Daily Archives: May 22, 2009
The Mets defeated the Red Sox by the score of 5-to-3, tonight in Fenway Park.
For a complete recap, boxscore, stats, click here.
The Least You Should Know:
Johan Santana, who threw a season-high 118 pitches, gave the Mets a much needed gritty performance tonight, allowing three runs, two earned, over seven innings tonight. Santana had runners on-base in every inning except the seventh, but held the Red Sox hitless in 10 at-bats with runners in scoring position.- The relief combination of Bobby Parnell, who reach 100 MPH on the radar gun, and Francisco Rodriguez, who picked up his 12th save, were dominant tonight.
- Ryan Church left in the bottom of the fourth inning with a sore right hamstring.
Other Observations from the Game:
- Despite his RBI single in the Mets key fourth inning, Ramon Martinez needs to go back to Buffalo. He is dreadful defensively. It will put the Mets in a tough spot offensively, but a defensive specialist at short is what the Mets need at this point.
- Kevin Youkilis looks to be a tad bit high strung. Perhaps you should lay off the Red Bull, Youk.
- With their three errors tonight, the Mets have committed nearly a third of errors this season behind Santana.
- I need to add, “Sit above the Green Monster at Fenway” to the things I need to do before I die list.
- I’m Daniel Murphy and I need to learn how to run the bases.
- Now that’s how you do Sweet Caroline. It’s a Fenway thing. The folks at Citi Field need to realize that and let it go.
Game Ball:
- Tonight’s Game Ball goes to Johan Santana for his brilliant effort.
The Mets and Red Sox resume their three-game series tomorrow night with Mike Pelfrey facing Josh Beckett, starting at 7:10 pm EDT.
Tonight’s Game:
The Mets (21-19, 9-11 Road) open their interleague schedule with a three-game series versus the Red Sox (25-16, 16-4 Home) tonight at Fenway Park in Boston, starting at 7:10 p.m. EDT.
On The Mound:
- LHP Johan Santana (5-2, 1.36 ERA) starts for the Mets.
- RHP Daisuke Matsuzaka (0-1, 12.79 ERA) takes the hill for the Red Sox.
The Lineup:
- Daniel Murphy, 1B
- Ryan Church, RF
- Carlos Beltran, DH
- Gary Sheffield, LF
- David Wright, 3B
- Jeremy Reed, CF
- Omir Santos, C
- Ramon Martinez, SS
- Luis Castillo, 2B
Tonight’s Broadcast:
- Tonight’s broadcast can be seen locally on SNY and heard on WFAN.
This weekend on MetsWeekly, which airs on SNY this Saturday at 12:30 pm, host Julie Alexandria talks with J.J. Putz about New York City, Mets fans, and who he plans to pie next; plus the show introduces Brooklyn Met Fan, talks with Rusty Staub about his new book; and looks back on the first 40 games of the season.
Last weekend on Mets Weekly, I talked with reporters and fans about the idea of ‘grit,’ and playing with ‘heart and fire,’ and why we as fans always bring it up when the team is losing, but never when the team is winning.
To watch the video, posted to YouTube, click play:
Daniel Murphy will start at first base tonight and bat leadoff in the absence of Jose Reyes, who will miss yet another start due to tendinitis in his right calf.
Reyes will not be available to pinch hit tonight either.
Murphy will be followed in order by Ryan Church, Carlos Beltran, the DH Gary Sheffield, David Wright, Jeremy Reed in left field, Omir Santos, Ramon Martinez at shortstop, and Luis Castillo at second base.
Tagged News |
Anthony DiComo of MLB.com penned an excellent article on Mets’ ace Johan Santana, and how right now is a crucial point in his career.
DiComo writes, “Johnson and Glavine reached the 300-win plateau by avoiding major injuries and pitching effectively into their 40s. On a steamy Chicago night, Glavine won his 300th game at the age of 41. And Johnson is on the cusp of reaching the mark at the age of 45. All of which means that Santana – despite a career that didn’t begin rolling until his mid-20s – is not too far off the required pace.”
…it’s scary to think that johan may continue to improve before he has to redefine the way he pitches later in his career, such as randy and glavine have had to…i feel fortunate to have such a great pitcher, player, and teammate on this team right now…his consistency and professionalism are such a bright spot on a team that continues to find ways to frustrate me…
Also, in the New York Post, Mike Puma relays the results of a Sporting News survey which reveals that Johan Santana is considered the third best player in baseball, behind A-Rod, and the winner, Albert Pujols.
David Wright came in at #13, Jose Reyes at #22, Carlos Beltran was just behind him at #23, Francisco Rodriguez was next at #34 and Carlos Delgado rounded it out at #47.
Tagged Regis Courtemanche |This morning on ESPN Radio, Peter Gammons said 
the Nationals offered Nick Johnson to the Red Sox for 27–year-old set-up man Manny Delcarmen, who has a 0.95 ERA in 18 relief appearances for Boston.
