Deadline Rumors

According to MLBTR The Cubs rejected an offer of Luis Castillo and Ollie Perez for Carlos Zambrano. Not really suprising. Castillo was a deal breaker here, but if we can at least get Perez off this team, I'd be fine with keeping Luis and who knows maybe Big Z can turn things around in New York.

Also some notes from SI's Jon Heyman:

- Mets shot down the Pirates offer of Octavio Dotel for minor league pitcher Robert Carson. Omar is really holding his prospects tight..

- Houston offered Brett Myers for Josh Thole and Bobby Parnell. I wouldn't make that trade, I still like Parnell's stuff and Thole has shown that he's going to be a solid hitter at the major league level. Hopefully as the hours fade, Houston will lower the price on Myers.

Mets vs. D'backs at 7:10: Line Up

Tonight the Mets send Mike Pelfrey to the mound to take on the Diamondbacks and Ian Kennedy at 7:10 in the Citi.  Here is tonight's line up, courtesy of the Mets on twitter:

Reyes-SS
Castillo-2B
Pagan-LF
Wright-3B
Beltran-CF
Davis-1B
Francoeur-RF
Blanco-C
Pelfrey-P

Interesting that Blanco is catching even though Thole is a lefty and Kennedy is a righty.  My guess would be that Jerry is trying to recapture that magic that Hank and Pelf had earlier in the season.  I guess my only real beef here is Castillo hitting second...but I think it's less where he is in the line up and more that HE IS in the line up that's bothering me...

Aren't the Cardinals looking for middle infield help?  Just sayin'...

Either way, Let's Go Mets.

My Opinion on Francoeur for Guillen Rumor

According to Jon Heyman on twitter, the Mets don't want to mess with the clubhouse chemistry by trading Francoeur to the Royals for Jose Guillen.

Would I pull the trigger on this deal?

ABSOLUTELY NOT.  This should have been dismissed the moment it was brought up.  The numbers aren't staggering for either player and Francoeur is much more valuable in the clubhouse.  The only way I would consider taking on Guillen if I were the Mets, is if the Royals were willing to take Castillo or Perez in the deal...but I sincerely doubt that would happen.

So for now, I say to Omar, sit on your hands...this one is not worth it.

Mets Pick Up W, Series Win, Game on Braves; Phillies Pick Up Oswalt

So, on a day that the Mets were able to pick up a series win by defeating the Cardinals 4-0 (box/wrap) and pick up a game in the standings on the Braves...The Phillies picked up Roy Oswalt, according to Ken Rosenthal on twitter.

Today R.A. Dickey was awesome, going 8 and 1/3 innings giving up only 4 hits and two walks.  One of those hits and walks, however, were issued in the ninth forcing Manuel to bring in K-Rod to close it for his 22nd save.  Usually I kill Jerry for basically anything he does, but this move was completely necessary.  He gave Dickey a chance to get the complete game, but once he got into ANY trouble, he needed to go to K-Rod, because the Mets NEEDED the win more than they needed the complete game shut out.

On the offensive side, the big story was Ike's big three-run homer, which ended up being all the Mets needed.  Also driving in a run for the Mets was Beltran.

This was a HUGE series for the Mets to take, but now they CANNOT allow a let down and they need to take 2 of 3 from the D'backs, IF NOT A SWEEP.  Today is July 29th, and tomorrow now becomes a big day/game for the Mets.  I'm not saying if they win tomorrow they will/should make a move, but there could be a little extra motivation if they do and the Braves lose.  In general, the Mets need to look for ways to make their team better for this season and the future, so while I would want to bring in a starter, I don't want to do it by risking the future.  It's the trade deadline, and being SMART should be the move...also, if they can dump Ollie or Cashstealo that wouldn't hurt...

As for the playoff hunt...

The Braves are a very good team, and obviously, the Phillies just got better.  Plus, the Mets are trailing a bunch of teams in the wild card race including the Giants and that stellar pitching staff.  But if the Mets get hot right NOW and win the next three series...that would go a long way towards them making a run this season, especially considering two of their next three series are against the Braves and Phillies...

Tomorrow the Mets look to build on this series win by starting off a three game set against the D'Backs with Pelfrey on the hill.  He's set to face Ian Kennedy at 7:10 tomorrow night.

Let's Go Mets

Mets Find Stroke Against Wainwright, Beat Cards 8-2

Last night the Mets bats woke up, against an unexpected foe, as the Mets picked up a game on the Braves and beat the Cardinals 8-2 in the Citi (wrap/boxscore).

After a road trip where the Mets couldn't hit or drive in runs, they came home to face one of the NL's best pitchers in Adam Wainwright and predictably...pounded him?  What?  I really have no idea where this offense outpouring came from but I am very happy it came.  Especially after hearing yesterday that the Mets may not be buyers this trade deadline, this was well timed.  This team NEEDS to be in on the division race, and cannot give up yet, this year.  A nice win streak might convince ownership to re-visit some deals that could give the team an edge, because there is still plenty of time, and Mets fans WANT something to root for...

At the dish the Mets got homers from Reyes and Francoeur (playing because of Bay's concussion), along with RBI for Wright, Beltran and Davis to help the team beat up on Cy Young candidate Adam Wainwright.  Unreal...

And on the bump...Niese went 6 innings giving up only one earned run on 7 hits.  Acosta, Valdez and K-Rod finished up the game, which was basically decided by the time these guys came in.

Bottomline, the Mets had a good night, but need to follow it up tonight with another good performance. They face Jaime Garcia tonight at 7:10, when they sent Santana to the hill.

Let's Go Mets

Literally the Deadline

Quick Rant:

The next few games should in my opinion dictate the direction Omar decides to steer the sinking ship come Saturday's trade deadline. Say the Mets drop the 1st two games to St. Louis, and are roughly 9.5 games our of first place....We should NOT be buyers. One piece won't help this team. One new manager won't help this team.

This could be a prime opportunity for the Mets to rebuild and put a decent ballclub out on the field in the seasons to come(With Bobby V back lets pray)

The Mets need new arms. No more Ollie, Maine, Japanese, or tired Relievers.

So, Im proposing we sell high on the new fan favorite Angel Pagan. Yes, he's maybe our most consistant player but the injury prone 29 year old could potentially bring back a decent return, hopefully the kind of pitchers who can compete for a rotation spot next year.

Pretty much anyone other than Reyes, Wright, Ike, Niese and Pelfrey i wouldn't mind parting with if it allows us to rebuild because the Post-Collapse Mets are more disgusting to watch than the 07-08 editions.

At this point I'm all for selling, this team has no life and much like 2004, we need to sink the whole ship if we ever want to see it sail (respectfully) again.

Mets Finish Road Trip 2-9, Talk With Royals About Deals

Yesterday was the same old story lately for the Mets, their starter pitched well enough to win, but the team couldn't score as they lost 1-0 to the Dodgers in L.A. (box/wrap).

