August 31, 2007
Mets Swept Away In Philly
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| Mets catcher Mike DiFelice, left, loses the ball as Phillies' Tadahito Iguchi celebrates scoring the game-winning run in the ninth inning. |
Mets nemesis Pat Burrell homered twice. Ryan Howard and Aaron Rowand also connected for the Phillies, who wasted leads of 5-0 and 8-5 before falling behind 10-8 in the eighth. That's when the Mets called on Wagner, who hadn't pitched since last Friday after experiencing a tired arm.
Looking for his first six-out save in eight years, Wagner (2-2) gave up Burrell's solo shot in the eighth and immediately ran into trouble in the ninth.
David Wright got his 30th stolen base. He needs six homers to have his first 30-30 season. Only Howard Johnson and Darryl Strawberry have done it for the Mets.
August 30, 2007
Anderson Called Out On Interference
Marlon Anderson went a little too wide with his slide.
Anderson's hard takeout attempt might have been enough to bust up a double play in the ninth inning and allow the tying run to score for the New York Mets. Instead, Anderson went far outside second base, knocked down Philadelphia's Tadahito Iguchi and was ruled out on a game-ending interference call in the Phillies' 3-2 victory Wednesday night.
Jimmy Rollins and Pat Burrell homered, and Brett Myers survived a wild ninth to help the Phillies win their third straight game against New York and closed within three games of the NL East leaders.
August 29, 2007
Mets Lose In Extra Innings
Ryan Howard's two-run home run off Guillermo Mota in the 10th inning won it after Rowand's dribbler in the eighth tied the score and helped the Phillies to a 4-2 win over the New York Mets on Tuesday night.
Why couldn't Tom Glavine come out and start the 8th inning? In usual fashion in a Glavine start, Guillermo mota blows the game. Glavine recorded his 2,557th career strikeout, putting him 26th on the career list.
The first four hitters went 0-17 in Tuesday's 4-2 loss.
Jose Reyes has looked like the player we saw in 2005. Is David Wright spending too much time partying at night? Sure looks like it. Guess Omar should of waited before giving them all that cash last year.
Paul Lo Duca's throw to second last night made everyone miss Mike Pizza.
Where did the Mets offense go? Someone file a police report.
August 24, 2007
Bullpen Implodes Again
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| Billy Wagner Choked! |
Adrian Gonzalez homered in the 10th inning and the San Diego Padres outlasted the New York Mets 9-8 in a wild game that included blown saves by Wagner and Hoffman. Gonzalez hit his solo home run with one out in the 10th off Aaron Heilman (7-6). It was the 21st of the year for Gonzalez.
Wagner and Hoffman both struggled mightily all series. Wagner blew one save chance and gave up the go-ahead run in the ninth inning Tuesday before New York rallied to win. Hoffman blew two saves, sandwiched around a successful conversion Wednesday night.
On August 10, Wagner and Hoffman blew saves on the same day for the first time ever. Thirteen days later, they did it in the same game.
"I'm not going to worry about Trev. He's had a great season and he's one of the best ever," Black said.
The Mets led 7-6 in the ninth and handed the ball to Wagner, who was trying for his 30th save. But he allowed back-to-back doubles to Khalil Greene and pinch-hitter Terrmel Sledge, and Josh Bard followed with an RBI single that gave San Diego an 8-7 lead. It was the third blown save this year for Wagner.
Trailing 6-1 in the sixth, the Mets scored six runs, capped by pinch-hitter Marlon Anderson's three-run homer.
The Mets loaded the bases against starter Justin Germano before Cla Meredith retired Carlos Delgado on a popup, drawing loud boos from the near-capacity crowd. The slumping Delgado, who is getting used to hearing it from the home fans, tossed his helmet in frustration as he walked back to the dugout. Moises Alou walked to force in a run, and Shawn Green's two-run single made it 6-4.
