Wednesday April 30, 2008
Game delayed by water main break and then crushed
The first pitch of the Mets' home game against the Pirates on Wednesday was delayed 40 minutes because of a water main break under a street adjacent to Shea Stadium and Citi Field. Excavation on 126th Street, involved in the construction of the Mets' new home, ruptured the main at about 12:30 p.m. ET, Mets vice president David Howard said.
The reason for the delay was the club's sense that Shea Stadium could not be properly operated with diminished water pressure. Howard said the upper levels of the park already had been affected by the scheduled game time, 1:10. Fans were alerted of the delay at 1:07 p.m. Oliver Perez threw the first pitch at 1:50.
Any chance the Mets had of beating the last-place Pirates in the second game of their abbreviated two-game series at Shea Stadium began and ended with inadequate pitching by Oliver Perez.
Not all the runs the Pirates scored in their 13-1 victory Wednesday were the responsibility of the pitcher, who practices schizophrenia on the mound. The first seven were, though, so Perez was appropriately the losing pitcher in a lopsided game.
With Luis Castillo committing an error on a routine ground ball and Jose Reyes neglecting his duties in a rundown, Perez allowed seven runs in the second inning, and the game deteriorated from there. The Mets endured another bat-around inning in the sixth, when Jorge Sosa was victimized by two errors, and they suffered their most lopsided defeat since a loss, by the identical score, to the Braves on Sept. 26, 2006.
Sunday April 27, 2008
Alou's future uncertain with latest setback
A CT scan of the left ankle of Moises Alou administered on Friday provided inconclusive results, and now the immediate future of the oft-injured player, who would be the Mets' starting left fielder, appears to be comparably uncertain.
Friday April 25, 2008
Lopez’s slam, 6 RBIs lead Nats past Mets 10-5.
His grand slam deposited in the seats, Felipe Lopez clapped and screamed as he rounded first base, then smacked Tim Tolman’s hand so hard while turning for home that the third-base coach shook off the sting.
Baseball is fun for Lopez right now, something that wasn’t always the case a year ago. He’s in the lineup again—and hitting again.
Lopez tied a career high with six RBIs thanks to his first homer of the season and a two-run single, leading Washington past the struggling New York Mets 10-5 on Thursday night, the Nationals’ fourth victory in their past 20 games.
“I’m me again, you know?” said Lopez, who’s hitting .357 in seven games since supplanting a slumping Ronnie Belliard as the starting second baseman. “I steal bases, score runs, get on base, walk. It’s exciting.”
The Nationals fell behind 3-0 while being held in check through four innings by Mets starter Oliver Perez. But Washington’s weak lineup—3.5 runs per game and a major league-low .227 batting average coming in—broke out for three runs in the fifth, four in the sixth and three in the seventh.
Wednesday April 23, 2008
Mets swept in two game set in Chicago
Ronny Cedeno hit a grand slam and driving in five runs in surging Chicago’s 8-1 win over the New York Mets on Tuesday for its 13th victory in 16 games.
On Monday, Carlos Zambrano and Aramis Ramirez helped the Cubs take a precarious one-run lead after seven innings, it was reserves Ronny Cedeno and Felix Pie who sparked a five-run eighth as Chicago beat the New York Mets 7-1 on Monday night.
Mets C Brian Schneider, who bruised his right forearm when he was hit by a foul ball Saturday night, was out of the lineup for a second straight game with Raul Casanova getting the start. Schneider was trying to get rid of swelling and soreness.
Monday April 21, 2008
Feliz hits pinch homer to lift Phils past Mets
Chase Utley hit two home runs and Pedro Feliz added a tiebreaking pinch-hit homer in the seventh to help the Philadelphia Phillies avoid a sweep and beat the New York Mets 5-4 on Sunday night.
Utley hit a two-out, solo shot in the first off Mike Pelfrey, making him the first Phillie to homer in four straight games since Howard did it at the end of last season.
