Read: Today in the NL East

April 17, 2009 at 11:30 am · 75 comments

by Joe Hamrahi

nationals-hatThe Washington Nationals picked up their first victory of the season last night by defeating the Philadelphia Phillies, 8-2. Washington’s offense was powered by home runs from Adam Dunn, Josh Willingham, Alex Gonzalez, and Elijah Dukes.

Tha Nationals continue their homestand tonight against the Marlins while the Phillies return to CBP to take on the Padres.marlins-hat

In Atlanta, the Marlins completed a 3-game sweep of the Braves to run their record to a league best 8-1. Cody Ross propelled Florida to victory with a 3-for-3 night that included a 3-run home run and 4 RBI.

The first place Marlins go north to face Washington this evening, and Atlanta travels to Pittsburgh for a 3-game weekend series.

In player news… Atlanta’s SS Yunel Escobar had to leave yesterday’s game with a strained abdominal muscle. Escobar injured himself while jumping up and down in the on-deck circle.

The Braves expect Escobar to miss 3-4 games.

Nationals manager Manny Acta inserted Nick Johnson into the second slot in the lineup on Thursday, and all Johnson did was go 3-for-4 with a walk.

Acta plans on keeping Johnson in the #2 spot for the foreseeable future to help jump-start the offense.

For more news, notes, analysis and statistics from around Major League Baseball, be sure to visit Baseball Daily Digest.

{ 75 comments }

TheDirtySanchez April 17, 2009 at 3:33 pm

doesnt get much easier for the marlins to continue their hot streak…..

DominicanBoy08 April 17, 2009 at 3:37 pm

lol, they are playing the nats again? and then the pirates? they have an easy schedule in april.

CannonBoy13 April 17, 2009 at 3:41 pm

This stinks. By next week the Mets will be 10 games out.

DominicanBoy08 April 17, 2009 at 3:42 pm

brewers pitching $uk, the mets should be able to sweep the series, I hope….

TheDirtySanchez April 17, 2009 at 3:46 pm

we should have swept the padres series…..

NYMETSFAN718 April 17, 2009 at 3:50 pm

The Mets, realistically, could of won every game they have played so far this year.

NYMETSFAN718 April 17, 2009 at 3:51 pm

Other than the Ollie start in cincy

DominicanBoy08 April 17, 2009 at 3:53 pm

ummm… the padres bullpen leads the league in ERA and peavy is peavy. I know correia and the other guy are not good, but I am talking about the whole pitching staff.

TheDirtySanchez April 17, 2009 at 3:57 pm

peavy is peavy but we rocked him for 3 runs….
Their bullpen has been very good(i have been impressed with mujica) but i still think the opener we could have won and last nights game we could have won

NYMETSFAN718 April 17, 2009 at 3:59 pm

Dirty, not we could of won, we should of won. but i get your point

TheDirtySanchez April 17, 2009 at 4:00 pm

not to mention also most of the mets had VERY good ab's vs peavy in the early going…44 pitches in the 2nd i believe…we had the guy on the ropes…

kistics April 17, 2009 at 3:55 pm

Yeah.. and Padres were supposed to be worse than the Nats

NYMETSFAN718 April 17, 2009 at 3:41 pm

I know, lookin at the Mets schedule, their next even series consists of Mil, Stl, Was, Fla, Phi Atl.

ClemKadiddle April 17, 2009 at 5:31 pm

The 1982 Atlanta Braves started the season 13-0 and afterwards went 76-73 yet managed to win their division by 1 game. Also if one team gets incredibly hot and opens a large lead the other teams find themselves swimming upstream for the season with little margin for error.

SantanaClaus April 17, 2009 at 3:36 pm

Off topic but I wrote it in a dead thread. If Schneider goes on the DL how about bringing up Josh Thole and seeing how well he performs if he stinks then we option him back down and bring up cancel or rivera which i assume would be the plan anyway.

Lightweis April 17, 2009 at 3:42 pm

I agree about giving Thole a look-see after his good ST….but if Cancel is down there it will more than likely be him. Also, if Pelf misses his start I think we should give Parnell the spot start rather that calling anyone up.

TheDirtySanchez April 17, 2009 at 3:46 pm

not a good idea the way these SP outtings are going. You lose a man out of the BP and parnell has not been streched out during ST as a starter…he might get hurt. They should call up niese or gee for a spot start if its not serious as they can get sent back down with no problem. With figgy, while he is the obvious choice..would requrie the mets to palce him on the 40 man roster and when pelf decides he's good to go, has to pass through waivers and all that mess.

TheDirtySanchez April 17, 2009 at 3:42 pm

i dont think thole is ready to come up just yet. Most likely if schnied goes down we may see santos/cancel or rivera.

ravi3 April 17, 2009 at 3:42 pm

Too early for Thole I think. He'll be more of an end of season call-up if anything.