This was a terrible road trip, and the Mets SOMEHOW managed to stay within reach of the Braves, although the Phillies are making a move.  Hopefully some home-cooking will make a difference this week, even though these aren't easy games against the Cardinals (Garcia, Wainwright and Suppan) before getting the D'backs again (we know how well that went last time).  All this before heading to Atlanta and Philly in consecutive series.

This will be a telling stretch for the Mets, especially considering the trade deadline just happens to fall into that time period.  Speaking of trade deadline...

Ken Rosenthal tweeted that the Mets are talking with the Royals about swapping some bad contracts.  Rosenthal mentions Farnsworth, Meche and Guillen as players in a potential deal, along with Cashstealo, Perez and Frenchy.  Although Rosenthal does mention that these probably won't be a straight three-for-three or even that a deal is imminent, he does acknowledge that things are being talked about. 

As much as I love Frenchy, and hate Jose Guillen, if you are the Mets and this deal (or some iteration of it) is possible, you HAVE to pull the trigger.  Farnsworth is having a very good year, and Meche if he's healthy can definitely help bolster your pitching staff.  But to me this biggest thing here is to get rid of the headaches you have in Perez and Castillo.  If Omar has a chance to move them, he really should jump on it as long as they're not going to cost any big time prospects.

Anyway, the Mets get tonight off before starting their series with the Cardinals tomorrow.  I hope coming back home will change their fortune, and the way they play ball, because this past weekend was NOTHING fun to watch...

Santana and Bay Lead the Way in Mets 6-1 Win

Last night the Mets took down the Dodgers 6-1 in L.A. (box/wrap) and Santana played a big part in the win.

Johan Santana was great last night giving up only 1 run on 5 hits, while striking out 4.  Bobby Parnell and K-Rod also did their part in pitching a perfect 8th and 9th to help secure a victory for the Mets.

At the plate the big blow was off the bat of Jason Bay who put the game away with a 3-run double in the eighth.  Bay wasn't alone as Ike went deep, and Henry Blanco had two hits as well.  It was nice to see the offense return last night...Maybe they can do it again today?

Mike Pelfrey heads to the mound today against Carlos Monasterios at 4:10 on FOX.  It's be a great time for a rebound outing from Pelfrey, who could really use it for his confidence.

Let's Go Mets.

Mets Drop Nieve, Gonna Call Up Acosta

According to Adam Rubin on ESPN.com, the Mets are trying to make their bullpen better by subtracting bad arms.  After last night's loss the Mets designated Fernando Nieve for assignment...And all I can say about that, is about time.

Although Nieve started the season pitching well, and being an integral part of the Mets bullpen, he's since been awful and with Ollie Perez around I guess the Mets decided they only need one mop-up guy.  Nieve was 2-4 with an ERA of 6.00 in 40 appearances.  That is awful...

Rubin reports that Nieve's spot in the 'pen will go to Manny Acosta, who should be up today.

Mets Blanked Again, Having More Trouble Scoring Than a Fat Kid in High School

Last night the Mets were blanked for the third time on this road trip, and lost to the Dodgers 2-0 despite a good effort from Hisanori Takahashi (box score/wrap).

When will enough be enough already?  This road trip has been miserable.  The team is losing, and looking terrible doing it.  On this current road trip the Mets have been shut out three times, not ONCE scoring more than 4 runs in a game.  They've scored 15 runs in their last 8 games...I'm no math major here, but that's less than 2 runs/game.  That isn't going to win anything, anytime, anywhere...

On a night where the line up was without Beltran, Bay and Barajas (which I don't think was a bad thing), the team only managed 5 hits with two of them coming from the often benched Jeff Francoeur.  I don't blame Jerry for shaking things up, in fact, Carter and Frenchy provided the only real offense spark last night.  At one point they put a runner on third base...that was fun.

I guess the bright side, if there has to be one, is that Takahashi didn't get lit again.  That was good.  He went 7 innings giving up 2 runs on 3 hits.  I just hope this doesn't convince management that their rotation is in good shape, because they still need another starter.

Not to get on this train again, BUT, the Mets are 0-4 since Castillo returned...Can you say black cloud?

The Mets try to turn things around tonight in L.A. sending Santana to the hill against Vincente Padilla...

Come on, Mets.

Frenchy May Be On His Way Out

In this article Mike Puma of the New York Post says that the Mets may be sending Jeff Francoeur somewhere else "by the time the Mets finish their series with Los Angeles this weekend."

Well that stinks.

I like Frenchy.  I like his personality.  I love his arm.  I'm not crazy about his plate discipline.  But I still want to see him succeed, and see him succeed in NY, with the Mets.  BUT...

I get it.  Pagan, Beltran and Bay.  There just isn't room for Frenchy...

He's not going to play everyday here, and he should have that opportunity.  Also, he's probably one of the more valuable trade pieces the Mets have right now, in that he's not essential to the team winning and he's young enough, and talented enough, that he has SOME value to a team willing to take a chance on him.  Most likely, we're not talking about a big deal here.  It'll probably be something to help the bullpen, or he'll be part (not necessarily a key one) of a deal that could potentially net a starting pitcher.

Either way, I'm a bit dissapointed.  But I think most people saw this coming at some point.  I know he was only in New York for what amounts to a year, BUT, this feels like I am breaking up with a girlfriend.  I just hope we can still be friends...

Mets Lose in Extras, Get Swept in the Desert

Despite Angel Pagan's best efforts the Mets fell to the D'backs again last night 4-3 (box score/wrap).  The Mets were swept in Arizona after losing 3 of 4 to the Giants.  For those of you keeping track that puts them at 1-6 so far on this road trip, and only by the mercy of the baseball gods, have they managed to stay ONLY 6.5 games behind the Braves.

It has been a bad week so far, and a horrendous second half of the season.  The only potential bright spot is that the Mets are now heading to L.A. to take on a Dodgers team that has also gone 1-6 in the second half of the season so far.  But playing bad teams haven't helped the Mets recently, since they were just swept by one of the worst teams in the league...

The four game set the Mets have with the Dodgers starts tonight at 10:10.  The Mets are sending Takahashi to the hill against Hiroki Kuroda.  It's time for a turn-around...

Mets Making Moves: Perez Up, Sign Cordero

According to Metsblog.com, the Mets have brought back Oliver Perez, and sent down Justin Turner to Triple-A. 

Turner was sent down instead of Josh Thole, which is probably the best move the Mets have made in some time.  The bottomline here is that Thole is the only catcher on the roster who is hitting.  So play him.  With the offense struggling the way it's been there is NO REASON to sit a hot bat, especially when it's really the only hot bat going right now.  Cerrone states in the posting above, that Manuel will likely increase Thole's playing time.  Good move Jerry...

Unfortunately, Oliver Perez is back, and will be a complete waste of a roster spot.  He'll probably be on mop up duty for awhile.  Hopefully, we won't see him for the rest of the road trip, because the Mets cannot afford another laugher like they had on Monday Night.

