Daily Archives: April 3, 2009
The Mets defeated the Red Sox, 4–3, in Citi Field tonight, in what was essentially a dress-rehearsal for the regular season.
- Frankie Rodriguez needed 10 pitches to get the save in the ninth, following J.J. Putz, who gave up one run on two hits in the eighth inning, and Sean Green, who gave up two hits and one run in his inning of work.
- Livan Hernandez gave up one hit over three scoreless innings, while walking two and striking out three.
- Luis Castillo, who nearly injured himself diving for a ball in foul territory, was slightly booed following a ground out to end the fifth inning, which is pathetic. A) He deserves the opportunity to succeed this season, and B) it’s an exhibition game.
- Bobby Kielty hit an RBI single to tie the game in fourth. Fernando Tatis had two hits and an RBI. Carlos Beltran hit an RBI single in the fifth.
- In fact, one ball Tatis hit was smoked, and looked like it would be a home run, but the ball just died before the wall in right field. There were no home runs hit in Citi Field, by either team. It’s an exhibition game on a wet and cool night in April; but, if last night was any indication, the ballpark will play ‘huge,’ like Jerry Manuel said.
- According to the team, 37, 652 fans were in attendance.
The Mets and Red Sox will play again today in Citi Field at 1 pm, with Oliver Perez, John Maine and Daisuke Matsuzaka set to pitch, in what is the final exhibition game of the spring.
Today’s game will air on WPIX, and the MLB Network.
The Mets are off Sunday, and begin the regular season against the Reds in Cincinnati on Monday at 1 pm.
In case you missed it, MetsBlog.com will be hosting an Opening Day Get-Together at Public House in Manhattan, located at 140 E. 41st St, for the first game of the regular season against the Mets and Reds at 1 pm on April 6.
…we will have a few designated areas to hang out, sit, grab lunch, etc., plus they’ll have a drink special or two… there are plenty of flat-screen televisions, and the game-audio will be on as well…
This week on SNY’s Mets Weekly, Julie Alexandria profiles Jose Reyes, and the work he did with Jerry 
Manuel this spring.
During the episode, Julie also plays mini golf with Bobby Parnell, Jonathon Niese and Eddie Kunz; talks with players and coaches about whether Citi-field will be a hitters or pitchers park; and, lastly, she samples some of the food at Citi Field.
Mets Weekly will first air at 12:30 pm on Saturday, and will re-run on Sunday at 5:30 pm.
Tagged SNY |
Update, 9:30 pm:
Why did they choose to make the outfield wall black? It’s so odd looking. With the orange lettering and orange foul poles, which I like, it looks like Camden, home of the orange and black Orioles, which I don’t like.
I mean, it would have looked so classic, so Mets, had that wall stayed blue, coupled with the orange.
Update, 8:00 pm:
They play for a month in 75-degree weather, under the Florida sun, only to return to New York and be called off the field in a freezing rain. Ouch.
Original Post:
The weird thing is, it’s a new and different backdrop behind home plate while watching the game from Citi Field on SNY, yet the Mets are home and in their white uniforms. This is going to take a minute to get used to.
I like it, it’s just different.
The Game:
The Mets (17-14-1) begin the first game of their two-game exhibition series versus the Red Sox (19-13) tonight at Citi Field, starting at 6:10 p.m. EDT.
The Lineup:
- SS Jose Reyes
- LF Daniel Murphy
- 3B David Wright
- 1B Carlos Delgado
- CF Carlos Beltran
- RF Fernando Tatis
- DH Bobby Kielty
- C Ramon Castro
- 2B Luis Castillo
The Pitchers:
Livan Hernandez (0-1, 3.07 ERA) starts for the Mets. In his last Spring Training start versus the Braves on March 18, Herandez allowed one run on five hits while striking out three over 5.0 IP. Hernandez allowed three runs or less in each of his five appearances this spring. He is 1-3 with a 9.82 ERA in four career starts versus the Red Sox.
Jon Lester (2-0, 1.72 ERA) toes the rubber for the Red Sox. Lester earned a no-decision in his last start versus the Orioles on march 30, allowing one run on four hits and a walk, while striking out three over 6.2 IP. He has walked 10 batters in 15.1 innings this spring. Lester is 1-0 with a 3.60 ERA in one career start versus the Mets.
The Notes:
The Mets are third in the National League this spring with a .295 batting average.
Carlos Delgado is 15-for-30 (.500) with 1 HR and 6 RBI in 10 games this spring.
Luis Castillo leads the league with 16 walks this spring.
How To Catch It:
Tonight’s game will can be seen locally on SNY and heard on WFAN.
MLB.tv will also provide a free preview of tonight’s game.
The Bleachers:
For a live chat, head over to The Hot Foot Bleachers.
…enjoy, and as always, Let’s Go Mets…
Tagged Mike Nichols |Prior to tonight’s game the Mets announced their starting rotation for the first week of the season.
