Daily Archives: April 21, 2009
As a post-mortem on the the Mets’ 6-4 loss to the Cardinals, SNY’s online, post-game, call-in show, The Happy Recast, took to the airwaves.
During tonight’s show, we took listener calls, reviewed the night’s game, interviewed MetsBlog’s Matthew Cerrone, and recapped the night’s minor league action.
To listen to the show, CLICK HERE:
Tagged SNY |
The Mets (6–7) lost to the Cardinals, 6 to 4, in St. Louis tonight.
For a full recap and boxscore, go to SNY.tv.
The least you should know…
- The Mets scored four runs on 10 hits in the first five innings, but had only one hit from the 6th inning on.
- Oliver Perez pitched a solid four innings but couldn’t get past the 5th inning, surrendering a total of four runs on six hits.
- Luis Castillo continued his hot start to the 2009 season with a 2nd inning triple and 6th inning single.
- Following Daniel Murphy‘s botched attempt at a line-drive, the Cardinals scored two in the 8th inning to take a 6-4 lead.
Other Thoughts…
- It was great to see the offense alive and kicking in the first five innings, but we can’t forget about the last four fellas.
- I am not going to kill Murphy for the loss by himself. If Perez would have done his job and pitch into the 6th inning, the Mets probably would have won this game.
- Slide Carlos Beltran! Slide!
- I would like to know how many times people have told Khalil Greene he looks like Jeff Spicoli.
John Maine takes the hill for the Mets tomorrow, in the second game of a three-game series with the Cardinals.
Tagged News |
Tonight’s Game:
The Mets (6-6, 3-3 Road) begin a three-game series versus the Cardinals (8-5, 5-2 Home) tonight at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, starting at 8:11 p.m. EDT.
On the Mound:
- LHP Oliver Perez (1-1, 7.84 ERA) will start for the Mets. Perez rebounded in his last start on April 15 versus the Padres, earning the win, allowing one run on three hits and two walks, while striking out four over 6.0 IP. He is 2-5 with a 4.62 ERA in 12 career starts versus the Cardinals. This will be Perez’s first versus the Cardinals since 2007.
- RHP Todd Wellemeyer (1-1, 4.50 ERA) will pitch for the Cardinals. He earned a win in his last start on April 13 versus the Diamondbacks, allowing one run on seven hits, while striking out four over 7.0 IP. Wellemeyer is 0-1 with a 6.89 ERA in five career games, two starts, versus the Mets. He last faced the Mets on July 1, a loss, allowing six runs over 5.0 IP.
At the Plate:
- Jose Reyes, SS
- Daniel Murphy, LF
- David Wright, 3B
- Carlos Delgado, 1B
- Carlos Beltran, CF
- Ryan Church, RF
- Ramon Castro, C
- Luis Castillo, 2B
- Oliver Perez, P
Random Thoughts:
- Despite the tough matchup for Ollie, as long as he is consistent with his delivery and stays focus, there is no reason he can’t duplicate his last start.
Tonight’s Broadcast:
- Tonight’s game will be broadcast locally on SNY and WFAN.
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!
Mike Pelfrey threw from a mound today and told reporters he should be ready to start for the Mets on Saturday, reports Adam Rubin on his blog for the Daily News.
By the way, Ryan Church will return to the lineup tonight, starting in right field and batting sixth.
Tagged Mike Pelfrey |
Metstradamus is glad the Mets are rethinking the removal of Doc Gooden’s autograph.
…i can’t believe this was ever an issue but the mets are “fixing” it which is good…if you’ve ever been to detroit, they have display cases with memorabilia scattered throughout the park…might be another nice addition rather than having a “museum” in one place…or would that be more of the same replication…
Over at Brooklyn Met Fan, he gripes about the high ticket prices at Citi Field, writing, “Remember the old days when you’d simply walk up and buy cheap tickets the day of? Nowadays the cheap seats go first and all that’s left are tickets regular people can’t afford.”
…what i also miss is the freezing cold line before opening day, where fans could beat the brokers…
Brian Costa of The Star Ledger breaks down how effective each Mets player has been with RISP, and brace your self, Luis Castillo leads the pack going 4-for-9.
