The Mets and Pirates would be knotted at one a piece until the fourth inning when the Mets would break the game open by putting up a 5 spot.
The story tonight was Gee, he pitched a full 8 innings, scattering 8 hits, no walks and 5 strike outs. He threw a total of 104 pitches, 73 of them for strikes. He joins an elite class of pitchers with tonights win that include Gooden, Mahomes, Cone, Viola and Leach for starting the season undefeated. He is three wins away from the team record of T. Leach with 10-0. Gee used all his pitches tonight and was really cool on the hill. He threw his fast ball inside and used that change up to get himself out of a couple of jams.
Offensively, the Mets pounded out 13 hits against the Pirates- only one of them was a home run(Reyes). Lucus Duda, who was just called up, collected an RBI in the fourth that started a rally. Some the the hits were “ground balls with eyes” but let’s face it, the Mets have been on the other side of games like these, so it was good to see it go their way just once. Overall, every Met in the line up, save Gee, collected at least one hit tonight.
Side Notes: This was a big game for the Mets in a lot of ways. One, Dillon Gee is showing that he is an Ace in the making. Two, the Mets have to get on some type of roll where they can get over this .500 mark. Gee pitched eight innings tonight and gave the bull pen a rest. As a fan, it was nice to have a game that looked in the bag from the fourth inning on.
8 comments
stickguy
6/10/2011-10:53pm at 10:53 pm (UTC -4)
SP starting to get on a roll again. And the offense seems to work better with no Bay in the lineup.
just need the pen to get some rest, and get back to being good, and the team certainly can get over .500 and hang there.
metsfan4decades
6/10/2011-11:06pm at 11:06 pm (UTC -4)
Well, TC said Bay is back in the lineup tomorrow so……I guess we’ll see how that works out.
metsfan4decades
6/10/2011-11:05pm at 11:05 pm (UTC -4)
Another Gee gem. Have to love his composure and confidence out there on the mound.
Read earlier though his confidence may not be quite as good as it seems or he’s waiting for the other shoe to drop b/c he and his wife are still living in a hotel. He doesn’t want to jinx it by ‘settling’ in yet. LOL.
Missed most of this game tonight but box score looked pretty good. Everyone with at least one hit – except Gee – which is encouraging. They’re not relying on anyone one guy to carry the team.
Oh, and Jose is on fire.
stickguy
6/10/2011-11:45pm at 11:45 pm (UTC -4)
a couple days without the black hole in the middle certainly helped the offense.
Bay? Given all the factors, they pretty much have to let him play his way out of it at this point.
njstuckintx
6/11/2011-8:38am at 8:38 am (UTC -4)
For all we blast this team, they are only 4.5 Games out of the WC. Amazing.
And I still want them to ship Beltran off regardless of WC place. I love you, Carlos, but your best served helping the Mets by bringing in some young talent.
stickguy
6/11/2011-10:28am at 10:28 am (UTC -4)
pulling out the old math skills here. The Mets started 5-13, and were being compared to the ’64 club. Not, of course, a good way to get fans hooked for the new regime!
but since then, in more than 2x the # of games (and a full 1/4 plus of the season), they are 26-19, a .578 winning % (that would be 94 wins over a full year). And that included some series against good teams, not just the dregs.
Like Tx noted, 4.5 back of the WC after that start, while not quite Red Sox level resurrection, is pretty impressive. and winning today to get back to par would be a nice symbolic gesture.
man, if they could just have back a couple of those “how the hell did they lose” games (thanks, pen!), they would be right there in it.
And pretty much fueled by a now extended run of consistent good SP performances, and some timely hitting by unlikely guys to carry the team while 2 big guns are out.
The upcoming interleague games will be a good test. yanks at citi, they can compete there. then the AL west and the tigers. Tha As are terrible, and the Angels are worse than the Mets. Tigers doing pretty good, but are no dynamo. Rangers the best record of the bunch, but again, not dominating. Plus the Mets tend to do OK against the AL.
Bigger test might be playing well in Atlanta for a change, and on the west coast (dodgers and giants).
a good thing? most of those teams are offensively challenged, which should give the pitching a break!
If they can stay afloat at least though the ASB/mid July, the schedule looks (not that it always works out that way) much easier. Lots of home games, and some softer teams.
wannybackstra
6/11/2011-11:08am at 11:08 am (UTC -4)
Among my preseason predictions was that dillon gee would end up a regular due to injuries and would be exposed as not very good.
well, i’m only half right. and what a relief!
i just wish it wasn’t chris young’s injury that opened the door, though he would have been the obvious candidate.
stickguy
6/11/2011-11:16am at 11:16 am (UTC -4)
you picked the right half to be right about.
I kind of figured that Young would go down at some point, but I did not expect it to be nearly as early, and was not counting on it to be permanent.
at least they good good value for the money while he was playing, and the tag team is working out just fine.
If Gee can keep this up (maybe not quite this good, but settle in as a solid, reliable starter) it will be a major boost for future years too, and less pressure on one of the kids in the minors to come up quick.
it also makes trading pelf in the off season a more realistic option (say they can extend Capuano for a year instead). Not saying they will do it, or should do it, but options are good!