Die Hard Mets Fan

A couple of hours ago, Anthony DiComo of Mets.com reported that John Maine will not make his start on Sunday. He is still out of action with a strain of his right shoulder’s rotator cuff, and Oliver Perez is expected to move up a day in the rotation to fill the void. Maine said, “I’ve had soreness back there, but this is the first time I’ve actually had any arm problems. It’s a good thing that it’s nothing serious. A couple days off and it will be fine. I try to do everything I can to keep my arm in shape, and I think I’ve done a good job. I’m 27 years old, and this is the first time anything’s ever crept up, and it’s nothing serious.” The Mets have an off-day on Monday which allows them to play it safe and give John some extra rest. So this means that we won’t see him on the mound until August 8 against the Marlins.

I know the media tried to make a big deal out of this situation. They thought the Mets were concealing information and thought that the injury was much worse than the Mets stated. However, it seems like everything is fine and he just needs a few days off.

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Jerry Manuel had some very interesting things to say during last night’s post game.  I waited up for a while for some articles to be written about it, but had no such luck.  I had to wait until today, and the quotes are from Newsday.

First, Manuel had this to say about getting ejected, “I thought that Mr. Runge was kind of baiting Carlos. That’s how I saw it. I could be wrong. So I wanted to go out and make sure everything was OK and it got a little heated. I thought he did step into me. I did not step into him. How they choose to handle that I have no idea, no clue. That was definitely the case.”  So Jerry got bumped by Brian Runge which allowed Runge to use the bumping as an excuse to eject Jerry.  Once Runge bumped Manuel, Manuel got his moneys worth and finally walked away.

Then Carlos Beltran, who never has anything to say, started shouting at Runge.  Beltran had this to say after the game, “After what he did to Jerry I really got mad. Because he really bumped Jerry to get an excuse to throw him out of the game. I just let him know that that was weak. This is the first time that I’ve been so angry in my career and I feel like I have a reason. If I get punished for my actions, he should get punished for his actions, also, because that was horrible.”  So Carlos backed up his manager who just backed him up, and there’s nothing wrong with that.  One thing that Beltran said that is not in the article is that the manager is supposed to back up his players so take that for whatever it’s worth.

Then Manuel began talking about the actual game where they got landslided 11-0 to the the Mariners.  Manuel said this about Oliver Perez, “I’m definitely concerned about his struggles right now and we’re going to have to address it at some time. We’ll have to seriously address it.”  Yes he does because I can’t watch Ollie anymore.  Next, Manuel said, “Right now, we’re a bad offensive club, period.”  That’s for damn sure.  In order to address these issues, Manuel stated, “It could mean some tough decisions. Could be lineup changes, could be rotation changes, could be all types of changes. We have to do what we have to do to get this team on track. We have such great fans and they’re just waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting for us to do well.”  I love what Jerry had to say last night because somebody in this organization needs to admit that problems exist for them to be addressed.  There are too many players on the roster that need to be shipped out of town.  Most importantly, the fans do deserve better.

** After writing this post, I found the entire transcript of the post game at The Star-Ledger which includes Jerry Manuel’s comments and Carlos Beltran’s comments.

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The Mets have two games left with the Padres just to even up the series.  At best, they can come home from California with a 4-3 record.  All of us Mets fans are waiting for whatever it is that is going to ignite this team.  Each time we see signs, we think all is right.  It hasn’t been the case yet because they are struggling against last place teams.  Since the Mets have been playing .500 for so long, there’s no reason to assume that it’s going to get better except for my own hope.  After last season, I thought that this season didn’t even begin until they locked up the division.  I thought that they would pick up where they left off, in September but sealing the deal.  Now, I just hope they get to October.

Mets.com:

Santana hurt as Mets suffer tough loss - Marty Noble summarized last night’s game between the Mets and the Padres.  He also noted that Johan Santana suffered a bruised left shoulder when he was struck by a pitch in the sixth inning.

After Johan injury, Mets aim to regroup - Marty Noble wrote up a pregame analysis for tonight’s game between the Mets and the Padres.

Church doesn’t play against Padres

Holes filled by departed blue chippers - Jon Blau pointed out that the Mets replenished their farm system by going after collegiate prospects rather than high school prospects.

Meeting with Randolph benefits Reyes - After a routine ball bounced through the legs of Jose Reyes in the third inning of Wednesday’s game in San Francisco, Willie Randolph spoke with Reyes about it Thursday before the Mets played their first game of their four-game series against the Padres.  Willie stated that “Footwork … mechanics … rhythm.” was the message, and Marty Noble believes that it’s paying off on Reyes.

Newsday:

More frustration for Mets in 2-1 loss - David Lennon summarized last night’s Mets-Padres game.

Randolph hasn’t lost faith in Perez - yet - Willie said this about Oliver Perez, “I told him how disappointed I was in his performance and to get ready for the next one.”

