Voting closed. Here are the results.
This is the final voting in Round 1. The Blue Bracket in the Piazza Division.
Here are today's matchups. (There are four polls. I notice the top poll has more votes than the others, so make sure you scoll down for the others!)
Showing posts with label Luis Ayala. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Luis Ayala. Show all posts
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Monday, December 1, 2008
Mets to offer arbitration to Oliver Perez
Another shrewd move in baseball dealings, either of which work out well for the Mets -- be it now or in the future.
Oliver Perez is a free agent, and tonight at midnight is the deadline for teams to offer one-year deals, at a much higher salary, to the free agents that filed from their team. If Perez accepts (don't count on it) the Mets have filled a hole in their starting rotation.
If he refuses, which will almost certainly happen, the Mets will receive first- and second-round draft picks as compensation for his Type A free agent status.
The Mets can do no wrong here. I'd like to see Perez back, but I know the team is going to have to pay through the nose for him since he's a Scott Boras client.
Outside of Perez, the Mets have two Type B players in Luis Ayala and Moises Alou. There's no word on whether they'll offer arbitration to either of these players. Ayala, if either, would be the only play I see here. I think Alou's days are done.
If the Mets do offer anything to Ayala, I hope he refuses, unless he's going to play for peanuts.
Oliver Perez is a free agent, and tonight at midnight is the deadline for teams to offer one-year deals, at a much higher salary, to the free agents that filed from their team. If Perez accepts (don't count on it) the Mets have filled a hole in their starting rotation.
If he refuses, which will almost certainly happen, the Mets will receive first- and second-round draft picks as compensation for his Type A free agent status.
The Mets can do no wrong here. I'd like to see Perez back, but I know the team is going to have to pay through the nose for him since he's a Scott Boras client.
Outside of Perez, the Mets have two Type B players in Luis Ayala and Moises Alou. There's no word on whether they'll offer arbitration to either of these players. Ayala, if either, would be the only play I see here. I think Alou's days are done.
If the Mets do offer anything to Ayala, I hope he refuses, unless he's going to play for peanuts.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Six Mets file for FA
The old guys want out.
The Mets that filed for free agency: Moises Alou (42), Pedro Martinez (37), Tony Armas, Jr. (30), Luis Ayala (30), Ramon Martinez (36) and Ricardo Rincon (38).
These six players ages add up to 213 years, for a mean age of 35.5.
No way Alou comes back. No chance. He can still hit, but he can't stay healthy at all. R. Martinez and Rincon are as good as gone, too.
I took a long look at Pedro and don't expect him to come back, but he might. It's a toss-up. (There are some great comments on that article. Worth a look.)
Ayala could return, but I doubt it. I think the Mets would rather shed the old bullpen and bring in new players instead of re-signing the players that made it terrible. Armas could end up in AAA with a minor league deal, as he wasn't half bad when the Mets needed him.
Don't be surprised when none of these players return in 2009.
The Mets that filed for free agency: Moises Alou (42), Pedro Martinez (37), Tony Armas, Jr. (30), Luis Ayala (30), Ramon Martinez (36) and Ricardo Rincon (38).
These six players ages add up to 213 years, for a mean age of 35.5.
No way Alou comes back. No chance. He can still hit, but he can't stay healthy at all. R. Martinez and Rincon are as good as gone, too.
I took a long look at Pedro and don't expect him to come back, but he might. It's a toss-up. (There are some great comments on that article. Worth a look.)
Ayala could return, but I doubt it. I think the Mets would rather shed the old bullpen and bring in new players instead of re-signing the players that made it terrible. Armas could end up in AAA with a minor league deal, as he wasn't half bad when the Mets needed him.
Don't be surprised when none of these players return in 2009.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Should they stay or should they go? [Pitchers]
As we solemnly shift into the 2008-2009 off-season, I guess it's never too early to look ahead.Here's a list of all the pitchers who made an appearance with the Mets in 2008, and whether they should stay or go, and why:
Pitchers
Johan Santana - Stay.
Mike Pelfrey - Stay. Probably the #2 starter next season.
Oliver Perez - Stay. Maybe. First tough one. He's good, he's young, and he's lefty. Too bad he's going to be expensive. I would say sign him again, maybe a three year deal. He's proven capable of pitching, sometimes. He put together a few good starts, but struggles at times. If he's re-signed, Mets fans must accept he will never be consistent.
John Maine - Stay. Surgery for him on Tuesday, and with a full recovery, he'll be back to normal. Without any huge acquisitions (CC Sabathia), Maine could be the #3 guy in the rotation. I think the Mets need a bit of an upgrade in the starting rotation, so Maine might be the #4. I love his fight and I think he can be a top-class pitcher if he can limit his pitch count and work further into games.
Pedro Martinez - Go. Sorry, Pedro. I love you, you helped turned this team around, but I can't see the Mets bringing you back, if you even keep pitching past this year. I say call it a career. Focus on your family, and become a fun-loving announcer or something like that. You've had a great run. Sorry this team couldn't send you out on top.
Billy Wagner - Go. Injured, and out for all of 2009. He's thrown his last pitch as a Met. Too bad they'll still be paying him.
Pedro Feliciano - Stay. Though he'll probably take a month off after appearing in 86 games this season. He's decent for what he does and won't be too expensive.
Joe Smith - Stay. I love him. He is overused, but that was a creature of the rest of the bullpen. He's great.
Aaron Heilman - GO! Trade him away, ship him somewhere, get him off the team. He's worn out his welcome on more than one occasion, and if the Mets want to please Mets fans and pay them back for what they've done these last two season, they will trade Heilman as soon as possible. He's the scapegoat of this team and he will never prosper while pitching in Queens.
Scott Schoeneweis - Go. People had interest in him nearing the end of July, so hopefully there is still some sort of market for him. Trade him.