Anderson followed with his home run to right. He had a pinch-hit double in the ninth inning Wednesday night, and has driven in 13 runs in his last 13 games. Anderson's home run bailed out Tom Glavine, who was in line to take the loss after his worst home start of the season. Glavine struggled with his command, allowing six runs and 11 hits in five innings. He threw 96 pitches, 48 for strikes.
New Team Record
David Wright's first-inning steal was the team's 160th of the season, surpassing the previous franchise record set in 1987.
New Strikeout King: Lastings Milledge
Congratulations to Lastings Milledge, in the Mets 7-5 loss to the Padres, Milledge went 0-4 earning the golden sombero with strikeouts. Last night Milledge came in as a defensive replacement and batted twice and struckout twice. L-Mill has now struckout six consecutive times. Way to go rap star.
August 23, 2007
Roger Cedeno Name Erased From Mets Record Book!
Jose Reyes tied a career high with three stolen bases, giving him 67 for the season, breaking the club mark Roger Cedeno established in 1999.
With the Mets hitless after 41/3 innings, Reyes singled against Jake Peavy and went to second on David Wright's walk. The Mets then executed a double steal, giving Reyes No. 67.
Reyes had the sixth three-steal game of his career.
August 22, 2007
Blowing Ballgames! Mets Blow Lead, Win In Comeback!
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| Billy Wagner |
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| Carlos Beltran |
Carlos Beltran had five RBIs and Luis Castillo singled home the winning run off Hoffman in the ninth, helping the Mets beat the San Diego Padres 7-6 Tuesday in a back-and-forth game between playoff contenders.
"To come back like that against a guy like Trevor Hoffman -- that's a real big win for us. Absolutely amazing," Marlon Anderson said.
Beltran hit a two-run shot off Chris Young, who entered leading the majors with a 1.93 ERA, and the NL East leaders won the opener of a three-game series. San Diego is tied with Philadelphia atop the wild-card standings. Young allowed four runs and five hits in five innings and was lifted with pain in his lower back. He threw only 64 pitches.
Wagner (2-1) gave up a bases-loaded sacrifice fly to Kevin Kouzmanoff that put San Diego up 6-5, but Hoffman couldn't hold the lead.
Lastings Milledge singled to start the bottom half and advanced on Mike DiFelice's sacrifice before Anderson tied it with a pinch-hit single. Jose Reyes blooped a single to center and Castillo grounded a clean single up the middle off Hoffman (2-4). The throw from center by ex-Met Mike Cameron was a little wide, allowing Anderson to score standing up.
"Milledge hit the ball hard," Padres manager Bud Black said. "After that, they blooped a couple in and a groundball went through. Give the Mets credit."It was the fourth blown save in 35 chances this season for Hoffman, baseball's career saves leader.
August 21, 2007
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| Jeff Conine |
The New York Mets got Jeff Conine from the Cincinnati Reds for two minor leaguers on Monday, adding a 41-year-old player who has two World Series rings and knows how to contribute off the bench.
Conine can play first base or outfield and is adept at pinch-hitting -- he led the Reds with nine hits in that role. Conine is batting .265 overall with six homers and 32 RBIs.
The move came one day after the Mets put infielder Damion Easley on the 15-day disabled list with a severely sprained left ankle, the latest blow to the NL East leaders. Easley is expected to miss at least a month, Minaya said. He added the Mets probably would not have made the trade if Easley had not been injured.
Conine won World Series titles with Florida in 1997 and 2003, proving himself adept at hitting in the clutch. He plans to retire after this season, and was delighted to spend the final months in contention.
The Reds acquired 20-year-old shortstop Jose Castro and 22-year-old outfielder Sean Henry, who were playing for Class A Port St. Lucie. They called up infielder/outfielder Jorge Cantu from Triple-A Louisville to take Conine's roster spot, and he got a pinch-hit single in the eighth inning against Atlanta.
August 20, 2007
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| Carlos Beltran |
New York Mets outfielder Carlos Beltran, who led the National League with 10 RBI, was been named National League Player of the Week on Monday.
