Bring out the broom! Mets sweep Nats, 9-3.

Posted on 14 Aug 2008 by Danielle

All year long, the New York Mets have not been able to beat up on the little teams.

But tonight... that all changed.

While it did take four innings for the Mets to get on the board, they did so rather quickly.

Reyes 2.0 singled to left, D-Wright hit his 34th double of the year, making it runners on second and third for Carlos Delgado. Delgado grounded out, scoring Argenis and moving Wright to third. Beltran's sac fly scored Wright, making it 2-0.

When the fifth inning rolled around, Tatis garnered his second walk of the night and scored after Brian Schneider's first home run in three months, his third of the season, making it 4-0.

Delgado's home run in the sixth made it 5-0.

Oliver Perez cruised through the first six innings, but had some trouble in the seventh, giving up a single to Kearns, a walk to Nieves, and then a triple to Orr, making it 5-2.

An error by Carlos Delgado made it 5-3.

Smith came in and got an out to end the inning, but struggled in the eighth, walking two. Duaner Sanchez came into the game in relief, getting the Mets out of the inning unscathed.

With the team heading into the ninth with only a two run lead and a shaky bullpen, the Mets' batting order knew they needed just a little support...

And what they got was a LOT of support.

Daniel Murphy singled to center, Tatis doubled to left, and the pinch-hitting Easley singled to the same location as Murphy, scoring the Binghamton Boy and Fernando Tatis. 7-3.

Reyes 1.0 singled to center, as well, but Argenis lined out to 3B Ryan Zimmerman.

A pair of errors by Belliard and Bonifacio allowed Easley and Jose to score, making it 9-3.

Heilman came in to pitch with a rather cushiony lead and gave up a walk to Bonifacio with two outs, but Belliard grounded out to end the game and give the Mets a sweep of the Washington Nationals.

Oliver Perez pitched 6.2 innings and gave up three runs on six hits and three walks, striking out eight along the way, on the day before his 27th birthday.



Happy Birthday, Ollie!

Schneider (3) and Delgado (26) both smashed home runs in the game, while Wright and Tatis hit their 34th and 10th doubles tonight.

Dan Murphy has now hit in every game that he has played for the New York Mets.

David Wright went 1-5 with a run scored on his 34th double of the season.

Wright's average dropped slightly to .293, he still continues to make a play for .300 as the Mets travel to Pittsburgh to play the Pirates.

0 Comments

8/13 - What Wright Said...

Posted on 14 Aug 2008 by Danielle

(On visiting veterans at Walter Reed Hospital)

"There are a lot of smiles going on," Wright said. "For the (three-and-a-half) hours that we're there, it takes their mind off injuries. Takes their minds away from what happened to them. They can laugh and joke around. I think as players, we're more in awe of what they do on a daily basis than vice-versa. It's pretty spectacular that men and women are over there giving their lives to protect our freedom."

Wright grew up in a military town in Norfolk, Va., so he's always held respect for the dangers of military work. His father is also a police officer, a career track he would have chosen if not for his talents.

"It makes you appreciate the freedoms that we have," Wright said, "and the lives that have been giving for that freedom."

Credit: The Star Ledger

"It's rewarding for us to go visit those guys, because it makes us appreciate those men and women putting their lives on the line to allow us to play this game," Wright said of the visit, adding that he sensed an increase in morale when the Mets arrived.

Credit: MLB.com

0 Comments

Mets back on top!!! NYM tied with Philly for first!

Posted on 13 Aug 2008 by Danielle

After going up 6-0 in the second, the Phils progressively lost their lead over the next five innings.

And eight innings after they first scored, Condrey gave up the game-winning, walk-off home run to Nomar Garciaparra, who had gone 0-4 in the game before his homer. It was his 6th career walk off home run.

The NL East Picture now looks like this:

Team......... W L GB

Mets.......... 64 56 -
Phillies...... 64 56 -
Marlins...... 63 58 2.0
Braves...... 55 65 9.5
Nationals... 44 77 21.0

By the way, anyone else feel warm and fuzzy inside at the fact that both the Braves and the Yankees are over nine games out of first in the NL and AL East respectively?

Thought so.

0 Comments

Mets wash out Nationals in Washington, 12-0.

Posted on 13 Aug 2008 by Danielle

John Maine made a triumphant return to the New York Mets after being injury plagued for months and on the DL for two weeks.

Tomorrow, in the papers, Maine's line will be relatively clean. He allowed one hit and four walks over the course of five scoreless innings, the only concern being the four walks. The innings will not be a concern, as he was pulled after five in order to conserve his arm as the Mets blew out the dead last... in everything... Washington Nationals.

And blow them out, they did.

Read more... 0 Comments

From one David to another...

