Daily Archives: April 21, 2008
The Mets lost to the Cubs by the score of 7 to 1 in Wrigley Field tonight.
For a recap and boxscore, go to SNY.tv.
…a John Maine fastball tailed back over the plate and was ripped over the wall in center by Aramis Ramirez to give the Cubs an early two-run lead…otherwise, maine looked pretty good, despite not having his best stuff…the problem was that Carlos Zambrano was just better, keeping the Mets silent through much of the game…
…the Mets picked up a run in the sixth, thanks mostly to ramirez, who forgot to tag Endy Chavez sliding in to third, while thinking it was a force play…however, with zambrano a bit on the rocks, and looking a bit out of gas, Jose Reyes hit in to a double play and Carlos Beltran popped out stranding two runners…
…for what it’s worth, Oh, Casanova made a nice throw off a weak bunt to nail soto to end the first inning…does Reebok really make his chest protector, or is that an advertisement…weird…
…speaking of ads, either this is new, or i just had not noticed it before, but it’s strange to see ads sold by SNY displayed on the green screen behind home plate at Wrigley Field…not that there is anything wrong with it, it’s just strange to see ads for Mets tickets on that classic brick wall…
…and speaking of ads, why do i care what Giuseppe Franco has to say…usually, i just skip through his ad…or, not his ad, because he doesn’t own the company, apparently, you know what i mean…anyway, i finally watched this commercial, and i am very, very confused…and how does Gary Busey help sell any product…so bizarre…
…in the eighth, thanks partly to a misplayed ground ball by reyes, Aaron Heilman let the bases become loaded – at which point i was hoping he would be removed from the game…to his credit, heilman got two outs and was one strike away from being done with the inning, but he let up a two-run single, which broke the game open…Willie Randolph then pulled heilman in favor of Jorge Sosa, who let up a home run to put the game out of reach…i don’t understand why he pulls heilman then, but not earlier…or why use him at all, when he’s clearly in a slump…
…i know some will rip willie’s use of the bullpen, which is fair…though, i hope those same people also take note of the pitcher’s lack of execution…that said, i just don’t know what to make of this, or any bullpen…they all confuse me…honestly, i just don’t think i am smart enough to figure it out…i often think willie should do one thing and it works, other times i think he should do something else, and it doesn’t work…there is just no rhyme or reason to any of it…i some times think he’d be better off flipping a coin when choosing who should pitch when…it’s mind boggling to me…my lack of criticism in this department is strictly based in confusion…which is not to say you are wrong, or willie is right…you could be right, and he could be wrong…my point is, i’m clearly wrong and i have no idea why…
…rough loss, mostly because i blinked and the game was out of control…it just all fell apart so quickly…
…lastly, how long have Cubs fans been singing that song after a win…is this new, or have i been living in a cave…
The Mets will face the Cubs tomorrow at 2 pm in Chicago.
Mets C Brian Schneider, who will not play in tonight’s game, speaking to reporters about his sore right forearm…
“Unfortunately, there is still a lot of swelling. I think I’m gonna have to take another day, as much as I don’t want to. It’s probably the best thing…Mobility of strength is probably the biggest thing right now, trying to do the grip test, it’s just not there. The forearm plays an important part of baseball and it’s still bothering me and there’s a lot of fluid there.”
…the buzz from the team seems to be that schneider will likely get the day off again tomorrow, and start fresh when the team travels to DC for a game on Wednesday night…
The Game:
The Mets (10-7) begin a quick two-game series against the Cubs (12-6) tonight at Wrigley Field in Chicago, starting at 7:05 pm EST.
The Lineup:
- SS Jose Reyes
- 2B Luis Castillo
- 3B David Wright
- CF Carlos Beltran
- 1B Carlos Delgado
- RF Ryan Church
- C Raul Casanova
- LF Endy Chavez
- P John Maine
…Brian Schneider is out of tonight’s lineup due to a bruised forearm he suffered on April 19…
…i’m not one to nitpick about lineups, but i already miss church batting second…however, when going right, castillo is perfect in the second hole…
…a second straight start for endy in left…i’m sure Willie Randolph is trying to get endy going this season, but perhaps he is also curious to see how Angel Pagan handles coming off the bench with Moises Alou‘s impending return…
The Pitchers:
RHP John Maine (1-1, 3.78 ERA) starts for the Mets. Maine earned a win in his last versus the Nationals, allowing two runs on five hits and four walks over 6.2 IP. In four appearances, three starts, versus the Cubs, Maine is 0-2 with a 5.17 ERA.
