Extrapolate the Mets' current record over a full season and the result is something like 86 wins. Wild Card or not, 86 wins would mean an unquestionable success of a season for a team with modest preseason hopes. However, a baseball team's actual record a quarter of the way through a season isn't too useful for projecting through game 162. Other imperfect-but-worthwhile indicators suggest that it's not easy to finish with 86 wins when allowing more runs than you score, as the Mets have done so far this season. In short, if the Mets continue to play as they have, great things should not be expected going forward. But none of that mattered tonight, as the Mets won a one-run game to help them in the W-L column but not the run differential column. Hey, maybe they can win close ones and lose only blowouts. Maybe the Mets are destined to be the 2007 Diamondbacks-type exception to the rule. Don't bet on it, but hope on it if you like.

R.A. Dickey had arguably his best game of the season tonight and he needed just 88 pitches to do it. He struck out 11 and walked none in seven strong innings, allowing one run on five hits. Yes, it's the Pirates, but a 76% strike rate and 16% swinging-strike rate are worthy of celebration against any MLB team.

The game was moving swiftly as Dickey traded quick innings with also-impressive Pirates starter James McDonald until the bullpens went to work. Andres Torres pinch-hit for Dickey to lead off the eighth inning with the score tied 1-1. It was a curious move for several reasons -- Dickey was terrific, the Mets' unimpressive bullpen could use some rest, Torres? -- and it appeared to be poor process, poor results as the struggling Torres struck out against Pirates reliever Juan Cruz. But Mike Baxter followed with a double to set the game-winning rally in motion. Kirk Nieuwenhuis then walked, bringing up the scorching-hot David Wright. Strikeouts have been rare for Wright of late, but he K'd in this spot. Lucas Duda was next, and he came through with a single to drive in Baxter, giving the Mets a 2-1 lead. Pedro Alvarez then made an error on a Daniel Murphy ground ball to allow Nieuwenhuis to score a much-needed third run.

Jon Rauch started the eighth inning, and it looked like he might finish the frame without allowing a run until Murphy was unable to catch a pop-up to shallow right field off the bat of Andrew McCutchen with two outs. This allowed Jose Tabata, who had doubled earlier in the inning, to score. It was a tough play for Murphy but he did get a glove on it. You'd like to see him make that play. You'd also like to see the right fielder make the catch but Duda isn't turning into Endy Chavez. Tim Byrdak made his daily appearance, striking out Alvarez to end the inning. Byrdak is on pace for 98 appearances. He will also sign with the Yankees at some point for two years, $8 million right before blowing out his arm forever. Frank Francisco sent the Bucs down 1-2-3 in the ninth inning to clinch game two of the series for the Metsies.

Jon Niese starts the rubber game against Charlie Morton on Wednesday at 12:35 pm. Rob Johnson will likely play, so tune in to watch Josh Thole's potential future backup.

Continue reading this post »

Lucas Duda's RBI single in the eighth inning gave the Mets a 2-1 lead and an error by Pedro Alvarez one batter later made it 3-1. Some shoddy defense behind Jon Rauch helped the Pirates close the gap to 3-2 but Tim Byrdak and Frank Francisco recorded the final four outs without issue.

R.A. Dickey was brilliant, allowing one run over seven efficient innings, striking out a career-high 11 and walking none in the process. He threw just 88 pitches and was removed for pinch hitter Andres Torres in the eighth inning with the score tied 1-1. It was a questionable move by Terry Collins, as Dickey was rolling and the bullpen is nothing to celebrate.

We knew it was over when...

Francisco tallied the last out of a perfect ninth inning on a Rod Barajas fly ball. It was a quick-and-easy night for Big Frank, as he threw eight strikes over ten pitches.

What else?

David Wright had a rare poor game, going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. Ike Davis had a customarily poor game, finishing 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. It's painful.

Mike Baxter started the decisive eighth-inning rally with a double off Andrew McCutchen's glove. It was Baxter's eighth double in just 45 at-bats this season.

Game Thread Roll Call

Nice job by MetsFan4Decades; her effort in the game thread embiggens us all.

R.A. Dickey

#43 / Pitcher / New York Mets

Height: 6-2

Weight: 220

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Oct 29, 1974

James McDonald

#53 / Pitcher / Pittsburgh Pirates

Height: 6-4

Weight: 200

Bats: L

Throws: R

Born: Oct 19, 1984

Here is the Mets' lineup:

1. Mike Baxter, LF
2. Kirk Nieuwenhuis, CF
3. David Wright, 3B
4. Lucas Duda, RF
5. Daniel Murphy, 2B
6. Ike Davis, 1B
7. Ronny Cedeno, SS
8. Mike Nickeas, C
9. R.A. Dickey, RHP

And the Pirates' lineup:

1. Jose Tabata, LF
2. Josh Harrison, RF
3. Andrew McCutchen, CF
4. Pedro Alvarez, 3B
5. Neil Walker, 2B
6. Garrett Jones, 1B
7. Rod Barajas, C
8. Clint Barmes, SS
9. James McDonald, RHP

Here is part two of this week's TWISNY, continued from yesterday. The weekend series against the Marlins in Miami could probably fill its own post. Here we go.

Sunday, May 6th

National treasure Ralph Kiner made his regular season debut:

He was his usual charismatic self and dropped a memorable one-liner:

Ralph: Paul Revere was the first sign stealer.

