Summary:
A close, tight game, the type which good teams win more often than not. Miguel Batista was very good for seven innings, striking out five, walking one, and allowing four hits and no runs. For the contingent of whining fans who claim that the Mets are “conceding” games by starting Batista, we can be thankful that this nonsense has been silenced—again.
The Mets’ first run scored in the first, as after Kirk walked and stole second, Murph smacked a single in the shift-vacated shortstop position, plating Kirk for a 1-0 lead. The Brewers’ one mini-threat (before the ninth that is) came in the second, when 1B Taylor Green lined a shot which Duda made a valiant try for, but could not get to; it bounced under his glove and a play which almost always is scored a triple was called as a single and a two-base error. The Brewers made a weak attempt at a squeeze play, and shortstop Cesar Izturis’ bunt was a soft and weak one, allowing Nickeas to field the ball and make the play.
Both starters pitched well through the next several innings, until Murphy led off the sixth with a nice double to left center, and then took third on Ike’s flyout to center. The Mets then showed the Brewers how a squeeze is executed, with Ronny Cedeno bunting perfectly to score Murphy.
Byrdak and Parnell pitched a 1-2-3 eighth, and the Mets tacked on another run in the bottom of the inning. Wright smacked a double off of KRod, and then scored on Lucas Duda’s grounder. Wright was in a rundown, but Aramis Ramirez dropped the ball when trying to take it out of his glove to throw it, and Mr. Clutch scored.
Frankie Firestorm came in to get right back on that slippery bicycle for the ninth. Braun singled, stole second, and after Ramirez grounded out, Hart blasted a single to left to make it 3-1. Rauch was quickly getting ready as the fans vocally became restless, and Taylor Green worked out a walk to put the tying run at first with one out. Frankie then caught 2B Brooks Conrad looking for the second out. Lefty-hitting futility player George Kottaris then came in as the go-ahead run with two outs in the ninth, and flew out to Duda in right to end this fine win for the Mets.
Play of the Game:
Not many contenders tonight, but Ronny Cedeno’s picture perfect suicide squeeze in the bottom of the sixth has to be the choice. With Murph on third after a double to left center, Cedeno backed off a pitch and then laid down an ideal bunt to the right side which easily scored Murph for the second run. Collins once again must be applauded for gutsy managing.
Players of the Game:
Miguel Batista and Daniel Murphy. Batista performed like the clichéd “cagey veteran” and really gave the Mets a wonderful and truly quality start. Murphy keeps on hitting, and put himself in position to score the team’s second run—after driving in the first—with a bold baserunning move by taking third on Ike Davis’ flyout to center in the sixth before scoring on Cedeno’s squeeze bunt.
What’s to Like:
Batista giving us an excellent start as the team continues to wait for Chris Young to hopefully make his triumphant return…Wright’s amazing fielding—while it is not quite one fourth of a season, his fielding has been as good or better than we have ever seen it…And Wright’s offense—a double and a walk and he keeps chugging along…Collins calling for a squeeze play and continuing to manage this group of players in a nothing less than magnificent fashion…The team’s hustle, smarts, and karma—in the bottom of the eighth, Wright doubled and took third on Duda’s groundout, and then when Murph hit a sharp grounder to second, Wright was caught in a rundown, and stayed alive long enough for Aramis Ramirez to drop the ball when trying to take it out of his glove to throw it, and the run made it 3-0 and had to tremendously help the team’s—and Frankie Firestorm’s—confidence.
What’s Not to Like:
Ike’s continuing lack of offense–the team continues to win, which helps mask it, but the feeling here is that if when Bay returns Ike is still looking overmatched constantly, the time might arrive for Ike to spend some time in Buffalo while Duda or Murph play first for a while…other than that, not much to dislike in tonight’s game, especially as it followed the heartbreaking loss yesterday…but Frankie Firestorm’s continuing lack of closer-type presence continues to be a major concern for this team.
