CHAT ROOM
Carlos Delgado is out of the line-up tonight with soreness in his hip. Fernando Tatis replaces him in the field and Gary Sheffield bats clean-up and is in left. With Daniel Murphy sitting tonight, Luis Castillo will bat second.
Here’s the line-up:
Jose Reyes, SS
Luis Castillo, 2B
Carlos Beltran, CF
Gary Sheffield, LF
David Wright, 3B
Ryan Church, RF
Fernando Tatis, 1B
Omir Santos, C
John Maine, P
Nice to be back. Thanks for taking care of the blog while I was away. … BTW: In reference to my earlier post today, manager Jerry Manuel said Oliver Perez would start against the Phillies this weekend.-JD
JD- hope all is well with you and your family
anyword on the seriousness of delgado’s sore hip JD? just a night or two off and better or could this be more?..either way he has looked tired and a day off should be a good thing..i would have given wright or reyes a day off during that nationals series..jerry has not been good at giving them any break and i doubt they will sit vs the fish or phils this week
jim (2): Day-to-day. Manuel said Delgado wouldn’t be available to pinch-hit.-JD
jim (2): And, I agree with you that Delgado needed a rest anyway. He’s been a funk.-JD
maine 90-93 early…all fastballs…wish he had a good breaking ball to go with it
Amazing. Can’t anybody catch the ball in left.-JD
I thought you wrote that Murphy was benched ?
absolutely awful. get a K here johhny come on
Harry (7): That did look like him, didn’t it?-JD
come on john…double play ball here
Hi John – Do you know how to change the time on the blog? It’s still on EST.
like to see that…way to battle back john
Delcos: Is Santos the first string catcher now?
Harry (13): They want to see as much of him as possible before Schneider comes back at the end of the week.-JD
Here is Santos chance to make a splash for this team….
YES!!!
Harry (13) He’s on his way……..
I guess Santos is the first string catcher!
atta boy snatos…very nice..now come on johnny..keep pumping in strikes
Hi, all. Welcome back, John!
Just started checking GameDay and see Santos hit a grand slam? I must be dreaming.
Harry (18): I’d keep starting him. He’s done well and the pitchers like throwing to him.-JD
hey jeff…a site for sore eyes for us met fans
So…more significant than the fact Santos hit a HR is the fact the Mets didn’t die, for once, with the bases loaded. And Wright singled with a man in scoring position. It’s like Christmas in April!
wright taking the ball to right is always a great thing
JD- maine looks like his fastball has some of its life back so far…
I was listening to Mike Francesa this afternoon… he and a caller agreed that the Mets lack “grit” and haven’t had it since losing Cliff Floyd, whose importance to the team he says he “underestimated”…
uncle cliff was great in the clubhouse
Nice inning by Maine.
Jeff (26): Cliff Floyd? They must joking.-JD
29- JD- not a fan of cliff? or just think he was overrated as a clubhouse guy (heard how good he was in there a lot)?
jim (30): Think that’s overrated with him. Just a feeling I had when I was around him.-JD
Howie reporting that David has a new, very short haircut – whatever works………..
Also overrated is that the Mets don’t have any grit. What they don’t have is good starting pitching. Hopefully, Maine can hold this lead.-JD
I’m going to watch House. Hope things don’t fall apart while I’m gone.
Tell the good doctor hello.-JD
i think maine’s pitches look good early..lot of life
still throws a ton of pitches
jim (37): He’ll be gone by the sixth at this rate.-JD
JD- getting to or through the 6th is an improvement for this rotation hah
teams and players turn into willie mays vs. the metropolitans
unbelievable…now thats some defense from the marlins
John (29) Cliff Floyd?? I barely remember him.
i remember him well annie…you know..the pinch hitter willie used in the 9th of game 7 NLCS wiht 1st and 2nd and NOBODY OUT…ugh yes i still remember.
jim (43): Turned out well, didn’t it?-JD
43 JD- i wish..i wish
jim (45): Had my hotel already booked in Detroit.-JD
Word is that Gary Sheffield’s Uncle Doc is in town and may be moving back to NYC.
Since I can only listen to streaming, I got the Braves game on the tube. They have a big baseball head mascot now like Mr. Met. Bring Back Chief Nacahoma I say. Does anybody remember Stearns taking him out that time?
There’s no way Castro would have made that play Santos just made.-JD
John (49) – I know nothing about Santos except the stats on the Mets roster. Where has he been?
Annie (50): Was in the Orioles organization.-JD
Maine has really settled down. High pitch count, though. It would be nice if he could go seven.-JD
John (51) seems to feel at home with the Mets
team needs to add on runs….quick ABs are a waste…work the count.and add on…i hate seeing the bats just go to sleep
Good to see Maine had a decent game.
Nice start by Maine. Gives me hope.
Maine goes out on a high note. That last inning each ball was hit hard.-JD
(52) I’m just glad he didn’t spit the bit. It looked like he might implode again in the 5th.
dave (58): It was a good start, but he still threw enough pitches to where he should have lasted seven. Three innings by the pen every night is still a lot.-JD
UhOh Sadecki….. Castillo is out of the game…. hurt running to first?