The 30-year-old center fielder batted .375 and scored eight runs while posting an on-base percentage of .448. Beltran had four home runs and recorded a 1.000 slugging percentage and 24 total bases for the week. Beltran blasted two home runs on Sunday against the Washington Nationals, helping the Mets to an 8-2 victory and a series sweep. It was his fourth multi-homer game of the season.
The four-time All-Star also homered on August 14th and 16th at the Pittsburgh Pirates, and posted three consecutive multi-RBI games during the same series. This marks the second time this season that Beltran has been named a weekly award winner, having also won for the period of April 16-22.
Other nominees this past week included Beltran's Mets teammates, Moises Alou and David Wright, along with Arizona Diamondbacks' Orlando Hudson, Chris Young and Brandon Webb.
August 18, 2007
Mets Place Castro On DL, Promote Alomar
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| Ramon Castro |
The move with Castro is retroactive to August 13. Castro, who is batting .276 with seven homers and 22 RBIs, is the second New York catcher to land on the disabled list in the last six days. Paul Lo Duca was placed on the DL last Sunday with tightness in his right hamstring.
The 41-year-old Alomar appeared in three games for the Mets last month, and is batting .333. In 41 games with New Orleans, he's hitting .292 with four homers and 29 RBIs.
With Lo Duca and Castro hurt, the Mets catchers are Alomar and Mike DiFelice, who were New Orleans' catchers for much of the year.
"I'm sure DiFelice will probably get the lion's share of the work," Mets manager Willie Randolph said.
The 38-year-old DiFelice, who was in the lineup for Saturday night's game against Washington, is batting .278 with five RBIs in five games.
August 17, 2007
Mets Blow Five Run Lead & Game
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| Lastings Milledge watches lead go away. |
Two costly New York errors and Adam LaRoche's third hit of the game helped finish off Pittsburgh's comeback from a five-run deficit, and the Pirates avoided being swept at home by the Mets for the first time since 2001 by winning 10-7 Thursday night.
Jason Bay had three run-scoring singles and LaRoche hit a two-run homer to lead the Pirates' rally from deficits of 5-0 and 7-3, a night after they gave the Mets a big scare by scoring four runs in the ninth before losing 10-8.
With two outs in the eighth, third baseman David Wright threw away Freddy Sanchez's potential inning-ending grounder for a two-base error. Sanchez then scored the go-ahead run when catcher Mike DiFelice dropped right fielder Marlon Anderson's throw at the plate for an error after LaRoche singled for his third hit. Bay and Jose Bautista followed with run-scoring singles.
It was the first time the Mets lost a game after having a lead of at least five runs since April 30, 2004, at San Diego, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
August 15, 2007
Mets Finally Win In Pittsburgh
Moises Alou couldn't get a hit with two runners on that would
have put the New York Mets in the lead. The Pittsburgh Pirates should have known
better than to give him another such opportunity.
Alou's two-run single in the eighth inning put New York ahead, and the Mets finally figured out how to win in Pittsburgh by rallying past the Pirates 5-4 on Tuesday night.
Carlos Beltran, who doubled to set up the two-run eighth, hit a solo homer and drove in two runs as the Mets won in PNC Park for only the second time in nine games. The Mets were swept by the last-place Pirates in a three-game series last September when they needed to win only once to clinch the NL East.
With the score tied at 3, David Wright singled and Beltran doubled against reliever Salomon Torres (1-4), who faced only the two batters. Damaso Marte came on to walk Carlos Delgado to load the bases after getting two quick strikes on him. The 41-year-old Alou, who struck out with two runners on in his previous at-bat in the sixth, hit a line-drive single to center against Shawn Chacon that made it 5-3.
- The Mets were coming off a 2-4 homestand.
- The Mets are 22-9 against the NL Central.
- The Mets have the NL's best road record (34-25), and the Pirates have the worst home record (26-34).