What’s the Definition of Overmanaging:
Brewers manager Ron Roenicke really outsmarted himself in the first two innings. In the bottom of the first he had his shortstop playing very close to second base with Murph up and Kirk on second. Murph, as fans could easily visualize–Murph does hit to all fields, no?–smacked a single right in the vacant shortstop position to score Kirk with the game’s first run. Roenicke then called a very early squeeze play in the bottom of the second, and Cesar Izturis’ weak bunt left Taylor Green easily out at home.
What’s Trivial But Interesting:
The Mets are now 4-1 on Monday nights when Kingman 26 does the postgame. And 0-2 on the ONE night this writer did not, losing the doubleheader to the Giants. Yes, we will try to keep on point every Monday.
Where We’ve Been:
Tonight’s win puts the Mets at 7-2 in their last nine, making them one of the game’s hotter teams. The 4-2 trip was somewhat disappointing due to the horrific losses on Friday and Sunday, but all things considered, a 4-2 trip to PHIL and MIA has to be viewed by the reasonable fan as a good to very good trip. Tonight, the team once again showed its resilient self by seeming to totally forget Frankie Firestorm’s Sunday meltdown, by playing another solid game, and by getting right back into the win column.
Where We’re Going:
The homestand has three more games; one with MIL and two with the Reds. After that it is three in TOR, and then a ten-game stretch with PIT, SD, and PHIL before the schedule becomes significantly tougher on June 1. The Mets really have a chance to show the world that they are for real over the next two weeks.
What’s On Tap:
Tomorrow at 7:05 PM the Mets conclude this mini-series with the Brewers, with Dillon Gee facing Zack Greinke. Gee has been decent this year, but the anemic Brewers might be the perfect opponent for Gee to throw a gem against. At 20-15 the Mets continue to wage their shock and awe campaign, and winning two of the next three would set another high watermark for this team, which does nothing but continue to surprise and continue to bounce back from even the toughest losses.
The fun hopefully continues tomorrow, and when one considers that this team is two heartbreaking bullpen losses away from being 22-13, the sane and reasonable fan must be nothing less than thrilled with the 2012 Mets after 35 games.
44 comments
Mr North Jersey
5/14/2012-10:15pm at 10:15 pm (UTC -4)
You know we may just have to put Super in front of your name Kingman if you keep posting recaps with such speed.
kingman 26
5/14/2012-10:26pm at 10:26 pm (UTC -4)
Mr N, we have been here three years, and while I just don’t have the time for many pieces, I plan my week so I can give my all on Monday night.
4-1 baby!!!
This is FUN!
srt
5/14/2012-10:19pm at 10:19 pm (UTC -4)
Just like team’s have their ace to stop the bleeding, I lobby Kingman be assigned the recap anytime we’re in a slump.
Kingman = Great Karma.
O.K:
- Batista start
- Mets offense only manages 3 hits
- Francisco to close it out
- Mets win
Which one would normally not belong?
There is no way I can watch Francisco attempting to close these games out the rest of the season.
Memo to Sandy: Please find some GM to take him at trade deadline.
Mr North Jersey
5/14/2012-10:27pm at 10:27 pm (UTC -4)
OK so I have to give credit where it’s due and say well done Batista on a solid pitching effort tonight going 7 innings and giving up no runs.
Now that that is out of the way I was concerned with how little the Mets bats were able to do against the Brewers. Talk about making the most of 3 hits.
Props once again to Byrdak & Parnell on a clean 8th inning. Francisco you owe Collins for sticking with you I hope you don’t make him regret it.
Positives for me will be Batista rewarding Collins with a solid start for sticking with him.
The New York Mets after 35 games are 20-15. Can they go 6 games above .500? Just have to wait till 2morrow to find out.
LGM!!!
darknova306
5/14/2012-10:34pm at 10:34 pm (UTC -4)
Am I the only one that sees this team winning with nothing more than smoke and mirrors? The bullpen is truly awful, Ike’s only strength is his defense, Duda’s only strength is his OBP, the defense is generally miserable (though Duda was bailed out tonight), When this team crashes back to earth, it’s gonna be ugly.
kingman 26
5/14/2012-10:38pm at 10:38 pm (UTC -4)
Well, they are winning in a non-sustainable fashion.
However, I choose to view this as the beginning. Imagine if we have 1-2 more good starting pitchers, a really good closer, and 1-2 more really good bats.