If you have not already done so, please read (and share) "An Open Letter to the New York Mets Regarding Ralph Kiner on his 50th Anniversary with the Organization."

Continue reading this post »

Saber 201 teaches that if a pitcher's ERA is much higher than his peripherals, he likely has problems with some combination of luck, the defense behind him, and sequencing. Given Dillon Gee's higher-than-expected BABIP and the Mets' poor defense, it seems like problems one and two have played a role in Gee's 4.78 ERA/3.02 xFIP disparity in this young season. That disparity grew tonight, as Gee allowed seven runs on eight hits in 5.1 innings of work. He surrendered two home runs to Travis Ishikawa, a guy the punchless San Francisco Giants had no use for. Gee did strike out four, but he had trouble missing bats and just wasn't fooling anyone. The knockout blow was a three-run home run by Ishikawa in the sixth inning which made the score 7-0. Good night the lights.

Gee's counterpart Zack Greinke effortlessly held the Mets in check all night, scattering five hits and striking out seven in seven shutout innings. In addition to the K's, he generated 11 ground-ball outs compared to just 1 fly out. 2009 Greinke was on the mound. As a Mets fan, it was no fun to watch, but as a baseball fan it was a treat. Greinke pounded the lower half of the strike zone, dialing his fastball up to 95 mph while flipping off a slew of impressive curveballs. His K/BB ratio on the season is now 53/10.

A minor brouhaha erupted in the seventh inning when D.J. Carrasco drilled Ryan Braun with a pitch immediately after a Rickie Weeks solo home run. Home plate umpire Gary Darling ejected Carrasco from the game with extreme prejudice, to the dismay of Carrasco and Terry Collins. In response, Collins pulled David Wright and Daniel Murphy for pinch hitters in the bottom half of the frame, leading to a heated exchange in the dugout between Collins and Wright. Apparently, Collins yanked his hot hitters in order to protect them from vengeance-minded Brewers pitchers. This is what the scene looked like:

Angry David Wright! Expect in-depth coverage of this story by the whole world over the next 21 hours or so.

Mike Baxter came off the bench to go 2-for-2, including a double off Greinke. His slash line is now a Wright-esque .393/.485/.607. Whitestone's Own is no longer just a local feel-good story. He's a valuable contributor and the best pinch hitter in the league so far this season.

The Mets split the two-game series with the Brewers and will welcome the 18-17 Reds into town for a two-game set. Johan Santana and the struggling Mike Leake square off tomorrow at 7:10 pm.

Continue reading this post »

Zack Greinke dominated the Mets in seven shutout innings, allowing just five hits while striking out seven and walking none. Dillon Gee was decidedly less impressive. He gave up two home runs to Travis Ishikawa as the Brewers knocked him out after 5.1 innings.

We knew it was over when...

Ishikawa hit a three-run home run in the sixth inning, giving the Brewers a 7-0 lead. It was too large a deficit for even the Mets' spirited offense to come back from.

What else?

David Wright continued to go absolutely H.A.M., finishing 2-for-2 with a double before being lifted in the seventh inning. He didn't take kindly to being removed, as it appeared he gave Terry Collins some lip in the dugout about the decision.

D.J. Carrasco was ejected for hitting Ryan Braun with a pitch in the top of the seventh, ending an opportunity to give the bullpen a rest with some long relief. It looked like an unnecessary heave-ho by home plate umpire Gary Darling, even if Carrasco had given up a solo home run to Rickie Weeks on the previous pitch.

[UPDATE]

Collins said in the post-game Q&A that he pulled Wright and Daniel Murphy specifically to avoid retaliation for hitting Braun.

Game Thread Roll Call

Nice job by BurleighGrimes; her effort in the game thread embiggens us all.

Dillon Gee

#35 / Pitcher / New York Mets

Height: 6-1

Weight: 205

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Apr 28, 1986

Zack Greinke

#13 / Pitcher / Milwaukee Brewers

Height: 6-2

Weight: 190

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Oct 21, 1983

1. Andres Torres, CF
2. Kirk Nieuwenhuis, LF
3. David Wright, 3B
4. Lucas Duda, RF
5. Daniel Murphy, 2B
6. Ike Davis, 1B
7. Ronny Cedeno, SS
8. Mike Nickeas, C
9. Dillon Gee, RHP

And the Brewers' lineup:

1. Norichika Aoki, CF
2. Rickie Weeks, 2B
3. Ryan Braun, LF
4. Aramis Ramirez, 3B
5. Corey Hart, RF
6. Jonathan Lucroy, C
7. Travis Ishikawa, 1B
8. Cesar Izturis, SS
9. Zack Greinke, RHP

TWISNY spent last week housesitting for Keith Hernandez in Sag Harbor but is back to recap the past two weeks of action! This is part one of two.

Continue reading this post »

The Mets activated D.J. Carrasco from the disabled list and sent Jordany Valdespin back to Triple-A Buffalo. Carrasco has finished rehabbing an ankle injury suffered in spring training. He will presumably fill the long reliever role formerly held by Miguel Batista, who is taking his 6.92 ERA to the starting rotation for the time being. Valdespin will play everyday for Buffalo.

Carrasco was atrocious last season in the first year of a two-year, $2.4 million contract signed in the 2010-2011 offseason. He posted a 6.02 ERA in 49.1 innings while losing a couple ticks off his fastball velocity. His most memorable moment was balking in the game-winning run against the Braves in June. However, he has shown the ability to provide length out of the bullpen in his career, which is something the Mets need right now. If he can regain his 2008-2010 form, he'll be a useful bullpen piece. Let's see what he's got.

