Daily Archives: April 11, 2009
The Result:
- The Mets defeated the Marlins, 8–4, in Miami.
- For a full recap and boxscore, go here.
The Least You Should Know:
- Livan Hernandez pitched 6.2 innings, allowed two earned runs, six hits, walked three and struck out four.
- Jose Reyes hit a home run and had three RBI.
- Luis Castillo was 4 for 4, with three runs scored. He’s now hitting .357, a nice 257–point jump in one day.
The Good:
- Livan Hernandez has one of the slowest curve balls I have ever seen, just ask Cameron Maybin, who struck out on a pitch that barely reached 60 mph. The Marlins, an aggressive, young, hitting team, fell victim to Hernandez’s patience, which I always enjoy seeing.
- David Wright made a nice defensive play, diving to catch a line drive, then hustling to third base to get the runner for a double play. Nice work.
- The Mets had 15 hits in total.
- The Marlins were the last team to be undefeated. By the way, the last undefeated team did not win a World Series in each of the last four seasons, according to Elias.
- The Mets were 5 for 14 with runners in scoring position, compared to 1 for 10 the night before.
The Game Ball:
- Tonight’s game ball goes to Luis Castillo, for following up a disastrous night on Friday by taking early batting practice, going 4 for 4, and scoring three runs on Saturday.
The Next Game:
- The Mets return to action on Sunday against the Marlins in Miami at 1 pm, when Johan Santana takes on Josh Johnson.
Tonight, at 11 pm, after SNY’s Post Game Live, MetsBlog’s Jordan Zakarin and MMiLB’s Chris Guy will host SNY.tv’s The Happy Recast; a live, online, call-in show, featuring guest Ted Berg, a recap of the night’s minor-league action, and, of course, your phone calls about the game.
To listen to the show, which starts at 11 pm, click play below; and to call in, dial (718) 664-6176:
Tagged SNY |
Tonight’s Game:
- The Mets (2-2, 2-2 Road) continue their three-game series versus the Marlins (4-0, 4-0 Home) tonigh tin Dolphin Stadium in Miami, Florida, starting at 6:25 p.m. EDT.
On the Mound:
- RHP Livan Hernandez (0-0, 0.00 ERA) will start for the Mets. Hernandez is 12-7 with a 3.39 ERA in 25 career starts versus the Marlins.
- RHP Ricky Nolasco (1-0, 7.50 ERA) will pitch for the Marlins. In 11 career games versus the Mets, Nolasco is 2-6 with a 6.27 ERA.
At the Plate:
- Jose Reyes, SS
- Daniel Murphy, LF
- David Wright, 3B
- Carlos Delgado, 1B
- Carlos Beltran, CF
- Ryan Church, RF
- Brian Schneider, C
- Luis Castillo, 2B
- Livan Hernandez, P
Stats:
- Since going 6-for-12 with runners against the Braves on September 19, the Mets are hitting just .191 (22-for-115) with runners in scoring position in their last 13 games.
- The Mets have not had a starting pitcher pitch beyond the sixth inning this season.
Random Thoughts:
- No trouble getting runners on, just need to get a few big hits to bring them home.
Tonight’s Broadcast:
- Due to Fox national rights, tonight’s game will be broadcast locally on SNY, starting at 7:05 p.m. EDT. You can hear the game on WFAN starting at 6:25 p.m. EDT.
In-Game Chat:
- To chat live with fans during the game, go to the MetsBlog.com Bullpen, here; or voice your comments below.
Enjoy, and as always, Let’s Go Mets!
Update, 3:15 pm:
Marlon Anderson has been designated for assignment by the Mets, to make room on the roster for Livan Hernandez.
Original Post:
The Mets will activate Livan Hernandez this morning.
Jerry Manuel told reporters the team will announce a corresponding roster move later today, most likely 
prior to the game.
…all signs suggest Marlon Anderson will be released… i know marlon is popular in the clubhouse, he’s said to be a good guy, management loves him, but it’s the right move… especially since Jerry Manuel is holding back his starting pitchers so early in the season, and already relying a lot on his bullpen, which has thrown 14 of the 36 innings the team has played this season… basically, it’s either keep 12 pitchers or keep marlon… and, the bullpen is far bigger priority right now than protecting a popular, but unproductive player…
The Mets today announced that Tom Seaver will throw out Citi Field’s inaugural ceremonial first pitch to Mike Piazza prior to the Home Opener, on Monday, April 13 against the Padres.
Last night, the Mets left 14 men on base and were 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position.
…this doesn’t concern me, yet… last season, the bigger issue was scoring early, then napping through the final six innings… this season, however, they are doing most of their scoring in the second half of the ball game, while leaving tons of men on base early on… the good news is, unlike last season, is that the runs are out there, or, the ‘ducks are on the pond,’ like David Wright likes to say… the bad news, they’re staying on the pond…
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, last night was first time since 1980 that the Mets left 14-or-more men on base in a one-run loss in a nine-inning game.
…hat tip to ESPN.com for the elias information…
Tagged Stats |Last night, Luis Castillo was 0 for 4 and left six runners on base.
…the worst of which came in the seventh, when he struck out looking in a full count with runners on first and second, and the Mets looking to be on the verge of a game-changing rally… but, not so much…
In the ninth inning, with two outs and the tying 
run at second, Jerry Manuel pinch-hit Jeremy Reed for Castillo against Matt Lindstrom and his 95–mph fastball. Reed then delivered a game-tying, RBI single.
Following the game, Manuel said he did not have a lack of faith in Castillo, but, instead, he had faith in Reed.
…umm, jerry, relatively speaking, isn’t that essentially the same thing…
Castillo is batting .100 in just 10 at bats this season for the Mets.
…i’m not suggesting castillo is about to replaced as the starting second baseman, but tonight, and the last game in Cincinnati, should be a signal that his rope is getting shorter by the day…
…if castillo eventually gets the hook, the job will likely to go Alex Cora, with Fernando Tatis getting some time at second as well…
…for those who like to dream, there has been zero indication that Daniel Murphy will be used at second, as the team continues to speak of him as a left fielder and one-day, maybe, first baseman…