Stephen Pynn April 17, 2009 at 3:44 pm

All I am concerned about is the heart of this Mets team. If you compare this current team to the Mets team Bobby V managed in the late 90's, it has about half the heart and compassion that Bobby V got from his players. And thats the end of the story. There is no other reason why the Mets have gotten off to such a mediocre start. While the Mets of the 90's had double the compassion, it also had about half of the talent this current mets team possesses. We have a bunch of over paid players who cant play defense, with the exception of maybe Beltran in center, the entire infield is a joke defesively. And the pitchcing staff outside of Johan is terribly inconsistent.

NYMETSFAN718 April 17, 2009 at 3:48 pm

"And the pitchcing staff outside of Johan is terribly inconsistent. "

thats the reason for the slow start, not the heart, every game the Mets have been down this year they have made a comeback effort.

And as far as your defense goes, other than Murphy, this team is not a defensive liability

MrBill_DWright April 17, 2009 at 5:23 pm

Church is.

TheDirtySanchez April 17, 2009 at 3:52 pm

No way to measure heart so im not going to even address that.
Like someone else said in another post, the mets in 06 started 0-5 and DESTROYED the NL for the next few months. I dont think anyone is really overpaid, its just a slow start…you think boston is going to stay in last place forever….you think the marlins are going to win the division in april??!

NYMETSFAN718 April 17, 2009 at 3:53 pm

They started 0-5 in 2005, not 2006.

NYMETSFAN718 April 17, 2009 at 3:55 pm

I agree with you Dirty, Boston, Tampa, Cleveland, Minnesota, Angels, Arizona, Yankees all ahve .500 or worse records

TheDirtySanchez April 17, 2009 at 3:58 pm

lol wrong year but still they were competitive in 05….
bottom line its not how you start but how you finish…these games are fustrating but im sure we will have games that swing our way during the season that will even everythign out.

NYMETSFAN718 April 17, 2009 at 4:00 pm

Exactly,

blains2000 April 17, 2009 at 4:26 pm

Heart=wins.

What about the Bobby V teams that choked down the stretch? Everyone forgets about them.

TheDirtySanchez April 17, 2009 at 4:29 pm

ah thanks for the translation loll
yea that was 99 wasnt it?

blains2000 April 17, 2009 at 4:34 pm

I think so. Look, I love Bobby V. I think he is one of the best in-game managers in the business. He managed circles around Dusty Baker (not hard, I know) in the playoffs. But I hate the whole, "They play have heart." BS.

The bottom line is wins. If you win you are great and have heart. If you lose you are a choker. That's what people have decided.

So when the Brave walked 4 guys with the bases loaded the other day it was because the philthies wanted it more?

TheDirtySanchez April 17, 2009 at 4:54 pm

i agree 100% blains… people make too much out of "heart" w/o realizing there is no credible way to determine who has more heart than who. I guess your right taht heart just does translate to wins.

blains2000 April 17, 2009 at 5:22 pm

Yeah, what I mean is, if you win people attibute it to heart. And if you win close games you are "gritty" also. And if you lose people say you choke. Regardless of the circumstances or reality of each.

The Mets are 4-5 because they have not played well enough to be 9-0. Simple as that.

People say the Giants beat the Pats because they wanted it more, etc. They beat the Pats because their D-Line whupped their butts. Plain and simple.

Constnza81 April 17, 2009 at 4:31 pm

Let's also remember how his entire coaching staff was fired in '99 as a way to jump start the team. And they almost choked down the stretch in '99. If it wasn't for the Reds losing two of three to the Brewers that last weekend, we would have been eliminated from the WC after starting the month of September practically even with the Braves.

blains2000 April 17, 2009 at 4:37 pm

But the Reds lost 2 of 3 to the Brewers because the Mets had more heart.

NYMETSFAN718 April 17, 2009 at 3:45 pm

Then FLA plays the Phils, Mets, Cubs, Reds and Braves, hopefully that will bring em down to earth

Gasface77 April 17, 2009 at 3:52 pm

Can someone explain why the post below this one regarding CitiField is in the old comments format and this one is in the new one? This is getting tiresome.

NYMETSFAN718 April 17, 2009 at 3:58 pm

Not for me it isnt, the citifield thread has the intense debate format

RichieHebner April 17, 2009 at 4:14 pm

I can't explain, but I assure you you are not alone. Throughout a given weekday, I click on "comments" or refresh the comments probably 100 times, and maybe 5 of those times I'll see the old style format. I have no idea why.

