Three In A Row, Why Stop There?

The Mets beat the Diamondbacks this afternoon by a score of 6-4, winning their third game in a row.

• Dillon Gee went six innings, giving up four runs on five hits, while striking out five and walking just one.  Gee pitched a very nice game, and is making it difficult for Sandy Alderson and Co. to decide who stays and who goes when Chris Young returns.

• Jason Bay was 2-4 with three RBIs. The Mets are now 3-0 since Bay has returned to the lineup.

• Ike Davis absolutely crushed his fourth home run in the third inning. The ball landed near the top row of the Pepsi Porch. He has homered in three straight games.  

• Daniel Murphy, batting second in the lineup, went 2-5 with two RBIs. 

• Francisco Rodriguez came in to finish it in the ninth. He struck out the side, but not before giving up two singles. He just has to make it interesting. 

• All six of the Mets runs came with two outs in an inning. 

As they say in the Mets commercials, "Let's keep it rolling, rolling, rolling."

Next up: The Mets go for the sweep of the Diamonbacks tomorrow at 1:10 p.m.

Game Delayed Due To Rain Set To Begin At 2:30 PM

Today's game, delayed due to the rain, has been scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m.

Mets Hope Rain Holds Off, And Wins Continue

April 23, 2011

1:10 PM ET

Citi Field

TV:WPIX 11

RADIO: WFAN 660

NEW YORK METS

Starting Pitcher: Dillon Gee (1-0, 1.59 ERA)

Gee allowed one run in 5.2 innings of work his last time out. Today will be his final start before Chris Young returns from the disabled list. 

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

Starting Pitcher: Barry Enright (0-1, 6.23 ERA)

In his last outing, Enright went a solid five innings, before getting into trouble in the sixth inning against the Giants. He is 1-0 lifetime against the Mets, with a 1.93 ERA.

Mets Morning News 4-23-11

Chris Young, on the Disabled List with bicep tendinitis, is expected to return Tuesday against the Nationals. Young's return means Sandy Alderson and Terry Collins will need to make a tough decision about who stays and who goes in the rotation.

Mike Pelfrey finally looked like he belonged out on the mound, even though he was sick most of the night.

In order to turn their luck around, COO Jeff Wilpon ordered the team to destroy the bullpen mascot, Stanley. I think it worked.

Mets Beat Diamondbacks, Make It Two In A Row

Who is this team I watched tonight, and can they stay a while? The Mets beat the Diamondbacks 4-1, and have their second consecutive win.

• Mike Pelfrey went seven very strong innings, giving up one run on five hits, while striking out four and walking two. After giving up a lead off triple in the first inning, Pelfrey settled down.  If anything, this start had to give Pelfrey some confidence in himself.

• Ike Davis, with the help of instant replay, hit a two-run homer in the seventh inning. He has now hit home runs in back-to-back games.

• In the eighth inning, the Mets finally took advantage of a bases loaded situation and sloppy defense by the Diamondbacks, to tag on two insurance runs. Carlos Beltran singled to drive in Jose Reyes. Later in the inning, Daniel Murphy scored after Arizona's third baseman, Ryan Roberts, misplayed a ground ball.

• Jason Isringhausen pitched a perfect eighth inning.  Francisco Rodriguez recorded his third saved of the season. 

Side note: Ronny Paulino, rehabbing in Triple-A Buffalo, left tonight's game with tightness in his oblique. He will be evaluated later this weekend. This could mean Mike Nickeas could get a longer stay with the Mets, which if you are superstitious like me, is a good thing. Nickeas has caught the past two games that the Mets have won, and in both games, the starting pitcher has gone seven complete innings. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. 

Let's Make It Two In A Row, Shall We?

April 22, 2011

7:10 PM ET

Citi Field

TV: SNY

RADIO: WFAN 660

NEW YORK METS

Starting Pitcher: Mike Pelfrey (0-2, 9.72 ERA)

Pelfrey, as we've all seen, has struggled mightily all season. Let's hope tonight is the night he snaps out of it, although he doesn't have the best track record against the Diamondbacks. Lifetime, he is 0-5 with a 6.69 ERA.

