Brian Schneider Interview on WFAN
Earlier this morning, ‘Joe and Evan’ of WFAN were joined by Brian Schneider in his weekly spot after a bad loss in St. Louis. To hear the interview in its entirety, click here.
Archive for the ‘Brian Schneider’
Monday’s Mets News: Back to the Left Coast
So Willie managed to make it through the weekend after the Mets won the series against the Rangers two games to one. Now the Mets are in Cali to take on the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim or something like that. Not really sure what that means…lol. That would be like the New York Jets of East Ruthersford. No matter how you slice it or dice it, it just sounds dumb. The Angels went from representing the state to representing Anaheim to representing L.A. and Anaheim in my lifetime. Who knows what they did prior to that. Anyway, here’s the pitching probables for the series.
- 06/16/2008 - Mike Pelfrey (2-6) - Jered Weaver (6-6)
- 06/17/2008 - Johan Santana (7-4) - John Lackey (3-1)
- 06/18/2008 - Oliver Perez (5-4) - Jon Garland (6-4)
Mets.com:
Mets heave sigh of relief with split - Marty Noble summarized the second Rangers-Mets game yesterday.
Team cycle becoming a factor for Mets - Jon Blau wrote up a pregame analysis for tonight’s game between the Angels and the Mets.
Late-inning heroics not enough - Jon Blau summarized the first Rangers-Mets game yesterday.
Church itching to be back with Mets - Ryan Church stated, “It’s progressing every day, it’s getting better. I haven’t had any spells or anything like that. It’s just one of those things now, waiting out time on the DL.”
Newsday:
Willie deserves better from Jeff Wilpon - Wallace Matthews wrote that,
No one with the Mets has told Randolph he’s in trouble, not to his face, anyway. He must read it in the papers, leaked through Wilpon’s media lapdogs, hear it on the radio, discern it in the lukewarm votes of confidence from his general manager and the ominous inaccessibility of his bosses.
Randolph gets on plane, going day to day - Mark Herrmann pointed out that,
Minaya was asked by reporters if Randolph and the coaching staff will be working when the team plays the Angels in Anaheim, Calif., tonight, and gave only this vague response: “Willie is our manager. That situation is always under evaluation.”
When he was pressed again about the manager and the coaches, Minaya kept repeating the same basic theme. “You know my feelings on it,” he said. “I think we’re not playing to our potential and I would like to leave myself room to evaluate these things.”
Nine years since last hit, Cancel gets a big one - Katie Strang covered Robinson Cancel’s big pinch hit two-run single off Texas starter Kason Gabbard to break a 2-2 tie in the sixth inning. Strang also pointed out, “Before his at-bat, fans were chanting Martinez’s name in hopes he’d get another at-bat during his first home start of the season, but fortunately for embattled Mets manager Willie Randolph, he did not oblige.” That was a gutsy move by Willie, and he’s lucky it worked out.
New York Daily News:
Rick Peterson, Tom Nieto facing ax but Willie Randolph safe - for now - Adam Rubin wrote,
Sources have told the Daily News that principal owner Fred Wilpon and chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon have authorized Minaya to make the call on whether to fire Randolph, pitching coach Rick Peterson and first base coach Tom Nieto. Bench coach Jerry Manuel would ascend to manager if Randolph is ousted, while Triple-A New Orleans manager Ken Oberkfell and pitching coach Dan Warthen would join the major league staff.
A team insider speculated that Randolph could survive a first round of firings, saying: “I think the coaches are in trouble. That may be the compromise for now.”
I have no idea how firing the first base coach is going to get this team rolling. Minaya has to realize that his players are the problem.
Mets bullpen finds a way to save face in second game vs. Rangers
Slow-footed Brian Schneider easily out at the plate - Now that was some poor base running by Brian Schneider.
Brooklyn Cyclones & Staten Island Yankees get farms up & runnin’
The Star-Ledger:
Friday’s Mets News: When Willie Be Whacked?
So pretty much everybody in New York knows that John Heyman of SI.com broke the story about how Willie could be run out of Flushing in the very near future, but not as soon as today. Heyman stated the same thing on WFAN a few hours ago, and on the Mets pregame show on SNY. Here’s part of the article:
Willie Randolph’s status as Mets manager is extremely tenuous now. General manager Omar Minaya is seriously considering changing managers and at least a couple of the team’s coaches, sources told SI.com.
A Mets official indicated that nothing was expected to be decided today regarding Randolph’s status. But that doesn’t preclude something from happening later this weekend. Sources indicate his hold on the job is shaky, at best.
Should Randolph be fired, bench coach Jerry Manuel will take over, sources told SI.com.
Personally, I don’t know how Jerry Manuel is going to do. I’m not really a fan of his. If the Mets really fire Willie then this Manuel dude is one of the last guys that I want to manage the Mets. I would prefer that they kept Randolph over Manuel and got rid of everybody on the team except Santana and Wright. Clean house Omar. Accept the fact that you do not have a championship caliber team, and so you can fix the problem. In case Omar ever finds Die Hard Mets Fan, our vote is for Bobby V. of course!
Mets.com:
Yanks-Mets set makeup date for June 27 - The intra-city rivals will meet at Yankee Stadium for a 2:05 p.m. ET game on Friday, June 27, and then face off in the nightcap at Shea Stadium at 8:10 p.m. ET. The original game was to be played on May 16.
Schneider playing for Dad every day
Mets hope turnaround starts vs. Rangers - Jon Blau wrote up a pregame analysis for tonight’s game between the Rangers and the Mets.
Newsday:
Wagner blows another save as Mets fall to D-Backs - Mark Herrmann summarized yesterday’s Diamondbacks-Mets game.
Mets needing big change could cost Randolph job
Could Mets hitting coach Johnson take the fall?
New York Daily News:
Sources: Willie Randolph’s tenure as Mets manager in grave danger - Adam Rubin wrote, “Willie Randolph’s tenure as Mets manager is in grave danger of ending this weekend, sources tell the Daily News. It’s believed that bench coach Jerry Manuel would succeed Randolph if the manager is fired. Randolph has a four-year record of 299-252 with the Mets.” Manuel is going to be worse than Randolph, but maybe it will work. Something has to work.