Count me among the pessimists who didn't expect much from Johan Santana this season. Others who have undergone anterior capsule surgery on their throwing shoulder have not fared very well upon returning to the mound. Coupled with Santana's advancing age and pre-injury velocity decline, chances of a successful comeback seemed slim. However, he has done his best so far this season to sway the skeptics. Today's performance marked his fifth solid start in six tries, and was also his longest outing of the season in both innings (7) and pitches (108). He led the Mets out of a short-but-ugly four-game losing streak that marred this past week.

Santana has never been mistaken for a ground-ball pitcher, but his fly-ball tendencies were at an extreme today. He recorded 14 of 16 non-strikeout outs on fly balls, managing to allow just one home run in the process. The disgustingly-tattooed Ryan Roberts hit a solo shot in the second inning. Santana also allowed a two-run double to Paul Goldschmidt in the fifth inning. He wasn't exactly dominant -- he did give up nine hits -- but he managed to churn through seven innings at a time when no one has much confidence in the Mets' bullpen.

Speaking of the bullpen, Bobby Parnell and Frank Francisco each pitched a scoreless inning in relief of Santana. And each allowed a baserunner and recorded a strikeout in his inning. Parnell K'd Miguel Montero in seemingly effortless fashion, pouring high heat above Montero's upper-cut swing, much like Tim Byrdak did last night. Francisco avoided the fans' wrath by striking out Justin Upton to end the game with a runner on second base.

The Mets scored all of their runs in the fourth inning. Mike Nickeas hit a two-run single with the bases loaded to chase ineffective Diamondbacks starter Patrick Corbin. After a successful sacrifice bunt by Santana, Andres Torres came through with a two-run single of his own off newly-minted reliever Josh Collmenter. It was an otherwise quiet day for the Mets' bats, although Daniel Murphy went 4-for-4. The Mets have not hit a home run since Josh Thole did the deed against Jamie Moyer last Sunday at Coors Field.

R.A. Dickey starts Sunday afternoon as the Mets try to start a winning streak. His Diamondbacks counterpart is groundballing righty Trevor Cahill.

Continue reading this post »

Johan Santana didn't have his best stuff but he held the Diamondbacks to three runs over seven innings with five strikeouts. Bobby Parnell followed with a scoreless eighth inning and Frank Francisco closed it out with a mildly-stressful ninth. For the second game in a row, the Mets scored all four of their runs in one inning. Today it was the fourth inning, which featured a pair of two-run singles by Mike Nickeas(!) and Andres Torres.

We knew it was over when...

Frankie Frank recorded the final out, a swinging strikeout of Justin Upton with Willie Bloomquist on second base. Phew.

What else?

Daniel Murphy had a fine day, going 4-for-4 (all singles) to raise his OPS to .739. It would be nice if Murph could hit for some power, but hey, the man had four hits so cheers to that! Kirk Nieuwenhuis was on base three times, finishing 1-for-2 with a pair of walks.

Game Thread Roll Call

Nice job by MetsFan4Decades; her effort in the game thread embiggens us all.

Johan Santana

#57 / Pitcher / New York Mets

Height: 6-0

Weight: 210

Bats: L

Throws: L

Born: Mar 13, 1979

Ike Davis, Lucas Duda, and Josh Thole will sit vs. lefty Patrick Corbin.

Here is the Mets' lineup:

1. Andres Torres, CF
2. Ruben Tejada, SS
3. David Wright, 3B
4. Scott Hairston, LF
5. Daniel Murphy, 2B
6. Justin Turner, 1B
7. Kirk Nieuwenhuis, RF
8. Mike Nickeas, C
9. Johan Santana, LHP

And the Diamondbacks' lineup:

1. A.J. Pollock, CF
2. Aaron Hill, 2B
3. Justin Upton, RF
4. Jason Kubel, LF
5. Paul Goldschmidt, 1B
6. Ryan Roberts, 3B
7. John McDonald, SS
8. Henry Blanco, C
9. Patrick Corbin, LHP

It's been awhile since the Mets have had what could be called a "good" bullpen. Actually, it was 2006, when Billy Wagner, Chad Bradford, and Duaner Sanchez led a relief corps which was tops in the league in ERA, FIP, and K/BB ratio. Since then, it's been a struggle, with way-more-than-desired references to the Mets' LOLpen populating game recaps. Sandy Alderson made moves to try to bolster the bullpen this offseason with the acquisitions of Frank Francisco, Jon Rauch, and Ramon Ramirez. But through one month of the season, Mets relievers have been atrocious, with tonight's game another in a stretch of meltdowns which has fans asking: "Where have you gone, Pedro Feliciano?"

Tonight's drama took place in the eighth inning. With the Mets leading 4-2, Bobby Parnell started the frame after tossing a scoreless seventh. He induced a ground ball towards first base from the struggling-but-dangerous Justin Upton, only to watch Ike Davis uncharacteristically whiff on it. E-3. Tim Byrdak came on to face the lefties in the heart of the Diamondbacks order, Jason Kubel and Miguel Montero. The Byrdman walked Kubel on a close 3-2 pitch (it was probably a ball) but struck out an upper cutting Montero by attacking the upper part of the strike zone. Enter Rauch, and exit the Mets' chances of stopping a losing streak.