Duaner Sanchez - Stay. Only because I think he wasn't fully prepared for a full season of pitching. After getting this under his belt, and a long offseason, I think Sanchez can come back as a decent pitcher. Take a chance.
Nelson Figueroa - Stay. I say keep him. He's perfect AAA fodder. He can start, come out of the bullpen, and is very versatile. He's not lights out, but he's capable and a New York native.
Brandon Knight - Stay. Why not? He's not going to cost much and can pitch three good innings. He's better suited out of the bullpen, as opposed to starting. Will not be heartbroken when the Mets release him, though.
Claudio Vargas - Stay. This is going to become a theme. I don't mind keeping guys like this because we all know the Mets will suffer injuries. They're going to need "veterans" to come up and fill in. Vargas was much better than I expected, so if he can keep that going, I wouldn't mind a spot start or two from him.
Brian Stokes - Stay. Smoking fastball, and with a bit of tweaking, he'd be a great relief pitcher. His fastball doesn't seem to move much, but he can get it up there. A good 6th or 7th inning guy, but nothing in clutch situations. He's not the next closer.
Carlos Muniz - Go. I know he's been on the Heath Bell Express, but I haven't seen more than a handful of good performances from him. Stay in the minors, please.
Luis Ayala - Go. Worth what we traded for him, but he's a guy on the fence. He's not a closer, but he might be able to pitch in relief in non-pressure situation. But then what's the point of keeping him around? Adios, amigo. You successfully got Anderson Hernandez out of this organization, and for that we are forever in debt to you.
Jonathon Niese - Stay. Possible starter next year? We saw what he's capable of with that eight inning, shut out performance against the Braves. Young, with a nasty curve ball. He's obviously not going anywhere, but it's yet to be determined if he can make the cut for the majors. See you in spring training.
Tony Armas - Stay. See: Claudio Vargas.
Matt Wise - Go. What a waste of a contract. Eight games, seven innings, 6.43 ERA. Good riddance.
Bobby Parnell - Stay. Another guy who could be starting next year, if things work out in his favor. Could also stick in the bullpen, but more valuable as a starter, I think. He looked a bit less polished than Niese, so we'll see him in spring training, and maybe if someone gets hurt.
Ricardo Rincon - Go. No sir.
Eddie Kunz - Stay. Closer of the future? That's yet to be determined, but he showed some signs of brillance. A big guy that can throw heat, how can you not love that. I could see him sticking in the bullpen out of spring training.
In the end, I'd like to see a starting rotation of:
Santana
Pelfrey
Maine
Perez (if cheap)
Niese / Parnell
And a bullpen of:
Smith
Feliciano
Stokes
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
Kunz, Parnell, or Niese could all fit in there at some point in time, and maybe Knight for long relief.
Omar Minaya has a lot of work to do with this bullpen. Hopefully he doesn't take all four years of his contract extension to put it together.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Game Recap: Mets 13 -- Nationals 10
That was a doozy.
Pitching Performance
Well, this was ugly all around. This totally destroys my theory of starting pitching and bullpen performance.
Mike Pelfrey allowed five runs on eight hits, through five innings of work. He walked two and struck out none. Through those five, he had to throw 96 pitches, so it was like he threw more innings.
Yuck.
And it was all downhill from here. Pelfrey was getting hit hard tonight. He just didn't have it. Not the time for the pitching to go into a slide.
From there, the bullpen took over and tried to give the game away, but the bats wanted nothing of it.
Aaron Heilman came out of the depths of the bullpen, and allowed a two-run home run to Christian Guzman. Joe Smith went long tonight, working one 1-3 innings, and eventually earning the win. He walked only one, while striking out one.
Smith has turned it on lately. That's two wins in two days for him, and three innings of scoreless baseball. Well done.
The day after I praise Brian Stokes, he allowed a three-run home run, again to Guzman. Stokes allowed two hits and walked one in his inning of work. Luis Ayala pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning to earn the save for the Mets in a very, very sloppy game.
Whew. Well, Stokes wasn't pretty, but his fastball was bound to get hit. Hard. Nice stuff from Ayala though.
Offensive Output
Where to start? 13 hits and 13 runs. I'm going to try and keep this brief.
In the first, almost like clockwork, the Mets got on the board. Carlos Beltran singled in David Wright and the Mets went up 1-0.
The third inning saw the Mets bat around and push six runs across. A Wright single drove in one, a Beltran double drove in another. Fernando Tatis shot a bases loaded two-run double to left, and Damion Easley capped it off with a two-run single.
And from there, the Mets looked like they were in for some smooth sailing. Unfortunately, they needed more runs, and a lot of them. Thankfully, the bats responded to the call.
In the bottom of the seventh, Beltran drove in Wright again, this time with a sac-fly. With the bases loaded, Beltran was able to scamper home on a wild pitch. Brian Schneider helped the team, ripping a single to left, driving in Tatis and Daniel Murphy.
Beltran and Wright were the stars tonight, and no, Delgado didn't hit two home runs.
In the eighth, Wright added to the Mets tally with a two-run blast to left center, plating Church.
Wow.
The Rest of the Story
Jose Reyes broke Mookie Wilson's franchise steal record, picking up two in the same inning. Keep running, Jose.
Wright: 4-4, BB, 3 RBI, 4 runs. Someone is getting hot.
Beltran: 3-5, 2 RBI, 2 runs.
Game Ball: David Wright.
Pitching Performance
Well, this was ugly all around. This totally destroys my theory of starting pitching and bullpen performance.
Mike Pelfrey allowed five runs on eight hits, through five innings of work. He walked two and struck out none. Through those five, he had to throw 96 pitches, so it was like he threw more innings.
Yuck.
And it was all downhill from here. Pelfrey was getting hit hard tonight. He just didn't have it. Not the time for the pitching to go into a slide.
