Written by Benny B. | 30 April 2010

The New York Mets utterly destroyed the Phillies tonight in there own house 9-1 winning their 8th game in a row and retaining first place in the NL East.  The Mets now hold a 1.5 game lead over the Philths.

2010 is different and a strong series in philly would go a long way for this team...Some things to think about: Mets are hitting mad fly balls and I think a lot of the out[s] that we saw at citi (particularly from barajas and Frenchy) could be long gone at CBP...

-Benny B, Yesterday

Am I a prognosticator or what?  For the Mets, it couldn't have been any better tonight.  D-Wright hit a 2 run HR and Frenchy hit a solo HR to kick off this wonderful night as the mets took a 3-0 lead.  But Niese got in a little trouble in the bottom of the inning.  Now the 2008-2009 Mets might have given the lead right back, but as I have said before, these are the 2010 Mets.  Frenchy started off the inning by cutting off a potential double by Werth who fell down when he saw the laser beam Jeff threw to 2nd base, and scurried back to first.  Werth, you even dream about taking an extra base on Frenchy, you better wake up and apologize. Then he made a spectacular catch smashing into the centerfield wall.  Not to be outdone, Jason Bay made a leaping catch for the 3rd out on a deep fly hit by Victorino to limit the damage to 1 run scored.

Then Rod Barjas took over the show:  He hits a solo HR completing the Benny Beez prognostication above, and after Frenchy got blasted on the elbow by a way inside pitch by Baez, Rod smashed a double to drive home Jeff to make it 5-1.  Then Mike's favorite player, Angel Pagan, got in on the action hitting a 2 run scoring triple to essentially break the game wide open (even by CBP standards).  But, just to rub a little extra salt in the Phillies wounds, Jose Reyes caps off the inning with an RBI single to make it 8-1.

Jon Niese threw 7 very impressive innings to let y'all know he ain't no joke.  He got himself into a little bit of trouble walking batters, but he essentially dominated:  4 hits, 7k's and 1 run allowed.  OWNED.   He then gave way to Jenry Mejia who appeared to retaliate for the Francoeur beaning by hitting Utley in the leg with a 98 MPH fastball.  I love it!  I hope that sends a message not only to the Phillies, but the rest of the league as well: If you are going to pitch us inside, we'll pitch you inside.  If you hit us, we'll hit you.  Good ol' fashioned hardball.

If the ass-whooping that unfolded wasn't enough for Mets fans tonight, the cherry on top was welcoming Mr. Brad Lidge back from the DL with another Solo HR by Mr Barajas further cementing Benny Beez's prognosticating abilities.  If there were any fans left in the builiding at that point, they surely jumped off the bridge after that.  Lidge was mercifully removed after getting every pitch he threw tagged and Mejia put the Phils out their misery...and thrust their fans into misery.

What a great way to kick off the series.  A real statement game.  The best part of it for me was you could just feel the Phillie fans squirming--getting worse and worse after every HR, strikeout, defensive miscue and culminating in a Lidge blasting...and I was loving every minute of it.

Right back at it tomorrow afternoon.  Let's do this.  I think these 2010 Mets may be for real...

2010 WTTTB SERIES: Mets-1, Phillies-0

Written by Erica Bauwens | 30 April 2010

I am completely psyched for this weekend. It just doesn't feel like summer time until the Phillies meet the Mets for their first series of the season.

With the Mets currently standing at first in the division, Citizen's Bank Park should be a battle zone. Everyone knows how messy the games get, and it gets my heart beating faster just thinking about it. Buses of Mets fans facing off against gangs of Phillies fans, fueled by alcohol and egos. Sounds like the perfect weekend to me.

