The Mets had no offense going in this one, knocking only 6 singles in the game and getting a runner past first base only twice, in the 1st and 8th innings tonight as the Marlins took this one relatively easily by a final score of 6-0. On a completely unsurprising note, Jason Bay is now 0 for his last 17 and 2 for his last 45. The Mets were put down in order in the 9th by Leo Nunez, a closer with a 12.91 ERA this month…so, yeah…that’s where we’re at.
Pelfrey was actually not nearly as bad as his line in this one suggests. He was brilliant through 5 2/3 but from there, faced another 8 batters and only retired one of them. It all fell apart in the 7th when Mike Cameron ripped a double to lead off the inning, Pelfrey pitched too carefully around Buck, ultimately walking him, and then a botched “wheel” play (Keith and Gary’s term, not mine) on a Vazquez bunt loaded the bases with no one out. Bonifacio drove in a run and that was the end of the rope for Pelfrey after a hefty 116 pitches. Byrdak came in but was no better, ultimately allowing four more runs to come across, three of which were charged to Pelfrey to give him an unfairly bad line for the night.
The “wheel” play broke down something like this. Evans and Wright cheated in, selling out and charging no matter what, with the idea that Reyes would cover 2nd and Turner essentially played straight up. The idea is to get the runner at 2nd, allow the runners to be safe at the corners, and hope for a double play to end it from there. What ended up happening was Evans and Wright sold out as planned, the ball went to Wright, Reyes actually got to third ahead of the runner, but Wright froze up. He didn’t make the throw and instead wanted to go to first but apparently forgot no one was covering since Evans had charged, so Wright had to stick it in his pocket.
The only other Marlins’ offense was an absolute shot by Mike Stanton. In the 9th, off of balk-off-Carrasco, Stanton took a high fastball the opposite way into the upper deck of the Pepsi porch, tying him for the NL lead with 31 jacks on the year. Keith wondered aloud whether Citi had ever seen a player go opposite field with that much power. Gary gave a definitive no. I’d have to agree.
Some interesting pitching notes out of this game. On July 8th, 2006, Mike Pelfrey made his major league debut against none other than the Marlins. He went 5 strong and earned the win. Since then, Pelfrey is winless against the Marlins, posting an 0-8 record in 16 starts against the fish to go with a 5.28 ERA. On the other side, Vazquez struck out his 2,500th career batter in the 6th inning, becoming just the 30th pitcher in major league history to accomplish the feat. If you told me a few years ago that Javier Vazquez would be one of the top 30 strikeout pitchers of all time, I would have told you it’s more likely that this could happen. Well, I was wrong on both counts. Congratulations, Javier.
The Mets will look to the incomparable Chris Capuano tomorrow to get them back on track.
18 comments
MetsFan4Decades
8/31/2011-2:33am at 2:33 am (UTC -4)
Our offense was non existent tonight. Maybe this would have ended differently – Pelf would have pitched different – had they actually spotted him a few runs. We’ll never know.
Either way, our BP and especially Igarashi is just so poor that you hold your breath anytime they enter the game. And IMO, Igarashi shouldn’t be anywhere near that mound unless it’s a blow-out game, on either side.
lenin
8/31/2011-5:42am at 5:42 am (UTC -4)
oh yes spatty! trotsky should have stayed in through at least the seventh inning…pinch running stalin turned out to be a HUGE mistake.
SaltyGary
8/31/2011-1:02pm at 1:02 pm (UTC -4)
“Pelfrey was actually not nearly as bad as his line” but when you add up all the lines, he is that bad.
Anonymous
8/31/2011-1:15pm at 1:15 pm (UTC -4)
Vote Big Poof Off the Island, please.
SaltyGary
8/31/2011-1:58pm at 1:58 pm (UTC -4)
“Pelfrey is winless against the Marlins, posting an 0-8 record in 16 starts against the fish to go with a 5.28 ERA” Yea why in the world should the Mets pay ARB for this crap. It’s just a waste of money. The turn around really isn’t going to start until 2013 so there is no reason to string this guy along at possibly 5m a year. IT’S OVER! They can definitely get something better for the same money.
