a better manager makes better decisions. momentum, etc.
perception plays a part. The Phillies are viewed as scrappy, even though they’re not.
stickguy
9/17/2010-10:09am at 10:09 am (UTC -4)
true on the difference between in it and also ran.
Hence my point that it is silly to consider a .500 team to be the depths of crapitude, and to be running around screaming that 2011 is already dead, and they can’t possibly compete again until 2015.
Even the Pirates have a chance to be relative before then!
TRS86
9/17/2010-10:46am at 10:46 am (UTC -4)
Exactly, one guy commented that they were that one winning streak away from being dreadful but in my mind they were one lousy streak from being in it.
GravediggerHebner
9/17/2010-11:14am at 11:14 am (UTC -4)
Whether we like to believe it or not apparently we and almost every other Mets blogger actually write for Matt Cerrone.
I found this comment on a Mack’s Mets post about what Mack perceives as the shrinking universe of Mets related blogs:
Anonymous said…
How many times do you need to read the same report? All news I need I can get right from Metsblog. I’ll only go to another site if Matt links to it, and Im sure majority of metsblog readers are the same.
September 17, 2010 7:51 AM
stickguy
9/17/2010-11:22am at 11:22 am (UTC -4)
I saw Mack’s piece. As a link from Met’s blog.
I also left a response, on MB! I have yet to figure out how to leave a comment on Mack’s site.
To be fair, I usually see things on the spyder crawl that strike my fancy and link to them that way.
I think the guy is wrong though. a lot of sites have people that hit them directly. just not as many.
and based on the blog roll, there are a ton of them that fall way into the occasional hobby catagory!
TRS86
9/17/2010-11:36am at 11:36 am (UTC -4)
Based on our busiest days to some degree he is right.
stickguy
9/17/2010-11:41am at 11:41 am (UTC -4)
it’s like beer. The most poopular isn’t the best!
TRS86
9/17/2010-11:47am at 11:47 am (UTC -4)
Nice misplay. Most poopular. LOL.
I agree but it’s usually the cheapest and most available.