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The Mets (31–33) defeated the D’Backs (35–31) by the score of 5 to 3 in Shea Stadium tonight.
For a full recap, boxscore, stats, etc., go to SNY.tv.
Billy Wagner, you can exhale now – and you owe Carlos Beltran a beer, who hit a walk-off, two-run home run to win tonight’s game in the 13th inning.
- Mike Pelfrey pitched eight, count them eight, wonderful, dominant, scoreless innings tonight, all while letting his fastball fly. He looked great. Hell, he even got his first hit of the season, that’s how well things were going for him tonight. There is no other word to describe Pelfrey, who did his absolute best to get his team a victory.
- However, Wagner came on in the ninth, after Pelfrey allowed the first batter of the inning to reach base.
- I rarely second guess, but Pelfrey should have been given the chance to finish this game – and I’m not playing Monday Morning QB.
- Instead, Willie Randolph chose to go to his closer, who, to his credit, had been lights-out most of this season. But, not tonight. Wagner gave up a three-run home run, and the game was tied, the crowd erupted in to boos, and the bench looked devastated.
- In the ninth, with one out, and with Beltran at the plate with an earlier attempt at a walk-off home run, the stadium and bench was silent. In fact, even after Beltran drew a walk, moving the winning run to first, the crowd let out only a mild sigh, as Jose Reyes sat starring blankly at the field. It was like it didn’t even matter if the team won, which was scary to see.
- In the 13th inning, moments before Beltran’s home run, SNY captured a great shot of David Wright walking in from popping out, after which he began punching the bench with his right hand in absolute frustration.
- Fortunately, Pedro Feliciano, Aaron Heilman and Claudio Vargas picked up where Pelfrey left off, pitching four scoreless innings in relief, which allowed Beltran the opportunity to win the game in the bottom of the 13th inning with a walk-off home run.
Judging by the team’s reaction – and the fan reaction – in the bottom of the ninth, this would have been a devastating loss.
Instead, it’s a dramatic, inspiring, walk-off win, which snapped a five-game losing streak.
Still, though, I still have a bad feeling in my stomach from the ninth – despite the win. The silence of the crowd and the bench in the bottom of the ninth, even with the winning run on second, was very, very eerie.
So, I’m happy, but it’s an exhausted, tired, skeptical kind of happiness – if that makes any sense.
The Mets complete their three-game series with the D’Backs tomorrow at 1 pm, with Johan Santana facing Dan Haren.
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I was watching with my wife, and I told her before Wags blew it, “this is why you can never win as a manager.” If Willie leaves Pelph in there after he gives up the first hit of the ninth and he gets bombed, he gets criticized for leaving the kid in there and not going to his closer. So he brings in his closer who decides he likes giving up 3-run homers, and now he gets criticized for not leaving Pelph in there to try and complete the game. The old addage reigns true don’t you think? Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. Guess it has just been that kind of year for Willie and the Mets in general. What a demoralizing win . . .
I can understand people not getting very excited about this win, I know I’m not. But demoralizing? If you can’t take anything else from this game at least our 9th overall pick is finally pitching like a 9th overall pick. I still think he’d be better off still in the AA or AAA working on his off-speed stuff but if he can develop even a serviceable slider to go with his two fastballs he could be at least a dominant #2.
Dominant #2 Gina? Wow, you are a glass half full person, we can use that on this site. I’ll take a consistent/decent #5 for now before I can even believe he is ready to be a dominant #2.
Well I’m talking about down the line not right now, but just from the games I’ve seen he has no problem getting into pitchers counts against batters, he just can’t put them away because his off-speed stuff is so inconsistent. He ends up either walking them or hanging his slider up in the strike zone.
Obviously he’s not going to go anyway with just two fastball pitches, no matter how good they are but if he can develop a consistent slider, let a lone a consistent change-up then it’s makes him a completely different pitcher.
he has a servicable slider, at least on the days he can control it!
A good change up would really help 2. Something with a different look or action.
He should be required to spend at least 2 days a week with Pedro. Must be something the master can teach him.
right now, any win in a storm!
Players will still come 2 the mets. Remember, the money (#1 in everyones book!) will still be there. Factor in a nicer place to play (Citi instead of a dump locker room), which will also have less booing.
Yes, less booing next year, a byproduct of fewer seats + plus more corporate “suit” types that don’t know or care enough to boo!
Or they could just play better and win more, which tends to minimize the booing (although I am sure some “fans” would still boo someone if the Mets were up 10-0 in game 7 of the WS!)
I’m watching the highlights on mlb.com…I notice a few things.
Beltran’s walk-off homer gave the crowd something to cheer about after the disappointment. The feeling behind the cheer was “oh thank god we at least won this game” rather than “yeah we won! Ya gotta believe!” A collective satisfying cheer tho.
Reynolds homer…as it’s in the air…a collective groan. As it lands in the bleachers, some chatter and even a smattering of brief applause. Cuz true Mets fans knew what was coming.
Most upsetting was Pelfrey’s expression after Reynolds’ homer. So sad to let him down.
I’m going to try to say this as nice as possible, but Matt if you think that Pelfrey should have been given the chance to finish the game after allowing a baserunner in the 9th, you have no idea about how the game of baseball is played or managed.
Having already pushed Pelfrey by having him pitch the 8th, there’s two options there - have Wagner start the 9th (with a 3-0 lead after a 5 game losing streak, the obvious decision - take the win and go home) or give Pelfrey the chance to finish the game and pull him once someone gets on base. In that last scenario, if you leave him in and he gets knocked around, you undo all the positives from the last 8 innings.