Mets’ Church upset about benching Friday night

THIS DAY AT THE OLD BALLPARK - Newsday lets us know what took place at Shea Stadium and Yankee Stadium on June 7 of a year in the past.

New York Daily News:

Johan Santana’s gaffe aids Padres rally in 2-1 Mets loss - Adam Rubin wrote up a game summary about last night’s game between the Mets and the Padres.

Heath Bell rings ‘em up - Adam Rubin lets you know how former Met, Heath Bell, is doing.

Ryan Church out of the lineup again

New York Post:

AMAZIN’ BATS BETRAY JOHAN

TOP PICK ALREADY LOVES NY - Since the Mets drafted Ike Davis, who is the son of former Yankee Ron Davis, Ike had this to say when asked about New York, “He just said they have the best fans and it’s a blast because every game is live and die with them. He loved it, and I’m looking forward to it, too.”

New York Times:

Mistakes Mar Close Game as Mets Slip Back to .500 - Ben Shpigel summarized last night’s Mets-Padres game.

Pelfrey Throws More Pitches, Learning More

The Star-Ledger:

Mets can’t muster much, Santana falls to Padres

Church sits as playing time is monitored

Final: Padres 2, Mets 1 - Jeremy Cothran summarized last night’s game between the Mets and the Padres.

Inconsistent Perez driving Mets mad

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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.

Castro catches Pedro’s return

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.

METS: Pedro brings buzz

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:

PISTOL PETEY

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:

Pedro delivers quality start

Schneider, Castro give Randolph Catch-2 situation

Pedro 6th inning

Pedro 5th inning

Pedro 4th Inning

Pedro 3rd Inning

Pedro 2nd Inning

Pedro 1st Inning

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The New York Mets (28-27) are playing Game 56 of the 2008 Regular Season against the San Francisco Giants (24-33) at AT&T Park.  It’s the first game of the three-game series.  The game began at 10:05 p.m., and it was aired on SNY.

Mets Lineup: Reyes, Castillo, Wright, Beltran, Church, Tatis, Delgdo, Castro, Perez.

Dodgers Lineup: Winn, Castillo, Rowand, Molina, Aurilia, Durham, Horwitz, Burriss, Sanchez.

At the Plate

Jonathan Sanchez (3-3) was the starting pitcher for the Giants.  In the Top of the 1st, Wright lined a two-out single into center.  Beltran drew a two-out walk.  Church drew a two-out walk to load the bases.  Sanchez struck Tatis out looking to end the inning with the bases loaded.  Sanchez gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 2 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 1st Inning.  In the Top of the 2nd, Delgado led off with a double to the base of the base of the right field wall.  Castro grounded to third, and Delgado held up.  Sanchez fanned Vargas.  Jose Reyes lined a two-out RBI double down the left field line, and Carlos Delgado came around to score.  Castillo popped up in foul territory along the right field line, and Winn made the catch to end the inning with a runner on second.  Sanchez gave up 2 Hits, 1 Run, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 2nd Inning.  In the Top of the 3rd, Wright struck out swinging at a wild pitch that went to the backstop so he ended up beating it out to give the Mets a leadoff baserunner.  Sanchez fanned Beltran.  Church grounded to first, and Aurilia got the lead runner out at second.  Tatis grounded to short and beat out the throw by Burriss for a two-out single, and Church moved over to second.  Delgado popped up to shallow center, and Burriss made the catch to end the inning with Mets stranded on first and second.  Sanchez gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 2 SOs in the 3rd Inning.  In the Top of the 4th, Castro drew a leadoff walk.  Vargas bunted towards third, and Castillo made the out at first as Castro advanced to second.  Reyes lined out to second.  Luis Castillo grounded a two-out RBI single up the middle, and Ramon Castro came around to score.  Wright grounded to deep second, and the ball deflected off of the glove of Durham (Error on Ray Durham) so Wright ended up on first and Castillo on second.  Beltran grounded to short, and Burriss got the force out at second to end the inning with runners on first and second.  Sanchez gave up 1 Hit, 1 Run, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 4th Inning.  In the Top of the 5th, Sanchez hit Delgado with the pitch to give the Mets a two-out base runner.  Castro grounded to third, and Castillo made the out at second to end the inning.  Sanchez gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 2 SOs in the 5th Inning.  In the Top of the 6th, Sanchez pitched a 1-2-3 inning.  Sanchez gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 6th Inning.  In the Top of the 7th, Beltran grounded a one-out single through the hole on the left side.  Sanchez fanned Church.  Tatis grounded to third, and Castillo made the final out of the inning at second.  Sanchez gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 7th Inning.  Sanchez left the game after pitching 7.0 Innings allowing 6 Hits, 2 Runs, 2 ER, 3 BBs, and he had 8 SOs.

