A Little Dose of 5th Starter Reality

Two games, two pitchers who were competing for the 5th starters job in Spring Training. The result? A lot of what we expected- not much.


Thursday:

Tim Redding was knocked out early, and the Mets were in a 5-0 hole in the third inning. This was Pittsburgh after all. However, the Mets came back with some small ball, tying the game. Fernando Tatis came back from the dead to be a star in this one. He homered to give the Mets an 8-5 lead, one they would blow in the 9th inning. Did I tell you we are going to see more K-Rod blown saves? However, Tatis took one for the team in the 10th, getting plunked, stealing second, and scoring on a Ryan Church single. K-Rod stayed in the game and almost threw as many pitches as Redding to hold on to the W. No more games during the work please. I don't know how Cub fans deal with all those afternoon starts.


Friday:

Livan Hernandez was throwing batting practice, plain and simple. Philly plays exactly like the team to beat, as proclaimed by me in their last meeting, despite the fact that they have lost just about every game since then. Rollins hits, Utley hits, Victorino drives us nuts and Werth plays like Barry Bonds in his heydey. To make matters worse, the Mets are wearing Philly-like red caps for the holiday weekend (although the don't look as bad as the Yankees do at home). Can this die next season please? Put a patch with an American flag on the caps and sleeves. Leave the team colors alone.

To D.C. Please

Disaster.

Mike Pelfrey was awful. The Pirates were anything but, despite having their best player traded the night before. At least Carlos Beltran looked good in his return from the stomach flu. Alex Cora returned as well, so the lineup was looking a little better. Anything but Ramon Martinez hitting sixth. The offense was fine. This one was full of pp- Pelfrey and...

J.J...ah, never mind, we've discussed him way too much lately. Would you like to reverse that trade with Seattle today? Jason Vargas is 2-0 with an ERA under 2. You win some, you lose some, but it seems like Omar is losing them lately. We can only rely on the fact that there's still a lot of time left this season.

It has to suck being a Pirates fan (aside from the fact that you own the Mets in your city). Andrew McCutchen, enjoy your time in Pittsburgh, you'll be gone in a few years.

And to think, the Mets have to come back here for one measly game on July 2nd due to the rainout last night. How about we forfeit the game and take the rest instead? The result won't be any different.

Hell is Black and Gold

Could it get any better for a Pittsburgh sports fan yesterday? If you had great seats to the Pirates game last night and could not refuse them despite wanting to watch Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals last night, you had almost the best of both worlds. A just-over-two-hour baseball game in which your team continues to make the New York team look like the one that's been losing for almost twenty years and a hop over to the Igloo, a short walk across the bridge, to join the party watching the hockey. A fun night all around. Screw you guys.

I give up trashing this city and it's teams. The Mets need to get out fast and we need to forget about terrible towels and white-outs once and for all. Oh wait, it's a four game series? At least the pain will be quick with an early day game after night game.

Johan was cruising last night. I missed the first inning and my only concern was "did he give up a hit?" Not only did he not, but he retired the first ten in order. This was going to be the one, especially after the two sparkling defensive plays the Mets made. But it was not to be, and then later it fell apart in the sixth.

Have I told you I hate the Penguins? So much for a sweep.

Thundersuck

This was going to be the headline for the Sunday game recap had J.J. Putz stayed in the game and eventually blow one to the Marlins. I guess we did not have to wait too long. Yesterday was batting practice and the Pirates were working on shooting it up the middle.

Pittsburgh is a house of horrors. Wait, this sounds familiar. Oh right, I've only been saying it all winter for the Rangers. At least unlike the NHL, the Pirates are not in our division. Thank goodness for that realignment that brought us the wild card in 1995 and knocked them out of the East. Just look at the recent history there, as described by Faith and Fear in Flushing. I was there to personally experience that brutal 7/8/05 collapse. Ouch, wrong word.

It's a shame because watching the game last night on TV made me want to plan a trip back to that ballpark, despite the wonderful outcomes. It certainly is one of the nicer ones out there. Just go there with thick skin. Nothing like hearing a five-year old on your way out from a game like the one in 2005 saying "Daddy, the Mets suck!" You bunch of losers, when was the last time you won anything? I hope Detroit wins in four to clinch on your home ice again. You know they're all Penguin fans. What else is there to do in Pittsburgh?

Mets 8, Pirates 4

Livan Hernandez did not have his best stuff early, and this looked to be an all-too-familiar third game of a series where the Mets fail to put the hammer down. But this is the Pirates we are talking about.

In the 4th, Carlos Delgado his another bomb, although this one off the wall, and the Mets started to chip away. Omir Santos had another key opposite field hit, scoring two. Brian Schneider, take your time returning. You couldn't ask for anything better than what your getting from Castro and Santos.

You would've liked to see David Wright bust open that game in the 7th. Bases loaded, two out and he struck out again.

Sean Green will be continued to be used in mop-up duty.

Rare mistake by Gary Cohen, who not once, but twice said that Eric Hinske, the fifth batter of the game, was the first batter who Livan did not fall behind 2-0. Two batters earlier, Nate McLouth hit a sac fly behind 1-2 in the count. It's OK Gary, we forgive you.

Smallball: Mets 10, Pirates 1

It's nice to see a laugher when your team is on a roll. When you get the W and you see that Ken Takahashi and Brian Stokes took care of the last three innings, you know it was a good game.

They did it with small ball, except for a bomb by Carlos Beltran, hit into the second deck in left field, the first this season to reach the "left field landing". Wouldn't been more appropriate to name the first deck left field landing, since most homeruns will go there anyway? Then again maybe more balls will land up top as the weather gets warmer. Anyway...

Reyes, Beltran, Delgado and Wright each had two hits. That's the recipe for a blowout in our favor, assuming the pitching holds up. And John Maine did just that- one run in six innings.

You will not see many homers in Citi Field like the one Paul Maholm hit. Just over the Mo-Zone in rightfield, yet underneath the Porch. Not much room for the arc of the ball to find that spot. Either it hits the facade of the porch or it's caught by the rightfielder.

Screw Pittsburgh. They're more concerned with what they're hockey team is doing anyway. Speaking of which, how's my final four doing?

Mets 7, Pirates 3

The winning streak continues. Fears of yet another let down against an inferior club were erased with one swing of the bat by Carlos Delgado, launching a three-run blast that busted this one open in the 8th inning. The odds were not in Carlos' favor. He was facing a lefty with a release point that came from behind his back, a pitcher who lefty opponent batting average was 1-for-a lot this season. It was good to see. Carlos had been strugging with the hip and you were concerned that he was going to go back to second half 07/first half 08 form.

Congrats to Bobby Parnell, who earned his first major league win. Did I already say I like this kid? Who doesn't, the way he throws.

Does Jeff Karstens look like he's related to David Weathers?

I like Nyjer Morgan. OK, there's a little bias there because I picked him up for my fantasy team earlier this season, but looking at him play for the first time, I was impressed.

Great job by Jon Niese. 6 innings, 2 runs, 5 strikeouts, 0 walks- what more can you ask? You wish you could get that kind of outing by Oliver Perez. Give the kid another chance against Atlanta in the dreaded mid-week afternoon home game next week, especially since that was the team in which he had his best outing in his few starts last season.

Can't do anything about that misplayed fly ball between Beltran and Church. What are the odds both guys could not pick up the ball?

JJ, you're up 5 runs, let them hit it.