0-3 Jon Niese was handed the ball to extend the 3 game winning streak, and he didn’t fail. His opponent, Armondo Galarraga didn’t fair too well.
The Mets wasted no time jumping on Galarraga when, after a Murphy walk in the first inning, Wright took him deep for his 4th home run giving the mets a 2-0 lead- he wouldn’t be done.
It would be the bottom of the third the Mets would strike again and basically put the game to bed. With David Wright getting on base via an error and Beltran moving him to third on a booming double, Davis would be intentionally walked, Thole would would hit a sac fly extending the Met lead to 3-0. It would be Jason Pridie would make the game a laughter when he would go yard for the first time hitting a 3 run home run into the Met Bullpen.
David Writght would go yard again in the bottom of the fouth with a shot that would just clear the left field wall. Davis would add to the lead hitting an RBI single that would extend the lead to 8-1.
Although the D-Backs would score 4 runs, the Mets were in complete control of the game from the first inning inning on, which was nice to see.
Side notes: David Wright going yard is a real encouraging sign that he’s locked in. I liked the fact that Niese went late into the game giving the bullpen a rest again. The Mets take on the Nationals next, a team that beat them 2 out of the 3 the last time they met. Personally, I would like to see the Mets sweep, but I’m slightly optimistic, 2 out of three would be just fine.
Happy Easter Everyone and to my mom, Happy Birthday!
57 comments
metsfan4decades
4/24/2011-4:51pm at 4:51 pm (UTC -4)
The game today made my day. Sweep.
.500 here we come.
DJ Carassco sent down to PSL to get stretched out as a starter.
Gee staying up here.
Pagan and Parnell on their way to PSL for rehab.
Paulino will be reevaluated before game time tomorrow. It’s day to day. Won’t be reactivated until they see him play in games.
….So says Sandy on SNY post game show.
njstuckintx
4/24/2011-7:01pm at 7:01 pm (UTC -4)
You think they are stretching DJ out or are they going the ‘politically correct’ route, for lack of a better term, to strengthen the BP.
And to me, putting Cap in the BP with Gee into the rotation is the best route.
Nice work by Wright. Actually, but the whole team. Let’s keep the streak alive!
metsfan4decades
4/24/2011-8:04pm at 8:04 pm (UTC -4)
I know we as fans aren’t privy to all the machinations that go on by the FO.
But listening to Sandy talk after the game, I’m inclined to buy the reason he gave for the time being. Carassco wasn’t working out in the BP, they really signed him as insurance/depth for starter, so they’re gonna send him back down right now, see if they can get him back on track.
Sandy said it’s all about having the best arms available for when they need them so maybe they’re doing just that right now.
njstuckintx
4/24/2011-8:14pm at 8:14 pm (UTC -4)
Which is fine.
Only knock on the whole thing is DJ got a 2 yr deal. But hindsight and all that. I’ve no problem with the move. Best team forward, and the fact that a guy who signed a 2 yr deal was dropped to the minors to make the team better makes me feel good that they are going best product possible, or at least best product available,.
metsfan4decades
4/24/2011-8:16pm at 8:16 pm (UTC -4)
Just saw this: Phillies interim closer Contreras (since Lidge hit the DL), goes down with an injury.
Phillie have been averaging less than 4 runs each game. Many of their runs come on long balls. They’ve have less consistency in their BP than we have. They really only had 3 guys you could count on and now 2 are hurt?
Would someone tell me how in the hell they continue to win games?
Yeah, I know SP, SP. SP….but still – even when their starters don’t have a good outing they manage to pull it out. Werth is gone, Ibanez looks more than done. Rollins off to a slow start. Valdez is playing second. It’s just uncanny.
With our current lineup, if our starters look sharp next weekend maybe we can take that series. And I didn’t realize this was at CBP. Two series there before they come to Citi? Strange….
hazmet
4/24/2011-8:54pm at 8:54 pm (UTC -4)
My advice is don’t worry about Philly till we play them it’s best for the sanity that way. We’ve got 3 against the Nats first, lets focus on 1 game at a time and not get ahead of ourselves. And yes the Phillies SP is the key but Polanco is hitting .366 and add Ben Francisco and they both have been serviceable wing men to Howard. Throw in the pesky Victarino & Rollins and there’s more then enough there to win given they know how to win. It also doesn’t hurt that they’ve been playing us, Astros, Nats and Pods in 4 series and are 11-2 in those games doesn’t hurt their won-loss record. Oh, and they play the D-backs starting tomorrow. Not exactly a tough starting stretch for them given their pedigree.
metsfan4decades
4/24/2011-9:54pm at 9:54 pm (UTC -4)
The Nationals are an enigma to us these past few years. We’ve always looked down on them and somehow they manage to win series after series.
