Die Hard Mets Fan

I thought the Mets had this game locked early on until the Reds took an 8-6 lead in the Bottom of the 7th. The Mets looked so flat in the 8th so I began to think that the winning streak was coming to an end. Jose Reyes struck out to begin the 9th Inning which wasn’t a good sign. All of a sudden, Argenis Reyes came in and got a pinch hit single. David Wright hit a 2-run dinger that barely made it over the right field wall to tie the game at 8-8. Beltran singled, and then Easley singled so Beltran went first-to-third. Carlos Delgado hit an opposite field RBI single to give the Mets a one-run lead. Fernando Tatis lined a two-out RBI double into the corner in left field to give the Mets a 10-8 lead after the rally came to an end. In the Bottom of the 9th, Billy Wagner pitched a 1-2-3 inning to seal the deal which extended the winning streak to 10 games. The 10-game winning streak tied a club record. Let’s see if the Mets can set a new record tomorrow.

Final: New York Mets 10 - Cincinnati Reds 8.

PS - The Mets are in a 1st Place tie with the Phils. (52-44)

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So I watched the All-Star Game last night. The first time I ever watched one was last year once we created Die Hard Mets Fan. Growing up, I never cared because the game never meant anything. I know that they changed it so the winner gets home field advantage in the World Series, and that decision just pissed me off as a baseball fan. It bothers me because the managers are concerned about playing everyone. It’s a joke, and where the World Series is played shouldn’t depend on a joke.

I just wanted to comment on the Mets who played last night. David Wright ended up going 1-3 with a walk which isn’t bad, and Billy Wagner blew a 3-2 lead in the 8th Inning which resulted in a tie until the AL won 4-3 in the 15th Inning. I heard a lot of people bashing Wagner for not being a big game pitcher, but I wouldn’t consider a game that doesn’t count a ‘big game’. Overall, I thought the starting pitching was great. After that, the game was played very poorly. Dan Uggla of the Marlins went 0-3 and committed 3 Errors which didn’t help the NL at all. I thought the game was very boring.

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David Wright didn’t end up winning the NL Final Vote ballot to make the 2008 All-Star Team. Instead, an outfielder named Corey Hart of the Milwaukee Brewers got selected. On Friday, Omar Minaya called Wright multiple times according to Mets.com. David saw four missed calls and two voicemails and thought, “I thought that I was traded.” If there is one Met that I don’t want traded, it’s Wright. The good news is that Omar wanted to let David know that he ended up making the All-Star Team as a replacement to the injured Alfonso Soriano. Wright had this to say about making the All-Star Team…

It seemed like I got quite a few second chances. When you realize that you’re not going to something that you want as badly as I wanted to participate in this All-Star Game, it makes you appreciate a lot more when you get that phone call. To be able to come up through this system, being a Mets fan as a kid, and to participate in the closing down of Yankee Stadium at the last All-Star Game, it makes it extremely special. It’s something that I wanted pretty badly. It’s been an up-and-down week. It’s been great for the way the team’s been playing, so I didn’t really have anything to complain about. But after the vote, I was obviously somewhat disappointed. Glad I didn’t make any plans.

Congrats to David. It’s too bad he didn’t make the team originally, but he’s right in saying that it seemed like he kept getting second chances.

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Well folks, MLB.com released the roster for the 2008 All-Star Game. Unfortunately, Billy Wagner is going to be the only player representing the Mets. It’s the sixth time that Wagner has made the All-Star team so hats off to him. There is some hope that another Met can make the All-Star team, but he needs your help. Mets.com pointed out that there is one final spot on the roster so the fans can vote for one of five players on the NL Final Vote ballot. The five players are: Mets third baseman David Wright, Phillies left fielder Pat Burrell, Astros left fielder Carlos Lee, Giants center fielder Aaron Rowand, and Brewers right fielder Corey Hart. I already voted for David. If you didn’t vote for Wright yet and you want him to represent the Mets then go to MLB.com to vote for him.

American League

Pos	Player	B/T
C	Joe Mauer, MIN	L/R
1B	Kevin Youkilis, BOS	R/R
2B	Dustin Pedroia, BOS	R/R
SS	Derek Jeter, NYY	R/R
3B	Alex Rodriguez, NYY	R/R
OF	Josh Hamilton, TEX	L/L
OF	Manny Ramirez, BOS	R/R
OF	Ichiro Suzuki, SEA	L/R
DH	David Ortiz, BOSº	L/L

Pos	Player	B/T
P	Justin Duchscherer, OAK	R/R
P	Roy Halladay, TOR	R/R
P	Scott Kazmir, TB	L/L
P	Cliff Lee, CLE	L/L
P	Joe Nathan, MIN	R/R
P	Jonathan Papelbon, BOS	R/R
P	Mariano Rivera, NYY	R/R
P	Francisco Rodriguez, LAA	R/R
P	Ervin Santana, LAA	R/R
P	Joe Saunders, LAA	L/L
P	George Sherrill, BAL	L/L
P	Joakim Soria, KC	R/R

