Mike Nichols

postGame: Mets 6 Nationals 3
By Mike Nichols - May 13, 2008 10:53 pm

The Mets (20-17) defeated the Nationals (16-24) by a score of 6 to 3 tonight at Shea Stadium.

For a complete recap and box score, check out SNY.tv.

John Maine was outstanding tonight. It’s a shame a couple Damion Easley errors and a high pitch count knocked him out after six innings. Maine may have been the third starter going into the season, but clearly he has established himself as the team’s number two.

Can Ryan Church do no wrong? He plays great defense and continues to come through in big spot after big spot this season. And, tonight was no exception with four RBIs, including the go-ahead RBI double in the sixth, which was terribly misplayed by Austin Kearns. It’s official, I have a man-crush on Ryan Church and I’m not ashamed to admit. Keep it going, Ryno.

Without Church I don’t know how this team would score runs. The team continues to come up short and squander opportunities when they have men in scoring position. In four consecutive innings (2nd - 5th) the Mets had opportunities to break this game open, but let the pitcher off the hook going 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position during those innings. The offense does a wonderful job getting men on, but they just haven’t had the ability to consistently put crooked numbers up on the board. And, this team will continue their seesaw season if the offense continues to sputter.

Duaner Sanchez raised my blood pressure a bit, getting himself in a eighth inning jam by walking two, but recovered nicely striking out Lastings Milledge and getting Kearns to ground out. Sanchez is still struggling with his control, but you can see his velocity is coming back, which is a great sign.

Anytime you see Billy Wagner on the mound this season you know it’s a win. Wagner continues his early season dominance and locked up his eighth save of the season. Exit light, enter night…

Good bounce back win tonight, guys.

The Mets continue their four-game series against the Nationals tomorrow night with Claudio Vargas making his Mets debut.

RSS feed

120 Comments »

Comment by Danny
2008-05-13 22:56:46

Toasty, wherever you are, I think we owe Delgado an apology about not diving. haha

Comment by ToastyJoe
2008-05-14 08:18:17

I must have missed it - did he dive for one?

 
 
Comment by jamie
2008-05-13 22:59:13

sorry mike, I admitted my man crush on church first. but it’s ok, I’m not the jealous type.

Comment by RespectDaBestRM
2008-05-13 23:20:38

how can u all give up your man crush on wright already

Comment by ninohernes
2008-05-13 23:27:47

I certainly haven’t! :-) He will get out of his slump…just you wait!

(Comments wont nest below this level)
Comment by nrmax88
2008-05-14 00:42:09

Can everybody apologize to Omar now for calling him a moron and an idiot and calling for his head after he traded for Church and Schneider (who coincidentally have probably been our best position players so far)?

 
Comment by Meddler
2008-05-14 01:43:24

If there’s one thing Omar has consistently done well, its pick up on overlooked talent. Church is just the latest in a long line of “second pieces” of trade acquisitions that has become one of the stars of this team.

 
 
 
 
Comment by RespectDaBestRM
2008-05-13 22:59:30

how can tatis wear kieth hernandezs number.

Alou is a beast.
I love the lineup the way it is.
our 1-5 is up there with any other team in the majors.

Billy Wagner can say anything he wants because hes backing it up.

Comment by Mexworshipper
2008-05-14 08:39:19

I totally agree. Why does the equipment manager give every stiff that walks into the clubhouse number 17?? It pisses me off.

 
 
Comment by Ryan Synagogue
2008-05-13 23:01:09

My God, how can anyone ever doubt Omar Minaya after a) bringing in Santana, and b)

Trading this guy:

.246/.319/.338 - 1HR - 13RBI

for these two

.324/.385/.561 - 8HR - 30RBI

.321/.391/.370 - 1HR - 10RBI

Exhibit A continues to play crap defense, while The former Expos are playing Gold Glove defense, hitting better then anyone on the team and handling our pitching staff better then anyone has in years.

Comment by Chan Ho Parking Lot
2008-05-13 23:07:31

Yep. And that “play of the game” catch Milledge made could have been easier if he took a more direct route to the ball instead of running straightnback to the wall and then running along it. Beltran would have made it look routine.

Comment by Danny
2008-05-13 23:15:40

Oh, come on. At least give him credit for that play. He was shaded to left-center and had to go a long way to get that one.

It was a great play. It’s okay to accept that.

(Comments wont nest below this level)
Comment by jose--jose-jose-jose
2008-05-13 23:35:59

It was a good play, but I do agree that Beltran would have made it look much, much easier.

 
Comment by darkstar73
2008-05-13 23:53:35

it was a nice recovery, horrible route, nice job to make the play though.

 
Comment by Danny
2008-05-14 00:30:44

It wasn’t that bad of a route when you consider he was running at full speed and the wind kept the ball in. That’s why he leveled off, the wind kept bringing it back.

 
Comment by Meddler
2008-05-14 01:46:32

That ball was covered. Before Citifield, that ball would have been in the parking lot. With Citifield, the way it dropped if it fell in it may have landed towards the end of the warning track and just bounced straight back up and died in place without even hitting the wall. It was in the air so long and it was such a rocket, but by the time it got out there it was just traveling straight down.

 
 
 
Comment by The Glider
2008-05-13 23:27:36

Yes, I think you are right, and I was never really a Lastings fan but, in all fairness, you really can’t judge these trades in just 40 games in April and part of May.

 
Comment by Koko
2008-05-13 23:29:52

He can still be doubted. He’s done a great job, but he has also made questionable moves along the way.

1) Bannister for Bourxious (sp). Bannister would solve any #4 or #5 issues we have.

2) Ring and Bell for Adkins and Johnson. . .

3) Depending on who you talk to (not me) hiring Willie

4) Giving Castillo a 4 year contract

5) Giving Mota a 2 year contract after he tested positive

6) Signing El Duque to a 2 year contract

7) Building a relatively old team without realizing that these players will soon regress and/or get hurt more often

8) Giving Scho a three year contract

9) Not drafting well

That is the 9 I bring to the field. I’m sure there are others.

Though he has done good too:

1) Santana

2) Church/Schneider

3) Maine

4) Perez

5) Making the Mets matter again

6) Getting Beltran signed

7) Getting Pedro signed (see #5)

8) Getting Wagner signed

9) Keeping Wright and Reyes by extending their contracts

Comment by darkstar73
2008-05-13 23:40:54

I would like to clarify this “not drafting well” aspect of Omar’s criticisms. Usually after only a couple of years, the only prospects that you draft that will make an impact are guys that you draft in high rounds. It just so happens, the past couple years, we haven’t had a 1st round pick because of FA signings, and we did just ship out some of our best prospects for Santana. That being said, the 2nd rounders we’ve drafted are all legitimate prospects, guys like Joe Smith, who has become a major leaguer, and Kunz, who could easily be a major leaguer next year.

(Comments wont nest below this level)
Comment by KinersKornerman
2008-05-13 23:46:41

Mouthpiece (if we can still call him that) was Mets first pick in 2005. Was that under Omar or Duquette?

 
Comment by darkstar73
2008-05-13 23:48:40

Pelfrey was an Omar pick, but it’s hard to fault him there, Pelfrey was projected to be a top 5 pick, but fell to us at 9 because teams were scared of Boras’ contract demands. Every team wanted Pelfrey. He hasn’t had the immediate impact, but i’m withholding judgement.

 
Comment by KinersKornerman
2008-05-14 00:55:44

ds, thanks for the knowledge

 
 
 
 
Comment by jamie
2008-05-13 23:04:10

also, found out at teh game about all the dfa’ing. really, really glad they did the right thing w/ sosa. that’s a big-market team acting like one, cutting detriment despite money owed. good job, mets.

and solid win tonight!

 
Comment by dykstraw
2008-05-13 23:11:05

ok, i think i’m ready to call the milledge trade a win for omar

Comment by dr jones
2008-05-13 23:13:33

its not even debatable. Church alone is twice the player milledge is at this point.

Comment by Ryan Synagogue
2008-05-13 23:16:23

While I was definitely upset that we gave up our best chip to get him, I had a feeling Church was gonna be good. After all, he killed me about a hundred times in MLB 2k7.

(Comments wont nest below this level)
Comment by bvaz
2008-05-14 07:00:21

best chip? seems like you disagree with every GM in MLB. no one even wanted Milledge anymore. he was just overhyped.

just a fyi. fernando martinez is and has been the Mets best chip for over a year now.

I think Milledge will be a “good” player. there is nothign wrong with being a good player but the Mets hyped him up so much that the fan base and media would ahve never settled for such a “chip” only being a good player.
in reality, it is no fault of Milledge. it is the organization that made him out to be more than he was and he never stood a shot in NY.

 
 
Comment by gomets019
2008-05-14 01:26:07

I thinks Schneider alone is worth more than Milledge Just look at the numbers above, figure Schneider would probably have a few more rbis if not for his thumb infection and that he clearly benefits from a deeper line up, figure in defense and the overall impact of their position. Don’t forget we get 2 years from both Schneider and Church vs. what, 6 of Milledge? I liked Milledge and still do, but I was excited about this trade from day 1, and I believe its going to look even more lopsided by the end of the year, after Church and Schneider really settle in. Schneider will end up being Jason Varitek lite, and Church will threaten the opposing pitcher the way Carlos Delgado could 10 years ago, or at least in ‘06. If Burgos comes back at some point and contributes even a little, I think we should just collectively forgive the Bannister and Heath Bell trades. Omar does an awful lot more right than he does wrong.

(Comments wont nest below this level)