Too Bad This Game Is Nine Innings, Mets Lose After Late Rally By Fish

Well, at least the first five innings were okay.

• Chris Capuano went six innings, giving up four runs on six hits, while striking out six and walking two. Capuano got through the first five innings with ease, and then the sixth inning happened. After giving up a lead-off single to Emilio Bonafacio, Capuano then went on to allow a triple to Omar Infante, and two-run home run to Gaby Sanchez, and a solo shot to Logan Morrison.

• D.J. Carrasco came in to pitch the seventh inning, and the results were almost as ugly as what had occurred in the sixth. Bonifacio singled off Carrasco, and then was brought home on a single by Infante. Infante then advanced to second base on a throwing error by David Wright. The next batter, Sanchez, hit his second home run of the night.

• David Wright has now committed two errors since returning from the disabled list on Friday. With the way Wright throws to first base, the Mets need someone there who can field his wild throws. Daniel Murphy is not that guy.

• Justin Turner was 3-4 with two doubles, a walk, a single, and one run scored.

• Lucas Duda finally hit his first home run of the season. Pinch hitting for Ryota Igarashi in the top of the ninth inning, Duda hit a solo shot over the right field wall.

• Jose Reyes had a nice night, going 3-5 with a home run in the ninth inning.

Next up: The Mets look to take the rubber game of this three-game series with the Marlins, Sunday, at 1:10 p.m. Dillon Gee gets the start fro New York.

Just How Much Could a Carlos Beltran Trade Return?

These next ten days are going to be very stressful for Sandy Alderson. He can blame Carlos Beltran for most, if not all, of that anxiety.

Not only is Beltran the biggest, most talented bat on the trade market, but he has become the Mets' most important player. Without Jose Reyes, Beltran has kept the Mets relevant (they are only 7.5 games back of the Wild Card), and over the last two days he has gotten on base seven out of ten times, with an enormous, game-tying home run to boot in Wednesday's victory.

One thing that will help Mr. Alderson is that with every day Carlos remains a Met, his value goes up because of his production. As the pennant race gets closer every day, each contending team is seeing Beltran as the final piece to the puzzle, and with that, is offering a nice prospect from their organization. With Atlanta, Philadelphia, Boston and San Francisco rumored to be making the strongest pursuit, here are some of the high-end prospects the Mets may receive.

Mets Morning News: Wright's Big Return, Pelfrey's Woes, & Santana'sComeback

In case you've been living under a rock, David Wright returned to the Mets lineup last night. He went 2-5 with two doubles, two runs scored, and two RBIs, which included the go-ahead run.

Pitching coach Dan Warthen says the reason for Mike Pelfrey's less than stellar performance last night, was that he is trying too hard.

"A guy that overthrew -- he tried to do too much," Warthen said after the Mets' 7-6 victory over the Marlins. "He gets here and I think sometimes he tries to do way too much."

"We talked about it beforehand: You see the front leg fly and trying to throw the ball 100 mph instead of locating it."

Johan Santana could soon begin making rehab starts. Santana pitched in front of Warthen on Friday, and the pitching coach was pleased with what he saw. He will throw again on Sunday, and if all goes well, he could make a rehab start as early as Wednesday.

The Mets Get By With A Little Help From David Wright

It was back and forth all evening, but the Mets were able to hold on to beat the Marlins by a score of 7-6.

• Mike Pelfrey went six innings, giving up four runs on five hits, while striking out three and walking four. Pelfrey gave up two more home runs tonight, both were solo shots. The first was off the bat of Mike Stanton in the second inning, and the second was courtesy of Gaby Sanchez in the sixth.

• In his first game back since being activated from the disabled list, David Wright was 2-5 with two doubles, two runs scored, and two RBIs, which included the go-ahead run. Wright was charged with a throwing error in the eighth inning. The throw pulled Daniel Murphy off the bag at first, and Gaby Sanchez was called safe by first base umpire Chris Guccione. Replays showed, however, that Murphy was able to get back to the bag in time for the out. Just another blown call by a Major League umpire.

