Daily Archives: May 14, 2009
Tonight’s Game:
The Mets (18-15, 6-7 Road) begin a 10-game road trip with a four-game series versus the Giants (18-15, 12-5 Home) tonight at AT&T Park in San Francisco, California, starting at 10:15 p.m. EDT.
On The Mound:
- RHP John Maine (3-2, 4.54 ERA) starts for the Mets. Maine earned a victory in his last start on May 9 versus the Pirates, allowing one run over 6.0 IP. Maine has allowed three runs or less in each of his last three starts. He is 1-0 with a 3.78 in three career starts versus the Giants.
- LHP Jonathan Sanchez (1-3, 4.78 ERA) takes the hill for the Giants. In his last start on May versus the Dodgers, Sanchez took the loss, allowing five runs on six hits and four walks over 5.0 IP. Sanchez has the lowest run support in the league, receiving 1.42 runs per game. He is 2-1 with a 3.55 in four starts versus the Mets.
The Lineup:
- Luis Castillo, 2B
- Alex Cora, SS
- Carlos Beltran, CF
- Gary Sheffield, LF
- David Wright, 3B
- Fernando Tatis, 1B
- Ramon Castro, C
- Ryan Church, RF
- John Maine, P
The Notes:
- In case you missed it, Jose Reyes will miss tonight’s game due to a stiff right calf.
- J.J. Putz will also be unavailable the next two games with tendinitis in his right elbow.
- The Giants are 14-0 when they score first.
Random Thoughts:
- This is perhaps the toughest 10-game stretch the Mets will have all season. I’d love to see the Mets go 6-4, but with the team playing shorthanded, I’ll sign for 4-6 right now.
- I don’t know why anyone wouldn’t believe the Mets when it comes to injuries, but I have a hunch Reyes doesn’t have a ‘stiff right calf.’
Tonight’s Broadcast:
- Tonight’s broadcast can be seen locally on SNY and head on WFAN.
Earlier this season I had been posting a link to an online, audio, post-game show, featuring a guest, live callers, a minor-league recap and discussion about that night’s game.
I am trying to learn how to make the show better, so, if you have time, please take one of the following anonymous, three–minute surveys:
If you listened to the show at least once, click here.
If you never listened to the show, click here.
Tagged Poll |Update, 6:49 pm:
In a post to Twitter, Newsday’s David Lennon reports Jose Reyes will miss tonight’s game due to a stiff right calf.
Original Post:
Jose Reyes will be out of the lineup tonight as he gets a day off. Alex Cora will play short and bat second, while Luis Castillo will be in the lead off spot.
Castillo will be followed by Cora, Carlos Beltran, Gary Sheffield, David Wright, Fernando Tatis, Ramon Castro, Ryan Church and John Maine.
Tagged News |Update, 4:58 pm:
In a post to Twitter, SI.com’s Jon Heyman says Delgado is feeling better.
Also, Heyman says the soonest the Mets would promote Fernando Martinez is June.
Original Post:
Mets GM Omar Minaya talked with reporters on a conference call earlier today and said an MRI revealed J.J. Putz has inflammation in the back of his elbow.
…from what i can gather, putz made a visit to the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan earlier today, but will meet the team in San Francisco later today…
On his blog for the New York Post, Bart Hubbuch reports Putz will be out for at least the first two games of this series, though he does not need surgery.
…earlier today i wrote, ‘I’m starting to get a feeling there could be something wrong with Putz,’ but i just assumed it was a dead-arm phase… damn…
According to Minaya, it is a bone spur that Putz has become accustom to playing with, and this will be no different.
Minaya also said the team will wait until Saturday or Sunday to decide whether Carlos Delgado will be put on the disabled list, as the team waits to see how he adjusts to treatment and medication for a bone spur and impingement in his hip.
…so, the Mets are playing one down in the bullpen and one down on the bench… i mean, why not repeatedly play with one arm tired behind your back… ugh… always with the roster complications, these Mets…
By the way, since first injuring his hip 15 days ago, Delgado has only started in seven games, while batting .426.
Here is today’s edition of New York Baseball Today, during Ted Berg and I break down the pitching match ups for tonight’s games between the Mets and Giants, and the Yankees and Blue Jays:
Tagged SNY |I sense a lot of nervous tension coming from the Mets, whether because of J.J. Putz’s lack of velocity, or the road trip, or the team’s sloppy play, or Carlos Delgado’s hip or the fifth spot in the rotation, it seems like a lot of discussions are being had about the roster.
I would not be surprised to see Delgado put on the disabled list, since all signs are pointing to it – though, it’s odd, but not surprising that they’d fly him across the country only to send him back to New York or Florida.
I’m starting to get a feeling there could be something wrong with Putz, too, though he could simply be going through a dead-arm phase – or he’s just burned out a bit from pitching so much lately. Either way, he’s not right, and it’s hurting the bullpen.
In the end, I believe there is a strong chance the Mets call up Fernando Martinez if Delgado is put on the disabled list, assuming the team is officially comfortable with using Daniel Murphy at first base.
If the Mets prefer to keep Murphy in left, I’m not sure what they’ll do, though Adam Rubin of the Daily News said they’re likely to call upon Mike Lamb or Ramon Martinez from Triple-A Buffalo.