After this spell, any positive thinking would be a relief for Mets
Billy Wagner is the least of Willie Randolph’s worries
In ninth, Mets find bad luck is catching
Johan Santana keeps his cool after win is taken away
Moises Alou likely returning to DL
New York Post:
SNAKE-BIT BILLY A BUST AGAIN - Mike Puma wrote up a game summary about yesterday’s D-Backs-Mets game.
WAGS CARES, BUT IT’S NOT ENOUGH
ALOU MAY BE HEADED FOR THIRD STINT ON DL
WAGNER BLOWS IT AGAIN IN 5-4 LOSS
The Star-Ledger:
Willie’s Warm Seat - Dan Graziano examines the Mets managerial position from all angles.
Mets can’t close out Diamondbacks
Alou (calf) likely DL-bound again
Wednesday’s Mets News: Good Job by Pedro
What a difference a day makes. One night after Ollie did his Glavine impersonation, Pedro made his first start in two months and was pretty effective. Martinez had good command and got his fastball up into the 90s. And look at all of the buzz about Petey below. Dozens of articles were written by the media. The Star-Ledger put out an inning-by-inning breakdown of his first game back. This guy barely pitches anymore, but he gets a ton of hype. If he pitches a little less, which is not at all, then he can replace Mr. Met as the official mascot.
Bats help lift Pedro in return - Marty Noble summarized last night’s game between the Mets and the Giants.
Schedule provides Mets opportunity - Marty Noble put together a pregame analysis for today’s Mets-Giants game.
Gnats have five-homer first inning - Rob Jemella pointed out that the Savannah Sand Gnats cranked five homers in a seven-run opening frame.
Newsday:
Pedro leads Mets to 9-6 against Giants - David Lennon also summarized last night’s game between the Mets and the Giants.
Alou says return to Mets in this trip is ‘50-50′
THIS DAY AT THE OLD BALLPARK - Newsday lets us know what took place at Shea Stadium and Yankee Stadium on June 4 of a year in the past.
New York Daily News:
Pedro Martinez goes six innings in return as Mets beat Giants, 9-6 - Adam Rubin wrote up a game summary for last night’s Mets-Giants game.
Pedro happy to get his feet wet - Adam Rubin put together a great analysis of Pedro’s return last night.
Despite denials, it looks like Brian Schneider is caught in a platoon
John Smoltz to have season-ending shoulder surgery - The AP reported that John Smoltz will have season-ending shoulder surgery. He hopes to return in 2009, but it may be the end of his career. As much as I hate watching the Mets face Smoltz, the guy has been the best pitcher in the Majors for about two decades. Hopefully he recovers and gets to pitch again. I always thought he was a classy guy.
New York Post:
THIS TIME, SCOTT’S NO RELIEF - Bart Hubbuch discussed how Scott Schoeneweis got knocked around in the ninth inning last night.
PELFREY GRATEFUL METS STICKING WITH HIM - Mike Pelfrey stated, “I was prepared mentally for whatever they wanted me to do. If that meant going to New Orleans or the bullpen, it would have been nothing new. To be able to stay in the rotation is a great feeling. I want to show them they made the right decision.” Going into the season, I wanted him to be in the rotation over El Duque because I wanted to know how good or bad he really is if he goes into the season knowing he’s a starter rather than a fillin for somebody on the DL like in years past. Now, it is obvious that he’s just not that good. The Mets don’t have many short term options so we’ll have to see what Omar does in the upcoming months.
New York Times:
Martínez Gives Mets Lift, and Some Life - Ben Shpigel summarized last night’s game between the Mets and the Giants.
Last Season’s Success Hard to Duplicate for Mets’ Pérez - Oh yes it is. I hope that the Mets bring Ollie in front of the arbitrators so they can explain how poorly he has performed after the first two months of the season and get a partial refund.
The Star-Ledger:
Game 45: New York Mets 2 vs. Atlanta Braves 4
The New York Mets (22-22) are playing Game 45 of the 2008 Regular Season against the Atlanta Braves (25-21) at Turner Field. It’s the final game of the four-game series. The game began at 7:00 p.m., and it was aired on SNY.
Mets Lineup: Reyes, Castillo, Wright, Beltran, Delgado, Anderson, Schneider, Chavez, Santana.
Braves Lineup: Infante, Kotsay, Jones, Teixeira, Francoeur, McCann, Diaz, Johnson, Hudson.
At the Plate
Tim Hudson (6-3) was the starting pitcher for the Braves. In the Top of the 1st, Hudson pitched a 1-2-3 inning. Hudson gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 1st Inning. In the Top of the 2nd, Carlos Beltran belted a solo shot to deep right field. Carlos Delgado hit an opposite field homer to deep left on the very next pitch by Hudson (The Carlos’ were in the lineup back-to-back, and they hit back-to-back homers). Anderson dropped a bunt down towards third, and McCann made the out at first. Hudson caught Schneider looking at strike three. Chavez hit a two-out opposite field bloop double to left. Santana grounded to short, and Infante made the out at first to end the inning. Hudson gave up 3 Hits, 2 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 2nd Inning. In the Top of the 3rd, Hudson retired the side with three ground balls. Hudson gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 3rd Inning. In the Top of the 4th, Hudson retired the side for the second inning in a row. Hudson gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 4th Inning. In the Top of the 5th, Hudson now retired the side for the third straight inning. Hudson gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 5th Inning. Hudson gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 5th Inning. In the Top of the 6th, Castillo lined a one-out single into left field. Wright grounded to second, and the Braves turned the inning ending double play. Hudson gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 6th Inning. In the Top of the 7th, Beltran grounded a leadoff single up the middle. With Delgado at the plate, Beltran beat the throw as he stole second. Delgado popped up to center, and Kotsay made the catch so Beltran stayed put. Anderson grounded to short, and Beltran got caught in a rundown but bought enough time to allow Anderson to get to second. Schneider grounded out to second leaving Anderson stranded on second. Hudson gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 7th Inning. In the Top of the 8th, Church lined a pinch hit leadoff single into right. Reyes grounded the ball down the third base line, and McCann misfielded it so Reyes beat it out and Church advanced to second. Castillo grounded to the pitcher, and the Braves turned the inning ending double play. Hudson gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 8th Inning. Hudson left the game after pitching 8.0 Innings allowing 7 Hits, 2 Runs, 2 ER, 0 BBs, and he had 4 SOs.