Bochy replaced Sanchez with Billy Sadler to begin the Top of the 8th.  Sadler pitched a 1-2-3 inning.  Sadler gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 8th Inning.  In the Top of the 9th, Sadler retired the side in order for the second straight inning.  Sadler gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 9th Inning.  Sadler left the game after pitching 2.0 Innings allowing 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO.

On the Mound

Oliver Perez (4-3) was the starting pitcher for the Mets.  In the Bottom of the 1st, Randy Winn led off with a solo shot to left.  Rowand pulled a one-out double down the left field line.  Bengie Molina lined an RBI single into left, and Aaron Rowand came around to score.  Aurilia drew a one-out walk.  Ray Durham lined a one-out 2-run double to the gap in left center scoring Bengie Molina and Rich Aurilia.  Brian Horwitz crushed a one-out 2-run homer to left scoring Ray Durham.  Burriss drew a one-out walk.  Perez gave up 5 Hits, 6 Runs, 2 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 1st Inning.  What starting pitcher only records one out?  It was like Tom Glavine on that Sunday in September against the Marlins.

Randolph replaced Perez with Claudio Vargas with one out in the Bottom of the 1st.  Sanchez bunted right into the glove of Delgado.  Vargas fanned Winn to end the inning.  Vargas gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 1st Inning.  In the Bottom of the 2nd, Castillo grounded a leadoff single up the middle.  Vargas struck out Rowand on three pitches.  With Molina at the plate, Castro threw out Rowand as he attempted to steal second.  Molina grounded a two-out single through the hole on the left side.  Aurilia grounded to short, and Reyes made the out at second to end the inning stranding a runner on first.  Vargas gave up 2 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 2nd Inning.  In the Bottom of the 3rd, Durham grounded the ball down the first base line but got thrown out by Church when trying to take second base.  Horwitz grounded out to third.  Burriss grounded out to short to end the inning.  Vargas gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 3rd Inning.  In the Bottom of the 4th, Vargas pitched a 1-2-3 inning.  Vargas gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 4th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 5th, Vargas retired the side for the second inning in a row.  Vargas gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 5th Inning.  Vargas left the game after pitching 4.2 Innings allowing 3 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 ER, 0 BBs, and he had 4 SOs.

Randolph replaced Vargas with Carlos Muniz to begin the Bottom of the 6th.  Durham lined a leadoff single into right.  Horwitz grounded a no-out single up the middle, and Durham went from first to third.  Burriss grounded to second, and Castillo made the out at first as both runners advanced.  Jonathan Sanchez hit a one-out 2-run double off of the right field wall which scored Ray Durham and Brian Horwitz.  Winn lined out to right, and Church doubled up Sanchez at second.  Muniz gave up 3 Hits, 2 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 6th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 7th, Rowand grounded a one-out single up the middle.  Molina lined a one-out single into left, and Rowand moved over to second.  Aurilia grounded to third, but Wright could not field it properly so everyone was safe.  Ray Durham drew a one-out walk which scored Aaron Rowand.  Brian Horwitz hit a sacrifice fly to center which scored Bengie Molina.  Burriss drew a two-out walk which loaded the bases.  Muniz gave up 3 Hits, 2 Runs, 2 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 7th Inning.  Muniz left the game after pitching 1.2 Innings allowing 6 Hits, 4 Runs, 4 ER, 2 BBs, and he had 0 SOs.

Randolph replaced Muniz with Aaron Heilman with two outs in the Bottom of the 7th.  Bowker is pinch hitting for Sanchez, and Bowker flied out to right to end the inning with the bases loaded.  Heilman gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 7th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 8th, Winn drew a leadoff walk.  Castillo hit a no-out Ground Rule Double to center, and Winn ended up on third.  Heilman hit Rowand with the pitch which loaded the bases.  Aurilia popped up to second, and Castillo made the out.  Durham grounded to short, and Reyes made the out at first to end the inning.  Heilman gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 8th Inning.  Heilman left the game after pitching 1.1 Innings allowing 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 ER, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO.

Final Score: New York Mets 2 - San Francisco Giants 10.  The MLB.com Box Score is attached.  Oliver Perez (4-4) took the loss and Jonathan Sanchez (4-3) got the win.

Game Notes:

• Oliver Perez gave up 6 runs in 1/3 of an inning which was too much for the Mets to climb back from.
• Ryan Church had 2 assists from right.

Series Notes:

• The Dodgers are winning the series against the Mets 1-0.

Other Notes:

• Since June 1st, this is the Mets trend: w-l.
• The Mets are currently 0-1 on this road trip.
• The Mets are at .500 with a 28-28 record
• Jose Reyes has an 18-game hitting streak, and a 33-game on-base streak.

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The New York Mets (22-23) are playing Game 46 of the 2008 Regular Season against the Colorado Rockies (18-29) at Coors Field.  It’s the first game of the three-game series.  The game began at 9:05 p.m., and it was aired on SNY.