From there, the bullpen took over and tried to give the game away, but the bats wanted nothing of it.
Aaron Heilman came out of the depths of the bullpen, and allowed a two-run home run to Christian Guzman. Joe Smith went long tonight, working one 1-3 innings, and eventually earning the win. He walked only one, while striking out one.
Smith has turned it on lately. That's two wins in two days for him, and three innings of scoreless baseball. Well done.
The day after I praise Brian Stokes, he allowed a three-run home run, again to Guzman. Stokes allowed two hits and walked one in his inning of work. Luis Ayala pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning to earn the save for the Mets in a very, very sloppy game.
Whew. Well, Stokes wasn't pretty, but his fastball was bound to get hit. Hard. Nice stuff from Ayala though.
Offensive Output
Where to start? 13 hits and 13 runs. I'm going to try and keep this brief.
In the first, almost like clockwork, the Mets got on the board. Carlos Beltran singled in David Wright and the Mets went up 1-0.
The third inning saw the Mets bat around and push six runs across. A Wright single drove in one, a Beltran double drove in another. Fernando Tatis shot a bases loaded two-run double to left, and Damion Easley capped it off with a two-run single.
And from there, the Mets looked like they were in for some smooth sailing. Unfortunately, they needed more runs, and a lot of them. Thankfully, the bats responded to the call.
In the bottom of the seventh, Beltran drove in Wright again, this time with a sac-fly. With the bases loaded, Beltran was able to scamper home on a wild pitch. Brian Schneider helped the team, ripping a single to left, driving in Tatis and Daniel Murphy.
Beltran and Wright were the stars tonight, and no, Delgado didn't hit two home runs.
In the eighth, Wright added to the Mets tally with a two-run blast to left center, plating Church.
Wow.
The Rest of the Story
Jose Reyes broke Mookie Wilson's franchise steal record, picking up two in the same inning. Keep running, Jose.
Wright: 4-4, BB, 3 RBI, 4 runs. Someone is getting hot.
Beltran: 3-5, 2 RBI, 2 runs.
Game Ball: David Wright.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Wallace Matthews and I agree, again
I'm starting to get a little worried. This is the second article where I've agreed with what baseball curmudgeon Wallace Matthews has had to say.
In his latest article, Matthews believes that the Mets should "rally around Wagner."
Since Billy Wagner went down, the Mets have lost only 11 games. Roughly half of those can be blamed on the bullpen, so it's nothing extremely out of the ordinary. The team can win without him, and Matthews wants them to stop making excuses and win even if they don't have their closer.
The Mets have been able to patch together the bullpen since the few days following losing their closer. Luis Ayala, though hittable, has been able to convert five saves so far, and a handful of guys have also picked up some along the way.
My vote for closer, right now: Brian Stokes. This guy has really come out of nowhere and has been able to get guys out with consistency. His fastball is lively, and he has poise on the mound. Ayala is decent, but I'd like to see what this guy can do.
With or without him, the Mets have to win. Since there's no chance he's coming back anytime soon, the Mets need to buck up and prepare for life without their closer. Win or lose, it's because of the team on the field, not the guys on the DL.
In his latest article, Matthews believes that the Mets should "rally around Wagner."
Since Billy Wagner went down, the Mets have lost only 11 games. Roughly half of those can be blamed on the bullpen, so it's nothing extremely out of the ordinary. The team can win without him, and Matthews wants them to stop making excuses and win even if they don't have their closer.
Rather than take this as yet another excuse for failure, built-in reason No. 629 for why once again, the $140-million Mets just couldn't quite get it done, they ought to try something new this season.The Mets haven't done their best, at least as well as I think they could have done, since Wagner went on the DL on August 3. They've only lost 11 games. Think about that, would they have done the same if Wagner was there, or maybe even worse?
Such as winning in spite of Wagner's injury, rather than losing because of it.
The Mets have been able to patch together the bullpen since the few days following losing their closer. Luis Ayala, though hittable, has been able to convert five saves so far, and a handful of guys have also picked up some along the way.
My vote for closer, right now: Brian Stokes. This guy has really come out of nowhere and has been able to get guys out with consistency. His fastball is lively, and he has poise on the mound. Ayala is decent, but I'd like to see what this guy can do.
With or without him, the Mets have to win. Since there's no chance he's coming back anytime soon, the Mets need to buck up and prepare for life without their closer. Win or lose, it's because of the team on the field, not the guys on the DL.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Maybe losing Billy Wagner isn't all that bad
I present to you, Billy Wagner's postseason numbers. Take it as you will.
And for reference, Luis Ayala's October numbers.
Oh, wait. There are none.
And for reference, Luis Ayala's October numbers.
Oh, wait. There are none.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Billy Wagner done for the year?
Strike two on the day.
David Lennon is reporting that Billy Wagner may be done for the year.
Wagner was throwing a simulated game at Shea Stadium, but was unable to continue after only a handful of pitches, even hitting one of the batters he faced.
Lennon relays a pretty telling quote from Wagner: "That's it. I can't do it anymore."
Looks like the Mets should just settle in with the thought of not having Wagner for the rest of the season. Groom Luis Ayala for the closer role for the rest of the season and hopefully into the post-season.
The only thing that could make today worse is getting swept at home by the Phillies.
David Lennon is reporting that Billy Wagner may be done for the year.
Wagner was throwing a simulated game at Shea Stadium, but was unable to continue after only a handful of pitches, even hitting one of the batters he faced.
Lennon relays a pretty telling quote from Wagner: "That's it. I can't do it anymore."
Looks like the Mets should just settle in with the thought of not having Wagner for the rest of the season. Groom Luis Ayala for the closer role for the rest of the season and hopefully into the post-season.
The only thing that could make today worse is getting swept at home by the Phillies.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Billy Wagner could be back by Tuesday
The bullpen has had it's ups and downs all season. Without Billy Wagner they've seemed to struggle mightily to end games. Finally, thankfully, it looks like Wagner could return next week.
