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The Game:
The first-place Mets (82-62) look for the victory in the rubber game with the Braves (74-71) this evening at Shea Stadium, starting at 7:10 pm EDT.
The Lineup:
- SS Jose Reyes
- 1B Marlon Anderson
- 3B David Wright
- CF Carlos Beltran
- LF Moises Alou
- RF Shawn Green
- C Paul Lo Duca
- 2B Ruben Gotay
- SP John Maine
The Pitchers:
RHP John Maine (14-9, 3.80) starts for the Mets. He was hit hard in his last start vs. the Reds, allowing six runs on nine hits (including two homers) over 4.1 IP. This followed his biggest start of the season down in Atlanta, when he hurled seven innings of one-run ball. It was the only time he made it out of the sixth inning out of his last eight outings. Maine was knocked around in his only other career appearance vs. the Braves on August 9th, yielding six runs on seven hits over 5.1 IP.
RHP John Smoltz (13-7, 3.02 ERA) takes the hill for the Braves. He took a no-hitter into the 8th inning vs. the Nationals in his last start, spoiled on a Ronnie Belliard single. He ended up allowing one run on one hit over 7IP+ while striking out 10. Smoltz has allowed three runs or less in seven consecutive starts. This will be Smoltz’s sixth start against the Mets this season. He is 2-1 with a 3.66 ERA in 32 innings against the Mets this season.
The Notes:
As most of you know by now, 1B Shawn Green loves hitting against Smoltz, to the tune of 17-for-32 (.531).
15 of David Wright’s 28 home runs have either tied a game or given the Mets a lead.
SS Jose Reyes is batting .362 (25-for-69) with four triples, two home runs and 10 RBI vs. the Braves this season. He set a career-high with three doubles last night.
The Braves lead the season series 9-8 — this is the last meeting of the two teams this season.
For more insight on the Braves, check out Blogger Beat featuring William Schaffer from Chop-n-Change.
The Bleachers:
For a live chat, head over to The Hot Foot Bleachers.
…enjoy…and as always, let’s go mets…
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Come on Johnny Maine let’s win this series and put these guys out of their misery.
Lets Go Mets lets take this series, hopefully Green can stay hot against Smoltz and then lets get ready to wipe out the Phillies. Can’t wait I’m going down to Philly for the weekend I’ll be wearing my Reyes and Beltran jerseys proud while I eat my Philly cheesesteak (the only thing that’s good about Philly)
Umm, you do realize the games are at Shea thin weekend…right?
Has Marlon played first at all yet this season? I don’t doubt he can do it, I just can’t remember him being there.
Swing that sledgehammer!
Though, shouldn’t Anderson be in RF and Green at 1B, or does Willie have more faith in Green in RF?
We’ll see . . .
Isnt the phillies series at home, here, at shea, not philly?
Um, yes. Anyone else want join Mbeli in philly this weekend? ; )
i love gary, keith, and ron…but they seem to be paying attention to everything but the game tonight
save it for the last week of the season, fellas
and that’s why reyes is so good. single. steal second. to third on a wild pitch. scores on a short sac fly. in the playoffs, that wins games as the team faces the best pitchers
Yes, a hot Reyes is invaluable come playoff time. And it looks like he’s warming up again. Let’s hope that the slump is over.
As I’m writing this Reyes misses that pop. Reyes is good on defense when he’s alone, but this is the third or fourth time this week where Reyes is messing up or nearly messes up with another player in near proximity.
Man, what an annoying inning. Luckily they only got one run. F’n bloops, but that ball should have been caught by Beltran. Maine also can’t be walking guys like that, even though he was getting squeezed by the ump in that situation.
Can Green tip off the rest of the team on Smoltz please?
Green must mad that this is the last time he’ll face Smoltz this season.
What’s up with the Phillies? Are they saving energy for the weekend series in NY?
That was an absolutely disgusting AB by John Maine…throwing his bat out at a pitch that was 28 feet outside and in the dirt.
This, after another weekly John Maine meltdown…walking 3 in a row to get this tied up.
I’m not high on this guy. He has absolutely no mental toughness or fortitude, whatsoever.
As I type this…Mets 1st and 2nd….no outs. 1 out…2 outs…3 outs.
Sweet sweet execution.
0 for 7 and counting.
If the Mets win this game…I’ll be here to eat crow.
Mets aren’t winning this game.
We might pull it out
Do you know who won Game 6 of the NLCS last year?
John Main
That comment was to you MetsMachine
Well aware who it was too Navy_Mets.
Unfortunately, I’m concerned with John Maine of 2007…specifically 2nd half 2007….in which he has shown frequent signs of meltdowns, being rattled, and weak mental stability.
John Maine of one game a year ago…doesn’t affect me in the least. In case you didn’t notice, the Mets choked last year. What one game a year ago has anything to do with John Maine now…is beyond me.