Livan….he’s just ageless. They’re sitting at .500 with him as their ace. Go figure.
kingman 26
4/25/2011-8:46am at 8:46 am (UTC -4)
They’re not averaging less than 4 runs a game.
They are averaging 4.5 runs a game.
They are allowing 3.3 runs a game.
As I said all offseason, with that rotation, they won’t need 6 runs a game to win.
Average 1.2 more runs than you allow, and you’ll win 95+ games.
Plus, Oswalt is the ultimate anti-Met….leaves a start with an “injury” and comes right back our roaring next time.
Have you looked at what their pen has done?
Excellent stats almost across the board—about 56 IP and ZERO HR allowed. Everyone except for Herndon has stats ranging between good to outstanding.
stickguy
4/25/2011-8:57am at 8:57 am (UTC -4)
they had a big first week or so, but since then they have been averaging less than 4 per game. pretty much have just been riding the SP.
I live in Philly, so I know that they are worried about the offense not being enough if the SP can’t keep it up.
Best hope for the anti-Philly crowd (looking at you MF!) is that a few of the pitchers have had some issues already, and Charlie likes to beat them like rented mules, so hopefully they start to crash and burn later in the year!
kingman 26
4/25/2011-9:18am at 9:18 am (UTC -4)
They have most definitely not just been riding the starters—seriously, if you have not, go to Baseballreference.com and look at the bullpen—it’s been amazing.
kistics
4/25/2011-9:35am at 9:35 am (UTC -4)
Their bullpen seems fine to me. 2.24 ERA, opposition batting .210/.303/.260 against their bullpen.
metsfan4decades
4/25/2011-9:26am at 9:26 am (UTC -4)
O.K., lets put it this way.
The Phillies were hitting .201 the past 12 games (not including yesterday’s).
And how many of those games did they win with that anemic offense?
The Phils have played 3 teams so far that could be considered ‘contenders’: ATL, FLA and MIL. They’re 4-4 in those games.
The Phils have played 13 games against bad teams and are 11-2 in those games (.846 win percentage).
So in conclusion, pitching, pitching, pitching.
Their BP is depleted now by 2: their closer and their replacement closer.
I don’t see Utley returning anytime soon but Brown probably will.
If the starters don’t continue to go deep (with the injuries to their current BP) and the offense doesn’t pick it up, I don’t know that they sustain their current win %.
stickguy
4/25/2011-9:30am at 9:30 am (UTC -4)
The pen has also had guys performing way above their career mediocrity level and as you note, mostly beating up on bad teams.
Of course, that is what playoff teams are supposed to do.
but if the SP can’t keep up the pace, the wheels can come off that bus real quick. And charlie is smart (or maybe short sighted!) in that he just tries to avoid the pen at all costs by pitching the SP as deep as possible. And hopefully that takes its toll on the old guys at some point.
kingman 26
4/25/2011-9:52am at 9:52 am (UTC -4)
Based on their careers, what is the likelihood of a major injury bug hitting the rotation?
Lee, sure, maybe, but Halladay hasn’t been hurt in like 6 years, Hamels and Blanton don’t get hurt, and Oswalt would have to have bone sticking through his skin to miss a start. The anti-Met.
kistics
4/25/2011-9:58am at 9:58 am (UTC -4)
Well it’s about time they all get hurt.
stickguy
4/25/2011-10:05am at 10:05 am (UTC -4)
Right, I forgot, no met has ever pitched or played hurt. Not like reyes played with an oblique pull, wrapped up like a mummy, or Beltran played with a big knee brace when he could have taken the full year off to rest. Or Pelf supposedly taking shots to make his starts. Nope, bunch of big pansy asses, hitting the 60 day DL with a hangnail.
Oswalt already left a game early with a back issue, and he does have chronic problems there. Lee has issues every year.
Halladay? He was hurt in the playoffs last year (groin and shoulder, AKA wear and tear, problems).
so while they are pitching now, the idea that it could take it’s toll is that history shows as guys get into their 30s and the innings/pitches pile up, guys start to break down and/or lose a little bit of stuff. Lets see what happens when they get into August, 20+ starts of 130+ pitch counts in many of them.
kingman 26
4/25/2011-10:41am at 10:41 am (UTC -4)
Yeah, and Oswalt will miss the next 3 months…oh, wait…. And the injured Halladay threw just three playoff games, including two real good ones including a no-hitter.
And no, the Phillie players are definitely not as tough as Reyes, Beltran, Bay (OH NO, I ran an extra 30 yards playing CF today!!), Pagan, Parnell, FMart, Havens, and the rest of our annual DL crew, other than Wright and Pelf who apparently do have some tolerance for discomfort; over the last few years, we have had the softest and most out-of-shape team in the game.
Some players miss time year after year because they are NOT tough. Some players suck it up more than others; generally these players do not play for the Mets. Other than Wright and Pelf and probably Dickey and a few others.
Think Beltran, Reyes, Bay, and the rest of our guys are as tough as Oswalt?
stickguy
4/25/2011-11:44am at 11:44 am (UTC -4)
oswalt didn’t have to have surgery. Or a concussion. so not the same situation.
but I am confused. Being a philly means you are tough and never miss time, so how do you explain utley and rollins? They the only candy asses on the team? Why hasn’t the phils FO gotten rid of those slackers yet?
kingman 26
4/25/2011-11:56am at 11:56 am (UTC -4)
True or false–Utley came back MUCH quicker last year than expected? When was the last time a Met did that?
I love the Mets just as much as you do my friend; I just don’t have a personal issue with seeing the 2009–2010 Mets as being the perennially injured/ALWAYS take longer than originally expected to return from injuries bunch that they were.
It is changing, little by little, and with Beltran and others gone soon, it will change some more.
stickguy
4/25/2011-12:32pm at 12:32 pm (UTC -4)
How does that tin foil hat look in Philly red anyway? I forgot to ask for pictures!
metsfan4decades
4/25/2011-12:38pm at 12:38 pm (UTC -4)
LOL…are we really debating those pansies on the Mets vs the tough and gritty Phillies?
Really – hahahaha.
Sorry, couldn’t resist. If you can’t tell, I’m on the Stick side of this debate.
kingman 26
4/25/2011-12:45pm at 12:45 pm (UTC -4)
Funny Stick, this comment sounds like something Ceetar would say—i.e., the opposite of objective reality….if anyone wears tin foil hats when it comes to attempting to logically evaluate the Mets on a real-world basis, it is most definitely the two of you, not me.
kingman 26
4/25/2011-12:48pm at 12:48 pm (UTC -4)
But again, when judging the 2007–2010 Mets and Phillies, I am sure most people would agree that the Phils have NOTHING on these gritty, play-through-it-all, show up early for ST, return earlier than expected from injury Mets!
No, Da Nile is NOT just a river in Africa.
stickguy
4/25/2011-12:59pm at 12:59 pm (UTC -4)
you really do get stuck on these ideas, don’t you? If anything, over the last few years guys on the mets were coming back too soon, and not taking too long.
total BS that there is some ingrained grit factor in the phils that leads them to come limping back before the bones even heal. or that Met players milk a nothing injury and sit out when they could easily be playing.
every injury is different, and guys recover as they can. Like Rollins, who misses 2/3 of a year with a minor muscle pull.
reyes played through a injury he should have rested. Bletran was gritting it out bone on bone. They are tough, and play with pain.
kingman 26
4/25/2011-1:09pm at 1:09 pm (UTC -4)
I definitely do get stuck on ideas which make sense and reflect actual reality; yes sir, guilty as charged.
Bletran plays with pain??
He played over 151 games once in his 7 year Met career. Once.
In his 12 year career, he has topped 151 games 5 times.
Yes, the grittiest of the gritty.
metsgirl31
4/25/2011-1:14pm at 1:14 pm (UTC -4)
Count me in with Stick and 4D. The whole “Mets are soft” thing is ludicrous.
Prismo
4/25/2011-1:14pm at 1:14 pm (UTC -4)
Guys, I know the “trade everyone” theory is pretty popular right now, but who went off and traded the normally sensible kingman for his Phillies’ fan doppelganger?
kingman 26
4/25/2011-1:21pm at 1:21 pm (UTC -4)
LOL! It’s TOTALLY ludicrous!
I mean, who even has ever heard of a player making 16 million publicly complaining about the “extra running” involved playing CF for ONE spring training game?? Oh wait, Bay did this in March??
Parnell? FMart?
They should teach classes in toughness.
The Mets are the iron men of sports—both mentally AND physically!
kingman 26
4/25/2011-1:21pm at 1:21 pm (UTC -4)
That’s funny Prismo!