According to David Lennon in Newsday, Wagner threw 20 pitches at Shea Stadium yesterday as he attempts to come back from a sore left elbow that landed him on the DL.
I hope the Mets aren't rushing him back, but I think they've learned their lesson on how to deal with injuries this season. In Wagner's absence, the Mets have lost a few games they should have won due to the closer, but nothing that Wagner might not have done himself.
His absence allowed for players like Luis Ayala, Brian Stokes, and even Aaron Heilman to see time in tougher situations to see how they would hold up.
When Wagner comes back, I can see Ayala shifting into more of an eighth inning role, even though Jerry Manuel likes to keep things fluid in his bullpen.
Either way, getting Wagner back will be a big plus for the Mets in their drive for the playoffs and as long as he stays healthy and converts his chances, all will be right with the bullpen again.
According to David Lennon in Newsday, Wagner threw 20 pitches at Shea Stadium yesterday as he attempts to come back from a sore left elbow that landed him on the DL.
I hope the Mets aren't rushing him back, but I think they've learned their lesson on how to deal with injuries this season. In Wagner's absence, the Mets have lost a few games they should have won due to the closer, but nothing that Wagner might not have done himself.
His absence allowed for players like Luis Ayala, Brian Stokes, and even Aaron Heilman to see time in tougher situations to see how they would hold up.
When Wagner comes back, I can see Ayala shifting into more of an eighth inning role, even though Jerry Manuel likes to keep things fluid in his bullpen.
Either way, getting Wagner back will be a big plus for the Mets in their drive for the playoffs and as long as he stays healthy and converts his chances, all will be right with the bullpen again.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Game Recap: Mets 6 -- Brewers 5
The bullpen was amazin'. Simple as that.
Pitching Performance
Making his Major League debut, Jon Niese was tagged with for a home run while facing his first batter. Rickie Weeks took Niese deep to left on his third pitch of the game. He got into more trouble in the inning, but was able to work out of it.
He pitched well through the next few innings, but wasn't able to work out of the fourth inning. Niese let up four more runs in the fourth inning, before being removed. His final line: 3+ IP, 7 hits, 5 ER, 4 BB, 2 K.
The second and third were all right, I guess. He has nasty stuff, but I'm sure his nerves were wreaking havoc on his composure. Nice to get a few innings out of him. I think he'll be better the next time around.
From here on out, the game was in the bullpen hands, something Mets fans do not want to see. Surprisingly and amazingly the bullpen threw seven innings of shut out baseball, allowing only four hits.
Four! Wow.
Nelson Figueroa came into the game after Niese, and ended up throwing two scoreless innings. Figueroa let up three hits, but was able to work out of trouble. He also walked one and struck out three. Duaner Sanchez threw an inning of perfect baseball. Brian Stokes looked absolutely brilliant, throwing two plus innings, allowing one hit and a walk, while striking out two.
Stokes was spectacular. I love it. Sign him. I love his fastball.
Pedro Feliciano worked out of a jam, getting a double play ground ball in the ninth inning. Joe Smith came on and ended the ninth, and moved the game into extras.
Luis Ayala was handed a one run lead in the bottom of the tenth, and of course had to make it interesting. He allowed a two-out double, and then walked a batter before getting Weeks (who went 4-6 on the night) to strikeout.
Whewwwwwwwwwwwww! Hear that noise? That's every Mets fan in the world taking a sign of relief. Ayala, I'll be sending you my bill for my heart medication. Thanks.
Offensive Output
Instead of the first again, the Mets waited an inning and struck in the second inning. Fernando Tatis and Damion Easley picked up RBI's in the second, Tatis with a double and Easley with a ground ball to short.
Tatis is swinging a hot bat. Keep Ryan Church in the PH role and spot started. Play the hot hand, please.
In the third, Carlos Beltran crushed a three-run home run to deep left field, driving in David Wright and Nick Evans.
The Carloses are getting toasty. Watch out, NL, here come Los Carloses!
With the game tied up in the top of the tenth, Daniel Murphy came up to the plate and again delievered in a clutch situation. Murphy singled to lead off the inning, followed by an attempted sacrifice bunt from Jose Reyes to move him into scoring posisition. Jason Kendall picked up the bunt and made the throw to first, but the ball was dropped by Weeks, who was covering, allowing Murphy to move to third base. Endy Chavez followed it up with a sac fly to deep right, plating Murphy and giving the Mets the upper hand.
Thank you, Endy. Way to come through in the clutch again. He may not be the best player, but he will go down in the annals of Mets history as a legend for some of the things he has done.
The Rest of the Story
Wright Watch: 1-5, run, K. Still looks lost at the plate for most of his AB.
The umpiring was a bit iffy most of the night, especially in the tenth. Some close pitches would go for a ball, others that were further out of the zone were called strikes. Frustrating, to say the least.
Game Ball: The entire bullpen.
Pitching Performance
Making his Major League debut, Jon Niese was tagged with for a home run while facing his first batter. Rickie Weeks took Niese deep to left on his third pitch of the game. He got into more trouble in the inning, but was able to work out of it.
He pitched well through the next few innings, but wasn't able to work out of the fourth inning. Niese let up four more runs in the fourth inning, before being removed. His final line: 3+ IP, 7 hits, 5 ER, 4 BB, 2 K.
The second and third were all right, I guess. He has nasty stuff, but I'm sure his nerves were wreaking havoc on his composure. Nice to get a few innings out of him. I think he'll be better the next time around.
From here on out, the game was in the bullpen hands, something Mets fans do not want to see. Surprisingly and amazingly the bullpen threw seven innings of shut out baseball, allowing only four hits.
Four! Wow.