Mets Lineup: Reyes, Castillo, Wright, Beltran, Delgado, Anderson, Schneider, Chavez, Perez.

Rockies Lineup: Taveras, Barmes, Holliday, Atkins, Helton, Spilborghs, Baker, Torrealba, Reynolds.

At the Plate

Greg Reynolds (0-1) was the starting pitcher for the Rockies.  In the Top of the 1st, Reynolds pitched a 1-2-3 inning.  Reynolds gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 2 SOs in the 1st Inning.  In the Top of the 2nd, Beltran drew a leadoff walk on four pitches.  Reynolds fanned Delgado.  Anderson lined out to center.  Reynolds got Schneider looking at strike three to end the inning.  Perez gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 2 SOs in the 2nd Inning.  In the Top of the 3rd, Chavez beat out a ground ball to second for a leadoff single.  Perez drew a no-out walk.  Reyes grounded to second, and Baker made the out at second so Reyes arrived at first safely while Chavez advanced to third.  Luis Castillo slapped a one-out RBI single into left which scored Endy Chavez, and Reyes moved over to second.  Reynolds struck out Wright swining.  Beltran flied out to the warning track in center with Mets stranded on the corners.  Reynolds gave up 2 Hits, 1 Run, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO in the 3rd Inning.  In the Top of the 4th, (Anderson injured his hamstring running out a ground ball, and Willie and the Trainor had to carry him off the field so he will have to be replaced) Reynolds retired the side in order.  Reynolds gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 4th Inning.  In the Top of the 5th, Reynolds retired the side for the second straight inning.  Reynolds gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 5th Inning.  In the Top of the 6th, Castillo drew a leadoff walk on four pitches.  Wright grounded to third, and Atkins made the out at first as Castillo advanced to second.  Beltran grounded to second, and Baker made the out at first as Castillo moved over to third.  Carlos Delgado hit a two-out 2-run homer to center scoring Luis Castillo.  Tatis replaced Anderson, and Fernando Tatis hit a two-out solo shot to center.  Schneider grounded out to second to end the inning.  Reynolds gave up 2 Hits, 3 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 6th Inning.  Reynolds left the game after pitching 6.0 Innings allowing 4 Hits, 4 Runs, 4 ER, 3 BBs, and he had 5 SOs.

Hurdle replaced Reynolds with Jason Grilli to begin the Top of the 7th.  Chavez grounded a leadoff single down the left field line.  Easley is pinch hitting for Smith, and Easley grounded a single through the hole on the left side so Chavez went from first to third.  Jose Reyes popped up to shallow left, and Endy Chavez tagged up and scored.  Castillo grounded to short, and the Rockies turned the inning ending double play.  Grilli gave up 2 Hits, 1 Run, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 7th Inning.  In the Top of the 8th, Grilli pitched a 1-2-3 inning.  Grilli gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 8th Inning.  Grilli left the game after pitching 2.0 Innings allowing 2 Hits, 1 Run, 1 ER, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO.

Hurdle replaced Grilli with Manny Corpas to begin the Top of the 9th.  Tatis lined a leadoff single into right.  Schneider dropped down a bunt in front of home plate, and Torrealba made the out at first as Tatis went to second.  Chavez grounded to second, and Baker made the out at first as Tatis advanced to third.  Casanova is pinch hitting for Schoeneweis, and Casanova grounded out to first stranding Tatis.  Corpas gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 9th Inning.

Hurdle replaced Corpas with Brian Fuentes to begin the Top of the 10th.  Reyes drove a leadoff double into the gap in right center.  With Castillo in the batters box, Reyes was picked off at second base.  Castillo flied out to right.  Fuentes fanned Wright to end the inning.  Fuentes gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 10th Inning.

Hurdle replaced Fuentes with Taylor Buchholz to begin the Top of the 11th.  Delgado drove a one-out double into the gap in right center.  Tatis grounded to second, and Herrera held up Delgado before making the out at first.  Buchholz got Schneider on a check swing to end the inning with Delgado stranded on second.  Buchholz gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 11th Inning.  In the Top of the 12th, Buchholz retired the side in order.  Buchholz gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 2 SOs in the 12th Inning.  In the Top of the 13th, Wright lined a one-out single into right.  Beltran popped up to short, and Quintanilla made the out.  Delgado lined out to first leaving Wright stranded on second.  Buchholz gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 13th Inning.  Buchholz left the game after pitching 3.0 Innings allowing 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 3 SOs.

On the Mound

Oliver Perez (4-3) was the starting pitcher for the Mets.  In the Bottom of the 1st, Barmes hit a one-out Ground Rule Double to left field.  Holliday flied out to right.  Garrett Atkins hit a two-out 2-run bomb to left field scoring Clint Barmes.  Helton lined a two-out opposite field single into left.  Spilborghs drew a two-out walk.  Perez struck out Baker on three straight pitches to end the inning.  Perez gave up 3 Hits, 2 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO in the 1st Inning.  In the Bottom of the 2nd, Reynolds drew a one-out walk.  Taveras lined a one-out single into right center, and Reynolds advanced to second.  Perez fanned Barmes.  Holliday grounded to third, and Wright got the force out at second to end the inning.  Perez gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO in the 2nd Inning.  In the Bottom of the 3rd, Atkins lined a leadoff single into left.  Helton grounded to second, and the Mets turned the double play.  Spilborghs drew a two-out walk.  With Baker in the batters box, Schneider threw out Spilborghs as he attempted to steal second base.  Perez gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 3rd Inning.  In the Bottom of the 4th, Baker drew a leadoff walk on four pitches.  Torrealba flied out to left center, and Beltran made the catch.  Reynolds bunted in towards the pitcher, and Perez made the out at first as Baker advanced to second.  Taveras grounded to second, and Castillo made the out at first stranding Baker.  Perez gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 4th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 5th, Atkins drew a two-out walk.  With Helton at the plate, Perez threw a wild pitch so Atkins moved over to second.  Helton drew a two-out walk.  Spilborghs drew a two-out walk to load the bases.  Baker flied out to right to end the inning with the bases full of Rockies.  Perez gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 3 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 5th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 6th, Torrealba beat out a ground ball to third for a leadoff single.  Herrera is pinch hitting for Reynolds, and Herrara drew a no-out walk.  Perez gave up 1 Hit, 2 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 6th Inning.  Perez left the game after pitching 5.0 Innings allowing 6 Hits, 4 Runs, 4 ER, 8 BBs, and he had 2 SOs.

Randolph replaced Perez with Joe Smith with no outs in the Bottom of the 6th.  Taveras worked the count full before he dropping a bunt down towards first, and Smith made the out at first as both runners advanced.  Clint Barmes pulled a one-out 2-run double down the left field line which scored Yorvit Torrealba and Jonathan Herrera.  Holliday lined out to left.  Smith struck out Atkins looking.  Smith gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 6th Inning.

Randolph replaced Smith with Scott Schoeneweis to begin the Bottom of the 7th.  Spilborghs drew a one-out walk.  Podsednik replaced Baker, and Podsednik grounded into an inning ending double play.  Schoeneweis gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 7th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 8th, Schoeneweis pitched a 1-2-3 inning.  Schoeneweis gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 8th Inning.  Schoeneweis left the game after pitching 2.0 Innings allowing 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 ER, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs.

Randolph replaced Schoeneweis with Billy Wagner to begin the Bottom of the 9th.  Matt Holliday hit a one-out solo shot to center field.  Atkins lined a one-out single into center.  Helton lined a one-out single into center, and Atkins went first to third.  Spilborghs grounded to short, and Reyes got Atkins to hold up at third and then made the out at first.  Podsednik worked himself into a full count before popping up to short to end the inning.  Wagner gave up 3 Hits, 1 Run, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 9th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 10th, Torrealba beat out a ground ball to third the Wright (Error on David Wright) misfielded.  Herrera is pinch hitting for Fuentes, and Herrera grounded to second so Castillo made the out at first as Torrealba went to second.  Wagner struck out Cook, and Schneider threw out Torrealba as he attempted to steal third.  Wagner gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 10th Inning.  Wagner left the game after pitching 2.0 Innings allowing 3 Hits, 1 Run, 1 ER, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO.

Randolph replaced Wagner with Duaner Sanchez to begin the Bottom of the 11th.  Sanchez pitched a 1-2-3 inning.  Sanchez gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 11th Inning.

Randolph replaced Sanchez with Aaron Heilman to begin the Bottom of the 12th.  Podsednik grounded to the pitcher, and the ball deflected towards second so Podsednik beat it out for a two-out single.  Torrealba popped up to second, and Castillo made the catch to end the inning.  Heilman gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 12th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 13th, Herrera grounded a leadoff single up the middle.  Francis is pinch hitting for Buchholz, and Francis dropped down a sacrifice bunt which allowed Herrera to move over to second.  Heilman fanned Quintanilla.  Matt Holliday grounded an RBI single through the hole on the right side, and Jonathan Herrera came around to score.  Heilman gave up 2 Hits, 1 Run, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 13th Inning.  Heilman left the game after pitching 1.2 Innings allowing 3 Hits, 1 Run, 1 ER, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO.

Final Score: New York Mets 5 - Colorado Rockies 6 (in 13).  The MLB.com Box Score is attached.  Aaron Heilman took the loss (0-1) and Taylor Buchholz got the win.

