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The Game:
The Mets (2-4) continue their home opening series against the Phillies (4-4) this evening at Shea Stadium, starting at 7:10 pm EDT.
The Lineup:
- SS Jose Reyes
- LF Angel Pagan
- 3B David Wright
- CF Carlos Beltran
- 1B Carlos Delgado
- RF Ryan Church
- 2B Damion Easley
- C Brian Schneider
- P Mike Pelfrey
The Pitchers:
RHP Mike Pelfrey (0-0, 0.00 ERA) takes the hill for the Mets in his season debut. Pelfrey was 3 – 8 with a 5.57 ERA in 15 appearances for the Mets last season. Pelfrey had a 8.14 ERA in six spring training starts. In his only career start against the Phillies last July, Pelfrey took the loss, allowing three runs, on four hits over 5.1 innings pitched while striking out three and walking one.
RHP Kyle Kendrick (1-0, 7.20 ERA) makes his second start of the season for the Phillies. In his season debut, Kendrick allowed four runs on eight hits over five innings pitched in a win over the Reds. Kendrick won his only career start against the Mets last season, allowing two runs on six hits over 6.2 innings pitched.
…as interested as i was with Oliver Perez’s start yesterday, i’m even more interested in pelfrey’s start tonight…with Orlando Hernandez and Pedro Martinez not due back anytime soon, it’s time for big pelf to step up and show some confidence in his raw talent…Brian Schneider seems to be calling games more aggressively than his predecessor and in turn, my hope is, this helps pelfrey be more aggressive with his fastball, instead of relying on his secondary breaking pitches…let’s go big pelf…
The Notes:
Dating back to September 15, 2007, Jose Reyes has not stolen a base in 21 consecutive games. The Mets are 7-14 in those games.
…hat tip to D.J. Short for the stat…
Carlos Beltran, who leads the majors with seven doubles, is hitless in two career at-bats versus Kendrick.
The Mets are first in the National League with a .354 on-base percentage.
How To Catch It:
Tonight’s game can be seen locally on
and nationally on ESPN2 and can be heard locally on WFAN.
The Bleachers:
For a live in-game chat, head over to The Hot Foot Bleachers.
…just as i think pelfrey needs to be aggressive on the mound tonight, the Mets offense needs to be equally aggressive at the plate and on the base paths…this team thrives when they have shown that ability to be patiently aggressive, but unfortunately we haven’t seen that from them in nearly a full season…we can lay blame on the Willie Randolph and his external message, but what it really comes down to is the players ability to execute…i still believe this team can show that killer instinct thats been missing, but it’s time we stop making the manager the scapegoat and time for the players, like Jose Reyes, to start playing up to their abilities…
…enjoy, and as always, let’s go mets…
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Alright guys, get your act together and play hard and have fun.
Cliff Floyd had knee surgery, I kind of like those Rays, too bad they can never catch a break.
rollins is out tonight
maybe his voodoo curse will end?
Why Claudio Vargas? As soon as Duque gets out of that boot he will be good to go!
Do you guys remember the days when we were worrying who our fifth starter would be, between Pelfrey and El Duque, and when we thought that would be our big problem? Uugh… I miss that.
well its the lineup I wanted to see, hopefully Pagan can spark something.
WIllie said on his Wednesday appearence on the FAN that he has taken Pelfrey aside and told him that it’s time for him to step up and show something. (sorry, not a direct quote, but that is what he intimated)
Maybe he’ll bear down, and maybe the hitters will start hitting and maybe Schowenweiss won’t have to come in.
I want to be positive and hope for the best, but something tells me that the Phillies lineup is too much for Pelfrey and an early exit will mean an exhausted bullpen.
Don`t worry. I talked to some people high up in baseball and the Mets win in a laugher tonight, so just relax and enjoy the game.
