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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.
It’s good to see. With guys like Murphy and Tatis hitting like real, live, professional ballplayers, it gives the Mets offense a much needed “oomph” (for lack of a better word) in the bottom half of the lineup that they really hadn’t had since Church went down, and maybe even before that. Plus, when Delgado is raking this is a whole different team.
On a random note, I was just looking at the remaining schedule, and the games against the Cubs, Brewers, Phillies, and Marlins don’t really worry me at all, but I am scared to death of the 9 games remaining against the Braves.
I was on here preaching the same thing about the 9 remaing games with the Braves. Granted, the Braves are limping around, but in the games we have lost to them so far this year (and there have been plenty of them), Mark Texeira was hardly the reason. We get burned by their peripheral players more than anyone else. I just hope having more to play for will help us pound them.
Although I do like watching them beat up on Philly.
You worry about the Braves and I will worry about the Cubs and Brewers. I am not really affraid of anyone in our division.
Braves have our number. Would you be shocked if we dropped 6 of 9 to them? I wouldn’t.
I would actually. I guess through the years of braves dominance..every time we play them im worried but im with real on this one. Cubs and Brewers are ledgit playoff teams and it will be interesting to see how we stack up. The braves threw in the towel a long time ago and are not much of a threat as they once were.
the last few years, we have done better against the braves in the second half, after the wind is out of their sails a bit. They start out strong, but once injuries and bad pitching set int, they’re not as good. You still know someone like Kelly Johnson is going to have a huge hit somewhere along the way though.
I remember a lot of games at the end of last year against teams in our division who threw in the towel a long time ago. How did those turn out?
I’m not about to say I would rather have more games with the Cubs and Brewers than the Braves, but I’m also not going to say that I’m not at all worried about playing the Braves down the stretch just because they are far behind.
Why? Did they have our number in 2007 or 2006?
I am happy to see you are very confident against them. Wish I could be as worry free about a team that has dominated us so far this season. As long as Chipper is in the lineup and still has the ability to hit crushing 3-run homers, I will never look at the schedule and say those are easy games.
I’ve been watching that team wipe the field with us for the past 15 or so years, so it’s kinda hard to let the success of 2006 redeem all of that. It’s the same game every time too. Mets jump out to a 1-0 lead, but could have scored more. Then, in the 6th inning the Braves score 2 runs. The Mets threaten teh rest of the way, but don’t score. Braves add an insurance run in the 8th or 9th on a Kelly Johnson, Henry Blanco, Mark Kotsay, Marcus Giles, Egar Renteria, Chipper Jones, Andrew Jones, Brian McCann, Julio Franco, or Jeff Franceour home run.
But I will agree with Dirty. The Brewers are the most dangerous team, in my opinion. CC and Sheets are a tough duo.
I agree with both of you…the brewers and cubs are monsters in the daylight, the braves are the monsters under the bed. If that makes sense.
I’m not thrilled about having to finish with 4 games against the cubs in the last week, but hopefully they will have the central wrapped up by then. I agree with you about the Braves, especially with Glavine back. They are one of the worst teams in the NL right now but I still feel like they will play us very hard.
To be honest (and to point out the obvious), playing the Braves a bunch down the stretch is not optimal for the Mets.
They play balls to the wall against us then will revert back to a sub 500 team against all other competition.
very frustrating
now w/ the cubs…
The Mets play well against top teams. They don’t back down and they bring it against “A” competition. As an example that series win against the Angels (whereas the Phils at home got swept by them)
I know the cubs had a two game sweep earlier on but we are a completely different team now.
i am pumped for the stretch
I’m on the fence about hoping they have it locked up. I kinda hope they have something to play for and we beat them. I think they finish the season at Philly. Too lazy to check right now though.
Philly ends w/ a home series against the nationals while we play the marlins.
loks like the schedule makers are from philadelphia
not to mention the hellacious traveling for our first half.. its a real testimate to the heart and determination that through our tough schedule and injuries people have stepped up. We had our injuries just like any other team and instead of whining(like another ballclub) we manned up and we are in first.