Game Notes:

• Delgado hit a 2-run solo shot.
• The Mets made a ton of mistakes and should’ve won the game in 9 innings.  The problem was that the Rockies made just as many mistakes so nobody wanted to win.

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-l.
• It is the first time this month that the Mets lost 5 straight games.
• The Mets are now two games under .500 with a 22-24 record.

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Coming off of the Bronx Beatdown, I hope that the Mets go down to Atlanta and sweep Larry and the Braves.  I hope they win 3 out of 4, at a minimum.  I hope that the Mets knock Tom Glavine out of the game faster than he got knocked out of that game against the Marlins.  After this game, I want to hear Tommy say that it was devastating.  I want Chipper to go 0-for-the-series.  And most importantly, I don’t want to hear any Braves fans doing that stupid tomahawk chop chant the entire series which would mean that the Amazin’s swept the Braves with ease.  Here’s a look at the probable pitching matchups:

• 05/20/2008 - John Maine (5-2) - Tom Glavine (1-1)
• 05/20/2008 - Claudio Vargas (0-1) - Jorge Campillo (0-0)
• 05/21/2008 - Mike Pelfrey (2-4) - Jair Jurrjens (4-3)
• 05/22/2008 - Johan Santana (5-2) - Tim Hudson (6-3)

 Mets answer Church’s prayers to play

Perez cures all that ails Mets in Bronx - Marty Noble summarized last night’s game between the Mets and the Yankees.

Mets coach tossed after close call - Anthony DiComo explained why Jerry Manuel got ejected from last night’s game against the Yankees.

Mets head to Atlanta wanting more - Marty Noble put together a pregame analysis for the first Mets-Braves game tomorrow.

With Alou at DH, Anderson plays left - Marty Noble pointed out that Willie Randolph used Moises Alou as the DH in last night’s game against the Yankees.

Newsday:

Mets’ subway sweep lobs more pressure on Yanks - Erik Boland also summarized last night’s Mets-Yankees game.

Reyes watches and learns for Mets

Delgado shows signs of life

Sore Alou as DH: ‘I’ve got an old body’

Manuel gets ejected instead of Randolph

New York Daily News:

Mets maul Yankees, overcome negated homer to take both games at Stadium - Anthony McCarron put together a game recap for last night’s game between the Mets and the Yanks.

Mets talk a good game, then dominate Yankees in Subway Series

Mets show life in Bronx romp

Umpire admits he fouled up Carlos Delgado home run call - Christian Red got the quote of the umpire that made the incorrect call, and here it is, “I —-ed it up. I’m the one who thought it was a —- foul ball. I saw it on the replay. I’m the one who —-ed it up so you can put that in your paper. Bolts and nuts, I —-ed up. You’ve just got to move on. No one feels worse about it than I do.”  You would think that Bob Davidson would not speak with as much of a potty mouth, but what do I know.

New York Post:

AMAZIN’S SURVIVE SOME FOUL PLAY

OLIVER ON HIS GAME IN BRONX

REYES POWERS UP

WILLIE MUM AFTER BLOWN HOMER CALL

A REAL FOUL-UP

WEEKEND WARRIORS - Mike Vaccaro asks what a difference a weekend makes for the Mets.

New York Times:

Weekend in Bronx Revives Mets

Pole Leaves Mark, but Not on Outcome

The Star-Ledger:

Mets sign Abraham Nunez - Jeremy Cothran reported that “The New York Mets announced today that they have signed infielder Abraham Nunez to a minor league contract and assigned him to New Orleans (AAA) of the Pacific Coast League.”

Back on the road

Yanks better set for future - Steve Politi debates why the Yankees are better set for the future than the Mets.

Fan sees play up close and personal

Mets Sweep Yankees, Look Ahead to Braves

Davidson: I blew Delgado call

Bench coach Manuel has some choice words

Mets blast Yankees 11-2

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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.

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The Metropolitans will host the Nationals to a 4-game series beginning tonight.  Some good pitching and some clutch hitting should lead to a thrashing.  The Mets should be able to sleep walk through the Nats, but they haven’t gotten to that point yet in ‘08.  The Mets keep us on the edges of our seats by playing to the level of the competition.  Here’s the pitching probables for this series:

• 04/12/2008 - Odalis Perez (0-3) - Nelson Figueroa Jr. (2-2)
• 04/13/2008 - John Lannan (3-3) - John Maine (4-2)
• 04/14/2008 - Tim Redding (4-3) - TBD
• 04/15/2008 - Michael O’Connor (1-1) - Johan Santana (4-2)

 Reliever Wise the Mets’ invisible man - Marty Noble put together a pregame analysis for today’s game between the Nationals and the Mets.

Using pink bat, Beltran enjoys big day

Newsday:

Mets in the pink after beating Reds - Anthony Rieber summarized yesterday’s game between the Reds and the Mets.