My theory on the recent Phillies dominance over our Mets is that the Mets have a physically better overall team, especially in pitching but the Phillies have the oft overlooked intangable advantage of mental acumen, which explains how they are winning alot of these games. I like to draw a Parallel between the Neanderthals (Mets) and Homo Sapians (Phillies), who many archeologists theorize lived at the same time but the Homo Sapiens kept winning, ie. inventing better weapons and eventually putting the physically superior Neandertals out of business until they ceased to exist. I could make player comparisons but I don`t want to embarress anyone. All you have to do is look at Chase Utely’s Albert Einstein like performance yesterday and you can see how the Phillies can play past their stats. Anyway, go Mets!
interesting stat…we last beat philly on june 30th, and pelf pitched and lost the next day, july 1st and that began our 9 game losing streak to them…time to go full circle
GO BIG PELF!! I have my Credit card ready to order a shirt if you win!!
I am excited to see a slight change in lineup. On the fan, Willie said Castillo should be fine but gives players who pull themselves out of a game more than 24 hours to recoop.
With Reyes not getting on base as much as we like, and with Castillo not either, and Pagan stringing together some hits lately.. it would be good to start getting our routine first inning run(s) like we did two years ago and the beginning of last year. It was almost automatic we got Reyes in and it was a good feeling for the team to be up early.
didn’t we set some sort of record for scoring runs in the 1st inning in 06?
Not sure, tried looking around but couldn’t find much. Record or no record I feel that is when we did our best. We had those few come from behind Easley home run wins but we can’t bank on those. The first inning runs is what helped us out the most.
I think we finished 2nd in the mlb, 1st in the NL, which is still very impressive. This team was best when we were scoring early and tacking on late. I think the tacked on runs diminished the ambitions of the other team making our bullpen look better. In any case, scoring early and tacking on late is key to this team getting back in full stride.
I just got through lesson 3 of my Dale Carnegie Course.
Lesson: Enthusiasm. No wait I meant Enthusiasm!!
Now wait, better put….
ENTHUSIASMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Omar, save the season now and find Willie Randolph a Dale Carnegie course going on this week while they are still teaching about
ENTHUSIASMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
For goodness sake I live in Philly burbs now and this is killing me!!!!!!
LETS
GO
METS
Maybe it’s just me, but I’d like to see Church hit #2 for a while and see how he does sandwiched between Reyes and Wright. Sure he doesn’t have great speed, but he’s okay out there.
Especially when Castillo is out. Put Church at #2 and Easily behind Delgado and Pagan in the 7th or 8th spot.
Also on an unrelated note. Any word on Ramon Castro?
Great idea. We dont need speed in the two spot, and I’d be fine with church “clogging up the bases” if he can get more fastballs with reyes in front of him, and even better pitches with Wright behind him.
I like Pagan in the 2 hole. He hustles like he is still trying to make the team as evidenced by his beating out a grounder to Utley yesterday. I like that move a lot.
I have zero expectations for this game, other than, the Phillies winning..AGAIN!!!! If the Mets do show up and decide to actually play baseball and WIN A GAME (OMG) then I will rejoice. This team needs to prove to us and themselves that they can win and the they can beat the Phillies. FIRE WILLIE and hire Gary Carter, he knows how to win as a Met.
“we can lay blame on the Willie Randolph and his external message, but what it really comes down to is the players ability to execute”
you are exactly right
This is what I want the conversation on the mound to be when Utley or Howard is up crowding the plate again:
Schnieder: Hit Mr Met.
Pelf: Why?
Schnieder: Just do it.
You get the rest.
As a fan I need them to start playing as angry as I feel.
I need Willie to tell start a fight with the Philly Fanatic then when both of them have been restrained and it looks like its over I need Willie to sucker punch him.
Go Big Pelf
Hahahaha. The mental picture of Randolph dropping the fanatic is hysterical.
Rollins is out – so we have a chance ? oh wait – our $25.0 mm man is out too. What will the offense do without our perfect #2 hitter ? It’s way too early to panic, but it is so f’g frustrating that after 5 games 40% of our fragile rotation is out, our $25m 2bman is out and so is our iron man LF’r….
The fact that it is so predictable is what makes it difficult. Any morons still predicting Petey will throw 200 innings, 10 CG, etc… ??? Anyone not expecting Del Gono to spend a few weeks on the DL, or Carlos II ?
If David or Jose go down, it is time to throw in the towel…. just saying if – not suggesting it will happen.
omg these comments are getting old think of something new
watchin on gamecast since in class…did pagan actually ground out to the pitcher or bunt?
