Daily Archives: July 3, 2008
David Wright left tonight’s game in the sixth inning, after ducking from a line drive while leading off first base.
…it looked like he may have tweaked a muscle in his back…however, the team has yet to make an official announcement to the pressbox on what is up with wright…
…Update…11:40 pm…
Following tonight’s game, Jerry Manuel told reporters that Wright most likely tweaked a groin muscle, but ‘he’s fine,’ and should be back in the lineup tomorrow.
The Mets (42–43) beat up on the Cardinals (49–38) by the score of 11 to 1 in St. Louis tonight.
For a recap, boxscore, stats, etc., go to SNY.tv.
However, in case you missed it, know that, while Jose Reyes and Carlos Delgado each had three RBI, and the name of the game tonight was Mike Pelfrey, who let up just six hits and one run, while striking out six, through seven innings of work. He kept the ball away, he kept it down, he mixed up his pitches, and made several hitters, including Albert Pujols, look foolish. He is finally throwing strikes, not messing around, and getting the job done.
In his last seven starts, Pelfrey is 4–0 with a 3.05 ERA, during which the Mets are 6–1.
What’s more, Pelfrey drove in the first run of his career, with an RBI single in the third, which basically broke the game open.
The Mets begin a four-game series tomorrow with the Phillies in Citizen’s Bank Park starting at 7:05 pm, with Johan Santana (7-7, 3.01 ERA) taking on J.A. Happ, who will be making his first start of the season.
The Game:
Weather permitting, the Mets (41-43) continue their four-game series against the Cardinals (49-37) tonight at Busch Stadium, starting 8:15 pm.
The Lineup:
- SS Jose Reyes
- CF Endy Chavez
- 3B David Wright
- RF Ryan Church
- 1B Carlos Delgado
- 2B Damion Easley
- LF Marlon Anderson
- C Ramon Castro
- P Mike Pelfrey
The Pitchers:
RHP Mike Pelfrey (5-6, 4.47 ERA) starts for the Mets.
RHP Mitchell Boggs (3-0, 4.37 ERA) starts for the Cardinals.
How To Catch It
Today’s game can be seen locally on SNY 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 |
Argenis Reyes will arrive with Chris Aguila in St. Louis before today’s game with the Cardinals, to take the roster spots of Carlos Muniz, who will be demoted to Triple-A, and Luis Castillo, who will be placed on the 15–day Disabled List.
…this morning on MetsBlog, i wrote that either reyes or Abraham Nunez would get the call, and i’m glad to see it is reyes…
Reyes, 25, is hitting .290 with 11 doubles and a .353 OBP in 79 games for Triple-A New Orleans, while hitting .358 in 81 at bats against left-handed pitchers.
In six at bats with the Mets in June, the 29–year-old Aguila had one hit and struck out twice.
In a post to Dugout Central, Jeff Moore uses mathematics to determine that Mets-Phillies is the second-best rivalry in baseball, behind Yankees-Red Sox.
According to Moore, “The dislike between the teams has been well documented, but has only played out in the media thus far. One misplaced fastball could easily change that. The Phillies are currently in first place and the Mets should be closer than they are. Both have been in the playoffs 
recently, and no one in either clubhouse is too fond of Mets closer Billy Wagner. Add it up, and you get a powder keg ready to explode.”
The Mets will travel to Philadelphia for a four-game series against the Phillies starting tomorrow.
Johan Santana will start for the Mets on Friday, followed by John Maine on Saturday, Oliver Perez on Sunday and Pedro Martinez on Monday.
This is a significant series, in that it will do a lot to shape the way management, the fans and media view the Mets as we all turn the corner from the All-Star break towards the Trade Deadline.
In reality, even if the Mets drop three of four in Philadelphia, they’ll be just six losses back of the Phillies, which, with 73 games left in the season, is hardly insurmountable – just ask the Phillies.
However, with three weeks until the trade deadline, six losses back of first place and probably eight or nine losses back of the Wild Card, it is a totally different story.
By the way, a reader from MetsBlog, Richard M, is organizing a tailgate for Sunday at Citenz’s Bank Park for Mets fans starting at 10:30 am in Lot N, if you’re interested.
Tagged Phillies |
In the 54 for the Mets this season, Ryan Church is batting .310.
He is on pace to finish the season with roughly 25 HR, 20 doubles and 90 RBI, despite missing 30 full days due to injury between May and June.
Church is hitting .374 with runners on base, and has yet to make an error this season.
