Daily Archives: August 4, 2009
The Mets lost to the Cardinals by the score of 12-7 tonight at Citi Field.
For a full recap and box score, click here.
The Least You Should Know:
Johan Santana did it all tonight for the Mets even though he wasn’t really sharp, going eight innings for the first time all year, playing outstanding defense including an over the shoulder catch to end the seventh inning, and a big two RBI double in the second inning.
The Mets’ bats finally solved the Joel Piniero mystery tonight, pounding him for seven runs and 11 hits in just five innings.
But the evening came tumbling down in the seventh inning.
Luis Castillo left the game in the bottom of the seventh inning after spraining his ankle while falling down the dugout steps, needing assistance to the clubhouse by trainer Ray Ramirez and Fernando Tatis.
Francisco Rodriguez blew his fourth save of the year in a completely ineffective ninth inning, costing Santana his 13th win of the year.
After losing a game as a result of a wild pitch earlier in this homestand, Sean Green hit Mark DeRosa in the tenth inning to allow the eighth and deciding run to score for the Cardinals, and then allowed Albert Pujols‘ second home run of the game – his 11th career grand slam and his fifth of this season.
In the end, the Cardinals scored seven unanswered runs against the Mets bullpen, eight overall.
Other Observations and Notes:
This was as bad a loss that I have seen in many years, but I feel like I have said that so many times this year.
After this bullpen had been taxed so heavily over the past week, and the fact that this game had gone into extra innings, why didn’t Jerry Manuel try and get some length out of Brian Stokes in the tenth inning?
Honestly, I am not even shocked or surprised by this latest injury to hit the Mets…I am certainly dumbfounded by how this injury took place with Castillo but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t waiting for the injury bug to catch him.
However, it would be really disappointing if Castillo was out long term because of this because he is really having a fantastic year overall.
You could see the air come out of the Mets when Castillo went down, and it showed in their performance from the top of the eighth inning through the end of the game.
Despite another awful loss, I still have to applaud Santana and his all around performance tonight, even though he allowed five runs.
The Mets conclude their series against the Cardinals tomorrow afternoon at 12:10 pm with Jon Niese facing Kyle Lohse.
Luis Castillo has been removed from tonight’s game against the Cardinals due to a sprained ankle after falling down the dugout stairs in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Castillo was helped to the clubhouse by Ray Ramirez and Fernando Tatis.
…the icing on the cake…
According to SNY’s Kevin Burkhardt, Jose Reyes returned to New York today to be examined by a team doctor, as he continues to feel discomfort in his leg.
…i said it a few weeks ago, and i’ll say it again, surgery is still on the table for reyes… and, this news, today, stinks… at this point, if he’s shut down for even a few days for rest, he may as well just shut it down for the season… seriously… at best, i’m thinking if all went well starting this weekend, what, he’s back the first week of September… just rest, do what has to be done so he’s healthy for 2010…
To follow Burkhardt on Twitter, click here.
The Mets begin a two-game series with the Cardinals tomorrow night in Citi Field, with Johan Santana (12-8, 2.96 ERA) facing Joel Pineiro (9-9, 2.84 ERA).
Santana is tied with four others for the NL lead in wins.
He is 3-0 with a 0.43 ERA in his last three starts in Citi Field.
Pineiro is 3-0 with a 2.91 ERA in five starts against the Mets.
Update, 3:28 pm:
Carlos Delgado is doing light running, according to David Lennon of Newsday.
To follow Lennon on Twitter, as he provides other information about today’s pre-game activities, click here.
Steve Popper also has information about Delgado jogging, in a post to his blog for the Bergen Record.
Update, 4:15 pm:
Angel Pagan will bat leadoff tonight, followed in order by Luis Castillo, David Wright, Gary Sheffield in left, Daniel Murphy at first base, Jeff Francoeur, Alex Cora at short and Omir Santos behind the plate.
Update, 4:50 pm:
Jerry Manuel told reporters that Nelson Figueroa will be available as a relief pitcher for tonight’s game.
Manuel said the team adjusted its curve-ball machine to throw sinkers, since a) they’ve struggled against sinker-ball pitchers, and b) tonight’s starter, Joel Pineiro, is a sinker-ball pitcher.
Lastly, he said the team is not focused on the Wild Card, the pennant race, etc., they’re just focused on trying to play good baseball.
“The whole thing is good pitching, and we have gotten any of late,” he explained. “We have to get back to getting those guys on track, to run off five, six, seven games in a row. But, they have to pitch better for that to happen.”
The Real Dirty wonders if the Mets should consider trading Carlos Beltran this off season.
Speaking of next year, John Delcos of New York Mets Report wonders what the Mets rotation will look like.
In a post to Mack’s Mets, Teddy Dziuba says it’s time to bring on the new blood in the farm system.
Joe D of Mets Merized Online believes ‘Adam Dunn was the way to go, and still could be.’
Colin Stephenson of the Star-Ledger talks with Daniel Murphy about his struggles this season.
Speaking of Murphy, in a post to Always Amazin, Matthew Artus wonders what will happen to Murphy when Carlos Delgado returns.
Lastly, the Long Island Mets Fan gives credit to Gary Sheffield.
According to a poll in this week’s Sports 
Illustrated, 36 percent of 380 MLB players said they would least like to face Mariano Rivera with the tying run on third and fewer than two outs.
Francisco Rodriguez finished second with 12 percent of the vote.
The issue hits newsstands on Wednesday.
Rodriguez has saved 24 games in 27 chances this season for the Mets, while striking out 49 batters in 48 innings with a 2.06 ERA.
He had 45 saves on this date last season while pitching for the Angels
…i have to be honest, there are days when i forget he’s even on the roster, which speaks volumes about the season as a whole…
Rodriguez has pitched in just two of the team’s last seven games.