Also of note, Ken Rosenthal tweeted that the Mets have signed Chad Cordero to help in the bullpen.  My assumption is that this is an attempt to work around the not-so-great trade market for relievers this deadline.  Hopefully, he'll work out.  Clearly Omar has a bit of a crush on him, as he's been trying to get him back for a while.  His numbers in triple-A earlier this season weren't bad, so hopefully he'll be able to bring a little something to the 'pen should he get up to the big club.

Mets Lose Again in Desert, In Danger of Getting Swept By One of the Worst Teams in Baseball

Last night, despite the best efforts of Dickey, Thole and Pagan the Mets lost their second straight to the D'Backs 3-2 (box score/wrap).  The worst part of this whole mess is that now they could potentially get swept by one of the worst teams in baseball, and in order to avoid it, they'll have to beat Dan Haren.  Needless to say, Haren is a much better pitcher than Barry Enright, and he held the Mets to one run in 8 innings of work.  This is starting to get ugly quick...

The only real offense to speak of last night came off solo shots from Josh Thole and Angel Pagan, respectively.  Barry Enright? Really?  The Mets offense looks awful right now, even with the "shot in the arm" it was supposed to have gotten from Beltran and Castillo. 

Dickey continued his string of pitching well enough to win, and then not winning.  He went 7 innings giving up 3 runs.  Unfortunately for Dickey, the D'backs decided to test Beltran's range and speed last night by hitting balls into the gap, which CLEARLY still isn't where it was because of the injury.  He's just not getting to the balls in the gap, and behind him, the way he used to and it makes it tough to watch, especially when you think about who's playing right field for the Mets...

Tonight the Mets look to avoid the sweep by sending Jon Niese to the hill against Dan Haren.  The offense better wake up, because even if Niese tosses up zeroes all game, it won't be crap until they start scoring...

Phillies Working on Big Deal?

Jayson Stark on twitter, here, tweeted that "Indications Phillies are working on major deal for starting pitcher & would move Jayson Werth in a companion trade."

This report is supported by Buster Olney on twitter, who then took it a step further and tweeted, " Jayson Stark and I hearing a whole lot about the Phillies working hard on a deal for a frontline pitcher. Don't know for sure, but Oswalt fits in a lot of ways. They could make the dollars work by moving Jayson Werth's contract -- and they'd have Oswalt for 2011."


Wow, wow, and please GOD NO!


I mean isn't it bad enough the Mets are playing like crap right now, and the Braves are having a great season...Now the Phillies need to go out and get ANOTHER frontline pitcher.  The ONLY positive about this potential story is that Werth could end up somewhere else, which is great because I can't stand that guy.  BUT, a series against the Phillies where you would have to face Halladay and Oswalt does not make me feel good as a Mets fan...


If this happens, it sure as hell better kick Omar in the ass and get him to make SOMETHING happen.  BUT, he needs to be smart about it.  Either way, this isn't looking good...

You can read more in an article by Stark on ESPN.com, here. 

Mets Try To Rebound From Last Night's Thrashing at 9:40: Line Up

Last night was awful.  Pelfrey got rocked early and the team had no chance to win that game.  When your starter doesn't even keep it remotely close, there is NO shot of recovery.  The Mets will need to have a short memory, as they really need to right the ship tonight with R.A. Dickey on the mound against the D'Backs.  Here is tonight's line up courtesy of the Mets on twitter:

Reyes-SS
Pagan-RF
Wright-3B
Beltran-CF
Davis-1B
Bay-LF
Thole-C
Cashstealo-2B
Dickey-P


They need to hit tonight, need to pitch, and need to produce a win because they cannot afford to lose this series in Arizona.  They'll be facing Barry Enright tonight...yeah, I know...who?

Mets Avoid Sweep, Welcome Back Cashstealo, Potentially Unwelcome Back Perez

After a blown save, and a blown call, the Mets were able to avoid the sweep in San Fran by beating the Giants 4-3 in extra innings (box score/wrap).

So, Santana was great and deserved the win, but he's cursed on this team.  Santana gave up one run in 8 innings yesterday and was in line for the win until K-Rod blew the save, only to then vulture the win for himself.  Ugh...Johan deserves better, and K-Rod is really starting to bother me.  Everything is a freakin' nail biter with this guy.  I can't stand this crap anymore.  Do your job and shut the opposition down in the ninth without throwing 50 pitches and making it too close for comfort...

Anyway, on a positive note, Ike Davis is starting to hit again after going 3-5 yesterday with the game winning RBI.  He really carried the Mets offense over the the last two games of the Giants series, along with Wright who hit a bomb yesterday.

Lucky to even escape San Fran with a win after that horrible call at home, the Mets next stop is in Arizona tonight, where they FINALLY send Pelfrey to the mound to take on Ian Kennedy.  The game starts at 9:40.

In other news, it looks like Luis Cashstealo will be back with the team tonight and Oliver Perez will be rejoining the team in Arizona, as reported by Adam Rubin, here, for ESPN New York...ehhh.  Clearly, I'm not happy about any of this.  I don't like Cashstealo, and I don't like Perez.  But, I hope that the Mets can show that Perez is healthy enough that they can find SOME team to take a gamble with him...although I severely doubt it. 

As far as Luis, I just don't think he fits with the team anymore.  Despite Tejada's struggles at the plate, I really enjoyed watching the kid play.  It made me feel good as a Mets fan that this team, and the organization, has some nice upcoming talent.  Now, that young talent is put back on the back burner for some older, more broken down, talent.  I'm not happy, but this day had to come eventually...

Regardless, I hope Cashstealo finds himself in the 8 spot tonight, because breaking up Reyes and Pagan at the top of the line up would be a huge mistake.  On the same token, I wouldn't be surprised either if Barajas is hitting eighth tonight and Pagan finds himself hitting 6-7, and Cashstealo weasels his way back into the two-hole.  Although I really hope not.

I guess we'll just wait and see...

Mets Score Runs But Not Enough, Try To Avoid Sweep at 4:05: Line Up

Last night the Mets weren't shut out, but they still took an 8-4 loss to the Giants (box score/wrap). 

To me the thing to take from last night's game is that Takahashi just isn't cutting it anymore as a starter.  He has been a big piece of the puzzle for the Mets this year, and they probably wouldn't be where they are without him...BUT...he's getting hit now.  He needs to be moved back to the bullpen where he can continue to help the team, but the team cannot rely on him to start every fifth day.  They cannot continue on with him in the rotation and expect to keep winning at the rate they'll need to in order to keep up with the Braves and Phillies.

That being said, they need to avoid the sweep today, because they've been VERY lucky this weekend to only lose one game in standings and I don't know how much more help the Brewers and Cubs can provide the Mets this weekend.

The good news is that Johan Santana's last few starts have been amazing, and he's starting today for the Mets against Jonathon Sanchez.  Beltran will get the day off as expected, and Turner will get the start at 2B, with Tejada at short.  Here's the rest of the line up for today's game courtesy of Andy McCullough of the Newark Star Ledger twitter account:

Pagan CF
Turner 2B
Wright 3B
Bay LF
Davis 1B
Francoeur RF 
Hank White C 
Tejada SS
Santana P

Let's Go Mets.

