Dillon Gee pitched a gem this afternoon, throwing no-hit ball into the sixth inning when opposing pitcher Livan Hernandez grounded a single to break up the no-no. Gee went on to pitch 7.2 scoreless frames, surrendering only two hits and three walks, earning himself the big W for his superb effort. Tim Byrdak finished up the 8th inning with a single pitch, and our very own Francisco Rodriguez closed out the game for his 14th save of the season. It should be noted that with a runner on second in the 9th inning, Jayson Werth was called out at first on a ground-ball, although Daniel Murphy was clearly not on the bag. Regardless, a run would not have scored on the play, and even if safe, the Mets may have closed out the game within regulation.
This is the Mets’ second shutout in a row, and it should be noted that the Mets haven’t lost a 2+ game series in more than two weeks.
All was quiet on the offensive front, although Mr.Clutch Justin Turner knocked in his 13th RBI in the Mets only run of the day.
The Mets head to the Death Star…ah…err…Yankee Stadium tomorrow evening to vie for the .500 mark. R.A. Dickey will try to reclaim his worth, despite his early season lackluster efforts to earn his second win of the season.
56 comments
Prismo
5/19/2011-3:56pm at 3:56 pm (UTC -4)
Oh, also we’re on pace for 79 wins.
kistics
5/19/2011-4:47pm at 4:47 pm (UTC -4)
how was the tornado hunting?
Prismo
5/19/2011-4:55pm at 4:55 pm (UTC -4)
There was nothing to hunt!
But we did manage to have dinner in Oklahoma’s oldest bar, which is famous for its fried chicken and okra. Was very good.
metsfan4decades
5/19/2011-4:14pm at 4:14 pm (UTC -4)
Bring on the Yankees!
That was a hell of a game by Gee. As I’ve often stated, I like Gee and thought he would be a good addition to the rotation, especially after watching him pitch last Sep.
No offense again, but for some reason we never could hit Livan.
kingman 26
5/19/2011-4:26pm at 4:26 pm (UTC -4)
Psst–They haven’t lost a series since Monday!
Prismo
5/19/2011-4:29pm at 4:29 pm (UTC -4)
I have no idea what you’re talking about. I would argue that there cannot be a “1 game series” because a series requires more than 1 game to be played.
Prismo
5/19/2011-4:36pm at 4:36 pm (UTC -4)
Or simply that half of the Marlins’ series has yet to occur, so we cannot judge the series as a loss.
kingman 26
5/19/2011-4:36pm at 4:36 pm (UTC -4)
Gotcha; they SPLIT the 1 game!
hazmet
5/19/2011-9:05pm at 9:05 pm (UTC -4)
se·ries (sîrz)
n. pl. series
1. A number of objects or events arranged or coming one after the other in succession.
2. A set of stamps, coins, or currency issued in a particular period.
3. Physics & Chemistry A group of objects related by linearly varying successive differences in form or configuration: a radioactive decay series; the paraffin alkane series.
4. Mathematics The sum of a sequentially ordered finite or infinite set of terms.
5. Geology A group of rock formations closely related in time of origin and distinct as a group from other formations.
6. Grammar A succession of coordinate elements in a sentence.
7.
a. A succession of usually continuously numbered issues or volumes of a publication, published with related authors or subjects and similar formats.
b. A succession of regularly aired television programs, each one of which is complete in and of itself.
8.
a. Sports A number of games played by the same two teams, often in succession.
b. Baseball The World Series.
9. Linguistics A set of vowels or diphthongs related by ablaut, as in sing, sang, sung, and song.
Idiom:
in series
In an arrangement that forms a series.
As Prismo observed, the Mets did not lose a series since as per the definition above and his comment it requires more than one game be played. The Mets lost a match, or maybe a contest, a tilt, or kerfuffle against the fish this week. All I know is I’m glad all that, cough cough, rain on Tuesday didn’t have them playing 2 against the fish this week. I’ll take every break we can get till we get Ike and Wright back.
Prismo
5/20/2011-1:09pm at 1:09 pm (UTC -4)
Haha!! I’ll take kerfuffle.
kistics
5/19/2011-4:46pm at 4:46 pm (UTC -4)
After this weekend’s series, the Mets can have better record than the Yanks. How about that!!
gategem
5/19/2011-6:32pm at 6:32 pm (UTC -4)
I wouldn’t bet the house on that. The world is supposed to end on Saturday so the series could be 1.5 games. Also with the lack of success R.A. Dickey has had recently and with the Yankees lineup in that ballpark it could be bombs away driving Dickey into shell shock.