Rauch has a nice 2.92 ERA in 12.1 innings pitched this season. However, none of his peripherals have been terribly impressive. What's more, his stuff has been flat, with fat fastballs and hanging sliders his weapons of choice. He wasn't fooling anyone tonight. It was like watching 2009 J.J. Putz. Paul Goldschmidt turned Rauch's first pitch of the game into a two-run double to tie the game 4-4. Cody Ransom, who had homered earlier, knocked in Goldschmidt for the decisive run.

While the bullpen was terrible, the Mets' offense failed to put more runs on the board after a four-run third inning highlighted by a two-run double from Scott Hairston. David Wright and Lucas Duda each singled to start the fifth inning, but Hairston struck out and Ike grounded into a double play. The last threat ended when Josh Thole lined out to left field with two runners and two outs in the eighth inning. Putz did his best impression of 2007 Putz in the ninth inning, striking out Kirk Nieuwenhuis and Ruben Tejada before getting Daniel Murphy to fly out to a diving Gerardo Parra to end the game.

Some bullet notes:

• Dillon Gee turned in yet another solid effort. He struck out six and walked three in six innings, with Ransom's two-run homer accounting for the only runs he allowed. He worked out of trouble in his sixth and final inning, striking out Ransom and Aaron Hill after walking Kubel and Montero. Gee has a fantastic K/BB ratio of 29:8 in the early going this season. What's more, his swinging-strike rate is up from last year, as is his groundball rate. Small sample size and all that, but hopefully Gee continues pitching well enough for us to continue nervously asking each other if his improvement is for real.
• The Mets are 0-4 since Andres Torres returned from the disabled list. Remember when people referenced the Mets' record with and without Luis Castillo in the lineup as if it meant anything? How long until some blogger, columnist or talking head does the same for Torres? After going 3-for-4 with a double tonight, Torres is 6-for-18 on the season.
• Ike made a key error, went 0-for-4, and saw just eight pitches in his four plate appearances, but his most embarrassing moment of the game was probably swinging at a pitch that hit his left leg:
  
  
  
  Ike is not this bad, but I'm thinking his strong performance last season made people think he's better than he is.
  
• Jordany Valdespin stole his first base in the major leagues after pinch running for Duda in the eighth inning. Valdespin took third base after Diamondbacks reliever David Hernandez and third baseman Ransom showed no interest in protecting it.

The Mets will try win a game behind their ace Johan Santana Saturday afternoon at 4:05 pm. Young southpaw Patrick Corbin will start for the Diamondbacks.

Continue reading this post »

A strong start from Dillon Gee went to waste as the Mets' bullpen blew a 4-2 lead in the eighth inning. Bobby Parnell, Tim Byrdak, and Jon Rauch combined to give up three runs in the frame -- Rauch was the main culprit -- with some help from an ugly error by Ike Davis to start things off. The Mets couldn't come back against hard-throwing Diamondbacks relievers David Hernandez and J.J. Putz.

We (literally) knew it was over when...

Gerardo Parra made a full-extension diving catch in center field to rob Daniel Murphy of an extra-base hit to end the game. It was a fantastic grab that prevented David Wright from stepping up to the plate one more time.

What else?

Wright went 1-for-2 with two walks, raising his on-base percentage to a robust .505. Andres Torres went 3-for-4 with a double and was robbed of another hit by Diamondbacks third baseman Cody Ransom. Ike had an all-around brutal night. In addition to the key eighth inning error, he was 0-for-4 with a double play and a strikeout.

Game Thread Roll Call

Nice job by Brooklyn Dodgers Mets Fan; his effort in the game thread embiggens us all.

We're three weeks away from Banner Day! Think of clever ideas for a banner as you read this week's edition of TWISNY.

Friday, April 20th

If you'll recall, Tim Byrdak was messing about in spring training dressed up as Hulk Hogan:

The Hulkster showed up to Citi Field to support his man Byrdak*:

* - May not actually be Hulk Hogan

Monday, April 23rd

We think Mets position players try extra hard on defense when Jon Rauch is pitching, so as not to suffer the wrath of this:

Continue reading this post »

Don't look at UZR, DRS or any other defensive metric. Don't even look at fielding percentage. Trust your eyes. Speak with an anonymous scout, but that scout is you.

One of WPIX's Keys To The Game for the Mets tonight was "short-term memory," as in "let's move on from last night's game." When Josh Thole made a throwing error on a stolen base attempt by Marco Scutaro in the first inning, it looked like a continuation of the six-error Friday suckfest was in the works. However, the Mets were error-free the rest of the way and Dillon Gee threw a Coors Field gem en route to victory.

Gee gave up four runs and struck out seven in seven innings. He threw 116 pitches, a career high, giving the bullpen a breather after last night's shellacking. It got dicey for Gee in the fourth inning, when he allowed four straight hits to the heart of the Rockies' batting order to start the inning. He limited the damage -- relatively speaking -- giving up three runs in the frame. He was ice after that, throwing three scoreless frames and exiting on a swinging strikeout of Jonathan Herrera to end the seventh inning.

The heart of the Mets order killed it tonight. Ruben Tejada, Daniel Murphy, David Wright, and Lucas Duda combined to go 11-for-18, with Duda cracking a two-run home run in the second inning to put the Mets on the board. He also hit a two-run single in the sixth inning to break a 4-4 tie, giving the Mets the lead for good. Ike Davis had a quietly encouraging game, going 1-for-3 with a walk. The two outs he made were hit hard. Scott Hairston was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts, unable to replicate his magical Friday night.

Tim Byrdak pitched a scoreless eighth inning and Frank Francisco "saved" it in the ninth, but only after allowing a solo home run to Dexter Fowler and a triple to Tyler Colvin. Jason Giambi is apparently still in the league and flew out to Kirk Nieuwenhuis to end the game.

Dillon Gee

#35 / Pitcher / New York Mets

Height: 6-1

Weight: 205

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Apr 28, 1986

Guillermo Moscoso

#56 / Pitcher / Colorado Rockies

Height: 6-1

Weight: 200

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Nov 14, 1983

Here is the Mets' starting lineup:

1. Kirk Nieuwenhuis, CF
2. Ruben Tejada, SS
3. Daniel Murphy, 2B
4. David Wright, 3B
5. Lucas Duda, RF
6. Scott Hairston, LF
7. Ike Davis, 1B
8. Josh Thole, C
9. Dillon Gee, RHP

And the Rockies' lineup:

1. Marco Scutaro, 2B
2. Jonathan Herrera, 3B
3. Carlos Gonzalez, LF
4. Troy Tulowitzki, SS
5. Todd Helton, 1B
6. Michael Cuddyer, RF
7. Wilin Rosario, C
8. Dexter Fowler, CF
9. Guillermo Moscoso, RHP

This was a loathsome and offensive game, filled with Rockies home runs, Mets errors, and generally poorly-played baseball. But it was also a game in which Scott Hairston hit for the cycle. The cycle is a rare enough occurrence -- it happens only a handful of times per season in all of MLB -- that it warrants immediate Wikipedia updating; it's worth celebrating at least through the start of the next game. The cycle provided a nice diversion from the 11(!) runs the Rockies scored in the fifth inning and the 6 errors the Mets committed in the game.

There was a point in the game where it looked like the Mets might pull off a fun win on the backs of Hairston, Chris Schwinden, and Mike Nickeas. Our heroes were leading 6-2 following the top of the fifth after putting up a four spot in the inning. Hairston had tripled home a run, and Lucas Duda, Nickeas, and Schwinden tallied RBI singles of their own. However, the strikeout-less Schwinden couldn't keep his voodoo working, and he combined with Manny Acosta to give up all 11 runs the bottom half of the frame. Schwinden's final opponent was Carlos Gonzalez, who crushed a three-run home run 438 feet over the right center field wall to tie the game 6-6. Acosta relieved Schwinden and was a total wreck. He gave up seven runs in relief while recording just one out, exploding his ERA to 9.31 in the process.

The Mets' defense did Schwinden and Acosta no favors in the inning, committing four errors. Simply throwing the ball to one another became a problem on errors by Schwinden, Nickeas, Ruben Tejada, and Zach Lutz. It was 13-6 when the inning ended. The Rockies' chance of winning the game at the start of the inning (per win expectancy) was just 14.5%. By the end, it was all the way up to 98.0%.

Hairston completed the cycle with a two-run double in the top of the sixth inning but any hopes of a Mets comeback disappeared when Bobby Parnell allowed a grand slam to Ramon Hernandez in the seventh to make the score 18-9. This game was a hot mess. Here are some further bullet notes:

• Hairston raised his OPS from .536 to .865 in just five plate appearances. It's still early enough in the season that one big game can turn an ugly stat line into a pretty one.
• Hairston was called out after being struck by a batted ball in fair play hit by Nickeas in the second inning. Hairston was stealing second base on the pitch and did not pick up the ball off the bat. Consistent with the applicable rule, bizarre as it may be, Nickeas was awarded a single. The play resulted in the third out of the inning.
• Schwinden gave up two runs in the first inning, one on a solo home run by Troy Tulowitzki, then voodoo'd his way through three scoreless frames. He wasn't generating swinging strikes and didn't seem to be fooling anyone. He might be useful as a long man out of the bullpen but is probably not good enough to make it as a major league starter.
• Lutz notched his first hit in the big leagues, a single of Esmil Rogers in the fifth inning. Congrats to Zach!
• This is what it looks like when 5-foot-9 Terry Collins argues with 6-foot-5 umpire Lance Barrett:
  
  
  
• The SNY trivia question tonight asked who the first Met to get a hit off Jamie Moyer was. ***SPOILER ALERT*** The answer was Mookie Wilson, during a 5-3 Cubs victory at Shea Stadium on July 29, 1986. It's wild that Moyer faced the 1986 Mets.

Game two of the series is Saturday night at 8:10 pm. The pitching matchup is Dillon Gee vs. Jeremy Guthrie* Guillermo Moscoso.

* - Guthrie landed on the disabled list late Friday after injuring his shoulder in a biking accident earlier in the day.

Continue reading this post »

Researchers will be working through the night to prepare all of the future trivia questions arising from this game. Where to begin?

Scott Hairston became the tenth Met ever to hit for the cycle, and only the second to do so in a game the Mets lost (Jose Reyes did the deed in June 2006 as the Mets lost to the Reds, 6-5). Unfortunately, his big night was overshadowed by horrendous performances from both the Mets' pitching staff and defense.