• In other breaking David Wright news from tonight's game, he cannot do the "spotlight."

• Speaking of Murphy, he had another nice day at the plate, going 2-4 with two RBIs and one run scored.

• Jason Isringhausen recorded his second save of the season, setting down the Marlins 1-2-3. Izzy is now only 5 saves away from 300.

Next up: The Mets and Marlins play game two at Sun Life Stadium Saturday 7:10 p.m. Chris Capuano will get the start against Clay Hensley.

Mets and Marlins Open Up Three Game Series Tonight In Florida

July 22, 2011

7:10 PM ET

Sun Life Stadium, Miami

TV: SNY

RADIO: WFAN 660

NEW YORK METS

Starting Pitcher: Mike Pelfrey (5-9, 4.67 ERA)

Pelfrey went five innings in his last outing, giving up four runs on six hits. Pelfrey hasn't fared too well against the Marlins. Lifetime against Florida, he is 1-7 with a 5.24 ERA.

FLORIDA MARLINS

Starting Pitcher: Chris Volstad (5-8, 5.59 ERA)

Volstad's last start was his shortest outing of the year, lasting just three innings, and giving up four runs on six hits. He is 1-2 with a 3.18 ERA against the Mets.

METS LINEUP:

Reyes-6, Turner-4, Beltran-9, Wright-5, Murphy-3, Pagan-8, Duda-7, Paulino-2, Pelfrey-1

NOTE:

According to ESPN New York, Johan Santana could make a minor league rehab start on Wednesday.

Mets Morning News: Wright's Return, Beltran's Deal-Breakers, Izzy Won'tbe Traded, & K-Rod Flips

David Wright, who has not played since May 15, will return to the Mets tonight in Miami. When asked if Wright would be eased into games, manager Terry Collins said:

"He's been off three months. He ought to be rested."

With the apparent imminent departure of Carlos Beltran, Collins added:

"I'm somewhat disappointed that we may not ever see the lineup we planned on having, because it was pretty good."

According to Newsday, Beltran will evaluate potential suitors based on two things: their pitching staff and being a designated hitter.

"Right now, if it happens that I have to choose between one of the two, then I have to sit down and say you know what, the decision will be based more on the chances of being able to say they have a good pitching staff," Beltran said. "Remember, baseball is about pitching, so you want to be on a team where they have a good pitching staff, because those are the guys that are going to get you to the playoffs."

"You can take maybe DH once a week, and that would be fun because it would give you like a half-day off. But every day, nah, that's not me. That also will play out in my decision."

The New York Times has reported that the Mets have informed Jason Isringhausen that he will not be traded.

The Mets feel that he can help Bobby Parnell learn how to do the job, and if Parnell cannot learn it, then Isringhausen can continue to do it himself.

And lastly, Francisco Rodriguez is such a gem. Did the Mets tell Milwaukee that K-Rod has anger issues?

Injury Updates for Kirk Nieuwenhuis and Reese Havens

What would you rather hear first, the good or bad news? I think most people typically save the best for last, so we can start with the bad.

Kirk Nieuwenhuis, one of the Mets top prospects coming into the season (fifth according to Baseball America) has recently undergone surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left, non-throwing shoulder. This is not only a season-ending injury for Kirk, but a potentially career damaging one.

Although it was not to his throwing shoulder, an injury of this sort completely stops their ability to play baseball until it is fully healed. He cannot swing, and for a player who needs more at-bats in AAA to continue his development, this injury will halt his potential MLB debut by at least a year.

Ugly Defense Costs Mets In Series Finale With Cards

The Mets dropped their series finale with the Cardinals, losing 6-2.

• Jon Niese went six innings, giving up five runs on five hits, while striking out seven and walking one.

• Lucas Duda went 2-3 with one run scored.

• Jose Reyes was 1-4 with a triple. It was his 16th triple of the season.

• In possibly his final home game as a New York Met, Carlos Beltran was 0-3 with a walk and a strikeout. I'm going to go ahead and guess that's probably not how he wanted to end it.