That COULD be the case in 1-2 years, and then all of these pretty-good-but-not-great gamers like Murph, Tejada, Kirk, Niese, Gee, etc. and Turner on the bench as supersub could make this a very, very good team.
darknova306
5/14/2012-10:43pm at 10:43 pm (UTC -4)
I’ll accept that entire premise as quite reasonable.
And damn… FrankFranc looks just god awful.
Stickguy
5/14/2012-10:45pm at 10:45 pm (UTC -4)
teams that win deserve to win. Hopefully you are saying the same thing at the end of September when they hit 90 wins!
35 games is a long time for smoke and mirrors.
darknova306
5/14/2012-10:53pm at 10:53 pm (UTC -4)
90 wins? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Stickguy
5/14/2012-11:28pm at 11:28 pm (UTC -4)
why not? 22% of the season in the books, and they are on pace for 92 wins.
wasn’t it parcells or belechick that said “you are what your record says you are”?
gategem
5/15/2012-12:19am at 12:19 am (UTC -4)
Not really! We’re not even 1/3 of the way through the season. It’s a very small subset. Even bad teams (I’m not saying that the Mets are a bad team I’m just trying to make a point) have stretches like this during a season and when it occurs at the start of the season people take notice and make false assumptions.
Stickguy
5/14/2012-10:40pm at 10:40 pm (UTC -4)
even after the recent fat franky debacles, the Mets are sitting with the 4th best record in the NL. That is still impressive.
reillys5
5/15/2012-12:10am at 12:10 am (UTC -4)
kingman26 you dont happen to be the same kingman who used to comment on metsblog all the time are you?
Stickguy
5/15/2012-6:59am at 6:59 am (UTC -4)
he is the one, the only, kong.
kingman 26
5/15/2012-11:14am at 11:14 am (UTC -4)
Hey Reilly–that would be me, guilty as charged!
Cerrone banned me long ago.
And I am still proud of that.
reillys5
5/15/2012-3:07pm at 3:07 pm (UTC -4)
i have been wondering where you were man! haha you got banned? too funny .. hope you remember me man haha .. last night was the first ive ever been on this site .. what is it all about? fill me in
SaltyGary
5/15/2012-4:13pm at 4:13 pm (UTC -4)
Reilly, the site was essentially created by people that were banned that day. I was banned as well 3 years ago and when searching for answers I came across a message board with these guys deciding to create a website and I have been here faithfully ever since.
Welcome aboard and take a look around, I am sure you will enjoy.
reillys5
5/15/2012-5:40pm at 5:40 pm (UTC -4)
this is awesome.. i cant believe its taken me this long to find this site … ive been wondering where the metsblog regular commenters have been .. any way i can get in on this??
kingman 26
5/15/2012-5:56pm at 5:56 pm (UTC -4)
You ARE in on it!
kingman 26
5/15/2012-5:44pm at 5:44 pm (UTC -4)
I totally remember you!
As Gary says, this site was created by TRS86, DirtySanchez, and MRose, after all of us were banned from Metsblog for dominating too many comment threads right about three years ago. Some nights it would be me, Rusty, Hazmet, Wanny, FongAlou/Fongy, and others discussing sports, politics, movies, music—my all-time favorite was when I think Hazmet asked us who would be our 5 man rotation of great musicians. I cannot remember them all, but I know Kurt Cobain and John Lennon were in mine. Anyway, the three founders started this place, it has been through many writers and a few remodels, but I am proud and happy to say that I have been here since the very beginning.
I was graciously invited to be a writer, and found and brought RustyJr here, and Mr North Jersey has been around since the beginning as I believe has Prismo.
Some folks have fallen by the wayside, but we have added many new writers, and we have a small but incredibly loyal, wise, reasonable, funny, and cool comment group which I hope you join.
We don’t have the access or sponsorship that Metsblog does, but we DO have access, as RustyJr is invited to the events by the Mets at Citi where some blogs are invited, and we do have a great and improved roster of writers–the new ones this year have been the best new batch yet.
Check it out and I think you will like it here.