Cox replaced Hudson with Manny Acosta to begin the Top of the 9th. Wright lined a leadoff single into left. Beltran lined to second, and Wright got doubled up diving back to first. Acosta gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 9th Inning.
Cox replaced Acosta with Will Ohman with two outs in the Top of the 9th. Delgado lined out to center to end the game. gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 9th Inning.
On the Mound
Johan Santana (5-2) was the starting pitcher for the Mets. In the Bottom of the 1st, Kotsay grounded a one-out single up the middle. Jones grounded to short, and the Mets turned the inning ending double play. Santana gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 1st Inning. In the Bottom of the 2nd, Teixeira hit a high chopper in front of the plate which caused Schneider (Error on Brian Schneider) to misfield it so the Braves have a leadoff runner. Francoeur lined out to the left, and Anderson hit the wall as he made the catch. McCann flied out to right. Diaz grounded a two-out single through the hole on the right side, and Teixeira advanced to second. Kelly Johnson grounded to second, and Castillo dove to make the stop and threw the ball offline to Schneider as Mark Teixeira came home and Diaz went to third. Santana got Hudson looking at strike three to end the inning leaving two runners on the corners. Santana gave up 2 Hits, 1 Run, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 2nd Inning. In the Bottom of the 3rd, Jones grounded a two-out single through the hole on the right side. Teixeira grounded a two-out single through the hole on the left side, and Jones went to second. Francoeur lined out to left to end the inning. Santana gave up 2 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 3rd Inning. In the Bottom of the 4th, Johnson dropped a two-out single into shallow center. Hudson grounded back to the pitcher, and Santana made the out at first to end the inning. Santana gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 4th Inning. In the Bottom of the 5th, Santana pitched a 1-2-3 inning. Santana gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 5th Inning. In the Bottom of the 6th, McCann grounded a two-out single up the middle. Diaz grounded to third, and Wright got the force out at second to end the inning. Santana gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, an he had 0 SOs in the 6th Inning. In the Bottom of the 7th, Johnson lined a leadoff double into center. Hudson dropped down a bunt towards third, and Santana made the out at first as Johnson advanced to third. Omar Infante hit a one-out RBI single into center which scored Kelly Johnson. With Kotsay in the batters box, Santana threw a wild pitch so Infante went to second. Kotsay grounded a one-out single through the hole on the right side, and Infante advanced to third. Chipper Jones lined a RBI single into right so Omar Infante scored and Kotsay went first to third. Mark Teixeira lined an RBI single into left which scored Mark Kotsay and Jones advanced to second. Francoeur grounded to the pitcher, and the Mets turned the inning ending double play. Santana gave up 5 Hits, 3 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 7th Inning. Santana left the game after pitching 7.0 Innings allowing 12 Hits, 4 Runs, 3 ER, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO.
Randolph replaced Santana with Pedro Feliciano to begin the Bottom of the 8th. Feliciano pitched a 1-2-3 inning to give the Mets one more shot down two runs. Feliciano gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 2 SOs in the 8th Inning.
Final Score: New York Mets 2 - Atlanta Braves 4. The MLB.com Box Score is attached. Johan Santana (5-3) got the loss and Tim Hudson (7-3) got the win.
Game Notes:
- The Carlos‘ hit back-to-back solo shots in the 2nd Inning.
- Santana gave up 12 Hits which is the most in his MLB career.
- The Mets were unable to manufacture runs in the 7th, 8th, and 9th Innings when runners were in scoring position.
- The Braves were able to manufacture 3 runs in the 7th Inning which was enough for them.
Series Notes:
- The Braves swept the Mets in this 4-game series.
- The Braves have outscored the Mets 27-9 in this series, which is pathetic.
Other Notes:
- Since May 1st, this is the Mets trend: w-l-w-l-l-w-w-l-w-l-w-l-l-w-w-l-l-l-l.
- It is the first time this month that the Mets lost 4 straight games.
- The Mets are now under .500 with a 22-23 record.
Game 41: New York Mets 11 vs. New York Yankees 2
The New York Mets (21-19) are playing Game 41 of the 2008 Regular Season against the New York Yankees (20-23) at Yankee Stadium. It’s the second game of the two-game series. The game began at 8:05 p.m., and it was aired on ESPN. We will have to suffer through hours of Joe Morgan just to watch a Mets game. In my opinion, a Subway Series should never have national broadcasters.
Mets Lineup: Reyes, Anderson, Wright, Beltran, Church, Alou, Delgado, Schneider, Castillo.
Yankees Lineup: Damon, Abreu, Jeter, Matsui, Giambi, Cano, Cabrera, Gonzalez, Molina.
At the Plate
Chien-Ming Wang (6-1) was the starting pitcher for the Yankees. In the Top of the 1st, Wang retired the side with three ground outs. Wang gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 1st Inning. In the Top of the 2nd, Wang now retired the first six Mets that he faced. Wang gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 2nd Inning. In the Top of the 3rd, Wang now retired the Mets in order the first time through the lineup. Wang gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 3rd Inning. In the Top of the 4th, Reyes led of with a double that one-hopped the right field wall for the Mets first hit of the game. Anderson grounded to the pitcher, and Wang turned around and made the throw to second which got Reyes in a rundown. Jeter made the throw to Gonzalez who applied the tag on Reyes as Anderson ended up on first. Wright grounded a one-out single through the hole on the left side, and Anderson went to second. Beltran drew a one-out walk to load the bases. Ryan Church grounded to first, and Giambi threw it off target to second to the point where Jeter had to stretch and eventually come off the bag so Marlon Anderson scored and everybody is safe. Moises Alou lined an one-out 2-run single into right, and David Wright and Carlos Beltran came around to score as Church went first to third. (Carlos Delgado crushed a no-out 3-run home run which hit the foul poul in left field which would’ve scored Ryan Church and Moises Alou, but the Umpires screwed up the call and it doesn’t count which is bull. Where is the instant replay?) (Jerry Manuel was Ejected from the game for arguing the call.) Carlos Delgado ended up grounding a one-out RBI single through the hole on the right side which scored Ryan Church, and Alou advanced to second. Schneider grounded to second, and Cano made the out at first as both runners advanced. Castillo drew a two-out walk which loaded the bases. Reyes flied out to left leaving the bases filled with Mets. Wang gave up 4 Hits, 4 Runs, 2 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 4th Inning. In the Top of the 5th, Wang quickly retired the side. Wang gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 5th Inning. In the Top of the 6th, Ryan Church belted a leadoff solo shot to straight away center field. Alou grounded out to third. Delgado flied out to left. Schneider grounded out to second to end the inning. Wang gave up 1 Hit, 1 Run, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 6th Inning. In the Top of the 7th, Wang retired the side in order with ground ball outs. Wang gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 7th Inning. In the Top of the 8th, Wright led off with an opposite field double down the right field line. Beltran hit a slow ground ball in front of home plate, and Wang made the throw to first to get the out while Wright advanced to third. Wang intentionally walked Church. Moises Alou hit a sacrifice fly to right field, and David Wright tagged and came home to score while Church went to second. Wang gave up 1 Hit, 2 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 8th Inning. Wang left the game after pitching 7.2 Innings allowing 6 Hits, 7 Runs, 7 ER, 3 BBs, and he had 1 SO.