Anonymous
8/31/2011-2:23pm at 2:23 pm (UTC -4)
But he’s an inning eater…
Put Pagan and Pelf in a package, get a viable CF for next year, Re-sign Cap (ick) and pray that Santana will be a mid-rotation type going forward….
SaltyGary
8/31/2011-3:30pm at 3:30 pm (UTC -4)
With their potential costs no-one would take them together. Pelf may have a little value, but I just don’t know. Pagan should be DFA’d. As for Cap, absolutely re-sign him. Young might be able to make another attempt. Guys like Buehrle and Cook can probably be had for less than what Pelf with get in ARB and easily put up the same numbers fall off the mound less. Coco Crisp would be a better alternative in CF to Pagan and cost about the same.
TRS86
8/31/2011-4:33pm at 4:33 pm (UTC -4)
I just don’t get it. Coco is not an improvement at all.. numbers are basically the same and cost ? Coco is coming off a two year 11million deal. He also offers no more durability since the last time he played 145 games was 2008.
Seems like we are always more in favor of the devil we don’t know.
Anonymous
8/31/2011-4:59pm at 4:59 pm (UTC -4)
While I’m not in favor of bringing Pagan back at 31 and $5M I’m definitely not interested in Coco b’ware. I’m more in favor of over-reaching with Capt. Kirk if healthy with Pridie as backup or sticking Bay in CF and letting him biach since we’re stuck paying him anyway and saving the $5M for other things or draft overslot. If they are bringing the fences in anyway then Bay in CF may not be as bad as the current park configuration would make it. Move Bay can stick Duda in LF where he belongs anyway.
SaltyGary
8/31/2011-5:26pm at 5:26 pm (UTC -4)
The only place Bay should be patrolling is a concession stand.
SaltyGary
8/31/2011-3:40pm at 3:40 pm (UTC -4)
What I find amusing with many Mets fans is they hate to let certain players go who under-perform and wonder why the record isn’t better.
Ceetar
8/31/2011-3:43pm at 3:43 pm (UTC -4)
I’m more concerned with those that demand that guys that overperform but don’t live up to some predefined value hit the road, in favor of lesser guys that just haven’t disappointed them yet.
Adam "Prismo"
8/31/2011-4:26pm at 4:26 pm (UTC -4)
I’d let some go, but I don’t have that authority. :p
TRS86
8/31/2011-4:58pm at 4:58 pm (UTC -4)
It sometimes is not love or affection but rational thought. While Pelf and Pagan have under performed there are also not viable replacements in the system and the upcoming fa market is barren and dry. Thus you most likely will have to pay another player what you are these two and hope to get similar results also keeping in mind that player would have to agree to one year deals as with Pelf and Pagan. I also think there is a cut date for those two as well where as if you bring them back and then do not like their work you can cut them early on where as a Jason Marquis that would not be the case
SaltyGary
8/31/2011-5:25pm at 5:25 pm (UTC -4)
If they are willing to give them ARB they will not be willing to cut them. Their salaries are going up and giving them ARB will keep them for the entire year. As For Crisp vs. Pagan, Crisp is a far better player. Better fielder, has more pop, better speed and his batting average doesn’t go back and forth with the tides. Max would be a 1m difference and it’s worth spending the money on him.
Anonymous
8/31/2011-8:27pm at 8:27 pm (UTC -4)
Not viable replacements in the system for mediocrity? The performances of Pelf and Pagan are easily replaced whether internally or externally. They are simply not good values relative to their expected salaries.
They may not be parts of the problem — though they probably are — but they are certainly not parts of the solution.
No need to pay them.
Anonymous
8/31/2011-10:43pm at 10:43 pm (UTC -4)
true. Maybe not that bad in this case, but why pay a guy lots of money to be mediocre, when there are usually FAs left at the end begging for work that will do it for a whole lot less money!
SaltyGary
8/31/2011-7:11pm at 7:11 pm (UTC -4)
How about newly DFA’d Rowan and Tejada for league minimum, that will sure get the payroll down.