Pos	Player	B/T
C	Dioner Navarro, TB	S/R
C	Jason Varitek, BOS	S/R
1B	Justin Morneau, MIN	L/R
2B	Ian Kinsler, TEX	R/R
SS	Michael Young, TEX	S/R
3B	Joe Crede, CWS	R/R
3B	Carlos Guillen, DET	S/R
OF	J.D. Drew, BOS	L/R
OF	Carlos Quentin, CWS	R/R
OF	Grady Sizemore, CLE	L/L
DH	Milton Bradley, TEX	S/R

National League

Pos	Player	B/T
C	Geovany Soto, CHC	S/R
1B	Lance Berkman, HOU	S/L
2B	Chase Utley, PHI	L/R
SS	Hanley Ramirez, FLA	R/R
3B	Chipper Jones, ATL	S/R
OF	Ryan Braun, MIL	R/R
OF	Kosuke Fukudome, CHC	L/R
OF	Alfonso Soriano, CHC	R/R

Pos	Player	B/T
P	Aaron Cook, COL	R/R
P	Ryan Dempster, CHC	R/R
P	Dan Haren, ARI	R/R
P	Brad Lidge, PHI	R/R
P	Tim Lincecum, SF	L/R
P	Ben Sheets, MIL	R/R
P	Edinson Volquez, CIN	R/R
P	Billy Wagner, NYM	L/L
P	Brandon Webb, ARI	R/R
P	Brian Wilson, SF	R/R
P	Kerry Wood, CHC	L/L
P	Carlos Zambrano, CHC	S/R

Pos	Player	B/T
C	Russell Martin, LA	R/R
C	Brian McCann, ATL	L/R
1B	Adrian Gonzalez, SD	L/L
1B	Albert Pujols, STL	R/R
2B	Dan Uggla, FLA	R/R
3B	Aramis Ramirez, CHC	R/R
SS	Cristian Guzman, WAS	S/R
SS	Miguel Tejada, HOU	R/R
OF	Matt Holliday, COL	R/R
OF	Ryan Ludwick, STL	R/L
OF	Nate McLouth, PIT	L/R

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There are two grimy articles about Tony Bernazard today.  Bernazard was mentioned a few times in other articles as well.  I only knew who he was by title.  I knew he had a lot of power with the Mets, and I knew that he didn’t like Willie.  These articles by Newsday and the New York Times really let us know more about Tony.  None of the articles had anything good to say about it.  I know we never wrote about him before.

Mets.com:

Manuel resting his stars for long haul

Manuel’s first win a sweet one - Anthony DiComo summarized last night’s Mets-Angels game.

Mets in good shape if ‘pen is as well - Anthony DiComo put together a pregame analysis for tomorrow night’s game between the Mets and the Rockies.

Manuel’s main rule: Play hard - Yesterday, Jerry Manuel stated, “I’m giving them some freedom. I don’t care what you look like, how your hair looks, your growth — it doesn’t matter to me. Just play hard.”

Randolph offers own version of events - Yesterday, Willie Randolph expressed his side of the story…

I thought he was talking about whacking a couple of my coaches. That’s why I was stunned. I didn’t think it was going to happen. At the time, I felt the way he was talking to me, that I was pretty secure for the time being, whatever that means.

This, really, in my mind, all happened way, way too early. We all know that baseball is a long season — it’s a marathon. For me, it’s a little abrupt, and I know that you can talk all you want to about expectations and stuff like that, but … I just wish I had the opportunity to see it through. That’s all.

I’m not ready to retire. When you get a taste of managing, it’s kind of cool. And I want to get back to doing that. We’ll see.

Newsday:

Perception on Mets’ Bernazard: He’s a bad, bad guy - A lot of people believe that Tony Bernazard played a role in the midnight massacre.  When asked about it, Bernazard said “I’m not going to comment on it. I don’t talk about what we talk about internally. I’ve got a great reputation. I don’t have to defend myself against unfounded rumors.”  Ken Davidoff did some digging on Bernazard’s reputation and found out that “The truth, however, is that Bernazard’s reputation has taken a pummeling. Take this for what it’s worth, but yesterday, I received two phone calls from industry contacts - the first, a longtime friend of many Hispanic players, and the second, a scout from an American League team. Both, unsolicited, brought up Bernazard, both professed to not know him and both offered the same sentiment: “I hear he’s a really bad guy.”"

Will ex-Mets manager Randolph get a second chance? - Ken Davidoff asked around the league to see if they believe that Randolph will get another shot at managing a ball club, and most of them think he will.