Apparently your still clasping to the 2006 season that almost was. I, like a more intelligent fan…live in the present…and am concerned with what pitchers are doing NOW.
No need to question intelligence, I was just reminding you that he has done it before, which means some where in that head of his he has the ability to get the job done. That’s all. Being that we are both met fans I believe we share the same goals for our team, no?
at least navymets is smart enough to enjoy his 1st place team as maine out-pitches smoltz (one of the best).
try to enjoy the mets beating the braves again, mets machine
im enjoying my team winning.
just pointing out that baseball is a “what have you done for me lately” sport ; )
What worse is who lost game 7 and how he lost it..Still makes me sick
Let it go.
Except for the walks in the fourth inning, Maine has been better than expected tonight.
How bout 1st and 2nd with 1 out…and the bunt that he didn’t come within 5 feet of laying down?
Little things…little things. Don’t always take place on the mound.
he has still become a much better bunter/hitter then when he first came to the mets, he is making strides in the right direction. As for his mental stability, he was known last year to have problems with losing it all of a sudden as well. He was getting much better at avoiding the mental lapses earlier in the year and in 2 of his last 3 starts he has pitched excellent again. He is still young and has never thrown near this many innings in a year before, cut the guy a little slack, hes still having quite a good year as a whole.
Congrats Jose with your first rbi in september.
Heilman behind 3-0. I wonder what the odds are of a walk and 2-run homer by Teixeira.
He only gave up a single but Renteria got to 3rd. Does it need to be written in the sky for Willie? Use Feliciano as the setup man. He’s probably 100 times more effective than Heilman.
Feliciano walked McCann. Now Willie is bringing in Mota to face Francoeur with the bases loaded. If this is not the dumbest managerial move made all year, I really don’t know what is.
Im not saying theres not a chance we get out of this inning alive…but wow.
Willie Randolph is a braindead moron OR very smart.
Moda implodes here…and so long to Mota in October
no it isnt so long to mota in october or they would have given up on him long ago. they wouldnt put him in these situations if they didnt plan on using him in the playoffs
Where has Bruce’s strike zone gone?!?!
My name is Wilie and I am a Motaholic.
UGH….this pen will be the death of us all!! And here comes Roid Boy to complete the meltdown.
The biggest problem is how Willie uses the pen. He has too short a leash with the good relievers are too long a leash with the bad ones. No manager is going to bring in the worst reliever with the bases loaded in a 2-run game.
The biggest problem is that Willie panics and is devoid of brains.
True - both of you.
Mota.
Bases juiced.
Mota not.
Enough said.
Wright fields a questionable fair ball. A near strike out.
What are the chances the next ball doesn’t wind up over the left field wall?
Settle down Gary Cohen
Haha….just said the same thing. He needs to relax.
MOTA BLOWS.
MetsMachine–John Maine has no mental toughness? how about hows hes been ready for these big games against the braves these last two outings where he has pitched great? if he has no mental toughness how does he come back to shutdown the braves after getting roughed up last outing? sounds like a guy who is mentally tough to me and knows how to win in big games….but maybe thats just me. We are up 6 games in the division (about to be 7 after tonight) and all you do is bitch and moan. 6 games isnt good enough for you? would you rather be back 6 games?
0 for 7 and counting.
If the Mets win this game…I’ll be here to eat crow.
Mets aren’t winning this game.
In case you werent aware..the mets are up 3-1. even if they dont win this game (which i think they will) you still have to have faith in your team. You are taking this year for granted. dont you remember when we were considered one of the worst teams in major league baseball. you sound like a yankee fan who expects their team to be the greatest team ever and never lose a game. you probably werent even a mets fan until they started winning last year. (and dont come up with some story about how you’ve been a mets fan all of your life and were at the game when buckner let the ball go through his legs or any of that crap. and dont say that you have the right to talk however u want about ur team and just want them to do good because that is also crap..if you were a real mets fan you wouldnt be so negative..you may know our old saying….ya gotta beleive
p.s. rockies 11 phillies 0
Correction. Mets are tied 3-3.
Willie Randolph should be fired.
Mota should be DFA tonight.
Have some crow.
go watch a yankees game. you are not a met fan. u just want to say that your team won a ring at the end of the season. no real fan would sit there and bash THEIR team all night long.
That was a HORRIBLE call by Lo Duca. They should have thrown an eye high fastball and make him chase it. Honestly, I think Lo Duca has made some very bad calls. He always calls it low when it should be high. It usually ends up 400ft from home when that happens.
Keep it tied you bum!
here’s another thing besides willie’s gut’s mota-love to piss you off about this inning- on mlb.com gameday, at least three, maybe all four of feliciano’s called balls to mccann were strikes.
In all seriousness….when is it time for Mota to stop pitching for this organization?
