Final Score: Mets 2, Nationals 0
Player of the Game: Jonathon Niese -7.1 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K, 109 p. (72 strikes)
Goat of the Game: Andres Torres- 0-for-3, 3 K
Finally, something to cheer about! Last night’s loss to the Nationals was about as bad as it could get. Johan Santana looked like he was hurt and the offense – while it slightly improved – was unspectacular. Tonight, it was more of the same for the offense, but the Mets received a brilliant performance from Jon Niese.
Niese dominated the Nationals, tossing 7.1 innings of shutout baseball, keeping the Mets into the game. In the seventh, the offense finally came through, when Ike Davis smacked a two-run home run to left, giving the Mets a lead against Edwin Jackson. Davis was 2-for-4 on the night, raising his batting average to .219.
Then, it was left up to a shaky Mets bullpen to seal the win for the Mets. Jon Rauch finished up the eighth inning for Niese, holding Washington scoreless. Then in the ninth, Frank Francisco closed it out for the save, his 20th of the season.
Notes:
- David Wright was 0-for-3, dropping his batting average below .320. He also struck out twice.
- Jon Rauch has been fantastic since having a terrible May and June. Since then, he has been the only consistent thing (maybe besides Bobby Parnell) out of the Mets bullpen. Coming into tonight, he hadn’t allowed a run in 5.2 innings this month, and had a 1.17 ERA in July.
- Up until tonight, Francisco had been awful. He had allowed three runs in his previous outing against Cincinnati, and one or more in two of his previous three appearances.
UP NEXT: Series finale against Washington tomorrow afternoon. Jeremy Hefner vs. Gio Gonzalez. First pitch is at 1:35.
7 comments
srt
8/18/2012-10:16pm at 10:16 pm (UTC -4)
Now that’s more like it.
Great outing by Niese.
FF? Let’s just say he’s lucky Baxter was playing RF there in the 9th.
Ike: ‘It’s pretty much my job now to hit homeruns since I don’t do much else.”’
Wright definitely in a prolonged slump. Although tonight he was in good company since only Baxter and Ike got any hits at all.
Mr North Jersey
8/18/2012-10:34pm at 10:34 pm (UTC -4)
When you shutout the team with the best winning percentage in MLB you did well, very well.
Hat tip to Niese on a brilliant performance tonight and the pen for making sure Niese got the win.
This is the 2nd time the Mets won a game where they had 3 hits or less. The other time being May 14 vs Milwaukee. The Mets won that game 3-1 behind 7 strong innings from Miguel Batista.
Mets are 2-6 in games where they have 3 hits or less.
Stick
8/18/2012-11:33pm at 11:33 pm (UTC -4)
this was a strange game to be at (I was). Mets looked hopelessly overmatched. nothing but ground balls to 2B, called Ks and swinging Ks at balls in the dirt the catcher could not handle. Just thank goodness neise buckled down in the first then got in a groove. But you look at the #s and hard to believe it was a game they would win. So all the more sweet!
This is a nice park. Packed too, a sellout and 2nd biggest crowd in the parks history. They are drawing well overall, and there is a lot of buzz down here. Tonight there was a free concert (third eye blind) so that probably brought a few more people in.
fair number of met fans in attendance but not really noticable in a sea of Red.
so as I said, apparently my Karma was enough to overcome all obstacles, so I deserve all the credit for the win. If you want to take up a collection to send me to all the remaining games this season, feel free.
srt
8/18/2012-11:40pm at 11:40 pm (UTC -4)
We could use a series win.
Where do I send the money for the tickets tomorrow?
Stick
8/18/2012-11:50pm at 11:50 pm (UTC -4)
I take paypal!
actually my sister (who had the tickets, and is a partial season holder, yes a nats fan) asked if I wanted to go tomorrow too, but as that would mean leaving DC in the 4 PM range and dealing with 95 at that hour, I passed. Will be happy to leave by 9:30 and arrive home around noon. I hope.
srt
8/19/2012-9:58am at 9:58 am (UTC -4)
Can’t blame you about leaving DC that late on a Sun afternoon.
Mr North Jersey
8/18/2012-11:53pm at 11:53 pm (UTC -4)
LoL