RHP Carlos Zambrano (2-1, 3.04 ERA) takes the hill for the Cubs. In his last start versus the Reds on April 16, Zambrano allowed two runs on eight hits while walking a batter and striking out five over 7.0 IP. Zambrano earned a no-decision in his last start versus the Mets on August 3, allowing one run in 5.0 IP, surrendering two hits and seven walks while striking out five. Zambrano is 3-1 with a 3.30 ERA in six games, five starts versus the Mets in his career.
..so far this season maine’s control has been reminiscent of 2006, but he seemed to conquer that a bit after a rough first inning in his last start after…with the Mets bullpen overworked after their weekend series against the Phillies and the next off day not scheduled until May 1, i’m looking to maine emerge from his strong spring and provide the Mets with a quality start…
The Notes:
The Mets bullpen has a 1.64 ERA in its last 22.0 IP and leads the majors with a .203 batting average against.
Jose Reyes is batting .348 (15-for-43) with 2 HR and 7 RBI in the Mets 10 wins compared to .208 (5-for-24) with 2 RBI in the Mets seven losses this season.
David Wright is batting .182 with 2 RBI in 11 career at-bats versus Zambrano.
Derrek Lee is 24-for-59 (.407) with 6 HR, 16 RBI in his last 14 games.
For more insight on the Cubs, check out Blogger Beat.
How To Catch It:
Tonight’s game can be seen locally on
and nationally on ESPN and heard locally on WFAN.
The Bleachers:
For a live chat, head over to The Hot Foot Bleachers.
…curious to see how the team handles the loss coming out of an intense series against the Phillies…hopefully it was just a bump in the road and they keep rolling…
…enjoy, and as always, Let’s Go Mets…
Tagged Mike Nichols |
At the ESPN.com PodCenter, David Wright made a guest appearance on Baseball Today. 
Wright discussed subjects such as working on being more consistent and making adjustments at the plate, the brewing rivalry with the Phillies and his responsibility as a star baseball player in New York.
…at 25-years-old, it really is amazing to hear the maturity and humility coming out of someone who has the city of New York in the palm of his hand…
…as the Mets head to Chicago for their only Wrigley Field trip this season, i did a quick Q & A with Al Yellon, who blogs about the Cubs for Bleed Cubbie Blue…
D.J. Short:
Derrek Lee seems to have found his power swing again. Is it safe to say his wrist is fully healed?
Al Yellon:
Absolutely. Lee says he doesn’t think that’s the reason that his power suddenly vanished in the first half of last year, but it seems pretty obvious that it takes more than a year for an injury like that to fully heal. We got a hint of this last year when he hit 16 HR in the second half.
Incidentally, D-Lee’s hot start is yet further proof that spring training stats mean absolutely nothing. He hit .194 in Arizona this year and those of us who saw him play worried because he hardly pulled anything.
D.J. Short:
How have the fans taken to Kosuke Fukudome? From what you have seen of him so far, do you think he is worthy of the hype?
Al Yellon:
Fukudome put himself into Cub lore on Opening Day when he hit a three-run game-tying HR in the bottom of the 9th. The Cubs lost, but that moment will be remembered for a very long time. He also has become a fan favorite for playing the game the right way — taking lots of pitches, hitting in situations. I don’t think I’ve seen him yet have a bad at-bat, even when he makes an out.
Is he worth it? Absolutely. Like Ichiro, he had a mediocre first spring training and some wondered whether this guy, who was supposed to be the best hitter in Japan, was worth it.