Mets Look to Score a Run, Win a Game, in San Fran Tonight at 9:05

Barry Zito was awesome last night, as was Jon Niese, but the Mets still cannot seem to muster any offense against this great Giants staff.  Tonight will be another test when they send Takahashi to the hill against Matt Cain.  The game will start at 9:05 and will be on SNY.  Since Reyes is still out, and the Mets are facing a righty, here is tonight's line up as reported by the Mets on twitter:

Pagan-RF
Cora-2B
Wright-3B
Beltran-CF
Davis-1B
Bay-LF
Barajas-C
Tejada-SS
Takahashi-P

On the Night Beltran Returns, Pitching Is the Story as Mets Fall 2-0

Last night in San Francisco pitching was front and center in the Giants 2-0 win over the Mets (box score/wrap).

Last night R.A. Dickey went 7 innings giving up only 1 run on 5 hits, but that just wasn't good enough to win as Tim Lincecum threw a complete game shut out.  The only run Dickey gave up was on a rocket of a double by Pablo Sandoval, which would probably have been a homer anywhere else.  But outside of that Dickey was fantastic, unfortunately, so was Lincecum.

The only thing about last night's game I truly found infuriating was when, with 1 out and runners on first and third in the fifth, Manuel had Dickey sacrifice bunt to get two runners into scoring position.  This left runners on second and third with two outs, and Pagan at the plate.  Now, I know Pagan has been arguably the best Mets hitters with runners in scoring position, but COME ON...A GREAT major league hitter hits .300, that's 3 hits every 10 at bats.  Wouldn't you rather have two shots at driving in at least one run (mind you it was 1-0 at the time) rather than putting all your eggs in one basket and leaving it up to Pagan with two outs?  Yes, I understand that Dickey was up, and the double play would have killed the inning...but Dickey's been a pretty decent hitter so far this year, and more importantly, WHAT IF HE DIDN'T?  It would have tied the game. 

Jerry was frustrating last night, but on a lighter note, it was good to see Beltran back.  Tonight, the Mets look to even the series with Niese going up against Zito.  It will be interesting to see who starts in right for the team tonight, since Zito is a lefty.  Just something to think  about.

Injuries: Tatis Likely Out for the Year, Cashstealo Back in L.A.

2009 was filled with tough injuries for the Mets, but 2010, has been full of fortunate ones...

During the Mets/Giants telecast this evening Gary Cohen stated that Fernando Tatis underwent shoulder surgery yesterday and was moved to the 60-day DL in order to activate Carlos Beltran.  Beyond that, Cohen said that Tatis will likely be done for the season.

Not to rag on some of these hurt players, BUT...

Did anyone even remember Tatis was on this team until he got hurt?  When the Mets were having a big run in June, Tatis was nowhere to be seen.  On the same note, neither were Ollie Perez, Luis Castillo , John Maine nor Sean Green.  Maybe there was a little addition by subtraction going on there...

On a much more depressing note, according to Adam Rubin for ESPN New York, it looks like Luis Cashstealo is aiming to return to the Mets at some point next weekend against the Dodgers.  Anyone who knows me, knows I am dreading this.  I just don't like the way he plays, and I don't like the influence he seems to have on Reyes.  All-in-all I would prefer he stay injured...

Second Half Starts Tonight at 10:15: Line Up

UPDATE:

Reyes was pulled from the line up with oblique pain.  The new line up is as follows:

Pagan-RF
Cora-2B
Wright-3B
Beltran-CF
Davis-1B
Bay-LF
Thole-C
Tejada-SS
Dickey-P

---------------------------

Tonight the Mets start their second half in San Fran against Tim Lincecum and the Giants.  R.A. Dickey will take the mound for the Mets, and a long lost friend returns to the line up.  Here's tonight's starting line up, courtesy of the Mets on twitter:

Reyes-SS
Pagan-RF
Wright-3B
Beltran-CF
Davis-1B
Bay-LF
Thole-C
Cora-2B
Dickey-P

First off, seeing Beltran in the clean up spot is making me very very happy.  Hopefully he's 100 percent.  Also, I really like seeing Thole in the line up.  It makes me feel good about the present and the future.  Cora, being a lefty, gets the start at second...

Let's Go Mets.

All-Star Wrap: NL Wins, D. Wright and CitiField

Last night the NL broke a 13-year losing streak in All-Star games and secured home field advantage in the World Series for the League.  The NL won 3-1 on a bases clearing double from Braves catcher Brian McCann in the seventh inning.  The winning pitcher for the NL was Matt Capps, with the save going to Jonathon Broxton and the loss to Phil Hughes of the Yankees.  You can check out the box score here.

Although I am happy the NL won, I still think the whole "game counting" thing is a bunch of BS.  I know it's been said a million times but why can't they just go back to the best record getting home field.  Does pride not exist anymore?

Speaking of pride, D. Wright went 2-2 and swiped a bag last night in the game.  Now, that's pride.  He plays hard all the time...I love the guy, and since D. Lee (David Lee) was recently sent out of town, I feel D. Wright needs to accept the "D-last name" nickname.  I like it.  Think it's bad-ass.

And finally, in this post to Metsblog, Michael Barron talks about how Bud Selig feels that CitiField deserves an All-Star game.  In the post Barron mentions 2013, as the potential year.  Good idea...Great idea...Do it.

Olney Ranks Contending Teams Schedules, Mets at 13

In an article for ESPN.com insider, here, Buster Olney ranks the difficulty of the remaining schedules for the 17 teams currently above .500 in MLB. 

Good news, the Mets schedule is 13th hardest out of the 17 teams currently over .500.  Bad news, the Braves have the 14th hardest schedule...Although the Mets have only 36 games remaining against teams over .500 while the Braves have 37.  Meanwhile, the Phillies have the 10th ranked schedule according to Olney with 39 games against teams with plus records.

To be honest, this is interesting, but none of this really matters.  The games are played on the field, not on paper.  So, the Mets will need to take care of business one way or the other.  However, I do like that Olney thinks Strasburg will most likely be shut down for the year by the team the Mets finish the season against the Nats.  That could be helpful...  

Mets Wrap Up First Half With W, 48-40 Record

Today, Johan Santana stepped up and delivered his second consecutive dominant performance, and helped lead the Mets to a 3-0 victory (box score/wrap).

Santana threw 7 innings giving up only 5 hits and walking 3, while striking out 5.  Bobby Parnell came in after Johan and continued his quality performances since returning to the bigs with a perfect eighth inning before K-Rod came in and threw a perfect inning of his own.  Mets pitching was the story today, and that was what brought the team back to within 4 games of the Braves.

For the Mets at the plate, Ike Davis went VERY deep, Josh Thole got a pinch hit RBI and Alex Cora drove in a run as well.