…i know it’s early, but i love how castillo has turned things around…not hard to when expectations were so low, but still…
In an article for SNY.tv, Ted Berg asks if you are a man of science or one of faith, and says that the numbers, especially in this case, don’t tell us everything.
…i am definitely a john locke type of fan…
The guys at No Mas are still calling Citi Field, Shea, and have shirts to promote their cause.
…i have unintentionally been calling it shea…citi just doesn’t sound right and citi field is too long, but to me there was and always will be just one shea, so calling citi field “shea” doesn’t work…
Tagged Regis Courtemanche |Today on New York Baseball Today, Ted Berg talks with SNY.tv’s Dan Graziano about the Mets-Cardinals match up, and the Yankees-A’s series, while also discussing each team’s OPS.
To watch today’s NYBT, click play below:
Tagged News |As the Mets kickoff a quick three-game road trip in St. Louis versus the Cardinals tonight, I did a quick Q&A with Nick from Pitchers Hit Eighth:
Mike Nichols: Last season, the Cardinals and Mets lead the National League in blown saves, with 31 and 29 respectively. While the Mets addressed their bullpen needs in the offseason, the Cardinals did not. As such, the Mets bullpen leads the National League in ERA (1.89), while the Cards bullpen has blown four saves in their first 13 games. Do you think the Cardinals have the talent or ambition to make a major in-season trade for a reliever or will they continue to make Blaine Boyer-like acquisitions?
Nick from Pitchers Hit Eighth: Wow, on the attack about the bullpen right away, huh? To answer your question directly, I do think they have the talent. The Cardinal farm system has made significant leaps and bounds in recent years. That said, I don’t envision any trades that would result in a prospect for a rental. The organizational philosophy has clearly moved away from that model.
As for ambition, that all depends on how far the Cardinal offensive lineup will carry the team. The Cards obviously have hitting talent in the lineup, as evidenced by their early-season run-scoring binge. Whether their current pitching staff, including anyone in the organization, can carry the other portion of the load remains to be seen. Unless the Cardinals have a clear path to the playoffs by July 31, I’d be surprised to see a major move for a bullpen arm.
Finally, I do believe they will continue to make Blaine Boyer-like acquisitions. Or at least bring up the Blaine Boyer-like types that they already have in the organization. Much of the pitching staff construction in St Louis is, and has been, built around the presumption that if they give Dave Duncan five pitchers, he can make something useful out of two.
Mike Nichols: It’s no secret Tony La Russa has an unorthodox managing style, as evident by the title of your blog, but with Ryan Ludwick off to a hot start (.405/5/17), proving to this point he is not a one year wonder, is it a bit shocking to you that La Russa continues to stick to his plan of rotating the starting outfield, which includes sitting Ludwick?
Nick from Pitchers Hit Eighth: It wasn’t terribly shocking, particularly because of Tony’s eccentricities you’ve already mentioned. But thirteen games begins to creep into slump versus streak territory in Tony’s mind, and it’s clear he’s got outfielders on the opposite ends of that spectrum.
Ludwick supposedly asked TLR after the “now infamous” April 14th game in which he was called back for Brendan Ryan – “what does it take to be an every day player?” Then, being in the lineup for the next four games straight, Ludwick showed LaRussa what he thought it took.
Rick Ankiel is clearly struggling – whether it be focusing on his impending free agency (the Cards won’t even entertain resigning him, IMO), pitchers figuring him out, or his talent finally reaching plateau – and it’s something not lost on LaRussa, nor the Cardinal fan base. Don’t get me wrong, Cards fans love Ankiel, but wins are wins, and production is production. Rookie Colby Rasmus isn’t setting the world on fire with his bat, but at least the kid can take a walk. Not to mention (sorry Ankiel lovers) he’s a much better defender in center field.
Put together Ankiel’s struggles, Chris Duncan’s resurgence now that he’s healthy, and Ludwick’s performance insisting upon more playing time… I don’t think Tony will hesitate to write Ludwick into his lineup.
Besides, who else is going to hit behind Pujols?
Mike Nichols: Going into the season, were the Cardinals relying on Chris Carpenter to return to his Cy Young form and how much pressure does his current DL stint place on the rest of the starting rotation?
