Daily Archives: May 5, 2008
The Game:
The Mets (16-13) continue their west coast road trip with a three-games series versus the Dodgers (17-14) tonight at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, game at 10:10 pm EST.
The Lineup:
- SS Jose Reyes
- RF Ryan Church
- 3B David Wright
- CF Carlos Beltran
- LF Moises Alou
- 1B Carlos Delgado
- C Brian Schneider
- 2B Luis Castillo
- P Oliver Perez
The Pitchers:
LHP Oliver Perez (2-2, 4.03 ERA) toes the rubber for the Mets. In his last start on April 30 versus the Pirates, Perez allowed a season high seven runs, two earned, on two hits and five walks while striking out two, earning a loss. Left-handed batters are hitting .083 (2-for-24) against Perez this season. Perez is 5-4 with a 3.53 ERA in 10 career starts versus the Dodgers.
RHP Chad Billingsley (1-4, 5.20 ERA) starts for the Dodgers. Billingsley earned a win in his last outing on April 30 versus the Marlins allowing one ru on three hits while walking four and striking out eight. Left-handed batters are hitting .300 against Billingsley this season. This is Billingsley’s first career start versus the Mets.
…i have no idea what to expect out of perez tonight…after looking erratic in his last two outings it’s possible ollie could go out and throw seven shutout innings, looking dominate doing so…i mean, thats how inconsistent he is from start to start…you never know what you’re gonna get with him…let’s hope it’s the “good” ollie tonight…
The Notes:
David Wright is batting .404 (21-for-52) with 1 HR and 13 RBI in his career at Dodger Stadium.
Ryan Church is 22-for-57 (.386) with 2 2B, 2 HR, 12 RBI and 13 runs scored on the road this season.
The Dodgers are 10-3 since April 21, batting .314 and averaging 7.23 runs per game.
Jeff Kent is batting .348 with 1 HR and 4 RBI in 23 career at-bats versus Perez.
For more insight on the Dodgers, check out Blogger Beat.
How To Catch It:
Today’s game can be seen locally on
and heard locally on WFAN.
The Bleachers:
For a live chat, head over to The Hot Foot Bleachers.
…enjoy, and as always, Let’s Go Mets…
Tagged Mike Nichols |
According to Peter Gammons at ESPN.com, the Rangers wanted Aaron Heilman, Mike Pelfrey and Deolis Guerra from the Mets this past off-season in exchange for RHP Vicente Padilla.
…i’m going to pretend i didn’t write that…
…it’s much safer that way…
…as the Mets continue their westerly trek with a stop at Chavez Ravine, i did a quick Q & A with Jon Weisman, who blogs about the Dodgers for the excellent Dodger Thoughts…
D.J. Short:
What has Joe Torre’s arrival meant to the Dodgers organization?
Jon Weisman:
It has excited X number of people inside and outside the organization, but I think it’s too soon to say what the real impact has been. In part because of the team’s March sojourn to China, Torre openly treated April as a kind of extended Spring Training, testing out different lineups and continuing to have Esteban Loaiza and Hong-Chih Kuo in tryouts for the fifth starter position. His latest gambit has been to take advantage of Russell Martin‘s athleticism by having him play third base as a way to rest him from catching while keeping his bat in the lineup. I like the open-mindedness behind that, but if Torre falls too deeply in love with it, that will mean Gary Bennett is getting too many at-bats. Similarly, it’s possible that Torre has buried third-base prospect Andy LaRoche, which would be a shame. But things change from week to week, and it’s just too soon to say what Torre’s impact is.
D.J. Short:
Why did it take so long for Torre to realize that Matt Kemp needs to be in the lineup everyday?
Jon Weisman:
It could be any number of reasons. Despite his obvious talent, Kemp carries a lot-to-learn tag. He strikes out a lot and walks very little, which can be tough for managers to look at. And while Torre didn’t start Juan Pierre on Opening Day, he clearly wanted him to play some. The Dodgers faced some guys like Jake Peavy in the early going that Torre thought Pierre would better handle. All that being said, Kemp’s been a regular since the second week of the season; given the extended Spring Training issues cited above, that’s not really that long a time. Kemp has started 22 of 31 games this season.