Chris Schwinden started for the Mets and did not impress, to say the least. He allowed two runs through the first four innings tonight before falling apart in the fifth. The inning of death began with a Schwinden throwing error, which allowed Eric Young Jr. to reach base. Schwinden then walked Marco Scutaro, allowed a single to Jonathan Herrera, and gave up a three-run bomb home run to Carlos Gonzalez before being pulled from the game. Manny Acosta followed and was somehow worse than Schwinden. Many walks, hits, and errors followed, and Dexter Fowler hit the second three-run home run of the inning. When the Mets finally recorded the third out, the Rockies had scored 11 runs and the Mets had committed 4 errors. Again, that's 11 runs and 4 errors. In one inning.

The Mets were down 13-6 after the fifth inning but mounted a minor comeback in the sixth. They scored three runs, two of which came home on a Hairston double that completed his cycle. That made it 13-9, giving the Mets some hope in a ballpark where a four-run deficit can be erased in just a few pitches. However, the Mets' bullpen continued pouring gas on the fire, as Bobby Parnell allowed a grand slam to Ramon Hernandez in the seventh inning, with all three baserunners inherited from Ramon Ramirez. It was an embarrassing game for the Metsies; they finished with six errors, including a bizarre catcher's interference call on Josh Thole during an attempted pitch-out by Ramirez.

The Mets piled up 17 hits, but only three (all belonging to Hairston) went for extra bases. Ruben Tejada was 4-for-5 and Mike Nickeas went 2-for-2 with a walk.

Chris Schwinden

#63 / Pitcher / New York Mets

Height: 6-3

Weight: 215

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Sep 22, 1986

Drew Pomeranz

#13 / Pitcher / Colorado Rockies

Height: 6-5

Weight: 230

Bats: R

Throws: L

Born: Nov 22, 1988

Here is the Mets' starting lineup:

1. Kirk Nieuwenhuis, CF
2. Ruben Tejada, SS
3. Daniel Murphy, 2B
4. David Wright, 3B
5. Scott Hairston, LF
6. Lucas Duda, RF
7. Zach Lutz, 1B
8. Mike Nickeas, C
9. Chris Schwinden, RHP

And the Rockies' lineup:

1. Marco Scutaro, 2B
2. Jonathan Herrera, 3B
3. Carlos Gonzalez, LF
4. Troy Tulowitzki, SS
5. Todd Helton, 1B
6. Michael Cuddyer, RF
7. Ramon Hernandez, C
8. Dexter Fowler, CF
9. Drew Pomeranz, LHP

It was a down week for the Mets but hopefully not for TWISNY!

Sunday, April 15th

The Phillies will pay $50 million for a closer but won't pony up $24 to replace the disgusting bulletin board in the away team television booth:

Monday, April 16th

The Mets, much like TWISNY, have the comedic palette of a 13-year-old. So we always had a laugh at the periodic postgame, umm, love slaps perpetrated by Fernando Tatis on the likes of young hurlers Mike Pelfrey and Oliver Perez:

Pelfrey learned his lesson and is now a savvy veteran. Here he is protecting the goods after Monday night's win:

Pelfrey is thrilled about his early season performance, and also the fact that Tatis's reign of grabbiness has ended.

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The Mets' inability to finish off the Giants in the bottom of the ninth inning tonight proved costly when the Giants took the lead for good in the tenth. Josh Thole singled home Jason Bay in the ninth to tie the game 3-3, putting runners on first and third with one out. Mike Baxter came up to bat as a pinch hitter and had the chance to be not only the toast of Whitestone, but the toast of any establishment in which Mets fans can be found. However, he hit a ground ball to first baseman Brandon Belt, who gunned down Kirk Nieuwenhuis trying to score from third base. Ruben Tejada then struck out to end the inning.

Frank Francisco came on to pitch in the tenth inning, a smart move, as the Giants were running low on relievers and it was a high leverage spot. Unfortunately, Francisco had trouble finding the strike zone, throwing just 10 strikes out of 24 total pitches. He walked Melky Cabrera on four pitches to start the inning, a frustrating gift to a Giants team which has trouble scoring. After striking out Pablo Sandoval, Francisco slowly delivered a pitchout, allowing Cabrera to steal second base ahead of Thole's throw. Gregor Blanco then flew out to center field, making the situation a runner on second base with two outs. Nate Schierholtz, he of the decidedly average career 97 OPS+, came up to the plate. In a questionable move -- I'm questioning it -- Terry Collins called for an intentional walk. I say let your relief ace go after the unimpressive Schierholtz. The free pass brought up light-hitting young catcher Hector Sanchez, who singled home Cabrera to provide the decisive run. Collins probably overmanaged, but Francisco is the real goat.

Hope returned briefly in the bottom of the tenth when Daniel Murphy and David Wright hit back-to-back singles to start things off. However, Ike Davis grounded out, Bay struck out, and Lucas Duda flied out to center to end both the rally and the game. Ike had a rough go tonight, finishing 0-for-5 with two strikeouts and two popouts. Some of his swings were darn ugly. Bay went 2-for-5, including a solo home run in the fourth inning off Barry Zito. Nieuwenhuis added a solo shot of his own in the fifth inning. He also drew a walk in that exciting ninth and made a terrific catch to rob Sanchez of an extra-base hit in the top of the eighth. Over/under date on first appearance of a Nieuwenhuis jersey at Citi Field? April 23?