What more do we have to see?
Enough of god damn Mota!
Lets go win this thing
Billy Wagner should have been brought in for a 4 out save. End of story.
No one on this entire blog thought Mota was getting out of that jam.
And if Wagner fails, everyone is pissed like they were after Wagner couldn’t get it done in PHL. Mota had him looking dumb and he hit a GB through the infield….sometimes that crap happens.
He settled down, K’d Jones, and now it’s time to take the lead.
We all know Wags is only good for 3 outs so quit with that nonsense.
Correction. I beleived Mota was going to get out of that jam because I beleive in my team and don’t try to get rid of every single player when he is struggling.
That’s not Mota. Bruce Freming’s a d-bag, on and off the field.
Couldn’t agree more, the strike zone shrunk with McCann up to the size of a pea!
Good to see Mota still sucks.
Willie Randolph is a nice man, a good family man, a good clubhouse manager.
Willie Randolph is not a smart man.
people….mota is not going anywhere. if he was…then he would have been gone already. If he wasnt going to be with the team in the playoffs and pitch in big situations..why would they give him that kind of chance in these games?
Beltran needs to try to steal here….Alou has been a DP machine
Lets go get it done!
Oh, and Omar Minaya IS a smart man,…but signing Mota after the roids was not a smart move.
Signing him? Not really. Giving him a 2 year deal (as opposed to a 1 yr with an option). Yeah. He fell in love with Mota and he’s paying for it. You look at the stats of Mota in Cleveland last year and this year, they’re identical. The real problem is Willie keeps using him in these close game situations. No manager is going to hook their 2nd best reliever for a bum.
2 yrs definitely compounded the original sin of signing him.
Agreed, re: Sillie Randolph
The biggest problem is that Mota is on the roster. Only one man can remedy that. And no, it is not Willie.
If Mota can’t be used to get 1 out, he is totally useless.
Feliciano had a chance to get one out……
Yeah, but usually Feliciano gets the job done. Mota doesn’t.
For such a predominate fastball pull hitter, I’m amazed Alou has as good stats as he does in his career……I think he’ll come up big this postseason….I’m just stating an observation.
Enough about Mota, it’s over…Lets Go Mets
beltran is so clutch. look at this guy play in the field. on the bases. with a bat
Great heads up play by beltran!! Now bring him in!!
hey metsmachine what do you have to complain about with that? mets back up 4-3.
He’ll only complain if Wagner blows the save……how willie should have kept Mota in. (end sarcasm)
haha very true
and then if wagner were to blow the save…which he wont….and alou or greens turn came up again he’d complain that they were taken out of the game for defense
Thataboy Greenie!
Sweet baserunning by Beltran.
All season long, scrubs on this blog been hatin’ on Shawn Green. You show ‘em Greenie! L’shanah tovah tikatev v’taihatem!
Gesundheit
1 - Agree about Mota - why is he still here?
2 - Maine lost his cool on the bloop hit that Beltran should have caught. Either Carlos wasn’t demonstrative enough to call off Jose, or someone has to tell Jose that he doesn’t belong that deep in the OF. We love his aggressiveness, but that was reckless.
1. He’s being paid. The real question is why Willie keeps using him in close games as opposed to blowouts. No manager would use a reliever that bad in those situations in favor of your 2nd best reliever.
2. Carlos always plays deep. Anything in front of him will fall for a hit.
eat crow MetsMachine…eat crow…and go find a different team to root for because no one wants you here
hahaha ok mr. majority.
unfortunately for you…i could care less what you think.
here to eat crow. glad the Mets won.
Still wont Mota banished from the team.
I do. He makes me thankful for my life…
Standingswise a perfect day for the Mets:
The Nationals were officially eliminated earlier today.
Both Braves and Phillies drop a game.
Magic number is now 11.
MN=11… and I am at the game on Saturday. Let’s Go Mets!
Nice win. Pen still a real crapshoot.
Magic Number ELEVEN and counting.
don’t get too down on the pen. sosa did a nice job, heilman just lost it for a minute on that renteria walk. feliciano got squeezed BADLY. these guys along with wags and pelfrey will probably be enough in the playoffs, especially with another starter getting put in there.
but by all means, kill willie on putting mota in. just a ridiculous move, as though feliciano isn’t better at getting righties out
MetsMachine,
YOU WANT FRIES WITH THAT CROW?!
Say it with me MAGIC # 11
It’s not Willie’s fault. Heilman has been pitching almost every game. Feliciano when he’s wild can’t get out of his own way. Sosa had been used. Collazo, Humber and Sele were all used yesterday and at any rate shouldn’t be put in a situation like that. OTOH, Mota is being paid millions to get tough outs. He was rested. He couldn’t even get one out.
He doesn’t belong on the roster. That’s Omar’s fault.