TheDirtySanchez April 17, 2009 at 3:54 pm

well the johan one in miami could have gone either way w/o the error. No telling if the mets would have won that one because jj was on his game too. Your right though that the majority of the games we could have won. Just hope that they are just getting the rust off and they will be in full swing when it gets warmer…

kistics April 17, 2009 at 4:01 pm

Here's what I think the season will pan out. It will be very close tight 4 team race for NL East. Mets rotation will be inconsistent after Johan. So will the offense, but Bullpen should be solid.

MetsFan4Decades April 17, 2009 at 4:05 pm

Same here.

MetsFan4Decades April 17, 2009 at 4:07 pm

I just have to ask…how do you strain an abdominal muscle jumping up and down in the on deck circle? LOL.

TheDirtySanchez April 17, 2009 at 4:13 pm

lol the same way i guess you sprain an hamstring STANDING in LF(alou)….

pointsguy April 17, 2009 at 4:13 pm

Perhaps slipping on the the on deck circle, forcing a quick twitch of the abdomen to stabilize yourself. Could happen.

MetsFan4Decades April 17, 2009 at 4:16 pm

I suppose. Anything can happen and there is probably more to that story.

udontmesswjohan April 17, 2009 at 4:09 pm

"with the exception of maybe Beltran in center, the entire infield is a joke defesively."

You are kidding right????

RichieHebner April 17, 2009 at 4:17 pm

Yeah, that's one of the most ridiculous things I've ever read here, which I think speaks volumes.

Stephen Pynn April 17, 2009 at 4:25 pm

its not rediculous your just too stupid to realize the truth

RichieHebner April 17, 2009 at 4:36 pm

I'm afraid that distinction belongs to you, read the additional comments which further refute your ridiculous assertion.

Stephen Pynn April 17, 2009 at 5:36 pm

well we all know where D Wright's sweet spot went, directly into RichieHebner mouth. dont forget to be a gentleman and swallow big guy

MrBill_DWright April 17, 2009 at 5:26 pm

Hey Stephen, here it is prohibited to question the team. Specially Wright. He is golden.

Stephen Pynn April 17, 2009 at 5:38 pm

MrBill_DWright i didnt realize metsblog was a communist website, thanks for clearing that up. Wright cant field or hit in the clutch despite what you say or think. Fonzi is still a better player then him all around

blains2000 April 17, 2009 at 5:48 pm

I don't think it's a communist website. But MrBill seems to think that he is entitled to his opinion and his free speech but no one is allowed to argue / debate him with their opinions or free speech.

In regards to Wright, the numbers prove you wrong about his "clutch-ness". But why let facts get in the way? And Fonzi is currently about 40 and in AAA somewhere.

udontmesswjohan April 17, 2009 at 6:12 pm

So you agree that the infield defense is a "joke"? This has nothing to do with favorite players or anything like that, it just has to do with reality.

Stephen Pynn April 17, 2009 at 4:18 pm

and whom might you be defending? Jose Reyes?? Mr. I can do anything at shortstop except field a routine play. Or perhaps David "Ken Caminiti" Wright, who can stop any ball and without a doubt throw it in the dirt. Most over rated 3rd baseman ever. I think Delgado might be under rated for how many balls he has to pick out of the dirt from the left side of the infield. I dont know about you but I miss The Fonz, Ordonez and Ventura's defense

RichieHebner April 17, 2009 at 4:24 pm

I think it's completely reasonable to miss The Fonz, Ordonez and Ventura, and don't forget to include Olerud who by playing 1st made them all better. But realize that in the entire history of baseball that was one of the best fielding infields ever. You want to see some truly uninspiring infield play? Watch a Marlins game.

Stephen Pynn April 17, 2009 at 4:34 pm

i agree im comparing them to the best infield ever and thats not fair but I guess I expect more from a $140 mil team

udontmesswjohan April 17, 2009 at 4:27 pm

Yeah, that infield was great, but to say that the "entire infield is a joke" is just totally uninformed man. yes Wright has issues with his throws occasionally, but he also gets to more balls than most 3rd baseman even sniff. As far as Reyes, I'm really not even sure what youa re talking about. He already should have one at least one gold glove and will continue to be int he running for quite sometime. Oh BTW, he has a cannon of an arm in case you didn't know. Cmon dude. You may be frustrated, but that statement idoesn't even make sense. I thought you were really talking about the OF and made a mistake by typing infield.