It should an interesting weekend for the Phillies bullpen.  Ryan Madson has earned a spot on the coveted DL for the next 15 days. The genius broke his big toe kicking a metal chair. I guess you don't need common sense to pitch in the major leagues, but what do I know, right? Meanwhile, Lights-Out Lidge is back! After recovering from his surgeries, I have really high hopes for Lidge. He had it rough last year, and the fans were pretty ruthless to him. But I stand by Lidge, and I have a feeling that these surgeries in 2009 will bring him back to World Series '08 condition. Honestly, I'm just really digging his goatee, and I'll never be able to forget his final pitch against the Rays in the World Series. I think Brad Lidge is a pretty tough punching bag for Phillies fans. Let's face the facts: Cole Hamels, Jamie Moyer, Ryan Madson. Nobody really pitched anything too special in 2009, and Lidge was pitching on top of a pretty rough injury. Give the man a break.

While I sit patiently waiting for Lidge to prove the skeptics wrong, J.A. Happ and Joe Blanton remain on the DL, while Kyle Kendrick steps up to the mound. Kendrick... jeeze. Definitely a groan-worthy way to kick off the series.

In the end I expect the Phillies to completely whomp the Mets. And I can't wait to watch it happen.

Written by Matt Ryan | 29 April 2010

It's that time again, as the first place Mets travel to Philadelphia this weekend for the first installment of the 2010 WTTB Series.  I will be in attendence on Friday and Sunday, and I'm bracing myself for all kinds of abuse.  And as long as I don't come battered and bruised (or thrown up on), I'm all for it.  I love this rivalry, and I'm excited to see it renewed. 

It's really hard to not get excited for this weekend.  The Phillies are struggling, the Mets are dominating, and for the first time in over a year it feels good to be a Mets fan.  I keep trying to remind myself that it's only April, but this upcoming series has a different feel to it.  To be honest, this series is much more important for the Mets than the Phillies.  Despite their struggles, the Phillies are the class of the National League (I have no problem admitting that), and as long as they add some servicable bullpen arms they will be fine.  But for the Mets, this series is critical for the fanbase.  Were the last 10 games a fluke?  We will soon find out. 

More than anything I'm excited to see if the rivalry returns to its pre-2009 level.  I spent pretty much all day listening to Philly sports radio, and based on what I heard there's no doubt this rivalry remains as hot as ever.  The Philly guys spent all day ranting about how much they hate the Mets, New York, and anything that is good in the world.  And they still do it with the same lack of professionalism that just wouldn't happen on New York radio.  But that's a story for a different day. 

From a baseball standpoint, I feel like the Mets should be able to take 2 out of 3, simply based on the pitching matchups, (courtesy of ESPN New York):

Friday: LHP Jon Niese (0-1, 3.68) vs. RHP Kyle Kendrick (0-0, 7.71), 7:05 p.m. ET

Saturday: RHP Mike Pelfrey (4-0, 0.69) vs. RHP Roy Halladay (4-1, 1.80), 3:10 p.m. ET

Sunday: LHP Johan Santana (3-1, 2.08) vs. LHP Jamie Moyer (2-2, 5.25), 8:07 p.m., ET

You gotta think the Mets can beat Kyle Kendrick and Jamie Moyer.  Especially since there bats are finally coming around.  Hopefully Mike Pelfrey can continue his magical run, but game 2 is clearly advantage Phillies.  Although that should be an interesting matchup. 

It's been a long year for Mets fans, and all offseason we had to hear that the Mets "aren't talented to compete in the NL East".  I never bought into that nonsense anyway, but this weekend we will get the first glimpse into whether that notion is true.  Granted, this series is just a minor blip in a 162 game season.  But if somehow the Mets could go into a Philly and come away with a sweep, the idea that the Mets can't compete will dissappear altogether.  It should be a fun weekend, and there will be plenty to talk about in the coming days.  I haven't worn my Mets jersey to CBP in almost two years, and I know I'm in for hell.  So to all you Phillie fans out there....bring it on. 

