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Written by Nikki DeMaio
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Saturday, 14 August 2010 10:32 |
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Would someone like to tell me what baseball team we've been watching the past two days? Last night, RA Dickey bounced back against the Phillies in a big way: by tossing a complete game, one-hit shutout. This is the first time the Mets have won back to back games since the 22nd and 23rd of June, and they've made quite a statement in these games. Dickey looked fantastic, especially compared to his start against the Phillies last weekend. He kept hitters off balance, mixed his pitches well, and came away with a well deserved win. I also think it's interesting that with Frankie Rodriguez serving his two game suspension, Johan Santana and RA Dickey responded with complete game shutouts - nullifying the need for a closer. I'm not sure if they would have gotten the chance to do so had Rodriguez been available (I'd like to think they would have, though).
In other interesting news, Luis Castillo is officially on the record as saying he wants to leave the Mets. Dan Martin of the New York Post has quoted Castillo as saying, "I can't be here anymore." Castillo feels he can - and should - still be an every day player and does not want to be a back up. In many ways, Castillo has become symbolic of the things Mets fans feel are wrong with the way the organization is run, and I don't think many people would be sorry to see him go. Personally, if the team is going to struggle, I want to see the young guys get a chance. I understand Castillo's frustration with that, especially since according to him he was not made aware of the fact that he would be playing until arriving at the park the day Ruben Tejada was called up. This doesn't shock me because the Mets do that kind of thing all the time, but I agree with the logic behind the moves.
Tonight the Mets will send Pat Misch to the mound to face Roy Halladay. Misch was called up after posting a record of 11-4 with a 3.23 ERA at Triple A Buffalo. Ryoto Igarashi and Raul Valdes were demoted to clear roster space for Misch and Frankie Rodriguez, who will be available to pitch tonight. I've got my own issues with that, but for today, I'm accepting the back to back wins and focusing on the good stuff.
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Written by Mike Mariano
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Friday, 13 August 2010 13:51 |
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The Mets host the Phillies this weekend looking to salv... looking to right the shi... looking to win the season series? There isn't much to play for in Flushing these days (is there ever?), but the series should be fun nonetheless. The Mess have a chance to play spoilers and set the Phillies back a few games, but that's about it. More importantly, the Mets have rapings and assaults to concern themselves with.
The Phillies come in missing Howard and Utley, but they've been playing great baseball lately without them. Winning this series is paramount for the Phillies, if only to maintain pace in the races.
Last time the Phillies came to Citi Field they got dismantled, three straight shut-out losses, but I'm thinking their fortunes will most likely be different this time around. It's a shame Utley isn't around to hit home runs out into his favorite right field porch, but the offense is rolling now as opposed to sputtering like last time. Not only that, the Mets don't have Johan going in the series and he's the one guy that can always be depended on for a solid outing. Not only that, K-Rod (whom the Phillies have never scored against) is off handling his legal issues and can't pitch. Great!
Regardless of the baggage and the injuries and the standings, Mets-Phillies is great baseball. Tune in tonight for some fun and make sure to log back on here to talk some shit as well. |
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Written by Nikki DeMaio
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Thursday, 12 August 2010 08:21 |
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Last night was a tough game to swallow. After Jon Niese threw seven scoreless innings, things came apart for the bullpen. The eighth inning was ugly, culminating in Melvin Mora's grand slam that put the Rockies ahead for good. Then there's the usual: David Wright is back to being ice cold and took it out on his bat hardcore last night, Carlos Beltran still hasn't figured things out, etc.
But let's not forget about K-Rod (as if we could today). After the game, he apparently was incredibly short with the media, yelling for them to get out of his way as he tried to exit the locker room. We all know K-Rod is a hothead, as he's gotten into shoving matches and the like before.. but apparently, this time he assaulted his father-in-law. SNY had video of the man being taken away in an ambulance, while K-Rod was arrested/detained, whatever you want to call it. From what I've gathered today, this whole thing stemmed from the fact that K-Rod wasn't used in the 8th inning last night when things were getting sticky for the team. I'm so tired of this "me first" crap with him. It seems like he constantly has a problem: he's not being used enough, he's warming up too much, it wasn't a save situation, and on and on and ON.
It's just frustrating to see this kind of stuff. Before K-Rod went all Hulk last night, things were bad enough. The boo birds were out in droves as things got out of control and really with good reason. There was also a "Fire Jerry" chant going at one point. At this point, I think Mets fans are being realistic about the fact that the season is going nowhere fast - so we're looking for some changes. Except they don't seem to be on the way. This is probably an extreme example, but look at what Buck Showalter has done for the Orioles. That team had no identity or purpose... and all of a sudden, they're winning games. I don't think it's a coincidence that when the culture changed, the team changed the way they were playing baseball. It's something to think about anyway.
Phillies add-in: For all the Mets fans reading this here's a thinking point. What would the reaction be if this happened in the Philadelphia? Yeah the media will be all over this, but because the Mets are a dysfunctional bunch of misfits, not because it's some heinous incident. If this was Philly, Benny B would have 1500 words about it before noon (with ridiculous accompanying picture of course) and JerseyBuc in the comments would be making his usual snide remarks. Just sayin'. |
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Written by Nikki DeMaio
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Monday, 09 August 2010 08:52 |
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As the Mets limp home to Citi Field, I'm not entirely sure what to say. After going 2-4 on a "make or break" road trip... it doesn't look good. In addition to falling below .500, (again) the Mets are now nine games out of first place and seven out of the Wild Card where they are also trailing five teams.
With the Mets, it always seems like when it rains, it pours. On a day where Roy Halladay was touched up for 5 runs, the Mets couldn't pull off a win as R.A. Dickey finally came back down to earth. Dickey can't take all the blame for this one - out of the 6 runs he allowed in 3 innings, only 4 of them were earned, and David Wright and Carlos Beltran combined to go 0-8 at the plate with 6 strikeouts. If the two of them are not going to hit, the Mets don't realistically have a chance. I know Beltran needs to get his feet under him, just like Reyes did at the beginning of the year, but it's August. Do the Mets really have time to wait for Beltran to find his swing? Of course not, but that's what they are going to do. It also seems pretty clear that Beltran has lost a step in the outfield BECAUSE HE HAS NO KNEES.
One thing I do like is the fact that Fernando Martinez and Ruben Tejada are going to see some more playing time. If things are going to spiral out of control, we might as well give those guys a chance. If nothing else, it gives me hope that the team is phasing Luis Castillo out despite his crazy contract. Maybe he's a loss they're willing to cut next year - which would be a win as far as most Mets fans are concerned. Right now, that's my silver lining... let me know if you find another one. |
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