Even his teammates have said he may have been “sandbagging” it in spring training, not wanting to let on about a number of things he could really do. I love watching him play both at bat and in the field, where his range and plus arm make him the best Cub right fielder since Andre Dawson.
D.J. Short:
Is there any timetable on Alfonso Soriano‘s return? When he does get back, are the Cubs gonna prevent him from doing his trademark hop?
Al Yellon:
Frankly, the way the Cubs are hitting right now, they seem better off without him. That’s a bit over-the-top, but Soriano is such a streak hitter that when he’s not hitting, the team IS better off without him. Last September, though, when he got hot — well, let’s just say that without his 14-HR month, the Cubs stay home in October 2007.
Soriano claims he does that hop to help him concentrate on catching fly balls. It’s not likely the hop itself caused the injury — that leg was going to go anyway, and it might have gone on the basepaths, as it did last year in that Sunday night game vs. the Mets.
Right now I’m in no hurry to get him back, as the Cubs are 5-1 without him.
D.J. Short:
Do you think Kerry Wood can carry the load as closer all season? How has he changed since his days as a starter?
Al Yellon:
“Changed” is the wrong word, really — I think this was a matter of career survival for Kerry, because he really can’t be a starter any more (or at least, as for John Smoltz, he may have to have a few years as a closer before returning to starting).
Can he carry the load? Absolutely. He has the right mentality and approach, and his velocity has returned (he’s consistently throwing 96 MPH).
D.J. Short:
What’s up with Tuesday’s starter Ted Lilly and his mysterious loss of velocity? Long-term concern or just needing to build arm strength?
Al Yellon:
That’s a really good question. Right now the Cubs are saying it’s “dead arm”, but my question is: how do you get “dead arm” in April? Lilly looked like this in spring training and we figured, “Well, he’s just working on stuff”. It’s a little late in the year to do that. Now, that said, Lilly threw better in his last start — he made two bad pitches and Joey Votto hit them for a two-run double and a three-run homer. If Lilly throws like that the rest of the year, he’ll be just fine.
…thanks again, Al…shame the Mets only play two games there this season…
New Orleans (AAA): 6-1 loss to Omaha
RHP Ruddy Lugo was hit hard, giving up 10 hits in six innings. He allowed six runs, and while just two were earned thanks to a third inning error, his ERA got more luck than it deserved for how he threw. 1B Michel Abreu was 1-for-4 with a double, and OF Victor Mendez went 2-for-3 with a double and a run.
Binghamton (AA): 13-2 loss to Portland
RHP Jesus Sanchez had a mediocre outing, allowing three runs on eight hits and a walk in 5.1 innings. LHP Edgar Alfonzo allowed two runs in 1.2 innings, and the game was blown to smithereens in RHP Robert Paulk‘s 2/3 of an inning, during which he gave up eight runs on nine hits and a walk.
DH Mike Carp was 2-for-3 with a double and a walk, and OF Ambiorix Concepcion drove in both B-Met runs in a 2-for-4 night that included a solo homer.
St. Lucie (A+): 10-5 loss to Palm Beach
Tagged Minors |RHP Dylan Owen was hit hard, allowing four runs on seven hits and a walk in five innings. OF Moises Alou, making his first rehab start, was 3-for-3 with a double and a run. SS Ruben Tejada was 2-for-5 with a double and two runs, while Lucas Duda was 2-for-5 with a run scored.
…here’s a picture of newly acquired German C 
Kai Gronauer, who turned down offers from the Twins and Pirates to sign with the Mets…
…thanks to Dominick, a reader of MetsBlog from Germany, for the picture…
For more on Gronauer, click here.
With all of the drama between the white lines this weekend, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com writes how it was Chase Utley and David Wright who stole the show at Citizens Bank Park.
In 11 at-bats, Utley recorded six hits which included four home runs and six RBI.
Meanwhile, Wright was 8-for-11 with four doubles, a triple, five RBI and three walks in the series.
Crasnick quotes Phillies catcher Chris Coste as saying:
“The whole Mets-Phillies rivalry is fun in itself, but when you get two guys who have that kind of a series, it was almost like a mini-MVP race right there.”