Written by Alex Young | 28 April 2010

We could argue all day and night about the contract extension that the Phillies just gave to slugger Ryan Howard a few days ago. It’s the richest in the club’s history, $125 million over five years. Questions arise about if that is an appropriate amount to give to such a large a player who is on the wrong side of 30 and strikes out way too much. We Phillies fans kind of take the Big Piece’s production for granted. All he’s done in his career is go out and consistently hit 40-50 home runs and more than 130 RBIs every year. He’s been in the top 5 of the NL MVP voting in each of his four full years and of course won the award in 2006. There is little evidence that Ryan will slow down any time soon, but even if he does, it would be hard for him to fall to the level of some other players that the Phillies have made deals for in the past. These are the ones that make you scratch your head; some will make you scratch until your scalp bleeds. These are the worst deals (trades and contracts) the Phillies have made in the last 15 years.

Adam Eaton- 3 yrs $24 mil- For some reason, the Phillies thought it would be smart to give a guy who never won more than 11 games and never had an ERA lower than 4.00 $8 million a year in starting in 2007. Eaton was Pat Gillick’s biggest flop. Over two years he posted a record of 14-18 with a 6.10. He was not invited to the World Series Parade in 08 and was mercilessly booed during the ring ceremony the next year. In 2009, the Phillies cut him but still had to pay his $8 mil salary to play for the Orioles. He went 8-8 with an ERA over 8.

Freddy Garcia- Trade- I remember being really excited about Freddy Garcia. He was at times a dominant pitcher for the Mariners in the early 00s and was at least solid for the White Sox in the season before the Phillies traded for him. In 2007 he made 11 starts, had one win, five losses and a 5.90 ERA. The Phillies paid him $10 million that year. His one W is now known as “The $10,000,000 Win.”

Ugueth Urbina- Trade- The Phils made a mid-season trade with Detroit that sent Placido Polanco to the Tigers and got Urbina in return. He pitched 52 innings in 2005 and had an ERA of 4.13. It ended up being his only season for the Phils as he is currently in a Venezuelan prison for attempting to light several of his farm workers on fire in November of 2005. Since then, Polanco has hit .314, won a gold glove and made an all-star appearance for Detroit before the Phillies gave him a three year, $18 million contract to bring him back in 2010.

Danny Tartabull- 1 year $2.5 mil- “The Bull” hit 27 homeruns and had 101 RBIs for the White Sox in 1996, the year before the Phillies signed him as a free agent. He was already 34 years old when he played his first games for the Phils but the club was probably hoping for a little more then they got out of Tartabull before a foul ball off the foot ended his season and career. The grand total of games he played in red and white, three.

Brad Lidge- 3 yrs $37 mil extension. Three months into the 08 season, the Phillies gave Lidge an extension that nearly doubled his salary. It looked like it was a smart move as Lidge was perfect in 08 and was a major reason why the Phillies won the World Series. It hasn’t looked so good since. Poor performances and injuries have turned the lights out on Lidge. He posted a 7.21 ERA and blew 11 saves in 09, and took the loss for game four of the World Series when he gave up three runs in the bottom of the ninth. He still has time to rebound but Lidge began the 2010 season on the DL and he is due $12.5 million a year through the 2012 season. That is a lot of money to pay a guy when you can't be sure of what you are going to get from him.

Written by Benny B. | 27 April 2010

"There is a real spark to this team..."

-Gary Cohen

Before I start, I want to say it is still very early in the season and thus too early to draw any real conclusions.  Of course, that didn't stop all the bloggers, beat writers and talking heads from writing off the Mets even before the season began. I was furious when George Vecsey alluded to the Dante's Inferno when describing the Mets (I've had words with him in the past).  "Abandon all hope Mets fans" was his message.  So today, he wrote a retraction. I expect more of these types of foot-in-mouth admissions once the lazy minds in sports start realizing the Mets aren't an easy target any longer.  Nevetheless, that didn't stop them, so it won't stop me from lavishing a little optimism in this post.

There is a spark with this team right now as the Mets (12-9) quite literally busted out of their jerseys (Wright and Pagan both broke their belts stealing) in sweeping today's doubleheader vs. the Dodgers 4-0, and 10-5.  There was a lot to like and enjoy if you are a Mets fan still capable of enjoyment: Gritty never-say-die pitching, smart & aggressive base-running, great defensive catches, clutch hits, slump busting hits, & milestone hits.