Nelson Figueroa came into the game after Niese, and ended up throwing two scoreless innings. Figueroa let up three hits, but was able to work out of trouble. He also walked one and struck out three. Duaner Sanchez threw an inning of perfect baseball. Brian Stokes looked absolutely brilliant, throwing two plus innings, allowing one hit and a walk, while striking out two.
Stokes was spectacular. I love it. Sign him. I love his fastball.
Pedro Feliciano worked out of a jam, getting a double play ground ball in the ninth inning. Joe Smith came on and ended the ninth, and moved the game into extras.
Luis Ayala was handed a one run lead in the bottom of the tenth, and of course had to make it interesting. He allowed a two-out double, and then walked a batter before getting Weeks (who went 4-6 on the night) to strikeout.
Whewwwwwwwwwwwww! Hear that noise? That's every Mets fan in the world taking a sign of relief. Ayala, I'll be sending you my bill for my heart medication. Thanks.
Offensive Output
Instead of the first again, the Mets waited an inning and struck in the second inning. Fernando Tatis and Damion Easley picked up RBI's in the second, Tatis with a double and Easley with a ground ball to short.
Tatis is swinging a hot bat. Keep Ryan Church in the PH role and spot started. Play the hot hand, please.
In the third, Carlos Beltran crushed a three-run home run to deep left field, driving in David Wright and Nick Evans.
The Carloses are getting toasty. Watch out, NL, here come Los Carloses!
With the game tied up in the top of the tenth, Daniel Murphy came up to the plate and again delievered in a clutch situation. Murphy singled to lead off the inning, followed by an attempted sacrifice bunt from Jose Reyes to move him into scoring posisition. Jason Kendall picked up the bunt and made the throw to first, but the ball was dropped by Weeks, who was covering, allowing Murphy to move to third base. Endy Chavez followed it up with a sac fly to deep right, plating Murphy and giving the Mets the upper hand.
Thank you, Endy. Way to come through in the clutch again. He may not be the best player, but he will go down in the annals of Mets history as a legend for some of the things he has done.
The Rest of the Story
Wright Watch: 1-5, run, K. Still looks lost at the plate for most of his AB.
The umpiring was a bit iffy most of the night, especially in the tenth. Some close pitches would go for a ball, others that were further out of the zone were called strikes. Frustrating, to say the least.
Game Ball: The entire bullpen.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Game Recap: Mets 4 -- Brewers 2
Again, the Mets let the other team score in the first inning, and then came back to win.
Pitching Performance
What was a pitchers duel through five innings, featured Johan Santana facing off against Ben Sheets. Thankfully for the Mets, Sheets had to leave in the fifth with a groin injury. Santana was on today, even though he let in a run on a balk. In the first, Santana let up a one-out triple to J.J. Hardy, who was driven in by the next batter, Ryan Braun, when he doubled to left.
Santana worked through the next innings almost without issue, letting up hits here and there. In the sixth, with runners on second and third, Santana committed a balk, bringing in Prince Fielder. He ended up working six innings, allowing seven hits and two earned runs. He walked only one while striking out ten Brewers.
Spectacular. The balk was bad, but what can you do? Other than that, it was probably the best I've seen Johan throw all year. He only lasted through six, which wasn't great, but his control was spot on all day. Thanks to the bullpen and an offensive come back, Johan still hasn't lost since June 28.
Nelson Figueroa made his first appearance since re-joining the team, and he pitched the seventh, allowing only one hit. He ended up the winning pitcher on the day. Figueroa started the eight, but allowed a double and was removed in favor of Pedro Feliciano. Feliciano got Fielder swinging as his only batter. Joe Smith entered the game and got Corey Hart and Mike Cameron to strike out and end the threat.
Figgy had a great 7th and Feliciano and Smith looked absolutely dominant in the eight, getting the big boppers from Milwaukee to K in a big spot.
Luis Ayala entered for the Mets to earn the save, and set down the side in order, striking out one.
He goes out there and throws strikes, and I like that about him. He doesn't fear any hitter, he just pounds it in the zone.
Offensive Output
The Mets were shut down by Sheets early, and didn't get on the board until late, but they did what they had to do to win the game.
They were held off the board until the seventh inning where the Mets loaded the bases and eventually scored on a wild pitch.
The eighth was huge for the team. Daniel Murphy, who continues to impress, lead off the inning with a double. Carlos Delgado came up with the team down by one, and launched a two-run home run to right field.
When I say "launched," I really mean it. The ball went up and up and up and I did not think it was going to get out. But it did, and it was clutch.
Carlos Beltran followed up the home run with a stiff single to right, which was the followed by a Ryan Church double to deep left field, bringing Beltran all the way around from first to score.
On his slide into home, Beltran slid into home plate umpire Ed Rapuano. He played the eighth, but Endy Chavez played the ninth, as Beltran was removed with a "knee contusion."
It took them a while to get there, but when they scored, they did it when they needed to and it all worked out in the end. Good stuff.
The Rest of the Story
David Wright is struggling. Today, he went 0-5 with 2 K's.
Jose Reyes' hitting streak continues. Up to 11.
Murphy went 2-4, with a run and a walk while batting second today.
Game Ball: Carlos Delgado
Pitching Performance
What was a pitchers duel through five innings, featured Johan Santana facing off against Ben Sheets. Thankfully for the Mets, Sheets had to leave in the fifth with a groin injury. Santana was on today, even though he let in a run on a balk. In the first, Santana let up a one-out triple to J.J. Hardy, who was driven in by the next batter, Ryan Braun, when he doubled to left.
Santana worked through the next innings almost without issue, letting up hits here and there. In the sixth, with runners on second and third, Santana committed a balk, bringing in Prince Fielder. He ended up working six innings, allowing seven hits and two earned runs. He walked only one while striking out ten Brewers.