THIS DAY AT THE OLD BALLPARK - Newsday lets us know what took place at Shea Stadium and Yankee Stadium on June 19 of a year in the past.  “June 19, 1989, at Shea Stadium: Dwight Gooden wins his 100th career game, 5-3, over the Expos. His 100-37 career record is second only to Whitey Ford’s 100-36 start. Howard Johnson knocks in four runs with two homers.”

New York Daily News:

Jerry Manuel restart just what struggling Mets needed

Rick Peterson not bitter over Met firing

Jerry Manuel pitches in to help David Wright’s hitting

Goose Gossage brings heat on Jose Reyes’ dancing

New York Post:

INSIDE JOBBED - Bart Hubbuch and Joel Sherman pointed out that friends of Willie’s told The Post that Willie felt betrayed by Manuel.

REYES REWARDS MANUEL’S FAITH

MANUEL HIGH ON WARTHEN

VALENTINE FEELS FOR WILLIE - Bobby Valentine said, “I hope Willie is OK. I was fired during the season with Texas. It was not a fun time.”

The New York Times:

Bernazard Finds Himself in Middle of Mets’ Turmoil

The Star-Ledger:

Oblivious? Reyes’ mind-set not always obvious

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That has to have been one of the busiest days in Mets land in a long time.  Unfortunately, three guys lost their jobs.  It’s a new regime now.  Jerry Manuel is the the interim manager of the Mets.  That sounds bad, but what do you expect as a Mets fan?

Mets.com:

Mets name Manuel interim manager - Anthony DiComo reported that the Mets promoted Jerry Manuel to interim manager.

Minaya explains Randolph’s dismissal

Manuel, Randolph share similarities

Mets fans react to Willie’s dismissal

Hurdle talks Randolph dismissal - Rockies manager Clint Hurdle had this to say about Randolph, “He’s a good baseball man. When a door closes for a man of his abilities, another one will open somewhere down the line.”

Mets face uphill climb in All-Star races - Anthony DiComo noted, “In the latest tally of online voting, released Tuesday by Major League Baseball, no Mets player is close to earning an All-Star start at his position.”

Williams proving he could be Draft steal - Kevin T. Czerwinski pointed out that the Mets’ 40th-round pick, Seth Williams, has been tearing it up in College World Series.

Mets sign, seal, deliver win for Pelfrey - Anthony DiComo summarized last night’s Mets-Angels game.

DH offers Mets plenty of options - Anthony DiComo put together a pregame analysis for tonight’s game between the Mets and the Angels.

Newsday:

More than 21,000 miles on Mets since May 1 - David Lennon believes that the players are tired because they have traveled 21,611 miles since the start of May.

New York Daily News:

Pals go to bat for Willie Randolph

Derek Jeter calls Willie Randolph firing ‘unfortunate’

Fans quick to condemn Mets’ handling of Willie Randolph firing

New York Times:

Mets Put Him In. Is He Ready to Play? - Joshua Robinson asks, “Recently the question has arisen: How much does a weary, and slumping, David Wright really help the Mets?”

The Star-Ledger:

Jose Reyes pulled from the game, reacts angrily

Firings and Hirings: A complete look at the Mets eventful day - The Star-Ledger compiled dozens of articles about a very busy day in Mets history.  If you check out the article then you will be able to read all of their articles about today.

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Die Hard Mets Fan would like to wish all of you a Happy Father’s Day.  So the Mets get to play twice on Father’s Day as a result of last night’s rainout.  I guess most of them won’t get to see their families unless they brought them to Shea.  The Mets are getting rocked 8-2 right now in the Top of the 8th.  Maine only gave up 3 runs until he got beat up in the 7th.  Hopefully the second game will be much better than this one.

Mets.com:

Pedro’s return parade rained on - Jon Blau reported that, “Saturday night’s game between the Rangers and Mets was postponed due to rain and will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Sunday starting at 1:10 p.m. ET. Tickets for Saturday night’s game will not be honored at either of Sunday’s games, but can be used for any other game during the 2008 season — depending on availability.”

Nixon’s debut to come during twin bill - Marty Noble put together a pregame analysis for both of today’s games between the Rangers and the Mets.

An off-day not on Wright’s mind

Newsday:

Nixon arrives, but role on Mets up in the air

Drug secret helped Mets get Keith Hernandez - Steven Marcus pointed out that on,

The 25th anniversary of the most significant trade in Mets history includes a historic footnote. It might never have occurred if the Mets’ front office knew why the Cardinals were unloading Keith Hernandez.

Years before he became a central piece of the 1986 world champion Mets and gained iconic status in team history, Hernandez abused cocaine, an issue not publicly confirmed until Hernandez and several other players testified in the 1985 Pittsburgh drug trials.