Stephen Pynn April 17, 2009 at 4:36 pm

eh im probably just really fustrated…jose is good but there a reroutine plays he screws up that has me scratching my head at time

kistics April 17, 2009 at 4:33 pm

so we should bring them back… let wright and reyes sit on the bench…

Stephen Pynn April 17, 2009 at 4:42 pm

well not bring them back but instead use stem cell technology to fix their broken down arms and legs, hell we can even replace Oleruds metal plate with some real skull so he can actually wear normal hats. I was also thinking maybe we can roid up Ordonez a little so he can hit more then one homerun…what do you think?? I think the problem here is that Omar hasnt drafted a single player that is good and as a result we have a guy like daniel murphy who can hit the crap out of the ball but cant play a position. I mean really how does someone make it to the big leagues yet cant play a single position. can anyone explain that to me. Did he DH in little league, high school and college. momma mia

kistics April 17, 2009 at 4:49 pm

He played infield (3rd base?) all his career. You are asking him to be Beltran overnight? That's just not fair. So, he dropped a ball, but Beltran will drop a ball too. He mis-played the throw, but that's a rookie mistake.

You gotta admit that Murphy has heart and willingness to work his butt off. That's all you can ask for in a guy. I don't have any problems with his errors in the field so far. Just learn from it and don't do it again.

ClemKadiddle April 17, 2009 at 5:23 pm

Do you honestly believe that if Murphy works hard he can become as good an outfielder as Beltran?

TheDirtySanchez April 17, 2009 at 4:58 pm

theres alot of players that have spent many years in the majors adn still couldnt field. You do realize that murph was an infielder his whole career and is basically learning on the job out there in LF. AS faras your point wit omar….omar did not have any real high draft picks because of FA signings…i dont think you have given omar enough time to see if his draft choices pan out or not. Flores/fmart/holt are some of the picks that are gaining steam but they are still a few years away….id say give him some time before you declair his drafts a bust…

Metsfan89 April 17, 2009 at 4:10 pm

Wow the marlins get to vs the nats again, what a easy april schedule they have

DominicanBoy08 April 17, 2009 at 4:13 pm

why can our starting pitchers have good years on the same season?. I mean ollie and maine were very good on 2007, but pelfrey was not. last year pelfrey was good, but maine and ollie were not that good. we could have 4 guys with 15 wins if they all have success this year, but is not looking promesing so far. lets hope this is the year

TheDirtySanchez April 17, 2009 at 4:21 pm

i guess it depends on their development as pitchers and injuries. Maine had a very injury plagued year last year while pelfry figured out what he had to do. Ollie is ollie and i think he will do well if he continues to incorperate that change up down and away from RH batters and following through on fb inside to get them to either hit the inside corner or run inside on RH…..not to have it hang over the plate. Maine i like yesterday that he is pitching very fast and his fb is rising well. He is also throwing pretty hard but i think he needs to develop an offspeed pitch breaking down to compliment his rising fb(i know he has a slider but he falls in love with it and well…we saw what happened). Pelf needs to make sure his sinker sinks and doesnt stay flat. He also needs a breaking pitch as he already has the 4seam,2seam,Sinker fastballs. I think with a healthy maine they can all do really well this year AT THE SAME TIME lolll.

DominicanBoy08 April 17, 2009 at 4:24 pm

I feel better now, you gave me hope, thanks..lol

Metfan412 April 17, 2009 at 4:21 pm

Is it just me,or am iImore shocked to see Chipper actually in the line up,to his usual position on end of the bench with his jacket on?

Metfan412 April 17, 2009 at 4:22 pm

Is it just me,or am I more shocked to see Chipper actually in the line up,to his usual position on end of the bench with his jacket on?

TheDirtySanchez April 17, 2009 at 4:27 pm

isnt it escobar who does that rediculous jumping on the on-deck circle…or am i thinking of the wrong player.

RichieHebner April 17, 2009 at 4:34 pm

I don't have time to do a deep thorough investigation right now, but I just googled the phrase "team infield defense" and the first link was to a Hardball Times article from 2007 about 2006 team infield defense, and according to the data there the Mets infield in 2006 was the 7th best overall, 5th best on just the left side, 5th best on just the right side, in Major League Baseball. The only difference between that IF and our current one is Luis Castillo instead of Jose Valentin.

kistics April 17, 2009 at 4:58 pm

They don't have heart and need fiery Manager/Leader is overrated. I'm sure it can help to some degree. But what evidence do we have to show that current players are not fiery and all heart? How do we know that Wright is burning up inside after all the Ks (sigh…)? You don't need to jump up and down and scream like a kid to show that you have hearts. Does anyone question Jeter's heart and desire to win? But he's not a scream rah rah type of leader.

I don't question any of these guys' desire and heart to win (maybe with exception of 1 or 2 individuals (cough cough Ollie…..). I think they just need to find a rhythm to get things going.

Remember last year? Mets got off to a terrible start 1st half, but got real hot 2nd half till last week (sigh…). They need 1 or 2 hot streaks to get themselves going. Still too early in the season.

alex242 April 17, 2009 at 6:09 pm

i heart david wright…. lol, too soon??

MrBill_DWright April 17, 2009 at 8:22 pm

alex!!!

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