Groundout.
yes he grounded out, the pitcher bobbled it for second so he didn’t have a play on Reyes.
This team does not hit under pressure
They have struggled to get the big hit, no doubt.
I love hearing the Indiana Jones theme song when Pagan came to the plate. If that dont get you pumped and going what will?
This sucks. I am in Philly, so blacked out on mlb.tv. Also blacked out on ESPN2 because it is supposed to be on local CN8. Which my TV (Verizon FIOS) doesn’t have!
Oh well, radio time. Missed the damn first inning trying to find the game.
Gotta love Easleys glove
Huh? What did Easley do? It was Reyes’ bad toss.
is this big pelf melt down?
unreal this team looks terrible
this team is clueless and its big pelf melt down time
And, it begins……
well this sucks a lot.
Anybody turn it off already?
WTF!!!!!!!!!!
Nice fundies, Jose.
At least Pelfry is getting ground balls. . . . Need to look at something bright I guess.
Not Pelf’s fault they held Burrell – opening that huge ho;le. And not his fault that Jose messed up a tailor-made double-play ball.
And the kid staunched the bleeding.
Good for Pelf.
agreed…can’t put this one on Pelf…the first two ground balls had eyes on them…should be 1-0 still
Agreed. Same as yesterday. Weiss should have been out of the inning but defense sucked it up for him. Same today.
Bad news bears…
Nice. . . Saved Jose’s ass.
Jose needs to have a shot of happy juice or something.
BRING BACK THE HAND SHAKES!!! I can’t stand this “lack of enthusiasm” Jose!
Bring back something for him. Hand shakes the spanish lessons. Something for a higher beings sake.
Maybe Reyes needs another ‘kid’ on the team like Gomez or Milledge or Gotay. Maybe they need to bring up a minor leaguer just to fill that role.
argenis reyes?
This team is seriously hilarious.
Mets have bases loaded…..runs scored off the big hit? 0
Superstar SS who can’t hit….now can’t field either.
But the Phillies get a hit with them loaded.
Did anyone honestly think the Mets could hold a lead for more than 10 minutes?
Then what use would i have for my ulcer meds?
LETS GO PHILLIES !!!! If I cheer for the Phillies and want them to win, as much as I wanted the Mets to win, perhaps they will loose?
the viewer question on SNY seems to echo 80% of what is being said here…
Ronnie referencing the blogs.
keith did not like the question or what it infered…which i understand, but do not agree with…
what was the ? for those of us in radioland?
Not verbatim, but gist was,
The team seems to lack energy – any chance the collapse from last season is carrying over?
viewer asked that if the apparent lack of energy from the team had anything to do with last year…
go big pelf!
reyes with the big hit there
Yup, Jose is in the zone.
The Twilight Zone.
Is Keith a wanna-be Willy Wonka with that purple jacket and tan vest?
I called him “the joker” but I like to Willie Wonka reference…
Well he does have all that candy in front of him.
He briefly considered that the outfit was too outlandish and wondred if he could pull it off, then he thought to himself….
“I’m Keith Hernandez.”
C’mon David!
I like Pagan…i’ll be the first to admit that i said he could not fill alou’s spot…in this case i do not mind being wrong…
how can you have a pitcher giving up 5 walks in less than 2 innings and yet we have 1 run…
if the situation were reversed i’d bet that the phills would have atleast 4…
make that 6 walks…
RISP 2 outs…..over/under on Mets getting a big hit?
under
(I hope I’m wrong)
7 base runners 0 hits so far, only the mets
i mean i know kendrik is a little wild, but is it just me or are they looking for walks and not the big hit? some of these pitches are too close to be taking with 2 strikes
um. the guy has 6 walks. why wouldn’t you be looking for a walk?
might wanna swing the bat Carlos
Jeez what an at bat for Wright…from 0-2 to taking a nasty slider for a walk, David is the man.
Beltran MUST get the hit here. Please, dear God.
seriously unbelievable. how is this happening?
pitiful
You know its bad when Gary Cohen just ripped into his team on the air.
Leave some more men on Mets.