- The Mets have won Orlando Hernandez's last seven starts and nine of his last 10.
August 13, 2007
Mets Save Face, Avoid Sweep
After the Mets endured tough losses the previous two nights because of bullpen meltdowns,
Aaron Heilman and Billy Wagner were hoping for a chance to redeem themselves.
So it was appropriate that the New York bullpen found itself in another squeaker Sunday against Florida. This time, Heilman, Wagner and Co. came through, giving the Mets a chance to get the bats going late in a confidence-building 10-4 win over the Marlins.
"It's always good when you get the opportunity to pitch the next day," said Heilman, who gave up an eighth-inning, two-run single to Miguel Cabrera in a 7-5 loss Saturday night. "You can't let yesterday affect today."
This time, Moises Alou's second home run of the game gave the Mets a 5-4 lead in the sixth. Jorge Sosa (8-6) then pitched the second of his two scoreless innings, Heilman worked a perfect eighth and Wagner closed it out with a 1-2-3 ninth for the Mets, who avoided a three-game sweep.
Glavine Honored
The Mets honored 300-game winner Tom Glavine with a pregame ceremony that delayed the start by 29 minutes. Video tributes appeared on Diamond Vision from former teammates and coaches included Mike Piazza (who was cheered), Bobby Cox and Johm Smoltz (who were booed).
Hall of Famer and fellow 300-game winner Tom Seaver honored Glavine, along with Glavine's family, teammates and the organization. Hockey Hall of Famer Rod Gilbert also was on hand. His teammates presented Glavine with a set of Seadoo jet skis, and the team gave him a 2007 Lincoln MKX Luxury vehicle.
August 12, 2007
Bullpen Blows It Again
Mets left-hander
Tom Glavine allowed two runs in 6 1-3 innings in his first start since becoming the 23rd member of the 300-win club. The home crowd cheered his every move, giving him a standing ovation as he warmed up before the first inning. He allowed seven hits, struck out five and walked one before departing with a runner on first and the Mets leading 3-1.
Guillermo Mota replaced him and allowed a single to Ramirez before striking out Alejandro De Aza. Mota walked Cabrera intentionally and fell behind 2-0 to Willingham, who drove his next pitch out to left for his 18th homer.
Florida loaded the bases with two outs in the eighth and Cabrera lined a 1-2 pitch from Aaron Heilman (7-4) into right-center. Cody Ross and Hanley Ramirez scored to give the Marlins a 7-5 lead.
David Wright homered twice for NL East-leading New York, which has absorbed three straight difficult losses. It was Wright's ninth career multihomer game and first since May 19 against the New York Yankees.
Mets catcher Paul Lo Duca aggravated his strained right hamstring and left in the seventh inning. He will be placed on the 15-day disabled list Sunday and Mike DiFelice will be recalled from Triple-A New Orleans.
August 11, 2007
Billy Goes South
Billy Wagner barely got out of trouble in his previous outing. Not this time. Hanley Ramirez hit a go-ahead, two-run double off Wagner in the ninth inning and the Florida Marlins rallied past the New York Mets 4-3 on Friday night.
"Just one of those nights where I didn't make the pitches," Wagner said. "I was trying to go up and in. It was probably more middle. I'm just not locating very well."
Carlos Beltran hit a three-run homer in his return from the disabled list, giving the Mets the 3-2 lead they handed to Wagner (1-1) in the ninth. After entering with a streak of 21 scoreless innings, he couldn't hold it.
August 10, 2007
Braves Beat The Mets Again! Take Series.
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| Braves left fielder Willie Harris makes a leaping catch at the wall to deny New York Mets batter Carlos Delgado of a home run in the ninth inning |
"I didn't even watch," the Atlanta Braves manager said. "I thought it was out easy when he hit it." Not quite.
Willie Harris ran down the drive and leaped at the left-field fence to rob Delgado of the homer and save the Braves' 7-6 victory over the New York Mets on Thursday.