Spectacular. The balk was bad, but what can you do? Other than that, it was probably the best I've seen Johan throw all year. He only lasted through six, which wasn't great, but his control was spot on all day. Thanks to the bullpen and an offensive come back, Johan still hasn't lost since June 28.
Nelson Figueroa made his first appearance since re-joining the team, and he pitched the seventh, allowing only one hit. He ended up the winning pitcher on the day. Figueroa started the eight, but allowed a double and was removed in favor of Pedro Feliciano. Feliciano got Fielder swinging as his only batter. Joe Smith entered the game and got Corey Hart and Mike Cameron to strike out and end the threat.
Figgy had a great 7th and Feliciano and Smith looked absolutely dominant in the eight, getting the big boppers from Milwaukee to K in a big spot.
Luis Ayala entered for the Mets to earn the save, and set down the side in order, striking out one.
He goes out there and throws strikes, and I like that about him. He doesn't fear any hitter, he just pounds it in the zone.
Offensive Output
The Mets were shut down by Sheets early, and didn't get on the board until late, but they did what they had to do to win the game.
They were held off the board until the seventh inning where the Mets loaded the bases and eventually scored on a wild pitch.
The eighth was huge for the team. Daniel Murphy, who continues to impress, lead off the inning with a double. Carlos Delgado came up with the team down by one, and launched a two-run home run to right field.
When I say "launched," I really mean it. The ball went up and up and up and I did not think it was going to get out. But it did, and it was clutch.
Carlos Beltran followed up the home run with a stiff single to right, which was the followed by a Ryan Church double to deep left field, bringing Beltran all the way around from first to score.
On his slide into home, Beltran slid into home plate umpire Ed Rapuano. He played the eighth, but Endy Chavez played the ninth, as Beltran was removed with a "knee contusion."
It took them a while to get there, but when they scored, they did it when they needed to and it all worked out in the end. Good stuff.
The Rest of the Story
David Wright is struggling. Today, he went 0-5 with 2 K's.
Jose Reyes' hitting streak continues. Up to 11.
Murphy went 2-4, with a run and a walk while batting second today.
Game Ball: Carlos Delgado
Friday, August 29, 2008
Game Recap: Mets 5 -- Marlins 4
So when does Billy Wagner come back?
Pitching Performance
Oliver Perez was almost on tonight. He ended his night throwing six innings, giving up only three hits. Unfortunately, he also walked five, as he was just a tad wild. He managed to strike out four. Perez allowed only two runs while on the bump, including a solo home run from Josh Willingham, which was one of the longest home runs I've ever seen hit at a Marlins home game.
Wildly effective, at it's finest. Not great, not bad. He kept his team in the game and that's all that matters.
Brian Stokes came in for the seventh, and threw a perfect inning.
I really like the way Stokes pitches. Can we pencil him in for the bullpen next season, or is it wayyyyy too soon?
Joe Smith got into a tad of trouble, as he walked one and allowed a hit, but was able to work out of the inning without an issue.
Whew!
And here came the issues. Luis Ayala came in to close out the game with a three run lead. He ended up allowing four hits and two runs to score. He struck out one and was able to induce a ground ball with two outs and the tying runner on third base to end the game.
Seriously, when does Billy Wagner come back? This is getting scary. Very scary.
Offensive Output
The Mets played the "book end" game tonight. They scored one in the first and were quiet again until the ninth inning.
In the first (of course) the Mets got on the board early with a Carlos Beltran sacrifice fly to deep center field, plating Jose Reyes.
Skip to the ninth, with Luis Castillo at the plate and two outs. Castillo singled, followed by a David Wright single. Carlos Delgado got plunked to load the bases down by run with two outs. Beltran came to the plate again, and cashed in with a grand slam deep to right field on the first pitch.
I almost hurt myself jumping up and down and screaming when he hit that. If you didn't see, get to a TV and watch what he did to that ball. He crushed it. Wow.
Thank goodness for Beltran. Without him, they would have been sunk.
The Rest of the Story
Beltran drove in all five runs for the Mets tonight.
The Cubs beat the Phillies again, and the Mets opened up a two game lead.
Reyes has an eight game hitting streak.
Game Ball: Carlos Beltran, easy.
Pitching Performance
Oliver Perez was almost on tonight. He ended his night throwing six innings, giving up only three hits. Unfortunately, he also walked five, as he was just a tad wild. He managed to strike out four. Perez allowed only two runs while on the bump, including a solo home run from Josh Willingham, which was one of the longest home runs I've ever seen hit at a Marlins home game.
Wildly effective, at it's finest. Not great, not bad. He kept his team in the game and that's all that matters.
Brian Stokes came in for the seventh, and threw a perfect inning.
I really like the way Stokes pitches. Can we pencil him in for the bullpen next season, or is it wayyyyy too soon?
Joe Smith got into a tad of trouble, as he walked one and allowed a hit, but was able to work out of the inning without an issue.
Whew!
And here came the issues. Luis Ayala came in to close out the game with a three run lead. He ended up allowing four hits and two runs to score. He struck out one and was able to induce a ground ball with two outs and the tying runner on third base to end the game.
Seriously, when does Billy Wagner come back? This is getting scary. Very scary.
Offensive Output
The Mets played the "book end" game tonight. They scored one in the first and were quiet again until the ninth inning.
In the first (of course) the Mets got on the board early with a Carlos Beltran sacrifice fly to deep center field, plating Jose Reyes.
Skip to the ninth, with Luis Castillo at the plate and two outs. Castillo singled, followed by a David Wright single. Carlos Delgado got plunked to load the bases down by run with two outs. Beltran came to the plate again, and cashed in with a grand slam deep to right field on the first pitch.
I almost hurt myself jumping up and down and screaming when he hit that. If you didn't see, get to a TV and watch what he did to that ball. He crushed it. Wow.
Thank goodness for Beltran. Without him, they would have been sunk.
