Mets Hand Rangers a Texas-Size Loss

The Mets had an offensive explosion this afternoon, scoring 14 runs on 17 hits, to beat the Rangers by a score of 14-5.

• Jon Niese went 5.2 fantastic innings before leaving due to a rapid heart beat. Despite not having the best command, he allowed just two runs on six hits, while striking out seven and walking two. He gave up back-to-back home runs in the fourth inning to Adrian Beltre and Michael Young.

• The Mets had an eight-run sixth inning. The first eight batters to come to the plate all reached base. It was all done with just two extra-base hits. Imagine that.

• Lucas Duda went 4-5 with four RBIs and two runs scored. Three of his four hits were doubles.

• Carlos Beltran snapped his 0-14 slump at the plate, going 3-5 with three RBIs and three runs scored.

• Mets pitchers gave up a total of three home runs to the Rangers today.

Next up: The Mets play the final game of their series against the Rangers in Arlington. Dillon Gee gets the start for New York. Game time is 3:05 p.m.

Power or Small Ball: It Appears This Team Uses Neither

David Wright and Ike Davis are on the disabled list. Carlos Beltran is 0-14. When he's not striking out, Jason Bay only likes to hit singles. Even Jose Reyes has cooled off as of late, taking a few 0-fers in the past week.

The Mets don't have power. That's okay though, as there are other ways to score runs than to hit home runs and extra-base hits. It's called small ball.

Unfortunately for the Mets, they don't play that very well either.

You can blame the Mets lagging offense on the absence of Wright and Davis, but that's a poor excuse.

In last night's loss to Texas, the Mets managed to get one extra-base hit. One. That's it.

The Mets at this point should know what they have to work with. They are not made up of home run hitters. They trail only the Padres and Twins for fewest home runs hit this season.

The problem is, they've shown that at times they're not made up of singles hitters, or bunters either.

Execution has hurt this team consistently throughout the season. How many failed bunt attempts have we seen so far this season?

Yes, Mets batters have had their moments this season getting hits in important situations, but not too often.

The lack of offense also places added pressure on the starting pitching.

Mets pitchers allowed three home runs last night, all of which were with men on base.

Granted pitchers need to step up their game, but with the offense this team has, it'll be nearly impossible to overcome any major deficits.

Bay Sits This Afternoon As Mets Take On Rangers

June 25, 2011

4:10 PM ET

Rangers Ballpark in Arlington

TV: FOX

RADIO: WFAN 660

NEW YORK METS

Starting Pitcher: Jon Niese (6-6, 3.70 ERA)

Niese struggled in his last start, going four innings against the Angels. He allowed four runs on eight hits. Niese has never faced the Rangers in his career.

TEXAS RANGERS

Starting Pitcher: Alexi Ogando (7-2, 2.66 ERA)

Ogando left after the fifth inning in his last start to get an IV due to the sweltering heat in Atlanta. The temperature this afternoon in Arlington is predicted to be in the mid-90's. Ogando has never faced the Mets.

METS LINEUP:

Reyes-SS, Harris-DH, Beltran-RF, Murphy-3B, Pagan-CF, Duda-1B, Thole-C, Pridie-LF, Tejada-2B.

NOTES:

Jason Bay is sitting after going 3-4 in last night's game. Guy's finally hitting, and Terry Collins decides to have him sit. Makes sense...

Mets Morning News: K-Rod, and Blue Eyes

Francisco Rodriguez was none too pleased by reports that he would like a trade to the Yankees.

"I'm another employee. They can do whatever they think is best for the organization, for the team. But that's two different things. It's one thing if they come up to you and say they want to trade you. It's another thing that's like 'Go out there and trade me.'"

"I'm irritated by the situation already. Because definitely I didn't say 'Trade me to the Yankees. I want to go to the Yankees. I want to go somewhere else.' I didn’t say that."

In case you missed it yesterday, Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton shared his theory on blue-eyed batters.

"Guys with blue eyes have a tough time. It's just hard for me to see (at the plate) in the daytime. ... It's just what it is. Try to go up (to the plate) squinting and see a white ball while the sun is shining right off the plate, you know, and beaming right up in your face."

If you're wondering, yes, Jason Bay has blue eyes.

Pelfrey Roughed Up Early In Loss To Rangers

The Mets fell behind early and the offense was silent for most of the night, as they fell to the Rangers by a score of 8-1.