I highly recommend that you read the entire article.

Ex-Met Backman has had one wild ride of late - Ken Davidoff ponders, “As Willie Randolph writhes on the Mets’ skillet, his job in serious jeopardy, it’s interesting to wonder whether Backman would be a candidate to replace him had he made different choices - and whether the Mets should give him a job somewhere in their organization now.”

Minaya’s full autonomy more like fool autonomy - Shaun Powell believes that Omar Minaya doesn’t want to fire Willie Randolph because that’s the manager he hired.  Powell thinks that the Wilpons do want to fire Willie.  Since Omar received full autonomy upon taking over, he would be acting as a puppet if he had to pull the trigger.

Schedule has been brutal to Mets

Randolph hanging on as Mets manager for now - David Lennon and Ken Davidoff wrote, “A person familiar with the situation said late Saturday that Randolph was not likely to be fired on Father’s Day and would be on board the team’s charter to Anaheim, Calif., later Sunday night. But the Mets are still seriously considering a plan to fire Randolph and pitching coach Rick Peterson in a last-ditch effort to revive this underachieving team.”

New York Daily News:

Rangers soak it all in at Shea - Roger Rubin explained that, “Five members of the Rangers starting lineup and a relief pitcher put on a show for Mets fans Saturday night at Shea and also showed New York what a team having fun looks like. After finding out the game had been postponed due to rain - it will be made up as part of a straight doubleheader beginning today at 1 p.m. - they made the drenched tarp on the field their personal Slip ‘N Slide before exiting to chants of “Let’s go Rangers!”  The article contains pictures of the 5 Rangers sliding on the tarp, and it pretty funny.

Mets show interest in Rockies’ Brian Fuentes, but deal not close

New York Post:

NEVER MORE POPULAR, HERNANDEZ IS THE REAL MR. MET

25 BEST MOMENTS AT SHEA: NO. 15 - “The Mets seemed destined for the World Series in 2006 until they were cut down by the underdog Cardinals in the National League Championship Series. The series went to a decisive Game 7 at Shea Stadium, the first Game 7 there since the 1986 World Series.”  That was depressing.  It was like the MC pressed a mute button as soon as Beltran watched the called strike three go over the plate.

SERBY’S SUNDAY Q&A WITH… Tom Seaver.

The Star-Ledger:

The beginning of a long (and potentially longer) day - Colin Stephenson provided the lineup for the first Rangers-Mets game of today’s double header.

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The New York Mets (30-32) are playing Game 63 of the 2008 Regular Season against the Arizona Diamondbacks (34-30) at Shea Stadium.  It’s the first game of the three-game series.  The game began at 7:10 p.m., and it was aired on SNY.

Diamondbacks Lineup: Young, Drew, Hudson, Jackson, Reynolds, Snyder, Upton, Salazar, Micah Owings (6-4).

Mets Lineup: Reyes, Castillo, Wright, Beltran, Delgado, Alou, Schneider, Chavez, John Maine (6-4).

In the Top of the 1st, Drew lined a one-out single up the middle.  Hudson drew a one-out walk.  Conor Jackson grounded a one-out RBI single threw the hole on the right side scoring Stephen Drew, and Hudson went from first to third.  With runners on the corners, Maine struck out Reynolds and Snyder to get out of the inning limiting the damage to a run.  In the Bottom of the 1st, Reyes chopped an infield single over the head of the pitcher which redirected towards second giving the Mets a leadoff runner.  With Castillo at the plate, Snyder threw out Reyes as he attempted to steal second.  Castillo drew a one-out walk.  Wright grounded to first, and Jackson tagged first for the second out as Castillo advanced to second.  Beltran grounded very slowly to short and beat it out for a two-out single, and Castillo went to third.  Carlos Delgado grounded a two-out RBI single up the middle scoring Luis Castillo, Beltran went from first to third, and Delgado slid into second base because Young bobbled the ball in center.  In his first at bat back from the DL, Moises Alou lined a two-out 2-run single into left scoring Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado.  Schneider drew a two-out walk so Price came out to visit Owings.  Chavez popped up to short to end the inning after the Mets took a 3-1 lead.  In the Top of the 2nd, Salazar drew a one-out walk.  With Owings in the batters box, Schneider threw out Salazar as he attempted to steal second.  Maine struck out Owings looking to end the inning.  In the Bottom of the 2nd, Castillo slapped a two-out single through the hole on the left side.  David Wright smoked a two-out two run shot to left scoring Luis Castillo, and there was no doubt about it.  Beltran flied out to right to end the inning after the Mets took a 5-1 lead.  In the Top of the 3rd, Hudson grounded a two-out single up the middle and Reyes stopped it from going into center but made no throw.  Jackson drew a two-out walk.  Maine fanned Reynolds to end the inning stranding runners on first and second.  In the Bottom of the 3rd, Schneider drew a two-out walk.  Chavez lined out to right to end the inning stranding Schneider on first.

