A Winning Streak

Oh, and there was a baseball game last night. After the soap opera that was the afternoon, it was good to just watch a game for a change. Good for the Mets that they did it in dramatic fashion.

Fernando Tatis came up with the bases loaded and one out in a tie game in the 8th, double play city. But the Rockies forgot that Tatis was also Mr. GrandSlam. He hit his eight career slam, and it was on an 0-2 pitch.

The bullpen was solid. Four shutout innings, two by Brian Stokes and one each by Pedro Feliciano (who faced righties, and got them out!) and K-Rod (who threw only 11 pitches!) shut the door.

The ball was flying out of the big ballpark today. We have not really had many of those nasty, humid days in the city. Maybe some power numbers creep back up as the dog days descend upon us and 2/3 of the next month is played at Citi.

In one second the Mets have three runs in a game, the next they have seven. I'm still amazed. Word of warning: my 1-5 record this season is in play tonight as the Mets go for four straight. And the dreaded weekday afternoon game, which the Mets are winless when I attend the last couple of seasons? That's scheduled for this Thursday.

It's the Nats

I heard the score was 5-0 after a couple of innings. Livan was on his way out of the rotation. But no, it was the Mets who were ahead. And they held on for the win.

Biggest play of the game was the double play ball hit by Adam Dunn, who was the tying run in the 8th. Great play by Daniel Murphy, who as we see, can pick it at first. With him it's just a matter of instincts and a little more flexibility to stretch. Pedro Feliciano was stretching indeed, looking like a natural first baseman on the return throw by Alex Cora to complete the twin killing.

When ordering coffee from Tim Horton's here in Montreal, when they ask you if you want cream and sugar, you say yes, then they go 1 and 1, they mean 1 cream and 1 sugar. The cashier during the AM rush hour seemed quite annoyed at my lack of understanding. It's probably because I spoke English.

And So It Goes

For the second straight series, the Mets win the first game, but lose the second and now face yet another two out of three series loss.

What's there to say about this one? Four hits on the day, with a sleepwalk from the third inning on. Beltran singled in the 9th to give us hope that maybe, just maybe, David Wright would come up with a dramatic game tying 9th inning homerun when you least expect it. Instead he flails away at two pitches in the dirt to end the game. Sigh.

Pedro Feliciano made an appearance yet again. The guy does not get sore. It helps when you throw only a few pitches a day, but damn.

At least Johan was Johan again. However it was the same story with him as earlier in the season. Locked into a pitcher's duel, and coming out on the short side.

John Who?

Fernando Nieve continues to roll. John Maine, take your time coming back. Fine, I've been a little hard on Maine the past few days, but he spoiled us in 2007 with that good season. Our expectations were for him to at least repeat or better that season. He simply has not been doing that the last year and a half. Right now, he's just another 5th starter. Until he starts popping high fastballs in the 90s again, there no sense to get excited about a possible return anytime soon.

Brian Schneider just might be getting hot at the right time. He needs to take the catcher job and run with it. Leave Omir on the bench for that big pinch hit late in the game. It seems like it's the only time he gets hits on a consistent basis.

Good move in calling up Nick Evans for Fernando Martinez. Evans could have easily made the team out of spring training, but struggled mightily when sent down. He was not even an option earlier in the season. In the last month, he's been tearing up AA, so it was finally time. In addition, unlike with F-Mart, he does not have to play every day.

Sean Green, your new 8th inning man. Although you can't help but wonder if Putz and Wagner can find their pre-surgery selves and return to action for September. Another lefty in the pen would be nice. Can we win a game without stress so we don't have to run Feliciano out there for the 15th straight game?

Felicianono

Huff giveth, Huff taketh away. Pedro Feliciano was brought in the perfect spot. Markakis and Huff, two lefties coming up. Don't criticize for wanting to keep Parnell in there. It was simply a case of the right move gone wrong. I say Huff ain't nothing to write home about the day before and the next day he hits what eventually is the game-winning homerun.

Fernando Martinez hit a nice looking double. However, I'm tired of seeing the kid struggle up here (he was all twisted on that early homerun by that other hot shot prospect who was going all season without an rbi) and he needs to go down and get some confidence as soon as National League ball returns this Friday.

A painful 0 for 5 for David Wright, with three of those at-bats coming with runners in scoring position. I wonder if David was trying too hard to go yard there as the tying run in the 9th inning. It's amazing the guy is on pace for about ten homers on the year. Sure, you'll take the .357, but you'd like some pop when the team desperately needs it.

At least Gary Sheffield went yard again and has caught fire. The question is will it keep up now that he has to resume playing the field on Friday.

Giftwrapped

The Orioles allowed three earned runs and scored four. That was the difference. Aubrey Huff dropped a pop up, although this one was a little tougher than the one Castillo had to handle. His name is circulating in trade rumors involving the Mets. I don't know, looking at his numbers and his defensive play, is he something we really need right now?