Prismo
5/19/2011-6:56pm at 6:56 pm (UTC -4)
I fully expect the world to end Saturday…and what I mean by that is that NY may actually not see any rain. :O
gategem
5/19/2011-7:48pm at 7:48 pm (UTC -4)
There are people spending their life savings in anticipation of the Rapture this Saturday.
Prismo
5/19/2011-8:18pm at 8:18 pm (UTC -4)
Good for them. Darwinism and all that, etc etc etc. They’ll get what they deserve for their lack of intelligence.
(I assume everyone on RDM is smart enough not to believe that the world is ending this weekend, but if you do, I apologize. Also, don’t ask me to lend you money anytime in the near future)
Prismo
5/19/2011-8:21pm at 8:21 pm (UTC -4)
*just a caveat that my comment isn’t a knock on any religion
kingman 26
5/20/2011-9:12am at 9:12 am (UTC -4)
“just a caveat that my comment isn’t a knock on any religion”
So, it is a comment on ALL religions!
Nice!!
metsfan4decades
5/19/2011-9:10pm at 9:10 pm (UTC -4)
LOL. My practical nature precludes me from spending all my money by Saturday. If I’m wrong, well, I guess I’m taking it with me!
gategem
5/19/2011-7:47pm at 7:47 pm (UTC -4)
I think that the most amazing story in baseball this year is the success and performance of Bartolo Colon. It’s not just that he is pitching well (which is amazing in itself) but last night in the 8th inning he was throwing 95 mph. He will be 38 and somehow has rejuvenated his fastball. Perhaps Ollie, Maine and Santana, among others, should find out what Bartolo is taking. Perhaps it was something found in Roswell, New Mexico in 1947.
metsfan4decades
5/19/2011-9:12pm at 9:12 pm (UTC -4)
Hey, I want Johan to go talk to his doctor and get that same procedure of injecting your own stem cells – or whatever the heck it was – to aid in healing both time and strength wise.
Ceetar
5/20/2011-10:16am at 10:16 am (UTC -4)
yeah, it was stem cells injected directly into his shoulder. Apparently extremely contraversial and supposedly MLB is looking into it. (also, the doctor uses HGH normally with other patients, but supposedly never with athletes)
hazmet
5/19/2011-9:13pm at 9:13 pm (UTC -4)
Hey! A G650, awesome. I was Program Manager for the Oil Quantity Indicator for the Gauging system on that thar jet. Just between us kids I prefer the G550 or G450 even over the G650. All though the Rolls Royce Engine’s on the G650 are freakin awesome. Standing under one on the production line was nearly a religious experience. You could freakin eat of the things they are so clean coming out of the box. The Production Line is sick. Gulfstream does things right. I was also Fuel Gauging Program Manager on GIV, G450, GV, G550 for a stretch. Great company to work with, and in Savannah, doesn’t get any better imo.
hazmet
5/19/2011-9:23pm at 9:23 pm (UTC -4)
Fear the Red Menace Justin “Thumper” Turner.
metsfan4decades
5/19/2011-10:10pm at 10:10 pm (UTC -4)
I’m telling you, the wheels are coming on in Philly.
They can’t score runs.
Their injuries are piling up.
They scratched Blanton a few minutes before the game with an elbow problem and started KK. He promptly gave up 5 runs in the first 3 innings, which is all he lasted.
They found themselves having to use Lee as a PH when KK came out.
Apparently, they’re playing with a short bench and BP b/c of injuries but doing the day-to-day thing (sound familiar?).
Apparently, they reactivated Blanton even though he told everyone he was still feeling pain.
stickguy
5/19/2011-10:18pm at 10:18 pm (UTC -4)
he was hurting ever since he came back,but trying to pitch through it. And Vicky has (had?) a sore hammy, but was doing the sit out a few day but no DL routine.
more people hurt now? Sucks for them.
metsfan4decades
5/19/2011-10:20pm at 10:20 pm (UTC -4)
3 HRs for Giambi in that game tonight.
stickguy
5/19/2011-11:06pm at 11:06 pm (UTC -4)
for all the woe is me going in to the season, and overdone hysteria during the early losing streak about being worse than the 1964 club, they are 1/4 of the way into the season, hit hard by injuries, but are still 1 game under .500 and only 3.5 out of the WC (and 2 games behind the big, bad Braves!)
kingman 26
5/20/2011-9:18am at 9:18 am (UTC -4)
They are not as bad as they seemed then, and are not as good as they seem now.