…this makes sense, since i was told by a person connected to the team that the Nationals will likely want Bobby Parnell from the Mets for johnson… in my opinion, this is fair, but is not worth the risk because of johnson’s history with injuries…
Parnell is 2–0 with a 1.96 ERA in 20 relief appearances for the Mets.
Gammons also said the Indians will not trade Cliff Lee or Victor Martinez.
Later, in a report for ESPN.com, Gammons wrote of more trade rumors, including players like Matt Holliday, Jake Peavy and Khalil Greene.
Meanwhile, also on ESPN.com, in his latest Rumblings & Grumblings report, Jayson Stark says the White Sox are ‘open for business,’ suggesting the team will listen to offers for OF Jermaine Dye, 1B Paul Konerko and C A.J. Pierzynski.
Stark also believes the A’s will wait until July to 
begin fielding offers for Matt Holliday, and suspects players like Orlando Cabrera and Jason Giambi could also become available as well.
…this is an intriguing and reasonable group of players for the Mets to consider, especially pierzynski, dye and cabrera, who would only be needed if Jose Reyes and Alex Cora are out for a super-long time…
The Mets and White Sox were connected in rumor regarding Dye throughout much of the off-season.
…if Gary Sheffield fizzles out, and Daniel Murphy is successful at first base, dye could move to left and be the missing power bat in place of Carlos Delgado… meanwhile, pierzynski is the type of catcher the Mets always talk about wanting, but never seem to go and get, i.e., a vocal, tough, infield leader…
By the way, to listen to fans and reporters, such as this chat from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, it’s seems a foregone conclusion in Pittsburgh that the Pirates will trade 1B Adam LaRoche this season.
LaRoche hit roughly .270 with 20 or so home runs and around 85 RBI in each of the last two seasons, but is hitting just .232 in 39 games for the Pirates this year.
…from what i can gather, the Mets have no interest in laroche, which i am glad to hear… i still believe murphy can match those sort of numbers if given a full season at first base, where he’ll play more or less the same caliber defense as laroche…
To vote in this week’s Fan Confidence Rating, click here.
Tagged Robert Parnell |According to David Waldstein at the New York Times, fans of the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan are fighting 
to keep Bobby Valentine’s contract from being terminated, which it is scheduled to do after this season.
…for some reason i’m captivated by anything that pertains to the former mets skipper… i was able to see the bobby v. movie at tribeca last may and wrote about it here… all i can say is i would not be opposed to seeing him come back to queens one day as manager of the mets…
Greg at Faith and Fear in Flushing feels the bridge at Citi Field should be dubbed “Willie Mays Bridge”.
…also, if you missed it, check out my q&a on Metsblog.com with greg regarding his new, must read book…
At Mets Fever, Ed Ryan thinks the Mets need to get on the horn and bring back Damion Easley.
…as i wrote on twitter today, it’s hard to believe that ramon martinez is our best option at shortstop…
Lastly, at Fan Graphs, they review drafts from Mets past, and look ahead to this year’s draft, writing, “Thanks to the signing of closer Francisco Rodriguez, the Mets will not pick until 71 players have already gone off the board, so the club will have to scout really well to find a good sleeper.”
Tagged Regis Courtemanche |
Chase Utley singled, doubled, homered and drove in 4 runs, and Jimmy Rollins went 4-for-6 and scored twice to lead the Phillies to a 12-5 rout of the Reds on Thursday in Cincinnati.
Raul Ibanez added his 15th homer for good measure as Philadelphia left town winning 2 of 3 from the Reds.
In Atlanta, Aaron Cook tossed a complete game 4-hitter, and Todd Helton hit a grand slam to help the Rockies split their series with the Braves by winning the finale, 9-0.
Atlanta rookie Kris Medlen got roughed up in his debut, allowing 5 runs on 3 hits and 5 walks in just 3 innings on the mound.
Rookie Craig Stammen pitched 6 1/3 solid innings, Josh Bard drove in 2 runs, and Joel Hanrahan actually pitched a scoreless 9th inning to save the game and give the Nationals a 4-3 victory over the Pirates.
Washington scored twice in the 8th inning to come from behind and snatch the win, putting an end to the team’s 7 game losing streak.
And finally, down in south Florida, Andrew Miller struck out 9 over 7 strong innings, but Arizona’s Mark Reynolds hit a 2-run 8th inning home run off reliever Cristhian Martinez to prevent Miller from receiving a decision while giving the Diamondbacks a 4-3 win over the Marlins.
Max Scherzer struck out 10 in 6 innings for Arizona.
In other news…The Braves placed utility man Omar Infante on the disabled list with a broken finger on his left hand. Infante is expected to miss 6-8 weeks.