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

Starting Pitcher: Joe Saunders (0-2, 6.32 ERA)

Despite having a rough outing in his last start in which he allowed five runs in 6.2 innings, Saunders will take the mound for a team that just took two out of three game against first place Cincinnati, and pretty much owned the Mets last year, beating them five out of six times. 

Mets Morning News 4-22-11

Angel Pagan is listed as day-to-day after pulling a muscle in his left side in last night's game. 

Don't expect MLB to take over the Mets any time soon. Commissioner Bud Selig says the team is safer than the Dodgers.

Filip Bondy over at the Daily News thinks that if this Mets team is going to have a 1962ish season, they should make the best of it with a little clowning around.

Speaking of clowning around, if you missed David Wright's fashion statement after last night's game, click here. Good grief. It even left Kevin  Burkhardt speechless during his interview with Wright. Thanks to SNY's Kirk Gimenez for posting the picture.

Thank The Baseball Gods: Mets Win

Rejoice Mets fans! The Mets won big tonight, beating up the Astros for a 9-1 victory. Terry Collins must now get ejected in the 1st inning from here on out.

• Chris Capuano went seven strong innings, giving up one run on six hits, while striking out four and walking two.

• David Wright busted out of his 0-20 slump with a home run in the 4th inning and three RBIs.

• Ike Davis hit his second home run of the season, and had two RBIS.

• Mike Nickeas hit his first career home run in the 3rd inning. 

• Terry Collins got tossed in the 1st inning after arguing a foul-tip call by home plate umpire Doug Eddings.

• Of course it wasn't all good news for the Mets. Angel Pagan had to leave the game early after pulling a muscle on his left side in the 2nd inning. He will be evaluated tomorrow.

Next up: The Mets welcome the Diamondbacks to Citi Field. Game time is 7:10 p.m.

One Win - Just One Win Is All I Ask

April 21, 2011

7:10 PM ET

Citi Field

TV: SNY

RADIO: WFAN 660

NEW YORK METS

Starting Pitcher: Chris Capuano (1-1, 8.53 ERA)

Coming into tonight, Capuano has a lifetime 4-4 record and a 3.58 ERA against the Astros. 

 

HOUSTON ASTROS

Starting Pitcher: J.A. Happ (1-2, 5.79 ERA)

Happ is 1-1 with a 4.05 ERA against the Mets.

Mets Morning News 4-21-11

After being diagnosed with a circulatory problem with his middle finger, Bobby Parnell will be put on the Disabled List to make room for Jason Bay's return to the lineup tonight.

Joel Sherman of the NY Post writes how the Mets have never needed Jason Bay to return to his old self at the plate more than right now.

With Commissioner Bud Selig announcing yesterday that Major League Baseball was taking over the financial operations of the Dodgers, Bill Madden at the Daily News asks, "Are the Mets next?"

After last night's loss, R.A. Dickey said, "We have to find a way to be honest with ourselves about what kind of team we are. We can’t keep telling ourselves, ‘Oh, we’re a better team than this.’ We may not be."

Mets Bunt Their Way To A Loss

Another day. Another loss. The Mets lost to the Astros 4-3, Wednesday. It wasn't all bad though, so I'll split up the recap to acknowledge the few bright spots.

Bright Spots:

• R.A. Dickey went eight innings, giving up four runs on eight hits, while striking out four and walking two. It was exciting just to see a starter make it past the 5th inning.

• Daniel Murphy was awesome tonight. I take back some of the bad things I've said about him in the past...for now. Murphy went 3-4 with a two-run homer in the 6th inning. He also turned two nice double plays. 

• Carlos Beltran had a nice night at the plate as well. Beltran was 3-4 with an RBI. 

Ugliness:

• Angel Pagan attempted to score from third after the ball got away from Houston catcher J.R. Towles. He gets an A for effort, but it was a poorly executed slide.

• In the bottom of the 9th inning, with Jose Reyes at first base, Josh Thole bunted. Thole popped up the bunt, it was caught, and Reyes was doubled up at first. 

Why, oh why, did Terry Collins call for a bunt in the situation? While I would love to solely blame Collins for even calling for the bunt, Thole and Reyes have to hear it as well. Thole has to get the bunt down in that situation, and Reyes should have known that the second baseman would be covering first base on that play.