Inconsistent Perez finds his rhythm for Mets

Reds bat out of order in ninth - Erik Boland attempted to explain what took place yesterday when the Reds batted out of order in the ninth inning.

Schoeneweis turning boos into cheers

New York Daily News:

Carlos Beltran, Ryan Church hit back-to-back homers as Mets blast Reds - Peter Botte summarized yesterday’s Reds-Mets game.

Mets’ Oliver Perez baffles even Willie Randolph with turn for better

In ninth, Mets-Reds get out of order

Mets turn to Johan Santana to get Subway Series rolling

Mets’ minor league report - Adam Rubin lets us know what’s going on in the minors.

New York Post:

AMAZIN’S PINK BATS RED HOT - Mike Puma summarized yesterday’s game between the Reds and the Mets.

OLIVER’S LEFTY PERSONALITY ALL RIGHT

DOING A RAIN DANCE - Mike Puma wrote, “With today’s forecast calling for rain, the Mets might not wait long to postpone their scheduled game against the Nationals.”

CASTILLO HURT - Fred Kerber reported that Luis Castillo will not be in tonight’s lineup.

BUMBLING REDS DELAY INEVITABLE - Fred Kerber stated that the lineup confusion in the ninth inning slowed down the game.

New York Times:

Snapping Out of a Slump, Beltrán Is Starting to Click

The Star-Ledger:

Mets’ Perez shows his better side

Beltran the driving force in Met bats’ revival

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The New York Mets (18-16) are playing Game 35 of the 2008 Regular Season against the Cincinnati Reds (15-22) at Shea Stadium.  It’s the rubber game of a three-game series.  The game began at 1:10 p.m., and it was aired on CW11.

Today is “Mother’s Day at Shea”

Reds Lineup: Freel, Votto, Griffey Jr., Phillips, Encarnacion, Dunn, Keppinger, Bako, Cueto.

Mets Lineup: Reyes, Castillo, Wright, Beltran, Church, Alou, Delgado, Schneider, Perez.

On the Mound

Oliver Perez (2-3) was the starting pitcher for the Mets.  In the Top of the 1st, Griffey drew a two-out walk.  Phillips flied out to right.  Perez gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO in the 1st Inning.  In the Top of the 2nd, Keppinger lined a two-out single into center.  Perez caught Bako looking at strike three.  Perez gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 2 SOs in the 2nd Inning.  In the Top 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 Top of the 4th, Phillips drew a one-out walk on four pitches.  Eencarnacion popped up near home, and Schneider made the catch.  With Dunn at the plate, Phillips stole second with no throw.  Perez fanned Dunn to end the inning.  Perez gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO in the 4th Inning.  In the Top of the 5th, Keppinger drew a leadoff walk.  Perez struck out Bako swinging.  Cueto dropped down a bunt down the first base line, and Delgado made the out at first as Keppinger advanced to second.  Perez hit Freel with the pitch.  Perez fanned Votto to end the inning.  Perez gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 2 SOs in the 5th Inning.  In the Top of the 6th, Griffey drew a leadoff walk.  Phillips hit the ball foul of the right field wall, and Church made the out.  Encarnacion lined the ball to deep left, and Alou dropped it so Encarnacion ended up with a double as Griffey went first to third.  Adam Dunn hit a sacrifice fly to center, and Ken Griffey Jr. tagged up and scored and Encarnacion tagged up and went to third.  Jeff Keppinger worked the count full before lining a two-out RBI triple to the gap in left center, and Edwin Encarnacion scored.  With Bako in the batters box, Perez threw a wild pitch that went to the backstop and Jeff Keppinger scored.  Bako flied out to center.  Perez gave up 2 Hits, 3 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 6th Inning.  Perez left the game after pitching 6.0 Innings allowing 3 Hits, 3 Runs, 3 ER, 4 BBs, and he had 8 SOs.

Randolph replaced Perez with Scott Schoeneweis to begin the Top of the 7th.  Freel dropped a one-out single into left.  Schoeneweis picked off Freel at first, and the Mets got him in a rundown and then got Freel out at second.  Schoeneweis struck out Votto looking.  Schoeneweis gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 7th Inning.  In the Top of the 8th, Phillips grounded a one-out single up the middle.  Encarnacion drove a one-out single to the gap in right center, and Phillips went first to third.  Schoeneweis struck out Dunn swinging.  Schoeneweis gave up 2 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 8th Inning.  Schoeneweis left the game after pitching 1.2 Innings allowing 3 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 3 SOs.

Randolph replaced Schoeneweis with Joe Smith with two outs in the Top of the 8th.  Smith fanned Keppinger.  Smith gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 8th Inning.

Randolph replaced Smith with Pedro Feliciano to begin the Top of the 9th.  The inning has been slowed down because the Reds batted out of order.  It seems like the Coaches and the Umpires don’t know how to deal with the situation.  Ross grounded a one-out single up the middle.  Freel grounded to second, and Easley made the out at first as Ross advanced to second.  Votto grounded to second, and Easley made the out at first to end the game.  Feliciano gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 9th Inning.