In the Top of the 4th, Maine pitched his first 1-2-3 inning of the game.  In the Bottom of the 4th, Castillo grounded a two-out single up the middle.  Wright flied out to the warning track in right center to end the inning stranding Castillo on first.  In the Top of the 5th, Owings grounded a leadoff single through the hole on the right side.  Maine struck out Young looking.  Drew flied out to left.  Orlando Hudson hit a two-out 2-run bomb to right field scoring Micah Owings.  Jackson flied out to center to end the inning after the Diamondbacks made it a 5-3 game.  In the Bottom of the 5th, Beltran grounded to the grass at second and Hudson dove to stop it and threw it to first as Beltran dove in for a leadoff single.  Delgado flied out to right.  Owings hit Alou in the back with the rear.  Melvin replaced Owings with Cruz.  Schneider popped up to second on the first pitch.  Chavez flied out to center to end the inning leaving runners stranded on first and second.  In the Top of the 6th, Randolph replaced Maine with Vargas.  Reynolds drew a leadoff walk.  Snyder lined out to left.  Vargas hit Upton near the knob of the bat, and Randolph came out to argue the call.  Salazar grounded to the pitcher, but the ball redirected to second so Castillo made the out at first as both runners advanced a base.  Ojeda is pinch hitting for Owings, and Augie Ojeda lined a two-out 2-run double through the hole on the right side scoring Mark Reynolds and Justin Upton.  Young flied out to right to end the inning stranding Ojeda on second, but the Diamondbacks tied up the game at 5-5.  In the Bottom of the 6th, Melvin replaced Cruz with Slaten.  Tatis is pinch hitting for Vargas, and Tatis lined a leadoff single into right center.  Reyes flied out to left.  Castillo grounded to second, and the Diamondbacks turned the inning ending double play.

In the Top of the 7th, Randolph replaced Vargas with Feliciano.  The game has gone into a rain delay because the thunder and the lightning has begun, but not the rain.  The grounds crew just covered the infield with the tarp because the wind is blowing paper around.  After an hour rain delay, Feliciano retired the first two batters.  Randolph replaced Feliciano with Smith.  Smith got the final out to retired the side.  In the Bottom of the 7th, Melvin replaced Slaten with Qualls.  Qualls retired the side in order.  In the Top of the 8th, Chris Snyder hit a one-out solo shot to left.  Smith struck out Upton looking.  Salazar grounded out to second to end the inning after the Diamondbacks took a 6-5 lead.  In the Bottom of the 8th, Melvin replaced Qualls with Peña.  Easley lined a leadoff single through the hole on the left side.  Schneider dropped down a sacrifice bunt, and Snyder made the out at first as Easley advanced to second.  Chavez lined out to short.  Anderson is pinch hitting for Smith, and Anderson flied out to left to end the inning leaving Chavez stranded on second.  In the Top of the 9th, Randolph replaced Smith with Sanchez.  Romero replaced Salazar, and Romero lined a leadoff double down the left field line.  Young grounded back to the pitcher, and Sanchez looked Romero back and made the out at first.  Stephen Drew smoked a one-out 2-run homer to right center which scored Alex Romero.  Sanchez fanned Hudson.  Conor Jackson smoked a solo shot to left field which just cleared the foul pole.  Reynolds lined a two-out single into left.  Snyder lined a two-out single into left, and Reynolds went from first to third.  Randolph replaced Sanchez with Heilman.  Upton popped up to first to end the inning with runners stranded on the corners.  In the Bottom of the 9th, Melvin replaced Peña with Lyon.  Reyes grounded a leadoff double down the right field line.  Castillo grounded back to the pitcher, and Lyon made the out at first.  Wright flied out to the wall in right field, and Reyes tagged up and went to third.  Beltran grounded out to first to end the game with Castillo stranded on third.

Final Score: Arizona Diamondbacks 9 - New York Mets 5.  The MLB.com Box Score is attached.  Joe Smith (0-1) took the loss and Chad Qualls (1-5) got the win.

Game Notes:

• Johm Maine was decent at best tonight.  He only pitched 5.0 Innings allowing 5 Hits, 3 Runs, 3 ERs, 3 BBs, and he had 7 SOs.
• Claudio Vargas gave up a 2-run double Ojeda that allowed the D-Backs to get tie up the game.
• David Wright crushed a 2-run homer in the 2nd inning which seemed like it broke the game open at the time.
• Duaner Sanchez gave up 3 runs on 2 dingers in the 9th.

Series Notes:

• The Diamondbacks are leading the series with the Mets 1-0.