Prismo
5/15/2012-8:40pm at 8:40 pm (UTC -4)
Yes sir I was here I believe a couple or a few weeks after initiation.
gategem
5/15/2012-12:13am at 12:13 am (UTC -4)
This is the best game Batista has pitched since the meaningless (outside of Reyes bunt hit) last game of 2011 when all the players had the engines running on their cars or the Taxi ride to the airport waiting outside the ballpark. That Batista pitched a fine game tonight shows that sh*t happens. Recall even Nelson Figueroa pitched a good game every so often. OTOH the Brew Crew should drive straight to the golf course and take the rest of the season off since it’s obvious they didn’t show up tonight. They should feel embarrassed but probably as long as their pay checks show up on time they’re happy. But hey I’ll gladly accept the victory.
srt
5/15/2012-7:36am at 7:36 am (UTC -4)
Not to take anything away from Batista’s fine outing yesterday – especially since he’s dealing with a groin tightness issue – but I think he was helped out by the Brew Crew’s lack of offense.
That team as a whole just looks like they’re off track right now. Sort of like what the Marlins looked like to me the first month or so of their season. Not clicking as a team, not getting the little things done, etc.
Kingman pointed it out in his recap. Even with the injuries the Mets are dealing with, Collins has the regulars and substitutes hustling, paying attention, doing all the little things right and picking each other up.
Outside of Ike right now – and man, what is wrong with him? — everyone else is contributing. Right down to Mike Baxter coming in off the bench and getting timely hit after hit.
Much of their success to date this young season has to be credited to TC and how he has this team playing.
That and the fact that without too many established veterans and/or stars on this team, they were kind of forced to go with the youth movement to fill out the team. I think that’s the difference between the Mets being 5 games over .500 right now instead of under.
Helps that some the young’uns have a skill or two instead of just replacement level fill ins.
trs86
5/15/2012-8:33am at 8:33 am (UTC -4)
First of all I asked how someone like Miggy could be so good last year in a small sample but so bad this year. I guess it’s possible that the guy is just an awful reliever but decent spot starter.
As a Met Batista has a 3.21 ERA in 8 starts. Does he give me a warm and fuzzy feeling? Uh no. Obviously at his age and ability he doesn’t go very deep in games usually. Also that has to do with the fact that he is always being stretched out from a reliever. Last nights 7 innings had the Brewers guessing all night which is exactly what you want out of a swing man.
He is what he is and for some reason people don’t look past that. It’s not a sexy name or flashy stats but for his career he has 246 starts and a 4.45 ERA. I will take that for a swing-man any day.
Interesting note about the squeeze play. I actually believe that the safety squeeze was on the first pitch unless all intentions were to bluff a bunt. Then after that Terry knew they would not be expecting the suicide play. Brilliant call for a guy who is often criticized for his actual game management
Also interesting is just how hot Wright is. Not has he been an offensive and defensive monster but even when he screws up he catches a break. That is twice now that he has screwed up on the bases only to have the other team screw up even more.
Finally, a look at Zack Greinke away from home this year. 15 innings, 23 hits, 13 runs, 6 BB, 1.90+ WHIP.
kingman 26
5/15/2012-8:46am at 8:46 am (UTC -4)
The criticism of Collins comes from the ignorant and the unreasonable.
There’s a lot of season left, and we have seen decent first halves dissolve into crapola sometime during the summer in recent years, but all indications are that this team is playing tough for him, which is the most important thing.
People who criticize Collins just don’t understand that he has a very flawed and limited roster, especially bullpen-wise, and unlike every other team, we don’t have 3 all-star closers waiting to take over for Frankie Firestorm.
NJstuckinTX
5/15/2012-8:54am at 8:54 am (UTC -4)
Then sign me up as ignorant and unreasonable. He is not in the top 50% of game managers. He certainly is up there as a motivator and teacher, but my gripes with him has been his game management and BP decisions. All in all, I’d say he’s done a fairly good job, with suspect moves in game, but he certainly is squeezing water out of rocks with some of the players he’s working with.