Angel Pagan said before the game that he was "shocked" when the Mets traded him to the Giants last December. He also said he holds no ill will towards his former team, understanding that it's part of the game. Still, his solo home run in the third inning to start the scoring had to feel good. His subtle bat flip right after contact hinted at some extra satisfaction. Pagan went 0-for-4 in his next four plate appearances but his homer kicked off a three-run third inning against Jon Niese.

Niese finished with a respectable line -- six innings, three runs, five strikeouts, and two walks. But he looked headed for the showers in that third inning, which would've meant the third straight early exit for a Mets starter. The Giants had four well-struck hits in the inning, scoring runs on a Buster Posey RBI double and Niese wild pitch in addition to the Pagan home run. Niese settled down after the third inning though, managing to preserve the bullpen until the seventh.

Some bullet thoughts:

• The Andres Torres, Nieuwenhuis, and Bay trio is brewing the most highly anticipated outfielder playing time controversy since Carlos Beltran, Pagan, and Jeff Francoeur in 2010. Let's wait until Torres' return from the disabled list is imminent before going too crazy about it.
• Eric Simon, killjoy:
  
  
  
• Pagan and Nieuwenhuis hit New Citi Field home runs (would not have been gone at Old Citi Field). Bay hit an Old Citi Field home run.
• For some reason, it was mildly shocking to see Guillermo Mota pitch for the Giants tonight. Like, "I can't believe that guy is still in the league" surprising. He was so dreadful so many years ago -- how is he still hanging around, striking guys out (he notched two in his scoreless inning), and winning World Series rings? Anyway, click here to read the "Conflict with Mike Piazza" sub-heading on Mota's Wikipedia page.
• Mike Nickeas is on the board! He tallied his first hit of the season, a single off Zito in the fifth inning. It snapped an 0-for-20 streak dating back to last season.
  
• If there is ever an update to the Gary, Keith & Ron Drinking Game, any reference to David Cone breaking his finger attempting to bunt against Giants pitcher Atlee Hammaker will mean three sips of your beverage. It's been a go-to GKR story over the years. I think they just like saying "Atlee Hammaker."

Game two of the four-game set is tomorrow at 1:10 pm. The pitching matchup is Mike Pelfrey vs. Ryan Vogelsong. A loss sends the Mets' record back to .500. Go Big Pelf.

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The Mets lost their first extra-inning game of the season, an April heartbreaker which saw them come back to tie the game in the ninth inning, only to lose it in the tenth. It was a tough one to lose at home, especially since the Mets left two runners on base in each of the final two frames. Frank Francisco allowed the decisive run on a Hector Sanchez single after he had walked Melky Cabrera to lead off the inning and intentionally walked Nate Schierholtz under questionable orders from Terry Collins. Daniel Murphy and David Wright each singled to start the bottom of the tenth, but Ike Davis, Jason Bay, and Lucas Duda couldn't push a run across.

The Giants struck first in this one, scoring three times in the third inning against Jon Niese. Angel Pagan hit a solo home run, Buster Posey doubled home a run, and Pablo Sandoval scored on a wild pitch. Niese had a serviceable game, allowing just those three runs and notching five strikeouts in six innings of work.

Bay hit a solo home run off Barry Zito in the fourth inning and Kirk Nieuwenhuis did the same in the fifth. The Mets' offense was otherwise quiet for most of the game, until the ninth inning when Josh Thole came through with a clutch RBI single off lefty(!) reliever Javier Lopez to tie the game 3-3. Thole's hit put runners on first and third with just one out. All the Mets needed was a sacrifice fly. But pinch hitter Mike Baxter hit a grounder to first baseman Brandon Belt, who threw out Nieuwenhuis trying to score. Two outs. Ruben Tejada then struck out to end the inning.

As This Week In SNY noted earlier this week, SNY changed its score bug this season (a score bug is a graphic which displays the score and other game information on-screen). Here is a comparison between the 2011 bug and the 2012 bug:

Here are the bugs, isolated from the rest of the screen:

Forced to choose, which do you prefer? Take the poll.

Johan Santana's health is more important to the Mets going forward than one poor game, so his postgame statement that his surgically repaired shoulder feels fine provides some relief after tonight's 9-3 debacle. The bullpen went to work early and often after Santana was pulled after just 1.1 innings, having given up six runs on four hits with no strikeouts. It might not be the worst start of his Mets career, but it's certainly a challenger along with these:

• 6/14/09 @ Yankees -- 3 IP, 9 H, 9 R, 3 K
• 5/2/10 @ Phillies -- 3.2 IP, 8 H, 10 R, 1 K
• 7/28/10 vs. Cardinals -- 5.2 IP, 13 H, 7 R, 2 K

Santana's velocity was on par with his first two starts this season, both of which were relatively successful. His bugaboo tonight was location. His pitches caught too much of the plate and the Braves made him pay. Check out the cluster of meatballs in the middle of the strike zone:

Santana allowed an unearned run in the first inning. Jason Bay dropped a fly ball hit by Michael Bourn, who later came around to score on a Chipper Jones sacrifice fly. It was small potatoes compared to the second inning. Here was the sequence:

• Dan Uggla walk
• Matt Diaz single
• Freddie Freeman double, Uggla scores, Diaz to third (2-0 Braves)
  
• Tyler Pastornicky double, Diaz and Freeman score (4-0 Braves)
• Randall Delgado sacrifice bunt attempt thrown past David Wright by Ike Davis (E1), Pastornicky scores, Delgado to second (5-0 Braves)
• Jason Heyward single, Delgado scores (6-0 Braves)
• Bourn ground out
• Santana gets the hook, relieved by Miguel Batista

Hopefully it really was just one of those games. On to the next one.