Other Notes:

• Since June 1st, this is the Mets trend: w-l-w-w-l-l-l-l-l.
• The Mets are currently 0-1 on this home stand.
• The Mets are three games under .500 with a 30-33 record.

It really bothers me this season when the Mets actually score a few runs early that they cannot tack on more runs or have the bullpen shut down the opposition.  It seems like when they get rolling early that they still end up losing the games.  Nothing is going right for them.

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The New York Mets (30-31) are playing Game 62 of the 2008 Regular Season against the San Diego Padres (27-37) at Petco Park.  It’s the final game of the four-game series.  The game began at 4:05 p.m., and it was aired on WB11.

Mets Lineup: Reyes, Castillo, Wright, Beltran, Easley, Delgado, Casanova, Chavez, Pedro Martinez (1-0).

Padres Lineup: Gerut, Ed Gonzalez, Giles, Adrian Gonzalez, Kouzmanoff, McAnulty, Greene, Carlin, Wil Ledezma (0-2).

In the Top of the 1st, Castillo drew a one-out walk.  Wright also drew a one-out walk.  Beltran flied out to right.  Damion Easley lined a two-out RBI single into center which scored Luis Castillo, and Wright went to second.  Carlos Delgado lined a two-out 2-run triple into the right field corner scoring David Wright and Damion Easley giving the Mets an early three-run lead.  Casanova grounded out to short to end the inning with Delgado stranded on third.  In the Bottom of the 1st, Ed Gonzalez lined a one-out single into left field.  Giles grounded a one-out single through the hole on the right side, and Chavez threw out Ed Gonzalez as he tried to go from first to third.  Adrian Gonzalez lined a two-out single into center, and Giles went to second.  Pedro hit Kouzmanoff with the pitch which loaded the bases.  With McAnulty at the plate, Martinez was called for a balk which scored Brian Giles and advanced both runners.  Paul McAnulty dumped a two-out 2-run single into left scoring Adrian Gonzalez and Kevin Kouzmanoff.  Greene flied out to center to end the inning leaving McAnulty stranded on first and making this a tie game.  In the Top of the 2nd, Chavez grounded a leadoff single up the middle.  Martinez dropped down a sacrifice bunt towards the pitcher, and Chavez advanced to second.  Reyes drew a one-out walk.  With Castillo in the batters box, the Mets put on the double steal and both runners arrived safely.  Luis Castillo hit a sacrifice fly to center as Endy Chavez tagged up and scored, and Reyes tagged up and went to third.  Wright flied out to center to end the inning with Reyes stranded on third, but the Mets added on another run giving them a 4-3 lead.  In the Bottom of the 2nd, Gerut grounded a two-out single through the hole on the left side.  With Ed Gonzalez at the plate, Gerut beat out the throw by Casanova as he stole second.  Martinez fanned Ed Gonzalez to end the inning leaving Gerut stranded on second.  In the Top of the 3rd, Easley dropped a one-out blooper into center for a double.  Ledezma fanned Delgado.  Casanova drew a two-out walk on four pitches.  Chavez grounded to second, and Ed Gonzalez made the out at first to end the inning leaving runners stranded on first and second.  In the Bottom of the 3rd, Giles lined a leadoff single into left.  Adrian Gonzalez flied out to center.  Then Kouzmanoff flied out to center.  McAnulty popped up to shallow center, and Reyes made the final out of the inning stranding Giles on first.

In the Top of the 4th, Reyes lined a one-out double off of the wall in left field.  With Castillo at the plate, Reyes beat out the throw by Carlin as he stole third.  Luis Castillo dropped a one-out RBI single into center which scored Jose Reyes.  With Wright in the batter box, Castillo stole second safely beating out the throw by Carlin.  Wright hit a sacrifice fly out to right, and Castillo tagged up and went to third.  Ledezma fanned Beltran to end the inning leaving Castillo stranded on third, but the Mets were able to tack on a run and take a 5-3 lead.  In the Bottom of the 4th, Greene dropped a leadoff single into center.  Carlin grounded to first, and the Mets only got the out at second on the double play attempt.  Huber is pinch hitting for Ledezma, and Huber grounded a one-out single through the hole on the left side, and Carlin moved over to second.  Jody Gerut lined a one-out RBI single into center scoring Luke Carlin, and Huber went to second.  Ed Gonzalez flied out to right.  Giles flied out to the warning track in right to end the inning with runners on second and third.  In the Top of the 5th, Black replaced Ledezma with Hampson.  Delgado lined a one-out single into shallow right center.  Casanova grounded a one-out single through the hole on the left side, and Delgado went to second.  Chavez grounded to second, and both runners advanced a base.  Martinez grounded to third, and Kouzmanoff made the out at first to end the inning stranding runners on second and third.  In the Bottom of the 5th, McAnulty drove a two-out double to the gap in right center.  Greene lined out to the wall in left to end the inning with McAnulty stranded on second.  In the Top of the 6th, Black replaced Hampson with Meredith after Hampson retired the first two hitters.  Wright drew a two-out walk.  Beltran grounded to second, and Ed Gonzalez made the out at first to end the inning stranding Wright on first.  In the Bottom of the 6th, Randolph replaced Martinez with Vargas.  Gerut grounded to first, but Delgado botched the ball so Gerut beat it out giving the Padres a two-out base runner.  Ed Gonzalez grounded towards first, and Delgado fielded the ball and applied the tag on Ed Gonzalez to end the inning.