…d-wright = locked in…
According to the New York real estate website Curbed.com, Johan Santana is closing soon on a new 3 bedroom, 3.5 bathroom condo on the Upper East Side.
The site reports that his new building “sports a squash court, a “virtual” golf course and, apparently, livestock.”
…i don’t recall seeing livestock featured on “lifestyles of the rich and famous”, but what do i know…
Tagged Regis Courtemanche |
…on Saturday, April 19, SNY.tv’s Ted Berg and i, along with our video producer, Jason, hit the road for Philadelphia to check out the Mets and Phillies in Citizen’s Bank Park…
…video from our day in Philadelphia, complete with the Pat and Geno’s Cheesesteak Challenge, will hopefully be online towards the end of the week…
…the plan was for people to meet up in Lot N starting at 12 noon, and by the time we arrived, more than a few hundred Mets fans had already set up shop…it was pretty impressive…some people had buses, another crew had a camper, though most were small cars packed with food and drinks and Wiffle Ball, which i was happy to play…i did not make a fool of myself, as i feared, hitting and throwing a few pitches…however, i did tweak my hamstring a bit…seriously, i hurt my hammy, and my arm was sore the next day…which is a new and pathetic low for me…
…it’s always great to meet people who read this site…i know i have said it before, but when i am able to put the ‘page view statistic’ to a face, it’s always nice…it makes the whole experience of writing this blog more personal, and i like that…also, for the first time, i saw some 
one wearing a MetsBlog t-shirt in person, which was very exciting…thanks, Mike, for the support…
…speaking of t-shirts, a large group of Mets fans had t-shirts printed with a picture of Pedro Martinez on the front and the words, “Philly Sucks” printed below it…on the back, pedro’s quote about fighting the Phillies was in bold, with all of the fans names and nicknames in small print featured at the bottom…nice work…
…speaking of fans, Phillies fans are some seriously angry people…i get the sense they are looking for a fight…which is disappointing…i mean, you guys won the division last year, act like it…also interesting, unlike Shea Stadium, i didn’t see one family in the house – and it was a Saturday afternoon…instead, it was wall-to-wall college kids, which is fine by me…but, for a sport that is concerned about building a future fan base, it was a bit alarming…and frankly, given the language and violence and general hatred in the stands, if i was a father, i’m not sure i would bring my kid to that building either…something tells me Billy Wagner would agree, based on his recent comments in the Daily News…actually, Bob Klapisch put it best in a 
column for the Bergen Record, in which he said that Phillies fans reached a new low on Saturday when booing Jose Reyes for not being injured…savages…in all fairness, there were plenty of Phillies fans who were polite, but, as in most cases, the rowdy few spoil it for the many…
…on the other hand, they have some pretty attractive female fans…i mean, when i thought ‘Phillies fan,’ i imagined a drunk, angry guy looking to kick my ass, i didn’t think cute, brunette girl in white shorts…so, this was a pleasant surprise…in other words, good for Chase Ultley, who has one helluva fan club…
…i was also able to meet Mike Nichols and Brandon Eddy, both of whom contribute to MetsBlog…i’m glad they could make it to the stadium, and if i didn’t say it on Saturday, guys, thank you for all of your hard work on MetsBlog…it’s always appreciated…
…me, ted, jason, mike, Zoe Rice, Coop, the Brooklyn Met Fan, SNK, dykstraw and others spent the second-half of the game watching from behind home plate in general admission…it’s a nice view, and 
though it’s standing-room only, i like the experience and look forward to having this sort of set up in Citi Field…i pace, and like to move around, especially when i’m nervous, so, for a baseball game, this is the ideal location for me…
…all in all, it was a fun trip, and though i feared for my life during the entire day, i hope to do this again later in the summer – maybe over July 4…
To view MetsBlog’s photos from Saturday, click here.
To read Zoe Rice’s notes from the afternoon in Philadelphia, and to see her pictures, which include me playing Wiffle Ball, pre-injury, click here; and to read Coop’s take on the day, also with pictures, click here; and to read Crazy Met Girl’s notes, and see pics, click here.
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