• There was some ugly defense in the fifth inning. After fielding a potential double play ball, Duda threw the ball into the runner heading to second base, which then went into left field. The next at-bat was an RBI single by Jon Jay. Angel Pagan threw the ball to first base in an attempt to throw out Jay. It ended up in foul territory. An errant throw is one thing. An errant throw to a base that is not being covered at all is another.

Next up: The Mets head to Miami as they begin a 10-game road trip. Mike Pelfrey will get the start Friday night against Chris Volstad and the Marlins.

Get Away Day! Mets Go For The Sweep Of Cards Before They Hit The Road

July 21, 2011

12:10 PM ET

Citi Field

TV: SNY

RADIO: WFAN 660

NEW YORK METS

Starting Pitcher: Jon Niese (9-7, 3.73 ERA)

Niese went seven very strong innings in his last start against Philadelphia, allowing just one run on six hits, while striking out six. Against the Cardinals, he is 1-0 with a 1.17 ERA.

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS

Starting Pitcher: Jake Westbrook (7-4, 5.26 ERA)

In his last outing, Westbrook lasted five innings, giving up two runs on five hits to Cincinnati. Westbrook is 0-1 with a 6.43 ERA against the Mets.

Mets Morning News: Einhorn Negotiations, Bay's Hammy, & Where WillBeltran End Up?

After learning that the Mets had begun talks with three other bidders interested in buying a minority stake in the team, David Einhorn has once again become the front-runner, entering into exclusive talks with the team.

Einhorn's exclusive negotiating period to buy 33% of the Mets for $200 million ended in early July and while the team's owners continued to negotiate with the founder of Greenlight Capital, they also quietly began talks with Bartoszek and two other potential investors, according to sources said. Wilpon and Einhorn had hoped to consummate their agreement by the end of June, and sources said they still hope to finalize the deal soon.

Jason Bay left Wednesday's game in the fourth inning with a tight right hamstring. Bay believes he may have hurt his hamstring while running out a base hit against Philadelphia. Terry Collins may give him Thursday off just as a precaution.

"Terry was aware of it," Bay said. "I kind of felt it was OK if I was jogging. I hit that ground ball to short and my first couple [of] steps, I could feel it. I kind of slowed down but there was something that kind of prevented me from really going and then there was a ball down the line my first couple steps again your first instinct is to go real quick, but I could feel it immediately. Not bad, but enough that I'm a little concerned that if I keep going at that pace something bad might happen."

According to the Daily News, a source with the Mets has indicated that trading Carlos Beltran to NL East opponents is not out of the question.

A team source indicated Wednesday that the Mets would not be opposed to deal Beltran within the NL East to rivals Philadelphia or Atlanta if those offers were deemed the best returning package. The official added that the Mets aren't necessarily looking to acquire a specific position in potential deals for Beltran or other players, just the best prospect or combination thereof.

PaGone! Angel Lifts Mets Over Cards With Walk-Off Homer

Well, it took ten innings, but the Mets won on a walk-off home run to beat the Cardinals by a score of 6-5.

• R.A. Dickey went 6.1 innings, giving up four runs on eight hits, while striking out four and walking one. He ended up with a no-decision. He helped himself out at the plate also, going 2-2 with an RBI.

• Angel Pagan hit a solo walk-off home run to end it in the tenth.

• Jason Bay left in the fourth inning with a tight hamstring

• Carlos Beltran had a nice night at the plate, hitting his 15th home run of the season in the fifth inning to tie the game.

• Josh Thole went 2-4 with two RBIs and a run scored.

• Pedro Beato was able to get a big out in the seventh inning, getting Albert Pujols to pop out and end the inning.

• Jason Isringhausen was impressive in his two innings of relief, retiring the Cardinals' top batters.

Next up: The Mets finish their series tomorrow against the Cardinals. Jon Niese will take the mound for New York. Game time is 12:10 p.m.