Horrible. All of it.  

Next up: The Mets try to win one game out of this series. Game time tomorrow is 7:10 p.m.

Mets And Astros Game Two Preview

April 20, 2011

7:10 PM ET

Citi Field

TV: SNY

RADIO: WFAN 660

NEW YORK METS

Starting Pitcher: R.A. Dickey (1-2, 3.93 ERA)

Dickey looks to get back on track following his last start in which he allowed five runs on eight hits to the Rockies.  Lifetime against the Astros, he is 1-0 with a 1.69 ERA.

 

HOUSTON ASTROS

Starting Pitcher: Bud Norris (1-1, 5.06 ERA)

Norris is coming off a good outing against the Padres where he gave up just two hits in six innings of work. In two career starts against the Mets, he is 1-1 with a 4.97 ERA.

Mets Morning News 4-20-11

Ike Davis would rather talk about anything other than his success in his first full year of playing in the big leagues, and the Mets aren't looking for him to sign an extension any time soon.

With last night's loss, the Mets are now officially the worst team in the National League.

Bobby Parnell could be placed on the Disabled List after experiencing numbness in his middle finger. The numbness, which he has been experiencing for the past ten days, hasn't allowed him to get a good grip on the ball.

Mets Lose Then Punish Fans With Tickets

The Mets lost their series opener against the Astros 6-1, making them 5-12 on the season.

• Jon Niese went 6 innings, giving up two runs on seven hits, while striking out three and walking five.
• Bobby Parnell was awful out of the bullpen yet again. In his appearance he balked, gave up a two-RBI single, and threw a wild pitch. 
• Justin Turner and Scott Hairston each had an error. Turner bounced a throw to Jose Reyes in the 3rd inning. Hairston misplayed a ball in the 7th to allow a run to score. 
• The one bright spot of the night was in the 7th inning when Carlos Beltran hit a solo shot, his third home run of the year.

Between the Astros sloppy defense and the Mets being the Mets, tonight's game was a contest to see who was the best of the worst.

Tonight was, in a word, a disaster. Sloppy play, no offense with the exception of a solo home run by Beltran, and blown calls by umpires, all equated to a horrible game.

How do the Mets repay the fans who payed to sit at Citi Field for this game, by offering them complimentary tickets to a game against the Pirates between May 30 and June 2. At this point, that sounds more like a punishment.

Mets Call Up Turner, Designate Emaus For Assignment

The Mets announced this afternoon that they have recalled second baseman Justin Turner from Triple-A Buffalo and designated Brad Emaus for assignment.

In ten games with Buffalo this season, Turner has hit .300 with six runs scored, three doubles, two triples, and two RBI.

Emaus has struggled early on in the season with the Mets, hitting just .162 with one RBI.

Emaus was a Rule V draft pick out of Toronto and must be offered back to the Blue Jays before being sent down to the minors.

Turner will be available for tonight's game against the Astros.

Mets management is clearly not messing around this season, and it's refreshing. Sandy Alderson and Co. have shown early in the season that if players are not performing, moves will be made.

Will Turner be the Mets' long-term solution at second base? I doubt it, but it's worth a shot.

Mets Look To Turn Things Around Against Astros

April 19, 2011

7:10 PM ET

Citi Field

TV: SNY

RADIO: WFAN 660

NEW YORK METS

Starting Pitcher: Jon Niese (0-2, 6.88 ERA)

Lifetime against the Astros, Niese is 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA. Niese is looking to bounce back from his last outing against the Rockies and get his first win of the season.

 

HOUSTON ASTROS

Starting Pitcher: Wandy Rodriguez (0-2, 7.31 ERA)

In three starts this season, Rodriguez has been up and down. He was beat up by the Phillies in the season opener, and in his last start against the Cubs he allowed five runs in five innings. His only good outing has been against the Marlins in which he held the team to just one run.

Both teams have been off to a rough start this season, posting 5-11 records, and the Mets are looking to improve their record at home after posting a 1-6 record in their first home-stand. The Astros are 1-5 on the road so far this season.