At the Plate

Johnny Cueto (2-3) was the starting pitcher for the Reds.  In the Bottom of the 1st, Reyes lined a leadoff single to center.  With Castillo at the plate, Reyes stole second by a mile.  Luis Castillo hit the ball into the gap in right center, and miscommunication between Griffey and Freel allowed the ball to fall so Castillo ended up with an RBI triple while Jose Reyes came around to score.  Wright flied out to shallow center, and Castillo held up at third.  Carlos Beltran lined a one-out RBI double into the gap in left center, and Luis Castillo came home to score.  Church lined out to first.  Moises Alou lined a two-out opposite field RBI double to the right field corner, and Carlos Beltran scored.  Delgado flied out to center to end the fun.  Cueto gave up 4 Hits, 3 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 1st Inning.  In the Bottom of the 2nd, Perez drew a one-out walk.  Reyes popped up to center, and Freel made the catch.  With Castillo at the plate, Perez stole second with no throw because the Reds were very confused.  Cueto struck Castillo out on a called strike.  Cueto gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO in the 2nd Inning.  In the Bottom of the 3rd, Wright drew a leadoff walk.  Cueto struck out Beltran swinging as Wright took off for second, and Bako threw Wright out at second.  Cueto fanned Church.  Cueto gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 2 SO in the 3rd Inning.  In the Bottom of the 4th, Delgado drew a one-out walk on four pitches.  Schneider popped up foul of the third base line, and Encarnacion made the catch.  Perez dropped down a bunt towards the pitcher, and Cueto did not field the ball properly so Perez beat it out and Delgado went to second.  Cueto got Reyes swinging at a pitch in the dirt to end the inning.  Cueto gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO in the 4th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 5th, Castillo beat out a slow grounder to short for a leadoff single.  Cueto fanned Wright.  Carlos Beltran crushed a one-out 2-run homer to right field scoring Luis Castillo.  Ryan Church followed that up with a solo shot to center.  Alou grounded out to short.  Cueto gave up 3 Hits, 3 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 5th Inning.  Cueto left the game after pitching 4.2 Innings allowing 8 Hits, 6 Runs, 6 ER, 3 BBs, and he had 5 SOs.

Baker replaced Cueto with Bill Bray with two outs in the Bottom of the 5th.  Bray fanned Delgado.  Bray gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 5th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 6th, Reyes grounded over the third base bag and down the line for a two-out double.  Bray gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 6th Inning.  Bray left the game after pitching 1.0 Innings allowing 1 Hit, 1 Run, 1 ER, 0 BBs, and he had 2 SOs.

Baker replaced Bray with Jared Burton with two outs in the Bottom of the 6th.  Easley replaced Castillo, and Damion Easley lined a two-out RBI single into right which scored Jose Reyes.  With Wright at the plate, Burton threw a wild pitch and Easley stole second.  David Wright worked the count full before grounding an RBI single through the hole on the left side which scored Damion Easley.  Beltran grounded to third, and Encarnacion made the force out at second to end the inning.  Burton gave up 2 Hits, 2 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 6th Inning.

Baker replaced Burton with Jeremy Affeldt to begin the Bottom of the 7th.  Delgado dropped a two-out opposite field single to left.  Schneider grounded to the pitcher, and Affeldt made the out at first to end the inning.  Affeldt gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 7th Inning.

Baker replaced Affeldt with David Weathers to begin the Bottom of the 8th.  Anderson pinch hit for Smith, and Anderson led off with a leadoff double into the right field corner.  Reyes chopped the ball to third and beat it out without a throw, and Anderson went to third.  Weathers caught Easley staring at strike three.  With Wright at the plate, Weathers threw a passed ball so Reyes stole second.  Weathers struck out Wright swinging.  Beltran grounded out to second to end the inning.  Weathers gave up 2 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 2 SOs in the 8th Inning.

Final Score: Cincinnati Reds 3 - New York Mets 8.  The MLB.com Box Score is attached.  Oliver Perez (3-3) got the win and Johnny Cueto (2-4) got the loss.

The Mets were able to win on Mother’s Day, and they were able to win this series against the Reds.  Oli pitched in classic Oli fashion as he pitched 5 shutout innings and then gave up 3 runs out of no where.  The ‘pen put up goose eggs today.  The offense scored 8 runs, and Beltran led the charge again with 3 RBIs.  The best thing about the past few games is that other batters are driving in runs while David is in his slump.  In April, Wright drove in almost all of the team’s RBIs.  For this team to dominate, everybody needs to contribute.  If nobody else drove in the runs then the Metsies would lose these games against the last place teams.  I hope it’s a good sign of things to come.

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