Mets Set To Take On Pujols-Less Cardinals Lineup

July 20, 2011

7:10 PM ET

Citi Field

TV: SNY, ESPN

RADIO: WFAN 660

NEW YORK METS

Starting Pitcher: R.A. Dickey (4-8, 3.70 ERA)

Dickey went seven innings in his last start, but ended up with a loss. He gave up four runs on six hits, while striking out five. Lifetime against the Cardinals, he is 1-1 with a 7.36 ERA

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS

Starting Pitcher: Kyle McClellan (6-6, 4.24 ERA)

McClellan pitched well in his last start, allowing three runs in seven innings of work. He took the loss, however, against Arizona. He is 1-0 with a 0.93 ERA against the Mets in his career.

METS LINEUP:

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

Wait Till Next Year

The Mets are about to embark on a brutal stretch of games. The Cards at home lead into road series against the Marlins and Nationals, sandwiched around a trip to Cincinnati to face the Reds' NL-best offense. Now clinging to fourth in the division, the Mets may come home August 1 in last place in the NL East, without Carlos Beltran or Jason Isringhausen or Mike Pelfrey or even Jose Reyes.

And I couldn't be happier.

A year ago today, the Mets were in second place in the NL East with a record of 49-44. A week later, they were firmly ensconced in fourth place and would finish there by years end. This year, the Mets will be lucky to finish in fourth place. They are sitting there now, just a half game ahead of the last place Marlins and a dozen games behind the first place Phils. They are a game below .500. They have scored 9 more runs than they have allowed. They have had win streaks of six games and losing streaks of seven games.

They are aggressively mediocre.

And the fire sale is about to begin.

Mets Morning News: Wright's Rehab, Phillies Want Beltran, Keeping Reyes

David Wright went 2-4 in his fifth rehab start. He played nine inning for St. L ucie, and the Mets expect him to return for their series in Miami on Friday.

According to Adam Rubin, the Philadelphia Phillies have their eyes on Carlos Beltran, Scott Hairston, and Tim Byrdak. A source says the Phillies may be interested in acquiring all three players.

Bob Klapisch writes that it's, "Exciting to have Jose Reyes back, but for how long?" He also points out that Sandy Alderson may be using Mets fans to help sway the start shortstop into staying with New York.

One executive flatly said, "Sandy's crazy if he's [not trading Reyes] just to please the fans."

But there may be more to the Mets' plan than public relations. Goodwill is essential to their hopes of signing the shortstop this winter, and what better way to make Reyes feel wanted than by keeping him in front of his adoring fans as long as possible.

Gang's (Almost) All Here, Mets Beat Cards With A Little Help FromReyes & Beltran

The Mets beat the Cardinals by a score of 4-2, and are now back to .500.

• Dillon Gee went seven innings, giving up two runs on three hits, while striking out two and walking two. Gee allowed an RBI single to Cardianls pitcher Kyle Lohse in the fifth inning, and a solo home run to Lance Berkman in the seventh. He retired the first ten batters he faced.

• Angel Pagan gave the Mets the lead with a two-run double in the fifth inning.

• Daniel Murphy followed the next inning with a two-run double of his own, to make it 4-1.

• In his first game back since being on the disabled list, Jose Reyes went 2-5 with one run scored.

• Carlos Beltran also returned to the lineup after battling the flu the past few days. He went 3-3 with two doubles, two walks, and a run scored.

• Jason Isringhausen recorded his first save since 2008, getting a 1-2-3 inning against his former team. The last time he saved a game for the Mets? July 6, 1999.

Next up: The Mets play the second game of their series with St. Louis. R.A. Dickey will get the start for New York. Game time is 7:10 p.m.

Davis' Ankle Is "Not Good"

Speaking at a camp in Long Island, Ike Davis said his ankle is, "not good."



Just get the surgery already and be done with it.

Reyes & Beltran Back As Mets Take On Cardinals

July 19, 2011

7:10 PM ET

Citi Field

TV: SNY

RADIO: WFAN 660

NEW YORK METS

Starting Pitcher: Dillon Gee (8-3, 3.76 ERA)

Gee struggled in his last outing, going 5.2 innings, and giving up six runs on five hits, while striking out just two. Gee has never faced the Cardinals.

