Beyond stinker

Revenge, I guess, is a dish best served on a hot Wednesday night in August.

Bobby Parnell made his third start for the Mets and surrendered eight runs in the second inning, just like the Mets did to the Braves the night before.

I called Monday’s game a “stinker.”  Thursday night’s game was so much worse.

Parnell ended up allowing nine hits and nine earned runs, walking two and striking out one in three innings.  Parnell was going to be limited to 100 or so pitches, but was only around to throw 72, 40 for strikes.

The offense pounded out 10 hits, but were only able to plate two runs.  Luis Castillo, Daniel Murphy and Wilson Valdez each picked up two hits, with Murphy knocking a triple in the sixth inning.

Castillo and Angel Pagan drove in the Mets only runs with RBI hits in the third and fifth innings.

Overall, a miserable game.  The highlight may have come when my girlfriends parents appeared on the Kiss Cam at Citi Field.  What a thrill.

A huge tip of the cap to anyone that stayed at Citi Field for the entire thing.  True fans.

Valdez takes Cora’s spot on roster

As expected, Wilson Valdez has officially taken Alex Cora’s spot on the 25-man roster, reports Adam Rubin.

Cora, who will have surgery on both thumbs due to torn ligaments in each, will miss the remainder of the season.

Valdez was pulled from the Bisons game last night in anticipation of a call-up.  Valdez was 12-for-his-last-27 with Triple-A Buffalo. 

He hit .208 / .269 / .333 with three RBI in 26 plate appearances with the Mets in 11 games earlier this year.

Cora out for the year with two bum thumbs

Alex Cora will miss the remainder of the year as he will have surgery to repair torn ligaments in both his thumbs.

Yeah, Cora had been playing with torn ligaments in not just one, but both his thumbs.

Crazy.

First up for surgery, his right thumb.  Followed five weeks later by his left thumb.

Wilson Valdez was pulled from the Triple-A Bisons game in anticipation of a call-up.

Cora was a good bench signing who was forced into a major role due to the Mets injuries this season.  I wouldn’t mind seeing him back with the Mets, purely as a guy off the bench.

Carlos Beltran to DL; Flurry of roster moves

Carlos Beltran is officially heading to the disabled list.

Beltran was found to have a bone bruise, as he suspected, and could be out through the All Star Break.

Taking Beltran’s place on the roster is Fernando Martinez.  Martinez, sent down just days ago, is allowed to come back to the Mets without waiting the required 10 days due to a player going on the DL.

Ken Takahashi has been sent down and Wilson Valdez was designated for assignment with two relievers coming up to take their place.  Pat Misch, a lefty, and Elmer Dessens, a righty, will join the Mets bullpen tonight.

Misch, picked off of waivers from the Giants back on June 5, was sporting a 6.43 ERA and 1.571 WHIP in 7 1-3 innings pitched for Triple-A Buffalo.

Dessens was 3-2 in 27 relief appearances with Buffalo.  He had a 2.31 ERA and 1.000 WHIP in 35 against the International League.

This means the Mets will be playing slightly short on the bench, opting for more arms in the bullpen.

OUT	IN
Carlos Beltran - OF	Fernando Martinez - OF
Wilson Valdez - IF	Pat Misch - RP
Ken Takahashi - RP	Elmer Dessens - RP

Do the Mets need to make a move? [Shortstop]

The first in a series of posts looking at the Mets and if they need to make a trade.  Am I pulling the emergency lever too soon?  Maybe, but it needs to be discussed.

With Jose Reyes is likely out until the All-Star Break, meaning the Mets must rely on Alex Cora and Wilson Valdez to carry them at short.  Can they manage? 

So far, Cora has been pretty good.  He is playing through injury, with a torn ligament in his thumb, so that might be something to keep an eye on.  Valdez is more known for his glove, though he’s already picked up four hits and three RBI in 13 at bats. 

Don’t expect either of those to continue.  Cora is a backup and Valdez can’t hit a lick.  The Mets might be interested in making a move, and a few are seemingly available.  Jack Wilson from Pittsburgh is an interesting option, especially since the team seems to be in a selling-mode.  The Pirates didn’t take much for All-Star Nate McLouth, the Mets might be able to get a bargain on Wilson.

The question here, like above, is what happens when Reyes is ready to return.  Wilson is a starting shortstop and outside of last year, has played over 135 games since 2002.  If Reyes is slotted to come back sometime in July, maybe the Mets can’t trade Wilson elsewhere when he returns. 

Above all, I’d like to see the Mets make a play for Mark DeRosa.  He’s a utility infielder, playing at all infield positions and both corner outfield spots.  The Cleveland Indians are tanking and DeRosa is supposedly being shopped around.  DeRosa is batting .264 / .332 / .433 in 2009, playing a majority time at third base. 

This is likely the most logical move for the Mets, as he can play almost any position.

With one of these trades Cora could be slotted back into his backup role for Reyes and Luis Castillo, who needs days off.

I don’t think the Mets can make it by with just Cora and Valdez splitting time, especially for the amount of time Reyes is supposed to miss.  I think the Mets may be best suited to trade for DeRosa, and if not, for Wilson, to fill in while Reyes is out.

Game Recap: Pirates 8 – Mets 5

Handed away on a silver platter.

The Pittsburgh Pirates (23-28) beat the New York Mets (28-22) by a score of 8-5.

Livan Hernandez was good, not great.  He surrendered three runs in 5 2-3 innings, walking two and striking out five.  Hernandez gave up a two-run triple and an RBI groundout in the bottom of the fourth inning.

With the Mets clinging to a 5-3 lead (they were up 5-0 at one point) the 8th inning came along and everything came crashing down.  Pedro Feliciano started the inning, his second of work, and allowed a leadoff double. J.J. Putz came in with one out and allowed four straight hits, allowing three runs to score.

Something is obviously very wrong with Putz.  He tried to tinker with his arm in a bullpen session earlier in the day.  We all know the old adage about Rome, but his struggles have been grand and well chronicled.  Don’t be surprised if he’s on the DL tomorrow.

With the bases loaded, Brian Stokes came on after Putz failed to get an out after facing five batters and induced a ground ball to shortstop Wilson Valdez.  Instead of getting out of the inning with a double play, Valdez bobbled and dropped the ball, allowing a run to score and the bases to remain loaded.  A sacrifice fly to center field scored the Pirated 8th and final run.

Valdez picked up three RBIs on a run-scoring triple and two-run double. 

The offense didn’t get a hit from the 4th inning until the 9th inning.  They had an early 5-0 lead and watched it shrink, then slip away.  But the problem, more so, was the bullpen and the sieve that Putz has become.