In the Top of the 7th, Delgado drove a one-out double off of the wall in left field.  Casanova grounded to second, and Ed Gonzalez made the out at first as Delgado went to third.  Chavez bunted towards first, and Adrian Gonzalez could not field the ball properly so Endy Chavez was safe and Carlos Delgado scored.  Nunez is pinch hitting for Vargas, and Nunez popped out to short to end the inning as the Mets tacked on another run giving them a 6-4 lead.  In the Bottom of the 7th, Randolph replaced Vargas with Schoeneweis so this can get very scary.  Giles led off by grounding a single up the middle.  Adrian Gonzalez grounded to second, and the Mets turned the double play.  Kouzmanoff flied out to right to end the inning.  Thank God Schoeneweis did not give up any runs.  In the Top of the 8th, Black replaced Meredith with Guevara.  Guevara pitched a 1-2-3 inning.  In the Bottom of the 8th, Randolph replaced Schoeneweis with Sanchez.  Stansberry is pinch hitting for Meredith, and Stansberry dropped a leadoff single into left.  Sanchez fanned Greene.  Carlin drew a one-out walk.  Hairston replaced McAnulty, and Sanchez fanned Hairston.  Randolph replaced Sanchez with Wagner.  Jody Gerut grounded a two-out RBI single through the hole on the right side which scored Craig Stansberry, and Carlin advanced to second.  Clark is pinch hitting for Guevera, and Tony Clark crushed a two-out 3-run homer scoring Luke Carlin and Jody Gerut.  Wagner fanned Giles to end the inning after the Padres put up four runs and took an 8-6 lead.  In the Top of the 9th, Black replaced Guevera with Hoffman.  Hoffman retired the side in order.

Final Score: New York Mets 6 - San Diego Padres 8.  The MLB.com Box Score is attached.  Billy Wagner (0-1) took the loss and Carlos Guevera (1-0) got the win.

Game Notes:

• Pedro Martinez was not very good today.  He pitched 5.0 Innings allowing 10 Hits, 4 Runs, 4 ERs, 0 BBs, and he had 4 SOs.
• Billy Wager gave up a 3-run jack to former Met Tony Clark which won the game for the Padres.
• Luis Castillo actually had 2 RBIs.
• Carlos Delgado was a homer short of batting for the cycle and had 2 RBIs.

Series Notes:

• The Padres swept the Mets 4-0.
• The Padres beat the Mets by the score of 2-1 in the first three games of the series.

Other Notes:

• Since June 1st, this is the Mets trend: w-l-w-w-l-l-l-l.
• The Mets are currently 2-5 on this road trip.
• The Mets are two games under .500 with a 30-32 record.

No, the Padres didn’t beat the Mets 2-1 again.  But the Padres won again.  Swept by the Padres, how do they let that happen?  The Padres are a last place team.

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The New York Mets (30-29) are playing Game 60 of the 2008 Regular Season against the San Diego Padres (25-37) at Petco Park.  It’s the second game of the four-game series.  The game began at 10:05 p.m., and it was aired on SNY.

Mets Lineup: Reyes, Castillo, Wright, Beltran, Easley, Tatis, Schneider, Chavez, Johan Santana (7-3).

Padres Lineup: Hairston, E. Gonzalez, Giles, A. Gonzalez, Kouzmanoff, Greene, Huber, Barrett, Randy Wolf (3-4).

In the Top of the first, Wolf tried to set the tone by pitching a 1-2-3 inning.  In the Bottom of the 1st, Hairston beat out a ground ball to second for a leadoff infield single.  E. Gonzalez lined a no-out single into left, and Hairston moved over to second.  Giles grounded to third, and the Mets turned the double play as Hairston advanced to third.  A. Gonzalez lined out to center to end the inning with Hairston stranded on third.  In the Top of the 2nd, Wolf now retired the side for the second inning in a row.  In the Bottom of the 2nd, Santana walked Greene to give the Padres a one-out base runner.  Huber flied out in foul territory along the right field line, and Chavez tracked it down.  Barrett lined a two-out single into left, and Greene moved over to second.  Wolf grounded right back to the pitcher, and Santana made the out at first to end the inning stranding runners on first and second.  In the Top of the 3rd, Wolf now retired the Mets the first time through the lineup.  In the Bottom of the 3rd, Santana pitched his first 1-2-3 inning of the game.