I'm stating the obvious here, but if there was ever a time for this team to turn things around, this would be it.  

Would You Pay Money To See The Mets?

So far this season, Citi Field is starting to look more like Sun Life Stadium in Florida. Dead.

What exactly will it take to fill those empty seats at Citi Field, besides the obvious, winning? Is it really as simple as just plain winning to get fans to spend their hard earned money and come out to the ballpark, or will it take more than that with this team?

Many fans are fed up with Mets ownership. Would a partial, or even full sale of the team be what drives fans back to Citi Field?

According to David Waldstein of the New York Times, attendance for the 2010 season dropped 19 percent from the previous year when 3,154,270 fans turned out for Citi Field's inaugural season.

If the first seven games are any indication of what attendance will be in the 2011 season, the Mets can't be happy.

As far as announced attendance goes in 2011, what the Mets announce and what I've seen on TV appears to be far different. 

As we learned with the Home Opener, the Mets get a little confused when it comes to well...counting. The attendance for the Home Opener was announced to be a sell out at 41,075.

Um...the park holds 41,800.

It doesn't matter what the Mets report though. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that there are more empty seats than there are fans.

There was some optimism about this team coming out of Spring Training. With a new front office, fans were starting to believe that the team might be working its way back from the dismal seasons of years past.

How quickly that optimism faded though. When the Mets squandered any chance they had to comeback in the Home Opener, the crowd cleared out in a hurry.

Many of them aren't returning either.

So again, I ask, what would it take to get you, the fan, to pay your hard earned money to see this team?

Mets Morning News 4-19-11

David Waldstein of the New York Times points out how the Mets woes can mean good things for the fans' wallets.

Jason Bay won't return to the Mets until Thursday. Bay met with Sandy Alderson, Terry Collins, and head trainer Ray Ramirez Monday, and decided that the extra days were needed before being deactivated from the Disabled List. He will play in two more rehab games with St. Lucie.

Ronny Paulino, who has been on the DL with anemia since Spring Training, went 1-3 and caught seven innings for St. Lucie, Monday.

Mets Morning News 4-18-11

The Mets have the day off, and it's a quiet news morning, but check out these Mets stories from around the web.

Jason Bay will meet with management in New York today to discuss his potential return tomorrow night.

Adam Rubin writes how Terry Collins managed yesterday's game like it was game seven of a postseason series, using R.A. Dickey and Chris Capuano in relief.

This one really is not important, just interesting. According to many of the beat reporters, David Wright played catch with some kids before yesterday's game. It wasn't for publicity, but done just for fun. That's something this team needs to remember. Baseball is supposed to be fun. It's a game, afterall.

Gee-Unit: Mets End Losing Streak

Statistically, it was bound to happen sooner or later. The Mets beat the Braves 3-2 and put and end to their seven game losing streak.

• Dillon Gee went 5.2 innings, and gave up one run on five hits, while striking out four.
• Josh Thole, batting second in the lineup, knocked in two RBIs. Ike Davis went 2-3 with an RBI as well.
• Chris Capuano and R.A. Dickey both made relief appearances in this afternoon's game.
• Francisco Rodriguez came in to close out the 9th inning. Of course, he made it interesting, but a save is a save.

Next up: The Mets have Monday off, but return to Citi Field Tuesday to open up a six game home-stand against the Astros and Diamondbacks.

Mets Turn To Gee As They Try To Get One Win Against Atlanta

April 17, 2011

1:35 PM ET

Turner Field, Atlanta

TV: WPIX 11

RADIO: WFAN 660

NEW YORK METS

Starting Pitcher: Dillon Gee (0-0, -.-- ERA)

Gee is replacing Chris Young in the rotation, while Young is on the Disabled List with bicep tendinitis. While with Triple-A Buffalo, Gee went 1-1 with a 4.63 ERA in his first two starts.

ATLANTA BRAVES

Starting Pitcher: Tommy Hanson (1-2, 3.38 ERA)

Hanson struggled in his first few starts of the season, but got back on track in his last start for Atlanta against the Marlins. Lifetime against the Mets, Hanson is 3-1 with a 1.76 ERA.