The Mets' offense scattered ten hits and three walks, unable to come up with a big extra-base hit when the game was within reach. Bay came up in the fifth inning with runners on first and second, one out, and the score 6-2. He struck out, as did the next batter, Lucas Duda, squelching the mini rally. The Braves then scored two runs in the bottom half of the inning off Ramon Ramirez to put the game out of reach. Wright continued to rake, going 2-for-5 with two singles. It's worth noting that he struck out twice and swung-and-missed at four pitches. Josh Thole went 1-for-3 with a walk and saw a game-high 31 pitches. His slash line is now .370/.500/.444.

Batista, Ramirez, and Manny Acosta combined to pitch 6.2 innings in relief, allowing three runs on five hits with six strikeouts. Batista did a nice job closing the lid on the Santana grease fire in his 1.2 scoreless innings. Ramirez fell behind most of the batters he faced en route to giving up two runs in his two innings. Acosta matched a career high by pitching three innings. He gave up a solo home run to Juan Francisco in the eighth.

R.A. Dickey will do his best to give the Mets a shot at another series victory on Thursday afternoon. He faces Jair Jurrjens at 12:10 pm.

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Johan Santana endured his first poor start of the season tonight. And boy was it a stinker. He lasted just 1.1 innings, allowing six runs on four hits with no strikeouts. The second inning saw his undoing. He gave up four hits and a walk in the frame, and was eventually relieved by Miguel Batista. It was the shortest start of Santana's brilliant career and arguably his worst game as a Met.

The Mets' defense did little to help their man Johan. Jason Bay dropped a catchable fly ball in the first inning, allowing leadoff hitter Michael Bourn to reach second base. Bourn later scored on a Chipper Jones sacrifice fly. Ike Davis made a throwing error in the disastrous second inning in the middle of a Braves hit parade. Braves pitcher Randall Delgado dropped a sacrifice bunt with Tyler Pastornicky on second and no outs, and Ike uncorked an errant throw to third base, allowing Pastornicky to score and Delgado to reach second base. Santana then induced a groundout from Bourn, but was pulled following a Jason Heyward RBI single.

The Mets' answered in the fourth inning with RBI singles by Josh Thole and Mike Baxter to make it 6-2. It looked like a comeback was in the works when David Wright singled and Ike walked with one out in the fifth inning. However, Bay and Lucas Duda both struck out to end the threat. Daniel Murphy singled home Kirk Nieuwenhuis in the sixth inning to give the Mets their third run but the offense shut it down after that.

Batista, Ramon Ramirez, and Manny Acosta were so-so in mop-up duty. Batista had his first useful appearance of the season, throwing 1.2 scoreless innings. Ramirez continued to struggle, allowing two runs on two hits. Manny Acosta gave up a solo home run to Juan Francisco in his three innings of work.

Remember when Gary Sheffield was on the Mets? It's one of those Brett Favre-on-the-Jets type marriages that makes you say "did that really happen?" Sheff joined the Mets just before Opening Day in 2009 after being cut by the Tigers. Costing only the league minimum of $400,000, it was seen as a low-cost, medium-benefit signing for a team with the punchless Marlon Anderson on its Opening Day roster. At the time, Sheff was stuck on 499 home runs, just one short of that magical and arbitrary 500 milestone. It didn't take long for him to get there, as he hit a pinch-hit home run in his eighth plate appearance as a Met on April 17, 2009.

It was a chilly Friday night game against the Brewers. The Mets were down 4-3 entering the bottom of the seventh inning with lefthanded relief pitcher Mitch Stetter entering. Sheffield was sent up to the plate to pinch hit for Sean Green (LOL) to lead off the inning. With the count 3-2 after eight pitches, Sheffield rocketed Stetter's ninth offering 385 feet into the left field seats at Citi Field to tie the game and join the 500 home run club. He received a nice ovation from the 35,000+ crowd in what was just the fourth regular season game in Citi Field history. His teammates came out to greet him, with on-deck batter Jose Reyes offering a hug and Daniel Murphy administering an ass slap. Thanks to embeddable MLB video we can relive Sheff's moment:

Note the theme from The Natural playing on the Citi Field sound system as Sheffield rounds the bases. The home run helped the Mets win the game, which ended on a game-winning single by Luis Castillo in the bottom of the ninth inning. The win evened the Mets' record at 5-5 at a time when there was still reason for optimism. Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, and Reyes were healthy. The full extent of Jerry Manuel's insanity was not yet apparent. And Sports Illustrated was predicting the Mets to win the World Series. Sheffield was viewed as a potentially valuable pinch hitter and occasional spot starter on a team with a chance. Unfortunately, everything went to hell and Sheffield ended up playing way more than anticipated. He logged 312 plate appearances and posted a useful .823 OPS while playing defense about as well as could be expected from an immobile 40 year-old.

Sheffield had reportedly hoped to use his time with the Mets as a showcase to land a free agent contract the following offseason. But it was not to be. Despite rumors of interest from the Rays and Nationals, he never caught on with another team. 2009 was Sheffield's final MLB season.