Girardi replaced Wang with Ross Ohlendorf with two outs in the Top of the 8th. Ohlendorf intentionally walked Delgado. Brian Schneider lined a two-out RBI single to right so Ryan Church came around to score, and Delgado went first to third. Luis Castillo grounded a two-out RBI single through the hole on the left side which scored Carlos Delgado, and Schneider advanced to second. Jose Reyes drilled a two-out 3-run homer over the short porch in right which scored Brian Schneider and Luis Castillo. Chavez replaced Alou, and Chavez grounded out to first to end the inning. Ohlendorf gave up 3 Hits, 4 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 8th Inning.
Girardi replaced Ohlendorf with Jose Veras to begin the Top of the 9th. Veras pitched a 1-2-3 inning. Veras gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 9th Inning.
On the Mound
Oliver Perez (3-3) was the starting pitcher for the Mets. In the Bottom of the 1st, Jeter drew a two-out walk. With Matsui at the plate, Jeter stole second without a throw. Matsui lined out to first to leave Jeter stranded at second. Perez gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 1st Inning. In the Bottom of the 2nd, Giambi drew a leadoff walk. Cano grounded to first, and Delgado tagged first as Giambi went to second. Cabrera flied out along the right field line, and Church ran a long way over there to make the catch. Gonzalez lined out to right leaving Giambi standing on second. Perez gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 2nd Inning. In the Bottom of the 3rd, Perez pitched his first 1-2-3 inning of the game. Perez gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 2 SOs in the 3rd Inning. In the Bottom of the 4th, Jeter grounded a leadoff single up the middle. Hideki Matsui crushed a no-out 2-run jack to right which scored Derek Jeter. Giambi popped up in foul ground behind home plate, and Schneider made the catch. Perez hit Cano with the pitch. With Cabrera in the batters box, Cano beat out the throw as he stole second. Cabrera popped up to shallow right, and Church made the catch. With Gonzalez at the plate, Perez threw a wild pitch so Cano advanced to third. Gonzalez popped up to second leaving Cano on third. Perez gave up 2 Hits, 2 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 4th Inning. In the Bottom of the 5th, Molina led off by lining a double off of the right field wall. Damon grounded to first, and Delgado tossed it to Perez who tagged first as Molina moved over to third. Perez caught Abreu looking at strike three. Jeter flied out to center leaving Molina standing on third. Perez gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 5th Inning. In the Bottom of the 6th, Perez hit Giambi with the pitch to give the Yankees a leadoff runner. Cano grounded to the pitcher, and the Mets turned the inning ending double play. Perez gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 6th Inning. In the Bottom of the 7th, Perez pitched a 1-2-3 inning. Perez gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 7th Inning. In the Bottom of the 8th, Perez retired the first two batters before Randolph made a pitching change. Perez gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 8th Inning. Perez left the game after pitching 7.2 Innings allowing 3 Hits, 2 Runs, 2 ER, 2 BBs, and he had 4 SOs.
Randolph replaced Perez with Joe Smith with two outs in the Bottom of the 8th. Jeter grounded out to second. Smith gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 8th Inning.
Randolph replaced Smith with Scott Schoeneweis to begin the Bottom of the 9th. Schoeneweis hit Giambi with the pitch to give the Yankees a one-out base runner. Cano flied out to left. Cabrera grounded to the pitcher, and Schoeneweis made the out at first to end the game. Schoeneweis gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 9th Inning.
Final Score: New York Mets 11 - New York Yankees 2. The MLB.com Box Score is attached. Oliver Perez (4-3) got the win and Chien-Ming Wang (6-2) got the loss.
By the time this game was over, the Mets were able to turn Yankee Stadium into Shea Stadium. The fans were standing and clapping for Schoeneweis rather than the batters which meant that they were Mets fans. I mentioned yesterday that the Mets needed to cash in in that 4th inning because they didn’t get much out of the situation. Today, the did just that by scoring 4 runs in the 4th inning and that’s without Delgado’s 3-run blast that didn’t count. The Mets swept the Yankees in this two-game series. I thought the Mets would win two game after they lost two games because that’s the .500 trend that the Mets have been keeping pace with. Perez pitched better as the game went on. The Mets batted around in the 4th inning and the 8th Inning so everybody contributed for the most part. The Mets are the kings of New York for another month until they face each other again.
Onto Atlanta. I hope the Mets sweep the Braves, but they will probably will lose the first game because that will follow their l-w-l-w-l-w-l-l-w-w pattern…what’s next? Unfortunately, a loss or a losing streak before they get on a winning streak. Or just maybe, this meeting by Willie will really be what the Mets needed to get to the next level.
Saturday’s Mets News: NYM 1 - NYY 0
The Metropolitans and the Yankees duked it out this afternoon, and the Mets won the first battle of the ’08 Subway Series. A mini-sweep in the Bronx will delay having to listen to annoying Yankees fans for another month when they go head-to-head in June.
Efficient Johan lifts Mets over Yanks - Marty Noble summarized today’s game between the Mets and the Yankees.
Speed drives Castillo’s move to ninth - Anthony DiComo lets us know why Luis Castillo batted ninth in the order today.
Mets clear the air before rainout - Marty Noble wrote about the meeting that the Mets held which was about Billy Wagner’s comments and the team’s struggles.