• Mike Pelfrey went six innings, giving up four runs on eight hits, while striking out three and walking two. He struggled in the first inning, giving up an RBI single to Josh Hamilton and then a two-run home run off the bat of Adrian Beltre. Pelfrey has now allowed 14 home runs this season.

• Jason Bay went 3-4 at the plate in the cleanup spot. He is 14-40 ( .350) in his last ten games.

• Manny Acosta was awful in relief. In 1.2 innings of work, he allowed four runs on five hits, while striking out one. He apparently is trying to catch up to Pelfrey in home runs allowed. Acosta gave up a home run to Michael Young in the seventh inning, and a solo shot to Hamilton in the eighth. I would say his days with the Mets are numbered.

Next up: The Mets continue their series against the Rangers in Arlington. Jon Niese will take the mound for the Mets. Game time is 4:10 p.m.

Mets Begin Three Game Series Deep In The Heart Of Texas

June 24, 2011

8:05 PM ET

Rangers Ballpark in Arlington

TV: WPIX

RADIO: WFAN 660

NEW YORK METS

Starting Pitcher: Mike Pelfrey (4-5, 4.70 ERA)

Pelfrey had his best outing of the season in his last start, throwing a complete game and allowing just one run. He has never faced the Rangers in his career.

TEXAS RANGERS

Starting Pitcher: Matt Harrison (5-6, 3.16 ERA)

Harrison is 1-1 with a save and a 3.66 ERA against the National League since making his Major League debut with the Rangers four years ago. He has never faced the Mets.

METS LINEUP:

Reyes-SS, Turner-3B, Beltran-RF, Bay-LF, Hairston-DH, Paulino-C, Pagan-CF, Murphy-1B, Tejada-2B

Mets Morning News: Wright Cleared, K-Rod Open To Trade

David Wright was cleared to resume full baseball activity on Thursday. Wright will report to Port St. Lucie, Fla. to begin his rehab stint. It will be several weeks before he can re-join the team.

Francisco Rodriguez told reporters he wouldn't rule out becoming a set up man if he were traded to a contending team like the Yankees.

"If I am going to be traded, obviously I want the opportunity to close out games, but if it's going to be good teams like the Yankees or the Rays, and it's going to be for two months, I can go out there and help them out."

In old Met news, our favorite "habitual liar," John Maine, left the Rockies' Triple-A Colorado Springs Sky Sox Thursday and may retire. After pitching 46 innings, his ERA was up to 7. 43.

Capuano Impressive In Mets Win Over A's

Following a two hour and 15 minute rain delay, the Mets beat the A's by a score of 4-1, winning the series, and finishing the home stand with a 3-3 record.

• Chris Capuano went six very impressive innings before leaving with what was described as abdominal pain. Turns out it was just a cramp which began before the game, but it's not expected to effect his next start. In his six innings of work, he allowed just five hits, while striking out seven.

• Jose Reyes went 2-4 at the plate with two RBIs and a run scored.

• Daniel Murphy was 3-4 with an RBI.

• Apparently Francisco Rodriguez "got his head out of his butt." He had a 1-2-3 ninth inning to record his 20th save of the season.

• David Wright was cleared to resume baseball activities. It is expected that it will take another three weeks at least before he can re-join the Mets. He will fly to St. Lucie tomorrow to begin full baseball activities.

Next up: The Mets head to Texas to begin a three-game series against the Rangers. Mike Pelfrey will take the hill for New York. Game time is 8:05 p.m.

Mets Go For Series Win Against A's in Matinee

June 23, 2011

1:10 PM ET

Citi Field

TV: SNY

RADIO: WFAN 660

NEW YORK METS

Starting Pitcher: Chris Capuano (5-7, 4.29 ERA)

Capuano pitched well in his last start, but he was let down by some poor defensive play behind him. He has never faced Oakland in his career.

OAKLAND ATHLETICS

Starting Pitcher: Graham Godfrey (1-0, 4.76 ERA)

Godfrey went seven innings in his second career start, giving up one run, while striking out three and walking none. Godfrey has never faced the Mets.

METS LINEUP:

Reyes-SS, Turner-2B, Beltran-RF, Murphy-3B, Pagan-CF, Bay-LF, Duda-1B, Thole-C, Capuano-LHP

Mets Morning News: K-Rod's 'Pathetic,' Davis's Ankle, Bay's 0-fer

Francisco Rodriguez blew his second consecutive save last night in the ninth inning.

"You know what, I'm going to speak as a fan, not as a player. I definitely have to get my head out of my butt, pretty much. Simple as that. I have to stop these pathetic outings; they're really pathetic."