Also, you may not have 3 all-star closers, but you have Rauch, who has closer experience and young Parnell, waiting in the wings with stellar numbers thus far. That’s right, I said Thus Far. I’m feeling King James Version this morning. Probably 3F, soon to be 4F, is stuck in the closer’s roll due to Salary and expectation, but turning it into closer by committee was never an issue in other places (IE, St. Loo), so I can’t see why that can’t happen here.
trs86
5/15/2012-9:35am at 9:35 am (UTC -4)
NJ they will move FFF from the closer role if he continues to stink but lets take a step aside from the emotion and realize that it’s still early. His ERA has went up 3 runs in the last 3 outings but was coming off 4 straight 0′s. I think Terry wanted to give him a chance to redeem himself but I guess FFF was having none of that. I would imagine that by the time of the BJays series if he is still struggling a move will be made.
kingman 26
5/15/2012-9:40am at 9:40 am (UTC -4)
Well, of course I did not mean YOU NJTX…but I just disagree. It so easy to criticize a manager when you follow the team as closely as we do. Don’t all managers make decisions which can be second-guessed in a 162-game season?
Look at this pen–Rauch’s career has been a poor man’s Francisco’s. Look it up. He’s inconsistent and has had minimal experience closing. Parnell totally blew it last year, blowing I think 5 of 10 save chances when the team was out of it. Why rush him into the role?
I am sorry, but I have always felt–and still feel–that it’s just not the same as football or even basketball– a baseball manager’s most important trait I think is motivating the guys for the endless marathon schedule. Gil and Davey did that, I think Bobby V did. Howe and Manuel certainly didn’t.
With the roster of guys he has–especially in the pen–I don’t see how much more we should expect.
And as bad as Francisco was over the weekend, he has saved 9 of 11 chances!
trs86
5/15/2012-9:58am at 9:58 am (UTC -4)
Honestly I think there is more strategy and roster management in baseball than basketball coming from coaching both. A coach has very little control over a basketball game once it starts.
srt
5/15/2012-10:07am at 10:07 am (UTC -4)
‘Don’t all managers make decisions which can be second-guessed in a 162-game season?’
This is so true – especially when said decision contributes to a loss or is perceived to contribute to that loss.
I do some reading on other team’s blogs from time to time.
I remember Braves fans – prior to Cox announcing his retirement – that his time had come and gone and should be replaced. Now they’re all in the ‘be careful what you wish for’ mode ’cause they’d rather have him then Freddie.
Phils fans are, of course, clamoring for Charlie to go.
Marlins fans the first 5 weeks were wondering what Loria was thinking hiring Ozzie.
Yankee fans have been criticizing Gerardi since they day he arrived, particularly his BP management.
Red Sox fans were not very enamored with Bobby V. last month.
I could go on and on but you get the idea. Not many fans are ever 100% happy with their team’s manager.
NJstuckinTX
5/15/2012-10:47am at 10:47 am (UTC -4)
Prismo
5/15/2012-10:56am at 10:56 am (UTC -4)
I think the issue is that most managers (the vast majority) are bad with in-game management. If that was a reason alone to fire a guy, a lot of teams would clean house. But there aren’t even enough replacements who ARE good at game management anyway.
They’re too obsessed with how they grew up learning the game. If there’s a runner on first, you probably want to bunt him into scoring position. You think Terry knows that the statistics say you’re probably better off letting the batter hit if he’s a position player, in most situations? He just knows how the game has been played since his was born, and that’s how most managers think.
I don’t think there’s much fans can do about it except let these things slide. A team could hire a baseball guru to make all the “correct” in-game decisions, but he probably wouldn’t be a former player and probably would stink at motivation, and his team wouldn’t perform at its peak.
Oops, I’m rambling. Stopping now, thanks.
kingman 26
5/15/2012-11:15am at 11:15 am (UTC -4)
NJTX–Email me anytime with any Seattle questions!
It’s raining here right now, and the rain always makes me think of Seattle. Other than the possibility of it meaning no game tonight, I love the rain ever since I left Seattle…
kingman 26
5/15/2012-11:19am at 11:19 am (UTC -4)
TRS–I guess what I mean is this–OK, Collins’ calling for the well-executed squeeze was great last night. But how often does that really happen? And with what our pen is currently made of, how much different would things be with different choices at different times in certain games?