After retiring 11 straight, Mike Pelfrey lost the perfect game/no hitter in the 4th. Yes, it was one of those you had to intently watch and not do anything else until he gave up that first hit. But how easily the Big Pelf gets unraveled? Settle down young man! If you haven't listened to Boomer and Carton on WFAN in the morning of Pelfrey's starts, then look for the clips here that contain songs about Pelfrey. A must listen. Also lookup the clip titled "Manuel Mouthful" from 6/1, another classic.

Sean Green! Lights out. And Pedro Feliciano continues to dominate, making lefties look foolish. Bobby Parnell, on the other hand, has been quite the opposite. Since hitting 100 on the radar gun in Boston, going into yesterday's game he's 0-2, and ERA of 4.50, a batting average against of .333 and on base against of .438. Add two more earned runs with 0 innings pitched. The ERA is slowly rising to match his batting average against, which is not good.

Braves 8, Mets 3

Johan Santana was brilliant again tonight. He got the loss. The boxscore says he gave up seven hits, but really, how many "hits" did he give up? The defense let him down. You had a feeling David Wright was going to bounce that throw in the first inning; it felt like he had to make that throw from the outfield when he fielded that one.

For all the questions of why Jerry Manual left Pedro Feliciano in to face lefty killer Matt Diaz, we know that it should not have ever come to that matchup had it not been for the Jose Reyes boot. That being said, do you want a Feliciano vs Diaz (who had been struggling vs anyone this season) matchup or a Stokes vs lefty pinch hitter, like Greg Norton. I'll take the former- Pedro's your guy in that spot, he's gotta get the job done. You could say you wanted to see Parnell pitch the whole inning, but what's Pedro's role in the bullpen if he does not come in to face their best hitter in the 7th, a lefty in a big spot?

Stokes and Takahashi were bound to give up a run at some point.

Derek Lowe looked good, but remember, he wanted four years. Give that contract some time.

NHL playoffs:
-When you watch two teams you despise, the best thing in that situation is to watch the visiting team win a couple of games in a row in overtime. Nothing like seeing the fans stunned. I really hate Pittsburgh, I'm kind of rooting for the lesser of two evils, the Caps, in game 7. But go Boston or Carolina in the next round.
-Roberto Luongo gave up 7 goals. Wow. Bye bye Vancouver. Still don't like you since '94.

Welcome to Citi Field: Mets 1, Phillies 0

Johan vs Chan Ho. Sounds like trouble. How many times to you see a lopsided pitching matchup like this one but it never turns out the way it is supposed to? But Johan did what he's been doing all season, and you have to go back to a game last July before you find a less than stellar start from him.

Chan Ho Park however, was nothing like his last start vs the Mets last week. Five innings of no-hit ball?

Why the hell does Jose Reyes continue to slide headfirst into firstbase? The day will happen- following the slide, the trainer will come out, he's out of the game, we find out about a fracture or torn ligament the next day, and he's out several weeks.

Chase Utley hit a ball that was clearly out in Citizens Bank Park, but a harmless flyout yesterday. Take that!

For the second straight day, the Mets benefit from a throwing error by the opposing thirdbaseman, this time scoring the only run they needed in the 9th inning. Thank you Pedro Feliz.

Great job by Pedro Feliciano in the 8th inning with JJ Putz not available, striking out Ryan Howard. Other than the K, a flyout to the warning track in left field would have been just as nice.

Walk- Phillies 6, Mets 5

August 30, 2008 and May 2, 2009, Aaron Heilman or Sean Green, the result the same. The Mets lose on a walkoff walk.

Awful performances by the pitching staff at the start and finish overshadowed what was an impressive effort in the middle by the bullpen, with the exception of a Pedro Feliciano pitch to Raul Ibanez. It was the second straight night our lefty specialist gave up a homerun to a lefty. Oliver Perez was a disaster again. Ken Takahashi was great as a long, going 2.2 scoreless. He could be making the next Perez-scheduled start on Thursday. Bobby Parnell and JJ Putz pitched three scoreless. Green was awful, loading the bases, then walking in the winning run in the 10th and that was it.

Just when it looked like the Mets were going to go another game without solving Jamie Moyer, Daniel Murphy and Ramon Castro hit back to back homeruns to tie the game in the 6th.

Jose Reyes is mired in a deep slump. After Alex Cora led off the 10th with a single, Reyes could not even get a bunt down. How long before we see Cora spot Reyes a game at short?

Luis Castillo made his return to the lineup and was removed in a double-switch in the 6th. If he keeps sliding like he slid into home in the 3rd, we're going to see a lot less of him. That was a tumble that looked like nothing but hurt for the 33-year old who looks like he's 43.

The Sportsync radio worked like a charm today. Fox's HD-feed was 8 seconds slower than the radio call, just enough to delay the handy radio to the max 8 seconds and be able to watch while listening to Howie on the Fan.