Daily Archives: June 9, 2009
The Mets drafted LHP Steven Matz from Ward Melville High School in New York with their 72nd pick and Florida Southern College SS Robert Shields with their 103rd pick in the 2009 MLB Amateur Draft tonight.
To see a scouting video of Matz and Shields, click here and here.
If you’re interested, you can follow the draft live on MLB.com.
Tagged Mike Nichols |The Mets defeated the Phillies by the score of 6-to-5 tonight in Citi Field.
For a complete recap, boxscore and stats, go here.
The Least You Should Know:
Once again Johan Santana didn’t have his best stuff tonight, but managed to work around four Phillies homeruns over seven innings pitched to pick up his eighth win of the season. His ERA has risen nearly a full run in his last four starts to 2.36. Santana even contributed offensively in the sixth with an RBI double. It looked as if Santana was giving Jerry Manuel a bit of resistance when he was taken out in the eighth after surrendering a leadoff homerun to Chase Utley, but Manuel denied that during his post game press conference.- Pedro Feliciano picked up Bobby Parnell, who allowed a leadoff single to Jayson Werth in the eighth. Feliciano got Ryan Howard to ground into a doubleplay and then retired Raul Ibanez on ground ball to second. Four pitches, three outs. Well done, Pedro.
- A very fired up Francisco Rodriguez locked down his 16th save of the season.
- A record seven homeruns were hit at Citi Field tonight, three by the Mets (David Wright, Carlos Beltran, and Ryan Church) and four by the Phillies (Howard, Ibanez, Jimmy Rollins and Utley). Let the lame Yankee Stadium jokes commence.
Other Observations and Notes:
- David Wright broke his 100 at-bat homerless streak with his second inning homerun. Wright was 2-for-4 on the night and now has seven hits in his last 11 at-bats.
- Ryan Church hit what would later be the winning homerun into the canister that holds the new homerun apple in the seventh inning. Good to see Chruchie come through after failing in two big spots earlier in the game.
- Homeplate umpire Lance Barksdale called Fernando Tatis out at the plate after running on contact during a Church ground ball to first in the sixth inning. Replay later showed Tatis was clearly safe at home. The umpiring as a whole this season has been terrible. It seems as if they are out of position on a lot of plays this season.
- If only the left field wall was just two feet shorter. All this talk of a Mets power outage wouldn’t exist and would have certainly made this game a lot less tight. Oh well.
- Santana has given up six homeruns with two outs this season.
- I love that Gary Sheffield hustled out of the box after hitting a deep fly ball to left that hit the top of the wall. However, Sheffield was thrown out trying to reach second. Funny that I have to mention how we appreciate a player hustling, but that is the nature of the game now, I guess..
- In case you missed it, during the end of the broadcast they showed Shane Victorino looking clearly annoyed at K-Rod’s antics after picking up the save. However, as Regis Courtemanche pointed out on Twitter, Jimmy Rollins shushed the crowd with his finger after hitting his homerun in the sixth. I wonder what Victorino thinks about that.
The Game Ball:
- Tonight’s Game Ball goes to both Francisco Rodriguez and Johan Santana for their competitiveness.
The Mets continue their series with the Phillies tomorrow night with Mike Pelfrey facing Cole Hamels, starting at 7:10 pm.
Tagged Mike Nichols |Tonight’s Game:
Weather permitting, the Mets (30-25, 17-9 Home) begin a three-game series against the first-place Phillies (33-22, 21-8 Home) tonight at Citi Field, starting at 7:10 p.m.
On The Mound:
- LHP Johan Santana (7-2, 2.00 ERA) starts for the Mets. Santana allowed three runs in six innings pitched in a loss to the Pirates in his last start on June 2 versus the Pirates. Santana has not allowed a stolen base this season. He last faced the Phillies on May 6, a win, throwing seven scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts. Santana is 3-0 with a 2.44 ERA in seven career starts versus the Phillies.
- LHP J.A. Happ (4-0, 2.48 ERA) takes the hill for the Phillies. Happ earned his fourth victory of the season in his last start on June 3 versus the Padres, throwing seven scoreless innings. He is 0-1 with a 4.40 ERA in four games, two starts, versus the Mets.
The Lineup:
- Luis Castillo, 2B (.000 in 2 at-bats versus Happ)
- Alex Cora, SS (.000 in 1 at-bat versus Happ)
- Carlos Beltran, CF (.250, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 K in 8 at-bats versus Happ)
- Gary Sheffield, LF (.000 in 1 at-bats versus Happ)
- David Wright, 3B (.400, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB in 5 at-bats versus Happ)
- Fernando Tatis, 1B (.000 in 2 at-bats versus Happ)
- Ryan Church, RF (.000 in 1 at-bat versus Happ)
- Omir Santos, C (.000 in 1 at-bat versus Happ)
- Johan Santana, P
Notes:
- The Mets are 7-5 versus left-handed starting pitching this season.
- Pedro Feliciano is holding left-handed batters to a .158 BAA this season and has retired the first batter he faces 26 of 30 times this season.
- Chase Utley is batting .150 (3-for-20) with 1 HR in his career versus Santana.
- According to Jayson Stark on Twitter, the Phillies would be 15-2 since May 21 if they had been perfect in save situations.
Tonight’s Broadcast:
- Tonight’s broadcast can be seen locally on SNY and heard on WFAN.
I will be out at Citi Field today, looking to interview Jerry Manuel, and working on content for the blog.
As usual, while out at the ballpark, I will be making live posts using Twitter, including pictures and random observations, which you can follow below:
To subscribe to my Twitter feed, go here.
Here is the latest New York Baseball Today, during which Ted Berg talks with Jason Weitzel of BeerLeaguer.com and Tom Caron of NESN on the upcoming match ups as the Mets take on the Phillies and the Yanks start a three game set with Boston.
Note: This edition of New York Baseball Today was filmed before Brad Lidge was placed on the 15-day DL.
Tagged News |
Fernando Tatis will start at first base tonight and hit sixth.
Luis Castillo will bat leadoff, followed in order by Alex Cora at second, then Carlos Beltran, Gary Sheffield, David Wright, Tatis, Ryan Church, Omir Santos and Johan Santana.
Update, 4:08 pm:
Jerry Manuel told reporters that he will essentially go with the hot hand when deciding who to play at first base and the corner outfield positions.
Update, 4:11 pm:
Jose Reyes is here with the team, he recieved a cortisone shot and did a light workout, and will remain with the club through the weekend.
Update, 4:14 pm:
Manuel said the team is set up in a way that is not geared towards hitting home runs, and so he seems to reject the notion that his players are struggling to hit the long ball.
In other words, if he had a lineup of power hitters and they were not hitting home runs, he’d understand: but this is not the case.
As such, he needs the team to pitch well and play strong defense.
Update, 4:26 pm:
According to the Star-Ledger’s Brian Costa, in a post to Twitter, Wright stood in front of his locker, talked to reporters, and said he doesn’t hate Citi Field.
According to Philly.com, Phillies closer Brad Lidge was placed on the disabled list due to a sprained right knee.
The move is retroactive to June 7th.
Lidge is 0-3 this season with 13 saves and a 7.27 ERA. He has also blown six save opportunities thus far after being a perfect 41 for 41 last season.
Tagged Phillies, Regis Courtemanche |The Mets have started to inform participants in the Subway Series ticket lottery whether or not they have been given the opportunity to purchase tickets to the June 26-28 series at Citi Field.
I received the following e-mail:
“Thank you for participating in the online random drawing for the opportunity to purchase tickets to the Subway Series at Citi Field. We are sorry to inform you that your entry was not selected in this drawing.”
There is also an auction for tickets at Mets.com.
…me and my one email address doesn’t stand a chance against the ticket brokers and their many aliases i suppose…
Tagged Regis Courtemanche |As the Mets kickoff a three-game series against their division rival Phillies tonight, I did a quick Q&A with Matt P. from The 700 Level:
Mike Nichols: With Brett Myers out indefinitely with a hip injury, do you think it is necessary for the Phillies to acquire a top of the line starter to compliment Cole Hamels or after seeing Antonio Bastardo throw two solid outings and the rest of the staff settling in has the urgency to acquire a starting pitcher lessened?
Matt from The 700 Level: I think they should and will continue to seek another arm for the rotation, and that their goal will more than likely be a #2 to Hamels. They were already looking for pitching before Myers go hurt, albeit more so for depth, like a 4-5 guy. You can never have enough starting pitching, and even if Bastardo continues to pitch well, no team is ever more than a pitch away from needing another starter, as we found out with Brett’s season coming to an end in an instant. The Phillies had a great run of health in the rotation last year (although it wasn’t a really good thing in the case of Adam Eaton), but there are no guarantees that Myers’ hip injury will be the last of them in 2009.
Regarding Bastardo’s great start, it’s definitely encouraging, but it could also benefit the Phillies by showing the league that they aren’t completely desperate for an arm. When Myers went down, it was clear to everyone that Ruben Amaro Jr would need to trade to replace him, putting any potential trade partners in the driver’s seat. That may still be the case, but nearly as much after the run Bastardo, Happ, Blanton, and Moyer have put together since the Myers injury. In short, the urgency has lessened, but the overall need is still there. As opposed to an immediate move, we’ll probably see something closer to the deadline.
Mike Nichols: What do you make of Jimmy Rollins slow start? Are you concerned Rollins struggles will last the season or do you expect a typical Rollins second half?
Matt from The 700 Level: It’s hard not to be concerned with a leadoff hitter (and past MVP) hitting .220 in mid-June. I’m not surprised to see the lack of power in Jimmy’s numbers, but his average and production with RISP have been off-putting. The Phillies have gotten better-than-expected production from the bottom of their lineup, with Pedro Feliz (7) and Carlos Ruiz (8) both hitting over .300, but when the lineup gets turned over, J-Roll has been something of a rally-killer lately. Fortunately, the lineup is strong enough to withstand a slump or two at a time, so the overall run production has been high. But to answer your question, I do think Rollins will snap out of it. His BABIP is far below average, and there are reports in Philly that he found a mechanical flaw in his swing while watching tape this past weekend.
Jimmy is too good a player not to come out of it soon, and it’s reassuring to know the Phillies are still a first place team even while he struggles. Finally, one thing that is continuously overlooked in many the discussions of his slump though is that he is playing some amazing defense, as always. He is still contributing quite a bit to this team’s success.
Mike Nichols: The Phillies are a Major League best 21-8 on the road this season. Why do you believe the Phillies have had so much success on the road this year?
Matt from The 700 Level: The fact that they’ve played six games in DC probably doesn’t hurt. But, they’ve been successful in pretty much every opposing stadium they’ve been to, losing only one away series this season, a two-gamer to your Mets. Maybe it’s the confidence that comes with knowing you’re entering enemy territory as the Champs, upstaging the home team. I really don’t know. This has been a popular question in Philly though, only more so about their shortcomings at home than their successes on the road.
Early on, the World Series aftermath was dominating the homestands. As fans, much of our attention was on the return of the Champs, the celebration, and the spotlight, and it’s impossible for that not to have been a factor for the players too. Next, we lost Harry Kalas. The Phillies would never use that as an excuse for poor play at home, but considering how upsetting it was for me, and I never even met him, the players had to be affected. He had an unparalleled closeness with the team, and his passing is taking time to get over.
Being able to perform well on the road is a great asset, and hopefully it continues. Still, I think a lot of the home-road splits could be coincidence, and the records will even out some, certainly with the home wins increasing.
Mike Nichols: With the Mets injured riddled roster not expected to be healthy for the foreseeable future and the Phillies having a seemingly much easier schedule over the next three weeks, how many games in front do you expect the Phillies to be when they meet the Mets again on July 3rd?
Matt from The 700 Level: Interestingly, I sent you the same question with neither of us having seen the other’s set yet, so we are clearly both wondering what happens next for the other guys. I’m not sure I agree about that “easier” schedule though. The Phils just played the Dodgers and were out west for over a week, and now they get the Mets in Queens and the first-place Red Sox in Philly, kicking off a long stretch against the AL East. The Orioles suck, but Toronto can play, and Tampa Bay is as dangerous as a .500 team can get. They’ll probably have a chip on their shoulder after October too. Once we’re done with interleague, we see the Mets and Braves again. That’s certainly not easier than the sets we just saw, which included the Rockies, Nats, Marlins, and Padres. I think the road ahead will be pretty tough; the Phillies have never been great against the AL, with interleague play being one of the team’s biggest weaknesses in 2008 (until the playoffs).
Still, the Phils are relatively healthy, despite losing Brad Lidge to the DL today and obviously the huge injury to Myers. The Mets, on the other hand, have been hit with a plague, and their upcoming schedule is pretty tough as well. In three weeks, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the lead at about 6 games, but it could be down to 2 or 3 just as easily.
Mike Nichols: I always had a lot of respect for Harry Kalas as a broadcaster and enjoyed they way he called a game on television. He, unlike many of his colleagues, understood to let the game speak for itself. What is your favorite personal memory of Kalas?
Matt from The 700 Level: Well put. I agree completely. Although I have quite a few distinct memories of great Harry calls, and I’ll get to those in a second, the best part about Harry Kalas was that his voice was omnipresent in our baseball lives, and always a positive aspect. Good times and bad (and in my 29 years, I’ve seen my share of the latter), countless hours of every summer were spent listening to Harry’s narration. It’s no wonder the Philadelphia region came to appreciate him like a member of the family. Every word out of his mouth was respectful, and you’re right on the money about his ability to let the game speak for itself while others seemingly try to inject themselves. Harry didn’t have to.
But my favorite call was Mike Schmidt’s 500th home run. The radio call of the last pitch of the 2008 World Series is a very close second, but the passion in his still-young voice when Michael Jack cranked that ball will always be with me, even though I was a very young kid when it happened. Maybe because I was.
Mike Nichols: Good stuff. Thanks, Matt.
I also answered a few Mets related questions for Matt, which you can read later today, by clicking here.
At BronxBanterBlog.com, check out Alex Belth’s interview with Jeff Pearlman, author of the new book, The Rocket That Fell to Earth: Roger Clemens and the Rage for Baseball Immortality.
Over on The Knicks Blog, Tommy Dee writes about a potential trade the Knicks may make to move up in this year’s draft. Ricky Rubio anyone?
Brian Bassett on TheJetsBlog.com has a report on what head coach Rex Ryan had to say regarding Miami Dolphins LB Channing Crowder’s comments.
Lastly, check out ZagsBlog.com, where Adam Zagoria talks about some of the draftees the Knicks have been working out.
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