Pelfrey, who gave up 10 hits and four runs in five innings, threw almost nothing but fastballs. With two on and none out in the fifth, Utley sat on a heater and rocked one off the foul pole net in right. His major league-leading eighth homer of the season made it 4-0, and Utley popped out of the dugout for a quick wave.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Easley scores on wild pitch to give Mets win
Damion Easley scored on Joel Hanrahan’s second wild pitch in the 14th inning and the New York Mets beat the Washington Nationals 3-2 Thursday night on the 44th anniversary of the first game at Shea Stadium.
Easley led off the 14th with a single to left. He advanced to second on a wild pitch with one out and reached third when Hanrahan committed a throwing error trying to pick him off second.
Ryan Church struck out and Hanrahan (0-1) intentionally walked David Wright and Carlos Delgado to load the bases. Hanrahan then bounced the first pitch to pinch-hitter Brian Schneider, and Easley raced home with the winning run.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Wright, Reyes back Pelfrey’s strong outing in Mets’ win
David Wright homered and drove in five runs, Jose Reyes returned to the lineup with four hits and the New York Mets beat the struggling Washington Nationals 6-0 Tuesday night behind Mike Pelfrey’s strong pitching performance.
Pelfrey (2-0) pitched a career-high seven innings in his 19th major league start, his first scoreless outing in the majors. He gave up five hits and two walks with four strikeouts, sending the Nationals to their 10th loss in 11 games.
Also returning for the Mets was Duaner Sanchez, who hadn’t pitched in the majors since injuring his shoulder in a July 2006 taxi accident. He was activated from the disabled list before the game and worked a one-hit ninth after Aaron Heilman pitched the eighth.
It was Jackie Robinson night at Shea Stadium, and players from both teams wore No. 42 to honor Robinson’s legacy on the 61st anniversary of him breaking baseball’s color barrier when he suited up for the Brooklyn Dodgers for the first time against the Boston Braves.
MONDAY April 14, 2008
Brian Bannister is now 3-0
Kansas City Royals pitcher Brian Bannister pitched the second complete game of his career, giving up only one walk and one unearned run.
Bannister struck out three in the Royals 5-1 victory over the Twins. Bannister, in three starts covering 21 innings, has allowed only two earned runs for an ERA of 0.86.
The former Mets prospect was traded to the Royals for reliever Ambiorix Burgos. Burgos is still for jewel thieves in Florida while recovering from right elbow surgery. He likely will miss the entire season.
The ever-inconsistent Oliver Perez entered the game with 11 2/3 scoreless innings in his first two starts, but gave up six runs and didn’t even make it out of the fifth inning. Perez has walked six hitters in his last two games.
The Mets played their second straight game without shortstop Jose Reyes, who is day-to-day with a tight left hamstring.
Duaner Sanchez, who is rehabbing his shoulder, has passed the test of throwing in consecutive games and could be activated this week. Manager Willie Randolph said when Sanchez returns, it will be in his normal setup role and he won’t be babied.
By The Numbers: 6.23—RHP Aaron Heilman’s ERA through Sunday.
Quote To Note: "You’re always interested in doing it. That’s an easy something to want to be a part of.”—Mets INF Marlon Anderson, on every player wearing No. 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson this Tuesday, the anniversary of the Hall of Famer breaking the color barrier.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Santana outdueled by Sheets
Johan Santana offered a succinct evaluation of his Shea Stadium debut for the New York Mets, a marquee matchup against Milwaukee ace Ben Sheets.
"He pitched good and I didn’t," Santana said. "He was better than me."
That seemed fair after Sheets retired 18 straight Mets hitters and, backed by home runs from Bill Hall, Rickie Weeks and Gabe Kapler, beat Santana and the Mets 5-3 on Saturday.
It didn’t start out very well for Sheets, who was coming off a shutout in his last start. He gave up two runs in the first inning and against Santana, that seemed like major trouble for the Brewers.