Is it time for the magic number counter???… j/K – Relax.. just a joke.. I know what a jinx that was last season!
Magic Number: 50.
This team is better without Marlon Anderson and Luis Castillo. Both seemed to be favorites of Willie Randolph. I can’t wait for 2 years when FMart & Carp are up. Wheeeeeeeee
For what team? You actually think the Mets will have a starting lineup for 2010-2011 with Murphy, Evans, Carp, Fmart? No way.
lol is it bad i forgot all about marlon anderson….
Call me selfish, but I happen to be a bigger fan of a home run with a runner on first rather than a sac bunt.
Paging Mr. Beltran, stop being “unselfish” and hit a few more HRs.
JerryBall!
How do you use “hit and runs” and “plate selection” in the same sentence with a straight face?
Hit and run requires you to pretty much swing at whatever pitch is thrown. Wouldn’t call that plate selection.
/hates smallball
How were things going before Jerry arrived and began forcing the hit and run and, yes, plate selection?
Don’t take this personally, but I think the kind of baseball a person likes is a direct indicator of intelligence, at least baseball intelligence. The people who only know how to appreciate the slugging, over the intricacies of everything that goes into getting runs in, are just a little limited. ;)
appreciating the style of baseball based on obp and slugging and generally avoiding smallball strategies- that has been shown over and over again to be the best way to optimize offensive output- and is always the style of the teams that score the most runs in baseball- is indicative of lower intelligence?
i love homeruns. not just in a caveman OOH OOH look how far ball go! way. i love it because runs are awesome, and getting some without making any outs is way better.
mets fans, even matt, just blow my mind. you guys seriously think the mets are winning because of jerry’s smallball? willie did the same nonsense. maybe not as many hit and runs but he certainly loved bunting and stealing at least as much.
how about, since jerry took over, the starting pitching has been great? delgado and tatis have been destroying the ball? wright and reyes are continuing their great years? production from murphy and evans? easley and endy finally coming around? dead weight like castillo and marlon have been off the roster for a while? no? just the hitting and running? great.
if you made a pie chart of reasons the mets have been winning the last two months, ‘jerry’s smallball’ would be the size of the ‘registered nazis’ portion of a ‘population of america by political affiliation’ chart.
The nazi thing is funny.
Are home runs a grand thing? Yes sir. Can every guy hit them, as often as he would like to? No. Especially not anymore. Can players’ efforts be derailed by trying too hard at the slugging, when they could be doing productive things that they’re more likely to get done? Might the excessive appreciation of the general populace for the slugging, and the lack of appreciation of the smaller ball, contribute to players possibly failing to direct their efforts in the direction that best suits their abilities?
you think guys try to the ball as hard as they can because the fans(general populace) like it more? what?
anyway, i would argue that most everyday baseball fans like smallball just as much. of course the crowd goes nuts when somebody belts a homerun or a double, as they logically should. but journalists and broadcasters have it in everyone’s head that you win because you do the ‘little things’. even when someone hits a three run homer, you always hear analysis about the double steal beforehand.
for the sake of this conversation i’ll concede that bunts, steals, sacrifices have their place. but as a general strategy you should never give away outs and plays like the hit-and-run and steals aren’t worth the risk. the whole concept of putting pressure on the defense is highly overvalued.
as far as the main point of this, your post doesn’t refute anything i said. you win games because you pitch and/or score runs and the best way to score runs has been and will always be getting on base and hitting for power. if you can manufacture one to tie it in the ninth, great. my complaint is people think this is incredibly valuable. it’s a very small piece of the puzzle, and i feel the mets overuse these strategies.
As Earl Weaver once said, “Pitching, defense, and the three run home run.”
The rest is for the birds, or people who take Joe Morgan seriously.
I am not super big on “small ball” and bunting, sacs, giving up outs.
but what I do like to see is a situational approach. Say 2nd and 3rd, 2 outs, or with 2 strikes, shortenting up the swing and driving a single the other way (remember that, DW?) to get the runs in, instead of continuing to swing from the heels hoping for a HR.