Yes I know Brad Penny is not dead but he pitches for the Tigers so he’s dead to me. Penny as all of us know has been a career whipping boy for the Mets. 6.38 ERA with a 5-13 career record with even worse numbers at Shea. 13/94 losses belong to the Mets for a total of near 14%. Thus showing why Mets fans around the world sobbed when Penny signed another contract in the AL. Enter Cole Hamels.
Cole Hamels coming into tonight was 2nd in the NL in ERA, he would be first if it were not for your New York Mets. Versus the Mets this year Cole has a 9.64 ERA compared to a 1.91 against the rest of baseball. The loss tonight brings his career record vs. the Mets to 3-10. Hamels has 50 career losses, with 20% coming at the hands of the Mets.
Our own Oleo made the following innocent observation when witnessing the Mets all-star less lineup facing the best team in baseball: “oleosmirf now that is a playoff lineup right there…” How many times this season have we all been guilty of underestimating this team. It always seems that when the chips are down and they roll out the worst possible lineup we look at the box score and see a lopsided win FOR the Mets? Today was no different. Jumping on Hamels early 1-0 due to a miscue by Ryan Howard allowing Hairston to score the Mets never really looked back. After a scoreless 2nd, Hairston struck again with his 2nd double producing 2 more runs.
Given a 3-0 lead, Niese was efficient. Escaping some jams both surrounded by Tejada errors, kid is going to have to field to stay, Jon finished 7 innings giving up 2 runs (1 earned) with 6 hits, 1 walk and 6 strike outs, impressive.
Back to offensive hero Hairston. Following his 2 doubles Scott also added a 3 run HR in the 7th to blow the game completely open and out of reach for good. Hairston finished with a career high 5 RBI. 2nd place in today’s offensive hero competition would be Daniel the Hitter Murphy. Murphy continues to hit LH pitching, RH pitching, FB, curves and the kitchen sink. Against LH starters coming into the game Murphy was batting .317 only to see that increase to .333 after facing Hamels today. Murphy finished 3-5 with a HR.
Tomorrow the Mets face the Phillies with Mike Pelfrey taking the mound vs. Kyle Kendrick. Expect fireworks early.
14 comments
Anonymous
7/17/2011-4:05am at 4:05 am (UTC -4)
So as usual, it will be a 1-0 nail biter instead?
I might have to take back some of the cracks I made about Hairston, but man, Harris is still useless, isn’t he?
frankly, I tend to forget he is even on the team, then you have an occasional sighting and say WTF? he’s still here?
and loving how well Murphy is doing. Just wish he was doing this damage tag-teaming 2B with Turner.
Finally, tejada is doing nothing to impress me. And if for some reason the incumbent SS is not returning, they best be getting someone else to man the spot since handing the job to Ruben does not look like a good idea at all.
Anonymous
7/17/2011-4:07am at 4:07 am (UTC -4)
Oh, fantastic game though. Just wish I hadn’t missed the whole thing!
Did see the highlights on the local (Philly) news. loved the pop up in the first inning.
somehow, you would think 2 guys in their 30s, that have played next to each other for at least 6 years now, would have mastered that BB basic!
Anonymous
7/17/2011-5:55am at 5:55 am (UTC -4)
For one day you can look a Philly fan in the eye with a sense of superiority until, of course, he reminds you of the standings. But, be that as it may, today is your day to rejoice.
I seem to recall a similar pop-up in the 1953 WS when Jackie Robinson hit such a pop-up with the bases loaded and Billy Martin at the last second, much to my chagrin, made a game saving diving catch for the Yankees.
Anonymous
7/17/2011-11:39am at 11:39 am (UTC -4)
Ah, my bug eyed friend, I look upon the phillies fans every day with a sense of superiority, being, in fact, superior to them in every way.
The teams? well, that is a different story at the moment.
and like with Yankee fans, the average Philly fan now seems to feel that because the team is on a once a centruy+ roll, they themselves are somehow elevated in status. But, they are wrong, and as soon as (hopefully soon!) the team slips back into being a chronic, historic, loser, they will resume their birthright of self loathing and martyrdom.
Anonymous
7/17/2011-6:04am at 6:04 am (UTC -4)
TRS you sound euphoric. It should increase the level of your joy even more when you consider that the Braves also lost. But alas the Mets were not able to open any space between them and the hated Nats in the critical battle for 3rd place. But nonetheless today we rejoice. ,-)
TRS86
7/17/2011-7:17am at 7:17 am (UTC -4)
You know it is funny. I have basically conceded two things this year. The Phillies are the best team in the NL and the Mets are not making the playoffs. However, the flat out domination of the youngest “ace” gives me much more pleasure than the result of any move in the standings.
Anonymous
7/17/2011-11:25am at 11:25 am (UTC -4)
Back in the days they would call a pitcher that was dominated by a team that team’s cousin or friend. Even the best of pitchers would have one player and/or team that he had trouble with. Sometimes the reverse was true. An otherwise mediocre pitcher could shut down one of the better teams. These “quirks” in baseball defy sabermetrics or any rational understanding.
Anonymous
7/17/2011-11:40am at 11:40 am (UTC -4)
Funny, these days, there is a different word for that. I believe it begins with “B”
SaltyGary
7/17/2011-11:59am at 11:59 am (UTC -4)
Just looked at the box score for the first time this morning and was like “OMG Beltran was not in the lineup he got traded”.
SaltyGary
7/17/2011-12:09pm at 12:09 pm (UTC -4)
Per MLB Trade Rumors:
The Mets have agreed to sign Gustavo Chacin to a minor league contract, reports Adam Rubin of ESPN New York. MinorLeagueTransactions.com first reported the agreement.
Houston released the 30-year-old Chacin earlier this week.
He appeared in 44 games for the Astros last year, posting a 4.70 ERA
with 7.3 K/9 and 4.7 BB/9 and homering in his lone at bat for Houston.
He had a 5.13 ERA with 5.0 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 66 2/3 innings for the
Astros’ Triple-A affiliate this year.
_________________________________________
Could they be looking at trading Cap?
Anonymous
7/17/2011-12:34pm at 12:34 pm (UTC -4)
maybe. But also possible it is just the normal workings of a FA, stock piling depth in the minors and keeping the AAA pen afloat (hey, someone had to replace Iggy when he came up).
Stuff like this happens all the time. Just seems like we are all a bit over sensitive right now!
Anonymous
7/17/2011-12:40pm at 12:40 pm (UTC -4)
Not good news out of the minors. From Toby’s site.
Jeurys Familia was placed on the Disabled list retroactice to July 14 with a right shoulder impingement.
According to Lynn Worthy, B-Mets pitching coach Marc Valdes calls the Familia move to the DL “precautionary”. Valdes set no time for Familia’s return.
Ricky Brooks was reinstated off the DL, Roy Merritt was placed on the DL (left shin contusion), and newly signed Niuman Romero is assigned to Binghamton.
MetsFan4Decades
7/17/2011-1:20pm at 1:20 pm (UTC -4)
I read this during the game yesterday about Familia. Commented on here on Friday I believe when I read they just skipped a second start that something wasn’t right. No kid that low in the minors, should be skipping starts unless there appeared to be an injury. Otherwise, if they were that concerned about ‘too much work’, they could be limiting innings.
So a trip to the DL wasn’t really a surprise.
MetsFan4Decades
7/17/2011-1:23pm at 1:23 pm (UTC -4)
That game yesterday was just flat out fun, starting in the first inning.
This is why I don’t make predictions. I took one look at that lineup too and figured we’d be lucky to score a couple of runs – it would be all up to Niese. As it turned out, Niese got plenty of support. No one I’d rather beat down on that staff than Cole Hamels. That dropped pop up between Utley and Howard? The best part of that was Hamels standing there with his hands on his hips, yelling at his teammates. What a you-know-what.