The rotation and probable pitching matchups will be as follows:
April 6 at Reds: Johan Santana vs. RHP Aaron Harang
April 8 at Reds: Mike Pelfrey vs. RHP Edison Volquez
April 9 at Reds: Oliver Perez vs. RHP Bronson Arroyo
April 10 at Marlins: John Maine vs. RHP Chris Volstad
April 11 at Marlins: Livan Hernandez vs. RHP Ricky Nolasco
April 12 at Marlins: Johan Santana vs. RHP Josh Johnson
With Santana scheduled to pitch twice next week, Mike Pelfrey will get the honor of pitching opening night at Citi Field versus the Padres.
Tagged Mike Nichols |Earlier today, Omar Minaya addressed the media and announced he and his team reached an agreement with free-agent OF Gary Sheffield.
Minaya said Sheffield still must take a physical, and is expected to be with the team tomorrow.
Later, Carlos Beltran told reporters, “I think it helps, because he knows what to expect, he’s going to come here and do his thing and he knows how things work here in New York.”
Speaking with WFAN’s Mike Francesa, Minaya said Gary Sheffield has not been guaranteed any playing time, and he will need to ‘work his way in to being more than a part-time player.’
Minaya repeatedly used the word ‘work,’ when referencing Sheffield’s role, saying the player needs to work to return to being as productive as he once was, saying he’ll need to work to get in the lineup, and adding Jerry Manuel will need to work him in to a role.
“Jerry was very clear, to Gary, what role he is coming in to do,” Minaya explained, while speaking to reporters.
Manuel later added, “I think the first thing we’ll do, as a staff, is make sure and get him in shape to play an outfield position, so for the first few days I think we’ll spend a lot of time on extra work, preparing him to, like I said, work him back to playing an outfield position.”
Minaya labeled the signing ‘low risk, high reward,’ when speaking with Francesa, because he is only obligated to pay Sheffield $400,000.
Minaya also explained to WFAN that he checked with players and coaches on his team who have played with Sheffield, who said, ‘across the board,’ ‘this guy is a very good teammate.
Manuel later said he talked with Jimmy Leyland, who also managed Sheffield in Florida, where Manuel was a coach, and Leyland was positive in his review and was in step with what Minaya encountered when speaking with other ‘front-office guys around the league,’ he explained.
Tagged Omar Minaya |Update, 4:04 pm:
“If he’s gonna help us win a World Series, then I’m excited he’s here,” Daniel Murphy said of Sheffield, when told of the signing in an interview with WFAN’s Mike Francesa earlier today.
Francesa is scheduled to speak with Mets GM Omar Minaya later today.
To listen to WFAN online, go here, where you can also hear Francesa’s interviews with Jerry Manuel, David Wright and John Maine from earlier today.
Original Post, 3:13 pm:
According to SNY’s MLB Insider Jon Heyman, of SI.com, free-agent OF Gary Sheffield has agreed to sign with the Mets.
It is no longer raining at Citi Field.
The skies are clear, but the tarp is still on the field…
That place must be an absolute circus right now. It’s shaky weather, decisions must be made on that front, plus the team signed Gary Sheffield and has to address the media and get out details of the signing, plus players and personnel are arriving to a building they know nothing about, where to go, etc., while fans are showing up to a half-complete parking lot in a location that is essentially new.
Don’t forget, SNY will air tonight’s game, and will also run this season’s first pre-game show with Chris Carlin and Bob Ojeda at 5:30 pm.
“No matter what Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez says, the Phillies are the team to beat — not only in the NL East, but the entire league. They return everybody sans Burrell, Geoff Jenkins, Rudy Seanez and So Taguchi from that World Series championship season. They are in good position for a repeat performance, although everybody knows it won’t be easy.”
…So says MLB.com reporter Todd Zolecki. Wasn’t Burrell a pretty big part of that championship team?
Anyway…let the games begin! The Phillies kick things off this Sunday against the Braves on MLB’s opening night. Here is your pitching matchup:
PHI: RHP Brett Myers (10-13, 4.55 ERA in 2008) – Myers starts in place of the injured Cole Hamels.
He is 4-8 with a 4.60 ERA and four saves in 26 career appearances against Atlanta.
ATL: RHP Derek Lowe (14-11, 3.24 ERA in 2008) – Lowe went 0-1 with a 3.48 ERA in two starts against Philadelphia as a member of the Dodgers during last year’s National League Championship Series.
The Phillies were 14-4 against the Braves last season and 9-0 at Turner Field.
On Monday the Nationals open up against the Marlins in Miami. John Lannan takes the hill for Washington against Florida’s Ricky Nolasco.
And of course, Johan Santana and the Mets travel to Cincinnati to face the Reds and Aaron Harang. I look forward to seeing and meeting many of you at the Opening Day Get-Together at Public House on Monday!
For more news, notes, analysis and statistics from around Major League Baseball, be sure to visit Baseball Daily Digest.
Tagged MetsBlog |
The tarp is on the grass at Citi Field.
The weather reports all indicate rain for tonight’s exhibition game between the Mets and Red Sox, which starts at 6 pm.
…the Mets will not decide what to do about the game until much later in the afternoon, i am sure… tough one, though… they sold tickets, people are already out there, but yet it’s an exhibition game… so, to ask these guys to play in risky conditions, or to play a double-header tomorrow, 48 hours before the first official game of the season, would be foolish…
SNY will air tonight’s game, and will also run this season’s first pre-game show with Chris Carlin and Bob Ojeda at 5:30 pm.
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