Sorry buddy, but most of these wins have come against AZ, HOU, WASH, LAD.
Still are not beating anyone good at all.
They remain 8-15 against winning teams, and 13-7 against losers.
The schedule is split the next few weeks between good and bad, but then it is good team after good team forever.
We will see very soon if they are going to compete, but 14 if the next 23 are with PITT, CHIC, and MIL—they better win at least 8 or 9 of those before the true brutality begins.
Stick, you or I could have shut out this Nats team this week.
TRS86
5/20/2011-9:30am at 9:30 am (UTC -4)
That is true but keep in mind that heading into this week the Mets had still played by far the toughest schedule in the division. The other NL East teams are bound to have to start carrying their weight in terms of schedule toughness as well.
kingman 26
5/20/2011-9:37am at 9:37 am (UTC -4)
Hmmm, against winning teams:
Phils 8–10
Braves 10-8
Marlins 10-8
Mets 8-15
Yes, more games with winners, but that’s a big difference there between us and ATL and FLA.
stickguy
5/20/2011-10:09am at 10:09 am (UTC -4)
well, this really just means the mets have more games coming up against bad teams!
actually, it is early in the season, when even good teams can have bad records. I have no idea how you generated those #s (based on +/- .500 record?) but early on not that meaningful.
It will be interesting to see this weekend how the Phils do in what they consider to be the “real” 2010 WS matchup (and yes, charlie was quoted as saying basically that).
talk about a reincarnation of the old Mets teams (as in ’69 and ’73), that is a team that lives and dies with SP. They are trotting out some lineups that look like September, 2009 met level!
metsfan4decades
5/20/2011-10:35am at 10:35 am (UTC -4)
Looks like Blanton and Victorino to the DL today.
TRS86
5/20/2011-10:23am at 10:23 am (UTC -4)
Yeah, the Nats have had a rough couple of weeks and have actually passed the Mets in terms of most games played against teams above .500. They have already played 28 games 12-16.
What strikes me though is that the Phillies, Braves and Marlins are still 5 games below the Mets in terms of games played.
The Phillies with only 8 “quality” wins has to be a little concerning for them.
In my opinion I still don’t think the Mets have enough to compete. However, things could start to turn a little in the wrong direction for the Phillies IMO>
stickguy
5/20/2011-10:04am at 10:04 am (UTC -4)
you can do this for any team really. Even the Phils. Look at their record, and they truly fattened up on bottom feeder teams, and are probably not even at .500 now against the few good teams they have played.
Hey, nothing wrong with that, since it can get you to the playoffs!
kingman 26
5/20/2011-10:07am at 10:07 am (UTC -4)
Records against winning teams:
Braves 10-8
Marlins 10-8
Mets 8-15
You can’t do that to any team.
stickguy
5/20/2011-10:14am at 10:14 am (UTC -4)
and it really means nothing. Total wins do, but this is not the BCS. You don’t get extra points for beating “good” teams.
also a small sample size. They had a couple of “how the hell did they lose that game” games vs. the rockies. And I am sure a couple more against other teams (oh yeah, 1 vs. the Giants).
I know it is meaningless, but just take those 3 games and reverse the outcome (that is 1 game every other week). Suddenly the mets are 11-12 in your chart. And 7 games over .500
really I am just saying that there is a really fine line with many teams between winning/losing, good/bad, and I am not taking your 8-15 record in Mid May and projecting the whole season off of it.
kingman 26
5/20/2011-10:16am at 10:16 am (UTC -4)
LOL!
TRS86
5/20/2011-10:24am at 10:24 am (UTC -4)
I wonder where the Mets stand in terms of games vs .500 teams since Jason Bay’s return? Just using that as a date for now.