Harris didn't think it was going to be that tough a play.
Down 7-3, the Mets had rallied in the ninth against Tyler Yates. Pinch-hitter Ruben Gotay singled, Jose Reyes doubled and Luis Castillo had an RBI grounder. David Wright followed with his 20th homer, narrowing Atlanta's lead to one run. Oscar Villarreal relieved, and Delgado met him with the opposite-field drive. Delgado grimaced as he watched Harris run it down.
"I thought it was out," Mets manager Willie Randolph said. "He got up there at the right time. It was a big play."
Atlanta took two of three in the series and moved within 3 1/2 games of the NL East-leading Mets. The Braves have won all four series between the teams this year, going 8-4 overall.
Mets CF Carlos Beltran, eligible to come off the DL Thursday, remained sidelined with strained left oblique muscle. With an early start following a night game, neither team took batting practice. Mets CF Marlon Anderson left in the fourth inning with a sprained left wrist. X-rays were negative. He will go on the bereavement list Friday -- his grandmother died in Alabama.
Mets Beat The Braves & Heat
Bases loaded, nobody out, one-run game. Billy Wagner never lost his cool on a sweltering night at Shea Stadium, and the New York Mets hung on for a big victory against Atlanta.
Wagner escaped a major jam in the ninth inning and Moises Alou hit a tiebreaking homer in the eighth to help New York edge the Braves 4-3 on Wednesday.
Wagner earned his 350th career save and extended his scoreless streak to 21 innings when slumping Andruw Jones grounded into a game-ending double play. Jeff Francoeur bounced into a force play at the plate for the first out of the inning.
"I made two good pitches, one to Francoeur and one to Andruw and that's all I needed tonight," Wagner said. "There's always a way to get out of it and tonight we proved it."
Shawn Green went 4-for-4 for the Mets, who beat Atlanta for only the fourth time in 11 meetings this season. Green is 16-for-29 (.552) against John Smoltz. Luis Castillo 's broken-bat, two-run single off reliever Ron Mahay tied the score with two outs in the seventh.
The gametime temperature was the highest at Shea Stadium since a 98-degree day on August 9, 2001, against Milwaukee. New York improved to 15-6 in one-run games.
The Mets have won El Duque's last six starts and eight of his past nine.
Pedro Pounded
Mets RHP
Pedro Martinez gave up five runs and six hits in three innings for Class-A St. Lucie against Lakeland, his first minor league rehab start as he attempts to return to New York's rotation after offseason shoulder surgery.
The three-time Cy Young Award winner struck out five and threw 44 of 63 pitches for strikes. He did not walk a batter, but allowed two homers.
August 6, 2007
Glavine Wins 300
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| Tom Glavine the lastest 300 game winner in MLB history. |
The 41-year-old lefthander tied Lefty Grove and Early Wynn for 21st place on the all-time list.
Glavine becomes the first Met to win his 300th game with the team and the third pitcher who played with New York at some point in their career to reach that mark, joining Tom Seaver, Nolan Ryan and Warren Spahn.
The night was classic Glavine, and not only because the left-hander's fastball never crept past 87 mph. Of his 102 pitches, 90 were fastballs and changeups. For the 351st time in his 659 starts, he lasted between six and seven innings. And Sunday marked game No. 30 in which Glavine struck out one batter or none and still won, the second-most such of his era behind Kirk Rueter.
That was all the reflecting the 41-year-old Glavine wished to do Sunday, his achievement capping a weekend teeming with them. Barry Bonds hit home run No. 755, tying Hank Aaron, and a new all-time record is one swing away.
Should he stay healthy, Alex Rodriguez, who hit the 500th homer of his short career, will make mincemeat of Bonds' record in six or seven years.
Castillo Leaves With Apparent Injury
New York Mets second baseman
Luis Castillo left Sunday's game with the Chicago Cubs after the top of the eighth inning due to heat exhaustion.