On Wednesday, top rated college prospect Stephen Strasburg left his game against New Mexico in the 7th inning with what is being called back cramps.
The Nats aren’t taking any chances, however, and plan to fully investigate Strasburg’s injury and analyze his medical records before selecting the big righthander 1st overall in the MLB amateur draft on June 9.
For more news, notes, analysis and statistics from around Major League Baseball, be sure to visit Baseball Daily Digest.
Tagged MetsBlog, News |Typically, I am not a fan of interleague play.
The concept is fine, I guess, but in practice it seems unfair.
This weekend, however, I am pretty excited, since the Mets are playing the Red Sox and the Yankees are playing the Phillies.
In addition to cheering for the Mets this weekend, I will also be pulling for the Yankees, which is weird, but unique, and sure to make my wife happy.
I hope most Yankees fans will be rooting for the Mets, as well.
However, there appears to be a section of Mets fans who just can’t bring themselves to cheer on the Yankees, and so, I guess, they’ll be rooting for the Phillies. Yes, these Mets fans will be rooting for the Phillies. So, if you’re among them, and the Mets again lose the division by one game, and that one game is because of the Yankees, I hope you can live with yourself.
I am not one of those people. I hate the Phillies. End of story.
In other words, ‘Let’s go Yankees.’
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Tagged Yankees |
Here is a Q&A I just did for NESN.com, in advance of tonight’s game between the Mets and Red Sox in Fenway Park:
NESN.com: Do you think the Mets need to make a trade for a replacement at first for the injured Carlos Delgado, or can the void be filled internally?
Matthew Cerrone: They need to acquire someone, but I am not sure for where and for whom. For instance, if Delgado is making progress in his rehab, and the young Daniel Murphy keeps playing a strong first base, then maybe the Mets acquire a left-fielder. However, if Murphy struggles, and Delgado is stumbling, then, yes, they’ll need a first baseman. Frankly, they may be best to acquire a front-end pitcher to back-up Johan Santana, and leave the offense alone, given the way Citi Field is playing.
NESN.com: Jerry Manuel claims that there isn’t any tension between he and Ryan Church, but it was pretty evident after Church missed third base against the Dodgers that Manuel is not a big fan of the. Do you think there is a problem between the two, and do you think Manuel is being immature as a manager?
Matthew Cerrone: I believe Manuel. Here’s the thing, from what I understand, Manuel in fact likes Church, he just has very high expectations for him and he sees Church as a vital part of the team, especially in the absence of Delgado. Manuel rides Church hard, pushing him, and so when Church makes a bone-headed mistake like missing 
third base in a key situation, eliminating the go-ahead run, Manuel should be angry, since he probably feels let down, and so I’d be angry to. But, spinning that in to personal dislike or hatred is probably taking it way too far.
NESN.com: Mets fans have been high on Daniel Murphy, maybe because of the hype from within the organization, but have suddenly turned their backs on the 24-year old. Do you still believe in Murphy’s abilities, and do you see him having a lengthy career with the Mets?
Matthew Cerrone: I think Mets fans were always split on Murphy. I am one of the believers. He did not look good on defense in left field, he was very worked up over this, and I believe he took it with him to the plate. Manuel said Murphy was relieved to learn he would abandon left field for first base, a position he looks 10–times more comfortable playing. I hope he takes this positivity and comfort back in to the box, because he’s a very disciplined and productive hitter and the team needs him right now.
NESN.com: Johan Santana is 5-2 with a 1.36 ERA, but the Mets ace can easily be undefeated, as the offense is averaging just three runs per game when Santana starts. Is this just a coincidence, or do you think there is a reason for the lack of run support for Johan?
Matthew Cerrone: Remember, Santana often gets matched up against the other team’s ace, so while he’s shutting down your offense, your best pitcher is also shutting down the Mets. That said, I do sense Mets position players play tight when Santana is on the mound, trying to force their level of play up to his level – and so they press and make rushed decisions, which often results in sloppy play.
NESN.com: There has been a lot of talk on sports radio, mainly WFAN, about breaking the core (David Wright, Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran) of the Mets in the near future. Do you think is a realistic possibility and if so, which core player would you ship away?
Matthew Cerrone: Well, if it happens, it would not be until the off season, and it will mean the Mets failed miserably this season. Personally, I still believe the Mets should build around Wright, Jose Reyes, Mike Pelfrey and Johan Santana, finding younger, ‘grittier,’ tough players to support them and follow their lead.
NESN.com: What are the keys for the Mets to winning the three-game series against the Red Sox at Fenway?
Matthew Cerrone: Pitching, pitching and pitching, and defense. The Mets have the edge on Friday, with Santana; the Sox have the edge on Saturday, with Josh Beckett; and I see Sunday as a toss up. However, the Mets will need to play sound baseball in that ballpark, a place they did not have very much luck last time around.
Tagged News |