Nick from Pitchers Hit Eighth: I wouldn’t say that the Cards were expecting a Cy Young year out of Carpenter, but they had certainly planned on him being healthy and making 30 starts. His spring indicated no reason to think otherwise, and his first regular season start was a rousing success. The guy is just snake bitten. It’s not his arm this time at least, but an oblique while swinging? Really?
The Cards don’t have a real answer at 6th starter. It’s clearly not a spot they budgeted anything for, and the intent seemed to be that the AAA club would have to produce something, in the situation that it was necessary, and succeed. Now is the time for the organizational depth to step up – yet the on-field management seems intent on playing ‘what have you done for me lately.’
Carp will be back in eight weeks (supposedly). Until then, I think it’s imperative the Cards find someone who can regularly fill his slot in the rotation. Trying to get someone to make a spot start every fifth day will only cause more turmoil. They’ve gotten one break with the additional day off because of weather, but they’ll need a bunch more if they intend to try and skate through with only four pitchers until Carpenter returns.
Mike Nichols: Good stuff. Thanks, Nick.
I also answered a few Mets related questions for Nick, which you can read later today, by clicking here.
Tagged Mike Nichols |
Tonight, at 11:45 pm EST, log on to SNY.tv, or return to MetsBlog.com, and listen to SNY’s online, post-game, call-in show, The Happy Recast.
During tonight’s show, will take your calls, recap the night’s game, interview MetsBlog’s Matthew Cerrone, and recap the night’s minor league action.
To listen to our last episode, click play below:
Tagged SNY |
In an honest and emotional post to their family blog, here, Nelson Figueroa’s wife, Alisa, explains the ins and 
outs, emotionally, mentally and logistically, of the team’s decision to designate her husband for assignment, writing:
“Nelson is upset. He did what is asked of any starting pitcher in baseball – he gave them a quality start and kept them in the game… He expected more than 1 day in the big leagues this time around.”
…it did come out of no place… i mean, i think most people felt he would stick around as the team’s long man… then, bam, dfa’d in favor of Casey Fossum… i like nelson, he seems like a good guy, but he’s also a good pitcher, who i think can bring a lot to the table as a middle reliever, spot starter and long man – if given a chance… hopefully he clears and ends up back in Triple-A for the Mets, because he will almost certainly get the call again to help the 25–man roster later in the season…
Speaking of Figueroa, go here to watch a video clip of an interview he did prior to his weekend start for the Mets.
Tagged Nelson Figueroa |
Rookie Jordan Zimmerman and the Washington Nationals defeated the Atlanta Braves last night, 3-2.
Zimmerman pitched 6 solid innings, allowing 2 runs on 6 hits. Jesus Flores was the hitting star, reaching base 3 times and driving in 2 runs.
In Pittsburgh, the Pirates put an end to the Marlins 7-game win streak by shutting out Florida, 8-0. The Fish managed just 2 singles on the night against Pittsburgh pitcher Ross Ohlendorf.
Florida starter Andrew Miller struggled on the mound, giving up 4 runs on 5 hits and 4 walks in just 4 2/3 innings.
San Diego and Philadelphia were rained out.
Tonight, the Brewers visit the Phillies while the Marlins take on the Pirates again, and the Nationals try to make it two in a row against the Braves.
Finally…if you’re wondering whether the Nationals will ever “get it” you might want to check out this story.
Washington outfielder Elijah Dukes was fined $500 and benched for being late to Saturday’s game against Florida. But why was he late?
Dukes spent the afternoon with kids at the Great Falls Little League, talking with players, watching the league parade, and giving back to the community if you will.
…But instead of trying to understand the situation and encourage this kind of behavior, the Nationals chose to fine Dukes for being 5 minutes late!
According to ESPN.com, “Nationals acting general manager Mike Rizzo and manager Manny Acta decided to fine and bench Dukes because Dukes was late and the appearance was not sponsored by the Nationals. They warned Dukes that if he was late again, he could be sent to the minor leagues.”
…Sent to the minor leagues? Are you kidding me?
For more news, notes, analysis and statistics from around Major League Baseball, be sure to visit Baseball Daily Digest.
Tagged MetsBlog, News |