I wish the Mets were a LOT more like the Phils.
Maybe in 2–3 years they will be.
stickguy
4/25/2011-1:29pm at 1:29 pm (UTC -4)
not sure if I follow your logic. You think that guys that are injured (not hurt/sore/achy) should just play anyway?
So Parnell has a blod clot of some kind cutting off feeling in his finger, but F it, pitch anyway? And a guy with a strained hammy should just go out and bust it anyway?
if you want to figure out why some guys get injured and others don’t, have at it. But it is ludicrous to say that tough guys play injured and softies don’t.
stickguy
4/25/2011-1:31pm at 1:31 pm (UTC -4)
oh, still hung up on the Bay/CF issue too I see. For someone that has so little respect for the media gadflys, you certainly treat as gospel a throw-away comment from one of them when it suits your situational bias!
He made a semi-joking comment about CF requires more running, and you think he was complaining, or saying it was going to hurt him?
metsfan4decades
4/25/2011-1:35pm at 1:35 pm (UTC -4)
Ugh…don’t you all just love off days? Then we get to debate crazy stuff like the ‘grit’ of Philadelphia vs. the ‘softies’ of NY.
The only aspirations I ever want to see the Mets strive for, in relation to the Phillies, is in the Win column.
kistics
4/25/2011-1:41pm at 1:41 pm (UTC -4)
I can’t say that one team is tougher than the other, but I also can’t say that Beltran or Reyes has played more games in pain than Utley or Rollins did.
I think more than anything, Mets have had problems with conditioning and diagnosing of injuries. Hopefully that’s all behind us now.
kingman 26
4/25/2011-2:08pm at 2:08 pm (UTC -4)
As funny as a few of you seem to think it is that I always defend the Phils, I think it is even more funny how some of you maintain the criticism of a team that–despite clear aging and a clearly declining offense–is 15–6 and in first place with the best record in MLB.
tkfj2
4/25/2011-3:01pm at 3:01 pm (UTC -4)
I’m going to stay out of this one.
But, I will say that “grit” and “softness” are subjective terms they are not truly quantifiable and I’m not sure how you could go about measuring them.
None of us know the dynamics of a major league clubhouse, or baseball team, because as far as I know none of us have played in the MLB. We do know that the Mets have had injury problems over the past few years, but so have a good number of teams. That is today’s MLB. What that could be attributed to, except for a few cases where Mets management has bungled the process, I don’t know.
Speculation is speculation, and wild speculation is even worse.
njstuckintx
4/24/2011-10:25pm at 10:25 pm (UTC -4)
I’ll say this, which is not really related to anything. I’m thankful (yes, turkey day is many moons off) for both the posters and those that comment on this site. Having perused the other sites lately, I must say, there is an abundance of Clowns out there. It’s nice to have a home base of at least logical fans o’ the Mets.
kingman 26
4/25/2011-8:50am at 8:50 am (UTC -4)
Thank you sir!
This site is here for the small minority of those Met fans who possess the rarely combined attributes of knowledge, sense, and reason—i.e., people like YOU!
stickguy
4/24/2011-10:31pm at 10:31 pm (UTC -4)
DJ down? man, I really have been out of the loop lately. Missing all the wins.
njstuckintx
4/24/2011-10:42pm at 10:42 pm (UTC -4)
were you really surprised?
stickguy
4/24/2011-11:28pm at 11:28 pm (UTC -4)
a little surprised that they optioned him down. more surprised that they did it to stretch him out as a starter.
so basically they swapped him and Gee in role and location, so no biggie really.
I might want to see Capuano in the pen instead, but that will sort itself out.
Plus, next time they need a fill in SP, he is already on hand.
overall, I like the pen better than what they started the year with, and it seems to be settling in nicely. The SP averaging 7 IP of course helps!
now, the only guy that I really don’t trust is Byrdak, and that move might not be too far off.
kistics
4/25/2011-9:21am at 9:21 am (UTC -4)
This FO don’t mess around. They make sure to let everyone know that no major league spot is guaranteed to anyone. If you don’t perform, you lose the spot.
I would settle with 3-3 this upcoming road trip. Mets can potentially face Halladay, Lee and Oswalt (if they skip Blanton).
kingman 26
4/25/2011-9:25am at 9:25 am (UTC -4)
If they go 3-3 on this trip we should be thrilled.
4-2 would be reason to start believing.
But 2-4 is more realistic.