Posted on 12 Aug 2008 by Danielle

*Back on August 7th, David Cook threw out the first pitch at Shea.

There was a little more to the story than I originally thought.*


"American Idol" winner David Cook is continuing to enjoy the perks his big win brings -- he threw out the first pitch today at a New York Mets game.

"I'm a huge sports fan, a big baseball fan and so to be able to do anything like this is always really cool," Cook, who was sporting a beard, said of the experience.

David Cook was invited to Shea Stadium by Mets third baseman David Wright, who founded the David Wright Foundation. Cook said, "David [Wright] actually reached out to me towards the end of the ["American Idol"] season, really wanted to try to help out to get my older brother out to the finale and stuff, really reached out and he was cool, and then reached out very recently to invite me out today."

Cook's older brother has been battling a brain tumor.

Thanks to Tracy for this article. From what I can gather, David Wright paid for Cook's brother to travel to the season finale and see his brother win the American Idol title.

And this is exactly why I created this website. Very thoughtful, David. I'm absolutely floored.

Update: 1:23am EST

Once again, thanks to Tracy for the update. This quote is from Cathy Wood of helpbringadamback.com, a site created to financially aid Adam Cook in his attempt to fly to the season finale.

"All this time I have kept this information confidential because I thought that was what David Wright (and David Cook) wanted. Now that David has spoken about it, I figure it's okay.

Read more... 0 Comments

8/12 - What Wright Said...

Posted on 12 Aug 2008 by Danielle

(On Instant Replay)

David Wright said he thought the technology should also be used for close plays down the line that go for singles, doubles and triples. "I don't see any problems with it," he said.

But the technology is unlikely to be used for such plays. And Wright said emphatically that it should not be used for determining balls and strikes or other judgments. "There needs to be a human element that's involved," Wright said.

Credit: NY Times

0 Comments

Santana FINALLY gets some bullpen support in 4-3 win.

Posted on 12 Aug 2008 by Danielle

Go ahead. Hit the refresh button. I promise the headline won't change.

You did see the Mets get a run in the seventh to go ahead. And you did see Joe Smith hold it in the eighth.

And you know what?

You really did see Pedro Feliciano pitch a 1-2-3 inning in the ninth to earn his first save of the year, a victory for the Mets, and a win for Johan in a game he didn't complete.

The Mets got off to a quick start in the top of the first, with Evans singling, Beltran doubling to right, and Delgado shooting one into center, scoring both Carlos Beltran and Binghamton Boy No. 2.

Unfortunately, Santana gave up four hits to give back the lead in the top of the inning.

In the top of the third, Reyes singled, but Nick Evans lined into a double play on a long fly ball to center. But Wright doubled, Beltran doubled, and David wound up scoring.

The lead lasted until the bottom of the seventh, when Santana gave up a solo home run to Ryan Langerhans on a 2-0 count.

And with Wright on third, Beltran on second, and Tatis on first... Damion Easley took one off the helmet to allow Wright to score.

From there, it was game over... and Joe Smith and Pedro Feliciano put it away.

Johan Santana allowed three runs on eight hits and two walks, with six strikeouts.

There were a few notable performances tonight.

Reyes went 2-5 with a stolen base.

Carlos Beltran went 3-4 with a run scored and an RBI, finally looking much better at the plate.

David Wright went 2-5 tonight, with his 33rd double of the year, scoring twice.

His average has climbed to .294, continuing the run to .300.

0 Comments

8/11 - What Wright Said...

Posted on 12 Aug 2008 by Danielle

(On moving forward)

"As tough as this is, we've got to regroup, refocus and not allow this to carry over."

Credit: Newsday

0 Comments

Pedro phenomenal, bullpen... not so much. Mets lose 7-5.

Posted on 12 Aug 2008 by Danielle

You know that saying that you don't fully appreciate something until it's gone?

The New York Mets are kind of learning just how much they should appreciate closer, Billy Wagner.

All looked well for the New York Mets in the 1st inning, with David Wright clobbering a three-run homer 380 feet into left center.

Then Robinson Cancel went deep for the first time in his career, bouncing one off of the foul pole 340 ft. from home plate.

New York's meltdown cost Pedro Martinez his first win since July 7. Martinez allowed one run and three hits in six spectacular innings, receiving a standing ovation from the slightly soggy crowd at Shea Stadium.

But the Pirates rallied from a 5-1 deficit by scoring three in the seventh and then three more in the ninth against a Mets' bullpen missing Wagner, who is recovering from a strained left forearm.

Freddy Sanchez sparked a three-run seventh with an RBI double, former Met Doug Mientkiewicz added a run-scoring single and Ryan Doumit capped the frame with a sacrifice fly that cut the lead to 5-4.