TRS86
5/20/2011-10:34am at 10:34 am (UTC -4)
4-6 answered my own question.
njstuckintx
5/20/2011-9:54am at 9:54 am (UTC -4)
When you look at the overall standings, there is a whole lot of mediocrity going on. The AL east is separated by about 3 games from first to 4th. crazy. I wonder how much this will affect buyers and sellers. Maybe it’ll drop into the mix many purchasers for Beltran’s Services???
stickguy
5/20/2011-10:15am at 10:15 am (UTC -4)
The NL is the same way. heck, the Mets are only 3.5 out of the WC now, and there aren’t that many teams in between!
Ceetar
5/20/2011-10:21am at 10:21 am (UTC -4)
The Mets are 17-11 over the last month or so. That’s hardly ‘world beating’ or ‘unsustainable’. But if they play at that pace they’d win 91 games. They haven’t played a losing calendar week of baseball since the mid-April stretch where they had the 7 game losing streak. They are playing better baseball going into this weekend than the Yankees, and they get the ‘back end’ of the rotation.
TRS86
5/20/2011-10:36am at 10:36 am (UTC -4)
They are playing better and yes if that kept that winning percentage they would win that many. However, the elephant in the room is that unless they are really in the race Beltran and Reyes are still on the block.
Ceetar
5/20/2011-11:16am at 11:16 am (UTC -4)
Just because people talk about the elephant, doesn’t mean it’s actually in the room. Reyes is not on the block.
darknova306
5/20/2011-10:51am at 10:51 am (UTC -4)
Also, sustaining that winning percentage will require the recently better pitching to stay consistent all season.
kingman 26
5/20/2011-10:59am at 10:59 am (UTC -4)
And it will require about another 90–100 games with the Astros and Nats.
Unfortunately, in June and July, we have 35 games in a 39 game stretch with ATL, LAA, OAK, TEX, DET, NYY, PHIL, FLA, STL, FLA, CIN.
Only the Dodgers in LA breaks that up.
TRS86
5/20/2011-11:04am at 11:04 am (UTC -4)
Of course if we have that then to balance the schedule we must have about 35 games against crappy teams as well.
darknova306
5/20/2011-11:07am at 11:07 am (UTC -4)
In the likely event the Mets make it through this brutal stretch and don’t still look like they’re going to contend, Beltran and potentially Reyes will be gone when the softer part of the schedule comes around.
TRS86
5/20/2011-11:09am at 11:09 am (UTC -4)
True, could be. Of course by then hopefully Wright and Davis will be back and producing to help make up for the loss of Beltran and or Reyes.
metsfan4decades
5/20/2011-11:07am at 11:07 am (UTC -4)
By the time we play some of these games the crappy teams might be good teams and the good teams might be crappy ones.
Just no way to predict this right now.
darknova306
5/20/2011-11:04am at 11:04 am (UTC -4)
That’s gonna get ugly…
kistics
5/20/2011-11:33am at 11:33 am (UTC -4)
I thought the Mets were playing the Pirates in those period.
Ceetar
5/20/2011-11:37am at 11:37 am (UTC -4)
the LAA and OAK are around .500. Not exactly world beaters. And we play them at home. The Marlins aren’t really very good either, who knows if they’ll even be above .500 for those four games. And you’re conviently picking end points that ignore the 8 games against the Pirates before it or that they play 13 games after it against the Padres and Diamondbacks and Nationals.
We’ve got the Pirates and Cubs coming up too(and an already poor hitting Phillies team in a pitchers park) , so keeps the schedule a little lighter for Ike and Pagan to get back, and hopefully David too.
TRS86
5/20/2011-11:45am at 11:45 am (UTC -4)
One thing to keep in mind is that last year, while bad much of the year we dominated inter-league. Maybe that fortune continues.
kistics
5/20/2011-11:47am at 11:47 am (UTC -4)
In June, the Mets have 9 games against the Pirates (3 games below .500) and Brewers (2 games below .500). 3 games against Det (who are 1 game above .500), 3 against LAA (1 game below below .500), 3 against As (at .500), 3 against Tex (2 games above .500). 6 against Atl.
I know these teams are not pushovers, but they are not impossible to beat either. Let’s not put our tails between our legs and lay down in May.
kistics
5/20/2011-11:30am at 11:30 am (UTC -4)
Agreed. That will be tough to do especially with older/injury prone guys like Izzy and Cap.