D.J. Short:
Be honest, does it make you nervous seeing Russell Martin at third base?
Jon Weisman:
Maybe I’m crazy, but not in the slightest. I’m a lot less worried about him getting hurt at third base than at catcher. I kind of get a kick out of it, and I could forsee him following a Craig Biggio path to the infield to extend his career. Of course, Martin’s value is highest at catcher, so I’m in no rush to see him move away from the position.
D.J. Short:
Andruw Jones looks pretty lost at the plate right now. Is there any reason to believe he can turn it around?
Jon Weisman:
Somewhere between the 50+ homers of a couple years ago and the one homer of this year is the real Jones. There’s no reason to think that either is his true level now. I take some comfort in the fact that he looks so lost at the plate that it’s not your run-of-the-mill decline. Of late, I’ve started likening it to the problems Steve Sax had throwing to first base about 25 years ago. It was just so off-the-charts bad, it almost couldn’t be real. Sax got his act together, and I think Jones can too. I think it’s most likely that he turns things around to the extent that he pulls together a low-OBP, 20-25 homer season. Not so great for the big bucks, but I’m thinking he can still help the team.
If he doesn’t, though, wow.
D.J. Short:
What’s the update on Jason Schmidt? Can he be counted on this season?
Jon Weisman:
He’s on track for a rehab assignment in the next month or so. I think he’ll end up throwing some major league innings this season, but I’m intrigued by where they might be. By the time Schmidt is ready to be activated, the Dodgers very likely may have already pulled the trigger on calling up phenom Clayton Kershaw from the minors. I don’t know that anyone inside or outside the organization expects Schmidt to be a better pitcher than Kershaw this season. His contract would make it unsightly, but could Schmidt become an effective reliever? It’s similar to the dilemma the Dodgers face with the oft-surgeried Kuo, who by all rights should be the fifth starter today if the Dodgers would just leave him alone there instead of jerking him around. Anyway, things could be very interesting in the rotation by the second half of the season – unless, of course, someone else gets hurt – which with the Dodgers, is always a possibility in your mind.
…thanks, Jon…
At the ripe age of 49, former Met Julio Franco finally decided to retire on Saturday.
ESPN.com ‘s PAGE 2 put together a pretty interesting list of tidbits that were happening in 1981, which was the last time Franco was officially out of MLB.
Some of the items listed:
• Reggie Jackson was the highest paid player in baseball in 1981, with a salary of $588,000.
• The average major league salary was approximately $144,000, and the average ticket price was $4.50.
• Atari Baseball for the Atari VCS was the premier baseball video game.
• Metallica and Motley Crue formed.
…not much for me to comment here since I was only 4 in 1981, however the list is pretty fun to read…
…best of luck to father time franco in his retirement…
New Orleans (AAA): 9-5 loss to Portland
RHP Brian Stokes didn’t make it out of the first inning, getting pounded for six runs on four hits and three walks while recording just one out. RHP Jose Santiago and Carlos Muniz each tossed scoreless frames. OF Val Pascucci had a big night, going 3-for-3 with a walk, double solo homer and three runs scored. 3B Fernando Tatis also went deep in a 2-for-4 night, smacking a double and driving in three runs overall. Playing in his third game since deciding against retiring, OF Brady Clark was 2-for-4 on the night.
Binghamton (AA): 14-3 loss to Connecticut
RHP Jake Ruckle was absolutely lit up, allowing eight runs on nine hits and two walks in just 1.2 innings pitched. RHP Sal Aguilar then let up five runs on five hits and two walks in four innings. OF Fernando Martinez was refreshed by a day off Saturday, going 3-for-4 with an RBI on Sunday. 3B Danny Murphy went 2-for-3 with a sacrifice fly and two RBI. 1B Nick Evans and Mike Carp, playing in LF each were 0-for-3 with a walk.
