postGame: Mets 6 Brewers 5
The Mets (78–61) defeated the Brewers (80–58) by the score of 6 to 5 in 10 innings tonight.
For a recap, boxscore, stats, etc., go to SNY.tv.
Jon Niese let up a lead-off home run to start the game. He labored through much of the next few innings, looking like he was aiming the ball, during which he let five runs to score, while squandering an early 5–1 Mets lead. It was not the rock-star debut some people were hoping for. Fear not, though, the talent is clearly there.
The Mets used six pitchers in relief of Niese, none of which were charged with a run, including Brian Stokes who pitched two scoreless innings and continues to look strong.
Actually, my cell phone rang in the ninth inning. I thought it might be Jerry Manuel asking me to warm up, but it wasn’t.
Nick Evans made two more awkward catches in left field, one of which even he looked surprised to find in his glove.
David Wright made two sensational picks in the field, though he continues to look totally unsure of himself at the plate. He is batting .114 in his last seven games.
Carlos Beltran hit a three-run home run from the right-side of the plate, and is now batting .277 with 96 RBI.
In the 10th, with the game tied, Daniel Murphy led off the inning with a single up the middle, which was followed by a bunt from Jose Reyes, which, thanks to a throwing error, ended up pushing Murphy to third. Murphy later scored the go-ahead run on a sac-fly from Endy Chavez, who has 12 RBI on the season.
By the way, Manuel let Evans hit earlier in the game, in a spot that would have been perfect for Murphy, who was then able to pinch hit later in the game.
Luis Ayala, who did not look healthy on the mound, picked up his fifth save, as he is seemingly the team’s ‘closer.’
Ayala gave up a pinch-hit double with two outs in the ninth, which, for a moment, looked like it might end up a home run. Thankfully, it died on the line. Rickie Weeks ripped a ball down towards third base, but it slipped foul just inches before the bag – had it been fair, since Wright was not playing the line, it would have scored the tying run. Ayala, clearly in pain, then struck out Weeks to end the game.
The Mets conclude their three-game series with the Brewers tomorrow afternoon in Milwaukee, starting at 2 pm, with Oliver Perez (9-7, 3.90 ERA) taking on Dave Bush (9-9, 4.12 ERA).
