Live Game Commentary: Nats at Mets

Another decaf version of the Live Game...

First inning:

• 1-1 on Christian Guzman, and Pedro Martinez and Raul Casanova are having a bit of trouble communicating. Pedro gets Guz to pop out to Jose Reyes on the outfield grass.
• Paul Lo Duca is making his first appearance of the spring, and gets a nice hand from the crowd. He looks to Pedro, and blows him a kiss. Interesting. Pedro works him 0-2, as he grounds one to Reyes' right, and he boots it.
• Ryan Zimmerman pokes one down the line in right and gets gunned down by Ryan Church as he tries to stretch it to a double. Church has an absolute gun in right. Lo Duca moved to third.
• Pedro and Casanova are still having issues with the signals. A beautiful changeup in the dirt against Dimitri Young for strike two, and an even nicer one to get him swinging to end the inning.

• I truly do not understand that Reyes commercial for MLB 2K8.

• Reyes surprisingly does not swing at the first pitch, but makes up for it with a terrible swing on a ball low and away to strike out.
• Luis Castillo does not have a pretty AB, and pops out to center.
• David Wright has a loopy swing, but pulls the ball into right field for a single. Not his prettiest swing.
• Carlos Beltran loves to call time right as the pitcher is about to deliver. It's like icing the kicker in football, I guess. Beltran pulls a double down the third base line. Looks pretty good running from home to second. Wright moves to third.
• Carlos Delgado pulls one down the first base line, which eats up Young. He keeps the ball in front of him as he doubles over and searches for the ball. He finds it and tosses it to Matt Chico running over to cover the bag. Chico trips while he catches the ball, tags the bag, and tumbles to the ground.

Second inning:

• Pedro promptly pegs the batter on the hip with his first pitch of the inning.
• Elijah Dukes rips a double to left. 2nd and 3rd, no one out. Not Pedros best work so far. He's giving up the balls away which is allowing the batters to put the balls down the line.
• Another ball ripped down the line, snagged by a diving Delgado. He rolls over the tosses to Pedro who came over to cover. Excellent play, but the run comes home. 1-0 Nats, man on third, 1 out.
• Ryan Langerhans works the count full, but goes down swinging on a ~75 mph changeup from Pedro.
• And a ground out to Reyes will end the inning. Pedro had two on in scoring position with no one out, and got out of the inning with only one run.

• Angel Pagan comes up for his first AB of the day. He really needs to pick it up if he doesn't want to end up in AAA. He started off very hot, but has cooled off significantly over the past few games. He cues a one hopper up the middle and beats out the throw for an infield single.
• Church didn't get on base again. How? I don't know.
• Casanova is putting together a tough at bat, and as I write that, he grounds into an inning ending double play.

Third inning:

• Pedro gets Guzman swinging for the first out of the inning.
• Apparently Lo Duca hit a single in the first inning. My bad. Lo Duca hits one to straightaway center, and Beltran has to go straight back to make the catch. Looks fine in the outfield. Almost 100% apparently.
• Another one right to Beltran, who has to backtrack a few steps to make the catch. 1-2-3 for Pedro.

• Martinez is making his first AB of the game. He pops out to shallow center.
• Reyes pops out in foul territory behind the plate.
• It's scary to say, but Chico is setting the Mets down quickly. Castillo is at the plate. He singles, and in his usual gimpy running style, gets down to first.
• Wright takes the first pitch from Chico and singles up the middle.
• Beltran knocks one to left, and Dukes falls down, but still makes the play.

Fourth inning:

• The Meat Hook is up to face Pedro. Chops one down to Castillo for the first out.
• Austin Kearns takes Pedro deep to left and over the wall. Right down the pipe from Martinez, and Kearns took advantage. 2-0 Nats.
• Martinez leaves a curveball hanging over the plate, and it is ripped to left field. Pagan charges and makes a diving grab for the out. Nice play.
• Swinging strike to end the inning, Martinez might be done.

• Delgado grounds out for the first out.
• Brian Schneider is playing in the minor league game, and he really looks uncomfortable as he runs to first on a ground out. I think SNY just figured out they can show the minor league game, as between every pitch, they switch to the back fields.
• Pagan works out a walk. And easily steals second on the very next pitch. Lo Duca's throw had arc on it. The Mets can't wait to exploit that.
  
• Church has at least gotten the count to 3-2 on the AB. Church grounds out to short, which doesn't allow Pagan to advance. I can already hear the boo birds for Church.
• Casanova pops out to Langerhans, and the inning is over.

Fifth inning:

• Pedro is still in.
• Allows a single to Langerhans up the middle.
• Chico commits a cardinal sin, popping up his bunt. Casanova catches it, and easily gets Langerhans out at first as he was running on the play. 2 away.
• Ground out to end the inning. Pedro might be done, again.

• Caleb Stewart is up hitting for Pedro, who is done for the day. He dribbles one down to first for the first out.
• 212-246-0416, if you would like to call in to the SNY booth. No joke. They're taking calls in the booth.
• Reyes doubles for the second straight game, which spells the end for Chico. A big day from him. Chris Schroder is in for the Nats.
• Reyes gets thrown out stealing third base. An odd sight for us Mets fans, Lo Duca threw out a runner. He absolutely looks safe on that, I'm sorry.
• Castillo...gets on base, somehow. Sorry, Drake / WKY is a great game.
• WP from Schroder, and Castillo practically walks to second.
• Wright absolutely CRUSHES a home run to left center. 2-2 game. That was long gone.
• Beltran bloops one off the glove of the second baseman in shallow right. Should be an error.
• They are busting Delgado inside here. He skies one to the catcher. Guess it worked.

Sixth inning:

• Ricardo Rincon is on to pitch, facing Lo Duca.
• Lo Duca looks absolutely foolish on a great pitch by Rincon. Strikes out swinging.
• Strike out looking, for Zimmerman. 3 pitches.
• Ground out to end the inning, and it elicits a fist-pump from Delgado. Great inning from Rincon.

• They're taking calls in the booth. This is hilarious.

• Pagan hits one off the wall for a stand up triple. I really don't know who is making this team anymore.
• Church walks on 4 pitches.
• Casanova has a chance to impress here, with 1st and 3rd and nobody out. Instead, he strikes out swinging.
• Pinch hitting master Marlon Anderson comes to the plate. Rips one off the wall, almost to the same spot as Pagan. Pagan scores, Church moves to third on Anderson's double.
• Reyes slices one into left center, and tries to stretch it to a triple but is easily gunned down at third. Two runs score to make it 5-2 Mets.
• Damion Easley at the dish. He puts one right to left field. Inning over.

I'll call it here for the day. I'll be back in a few with the recap.