These cable companies are amazin… My cable company adds the YES, so I think good,more ballgames, except its YES without the ballgames. when the game starts they put some interview show on. What’s the sense?
Harry (60): That’s like SNY without the Mets. Just stupid.-JD
(61) You got it! I’m sure they’ll tell everyone what a great addition to the lineup it is!
Harry(60) I’ve given up on the cable companies – I don’t get SNY at all, yet I get YES and NESN. Live about 5 miles from ESPN who often blacks me out as does FOX. That’s why I stay with good old Howie. FYI Yankees losing 0-4 to Detroit top of 8th.
So, House was good; I come back here and Mets are still ahead 6-1, but Castillo got hurt? Any update on his condition?
Chiti, Hope Looie isnt out too long. I hope the Citi not so faithful didnt boo him off the field.
(60-63) I’ve had Dish Network for years. I get SNY and SNY HD, but no YES — which is fine with me!
Ray (65): He stayed in to run the bases but didn’t come out to play defense.-JD
thx JD, I tuned in late
Dare I say it? They are about to score a tack-on run.-JD
Call me a Killjoy, but I’ll take a single with RISP by Wright over a triple with nobody on and a 6-1 lead any day. The only reason he scored is because it wasn’t him up to bat with himself on third!
Jeff (70): Wright did deliver a RBI single in the first.-JD
JD (71) Yes he did. As Dr. Zoidburg says on Futurama, “Hurray!”
(72) My mistake — it’s Zoidberg.
Sadecki… The be too busy booing wright too notice Castillo limping. Man, the best guy on the team ain’t allowed to have a slump…… I bet Teddy Willimans even had one or two….
Great play by Wright at 3rd. I’ll be ready to acknowledge he’s coming out of it if he keeps this up tomorrow.
Howie has put this one ‘in the books’ now and forever to be known as the Santos Grand Slammer game book.
Wow, that was a quick game. Also a good game all around for the Mets — unless it turns out Castillo is really hurt. Total opposite of yesterday. Go figure!
John, how do you explain a team turning it around 180 degrees from one day to the next? Was this strictly a case of Ollie pitching like crap yesterday and Maine pitching well today?
A big night for Santos, for sure. But tonight was about Maine showing signs of turning it around. He threw a lot of pitches, but rebounded after the first. The Mets need Maine to keep it up.-JD
Jeff (78): Yes. It’s that simple in my mind.-JD
solid win…lets go livan..give us the same result you did in miami..lets get another W
4 out of 5 would be nice to see
JD or anyone who knows: Does Santos have options left? I’d hate for them to cut or trade Castro and give Santos the back up job if he’s only going to be a flash in the pan guy. I mean he didn’t exactly light up the minor leagues either in his 8 year stint down there.
Filip Bondy has an interesting piece on Santos in the Daily News: http://tinyurl.com/c8fe46. He was with the Yankees’ Staten Island A team for years before going to Baltimore. But it doesn’t say anything about options — just that Manuel has a “tough” decision when Schneider comes back.
Jeff/Steve –
I don’t know much about the ‘options and contracts’ that ballplayers have, but the Mets would be nuts not to let Santos ride out this stretch of play that he’s having. I hope the powers that be think a little bit about the player, his contribution to the team and his needs. Sometimes, you just have to go with the flow.
Here’s a piece from the Times that goes back to last week:
April 21, 2009, 8:26 pm
The Facts About Omir Santos
By Ben Shpigel
Omir Santos scored the only run for the Mets on Saturday.ST. LOUIS – J.J. Putz loved pitching to Omir Santos in spring training, so count him as someone who was “impressed but not surprised” at how Santos secured the Mets’ 1-0 victory Saturday against Milwaukee. With one out in the ninth inning, Santos signaled to Francisco Rodriguez to throw a full-count changeup to J.J. Hardy. As Ryan Braun broke for second, Santos stayed back to frame the pitch – strike three – then, with a quick release, fired to second to catch Braun stealing to end the game.
“What was really impressive was that his priority was to get the strikeout, then to get the guy at second,” Sandy Alomar Jr., the Mets’ catching instructor, said before Tuesday night’s game against the Cardinals. “He got rewarded.”
In three games since being recalled, Santos has flashed the solid defense and right-handed power that won him admirers throughout the clubhouse and front office. Before Santos, who turns 28 next week, left for Class AAA Buffalo, Jerry Manuel thanked him and said, “See you soon.” When Brian Schneider landed on the disabled list Friday, the Mets picked him and not either of the other two catchers at Buffalo, Robinson Cancel and Rene Rivera, to back up Ramon Castro.
“They could have chosen anybody, but they chose me,” said Santos, who is 2 for 5 with a double and a triple and has scored two runs. “That’s a great feeling.”
I say keep him.
(84) Annie: I understand what you are saying, but alot of times players have real good weeks but it doesn’t last. More playing time ends up exposing them. I think if they cut Castro it also removes a power hitting threat from the bench.