For what it’s worth, because, while it shouldn’t matter, it probably does, Lastings Milledge is batting .245 with seven HR and 32 RBI for the Nationals, though he is currently on the disabled list with a strained right groin.
[poll id="138"]
Tagged Ryan Church |According to MiLB.com, B’Mets 1B Mike Carp and Nick Evans and RHP Salvador Aguilar and Bobby Parnell have all been chosen to represent the Northern Division in the Eastern 
League Double-A All Star Game.
In 77 games for Binghamton this season, Carp is batting .319 with 17 doubles, 10 HR, 47 RBI and 50 strike outs in 285 at bats.
…the problem with carp, from what i can gather, is that he is just not very good on defense…anywhere…he’s listed as a DH at this point, and has been worked out at first base, third base and outfield…
On July 7, Mets Minor League Blog’s Toby Hyde will begin a three-week blogging tour of each of the team’s affiliates.
…toby has outstanding contacts throughout the minor league system, and so i am looking forward to his take on carp…
Meanwhile, the 22–year-old Parnell is 8–4 with a 4.04 ERA in 17 starts for Binghamton.
Since switching to a starting pitcher, Aguilar, 26, is 8–1 with a 2.19 ERA, including 41 strike outs in 61.2 innings pitched.
Aguilar was born in Pamona, CA, and was selected by the Mets in the 29th round of the 2005 First-Year Player Draft.
Tagged Mike Carp |
Pedro Martinez faced eight batters in the first inning of last night’s game, letting up four runs on five hits, including a home run to deep center by Troy Glaus.
Martinez then tossed three scoreless innings, before allowing a home run to Rick Ankiel in the fifth, after which he was removed from the game.
…he looked awful in the first inning…again…however, to his credit, he seemed to turn it on after that…in fact, he hit Skip Schumaker with a high-and-tight fastball…and that’s the thing, at times this season, especially in the first inning, he looks like he is trying to be too fancy, too fine, while also looking a bit like he’s sleep walking or in a haze…he’s had his best success this season when he throws fastballs and is aggressive, like he did last night in the subsequent innings pitched…
…i get the feeling he is trying to be too clever, as though he has to outsmart every one…which is important, but he also needs to pitch with guts…sure, he’s not 1998 Pedro Martinez, but he doesn’t have to be 2010 Pedro Martinez either…
Since returning from the disabled list on June 3, Martinez is 2–2 with a 7.00 ERA in six starts, during which the Mets are 2–4.
In seven starts this season, opponents are batting .325 against Martinez – they hit .220 against him in 2006.
[poll id="137"]
Tagged Pedro Martinez |The Mets were up 7 to 5 in the eighth inning last night against the Cardinals, when Jerry Manuel chose to bring in Pedro Feliciano after Aaron Heilman hit the inning’s lead-off hitter.
Feliciano then let up a pinch-hit home run to Chris Duncan, which tied up the game.
In the ninth, Manuel replaced Feliciano with Carlos Muniz, who, after getting Albert Pujols and 
Rick Ankiel to pop out, let up a game-winning, two-out, walk-off home run to Troy Glaus.
Following the game, Manuel told reporters that Duaner Sanchez was not available to pitch.
…personally, knowing duaner could not pitch, i would have left feliciano in the game…that said, muniz did get pujols and ankiel out, who were technically the bigger threats in that inning, even though glaus had already hit a home run earlier in the night…also, muniz threw him a nice inside fastball, which glaus turned on…he didn’t leave it hanging over the plate…so, i have to give credit to glaus, who clobbered that pitch on the inside part of his bat…
…at any rate, from what i understand, duaner feels fine and could have pitched, but the team wanted to give him a night off to further recover from being hit with a ground ball on his knee the night before…he’ll be armed and ready tonight, though…
Tagged Pedro Feliciano |
Moises Alou was 2 for 3 with a home run on Tuesday night in a rehab game for the Gulf Coast League Mets.
He was scheduled to play a rehab game on, but the game was rained out, as was last night’s game as well.
To avoid another rain out, he will continue his rehab assignment with Double-A Binghamton on Friday.
…had he been able to play Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, as the team hoped, he could have rejoined the Mets this weekend in Philadelphia…now the talk is that he’ll join them, still in Philadelphia, but on Monday instead…however, my bet is he rejoins the team at home in New York on Tuesday, when they begin a series against the Giants…
Tagged Moises Alou | ← Older posts