Castillo, acquired earlier this week from the Minnesota Twins, singled in the eighth, advanced to second on another base hit by David Wright and then stole third base. He then scored on a double by Carlos Delgado.
After scoring, Castillo was being attended to by a trainer in the Mets' dugout.
August 5, 2007
The Maine Sinks On Bad Call
Ryan Theriot legged out an RBI-infield single with two outs that started a six-run third inning, and Lilly pitched into the eighth as the Chicago Cubs defeated the New York Mets 6-2 on Saturday.
Mets starter John Maine (12-6), who retired the first six batters he faced, lost his rhythm in the third inning en route to his shortest start this season.
With two outs and runners on second and third, Theriot hit a grounder to shortstop Jose Reyes. Reyes fielded the ball on the infield grass, but first base umpire Marty Foster ruled Reyes' throw was late to first, allowing Jason Kendall to score. Replays showed Reyes' throw just beat Theriot, but Mets manager Willie Randolph didn't contest the call.
Moises Alou homered twice for the Mets, who snapped a three-game winning streak.
Mets C Paul Lo Duca missed his sixth consecutive game because of a sore hamstring. Although Lo Duca says he's healthy enough to play, Randolph wants to be careful with his starting catcher. "He's not ready," Randolph said. "No way am I going to put my number one catcher out there on the (fourth) of August with a possibility of me losing him for a month if he pops it again." Randolph said Lo Duca will take part in pregame drills on Tuesday before a decision is made on his return.
Aug 4, 2007
Dempster In The Dumpster Again
Carlos Delgado and the Mets were walking all over Wrigley Field, courtesy of the Chicago Cubs.
But when it came time to swing the bats Friday, the Mets were ready in the ninth inning.
Delgado walked four times before hitting go-ahead double, the first of five hits in a four-run rally against Ryan Dempster that lifted New York over the Chicago Cubs 6-2 and extended the Mets' winning streak to three.
Delgado's double off Dempster (2-4) followed a leadoff walk to David Wright as the Mets (62-47) moved 15 games over .500 for the first time since early June. Delgado scored on Shawn Green's two-out double inside the third-base line for a 4-2 lead.
Green came in on an RBI single by Ruben Gotay, pinch-hitter Moises Alou singled and Jose Reyes got the Mets' fifth hit of the inning, another run-scoring single that led to boos among the 41,512 fans at Wrigley Field.
Guillermo Mota (1-0) pitched out of an eighth-inning jam to gain his first major league win since serving a 50-game suspension for a positive steroid test.
August 2, 2007
Mets' Martinez Throws 67 Pitches In Simulated Game
A day after his first scheduled minor league rehab start was rained out,
Pedro Martinez pitched 5 1-3 innings in a simulated game Thursday against New York Mets minor leaguers.
With general manager Omar Minaya looking on, Martinez gave up two runs -- one earned -- and four hits against players from the St. Lucie Mets and the Gulf Coast League Mets. Martinez threw 50 of 67 pitches for strikes. He struck out three, walked none and hit a batter.
"I feel well right now," Martinez said. "I can tell you after the game, whether I iced or not, I feel fine. I feel normal."
Martinez, who could start for the St. Lucie Mets as soon as Tuesday, needed 39 pitches to get through the first two innings. He pitched more efficiently the rest of the way.
"Really, I thought the encouraging part for me guys was the back of those innings," Minaya said. "The back of those innings when he was throwing the fastball down and away with the movement, that's Pedro."
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| Fernando Martinez |
Mets Unwilling To Trade Top Prospects
New York Mets general manager Omar Minaya refused to trade his top prospects for relievers Eric Gagne and Chad Cordero.
As much as Minaya denies anyone carries the "untouchable" label, he would not include any of his young outfielders – Lastings Milledge, Carlos Gomez or Fernando Martinez – in any proposals.
The same was true for pitcher Mike Pelfrey, whose potential still overshadows the fact that he is winless in nine starts this season.