St. Lucie (A+): 8-3 loss to Lakeland
RHP Eric Niesen tossed five scoreless innings before running into trouble in the sixth. He allowed two runs without getting an out in that frame, exiting with a line of five plus innings, letting up two runs on three hits and a walk, while striking out seven. OF Ezequiel Carrera was 2-for-4 with a double and a run out of the leadoff spot. 1B Lucas Duda was 1-for-4 with a double, a run and an RBI.
Savannah (A-): 2-0 win over Asheville
RHP Angel Calero was fantastic, firing seven shutout innings, allowing just two hits while fanning three. RHP Jose Bierd earned the win by tossing two scoreless frames. C Francisco Pena stayed hot, raising his average to .272 after racking up three hits in four at bats, doubling and scoring a run. 3B Richie Lucas went 2-for-4 with an RBI.
[Poll=84]
Tagged Poll, Willie Randolph |Phillies (18-14, 1 LB):
The Phillies will face ‘some serious piching’ in Arizona as the begin their seven-game west coast road trip, writes Jim Salisbury of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Salisbury also notes SS Jimmy Rollins may be ready to play this weekend in San Francisco.
At his blog Beerleaguer, Jason Weitzel praises the Phillies ‘surprising good’ pitching staff and credits them with the team’s early season success.
…their bullpen, which has pitched to a 2.66 era (2nd in the nl), has been outstanding this season, but their lineup is full of grinders…from Chase Utley to Jayson Werth, they never seem give up, no matter the situation…the thing is, their ability to come from behind is actually quite impressive…and yes, i just complimented the Phillies and i hated every second of it…
Marlins (17-14, 1 LB):
Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald profiles the eclectic group of relievers that make up the Marlins bullpen.
this is a great piece and worthy of a look…also, check out the article’s accompanying photo…anyone know why a man in a sombrero and donkey would the Marlins bullpen…
Over at FishStripes, Craig wonders why C Matt Treanor, despite having better numbers than his counterpart, Mike Rabelo, is only starting on Sundays?
Braves (15-15, 2 LB):
David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reveals a startling disparity in the Braves production at home and away in his recap of the Braves 14-7 rout of the Reds yesterday.
Nationals (14-18, 5 LB):
Tagged Mike Nichols |Mark Zuckerman of the Washington Times takes a look at Nationals starting rotation, which was a weakness at the beginning of the season is now becoming one of their biggest strengths.
According to Adam Rubin in the Daily News, the Mets 
have released OF Ben Johnson, who was acquired two years ago with Jon Adkins for Health Bell.
Bell is 0–2 with a 2.55 ERA in 16 appearances for the Padres this season.
…as noted, this one clearly goes in the Oops column for Omar Minaya – to say the least…
Speaking of being released, Victor Diaz was released from Houston’s minor league system.
Lastly, speaking of Rubin, check out his extensive minor-league report at his blog for the Daily News, where he profiles B’Mets 2B Emmanuel Garcia, while reporting that Nathan Vineyard underwent season-ending shoulder surgery
In a recap of the Yankees win over the Mariners yesterday, Shysterball writes:
For those of you who have lost your mid-90s-Mets/2008 Yankees pitching prospect translation key, it goes something like this: (a) Phil Hughes is to Darrell Rasner as Jason Isringhausen is to Rick Reed; and (b) Ian Kennedy is to Kei Igawa as Bill Pulispher is to Brian Bohanon.
…that’’s great…by the way, if you are unaware, Yankeeland is using the term Generation Tre, to label Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy
…thanks to Ron for the link…
…to me, the Mets look a lot more motivated, focused and relaxed since being embarrassed by the Pirates last Wednesday…according to people around the team, the players have been more upbeat and looking confident since getting off the plane in Arizona…
…who knows why…could be from being humiliated by the Pirates…could be Billy Wagner’s public comments towards the end of last week…could be finally getting to use their best starting lineup for the first time all season…could be the nice, dry weather…could be getting away from you and me and the tense environment at Shea Stadium of late…it could be none of the above, yet it could also be all of these things…or, it could just be coincidence or luck or just playing well…
…all i know is that it’s nice to see them winning again…
…and i hope it continues…
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