Gonna be a long season.
Gary Cohen, lifelong, long suffering Mets fan…..and he’s getting ticked.
2 innings, 6 walks + 1 error = 1 run! WTF!?
pathetic
unbelievable…way to sit on it…
silver lining: kendrick has thrown a lot of pitches…could get into the phils bullpen early…
Buy or sell?
Mets getting no hit.
Buy or sell?
And still winning the game.
What an abortion of an offense.
This game is over. Phillies won again.
6 men left on base in 2 innings. Not a single hit.
This team is unreal. Beltran….take some more fastballs right down the pipe.
Watch him double off the wall with 2 outs and no men on in his next AB.
the guy has 6 WALKS IN 2 INNINGS. clearly he isn’t throwing anything worth swinging at.
god, the people on here are dumb as hell.
thanks for the reminder of how many games we are going to have to live and die through Mr. Met…80 and counting…
Why the F is Delgado holding Burrell on base and holding someone on first with the bases loaded…makes no sense and cost us 2 hits and a run
Willie Randolph – leadership, strategy, intelligence.
Beltran is always great in the clutch……
at least he didnt K looking…right? ugh.
That Wainwright curveball is still on its way to the plate.
uncalled for
LETS GO METS!! Bases loaded with 1 out and we score only ONE RUN !!!
This is the baseball equivalent of waterboarding
when are these guys gonna find me?
or me?
Pelf is looking solid…I am impressed so far…
Out of a hundred or more posts, you’re the first to mention it. He has looked good — pitching aggressive, with a pretty good slider.
Way to back up your words Beltran. The difference between the Phils and Mets, is that Rollins gets a triple in that spot while Beltran evidently grounds out.
yes. rollins is batting 1.00 with the bases loaded in his career, while beltran is batting 0.00 with the bases loaded. good call.
Um no, but they both declared their teams are the teams to beat and Rollins wins the MVP. So you can leave your sarcasm at the door.
another ball with eyes on it…i’d pay a lot of money to get that once with bases loaded…
LETS GO!!! Score some runs now
Big Pelf is hitting his spots and should be throwing a very nice shutout. The hits he’s given up are all seeing eye type stuff.
Time to get the frigging bats going!
this guy can’t hit the broad side of a barn, and the mets just got their first hit in the bot 3rd?? come on.
HE
HAS
WALKED
6
PEOPLE.
are you WATCHING this game?
why, yes I am. he’s also thrown 30 or so strikes no? are are they not allowed to swing just because of his stat line?
if a guy has bad control, why wouldn’t you be looking to draw a walk, rather than bailing him out?
i guess i spoke too soon. 3 hits in the inning
are you a met fan? your reply to a delgado leadoff double is negative? huh?
of course i’m a mets fan. a real time-tested mets fan is cynical like me :)
here we go…back to back hits…
Buy or sell –
Mets score 0 runs this inning.
I’m sad that I even have to consider that.
That being said, at least we’re not the Tigers.
And never mind!!
2 men on, no outs..some how we will manage to not score anyone………
First pitch swinging by Reyes coming up?
why do you even watch the games?
good call…
Now it’s time for the first Reyes triple in the gap…
Ok, Phillies make a mistake now capitalize on it like they always do to us.
Come on Jose!
100 bucks reyes gets a double play ball
should have been sorry jose
can someone explain what pelf did there? no tv.
bunted, Ruiz wild throw to third everyone safe.
hes gotta swing at a ball in the dirt at least once this at bat…… prove me wrong jose
That is the funniest thing I’ve heard Ron Darling say . . . the Phillies’ pitching coach has made so many visits to the mound that he’ll be able to adopt Kendrick soon . . .
someone put a tent on this circus!!!!
Seriously. Both teams really making a mess of this game!
Our problems are solved.
Signing Vargas will increas Willie’s IQ exponentially.
I was originally against that. But with Pedro’s DL stint and El Duque’s continuing foot dramas, it makes sense.
Good luck, Big Pelf!
actually they are reporting the Mets are close to signing him. Big difference.
*increase
Evidently, the signing has yet to improve my IQ…..but Willie’s will be helped! ;-)