The Mets head into the All-Star Break 4 games back of the Braves and 8 games over .500, and they'll be getting, arguably their best player, Carlos Beltran back right after the break.  In order to make the room for Beltran, Jesus Feliciano was sent back down, and Angel Pagan will be sliding over to right field.  Although I want to see more playing time for Frenchy, there is no denying that Angel Pagan makes this team better than Francoeur does.  I hate to say this, but Frenchy will have to be a part-time player for the rest of the season, unless he is traded or something...

Either way, this team is a LOT better than people thought they would be at this point in the season and that alone is VERY EXCITING.  The second half will hopefully be full of more good baseball and more Met victories...

Let's Go NL. 

Jeurys Familia in the Future Stars Game

Mets farmhand Jeurys Familia just stepped onto the hill with two outs in the eighth, of the Future Stars Game, and immediately gave up 3 consecutive doubles and two runs to the U.S. team.  Yikes...

Although Familia looks huge on the hill and was definitely hitting 96, he was consistently falling behind hitters.  I don't care what level you are on you DO NOT want to fall behind hitters because any player worth his salt CAN hit a fastball.  If you're in the future stars game, chances are you can hit a fastball.  And if you're falling behind in the count, chances are you're going to throw a fastball.  I think you get my point...

Despite him getting knocked around it was nice to see him throw, if for nothing but being able to put a player to the stats/name.  He's young, and I'm sure he'll end up being a good reliever at some point, but I'm just saying was not pretty watching his fastballs end up in the gap, while he struggled to get one out...

Dickey, Mets, Done in by Back-to-Back Homers in 4-2 Loss to Bravos

Tonight, R.A. Dickey turned in a good performance, but back-to-back homers in the 7th put the Braves out in front to stay, in a 4-2 win tonight at the "Citi" (wrap/box score).

R.A Dickey was pitching, and hitting, well tonight.  Then in the 7th with two outs, Melky Cabrera got behind one and sent it out to right.  The next batter Omar Infante followed suit and did the same, giving the Braves a lead they would be able to hold.

The only real offense tonight came from R.A. Dickey, as he reached base on two hits and scored twice as well.  He scored on a sac fly from David Wright, and a mis-played line drive by Eric Hinske that was recorded as an RBI double for Jose Reyes.

As far as I'm concerned tonight was not a good game.  It's usually a tough night when the most you can find to talk about was the starting pitcher, on both offensive and defensive side (save for the other night with Santana's shut out and homer). 

This is not a good way to start the series, as the Mets really need to get in gear to win this series and go into the All-Star break down ONLY two games to the Braves.  Any more losses this series and the Mets may find themselves in third place 5 or 6 games out.  That would not be a good way to go into the break...

Tomorrow night the Mets try to turn it around by sending Pelfrey to the mound against Tim Hudson.  This will not be an easy task for the Mets, but if they want to make the post-season or make a run at the post-season they need to start winning some tough games, and some divisional games...

We want a Lefty not named Lee

The Mets chances of getting Cliff Lee were probably equivalent to King James gracing the Nets with his talents in 2010. So the Tri-State area now needs to shift the focus from getting a star, to a piece that will help a playoff push. Since the Mets supposedly don’t have enough God-like prospects to trade with almighty Seattle (Neither do the Yankees I guess?), the most logical move would be to trade for Ted Lilly. Adding a crafty left-hander to the back of the rotation isn’t too exciting but Lilly would provide depth and allow Takahashi to revive a depleted bullpen.

Let’s get into the numbers for Ted Lilly:
In his last 4 years with Chicago in the National League, Lilly has posted a 3.71 ERA and is 15 games over .500 with the Cubies. Lilly is a fly ball pitcher which explains his rather high, 1.3 HR/9 average. This would work to Lilly’s advantage at Citi Field. I’m sure many balls that sail out at Wrigley Field will barely make the warning track in Flushing. Lilly also doesn’t walk too many batters (2.1 BB/9 in 2010) and gets his share of strikeouts considering his velocities sinking below 90. In 2010 Ted has gone 3-7 but has an ERA that’s better than any one of Ollie Perez, John Maine and Hisanori Takahashi.

Besides the numbers, Ted Lilly would benefit the Mets in a number of ways.

• He is a solid back end of the rotation pitcher.
• Chicago wants to dump salary, they would most likely take a package of average joe minor leaguers in return. This would leave the Mets room to acquire another reliever.
• He is a free agent at the end of the season…
• Best of all, (Drum Roll please) according to MLBTR, Lilly projects as a Type A Free Agent. That means the Mets would receive two supplemental draft picks in return for an aging veteran.

If the price is right, It was be a no-brainer to trade for Ted Lilly than let him walk, take the draft picks and maybe this time next year Seattle will respect at least one New York farm system.

Stats courtesy of baseballreference.com

Dickey Against Hanson in Game 1 of Series: Line Up

First off, the Mets sent down Igarashi and brought up Nick Evans earlier today, as reported by Metsblog.  Reyes will slip into the two-hole tonight, which is some interesting stuff.  Here is the rest of the line up for tonight's game for the Mets, courtesy of Adam Rubin on twitter:

Pagan CF
Reyes SS
Wright 3B
Davis 1B
Bay LF
Thole C
Francoeur RF
Tejada SS
Dickey P


More playing time for Thole, and Tejada.  And I have absolutely no problem with that...


Big game to start a big series...

Let's Go Mets!

Did I say Yankees? I Meant Rangers Get Lee

Well, in between leaving work and running 8 miles, Cliff Lee ended up NOT going to the Yankees and instead was dealt to the Rangers, according to Joel Sherman on twitter, as forwarded by Metsblog. 

According to Jon Paul Morosi on twitter the deal is Lee and Mark Lowe for Justin Smoak, Blake Beaven, Josh Lueke and Matt Lawson.  Morosi is also reporting that the Mariners are not paying ALL of Lee's salary, as others are reporting. 

First off, I'm happy it wasn't the Yankees...

Secondly, the thing that jumps out to me is that Seattle isn't paying ALL of Lee's salary, which I think is more shocking to me that they're paying ANY.  I mean, I get that Texas has financial issues.  But they are getting Lee, Lowe and at least SOME of Lee's salary being paid for?  Does that strike anyone besides me as being a very good deal for Texas, even in spite of giving up Smoak?  Oh and on top of Lee, whose numbers are ridiculous (2.34 ERA, 86 Ks and 6 BBs), the Rangers also got Mark Lowe who's not too shabby either putting up a 3.48 ERA. 

Here's more on what Texas is giving up, to get Lee...

Smoak was hitting .209 with 8 homers and 34 RBI with the Rangers this season.  Beavan had a 2.78 ERA with 68 Ks to 12 BBs, while Josh Lueke's ERA was 3.86 as a reliever in Double-A and Matt Lawson was hitting .277 with 7 homers and 34 RBI.

While I think Smoak was a nice get for the Mariners, the Rangers also have Chris Davis who is just as capable as Smoak, and probably has more power potential at the plate.  I would imagine Davis will be brought up to replace Smoak sooner rather than later.  But overall, this is a great deal for the Rangers, and although Seattle got a good return, I just don't know if this was as big a ransom as they had originally hoped for...