Ike Davis will be out for another three weeks, and could possibly be facing micro-fracture surgery if his left ankle doesn't show signs of improvement. His doctors believe the protective boot he was told to wear may have been a reason for the slow healing.

After an examination three weeks ago Davis was told to wear a protective boot virtually all the time to allow healing. But when the latest M.R.I. showed no significant improvement, doctors wondered if perhaps the boot was restricting blood circulation that might normally promote healing in the joint.

After breaking his streak of 89 at-bats without an extra base hit on Tuesday, Jason Bay moved up to the cleanup spot and went 0-5.

"What I did (Tuesday) night has no bearing on today, so I'm still trying to keep that even keel. But it definitely was nice to get some results finally."

The Mets are hoping for a positive update on David Wright when he is re-evaluated today. Wright has been on the disabled list with a stress fracture in his lower back.

Mets: We Take 'em Any Way We Can Get 'em

The Mets beat the A's in 13 innings by a score of 3-2, and won their first walk-off of the season.

• Justin Turner was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the 13th inning, forcing in the winning run. Turner also had an RBI single in the eighth inning.

• R.A. Dickey went eight very strong innings, giving up one run on just three hits, while striking out nine and walking one.

• Lucas Duda got the Mets on the board in the second inning with an RBI single.

• Francisco Rodriguez blew the save, giving up a single to Conor Jackson in the ninth.

• Jose Reyes, who was 0-8 at the plate so far in the series, hit his 13th triple of the season in the eighth inning. He finished the night going 2-6 at the plate.

Next up: The Mets close out their series with the A's Thursday afternoon. Chris Capuano takes the mound against Graham Godfrey. Game time is 1:10 p.m.

Mets vs A's: Round Two

June 22, 2011

7:10 PM ET

Citi Field

TV: SNY

RADIO: WFAN 660

NEW YORK METS

Starting Pitcher: R.A. Dickey (3-7, 4.00 ERA)

Dickey had a rough go of it his last time out, giving up six runs to Atlanta, including a three-run bomb to Chipper Jones. He is 1-4 with a 6.49 ERA against the Athletics.

OAKLAND ATHLETICS

Starting Pitcher: Gio Gonzalez (6-5, 2.69 ERA)

Gonzalez went six innings in his last outing, giving up two runs on five hits, while striking out ten. Oh, and he did all that with flu-like symptoms. Gonzalez has never faced the Mets.

METS LINEUP:

Reyes-SS, Turner-3B, Beltran-RF, Bay-LF, Hairston-CF, Paulino-C, Duda-1B, Tejada-2B, Dickey-RHP

Things Aren't Looking Good For Ike, Surgery Possible

The news on Ike Davis was not good after he underwent an MRI today to check out the bone bruise in his ankle.



Davis will be shut down for another three weeks. Not only does he have the bone bruise, but now we learn that there was cartilage damage as well.

If it does not improve, he will most likely undergo micro-fracture surgery, which is season-ending surgery.

Seeing as how there has been no improvement whatsoever in the last month, I hardly believe we'll all be getting good news in three weeks.

To be honest, I'd rather not have Ike back the rest of the year if it means he gets the chance to heal completely and return fresh next season. There is absolutely no sense in having him test his ankle and risk doing more damage.

Mets Morning News: Reyes Isn't Negotiating, Bay Hits, & Tuesday'sChildren

In case you've been living under a rock the past day or so, Sandy Alderson told reporters that Jose Reyes will not negotiate his contract until the end of the season.

"I don't want any distractions on my mind, I just want to play baseball. Nothing has changed. I want to stay here. I want to be a New York Met my whole career. But right now I just want to play baseball."

After Jason Bay had a break-out night Tuesday, Terry Collins isn't wasting any time moving him up in the lineup. Andy McCullough of the Star-Ledger writes:

The time is right. The top of the order is struggling. And Bay appears somewhat ready for added responsibility, especially after launching a home run and a triple in tonight's 7-3 loss to Oakland.

The Mets announced Tuesday that they are partnering with Tuesday's Children. The organization was founded to help families who lost relatives in the 2001 terrorist attacks.

The new initiative, the First Responder Alliance Mentoring Program, will provide mentors to children who lost their parents as a result of sicknesses while they were serving in the relief efforts at Ground Zero.

Injury Updates:

Ike Davis and David Wright will be re-examined in the next two days. Davis will get a MRI today on his bone bruise. Wright will undergo a CT Scan tomorrow to view the stress fracture in his lower back.