Santana (1-2), who allowed 33 home runs with Minnesota last season to lead the American League, worked his way out of a number of jams but was hurt by the long ball. He lasted 6 2-3 innings and allowed five runs and six hits with two walks, striking out seven and throwing two wild pitches.
Sheets allowed three runs and five hits in 7 2-3 innings with five strikeouts and two walks. But the Mets went from the third until the eighth without a baserunner.
Tuesday April 08, 2008
Phillies top Mets again, 5-2, in final opener at Shea Stadium
Carlos Delgado and the New York Mets botched the final Shea Stadium opener the same way they squandered that big lead in the NL East last year.
April or September, doesn’t seem to matter. The Mets can’t find a way to hold off Philadelphia.
Jamie Moyer pitched six effective innings, Jayson Werth hit a tiebreaking single and the Phillies rallied past New York 5-2 Tuesday with the help of Delgado’s key error in the seventh.
It was another late comeback by Philadelphia, which took advantage of the Mets’ epic collapse last September to win the division title. New York led by seven games with 17 to play, but went 5-12 down the stretch and missed the playoffs.
The Phillies had a lot to do with that meltdown, beating the Mets in their final eight meetings last year and winning the season series 12-6.
Sunday, April 06, 2008
John Smoltz, Mark Teixeira lift Braves past Mets
John Smoltz pitched five scoreless innings, Mark Teixeira hit a two-run homer and the Atlanta Braves beat Johan Santana and the New York Mets 3-1 on Sunday to complete a two-game sweep of the rain-shortened series.
Santana (1-1) gave up only one run in seven innings, but Teixeira’s eighth-inning drive off Aaron Heilman gave Atlanta a 3-0 lead.
Smoltz (1-0) was making his first start after opening the season on the disabled list with tightness in the back of his right shoulder. He again felt a knot in the trapezoid muscle and left the game after giving up only two hits and two walks.
Rafael Soriano allowed Ryan Church’s two-out RBI single in the ninth before finishing for his first save. With runners on first and second, Teixeira made a diving stop of a sharp grounder by Brian Schneider to end the game.
Friday, April 04, 2008
Great trade Omar
RHP
Ambiorix Burgos (Tommy John surgery in August 2007) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 21. He likely will miss the entire season. Burgos was acquired from Kansas City for Brian Bannister.
Thursday, April 03, 2008
After losing dinger, Beltran wants instant replay
Carlos Beltran of the New York Mets already wanted instant replay in baseball. Now, he's adamant. Beltran was deprived of an apparent fifth-inning homer when the original call was overruled, seemingly in error. The outfield wall is topped by a yellow line and a railing. The line is in play, but hitting the rail is supposed to be a home run. The ball appeared to hit the railing and bounce straight up.
"Even tennis they have the challenge thing," said Beltran, who instead was credited with his franchise-record-tying third double of the game.
Beltran suggests giving each team one challenge per game. GMs voted, 25-5, at their November meetings to recommend exploring the instant-replay topic with respect to home run calls
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Martinez leaves Mets-Marlins game with strained left hamstring
Mets starter Pedro Martinez left New York’s game with the Florida Marlins after 57 pitches Tuesday night with what the team said was a strained left hamstring.
He retired Marlins catcher Matt Treanor on a groundout for the first out of the fourth inning, then immediately began grabbing his back and midsection, clearly in distress.
Jorge Sosa came in to relieve Martinez, who limped a bit as he walked off the field. Martinez—who has battled foot, hip, calf and shoulder injuries over the past two seasons—allowed home runs in each of the first two innings, the first time in his major league career that happened, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Santana wins debut with Mets
Johan Santana insisted he was a bit nervous in the moments before his highly anticipated debut with the New York Mets.
Didn’t look it, not one bit.
Santana struck out eight in seven dominant innings, David Wright hit a three-run double and New York opened its season with a 7-2 win Monday over the Florida Marlins.