Either way, it's time for the Mets to start sniffing a little harder around Ted Lilly, or Fausto Carmona...

Yankees Close To Lee, I'm Close To Pissed

According to Matt Cerrone of Metsblog, here, it looks like the Yankees will be landing Cliff Lee. Cerrone basically cites any and all of the usual suspects in his report (Sherman, Rosenthal, Olney, Price, Davidoff, etc.).  The most recent update lays out the three prospects the Yankees would be giving up, Jesus Montero, David Adams and Zach McCallister.  And I'm pissed...

First off, I hate that the Yankees are getting him.  It's just an embarassment of riches at this point, and honestly, DO THEY EVEN NEED HIM?  The Yankee rotation, should this deal be finalized would be Sabathia, Lee, Hughes, Vazquez, Burnett and Pettite.  That is remarkable.  This would most likely have to involve another move, as I don't think even the Yankees need 6 starters of that caliber.  I mean, this is ridiculous...

As far as the Yankees offer, outside of Montero I know very little about the players involved.  Although Baseball America has Montero as the number 4 rated prospect in baseball, he's having a tough year at the plater hitting only .253 in Triple-A, but does have six homers.  In regards to the other pieces: McCallister has a mid-4 ERA in Triple-A, while David Adams is currently hitting .309 with 3 homers in Double-A.

I guess, at the end of the day the Mariners wanted to fill their need, and get the best player available.  No one the Mets could have offered, short of Niese or Davis, would have had as high an upside as Montero does, and no one would fill Seattle's need for a catcher in the same way.  So, at the end of the day it looks like Seattle will get the catcher they want, but I wonder if they really got enough other pieces for this trade to really have worked out in their favor.

Anyway, I think I am on the Ted Lilly bandwagon now.  Unless the price for Oswalt drops, I would say Lilly would probably be the best option for the Mets not named Oswalt, who can probably be had at a decent price.  Either way, I hope Omar makes his move soon because as good as Dickey and Takahashi have been this year, it's starting to look like some magic is starting to wear off on that front, especially with Takahashi.

Cliff Lee Watch: Reds and Rangers Into It

In an article published late last night for MLB.com, here, T.R. Sullivan reports that the Rangers and Mariners are having discussions centered around Cliff Lee.  In the article Sullivan throws around names like Justin Smoak, Chris Davis, Derrek Holland, Blake Beavan and Jarrod Saltalamacchia as potential trade pieces that the Rangers could use to get Lee. 

Smoak and Chris Davis are two major league ready bats, with Davis having the bigger power potential but being the more inconsistent of the two, which is why he's not with the big club.  (Side note: I do a home run pool every year and the last two I've taken Chris Davis, in the prospect category, only to see him not stick around in the majors long enough to provide me much help).  Saltalamacchia is another guy who just doesn't seem to be what people thought he would be, but maybe it's been the injuries or moving in between organizations that have retarded his progress.  As for Holland and Beaven although they aren't the top pitchers in the Rangers system, they still have nice upside.  So, any deal to me, involving Beaven or Holland, along with Davis and Saltalamacchia would have to be considered by Seattle.  But...

I wonder whether a deal from the Rangers involving Salty, Holland and Davis is a better deal for the Mariners than something like Mejia, Thole and Pagan/Nieuwenhuis/Havens/etc from the Mets.  But it's always difficult to trade within the division, right?  And, Isn't Safeco where power hitters go to die?  I would argue that Thole/Pagan would make more sense in Seattle than a Davis or Salty because of Thole's hitting style, Pagan's speed, and the "small ball" mentality that the Mariners seem to have with Ichiro, Jack Wilson and Figgins.  But the Mariners did recently re-acquire Russell Branyan, so maybe it's not so "small ball" after all...

As for the Reds, rumors have them swapping names with the Mariners about Lee as well.  According to FOXSports Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi, here, some names that might be considered are Juan Francisco, Yonder Alonso along with Matt Maloney and Travis Wood. 

More top prospects being discussed here, and that's what it's going to take to get Lee because he immediately transforms a team into a contender, and if they were one to begin with, it makes them a serious contender.  Especially considering how he's been pitching lately...

So while I think the Mets need to be in on Lee, I wouldn't be miserable if they acquired someone like Ted Lilly instead.  There are many options out there, and I hope Omar does whatever he needs to do to improve the team, without giving up the entire farm.

Niese Pitches Well But Arroyo Has Mets Number as Reds Win 3-1

Tonight Niese made only a few mistakes, but infortunately two of them were against Brandon Phillips who made Niese pay by driving in two runs and leading the Reds to a 3-1 win tonight (box score/wrap), and a series win.

Bronson Arroyo killed the Mets yet again tonight, going 8 innings, scattering 7 hits and giving up only a solo homer to Angel Pagan.  The Mets had chances tonight, but just couldn't get things done, especially in the 8th and 9th innings, when they had opportunities with the tying run (at least) at the plate.

Pagan and Thole both had two hit nights for the Mets but it just wasn't enough.  The offense just didn't get it done tonight and as well as Niese pitched, it just wasn't enough.  Niese went 7 and 2/3 innings giving up 3 runs while striking out eight.  Niese continues to look good this year, and has proven that he can be a valuable and successful piece to this pitching staff throughout the season.  But as well as Niese threw tonight, and has been all year, tonight he was just out-done by Arroyo.  It happens...

The Mets have a day off tomorrow before starting a big three game set with the Braves this weekend.  After this series the Mets can be tied with the Braves for first, 6 games back, or anywhere in between.  This is an important series for confidence considering how early in the season it is, and the way it's timed against the All-Star break.

Mets Go For Series Win Behind Niese at 7:10, Line Up

Niese takes the hill against Bronson Arroyo at 7:10.  Here's the line up courtesy of the Mets on twitter:

Reyes-SS
Pagan-CF
Wright-3B
Davis-1B
Bay-LF
Thole-C
Feliciano-RF
Cora-2B
Niese-P

Jerry's been looking for ways to get Thole in there and facing a righty starter tonight is a great opportunity.  I'm not wild about sitting Frenchy for Feliciano, but I guess he needs the night off despite the day off tomorrow and the up-coming All-Star break. I really hope that's not the logic there.  It's more likely that it's a righty/lefty thing for Jerry, he loves that stuff.  Also getting the night off is Tejada, once again a victim of righty/lefty match ups.  


Let's see a good one out of Niese tonight, this would be a nice win heading into the weekend against the Braves...

Johan and Con Ed Provide Fireworks in Queens Last Night

Last night the Mets defeated the Reds 3-0 (box score/wrap) on what I was told was a fantastic performance from Johan Santana.  The reason I heard he pitched well and didn't see it?  Well, Johan wasn't the only one providing fireworks last night with his first career home run, as my block in Queens had a giant explosion and the "transformer blew".  So outside of not having power on the hottest day in the last 30 years, not sleeping much, missing a great pitching performance and Santana hitting a bomb, I would say I had a pretty great night...ugh.