The Rest of the Story
Beltran drove in all five runs for the Mets tonight.
The Cubs beat the Phillies again, and the Mets opened up a two game lead.
Reyes has an eight game hitting streak.
Game Ball: Carlos Beltran, easy.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Game Recap: Mets 5 -- Braves 4
Jeez, and I thought the Pirates were bad.
Pitching Performance
Another leadoff solo home run against Pedro Martinez. Yunel Escobar hit another solo dinger off of Pedro's first pitch, his 39204772987 solo home run allowed in the last 10 games (Rough estimate). Pedro ended up throwing 7+ innings, allowing seven hits. He walked only one, and struck out six.
Martinez let in four earned runs, three of which came in the sixth inning. Brian McCann doubled in two runs to take the lead over the Mets, then Omar Infante singled in another in the sixth before Pedro worked out of it. He pitched a 1-2-3 seventh, and came out to start the eighth inning, but allowed a hit and was removed from the game.
Again, nothing spectacular, but he did his job, kept his team close and in the game. One of Pedro's poorer starts over the last few months, but I'll take this from him. He's inching toward the end of his career, but right now, looks like semi-vintage Pedro.
Question to Mets fans: Do you re-sign Pedro next year? For how long?
Pedro Feliciano replaced Martinez, allowing one hit and walking one, but benefitted from a very pretty 2-5-3 double play.
Luis Ayala pitched very admirably, throwing 1 1-3 innings, allowing only one hit. Ayala earned the win as the Mets pushed one across in the bottom half of the ninth inning.
So far, so good with Ayala. Maybe I was wrong about this trade...
Offensive Output
Carlos Delgado went 5-5 tonight, driving in three runs. Two of his hits probably should have been errors, but he'll take it and so will I.
Delgado got the Mets started in the bottom of the first, singling to center and driving in Jose Reyes. Delgado drove in the Mets second run in the third inning, singling again to center and driving in David Wright this time.
Those were his "real" hits. His "error hits" came later.
Wright added his own RBI, driving in, well, himself, with a solo home run deep to left field into the bleacher section.
Someone is getting hot, Mr. Wright. 3-4, 3 runs, RBI.
Here's where things get screwy. Bottom of the 8th, Nick Evans on second, Carlos Beltran on first, Delgado at the dish. Delgado bounces one to Infante at first, but Will Ohman failed to cover first. By the time Ohman got there, Infante had thrown the ball, which ended up going behind the sprinting pitcher. Evans came around to score, and tie up the game.
Move to the bottom of the ninth, same score. Wright doubles to right center with one out. The Braves decide to intentionally walk Beltran and pitch to Delgado, who at this point is 4-4. Makes little to no sense, I know. Delgado scorches one to left field, and Infante (yes, him again) streaks over and looks like he's going to make an easy catch and the line drive.
He must have lost it in the lights, as he ended up sliding, flailing and completely missing the ball. It actually bounced off of him, and skipped towards Mark Kotsay in centerfield. Wright was caught inbetween, but realized what happend and darted around third and took an unneccesary sliding headfirst dive into home to seal the win.
B-E-A-UTIFUL!
The Rest of the Story
This was the 27th consecutive one-run road loss for the Braves.
The Phillies lost to the Nationals, by a score of 4-3. Anderson Hernandez went 2-5, scored once and drove in one run. Funny that A-Hern aids the Nationals win over the Phillies, and Ayala works an inning and a third and earns the win for the Mets. This was all planned.
The Mets are 2.5 games up on the Phillies.
Game Ball: Carlos Delgado.
Pitching Performance
Another leadoff solo home run against Pedro Martinez. Yunel Escobar hit another solo dinger off of Pedro's first pitch, his 39204772987 solo home run allowed in the last 10 games (Rough estimate). Pedro ended up throwing 7+ innings, allowing seven hits. He walked only one, and struck out six.
Martinez let in four earned runs, three of which came in the sixth inning. Brian McCann doubled in two runs to take the lead over the Mets, then Omar Infante singled in another in the sixth before Pedro worked out of it. He pitched a 1-2-3 seventh, and came out to start the eighth inning, but allowed a hit and was removed from the game.
Again, nothing spectacular, but he did his job, kept his team close and in the game. One of Pedro's poorer starts over the last few months, but I'll take this from him. He's inching toward the end of his career, but right now, looks like semi-vintage Pedro.
Question to Mets fans: Do you re-sign Pedro next year? For how long?
Pedro Feliciano replaced Martinez, allowing one hit and walking one, but benefitted from a very pretty 2-5-3 double play.
Luis Ayala pitched very admirably, throwing 1 1-3 innings, allowing only one hit. Ayala earned the win as the Mets pushed one across in the bottom half of the ninth inning.
So far, so good with Ayala. Maybe I was wrong about this trade...
Offensive Output
Carlos Delgado went 5-5 tonight, driving in three runs. Two of his hits probably should have been errors, but he'll take it and so will I.
Delgado got the Mets started in the bottom of the first, singling to center and driving in Jose Reyes. Delgado drove in the Mets second run in the third inning, singling again to center and driving in David Wright this time.
Those were his "real" hits. His "error hits" came later.
Wright added his own RBI, driving in, well, himself, with a solo home run deep to left field into the bleacher section.
Someone is getting hot, Mr. Wright. 3-4, 3 runs, RBI.
Here's where things get screwy. Bottom of the 8th, Nick Evans on second, Carlos Beltran on first, Delgado at the dish. Delgado bounces one to Infante at first, but Will Ohman failed to cover first. By the time Ohman got there, Infante had thrown the ball, which ended up going behind the sprinting pitcher. Evans came around to score, and tie up the game.
Move to the bottom of the ninth, same score. Wright doubles to right center with one out. The Braves decide to intentionally walk Beltran and pitch to Delgado, who at this point is 4-4. Makes little to no sense, I know. Delgado scorches one to left field, and Infante (yes, him again) streaks over and looks like he's going to make an easy catch and the line drive.