It was windy and cold today and even the great Johan had trouble gripping and controlling the ball in game #1.  But Johan is Johan and battled for 6 scoreless innings to lower the Mets 3rd best team ERA.  Bay hit a monster HR--his first as a Met--and is officially out of his slump.  Castillo came through with a clutch hit to tack on two more insurance runs, and Nieve & Feliciano continued to be spotless closing out the game.

Things got a little more wild in game #2 as Ollie only lasted 3.2 innings.  Ollie isn't Johan and couldn't figure out how to make it work as he couldn't hold and early 3 run lead.  The good news is that the Dodgers didn't have any Johans of their own and were equally affected by the weather, so the Mets came back in a BIG WAY.  Behind yet another excellent relief outing by Takahashi  (3.1 innings, 5ks, 1 run alowed) Jason Bay hit his 3rd triple and made and amazing diving catch. And finally, David Wright's Bat has come alive!  He wen't 3-3 in game #2, with 4 RBI's (3 of which came on a bases loaded triple) while collecting his 1000th base hit.  It got a little dicey in the last two innings with the mets giving up a couple runs, but at that point, the writing was on the wall.  Nothing was going to stop the Mets from sweeping.

Yes, the Mets are showing what this team is capable of when firing on just most of it's cylinders.  Explosive offense and lock down pitching is a deadly combination and the reason they have won their last 6 games and are 8-1 on their current home stand.   However, the Cubs, Braves and Dodgers played just terrible, sloppy, uninspired & error plagued baseball.  Quite frankly, the Mets opponents looked like a mirror image of the 2009 Mets...but it was the 2010 Mets that showed the killer instinct.  They are resilient, exciting & gelling before our eyes.  I can't remember a feeling like this in a long, long time....and it is refreshing.

Like I said, it is still early, but the Mets are now currently sitting in first place, and--pending the outcome of the the Phillies game tonight--could be is sole possession of first place by tomorrow.  But regardless of the standings or if they complete the sweep tomorrow, the mets are right where they want to be going into the first WTTTB battle at Philly. Last year, one of my first posts was about the realization that the Mets did not have the tools necessary to compete after the first Mets/Phillies series.  It's a different story in 2010 folks.  The Mets are rolling into Philly.  It has already been anounced that Johan will pitch on Sunday.  Do I smell a Doc Halliday Vs. Johan battle to determine the fates of their respective teams in a battle which hath never been seen by mortal eyes in the history of baseball?! Time will only tell.

Lets get the series sweep, lets keep the energy and fire going into Philly....LETS GO METS!

Written by Mike Mariano | 27 April 2010

Yesterday, as you must have read all about yesterday, Ryan Howard was rewarded with a 5 year, $125 million deal from the Phillies.  Here's Ryan Howard's current and next contracts, on display from Cot's Baseball Contracts:

Ryan Howard 1b
5 years/$125M (2012-16), plus 2017 option
signed extension with Philadelphia 4/26/10
12:$20M, 13:$20M, 14:$25M, 15:$25M, 16:$25M, 17:$23M club option ($10M buyout) limited no-trade clause
3 years/$54M (2009-11)
signed extension with Philadelphia 2/8/09 (avoided arbitration, $18M-$14M)
09:$15M, 10:$19M, 11:$20M

Written by Mike Mariano | 26 April 2010

Ex-Brave Kelly Johnson and the Arizona D-Backs took two out of three from the Phillies this weekend, namely because Kelly Johnson bashed a seasons-worth of home runs for himself.  He hit homers 4 (off Hamels) and 5 (off Romero) on Friday.  Homer number 6 off Figueroa on Saturday and homer number 7 off Kendrick on Sunday.  Last year, Johnson hit 8 home runs the whole year.  Obviously he got all jacked up on steroids and started bashing home runs uncontrollably!  There can be no other explanation!