I'm not even going to pretend like I can talk about this game any more than from what I saw in the highlights.  So let's just leave it as Johan had a great night all-around, and the Mets need to build on that tonight to take the rubber game of this series with the Reds...

Tonight it's Niese against Arroyo at 7:10...

Let's go Mets.

Mets vs. Reds at 7:10, Line Up

Here' is tonight's line up courtesy of the New York Mets on twitter:

Reyes-SS
Pagan-CF
Wright-3B
Davis-1B
Bay-LF
Francoeur-RF
Barajas-C
Tejada-2B
Santana-P

Reyes is back, and I'm thinking a winning streak will soon follow...

Let's Go Mets.

Crazy Fifth Inning, Joey Votto Lead Reds to 8-6 Victory

Tonight the Mets had a tough time with Joey Votto and the fifth inning as the Reds won the opener of this three game series tonight, 8-6 (box score).

Before we get into the craziness that was the fifth inning of tonight's game, the REAL story was the way Joey Votto played tonight.  Votto killed the Mets tonight, going 3-4 hitting 2 homers, and scoring 3 times.  The Mets could not keep Votto in the park tonight, and that made a huge difference in this game, especially the solo shot he hit in the 6th off Nieve.  The homer Votto hit in the sixth was a huge response to the bottom half of the fifth inning the Mets put up...

So, now, let's talk the fifth inning...

In the fifth inning with the bases loaded and no outs Mike Pelfrey threw a 2-2 pitch to Scott Rolen that came in a bit tight on him.  Rolen tried to hold back on a check swing, but couldn't and Barajas caught the pitch.  Rolen immediately took off down the first baseline acting as if he were hit, but the home plate ump, said the ball hit the bat and was caught for strike three.  Dusty Baker came out and after some discussion the umpires overturned the ruling as gave Rolen first base, and the lead 2-1, on a hit-batsman.  Pelfrey then retired the next two batters, only to give up consecutive run scoring hits to the 7, 8 and 9 (a triple to the pitcher) hitters.  So, as much as the replays were questionable as to whether or not Rolen was hit, the bigger issue was how hard Pelfrey worked to get the next two outs and coming close to limiting the damage.  BUT...after a bad call on a pitch on the outside part of the plate to the number 7 hitter, Drew Stubbs, Pelfrey seemed to lose his cool and left pitches up in the zone.  The Reds scored 6 runs in the fifth...

But the Mets did not just roll over, and came out in the bottom of the fifth and score 5 runs themselves, leaving them down only one after the crazy frame.  Unfortunately it only stayed that way until one out in the sixth (one batter later) when Joey Votto blasted his second homer of the game, making the score 8-6.

Overall, Pelfrey wasn't goog tonight.  The Mets did their best to come back but they couldn't manage clawing themselves all the way out of the 6 run hole.  At least the Braves lost too...

Tomorrow the Mets will send Johan Santana to the mound against a pitcher yet to be determined after tonight's scratch of Aaron Harang.  The game will start at 7:10.

Harang Scratched Replaced with Wood, Thole to The Bench Tonight

Aaron Harang has been scratched with lower back issues, according to the SNY Pregame.  Mike Wood, a lefty, will make the start instead for the Reds.

To counter that move Josh Thole is no longer in the starting line up, instead Rod Barajas will get the start against the lefty.

Also Tejada and Cora has swapped spots in the order.  Tejada is now in the two-hole, with Cora hits eighth.  Another lefty adjustment...

Game time is just minutes away.

Let's go Mets.

Mets vs. Red at 7:10, Line Up

No Reyes again tonight, but according to Metsblog he will be in there tomorrow.  Josh Thole gets another start, nice to see what the kid can do.  Although I can't help but think this might have something to do with Cliff Lee, just saying.  Here's the line up courtesy of Michael Barron at Metsblog:


Angel Pagan CF
Alex Cora 2B
David Wright 3B
Ike Davis 1B
Jason Bay LF
Josh Thole C
Jeff Francoeur RF
Ruben Tejada SS
Mike Pelfrey P

The Reds are tough, and they are led by Scott Rolen who's been unreal this season.  This will not be an easy series, but I like the pitching match up here tonight in favor of the Mets, as long as Pelfrey keeps the ball down...

Let's Go Mets.

Mets Bats Secure Split With Nats, Come Home To Face Reds

Yesterday the Mets bats came to life in a 9-5 victory over the Nationals yesterday (wrap/box score). 

Jason Bay had a huge day with 4 RBI, and Davis hit a homer while driving in two himself.  Pagan and Francoeur also added RBI for the Mets, with 2 and 1 respectively.  On the hill, Takahashi started out well for the first few innings and then started to get hit again.  Fortunately for the Mets they had enough of a lead at that point that the Nats spend most of the day trying to make it close, instead of realistically having a shot to tie and win the game.

Tonight the Mets face the Reds in the "Citi" as Aaron Harang heads to the hill for the Reds against Mike Pelfrey...

Let's go Mets.

After Yesterday's Blow Up, Mets Look For Redemption at 1:35

I'm not going to waste any time talking about how annoying K-Rod is to watch, or how he is bound to blow saves pitching the way he does....

Instead, I'll be happy that the Mets weren't dominated by Strasburg because that means maybe the future won't be so bleak in the NL East afterwards.  Yeah Strasburg's probably going to be very good, BUT, sometimes teams can just have your number.  Maybe the Mets can be that team for Strasburg...

Redemption time today.  Here's today's line up courtesy of Adam Rubin:

Pagan CF
Cora 2B
Wright 3B
Davis 1B
Bay LF
Francoeur RF
Barajas C
Tejada SS
Takahahsi P

No Reyes again, as he's still sore.  But it's time for the team to split the series...

Let's Go Mets! 

Late Postgame Friday

Last night in Washington, the Mets held off the Nats as Jon Niese went seven strong and gave up only one run. Niese has been the savior of this team, really stepping up when the Mets need a victory. This was definetly a big win, coming off of a loss thursday and the debacle in San Juan. Niese threw a career high 117 pitchers and stuck out eight.

One again we saw another dicey K-Rod outing as he let up two runs on two hits before picking off Bernadina at second to end the game.

David Wright stayed hot, smacking 3 hits and Alex Cora came up huge with a three run triple.

Mets split the first two games of this series and it would be a huge confidence booster to win today vs. God (Strasburg) going up against a guy who's completely opposite stuff (Dickey). Knuckler vs. the Ultimate Flamerthrower, Mets get their first taste of the chosen one this year. Game is 4:30 on Fox.

Lets Go Mets

Mets/Nats Tonight at 7:05

Tonight in Washington the pitching match up is Luis Atilano against Jon Niese.  Here's the line up courtesy of the Mets on twitter:

Pagan-8
Tejada-6
Wright-5
Davis-3
Bay-7
Barajas-2
Francoeur-9
Cora-4
Niese-1

Pagan is back in the line up, as is Jason Bay, which should help spark the Mets offense.  Unfortunately the team's true spark plug Reyes is out again, but SHOULD be back tomorrow.  The bottomline is the Mets need to take control of games, as they've had the the games taken to them so far on this road trip.  A nice big top of the first, followed by a goose egg from Niese would be the perfect medicine for that...