Last month, I had the chance to speak with Mets Double-A C Josh Thole.
…i watched thole in spring training, and was super impressed with his swing… he hits the ball square, lots of line drives…
Thole is batting .349 with 29 extra base hits and 40 RBI in 81 games for the Double-A B-Mets.
Last season, he switched from playing mostly first base to being a regular, every-day catcher.
In July, Toby Hyde of Mets Minor League Blog wrote:
“There are still major questions surrounding Thole’s defense, mostly about his arm. He’s improved his receiving skills to be adequate. However, if he can’t stick behind the plate, his value drops dramatically. As much as I love an OBP above .400 and a hitter who walks almost as much as he strikes out, he doesn’t have the power to profile as a classic first baseman. Working in Thole’s favor at this point is his age (22), underlying hitting ability and work ethic, as even those who question his tools praise his effort.”
Matthew Cerrone: I thought I saw on your stats that you played a little first base in the past. Is that something you are still working on?
Josh Thole: Yeah, I’m still working on it. It’s always good to have an extra position if something ever happens and they need somebody to fill in, it’s always good to have that in your background. In the previous years, I had played first base, and now, I just started catching. It’s always something good to have in your back pocket.
Matthew Cerrone: What’s the hardest part about catching?
Josh Thole: It’s really the mental part, getting the pitchers to really trust what you are doing back there and have 100 percent faith in whatever you do. Once you get that established, everything kind of falls in to place and makes it a lot easier.
Matthew Cerrone: You’ve been with the organization for, I think, five years and came up when you were 18 years old. What kind of adjustment is that? I know what I was doing when I was 18, but, how is that like maturing through the minor leagues?
Josh Thole: It’s fast. I had to learn a lot of things really fast. I grew up in a small town; mom and dad did everything for me. 18 years old, living down in Florida for my first year, learn how to do laundry, cook and get food on your own. It was a little bit of an adjustment for me.
Matthew Cerrone: Did the coaches look out for you?
Josh Thole: Yeah, they did. Even a lot of the older guys that I had on the team definitely looked out for me, always kind of led me by hand and told me what to do, what not to do, that type of thing.
Matthew Cerrone: What was the hardest thing to get used to going from Single-A to Double-A? What are you really working on most at this level?
Josh Thole: Defense is the biggest thing right now. I am just trying to hone everything and lock it all up: my throwing, receiving, blocking, all that stuff. Obviously, every day, my hitting. I’ve got to constantly 
keep working on that. Our hitting coach, Bill Masse, is working every day with me. That’s something that I come here, keep working every day and getting better.
Matthew Cerrone: I saw you in spring training. You’ve got an outstanding swing. Growing up, who did admire? Who did you idolize? Who did you try to emulate?
Josh Thole: It’s kind of weird. The swing actually started last year when I was in high-A, with Tim Teufel, our manager. I was hitting .230, and I was hitting standing straight up. All my hits were coming on two strikes. That’s my two-strike swing, the spread out, choked up approach, and all of a sudden he told me, just stay with that and do it with no strikes, one strike, whatever. So, I did, and that’s kind of where I started picking up with it and then I just I ran with it.
According to Checked Swing, the Mets are 15–6 at home when wearing their white jerseys and traditional blue hats, their best record of any uniform combination.
…hat tip to Mets Police for the link…
Alex Schirling of Dugout Central lists MetsBlog.com among things on the Bright Side of Being a Mets Fan.
In a post to the Real Dirty, Rusty looks at this day in Mets infamy.
John, from Metstradamus, explains, “Don’t blame yourself. This franchise makes suckers out of all of us at one point or another.”
Greg Prince from Faith and Fear looks at the Art of Losing.
D-Backs 3B Mark Reynolds tells Ed Price of AOL Fanhouse that the media may be in David Wright’s head.
Lastly, in a video for On the Black, Kerel Cooper discusses Francisco Rodriguez, and his small number of save opportunities.
Carlos Delgado took batting practice before yesterday’s game.
Meanwhile, Carlos Beltran and his knee brace also took live batting practice, after which he shagged roughly 30 fly balls in the outfield.
Beltran later told reporters he felt some pain 
in his right knee, but it’s less painful than it was six weeks ago.
“It’s getting better, little by little,” Beltran said.
Both Delgado and Beltran will join Jose Reyes and John Maine in Port St. Lucie tomorrow to continue their rehab.
…from what i can gather, the Mets are quietly hoping to get both beltran and delgado back in two weeks or so… though, that will depend on whether each can run the bases in the next few days… the big thing for both players, as well as reyes, will be running hard and sliding, it seems… until that happens, it’s all a big bowl of Who Knows…
“I’m going to be ready when I’m going to be ready,” Delgado said.
…i would think the same can be said for the rest of the guys on the disabled list… as well as you and i, for that matter…
Jerry Manuel talked with reporters after last night’s game, and had the following to say regarding:
The bullpen, which pitched 7.1 scoreless innings:
“The pitched well, Tim Redding saved us tonight… He gave us the opportunity to chip away… I was very happy with the way they performed.”
Citi Field, and if it’s the extreme pitcher’s park that it has been portrayed to be:
“I think it’s a fair park. I think if you hit the ball good, it will go… I like the park, I like the way it plays. I like the way it sets up for us. Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to take advantage of it like I’d like. But, I like the park, and I like the way it sets up.”
Losing 6–5, or would it be better to lose 6–0:
“If you continue to fight, you’re gonna win a game like tonight… To do what we did and fight back, it shows some character and the spirit of the team.”
…i bet he doesn’t care… at this point, it’s about wins… period… i mean, sure, he’ll answer this question, but, in reality, what’s the difference… a win is a win and a loss is just another step back… the score, i would think, is meaningless…
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