Okay, enough lying and complaining about Kelly Johnson, some quick thoughts about the series:

• Friday was a tough one for Home Run Hamels.  He'll be on the DL anytime now for a strained neck after watching those five bombs fly out of the ballpark.
• Nelson Figueroa won the only start of the season for the Phillies.  Well, he didn't actually get the win and the bullpen pitched great to seal the game, but it was a nice start by the 35-year-old.
• Maybe Kyle Kendrick didn't want Hamels to feel bad so he tried to go out and one up him.  Sadly, he could only manage to give up two homers and five runs -- don't worry I'm sure Cole appreciated it nonetheless.
• Not sure what Charlie was thinking pitching to Mark Reynolds with a base open late in the game Sunday -- ended up costing the Phillies the game.

Written by Benny B. | 24 April 2010

The New York Mets defeated the Atlanta Braves this afternoon 3-1 to take their 2nd consecutive series.  They are now 5-2 in their last seven games, are back to .500 and are starting to heat up while the standings are getting very tight in the NL East.

• John Neise continues to battle and show he has the stuff to be a quality MLB pitcher.  He loses control sometimes, walks batters and throws too many pitches...but that can be expected from Rookie.
• Jason Bay is breaking out of his slump going 3-4 today.  A couple of those hits were dunkers that should have been caught, but he crushed a ball 400+ feet to center field to score the first run of the game today and tie it up. Jeff "Frenchy" Fracoeur is emerging from his slump hitting a RBI triple as well crushing balls to all parts of the park.  He would have had 3 HR's in the last two games had he been playing in a more hitter friendly park.  On the other hand, David Wright is still mired in his slump.  Soon, D-Wright, Soon.  It'll come...
• The Bullpen continues to be outstanding.
• Henry Blaco AKA Hank White had a stolen base today, his first stolen bast in 9 years!  He also threw out another baserunner making him 4 for 4.  Would-be base-stealers are going to get the message quickly that they can't run on the Mets like in years past.
• Jose Reyes is back.  He is hitting and appears to be taking to hitting 3rd in the lineup, running close to full speed and made a spectacular full extension diving catch to thwart an 8th inning Braves rally.  The game is just more fun with the old Jose...well maybe not for the opposing team.
• Ike Davis appears to be the real deal.  He brings back memories of when David Wright was promoted, and is a legit left handed threat.  Yesterday he had a 450 foot Adam Dunn-esque HR to into the Shea Bridge Terrace.

I believe the Mets should be fine offensively as long as they don't start getting injured like the Phillies J.A. Happ is the latest member of the DL. As I said, the Bullpen should be fine and the catching tandem of Blanco & Barajas has been exactly as billed.  Their biggest need continues to be starting pitching.  Johan is Johan and Pelf has locked down the #2 spot.  But everyone else is a question mark.  Niese is Raw, but serviceable.  If the Mets can make a trade for a legit #3 pitcher and move one of Maine or Ollie to Pen, the Mets will have a respectable and competitive team.

Big win for the Mets today.  Lets keep it rolling with a Sweep tomorrow with Big Pelf on the mound.  I am starting to get excited for the first installment of Mets V. Phillies.

Written by Mike Mariano | 22 April 2010

Losing four out of five rightly sucked.  As it happens, we had the cure in our back pocket with Roy Halladay.  The Doc dominated through nine innings and only required 113 pitches to go the distance and shut-out the Braves.  The win put the Phillies a game back on top of the division and ahead of the second place Braves (all of which is entirely premature at this point in the season).  From start to finish this was a good baseball game by both teams and it's always good to see your team come out on top of a well-played game.

Defensively, the Phillies were exceptional and perfectly complimented what Roy put together on the mound.  Troy Glaus almost snuck one out of the ballpark, but Shane Victorino snagged it over the wall to keep the Braves scoreless.  Jimmy Rollins made a great play up the middle to get Jayson Heyward on a high-hopping grounder and Chase Utley made a phenomenal diving stop to spark a 4-6-3 double play with the Braves threatening and the bases loaded.  It seemed that every time the Braves made a move, the Phillies had the answer.