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS

Starting Pitcher: Kyle Lohse (8-6, 3.32 ERA)

Lohse didn't fare much better in his last start. He went 6.2 innings against Arizona, giving up seven runs on seven hits. He is 0-2 with a 8.25 ERA in the month of July. In his career, he is 2-3 with a 5.85 ERA against the Mets.

METS LINEUP:

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

Mets Morning News: Beltran & Reyes' Return, Carter Update

In his one and only rehab game with Brooklyn, Jose Reyes played six innings, and was 1-3 at the plate with a double and a run scored. He is expected to be back in the Mets lineup for tonight's game against the Cardinals.

Carlos Beltran is also expected to be back in the lineup Tuesday after missing the past three games with a virus.

According to ESPN New York, Gary Carter is making progress as he battles malignant brain tumors. In a private online journal, Carter's daughter, Kimmy Bloemers, writes that Carter was able to walk two miles on Monday:

"This is the longest walk since finding out about the cancer. He said to my mom that, 'This is the best I have felt in two months!' Wow, thank you Jesus for giving my dad a great day!"

Carter will undergo his final radiation therapy treatment today.

Did This Game Really Need To Be Made Up? Mets Lose 4-1

Making up a game which had been postponed on May 17, the Mets couldn't get anything going against the Marlins. They lost by a score of 4-1. The Mets are now back to being below .500.

• Chris Capuano was off to a good start, retiring ten out of the first 11 batters he faced before running into trouble in the fourth inning. Capuano allowed three runs in the inning -- a two run double to Mike Stanton, followed by an RBI single from Mike Cameron. He lasted 7.2 innings, giving up a total of four runs on seven hits, while striking out five and walking two.

• The Mets were held to just three hits all night by Marlins pitchers, and they were 0-5 with runners in scoring position.

• The only Met who managed to get a hit off Marlins starter Clay Hensley was Willie Harris. Harris finished the night going 2-3 at the plate with a double, a walk, and a single.

• The Mets finally got on the board in the bottom of the ninth. With the bases loaded, Jason Bay hit a sacrifice fly to bring home Daniel Murphy. Ronny Paulino then grounded out to end the game.

Next up: The Mets begin a three-game series with the Cardinals at Citi Field Tuesday night. Dillon Gee will get the start against Kyle Lohse. Game time is 7:10 p.m.

Mets and Marlins Meet Up For A Make Up

July 18, 2011

7:10 PM ET

Citi Field

TV: SNY

RADIO: WFAN 660

NEW YORK METS

Starting Pitcher: Chris Capuano (8-8, 4.12 ERA)

In his only appearance against the Marlins this season (April 3), Capuano allowed one run on three hits in 2/3 of an inning. In his career, he is 4-2 with a 3.16 ERA against Florida.

FLORIDA MARLINS

Starting Pitcher: Clay Hensley (0-2, 3.60 ERA)

Hensley is making his first start since July 24, 2008 when he was with the Padres. His last appearance for Florida was June 1, in relief, against Arizona. He allowed one run in 1/3 of an inning. Lifetime against the Mets, he is 1-2 with 4.38 ERA.

METS LINEUP:

Pagan-CF, Harris-2B, Murphy-3B, Hairston-RF, Duda-1B, Bay-LF, Thole-C, Tejada-SS, Capuano-LHP

NOTES:

Tonight's game is a make up from the one which was postponed on May 17.

Jose Reyes went 1-for-3 with a double and run scored in a rehab game in Brooklyn this afternoon.

Mets Morning News: Wright & Reyes, Beltran Likely Out Again, & BeatoNeeds Consistency

David Wright went 2-4 on Sunday in his rehab start with Class A St. Lucie. As designated hitter, Wright had a double, a walk, one run scored, and one RBI. The Mets expect him to return to the lineup on Friday against the Marlins.

Jose Reyes ran the bases on Sunday at full speed without any issues. He will make one rehab start, tonight, with Brooklyn before returning to the Mets.

The Mets could be without Carlos Beltran again tonight. Not shocking since he has the flu. I wouldn't be surprised if he was out tomorrow as well. The only thing I ask is that until he is better, do not allow him to sit in the dugout next to his teammates, spitting sunflower seeds all over the place (like he was doing yesterday).