Minor League News:

Matt Harvey, the 2010 first round pick by the Mets, and Matt Den Dekker, the fifth round pick, were promoted from Single-A St. Lucie to Double-A Binghamton on Tuesday.

That Was Hardly Moneyball

The Mets lost to one of the weakest teams in the American League by a score of 7-3, have been passed by Washington in the standings, and are now six games back for the Wild Card. But other than that...

• Dillon Gee was horrible tonight, lasting just four innings, giving up four runs on three hits, while striking out one and walking six. This was Gee's first loss of the season.

• D.J. Carrasco came in to pitch the next two innings, and wasn't much better. He allowed three runs on four hits, while walking two.

• Mets pitching gave up a total of nine walks tonight.

• Mets batters had just four hits off A's starter Josh Outman. Guess that's appropriate, with his name and all.

• It wasn't all bad. Jason Bay broke out of his season-long slump, going 3-3 with a single, triple, and a home run. He had two RBIs and a run scored. Not a bad days work.

• Jose Reyes went 0-5 at the plate. Good thing he doesn't want to negotiate his contract today.

Keith Hernandez was, by far, the star of tonight's game. Guy was throwing out quality quotes all night. Here are a couple of gems:

• "If he [Josh Outman] walks Tejada he should be shot... I don't mean that literally."

• "That's unchar...uncharacteristic...ugh whatever."

Next up: The Mets continue their series with the A's on Wednesday night at Citi Field. Game time is 7:10 p.m.

The Not-So-Breaking News On Jose Reyes

Before Tuesday's game, Mets GM Sandy Alderson told reporters that he spoke with Jose Reyes' agent Peter Greenberg. Greenberg's message to the Mets: Reyes will not negotiate his contract until the end of the season.

Well, color me surprised.

According to Alderson, "He [Reyes] wants to focus on baseball. He wants to focus on what's going on on the field. So with that in mind, we will respect his wishes and hopefully pick up negotiations at the end of the season."

This "news" essentially guarantees that Reyes will test the free agent waters in the offseason, and up his price tag.

Reyes has said that he would like to remain in New York, but he won't be taking a discount.

I'd like to thank Jose Reyes and his agent for making this statement about contract negotiations today. He doesn't want to talk about it anymore, and I don't want to listen to it anymore.

Mets vs. A's: A Sabermetric Geeks Dream

June 21, 2011

7:10 PM ET

Citi Field

TV: SNY

RADIO: WFAN 660

NEW YORK METS

Starting Pitcher: Dillon Gee (7-0, 2.86 ERA)

Gee's bid for eight consecutive wins was ruined by the rain in his last start. In the rain-shortened game against Atlanta, Gee pitched four scoreless innings and allowed just one hit. He looks to remain undefeated as he takes on Oakland. He has never faced the A's in his career.

OAKLAND ATHLETICS

Starting Pitcher: Josh Outman (2-1, 3.14 ERA)

Before we go any further, can we all agree this guy has the best name for a pitcher? Outman notched the A's second win in June in his last start, going seven scoreless innings, while striking out two and allowing four hits. The A's are riding a five game winning streak as they enter Tuesday's game.

METS LINEUP:

Reyes-SS, Turner-3B, Beltran-RF, Murphy-1B, Pagan-CF, Bay-LF, Paulino-C, Tejada-2B, Gee-RHP

Mets Morning News: Capuano's Mind Games, GM's Hands Aren't Tied, &Collins

Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal has an interesting piece on visualization, and how Chris Capuano uses mental imagery to visualize himself on the mound in a future game.

"Capuano was standing alone on the mound at Turner Field early one afternoon last week, on a sweltering day in Atlanta. There wasn't another player, coach or even a groundskeeper in sight, the only suitable environment for his clandestine habit. "It's easier when it's quiet," he [Capuano] said. "I probably look like an idiot out there."

The Mets left-hander hadn't lost his mind. To the contrary, he was preparing for his next start with a unique form of mental imagery. By going through the motions of throwing off a mound, fielding a bunt and covering first base, Capuano was visualizing himself succeeding in a game that hadn't yet been played."

According to the NY Post, If the Mets can stay competitive in the next few weeks, Sandy Alderson's hands won't be tied when it comes to adding players. Mets COO Jeff Wilpon stated:

"He'll have all the opportunity in the world to bring anybody he wants in. The way for him to do that is to bring the ideas to us and we'll talk about it. But he does not have restrictions. We'll deal with everything on a case-by-case basis."