Lastly, Tim Redding is seen as the likely replacement for Jon Niese in the starting rotation, due up Monday in Los Angeles. He’s scheduled to start on Saturday, so if he never takes the mound we’ll know why.
J.J. Putz has allowed at least one run in four of his last six appearances, while giving up nine hits and walking four batters in just six innings.
What’s worse, Putz appears to have lost a bit of velocity from where he was just a few weeks ago.
Yesterday, on WFAN’s morning show with Boomer and Carton, Putz said:
“I’m still trying to get used to pitching in the eighth inning, and find some adrenaline, because it’s not like pitching in the ninth, I’ll tell you that… It’s a weird mentality… You just don’t have that heart-pounding sensation, I think that’s where those two-or-three miles-per-hour are.”
Jerry Manuel had a different explanation, telling reporters:
“I think maybe, for him, out of all the guys the WBC might have hurt, it might have hurt him because he never really got his spring training arm going. There have been times when he’s shown flashes of stuff, but I think he was a guy who probably needed all of spring training to get right.”
Putz is 1–2 for the Mets this season with a 4.05 ERA in 20 innings pitched, during which he has 14 strike outs and 10 walks.
James Loney and Casey Blake combined to drive in 7 runs, and Randy Wolf pitched 6 strong innings as the Dodgers roughed up Jamie Moyer and the Phillies, 9-2, to take game two of the three game series.
In the rubber game this afternoon, the Dodgers send Chad Billingsley to the mound to oppose Cole Hamels in a battle of #1 starters.
Shairon Martis gave Washington another stellar performance on Wednesday, allowing just one run on 2 hits over 7 innings to help the Nationals salvage the final game of the series against the Giants, 6-3.
Martis is now a perfect 5-0 in this, his official rookie campaign.
Nick Johnson had 4 hits, and Elijah Dukes knocked in 3 runs for the Washington offense, but unfortunately for Ryan Zimmerman, his hitting streak came to an end at 30.
After dropping the opener to the Brew Crew on Tuesday, Ricky Nolasco and the Marlins looked to bounce back with a win on Wednesday.
Florida jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, but Nolasco couldn’t keep Milwaukee in check, surrendering 8 runs on 7 hits and 2 walks in 3+ innings as the Brewers went on to win, 8-6. Rickie Weeks had 3 hits, a home run, 2 RBI, and scored 3 times for the Brewers.
The Marlins will try to prevent a Milwaukee sweep today by sending Josh Johnson to the hill to oppose the Brewers Dave Bush.
In other news…Atlanta’s Tom Glavine threw a successful bullpen session on Wednesday and believes he can return to the rotation by the end of May.
Sports Illustrated recently ranked the Marlins Jeffrey Loria and Nationals Ted Lerner as the 4th and 5th worst owners, respectively, in baseball today!
And finally, reliever J.C. Romero, suspended 50 games for violating the league’s policy against performance-enhancing substances, will begin a rehab assignment on Monday and is eligible to rejoin the Phillies on June 2.
For more news, notes, analysis and statistics from around Major League Baseball, be sure to visit Baseball Daily Digest.
Tagged MetsBlog, News |The Mets begin a four-game series with the Giants in San Francisco tonight, after which they travel to Los Angeles to take on the Dodgers 
and then to Boston to face the Red Sox in Fenway Park.
In the Bergen Record, Bob Klapisch points out, “So far, the Mets faced only one superior team, the Cardinals, and ended up getting swept.”
The Giants and Dodgers are a combined 26–8 at home.
In San Francisco, the Mets will face Jonathan Sanchez, Cy Young Winner Tim Lincecum, Randy Johnson and Matt Cain.
“It’s going to be an important test for us,” David Wright told reporters before leaving for the road trip.
Carlos Beltran agreed, telling reporters yesterday, “It’s not an easy road trip… This trip will test us.”
…as i mentioned in yesterday’s Pre Game Show on SNY, the clip of which you can watch here, in 2006 a similar road trip seemed to bring the team together, but last season they struggled and came home with a new manager… personally, i would be happy if the team finishes .500 on the road trip, meaning they’ll be 23–20 after 43 games, and hopefully still in first place with this season’s roughest stretch of road games behind them…
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Tagged Poll |The Mets have been making lots of mental and physical mistakes this season, even during the winning streak.
Yesterday, David Wright made a costly fielding error, Jose Reyes made two baserunning mistakes, Carlos Beltran misjudged a fly-ball that dropped in front of him, relief pitchers were missing their target, hitters were striking out in sacrifice situations, and the manager continues to take risks that did not pay off.
In fact, WFAN’s Craig Carton said on air that he 
autographed a copy of Baseball for Dummies and mailed it to Manuel.
…yes, by the way, Baseball for Dummies is authored by ESPN’s Joe Morgan… which is too perfect…
The Mets can get away with sloppy play when they’re getting hits with runners in scoring position and the starting pitching is delivering Quality Start after Quality Start, but it seemingly always costs them in tight games, short of Tuesday night.
“We are gonna have to play close attention to those things, and we have to address those things as they happen,” Jerry Manuel told reporters, following yesterday’s loss to the Braves. “In order to be a good team, and a speed team, you need to be aggressive, but you have also have to play smart – and we’re not playing very smart at this point.”
The Mets, Manuel and the coaches all work hard before every home game, taking ground balls, fungoes, working on situational hitting, etc., but I am not sure how you teach a major-league player to play ‘smart.’
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