According to manager Terry Collins, Pedro Beato will need to be more consistent if he wants to be the primary closer for the Mets.

"We've seen out of Pedro where he's pitched a couple nights in a row, and a lot of times the third night or the day off all of a sudden his fastball isn't what it quite was," Collins said. "It needs to be as a closer. You need to have that durable arm to bounce back, so we'll see how he handles it."

Mets Rally Late, But Fall To The Phillies

Apparently the Mets plan on avoiding the whole closing situation by not getting themselves into save situations. They lost to the Phillies by a score of 8-5.

• Mike Pelfrey was less than stellar, yet again. He went five innings, giving up four runs on six hits, while striking out two and walking one. He gave up an RBI single to Ryan Howard in the first inning, but seemed to get it together after that. Then the fifth inning happened. After giving up back-to-back singles to Kyle Kendrick and Jimmy Rollins, Pelfrey proceeded to serve up a home run to Michael Martinez.

• You could blame Jason Bay for allowing Ryan Howard to get on base in the eighth with his fielding error, but Pedro Beato had a rough day on the mound. In 2/3 of an inning, he walked three and allowed three runs. One of those runs was walked in.

• Daniel Murphy had another good day at the plate. He was 2-3 with two walks and two runs scored.

• I will give this team credit. They did try to make a comeback, scoring four runs in the final two innings.

Next up: The Mets play a make up game against the Marlins tomorrow night at Citi Field. Chris Capuano will get the start. Game time is 7:10 p.m.

Mets Go For Series Win Against Philadelphia

July 17, 2011

1:10 PM ET

Citi Field

TV: WPIX

RADIO: WFAN 660

NEW YORK METS

Starting Pitcher: Mike Pelfrey (5-8, 4.55 ERA)

Pelfrey lost his last start before the All-Star break, giving up two runs in six innings to the Giants. He hasn't fared well against the Phillies in his career either. He is 6-5 with a 5.01 ERA against Philadelphia.

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

Starting Pitcher: Kyle Kendrick (4-4, 3.58 ERA)

Kendrick is getting the start today so that Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay can get some extra rest before beginning the second half. In his career, he is 3-5 with a 3.07 ERA against the Mets.

METS LINEUP:

Pagan-CF, Turner-2B, Harris-RF, Murphy-3B, Bay-LF, Duda-1B, Paulino-C, Tejada-SS, Pelfrey-RHP

NOTES:

Carlos Beltran is out of the lineup again today due to the flu.

Jose Reyes ran the bases this morning at full speed. According to Steve Popper, Reyes felt great and is expected to make one rehab start in Brooklyn before returning to the Mets.

Mets Morning News: Tejada's Fielding, Potential Signings, & Parnell AsCloser

Terry Collins believes the shuffling between second base and shortstop has led to Ruben Tejada's recent fielding woes. The manager, however, is not worried.

"I'm not worried about it. I've seen him and I think he's a very good defender," Collins said. "To be honest, even though he's played here for the last two weeks at shortstop, he hasn't been there all year, so I think it's an issue for sure."

According to Adam Rubin, the Mets intend to sign left-hander Gustavo Chacin who was released from the Houston Astros organization. Once he signs, he will be sent to Triple-A Buffalo.

Chacin, 30, appeared in 44 games in relief for the Houston Astros last season, producing a 4.70 ERA. He had been 3-6 with a 5.13 ERA in 27 appearances (nine appearances) this season with Triple-A Oklahoma City before being released.

Mike Sielski of the Wall Street Journal wonders, "Is Bobby Parnell too normal to be a closer?"

If there's a potential pitfall for Parnell, though, it might be this: He is, by all indications, a normal guy who happens to be capable of throwing a baseball through a brick wall. Where closers are concerned, normal isn't in vogue. The modern ninth-inning man is now personified by the San Francisco Giants' Brian Wilson, arguably more recognizable for his ink-black beard and unorthodox sartorial habits than for his accomplishments on the field.