In the Top of the 4th, Wright lined a two-out single into right to end Wolf’s perfect game.  Beltran grounded to short, and Greene got the force out at second to end the inning.  In the Bottom of the 4th, Santana now retired the side for the second inning in a row.  In the Top of the 5th, Wolf pitched another 1-2-3 inning.  In the Bottom of the 5th, Santana now retired the side in order for the third straight inning.  In the Top of the 6th, Chavez lined an opposite field leadoff double down the left field line.  Santana grounded to first, and A. Gonzalez got the out at third as Santana arrived safely at first.  Reyes lined a one-out single up the middle, and Santana moved over to second.  Castillo lined a one-out single into right which loaded the bases.  David Wright drove the ball deep to the gap in left center, but Hairston made an outstanding diving catch to save a couple of runs.  Johan Santana tagged up and scored giving the Mets a 1-0 lead, and Reyes tagged up and went to third.  Beltran drew a two-out walk which loaded the bases.  Easley grounded to third, and Kouzmanoff made the out at first ending the inning leaving the bases juiced.  In the Bottom of the 6th, Hairston led off with a leadoff double that went right over the first base bag.  E. Gonzalez grounded back to the pitcher, and Santana threw it a little high to third and Wright could not get the tag down so everybody is safe.  Giles grounded to second, but the ball hit E. Gonzalez as he was running to second so he is out while Hairston had to remain on third and Giles was credited with the hit.  Adrian Gonzalez lined an RBI single into center which scored Scott Hairston, and Giles advanced from first to third.  Kevin Kouzmanoff grounded a one-out RBI single up the middle scoring Brian Giles, and E. Gonzalez went to second.  Santana caught Greene looking at strike three for the second out.  Huber flied out to center to end the inning with runners stranded on first and second after the Padres took the 2-1 lead.

In the Top of the 7th, Schneider lined a one-out single into center.  Chavez dropped a one-out single over the head of Greene and into shallow left, and Schneider moved over to second.  Cancel is pinch hitting for Santana, and Cancel grounded out to second which advanced both runners.  Wolf walked Reyes to load the bases.  Castillo grounded out to short to end the inning with the bases loaded.  In the Bottom of the 7th, Randolph replaced Santana with Heilman.  Barrett drew a leadoff walk.  Gerut is pinch hitting for Wolf, and Gerut lined out to center.  Hairston grounded the ball through the hole on the right side for an infield single, and Hairston advanced to second.  E. Gonzalez grounded to second, and Easley made the out at second so runners are on the corners.  Randolph replaced Heilman with Feliciano.  Giles grounded out to second to end the inning leaving runners stranded on the corners.  In the Top of the 8th, Black replaced Wolf with Bell quickly retired the side.  In the Bottom of the 8th, Feliciano struck out A. Gonzalez on three pitches before Randolph made a pitching change by bringing in Smith.  Smith got the first batter he faced out before Greene lined a two-out single into left.  Clark has been announced as a pinch hitter for Bell, and Randolph replaced Smith with Schoeneweis.  Clark grounded out to first to end the inning.  In the Top of the 9th, Black replaced Bell with Hoffman.  After Hells Bells was blasting in Petco Park, Hoffman slammed the door on the Mets to end this game.

Final Score: New York Mets 1 - San Diego Padres 2.  The MLB.com Box Score is attached.  Johan Santana (7-4) took the loss and Randy Wolf (4-4) got the win.

Game Notes:

• Johan Santana struggled a little bit early but never gave up runs.  Then he got hot and retired 10 straight batters.  In the 6th, he happened to give up 2 runs too many.  He pitched 6.0 Innings allowing 7 Hits, 2 Runs, 1 ER, 1 BB, and he had 5 SOs.
• The Bullpen put up goose eggs tonight.
• The Mets could not score enough runs to win.
• David Wright drove in the first run of the game, but it should’ve been more because Hairston really made a great catch which saved a couple of runs.

Series Notes:

• The Padres are leading the series with the Mets 2-0.
• The Padres beat the Mets by the score of 2-1 for the second night in a row.

Other Notes:

• Since June 1st, this is the Mets trend: w-l-w-w-l-l.
• The Mets are currently 2-3 on this road trip.
• The Mets are at .500 with a 30-30 record.

I’m a little annoyed by the Mets lack of offense.  One run a game isn’t going to do it unless Pelfrey and Santana each pitched shutouts.  Now the Mets have to scrap just to even up the series the next two games.

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