Anytime Roy Halladay pitches, it is must-see television for the rest of the season if you've missed any already.  Of all the great things to see in baseball, watching a dominant ace like Roy Halladay pitch is undoubtedly the best.  Great pitchers can turn run of the mill day games into exciting afternoons, simply because of the presence and prowess they possess (holy alliteration) on the mound.  Doc nibbles around the plate with his five pitches, patiently waiting for the hitters to get themselves out on pitches they don't want to hit.  Some hitters who are patient in return often get ahead on Roy into 2-1 or 3-1 counts.  This is where Roy separates himself from most of his peers -- being behind in the count couldn't phase him less.  Down 3-1, he brings that cutter that moves off the plate back a few inches and pounds the inside or outside cornerto get back on top of the count.

Instead of panicking and making a mistake over the plate, Roy works the corners and the knees with ease which is what makes him so tough to hit -- there are no freebies.  Even if he walks someone, they'll have to earn it.  Case and point, Roy was down 3-1 on Jason Heyward last in the game after Jayson patiently took two straight balls just off the plate to get ahead.  Here Hayward has got to be thinking that he'll get a hittable fastball that he can demolish somewhere because there's first and second and you don't want to walk a guy and load the bases this late in the game.  What does Roy do?  Throws a hammer curveball that drops out of the zone and gets a big swing over top from Heyward.  Full count, Halladay misses off the plate and Heyward shows great patience taking the walk.  Halladay refused to give into the rookie and allow him to swing the game with a pitch over the plate.  If he takes a good pitch and walks, tip your cap and get the next guy -- which Doc did, with Utley making a diving stop and turning two to end the inning and all the momentum the Braves had built.

Roy Halladay is now 4-0 in 4 starts with a 0.82 ERA -- the same exact numbers as Cliff Lee a year ago when he joined the team.  Remember Cliff started 5-0 and threw seven innings allowing two runs (none earned) in his fifth start -- it'll be interesting to see how Halladay does in his fifth.  As a team, the starting pitching has been exceptional the past three games, if Jamie Moyer can continue that trend against Derek Lowe tonight, the offense should be waking up any minute now...

Written by Mike Mariano | 21 April 2010

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said, "Our bullpen has been a concern."

If you don't have something nice to say, let Charlie Manuel say it for you.  In this case, I have very few nice things to saw about the Phillies bullpen.  We can talk about the sputtering offense over the last few games, but that's not the problem.  That's just baseball.  You can't score eight runs a game over an entire season and even if you did you'd still lose a good chuck of games.  However, when the offense does struggle, as it will over an 162 game season, the pitching needs to step up and bail it out, and vice versa.

Kyle Kendrick did exactly that, going eight strong, shutout innings for the Phillies.  Then in the bottom of the ninth, Ryan Madson came in and gave up back-to-back jacks (albeit one to god himself, Jayson Heyward) to tie the game.  Then Jose Contreras comes in, who has been pitching well of late, and serves up a game-winning, walk-off home run to ol' Nasty Nate McLouth who was sent down to the minors earlier this spring.

Offensively, the team put together three runs, all without the long ball surprisingly.  On the tough side, the team had eight strike outs compared to the Braves only having two.  Surprisingly high number for the Phillies who're currently leading the league with the least amount in the majors offensively.

We're simply going to have to take this as it is -- a rough patch and/or slump -- stop complaining and wait for the team to right the ship and win a few.

--

In other pitching news, Smokin' Joe Blanton is ahead of schedule on his rehab and should be back in action before May 1st.  My source?  Some girl at Rowan who plays on the same intramural softball team as my girlfriend and claimed to have talked to him.  So yeah, anyone who tells you that We're the Team to Beat isn't a reputable, story-breaking, lead-chasing news source is a damned fool because we've got eyes and ears everywhere.