When Terry Collins agreed to be the new Mets manager this past off-season, he couldn't have foreseen the injuries and trade talk, but he's taking it all in stride. Steve Popper of The Record writes:

"He didn't think he'd be without two of his best players for most of the season, or that his best pitcher would be stuck rehabilitating in Port St. Lucie, Fla. He didn't think more of his best talent would be dangling on the trading block and ownership would be hanging on by a thread."

Ah, Terry. Welcome to the Mets. Get used to it.

Johan Santana has resumed throwing after he stopped in the beginning of June due to soreness in his surgically repaired left shoulder. According to one official:

"He's not going to mess around. If he feels something, he's going to take it slow."

'86 Obsessed Mets Fans Need To Let Go Of Backman

According to Mark Healey of Baseball Digest, the Marlins may be interested in Mets Double-A Binghamton manager Wally Backman.



I highly doubt Backman will have a shot at this, as Buster Olney of ESPN tweeted the following:



If this is true, however, I say go for it Wally.

Mets Morning News: Wright Making Progress, Capuano Thanks Koufax

David Wright began some baseball activity Sunday afternoon, playing catch and taking grounders from his knees.

"I felt good. I made it through [it], which I was expecting. . . . I played catch for 20 throws and took some ground balls on my knees. It was very little."

Chris Capuano's recent success on the mound may have something to do with Sandy Koufax. The lefty worked with the Hall of Fame pitcher during Spring Training and met with him again Sunday about "hooking the rubber."

"It's called 'hooking the rubber.' Instead of standing with your foot in front of the rubber, you kind of put your back cleat on top of it so you can get a little more pushoff. And, I think that's helped me with my location and helped keep my velocity up. Not where his velocity used to be, but good for me."

The Mets have Monday off. They begin a three-game series against the Oakland Athletics Tuesday night at Citi Field.

Happy Father's Day. Your Gift? A Mets Loss

The Mets decided to make this game interesting in the ninth inning, but fell short, losing to the Angels by a score of 7-3.

• Jon Niese just did not have it today. He struggled through four innings of work, giving up five runs (four of them earned) on eight hits, while striking out three.

• The Mets made Angels starter Tyler Chatwood look like Roy Halladay on the mound. Mets batters were held to just four hits off Chatwood.

• Justin Turner committed a throwing error in the fifth inning. He has now committed an error three days in a row.

• The Mets had a mini-rally going in the bottom of the ninth. They broke up the shut-out, scoring three runs in the inning. Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran each had an RBI single in the ninth.

• Scott Hairston was called out at first base for the final out. Replays showed that Hairston was clearly safe. The umpire must have had a barbecue to attend, or something.

Next up: The Mets have Monday off. They open up a three game series against the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday night at Citi Field.

Mets Morning News: Reyes Is Loyal, Seaver On Reyes, Beltran's a Leader

Jose Reyes will not be heading over to team Boras any time soon.

"I'm happy with Peter [Greenburg]. There is no chance I'm going to change my agent."

Tom Seaver, who was at Citi Field for Saturday's game, said the Mets better have a plan if they decide to get rid of Reyes.

"If you're trading a franchise player -- and when I was traded they didn't have that kind of thinking -- then you're in a regroup mode. I'm not saying a rebuilding mode, but a regroup mode.

"The people they have now are too smart not to have a plan for regrouping, and a time plan and a people plan. Where are there weaknesses? What are they shooting for?"

Carlos Beltran has been a leader on the field, and now he is also taking a bigger leadership role in the clubhouse as well. Beltran claims he's always been this type of leader, but just now the media is catching on.

"Terry (Collins) is making things like that public. But that's the way I've always been. It never changed I don't think. I haven't done anything different from the years I've been here."

Steve Serby sat down with Dillon Gee for a Q & A. Here's a quick blurb in which we learn that Gee may not have been the sharpest tool in the shed as a kid.

Q: Jared convinced you to jump off the top of your house wearing a backpack with a sheet attached, which would serve as a parachute?

A: We lived out in the country (Cleburne, Texas), and there was nothing to do, so we had to entertain ourselves (smiles). We got the bright idea that tying bedsheets to a backpack would make a parachute. And then I was the test dummy, probably. After he threw a couple of stuffed animals off the roof, going, "Hey look, they kinda come down soft!", he was probably like, "You're next!" I guess it must have helped a little bit because I didn't die, but (smiles). . . . It wasn't like I hit straight on the flat ground, I kinda could hit and roll a little bit.