Let's Go Mets.

Beltran Might Be Back Monday, Or July 15

So, it looks like the countdown to Carlos is getting real.  According to Adam Rubin of ESPN NewYork, here, the two dates the Mets are targeting for Beltran's return are July 5th and July 15th.  In his article Rubin goes on to explain that if Carlos will not be available for Monday against the Reds, then it wouldn't be worth activating Carlos for the last series before the all-star break.  The reasoning being that once Carlos gets going, they wouldn't want him to have days off for the break, and might rather have him play through the break and then activate him on the 15th instead.

I can't deny the logic there.  It makes sense to keep Carlos playing and active.  Although I would love to have him up by Monday, if he needs a little more time then July 15th sounds great to me.  It would be a nice boost for the team to have Carlos back before the break, and it will certainly create an interesting outfield scenario for the Mets as the trade deadline approaches.  It'll be interesting to see what happens to Angel Pagan and Jeff Francoeur's playing time once Beltran returns. 

But having too many good outfielders is a nice problem to have, especially when one of them is a healthy Carlos Beltran...

Johan Pitches Well, But Nats Are Walk Off Winners Over Mets 2-1

And so it goes for Johan Santana in New York...

Johan was awesome last night, but the Mets line up was unable to muster more than 1 run off of Livan Hernandez and the Nats defeated the Mets 2-1 in walk-off fashion (box score/wrap).

It is really unbelievable how jinxed Johan is in New York.  The guy cannot buy a win, even when he pitches 7 innings giving up only 1 run on 6 hits while striking out 7.  It's gotten to a point for me where if Johan pitches well, I am actually MORE concerned about the team's ability to win that game.  When Johan gets hit, the team usually finds a way to fight back and make things interesting, but not when he pitches well.  Then the team finds a way to make errors, or not hit, and leave Johan hanging there.  It's very frustrating to watch, and I'm sure even more frustrating if you're Johan...

Although the team had 8 hits on the night, they were unable to push in more than one run, which Ike drove in with a first inning RBI single.  They did have a sort of make-shift line up last night, and hopefully Reyes, Pagan and Bay will all return to the line up tonight and that will kick-start the offense.   But there is one thing that needs to be asked...

HOW THE HELL DOES LIVAN HERNANDEZ HAVE AN ERA UNDER 3.00? 

But I digress...

Despite the Mets success on their previous road trip they are currently 1-3 on this one, and their overall road troubles don't seem to have gone away.  The more concerning thing about this road trip is that they're facing the Marlins and Nationals, two divisional rivals, who the Mets have NOT been able to handle this season.  Put those two together and you have some serious reason for concern...

But the Mets send Jon Niese tonight to try to even up this current four game set with the Nats.  Luis Atilano will throw for Washington tonight at 7:05.  The game will air on SNY...

Let's Go Mets! 

Santana Against Livan Tonight, Line Up

Here is tonight's line up courtesy of David Lennon on twitter:

Feliciano-8
Tejada-6
Wright-5
Davis-3
Francoeur-9
Carter-7
Blanco-2
Cora-4
Santana-1


I guess Jose needs another night off.  Hopefully tonight will be the last of that.  Also, it looks like Jerry really wants to keep trying to find ways to get Carter at bats, which I'm fine with, but Bay didn't start on Tuesday either.  Does he really need another night off?  I'm not sure tonight is the best time to sit him.  Also looks like Pagan is getting a little more time to rest, and Barajas has been pretty bad lately, so I like Blanco in there.


Overall...this isn't the normal line up...


But either way...


Let's Go Mets.

Recap: A Win, An Injury, A Rumor, A Rehab

Here's a list of things I want to recap and give my input on.  Normally I would have done them WHILE they were happening but sometimes things get busy...

Last night the Mets defeated the Marlins 6-5 (box score/wrap), despite a poor outing from Mike Pelfrey.  Pelfrey got pounded to the tune of 12 hits and 4 runs in 4 and 2/3 innings of work.  NOT A GOOD NIGHT.  Fortunately for the Mets, the offense and bullpen were able to pick Pelfrey up and get the team a win, which helped them avoid the sweep in Puerto Rico.  K-Rod came in in the eighth after Parnell put the Mets in some trouble, but K-Rod was able to get Wes Helms to fly out.  Then K-Rod made it interesting, again, in the ninth but was able to save the game for the Mets.

The Mets got some nice all-around effort on the offensive end, highlighted by David Wright's 2-5 game with 2 RBI and another pinch-hit RBI from Josh Thole (his second in two night).  And not to be the guy who rains on our parade, because I DO think this team is better overall with Barajas behind the plate, BUT...he's now down to .244 and the staff has been getting ripped lately.  All I really mean to say by that is, I'm happy the Mets decided to wait before considering extending Rod...

Also of note from yesterday's game was Jose Reyes' last minute removal from the line up due to a his side hurting, which you can read more about on Metsblog, here.  In the post, Michael Barron quotes Jerry as saying it had something to do with the turf at Hiram Bithorn Stadium.  That wouldn't surprise me much considering the way Gary and Keith talked about the field basically being built on top of a parking lot, and the cement being the base underneath the field.  Either way, I hope to see Jose back in the line up tonight, BUT, I also wouldn't be surprised if he needed another night off.  Any more missed time than that and I may start getting concerned...

ON TO OLLIE...

I know he's doing rehab starts and all that, but is it really necessary?  He has no trade value anyway.  The best thing the Mets can hope for is that he "suffers a set back" the same way John Maine did and the team can continue on without him.  As for Beltran's rehab seemingly going well, I'm cautiously excited.  I know it's cliche and people have been saying this for quite some time, but Beltran REALLY is the best player the Mets can add at the trade deadline....Well....offensive.

Speaking of Cliff Lee, Metsblog notes some rumors here and here regarding how much the Mets would need to give up to get Lee.  Here's what I would and wouldn't do...

The following I think can be traded in any combination in order to get Lee, of course with the caveat that they cannot take more than 4 from this list: Josh Thole, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Jordany Valdespin, Reese Havens, Bobby Parnell, Brad Holt, Ruben Tejada, Sean Ratliff or Juerys Familia.

NOW, if the Mariners needed one of F-Mart, Wilmer Flores, Angel Pagan or Jenrry Mejia to get the deal done I would NOT want to give up more than one of them combined with NO MORE than two of the guys from the previous list.

Interestingly enough, I think the guy who is closest to untouchable to me is Wilmer Flores.  But, I don't think anyone should be off limits right now.  The farm system seems to have enough in it that you can make this deal without losing all your top prospects.  So Omar, make a deal to make this team a winner.  Just be smart about it, and don't give up too much...