The DBacks REALLY suck and their pitching makes ours look like the 1969 or 1986 Mets.
stickguy
4/25/2011-9:27am at 9:27 am (UTC -4)
3-3 is certainly realistic.
kistics
4/25/2011-9:50am at 9:50 am (UTC -4)
I think so too. I think the Mets can win 2 in DC though it won’t be an easy task. They are going against Zimmerman, Gorzo, and Livan.
Zim had 1 bad game this so far (his last start against the Cards)
Gorzo also had 1 bad game (against the Mets) and 2 decent starts
Livan had 2 bad outings and 3 good ones.
Mets have Young, Dickey and Cap (and Pelf in Philly yikes!!)
kingman 26
4/25/2011-9:54am at 9:54 am (UTC -4)
Well, I pray I am wrong, but the DBacks’ pitching is literally a AAA staff.
2-4 is a reasonable and maybe even optimistic expectation for the next six.
kistics
4/25/2011-10:16am at 10:16 am (UTC -4)
Hope you are wrong too.
kingman 26
4/25/2011-10:43am at 10:43 am (UTC -4)
We shall see; I did not see much this weekend, but the DBacks’ pitchers appear to be truly abominable.
I just think it might be a tad early to judge this as a resurgence based on this weekend.
But, as I have been with Reyes this year and was with Dickey last year, I will very gladly admit I was wrong as hell if they go out and win 2 of 3 in DC and Philly.
kistics
4/25/2011-10:57am at 10:57 am (UTC -4)
I don’t expect them to win 2 in Philly. But I certainly would like to see them win 2 in DC. I don’t think it’ll be easy, but it’s certainly doable.
kingman 26
4/25/2011-11:07am at 11:07 am (UTC -4)
Absolutely agreed.
kistics
4/25/2011-11:28am at 11:28 am (UTC -4)
Reading Rubin’s series preview,
Zim is still out and hasn’t even begun baseball activities
Desmond struggling defensively and Cora (puhaha) started yesterday in his place at SS
Werth hitting .200 w/ 5 RBI
Nats pitching seems fairly strong with Jodan Zim and solid bullpen.
If the Mets pitching can keep them in games, I think they can out-hit the Nats for this series.
kingman 26
4/25/2011-11:31am at 11:31 am (UTC -4)
Yeah, it is not the Nats’ hitters I worry about….
As for Werth, that contract was so ridiculous I cannot even describe it. That deal makes Omar look like the best contract negotiator in the history of sports.
njstuckintx
4/25/2011-11:38am at 11:38 am (UTC -4)
To defend Werth (not sure why I am, but regardless…) He had something like 5 doubles, 2 HRs and only 2 RBI. That kind of speaks to the rest of that team not getting on base, if you ask me.
As for the .200 BA, that I can’t defend.
metsfan4decades
4/25/2011-9:33am at 9:33 am (UTC -4)
On that note, anyone read the article on supposedly how close Niese came to being sent to the BP? Apparently his start yesterday forestalled that.
I don’t know why you’d send Niese to the BP. That’s kind of giving up on him too soon. IMO, if they think he’s got a problem with development of that third pitch – his changeup – wouldn’t he best be served in the minors working on that?
njstuckintx
4/25/2011-9:40am at 9:40 am (UTC -4)
yeah, that seems a little silly.
stickguy
4/25/2011-9:52am at 9:52 am (UTC -4)
well, that was a writer interpreting the tea leaves. No one from the Mets specifically came out and said that was the case.
I think they wanted one of the SP to stay up as the long man, and emergency starter, with DJ being the real problem to address. And with Neise or Gee, ST it won’t hurt them to be up working on stuff (in Neise’s case) for a short while. I don’t see the move to the pen being LT.
Most likely, they are hedging their bets ST about Young being OK and Capuano keeping it up. And longer term, they want to have replacements ready in case they get to the point of trading off either of those guys for prospects.
It didn’t really sound though that Neise did not have the change up, just that he was not throwing it much. And some of that goes back to the PC and catcher to make happen.
also, not sure where the 2 pitch idea came from. He has the FB, cutter and curve too.
anyway, young guys have learning curves, and figuring out how to incorporate all your pitches is part of it.
kistics
4/25/2011-9:53am at 9:53 am (UTC -4)
I doubt that they would make the move to give up on Niese. It’s more of “let’s get him corrected” move. Plus how trust worthy is NY Post?
metsfan4decades
4/25/2011-10:21am at 10:21 am (UTC -4)
Yeah, it was the Sherman and the Post so there is that.