Ugh.
No one really wants to relive this afternoon’s nightmare, so we’ll make this short and sweet.
I wouldn’t say Mike Pelfrey looked excellent in his first six innings, but he pitched well enough to allow the Mets to enter the bottom of the seventh inning with a 3-1 lead. Runs batted in from Paulino, Harris, and Pridie accounted for the three runs, all occurring in the top of the second inning.
To say the Mets had chances to score after the second inning would be a gross understatement. The Mets led off the 3rd, 4th, and 6th innings with singles, but failed to score in any one of them. Finally, in the top of the 7th Carlos Beltran belted a double with two outs, but Jason Bay failed to get the run home.
I don’t know about everyone else, but I was cursing this team out after almost every inning because I felt that three runs just would not be enough. Squandering those opportunities gave the Yankees hope for a comeback and they did just that in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Pelfrey started the inning, but after Gardner singled to center field (with the ball going right under Pelfrey’s glove), Pelfrey looked visibly rattled. Byrdak and Beato were already warming up in the bullpen, and when Pelf walked the next batter, Dickerson, MetsFan4Decades and I were calling for relief in the Real Dirty Dugout. However, Terry Collins left Pelfrey in the game to face Cervelli, who Pelfrey promptly nailed, loading up the bases.
One might think that the rattled Pelfrey, who had just walked and hit two batter in a row, following a lead-off single, may need to be relieved. But nay! Terry Collins thought otherwise, and left Pelfrey in the game to face bonafide Mets-killer Derek Jeter. In less-than-shocking fashion, Jeter tied up the ballgame with a clutch single to center field. Finally, Pelfrey was taken off the mount, at least two batters too late. However, the damage continued, as three Mets relievers allowed six more runs to cross the plate before the inning was over.
The Mets surrendered quietly in the 8th and 9th innings, losing the rubber-game of the series 9-3.
C’est la vie.
9 comments
Prismo
5/22/2011-6:45pm at 6:45 pm (UTC -4)
That wasn’t as short as I intended. Sorry, today was a very frustrating game from the offense, defense, pitching, and coaching.
kingman 26
5/22/2011-6:57pm at 6:57 pm (UTC -4)
Not coaching’s fault that Misch sucks and Beato had to give up more runs eventually.
Or that we fielded a lineup today where Reyes and Beltran really were the only established really good major league hitters playing well out of nine guys.
Seriously—Pelf had pitched well—shouldn’t the manager show confidence in him and try to help him mature?
Way too easy for us armchair fans to say we all knew he should have yanked Pelf.
Prismo
5/22/2011-7:21pm at 7:21 pm (UTC -4)
As you can tell from my wrap, I blame all of the above. I think a number of various factors could’ve led to a Mets win today, but none panned out.
metsfan4decades
5/22/2011-10:07pm at 10:07 pm (UTC -4)
I watched the entire game and here’s my opinion:
The offense is anemic and TC knows it. 3 runs is probably most we’re gonna scratch out on any given day until we get some regulars back.
Starting Pelf in the 7th to show confidence? Sure.
After he missed the ball up the middle, anyone watching could tell how rattled he was. When he gave up the walk, that’s when he should have been pulled. Enough with the trying to show confidence. They should be trying to win ballgames and Pelf hasn’t shown enough of a track record that he could clean up what he started there.
I was yelling for the hook after the walk. After the beaning, I gave up. Could not believe he was leaving him in there with that bases loaded mess he created.
And as I said below, I still don’t understand why TC left Pelf out there to load the bases but then promptly used 3 BP arms to get out of that inning. To me, the damage was already done as it was likely we weren’t scoring any more runs.
TRS86
5/22/2011-7:48pm at 7:48 pm (UTC -4)
I would have left Pelfrey in too.
stickguy
5/22/2011-9:55pm at 9:55 pm (UTC -4)
to start the 7th? absolutly. But he has been around way too long to be worrying about building up his confidence or working on his mental state.
By the 7th (not sure of his PC) there probably should have been someone getting lose though.
metsfan4decades
5/22/2011-10:02pm at 10:02 pm (UTC -4)
As you said to start the 7th, I had no problem with that.
After the walk, he should have been lifted.
After the beaning, no question in my mind.
I’m tired of trying them trying to pull Pelf kicking and screaming into a ‘fearless’ type pitcher. It’s been too many years now.
I find it very ironic that TC went with Pelf long enough to load the bases, then decided he had to use 3 BP arms to get out of the inning. Made no sense to me.
stickguy
5/22/2011-10:05pm at 10:05 pm (UTC -4)
terry seems like a nice guy, and a fine leader of men, but a truly bad in game manager.
darknova306
5/22/2011-10:43pm at 10:43 pm (UTC -4)
If it wasn’t for some sloppy defense by the Yankees early in the game, this offense wouldn’t have even scored three runs. With Wright and Ike out, Bay being a waste of life, and Turner not continuing his hot hitting today, the lineup is lost.
Ugh, Pelfrey. Gotta love having a mental midget on a team in NY.