He must have lost it in the lights, as he ended up sliding, flailing and completely missing the ball. It actually bounced off of him, and skipped towards Mark Kotsay in centerfield. Wright was caught inbetween, but realized what happend and darted around third and took an unneccesary sliding headfirst dive into home to seal the win.
B-E-A-UTIFUL!
The Rest of the Story
This was the 27th consecutive one-run road loss for the Braves.
The Phillies lost to the Nationals, by a score of 4-3. Anderson Hernandez went 2-5, scored once and drove in one run. Funny that A-Hern aids the Nationals win over the Phillies, and Ayala works an inning and a third and earns the win for the Mets. This was all planned.
The Mets are 2.5 games up on the Phillies.
Game Ball: Carlos Delgado.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Game Recap: Mets 7 -- Braves 3
Wait...the Mets bullpen...didn't give it up??
Pitching Performance
Oliver Perez was on the bump tonight, as he worked his way through six 1-3 innings. Perez scattered seven hits and five walks, and somehow managed to only give up three runs. Perez also struck out three. All three runs against Perez came in the top of the third inning, as the Braves strung together a walk, three singles and a couple of productive outs.
Perez was wildly effective. He let the runners reach, but almost always worked out without damage. It may have just been me trying to watch the game on the TV screen in the diner with my family, but it seemed like his rocking motion was more pronounced tonight, as opposed to recently. Maybe it was just me.
Luis Ayala made his Mets debut, coming in with men on first and third and only one out. Ayala induced two pop-ups to work out of the jam.
I was skeptical, but this was a good first appearance. Getting off on the right foot.
Aaron Heilman worked one inning, giving up one hit and walking one. The Mets offense finally woke up and made him a winner, bumping his record up to 3-7. Scott Schoeneweis came in with a four run lead, a non-save situation, allowed only one hit as the ended it for the Mets.
Solid. Very solid. The bullpen came out and did exactly what they're paid to do.
Offensive Output
The Mets got on the board early, scoring two runs in the top of the first. Another productive out from David Wright, as he drove in Jose Reyes with a sacrifice fly. Fernando Tatis drove in Nick Evans with a ground rule double to right field.
Three hits and a walk, but only two runs. Thankfully, after seven innings of silence, the Mets bats picked up the slack in the 8th inning.
Carlos Delgado came through in the clutch, with the Mets down by a run. Delgado ripped a two-run double to deep left field, putting the Mets up by one. Damion Easley added a two-run single, followed by a Ramon Castro RBI double.
Delgado and Easley had been pretty ice cold lately, but both came through when the team needed them. Good stuff.
The Rest of the Story
Chipper Jones: 2-3, 2 walks, run, RBI. He's having a beast of a season, and of course it continues at Shea.
The Mets were outhit, 8-9.
Daniel Murphy's batting average has sunk to a paltry .419.
Game Ball: Carlos Delgado
Pitching Performance
Oliver Perez was on the bump tonight, as he worked his way through six 1-3 innings. Perez scattered seven hits and five walks, and somehow managed to only give up three runs. Perez also struck out three. All three runs against Perez came in the top of the third inning, as the Braves strung together a walk, three singles and a couple of productive outs.
Perez was wildly effective. He let the runners reach, but almost always worked out without damage. It may have just been me trying to watch the game on the TV screen in the diner with my family, but it seemed like his rocking motion was more pronounced tonight, as opposed to recently. Maybe it was just me.
Luis Ayala made his Mets debut, coming in with men on first and third and only one out. Ayala induced two pop-ups to work out of the jam.
I was skeptical, but this was a good first appearance. Getting off on the right foot.
Aaron Heilman worked one inning, giving up one hit and walking one. The Mets offense finally woke up and made him a winner, bumping his record up to 3-7. Scott Schoeneweis came in with a four run lead, a non-save situation, allowed only one hit as the ended it for the Mets.
Solid. Very solid. The bullpen came out and did exactly what they're paid to do.
Offensive Output
The Mets got on the board early, scoring two runs in the top of the first. Another productive out from David Wright, as he drove in Jose Reyes with a sacrifice fly. Fernando Tatis drove in Nick Evans with a ground rule double to right field.
Three hits and a walk, but only two runs. Thankfully, after seven innings of silence, the Mets bats picked up the slack in the 8th inning.
Carlos Delgado came through in the clutch, with the Mets down by a run. Delgado ripped a two-run double to deep left field, putting the Mets up by one. Damion Easley added a two-run single, followed by a Ramon Castro RBI double.
Delgado and Easley had been pretty ice cold lately, but both came through when the team needed them. Good stuff.
The Rest of the Story
Chipper Jones: 2-3, 2 walks, run, RBI. He's having a beast of a season, and of course it continues at Shea.
The Mets were outhit, 8-9.
Daniel Murphy's batting average has sunk to a paltry .419.
Game Ball: Carlos Delgado
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Mets trade for Luis Ayala
Why?
Anderson Hernandez is heading to Washington for Luis Ayala as the Mets try to sure up their bullpen issues.
I'm not a fan of Ayala, and I feel this actually hurts the Mets pen. Obviously, they're not giving up much, as A-Hern was never going to amount to much of anything.
I guess this is goodbye to Eddie Kunz...for now.
Ayala, you have a lot to prove to me before I begin to trust you. I don't like this trade.
Anderson Hernandez is heading to Washington for Luis Ayala as the Mets try to sure up their bullpen issues.
I'm not a fan of Ayala, and I feel this actually hurts the Mets pen. Obviously, they're not giving up much, as A-Hern was never going to amount to much of anything.
I guess this is goodbye to Eddie Kunz...for now.
Ayala, you have a lot to prove to me before I begin to trust you. I don't like this trade.
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