In basketball, it seems to me that coaches calling a great play after a key timeout, or teaching unique offensive or defensive strategies/tactics can have more impact on the games. If football I think all of this is by far more important than baseball.
Sure baseball has a lot of strategy, but I guess to me, in the long term, I think that a manager’s motivational skills are the most important thing for him to have.
TRS86
5/15/2012-11:47am at 11:47 am (UTC -4)
As a basketball coach, there is no doubt in my mind that motivation is the #1 factor in coaching. Not x’s and o’s. Some of the best basketball coaches couldn’t x and o their way out of a wet paper bag but their ability to get players to dive on the floor, play good defense, take a charge, and follow a certain style of play was what separated them. In coaching baseball, you really had control over every pitch if you wanted it, every position, every swing. Obviously you couldn’t dictate the outcome of that pitch but you had much more control than basketball. Football obviously has more strategy but you also have more time for adjustments than basketball. You get to call in each individual play. Basketball coaches on a whole just don’t do that. Most of the time you don’t have time for that.
As John Wooden said there was really no need to coach during the game, that was what practice was for.
kingman 26
5/15/2012-12:14pm at 12:14 pm (UTC -4)
I agree TRS; totally.
I guess for me, if one had to rank the three sports in terms of how much managerial strategy can affect outcome, I would go football, basketball, baseball.
But being a motivator is the key.
I guess that is why when we were selecting a manager I wanted Wally first and Terry second and wanted no part of the others, as I saw those two guys as the best potential motivators.
TRS86
5/15/2012-12:22pm at 12:22 pm (UTC -4)
Like I said, after coaching basketball, baseball and football I am going with 100%
Football
Baseball
Basketball
Prismo
5/15/2012-11:40am at 11:40 am (UTC -4)
So Bay is resuming “baseball activities” – what the heck are the Mets going to do when he’s ready to play.
If they demote Kirk I’ll RAAAAAAAAGE. But what other options are there?
If Ike is still struggling when Bay comes back, perhaps moving Duda to 1B, Kirk to RF, and Bay to LF makes the most sense. I’d be okay with that.
TRS86
5/15/2012-11:53am at 11:53 am (UTC -4)
A 4 man rotation in the OF taking advantage of matchups would be best. Bay plays for either Duda or Kirk against LH.
As for 1B I am about to start campaigning for Murphy to 1B and Turner and V-spin at 2B.
kingman 26
5/15/2012-12:06pm at 12:06 pm (UTC -4)
Bay is going to play against LH pitchers while Kirk and Duda split sitting on those days.
Bay otherwise will be a RH PH bat off the bench, and will come into games in late-game double switches.
This improves the bench, makes us less lefty-laden, and overall makes the team better.
There is no chance Kirk sits for Bay against RH pitching unless his game collapses. No chance, no way, no how.
And if Ike is still this horrid by early June, he might get a trip to Buffalo and Murph and Duda split 1B.
Prismo
5/15/2012-12:21pm at 12:21 pm (UTC -4)
I think I could live with that.
However, I’m just paranoid that the Mets will want Bay playing almost every game.
Stick
5/15/2012-12:51pm at 12:51 pm (UTC -4)
why? the conspiracy theory of wanting to showcase him so some team will trade for him? These guys have been in BB long enough to know that ain’t happening!
besides, if you really want to pump his #s up, platoon him. The only way he is getting traded is as a RH option, not an everyday player, so might as well highlight that.
TRS86
5/15/2012-12:59pm at 12:59 pm (UTC -4)
Honestly I would give him a 1B glove as well. See if you can’t build value there as well and let him platoon with Ike some.
Stick
5/15/2012-12:48pm at 12:48 pm (UTC -4)
he has been trying to figure out baseball activities for 2 years without much success!
anyway, IMO, he has to replace hairston, at least his role. And frankly, the guy too, just a numebrs game.
can’t send down Kirk (he also is the BU CF). and Bay has to platoon. Plus the lost guy needs to be an OF.
so, it comes down to baxter and Hairston, and baxter is the lefty off the bench, and has been excellent so far.
odd man out, hairston, with bay becoming a platoon guy.