Aaron Heilman entered in the ninth and gave up a single to Luis Rivas and walked Mientkiewicz before Doumit ripped a game-tying RBI single to right field. Heilman was lifted after he hit Andy LaRoche, batting a mere .183, with a pitch that loaded the bases.

Scott Schoeneweis recorded the second out when Brandon Moss hit a ground ball to Damion Easley and the second baseman made a perfect throw to catcher Cancel to get Mientkiewicz at the plate. But Schoeneweis then left a 3-2 pitch up to Pearce, who lined a two-run single to center field.

The comeback made a winner out of Denny Bautista, who struck out the side in the eighth and fanned Wright with two on the end the frame. John Grabow work around a leadoff single to Carlos Beltran and got Fernando Tatis to hit into a double play to record his second save of the season.

Mets interim manager Jerry Manuel was ejected in the ninth when Beltran took a questionable strike on a 3-1 pitch before singling to left. Manuel's frustration stemmed from the fact that New York blew a four-run lead twice.

It appears as though the Mets usually have one good reliever a game, this time, Duaner Sanchez, however... it seems to take forever and a blown lead to find him.

David Wright went 2-5 on the day with his 23rd home run and 32nd double of the season, along with three RBI's and a run scored.

His run scored tied him with Edgardo Alfonzo for seventh in Mets history.

Wright's average rose to .293, as he continues to make a bid for .300.

I was unfortunately at this game yesterday... and as happy as I was about Pedro, that's as unhappy as I was about the loss. The day did have it's bright spots:

Pedro. Dan Murphy. Duaner Sanchez.

That's about it.

And on the subject of Dan Murphy, he got an excellent ovation from the Shea Faithful. It was certainly well-deserved.

While some may argue that David Wright's strikeout, and subsequent frustrated throw of the bat and helmet, was the big HITTING failure of the game, I'd argue otherwise. And not just because it was David.

In the seventh inning, David led off with a double. Beltran came up and grounded out. Okay, at the least, Wright moved to third. Still, there was an out. AND THEN they walk Delgado, so 1st and 3rd, one out. BUT... when Tatis comes up and pops up, barely past the pitchers mound? When David could score on a fly ball? That to me was a problem. Then Easley grounds into the fielder's choice and it's done.

Heading into the eighth, knowing Heilman was coming in the ninth, I KNEW the team needed at the very least, three runs of support. One run isn't enough. Ever.

And once again, it wasn't.

And as David Wright said in the "Mets on... Dating" vignette on Diamond Vision, which surely made him cringe as they sat him down that day and told him what the question was, "I'm moody a lot of the time. It's because when we win, I feel great... and when we lose, I'm miserable."

Unfortunately, it seems as though Mr. Wright will be quite moody until 7pm Tuesday, as well.

Mets can't complete sweep, lose 8-2.

Posted on 10 Aug 2008 by Danielle

For the second time, the pesky Marlins, flanked by Josh Johnson, have bested Mike Pelfrey.

The big right-hander stifled the New York Mets for a season-high seven innings Sunday, leading the Florida Marlins to an 8-2 win and helping them avoid a three-game sweep by their NL East rivals.

The Mets returned to Shea Stadium after a 1-5 trip and began a stretch where they will play 23 straight days by taking two of three from Florida and jumping into second place in the East, a half-game ahead of the Marlins. They entered Sunday one back of the Phillies.

Endy Chavez's leadoff triple in the third was the one hard-hit ball off Johnson. Chavez scored on Jose Reyes' groundout.

Johnson struck out five in beating the Mets and Pelfrey for the second time - July 30 was the first.

The Mets had won nine of Pelfrey's last 10 starts coming in, but he gave up six runs in 4 2-3 innings in this one. The Marlins have scored at least five runs in each of his three starts against them this season.

After a swift first, Jacobs and Uggla hit consecutive doubles leading off the second inning. Jeremy Hermida added a sacrifice fly for a 2-0 lead.

The Marlins added a run in the fourth on three straight two-out singles by Cody Ross, Hermida and Matt Treanor, who had the run-scoring hit.

Pelfrey lost control in the fifth, walking two ahead of Uggla's two-run double and then hitting Ross in the back with a pitch. He walked Hermida, then kept his back turned to his manager and stared out to center field the entire wait for Eddie Kunz to arrive from the bullpen.

Kunz, making his third big league appearance, threw a wild pitch to score a run and make it 6-1.

Gonzalez hit his sixth home run and Jacobs added his 25th off Carlos Muniz in the sixth, and David Wright hit an RBI single in the bottom half for New York. Johnson eliminated any chance for a Mets rally by getting Carlos Delgado to ground into a double play.

David Wright went 1-4 this afternoon, with an RBI single, knocking in his 90th runner of the season.

His average dropped slightly to .291 as he makes the bid for .300 again.

0 Comments