postGame: Mets 6 Phillies 3
The Mets (54–47) defeated the Phillies (54–47) by the score of 6 to 3 in Shea Stadium tonight.
The Mets and Phillies are once again tied for first place in the NL East, with 61 games left in the season.
For a recap, boxscore, stats, etc., from tonight’s game, check out SNY.tv.
- If you only watched John Maine’s facial expressions tonight, you would have thought he allowed 10 runs on 10 pitches in 10 minutes. Instead, he let up three runs on six hits, while walking two and striking out five, in exactly seven innings of work. Maine let up back-to-back home runs to Shawn Victorini and Geoff Jenkins. In fact, the ball Jenkins hit may have landed on the roof of Home Depot. It was a bomb. Otherwise, though Maine labored at times at times, and should be thankful for the range of his outfielders, and though he looked like he was aiming the ball quite often, he was successful and that’s what matters. Especially in a game like this, following a game like last night.
- According to ESPN, the Maine is 6–1 in starts that follow a loss, which, I think, is the definition of a ‘stopper.’
- In the bottom of the first, with the bases loaded, one out and a full count, Carlos Beltran wanted to swing at inside curve ball, but he restrained himself for an RBI walk. Usually, he swings over and misses this pitch, so I am impressed by his patience.
- Question: How many Mets need to be hit or nearly decapitated by the Phillies before they fight back?
- In the third, with the bases loaded, Damion Easley hit a ball like a thread through a needle, placing it perfectly through the shortstop and third basemen, bring home a run. Prior to his at bat I thought, ‘Ugh, Easley,’ but, “Boy I should have know by now,” Easley duz it.
- With the game tied, two on and no outs, John Maine botched a sac-bunt attempt to strike out. No worries, though, as Jose Reyes clobbered a first-pitch change up from Ryan Madsen, which landed at the foot of the scoreboard, to put the Mets up by three.
- The Mets left the bases loaded in the seventh.
- Scott Schoeneweis and Joe Smith teams up to pitch a scoreless eighth inning.
- Billy Wagner did not ‘need a day,’ amd set down the Phillies in order in the ninth inning for the save. By the way, despite so much talk about his health, shoulder, etc., Wagner has not allowed a hit or run in the last six innings he has pitched.
Nice job, gentlemen.
This was a Charles Oakley-style rebound tonight.
The Mets end their three-game series with the Phillies tomorrow at Shea Stadium, starting at 12:10 pm, with Jaime Moyer (9-6, 3.90 ERA) taking on Oliver Perez (6-6, 4.36 ERA).