After rainout, Santana raring to go - Anthony DiComo put together a pregame analysis for today’s game between the Mets and the Yankees.
Subway opener postponed by rain
Randolph plays it cool before opener - Marty Noble stated that Willie Randolph keeps calm amid questions about the Mets’ performance.
Subway Series takes different form - Mike Bauman pointed out that the New York powerhouses hope to turn around their recent struggles.
Mets, Yanks join charity wine effort - Anthony DiComo says that Brian Schneider, Bobby Abreu, and Jorge Posada are working together for a good cause.
Newsday:
Santana, Mets defeat Yankees, 7-4 - Mark Herrmann also summarized today’s Mets-Yanks game.
Randolph’s fate is on the clock … calendar
Wagner apologizes to Delgado; Mets clear the air
THIS DAY AT THE OLD BALLPARK - Newsday tells us what happened on May 17th at Shea Stadium and Yankee Stadium of another year.
Randolph ‘joking’ about his head being on block
Wagner: Don’t compare me with Lo Duca
New York Daily News:
Johan Santana wins battle of lefties as Mets beat Yankees in opener - Mark Feinsand wrote up a game summary for today’s Mets-Yankees game.
Players can get Willie Randolph in clear
Billy Wagner pitch is an apology
It’s Johan Santana vs. Andy Pettitte as rains set lefty duel
Omar Minaya showing support for Willie Randolph, for now
Pedro Martinez’s next simulated game to be on Monday - Roger Rubin wrote that, “Pedro Martinez will take the next step in his rehab from a strained left hamstring on Monday when he throws a simulated game at the Mets’ complex in Port St. Lucie. “
Mets and Yankees postponed by rain, won’t be made up this weekend
Joe Girardi, Willie Randolph asked to serve as All-Star Game coaches
New York Post:
SANTANA PITCHES METS TO 7-4 VICTORY OVER YANKEES - George A. King III summarized today’s game between the Mets and the Yankees.
OMAR GIVES WILLIE VOTE OF ‘SUPPORT’
MAKEUP LIKELY PART OF 2-PARK TWINBILL
BRONX BACKING - Mark Hale pointed out that the Yankees’ came to Willie’s support.
RANDOLPH FIRES BACK AT FIRING TALK
New York Times:
In the Bronx, Santana Shows What Could Have Been - Ben Shpigel summarized today’s Mets-Yankees game.
A Meeting, an Apology and Support for Randolph
The Star-Ledger:
Final: Mets 7, Yankees 4 - Jeremy Cothran wrote up a game summary for today’s game between the Mets and the Yankees.
Game 40: Mets at Yankees - Jeremy Cothran provided the lineup for today’s Mets-Yankees game.
Mets’ search lands Wright man for job - Dan Graziano makes his case on why David Wright should be the captain of the Mets.
Game 40: New York Mets 7 vs. New York Yankees 4
The New York Mets (20-19) are playing Game 40 of the 2008 Regular Season against the New York Yankees (20-22) at Yankee Stadium. It’s the first game of the two-game series. The game began at 1:10 p.m., and it was aired on SNY.
Mets Lineup: Reyes, Church, Wright, Beltran, Alou, Delgado, Easley, Schneider, Castillo.
Yankees Lineup: Damon, Abreu, Jeter, Matsui, Giambi, Cano, Cabrera, Gonzalez, Moeller.
At the Plate
Andy Pettitte (3-4) was the starting pitcher for the Yankees. In the Top of the 1st, Pettitte struck out Reyes and Church on three pitches each. Wright beat out a ground ball to short for a two-out single. With Beltran at the plate, Wright stole second easily. Pettitte fanned Beltran on four pitches. Pettitte gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 3 SOs in the 1st Inning. In the Top of the 2nd, Alou lined a leadoff single into left. Pettitte struck out Delgado swinging. Pettitte struck out Easley looking. Pettitte picked off Alou by getting him in a rundown, and Giambi placed the tag on Alou to end the inning which was poor base running on Alou’s part. Pettitte gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 2 SOs in the 2nd Inning. In the Top of the 3rd, Pettitte retired the side in order. Pettitte gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 3rd Inning. In the Top of the 4th, Church led off by lining a single to center. Wright lined a no-out single into left, and Church moved over to second. Carlos Beltran grounded a no-out RBI single through the hole on the left side, and Ryan Church came around to score and Wright advanced to second. Alou worked the count full before drawing a no-out walk which loaded the bases. Delgado popped up in shallow left so the infield fly rule was called, and Jeter made the catch. Pettitte struck out Easley looking. Brian Schneider worked himself into a full count before drawing a two-out walk which forced in David Wright. Luis Castillo hit a slow ground ball half way down the third base line which stopped so the Yankees never made a play as Carlos Beltran came home to score. Reyes popped up to short leaving three Mets stranded. Pettitte gave up 4 Hits, 3 Runs, 2 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 4th Inning. In the Top of the 5th, Beltran lined a two-out single into left. Pettitte hit Alou in the hand so Alou will take first. With Delgado at the plate, Beltran stole third without a throw. Pettitte fanned Delgado to leave two Mets stranded. Pettitte gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 5th Inning. In the Top of the 6th, Pettitte retired the side in order with three fly balls. Pettitte gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 6th Inning. Pettitte left the game after pitching 6.0 Innings allowing 7 Hits, 3 Runs, 3 ER, 2 BBs, and he had 7 SOs.
Girardi replaced Pettitte with Kyle Farnsworth to begin the Top of the 7th. Jose Reyes led off the inning with a solo shot to right field. Church drew a no-out walk. David Wright hit a no-out 2-run opposite field jack to right which scored Ryan Church. Beltran popped up to shallow right, and Cano made the catch for the first out. Alou grounded to third, and Gonzalez made the out at first. Delgado hit a two-out pop fly single into shallow center. Farnsworth struck out Easley on a check swing to end the inning. Farnsworth gave up 3 Hits, 3 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 7th Inning.
Girardi replaced Farnsworth with Edwar Ramirez to begin the Top of the 8th. Castillo drew a leadoff walk on four straight pitches. Reyes lined a one-out single up the middle, and Castillo moved over to second. Ramirez struck out Church as Moeller threw out Castillo as Castillo attempted to steal third for a strike him out throw him out double play which ended the inning. Ramirez gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 8th Inning.
