Daily Archives: August 15, 2008
Billy Wagner pitched a perfect seventh inning, complete with two strike outs, during a rehab assignment with Double-A Binghamton last night.
Wagner, speaking to reporters following last night’s game, said:
“I think (Friday) will be a big thing – to see how sore, how stiff (the arm is)…I’ll drive back home tonight, wait a day, kind of do some self rehab myself tomorrow. Then I fly out Saturday morning and go out to Pittsburgh. I’ve got pitch a simulated game Saturday, probably around noon, and I’ll go from there. If I bounce back from today and am able to pitch out there, I’ll probably be activated on Monday and go from there.”
Initially, reports suggested that Wagner would next pitch in a game for the Brooklyn Cyclones on Saturday, but, according to the above statement, it appears he will instead travel to Pittsburgh to workout with the team.
To read all of Wagner’s post-game comments from Binghamton, including his opinion of Eddie Kunz, check out B’Mets reporter Brian Moritz’s blog for the Press & Sun Bulletin.
The Mets completed a sweep of the last-place Nationals last night, outscoring them 25 to 6 in the three-game series.
Of course, the Nationals are the least-productive offense in baseball this year, and only three teams in the National League have given up more runs.
Jerry Manuel, on beating sub-.500 teams, speaking to reporters last night:
“This time of the year, every win is huge, regardless of who it’s against. Teams that are not quite in the race are looking to knock you off, so there’s incentive on both sides. It doesn’t matter who you beat this time of year, you’ve just got to put W’s in the column.”
Carlos Beltran, on sweeping the Nationals, while speaking to reporters following last night’s win:
“That’s been our weakness – we haven’t been able to play well against the teams below .500. Every time we come to play the Washington Nationals, they always find a way to play good baseball against us. But, this time, we tried to approached them the same way we approach the Phillies, the same way we approach the teams that are in contention.”
This season, the Mets are 16–9 against the second-place Phillies and third-place Marlins, but just 10–11 against the fourth-place Braves and last-place Nationals.
In last night’s win against the Nationals, the Mets scored four runs in the ninth inning to extend their lead from 5 to 3 to 9 to 3.
Yesterday, in my MetsBlog Minute, I expressed concern over how the team has been so ineffective and silent during the final few innings of the game, which could prove to be quite detrimental against top teams down the stretch.
So, I was glad to see tack-on runs last night.
Hopefully, this continues.
Jerry Manuel, on the team’s offense last night, and scoring late in the game, while speaking to reporters, said:
“It’s something we have not been doing…We did a lot of good things offensively tonight. We moved runners over. We got runners in. We played really unselfish baseball.”
Yes, unselfish baseball, much like Carlos Beltran used to say in the commercial from 2006, ‘Get ‘em on, get ‘em over, get ‘em in.’
Actually, this is the type of baseball I prefer to watch. I enjoy a big home run, but I mostly enjoy small ball, hit and runs, stolen bases, hitting the other way, selection at the plate, etc., and this is what the Mets have been doing of late.
What’s interesting, it seems as though much of it is coming from the bench, from Manuel, sending out signals to slow the game down and force certain hitters, who may be struggling, to take a different approach, and, most important, the hitter is obliging.
In a win last night against the Nationals, Oliver Perez let up 
three runs and six hits pitching in to the seventh inning, while striking out eight and walking three.
Most intriguing, Perez is 4–0 with a 1.23 ERA in eight starts against the Marlins and Phillies this season.
Jerry Manuel, on Perez, while speaking to reporters following last night’s win against the Nationals:
“Oliver has become a real consistent pitcher for us. We feel very confident when he takes the mound. He’s throwing strikes, the velocity is good and he’s mixing his pitches. He’s just having a tremendous second half for us.”
Perez had a 4.44 ERA in his 19 starts prior to the All-Star break.
He is 3–2 in six starts with a 2.52 ERA since the break.
Perez, on Perez, talking to reporters, said:
“I feel like I’m a pitcher and doing what I’m supposed to do. I just need to keep this going, because I feel very good.”
The difference, to me, is that, unlike in the beginning of the year, he is keeping his game together when runners reach base. Earlier, a runner would reach base, Perez would get in trouble, and before I could blink the base paths looked like a pinball machine, during which he was seemingly good for a wild pitch or a walk or an errant throw.
Now, he is in control the entire time, regardless of what is going on around him. Actually, to a lesser extent, the same can be said for Mike Pelfrey and his turn-around.
For more on Perez, check out Ken Davidoff’s column for Newsday, in which he refers to Perez as, “The loopy lefty.”
Tagged Oliver Perez |
To watch 
‘s exclusive Post Game Extra, hosted by Gary Cohen and Keith Hernandez, including highlights and quotes from last night’s win against the Nationals, click below:
