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Matthew Cerrone

Pre Game: Mets vs. Dodgers
By Matthew Cerrone - Jul 8, 2009 3:58 pm

Another day, another lineup…

Alex Cora will bat leadoff, followed in order by Daniel Murphy at first, David Wright, Gary Sheffield, Ryan Church, Jeremy Reed, Brian Schneider behind the plate, and Luis Castillo at second.

Oliver Perez will make his return from te disabled list tonight.

Update, 4:12 pm:

In a post to his Twitter page, Newsday’s David Lennon, “Carlos Delgado played catch, now he’s over at first base. Looks like he’s about to field grounders.”

Update, 5:40 pm:

With the left-handed Perez on the hill tonight, the left-handed Don Mattingly is throwing BP to the Dodgers.

By the way, from what I can gather, despite what is being reported, Jose Reyes will not play in a minor-league rehab game this week, as he’ll continue to rest following yesterday’s cortisone shot.

Update, 5:50 pm:

Asked if he will give David Wright a day off before the All Star break, Jerry Manuel said:

“I haven’t considered giving him a day. I think this time for him is a great experience in the sense that he is the guy who is left in this offense because of losing other guys. I think despite the struggles that he’s having, I think this is gonna be a positive thing for him moving forward in that trying to do too much isn’t the answer. I think he’ll grow from this.”

49 Responses to “Pre Game: Mets vs. Dodgers”

  1. METSCITI says:

    yawn

  2. KickedintheMetsiclesAgain says:

    Well, if he gets through 3 innings without giving up a boat load of runs, then he will have done better than Redding’s, Livan’s and Pelfrey’s last outings.

    • Chan Ho Parking Lot says:

      Let’s see if he can get through the first inning without hitting a batter in the leg and throwing balls wide, outside and high to every batter.

      • Chiefman says:

        At 12 mil per year we deserve at least that much.

        • Mets5rocks says:

          I don’t even know if I can bear to watch at this point, I’m running out of Tums!

          • wnymetsfan says:

            Now would be a good time for the good Ollie to show up. The Mets need something good to happen for them in a big way.

  3. Chiefman says:

    Castillo is the only guy getting on base semi-regularly so why is the Funkmeister burying him in the 8 hole? It’s not like Murph can buy his way on base lately or give us any speed out there even if he does get on from the 2 hole.

    Oh well, what’s the point. We are as good as stuffed and mounted at this point.

    • Mets5rocks says:

      That’s a Roger on the “Stuffed and MOunted” C’mon! lol

    • buenosdiazfive says:

      Murph cant buy his way on base….where are all the ppl who were putting all their eggs in the “Murphy is gonna hit .300″ basket? He may some day develop into a great hitter, but seriously….2nd year?

      We shoulda continued to develop this guy instead of banking on him being an everyday ready player, and made some other off season acquisitions.

      • Razor Shines says:

        exactly. I love his swing and his attitude and see a bonfide .300 hitter. But saying 2nd year is generous — this kid is one AB from being a rookie. He’s never played in AAA! They rushed him through last year because of injuries and he impressed, but that doesn’t mean he was ready to make adjustments at the major league level. ESPECIALLY while learning a new position in LF, and then again at 1b. Stupidity. The guy should be raking in AAA.

        • thedude says:

          Murphy will never bat .300. He’s just not that good and I think we have to come to grips with that. Intelligent scouts all along have said that. He was a 13th round draft pick for a reason.

          Early in the year, when some people (including the GM) were putting him in the Hall of Fame, Keith Law said he’s nothing more than a platoon guy. As usual, Law was right.

          • wnymetsfan says:

            I wouldn’t use what round a guy was drafted in as a way to measure future success. Based on that thinking Piazza should have never made it out of the minors.

            • thedude says:

              Right, he shouldn’t have. He’s a very rare exception to the rule.

              And Mr. Piazza may have had a little help along the way. We’ll see how many 60th or whatever round picks find a miraculous power stroke these days.

  4. starz31 says:

    Well, We’ve done alright against Kuroda’s 2 starts against us (both in 2008) But all those players that did well are probably on the DL…sigh

  5. ditas says:

    Castillo is the only person in this lineup with any experience hitting in the leadoff slot so Manuel bats him eighth. The guy has no clue.

    As a side note, I was contemplating why this team is having such a hard time hitting homeruns and extra-base hits and injuries aside I was thinking that perhaps that curveball drill Manuel installed during the spring might be having a negative impact on the hitters. There was so much focus on hitting to the opposite field off these curveballs that it seems to me that the team has lost its aggressiveness and can’t seem to hit a fastball.

    People blame the new stadium, but that’s crap, they don’t hit for power on the road either and the opposition doesn’t have any problems hitting homers at Citi. Just trying to come up with a reason, I know the injuries hurt, but there has to be a reason why players like Wright and Church have lost all power. Anybody have any thoughts?

    • Mets5rocks says:

      Well getting the pitches to hit certainly helps (which for the most part D Wright isn’t getting due o lack of protection and lack of depth in the lineup) although he has been tardy on some cheese of late but that’s more a bi-product of not seeing the ball well and that particular drill teaches one to watch the ball longer, hence the natural result would be to see it better. David Wright is just trying to so too much period!, He’s all but given up the swing that made him a sucess in the first place (going to right field consistanetly) and Ryan Church never had the juice to get it out of Citi consistently to start with. All of these guys are pressing which isn’t helping matters as the saying goes “a tight bat is a weak one”!

    • VCarver says:

      I also think the drill and new hitting philosophy has had an impact on the team’s power numbers.

      But you can’t discount the stadium. There was a study on espn that showed that players like Wright have lost quite a few HRs to the new dimensions of Citi.

      Also, HRs are harder to hit at Citi this year for both the Mets and visiting teams. There have only been 37 HRs hit at Citi for visiting teams so far. Compare that to the 63 HRs hit so far this year at the new Yankee Stadium for visiting teams. So the park definitely is a factor.

  6. wlaadair says:

    I am not sure about the cause of the HR ball disappearing, but in Philly the only two who hit the ball with any authority whatsoever were Shef and Wright.

    The ball that Wright hit to right field in the first looked like it had HR all over it, but i think he got under it a little, that ball went sky high and then just dropped.

    Same thing last night, he smoked that ball to right field, i think he’s making a conscious effort to spray the ball around and not to pull everything, so his power is compromised even though he has shown power to the opposite field.

    Church wore out Ryan Howard on Saturday, i kept the scorecard, 3 of 4 at bats show 3 U

  7. hbean says:

    Let the sideshow begin! I bet OP beans the first batter.

    • Hit The Weights Zeile says:

      Im sure he would bean more batters if he could actually hit a target he was aiming at.

  8. Hit The Weights Zeile says:

    I’ll probably watch the first 2 or 3 innings to see Ollie but after we are done 6-0 in about the 4th I’ll probably switch over to something else.

  9. jimyager says:

    I say we lose 6-1. Perez gives up 6 runs and is gone in the third.

  10. McNulty says:

    Maybe Ollie will pitch a gem, and maybe Wright will actually get a hit with a runner in scoring position, and maybe Daniel Murphy will go 2-3 with two walks and three runs scored, and maybe our defense will play errorless baseball, and maybe Castillo scores 2 runs.

    Sorry I was just trying to see what if felt like to think like Omar Minaya for a second.

  11. mark4212 says:

    not sure why the boston globe is the first one to report this but:

    Jose Reyes is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment Thursday with the Mets’ Triple-A affiliate in Syracuse, New York.

    Reyes has been out since May 21 with calf tendinitis, and later a sore right hamstring. He was given a cortisone shot earlier this week. With a decent showing at the Triple-A level, he could return to the Mets’ lineup before the All-Star break. The shortstop will return to a .279/.355/.395 batting line.

    Source: Boston Globe

    • Kendog52282 says:

      I heard this too…is this true?

    • VCarver says:

      I just hope no one is rushing him or putting pressure on him. Having to get a cortisone shot is not a good sign. It just masks symptoms. They gave a cortisone shot to Putz and also to Beltran and both just ended up on the DL anyway.

      • wnymetsfan says:

        It can mask pain but it is also an anti inflammatory. Starting to work out after resting it can cause pain and swelling in the muscle. The cortizone would be useful in getting the inflammation out of there quicker so you can get a better idea if it work out related or the injury not being healed completely. Putz got one to reduce the affects caused by the spur. Sometimes it relieves the issue and you are good to go but in cases like Putz if it doesn’t help you have to move to the next step.

    • VCarver says:

      Also, maybe they mistook A. Reyes for Jose. Argenis was sent down when they activated Ollie, so they probably sent him to Buffalo.

      • Kendog52282 says:

        But it said Rehab assignment.

        • wright5murph28 says:

          that might be true because jon heyman said yesterday he heard from a source that reyes was coming “quick”…not sure what quick is…but maybe its true

  12. ToastyJoe says:

    Same stink, different day.

  13. dustin in ben lomond says:

    Why not let the 4 best hitters get the most ABs.

    Castillo
    Wright
    Church
    Sheffield
    Murphy
    Cora
    Schnieder
    Reed
    Perez

  14. Agee's Catch says:

    Which Ollie is this?

  15. jimyager says:

    Well we have not even batted yet and the game is OVER!!

  16. BullpenHelp says:

    And it’s safe to say that Ollie is back! (And nothing has changed.)

  17. jimyager says:

    12 mins into that game and it 1-0 and I have given up. That is sad that I dont think this team can over come one run. GAME OVER

  18. BullpenHelp says:

    25 pitches and only 13 strikes, all in the first inning? Gonna be a long game…

  19. BullpenHelp says:

    Thank goodness for Manny Ramirez!

  20. kd bart says:

    I’ll call it now. Another shutout on 6 hits.

  21. Hit The Weights Zeile says:

    wow I didnt know it was 1995 and Tom Glavine was pitching. That pitch to sheffield was in the lefty batter box. I mean its hard enough to score runs but with a strike zone the size of a buick it aint gonna be any easier.

  22. BullpenHelp says:

    It’s a miracle. If Martin catches that ball, it’s likely strike three. Instead, Castillo barely legs out an infield hit for the Mets first run is 12 years.

  23. ericloz says:

    Why was Church batting?

    Tatis should have been in there.

  24. ericloz says:

    I have finally joined the “no fundy’s” bandwagon.

    Why didn’t Sheff slide, and where was Schneider?

    This team is bad enough; when they don’t do the little things, it’s worse.

  25. Hit The Weights Zeile says:

    gary and ron are bothering me tonight they didnt say ANYTHING about the called third strike to sheffield which was CLEARLY a ball in the other batter box. and then this pitch to evans again NOT a strike.

    • ericloz says:

      I have to agree w/ you on that, those pitches were CLEARLY not strikes, and yet were called.

      I just hope they review the tapes this evening and chat about it.

      Of course MLB loses the feed after the 8th inning and I miss the only Met win in a week.

      wonderful…

      They did win right???