Girardi replaced Ramirez with Joba Chamberlain to begin the Top of the 9th. Beltran drove a one-out triple to the gap in left center. Chamberlain struck out Alou staring at strike three. Carlos Delgado worked the count full before he pulled the ball through the hole on the right side for an RBI single which scored Carlos Beltran. Anderson is pinch hitting for Easley, and Chamberlain fanned Anderson to end the inning. Chamberlain gave up 2 Hits, 1 Run, 0 BBs, and he had 2 SOs in the 9th Inning.
On the Mound
Johan Santana (4-2) was the starting pitcher for the Mets. In the Bottom of the 1st, Damon drew a leadoff walk. Santana struck out Abreu swinging. Derek Jeter crushed a one-out 2-run home run to left field scoring Johnny Damon. Matsui grounded out to second. Giambi popped up behind home plate, and Schneider made the catch to end a bad first inning. Santana gave up 1 Hit, 2 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO in the 1st Inning. In the Bottom of the 2nd, Cabrera drew a one-out walk. Gonzalez grounded to third, and Wright made the out at first as Cabrera advanced to second. Santana fanned Moeller to end the inning. Santana gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO in the 2nd Inning. In the Bottom of the 3rd, Damon led off by lining an opposite field single to left. Abreu drove the ball to the gap to right center for a one-out double, and Damon tried to come around to score but Church made the relay to Castillo who made a perfect throw to Schneider who tagged Damon at the plate to save a run (Girardi came out to argue the call, but it wasn’t even close). Jeter lined out to right. Matsui grounded to first, and Delgado flipped the ball to Santana for the final out. Santana gave up 2 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 3rd Inning. In the Bottom of the 4th, Santana pitched his first 1-2-3 inning of the game. Santana gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 4th Inning. In the Bottom of the 5th, Santana retired the side in order again for the second straight inning. Santana gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 5th Inning. In the Bottom of the 6th, Jeter lined a one-out single into the gap in left center but he attempted to take second and got thrown out by Beltran. Santana struck out Matsui to end the inning. Santana gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 6th Innings. In the Bottom of the 7th, Jason Giambi led off by going yard to right field. Santana caught Cano looking at strike three. Cabrera grounded out to short. Gonzalez flied out to center to end the inning. Santana gave up 1 Hit, 1 Run, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 7th Inning. In the Bottom of the 8th, Bobby Abreu hit a two-out solo shot to dead center. Jeter hit a two-out opposite field double to the right field corner. Santana gave up 2 Hits, 1 Run, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 8th Inning. Santana left the game after pitching 7.2 Innings allowing 7 Hits, 4 Runs, 4 ER, 2 BBs, and he had 5 SOs.
Randolph replaced Santana with Billy Wagner with two outs in the Bottom of the 8th. Matsui grounded to second to end the inning. Wagner gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 8th Inning. In the Bottom of the 9th, Giambi led off by hitting an opposite field flair into left. Cano hit a broken bat single to third, and Wright stopped it but could not make a throw to first. Cabrera flied out to right. Duncan is pinch hitting for Gonzalez, and Duncan popped up behind home plate so Schneider made the catch. Ensberg is pinch hitting for Moeller, and Wagner fanned Ensberg to end the game. Wagner gave up 2 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 9th Inning.
Final Score: New York Mets 7 - New York Yankees 4. The MLB.com Box Score is attached. Johan Santana (5-2) got the win and Andy Pettitte (3-5) got the loss.
Since the Mets have been playing w-l-w-l-w-l baseball and they lost two before winning today, I think that the Mets will win tomorrow as well to go on a two-game winning streak. It’s a pattern. So the Mets should sweep this mini-series, and then I expect them to lose their first game (or more than one game) in Atlanta to continue the trend that the Mets have set. After the losing streak, the Mets will win exactly that many games. I just wish the Mets could put it together when playing the division.
Anyway, the Mets played a pretty good game today. They took the first game from the Yankees in the Bronx. Santana gave up 4 runs on 3 homers, but he pitched 8.2 innings before handing the ball off to Wagner for a four-out save. Pettitte came out smoking hot early on, but then the Mets batted around in the 4th inning. The Mets scored 3 runs in the 4th inning, but they should’ve scored a whole lot more. After the bases were loaded, a hit out of the infield would’ve ended this game early. Fortunately for the Mets, Reyes and Wright were each able to homer over the short porch in right in the 7th for some insurance runs. In the 9th, Delgado was able cash in by driving in Beltran. So 7 runs were enough today. Perez will face Wang tomorrow night so it seems like the edge is in the Yankees favor, but Perez has a pretty good record against the Yankees. Last year, the Mets hit Wang well the first time they faced him but Wang was lights out the second time around. We’ll see how it plays out tomorrow.
Game 38: Washington Nationals 5 vs. New York Mets 3
The New York Mets (20-17) are playing Game 38 of the 2008 Regular Season against the Washington Nationals (16-24) at Shea Stadium. It’s the third game of the four-game series. The game began at 7:10 p.m., and it was aired on SNY.
Nationals Lineup: Lopez, Guzman, Zimmerman, Boone, Kearns, Dukes, Pena, Flores, Redding.
Mets Lineup: Reyes, Church, Wright, Beltran, Alou, Delgado, Schneider, Easley, Vargas.
On the Mound
Claudio Vargas (0-0) was the starting pitcher for the Mets. In the Top of the 1st, Lopez lined a leadoff double off of the right field wall. Guzman flied out to left. Vargas fanned Zimmerman. Boone popped up to first. Vargas gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 1st Inning. In the Top of the 2nd, Vargas pitched a 1-2-3 inning. Vargas gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 2nd Inning. In the Top of the 3rd, Flores drew a leadoff walk. Redding dropped down towards first, and Delgado got the lead runner out at second. With Lopez in the batters box, Vargas threw a wild pitch so Redding went to second. Lopez drew a one-out walk. Guzman flied out to left. Zimmerman grounded to short, and Reyes made the force out at second to end the inning. Vargas gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 2 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 3rd Inning. In the Top of the 4th, Boone beat out ground ball to deep short for a single to lead off the inning. Kearns flied out to center. Dukes grounded to short, and the Mets turned the inning ending double play. Vargas gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 4th Inning. In the Top of the 5th, Vargas pitched another 1-2-3 inning. Vargas gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 5th Inning. In the Top of the 6th, Lopez drew a leadoff walk. Guzman grounded to second, and the Mets turned the double play. Ryan Zimmerman tattooed a two-out solo shot to the upperdecks in left. Vargas fanned Boone to end the inning. Vargas gave up 1 Hit, 1 Run, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO in the 6th Inning. In the Top of the 7th, Dukes drew a one-out walk on four straight pitches. Vargas gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO in the 7th Inning. Vargas left the game after pitching 6.1 Innings allowing 3 Hits, 2 Runs, 2 ERs, 4 BBs, and he had 6 SOs.
Randolph replaced Vargas with Aaron Heilman with one out in the Top of the 7th. Pena grounded to third, and Wright made a barehand throw to first to get Pena while Dukes moved over to second. Jesus Flores grounded a two-out RBI single through the hole on the right side, and Elijah Dukes came around to score. Harris is pinch hitting for Redding, and Harris drew a two-out walk. Felipe Lopez grounded a two-out RBI single through the hole on the right side which scored Jesus Flores, and Harris went first to third and Lopez went to second as the throw came home to the plate. Cristian Guzman grounded a two-out 2-run single up the middle which scored Willie Harris and Felipe Lopez. Heilman did what he does best by giving up 4 runs while only recording 1 out. Heilman gave up 3 Hits, 3 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 7th Inning.
Randolph replaced Heilman with Joe Smith with two outs in the Top of the 7th. Smith struck out Zimmerman on three straight pitches to end the nightmare-ish inning. Smith gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 7th Inning. In the Top of the 8th, Smith retired the side in order. Smith gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 8th Inning. Smith left the game after pitching 1.1 Innings allowing 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 ER, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO.
Randolph replaced Pedro Feliciano to begin the Top of the 9th. Feliciano pitched a 1-2-3 inning. Feliciano gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 2 SOs in the 9th Inning.
At the Plate
Tim Redding (4-3) was the starting pitcher for the Nationals. In the Bottom of the 1st, Redding retired the side in order. Redding gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 1st Inning. In the Bottom of the 2nd, Redding pitched another 1-2-3 inning. Redding gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 2nd Inning. In the Bottom of the 3rd, Redding now retired the lineup in order the first time through it. Redding gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1SO in the 3rd Inning. In the Bottom of the 4th, Reyes drew a leadoff walk. Church popped up in foul ground near the Nationals dugout, and Zimmerman made the catch. Wright lined a no-out single up the middle, and Reyes advanced to second. Beltran lined to third, and Zimmerman threw the ball to second before Reyes could get back to the bag to end the inning. Redding gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 4th Inning. In the Bottom of the 5th, (Moises Alou struck out and subsequently slammed the bat down on the dirt and got ejected) Brian Schneider crushed a two-out solo shot to right. Easley drew a two-out walk. Redding fanned Vargas to end the inning. Redding gave up 1 Hit, 1 Run, 1 BB, and he had 2 SOs in the 5th Inning. In the Bottom of the 6th, Redding pitched a 1-2-3 inning. Redding gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 6th Inning. Redding left the game after pitching 6.0 Innings allowing 2 Hits, 1 Run, 2 BBs, and he had 4 SOs.
Acta replaced Redding with Saul Rivera to begin the Bottom of the 7th. Chavez replaced Alou, and Chavez grounded a one-out single to the pitcher who bobbled the ball. Delgado grounded a one-out single off of the pitcher and through the hole on the right side, and Chavez went first to third. Brian Schneider grounded out to first, and Endy Chavez came home to score while Delgado moved over to second. Easley grounded out to the pitcher, and Rivera made the out at first to end the inning. Rivera gave up 2 Hits, 1 Run, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 7th Inning. In the Bottom of the 8th, Anderson lined a pinch hit opposite field single to left to give the Mets a leadoff runner. Reyes flied out to left. Church drew a one-out walk. Rivera gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 8th Inning. Rivera left the game after pitching 1.1 Innings allowing 3 Hits, 2 Runs, 2 ER, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs.
Acta replaced Rivera with Luis Ayala with one out in the Bottom of the 8th. Wright flied out to center. Ayala gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 8th Inning.
Acta replaced Ayala with Jon Rauch with two outs in the Bottom of the 8th. Carlos Beltran grounded a two-out RBI single through the hole on the right side, and Marlon Anderson came around to score while Church went first to third. Chavez popped up to shallow center, and Dukes made the catch to end the inning. Rauch gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 8th Inning. In the Bottom of the 9th, Rauch slammed the door on the Mets. Rauch gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 2 SOs in the 9th Inning.
Final Score: Washington Nationals 5 - New York Mets 3. The MLB.com Box Score is attached. Claudio Vargas (0-1) got the loss and Tim Redding (5-3) got the win.
Surprisingly, this game was a pitching duel early on. Claudio Vargas pitch a great game in his first game of the year. Vargas walked a batter, Willie made a pitching change, and Heilman gave up 4 runs (3 earned) in 1/3 of an inning to blow another game for the Mets. Schneider drove in 2 of the Mets runs today. Now, the Mets cannot win the series against the last place Nats. At best, they can tie it tomorrow. It really is pathetic that the Mets don’t have the killer instinct in them after last year’s collapse. The Mets need to do something before the season ends and they are still playing .500 ball.
Game 37: Washington Nationals 3 vs. New York Mets 6
The New York Mets (19-17) are playing Game 37 of the 2008 Regular Season against the Washington Nationals (16-23) at Shea Stadium. It’s the second game of the four-game series. The game began at 7:10 p.m., and it was aired on SNY.
Nationals Lineup: Lopez, Guzman, Zimmerman, Johnson, Milledge, Kearns, Dukes, Nieves, Lannan.
Mets Lineup: Reyes, Church, Wright, Beltran, Alou, Delgado, Easley, Schneider, Maine.
On the Mound
John Maine (4-2) was the starting pitcher for the Mets. In the Top of the 1st, Maine hit Lopez with the first pitch of the game to give the Nationals a leadoff runner. Guzman grounded to short, and Reyes made the force out at second. Maine fanned Zimmerman. Johnson grounded to the pitcher, and Maine made the out at first to end the inning. Maine gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and 1 SO in the 1st Inning. In the Top of the 2nd, Kearns grounded a one-out single through the hole on the right side. Dukes drew a one-out walk. Nieves grounded to short, and Reyes got the lead runner out at third. Lannan grounded to the pitcher, and Maine made the out at first to end the inning. Maine gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO in the 2nd Inning. In the Top of the 3rd, Guzman beat out a ground ball to second on a bad throw by Easley (Error on Damion Easley) to give the Nationals a one-out base runner. Ryan Zimmerman crushed a one-out 2-run homer to left field scoring Cristian Guzman. Johnson grounded out to first. Maine struck out Milledge again to end the inning. Maine gave up 1 Hit, 2 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 3rd Inning. In the Top of the 4th, Maine pitched his first 1-2-3 inning of the game. Maine gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 4th Inning. In the Top of the 5th, Maine retired the side for the second straight inning. Maine gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 5th Inning. In the Top of the 6th, Milledge grounded to second but it went through Easley’s (Error on Damion Easley) legs so the Nationals have a two-out base runner. Maine struck out Kearns looking to end the inning. Maine gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 6th Inning. Maine left the game after pitching 6.0 Innings allowing 2 Hits, 2 Runs, 1 ER, 1 BB, and he had 5 SOs.
Randolph replaced Maine with Matt Wise to begin the Top of the 7th. Dukes grounded a leadoff double down the left field line. Nieves grounded to third, and Wright made the out at first as Dukes advanced to third. Mackowiak is pinch hitting for Lannan, and Rob Mackowiak grounded out to second which scored Elijah Dukes. Lopez grounded to short, and Reyes made the out at first to end the inning. Wise gave up 1 Hit, 1 Run, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 7th Inning.
Randolph replaced Wise with Duaner Sanchez to begin the Top of the 8th. Guzman drew a leadoff walk. Zimmerman flied out to right. Johnson drew a one-out walk. Sanchez fanned Milledge on three straight pitches. Kearns grounded to third, and Wright got the force out at second to end the inning. Sanchez gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 2 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 8th Inning.
Randolph replaced Sanchez with Billy Wagner to begin the Top of the 9th. Boone is pinch hitting for Hanrahan, and Boone lined a two-out single into center. Wagner fanned Lopez to end the game. Wagner gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 2 SOs in the 9th Inning.
At the Plate
John Lannan (3-3) was the starting pitcher for the Nationals. In the Bottom of the 1st, Wright lined a two-out single to left center. Beltran popped up to first to end the inning. Lannan gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and 0 SOs in the 1st Inning. In the Bottom of the 2nd, Alou grounded to deep short but Guzman threw off the bag so Alou ended up with a leadoff single. Delgado dropped down a bunt towards third (because nobody was there) so he ended up with a no-out single, and Alou went to second. Easley drew a no-out walk on four straight pitches to load the bases. Brian Schneider grounded to first, and the Nationals only got the out at second on the double play attempt as Moises Alou came home. Maine bunted towards the pitcher, and Lannan made the out at first as Schneider moved over to second. Reyes grounded to short, and Guzman made the out at first leaving two Mets in scoring position. Lannan gave up 2 Hits, 1 Run, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 2nd Inning. In the Bottom of the 3rd, Ryan Church smacked a solo shot to dead center to lead off the inning. Wright grounded a no-out standup double down the right field line. Beltran grounded out to short. Alou popped up to shallow right, and Kearns made the catch. Delgado grounded out to second to end the inning. Lannan gave up 2 Hits, 1 Run, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 3rd Inning. In the Bottom of the 4th, Schneider grounded a one-out single up the middle. Maine lined a one-out single into left, and Schneider advanced to second. Reyes grounded to third, and the Nationals turned the inning ending double play. Lannan gave up 2 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 4th Inning. In the Bottom of the 5th, Beltran lined a two-out single up the middle. Alou grounded a two-out single up the middle, and Beltran advanced to second. Delgado flied out to the warning track in dead center to leave two Mets stranded. Lannan gave up 2 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 5th Inning. In the Bottom of the 6th, Schneider lined a one-out single into center. Tatis is pinch hitting for Maine, and Tatis lined a one-out single into right so Schneider went to second. Lannan fanned Reyes. Ryan Church lined a two-out 2-run double over Kearn’s head which scored Brian Schneider and Fernando Tatis. Wright grounded out to second to end the inning. Lannan gave up 3 Hits, 2 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 6th Inning. Lannan left the game after pitching 6.0 Innings allowing 12 Hits, 4 Runs, 4 ER, 1 BB, and he had 2 SOs.
Acta replaced Lannan with Luis Ayala to begin the Bottom of the 7th. Ayala retired the side in order. Ayala gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 7th Inning. In the Bottom of the 8th, Schneider led off by lining an opposite field double down the left field line. Anderson is pinch hitting for Sanchez, and Anderson drew a one-out walk. Jose Reyes lined a one-out RBI single up the middle which scored Brian Schneider, and Anderson went first to third because Milledge (Error on Lastings Milledge) bobbled the ball. Ayala gave up 2 Hits, 1 Run, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 8th Inning. Ayala left the game after pitching 1.1 Innings allowing 2 Hits, 2 Runs, 2 ERs, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO.
Acta replaced Ayala with Joel Hanrahan with one out in the Bottom of the 8th. Ryan Church flied out to right, and Marlon Anderson tagged up and scored. With Wright at the plate, Hanrahan threw a passed ball and Reyes advanced to second. Wright flied out to center to end the inning. Hanrahan gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 8th Inning.
Final Score: Washington Nationals 3 - New York Mets 6. The MLB.com Box Score is attached. John Maine (5-2) got the win and John Lannan (3-4) got the loss.
Well, the Mets settled the score with the Nats. It’s even at one with two games to go in the series. Maine pitched another pretty good game. Good enough to win the game. The Mets scored 4 runs off of Lannan, and then they were able to add on 2 insurance runs against the Bullpen in the 8th Inning. Schneider had the most hits in the game (3), and Church had the most RBIs in the game (4). So the former Nats made a statement against their former team. Yesterday, Milledge was the hero. Today, he was the goat. He went 0-4 with 3 SOs, and a costly Error out in center field. And most importantly, the win keeps the w-l-w-l-w-l-w-l streak going. For the ‘08 Mets, it’s all about .500.
