CHAT ROOM
The Mets played alert, aggressive baseball to back the strong pitching performance of Tim Redding. Tonight they’ll throw Livan Hernandez (5-1) at the Cardinals. Hernandez, as much as anybody, is responsible for the Mets only being 1.5 games behind the Phillies in the NL East.
It’s hard to believe the Mets are that close considering how they’ll played this month.
Here’s tonight’s line-up:
Alex Cora, SS
Daniel Murphy, 1B
David Wright, 3B
Fernando Tatis, LF
Ryan Church, RF
Omir Santos, C
Fernando Martinez, CF
Luis Castillo, 2B
Livan Hernandez, RP
This post was written by John Delcos
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wow.
strong pitching performance of redding.
pretty soon you will be comparing him to nieve
the mets have no right to be 1 1/2 games out.
they better not be comfortable. it can get away really quick
dave (1): He can only hope to be that good.-JD
dave (2): It is funny you should mention that. The Mets can’t afford to think to themselves, “considering all that’s gone on we’re right there, just wait until we get our guys back.” Such thinking could be disastrous because you can’t assume anything. They can’t be thinking they can just turn it on because it doesn’t work that way.-JD
Good evening dave, JD.
Hope you all are well.
We’re having a typical summer thunderstorm here in central Florida, so I’ve got mlb.com on as backup, as DirecTV sometimes freezes in this weather…
Play ball!
Livan should have two more wins to his credit, based on what happened in his last starts in the Bronx and Baltimore.
Gil (6): He should, but it doesn’t work that way. If they had won their heartbreakers, they’d be in first place.-JD
Good start by Hernandez. I know that if Perez were here he wouldn’t be 5-1.-JD
I really had my doubts about Livan’s ability before the season started, but I must say watching him pitch is fun. he’s an acquired taste. Just goes to show you can’t always judge all pitchers by their season stats. Unlike other pitchers, Livan’s WHIP is deceiving.
Seems like just yesterday it was a crisp fall night two years ago and in a makeup game at Shea, Pineiro outpitched Pedro and stuck a knife in the Mets’ post-season hopes.
does pinero’s approach (look at is face) remind anyone else of Johan Santana?
abbey (11): There seems to be an intense concentration with both.-JD
Wow. Abbey that is a great call! Body language, too. Anyone wanna put up a separated at birth photo of the two?
Gil (10): I remember the game. One game I remember during that collapse was the game vs. Washington when Reyes didn’t cover second on what could have been an inning ending double play. It turned into a big inning for the Nationals that meant the game.-JD
14 I was at the Nationals-Mets game when Austin Kearns hit a three-run jack and another when Phil Humber made his one and only start for the Mets and couldn’t last until the fifth inning (was that the same game?). And what about that Friday night game at home against the Marlins when Ollie Perez plunked three guys in one inning and David Wright botched a ground ball that also had “double play” written all over it?
Gil (15): So many bad memories from that collapse. They’ve never recovered. It wasn’t the Molina homer vs. Heilman that scarred them because they played well enough to go up seven games with 17 to play. They’ve never recovered from the collapse.-JD
Pineiro off to a good start. Hernandez, too. Could be the beginning of an interesting night.-JD
These are how big innings start.-JD
Gil (15): I read your post over again. Phil Humber? He’s fallen off the map.-JD
Here we go again…
What do you know, it’s raining. … And, the way this inning has started, it could be pouring soon.-JD
Duncan did them a favor by first-pitch swinging.-JD
They should’ve put a roof on Citi, geez what is up with the rain these days?
It’s raining hard enough for the tarp to go on. If it does, and the delay is long, they could lose Hernandez for the night.-JD
16 Yes, indeed, it was Phil Humber.
In that Sept. 26 game, the Mets took a 5-0 lead after three innings. But Humber gave it right back. He lasted four innings and gave up five earned runs (two of them on a homer to Ryan Church) on six hits, with two walks. The Mets ended up losing, 9-6.
That what’s been so maddening about the Mets from the end of 2006.
The 2007 team should’ve been on a mission. Instead, the players took it for granted they’d make it to the post-season.
Wise players know never to take a shot at the post-season lightly, as those opportunities are rare.
and the Cards could lose Pinero…
abbey (26): Yes they could.-JD
Gil (25): During spring training of that year, Willie Randolph never really addressed the collapse. He should have hammered it home and made it a mission.-JD
The field is becoming a mess because they can’t get the tarp on. The umps waited too long to call the delay.-JD
(23,24) I remember Wilpon’s first proposal for the stadium had a retractable roof — but it was also supposed to be a multi-purpose stadium. I guess that proved to be too expensive.
28 Excellent point.
And although they’re two completely different sports, I’m a HUGE Australian Rules Football fan and I remember when I was there in 2000, one year after blowing a semi-final game the year before, the Essendon Bombers were on such a mission they went 21-1 that year and easily won the Grand Final.
I mean these guys — and their head coach –looked like they literally had fire in their eyes. The looks on the faces of opponents when they took the field with these guys looked as if they’d already been beaten when the opening siren sounded.
(30) I guess Omar got to use the money saved to fill the DL this season.
abbey (32): Tremendous line.-JD
Game will restart 12 mins. from now…
The way that inning started it could have been a lot worse.-JD
Good evening everyone.
I caught the middle and end of some interesting, and to my way of thinking, misguided, punditry on MLB TV last night. They’d just finished talking about the Mets win over the Cards and then the analysts all talked about how the Mets were really gelling over the last few games. One of them, Sean Casey I think, said that he was impressed by their scrappiness in the last half-week and then another guy said how David Wright had really stepped up to fill the void. I was puzzled and wondered: (1) Who are these guys? and (2) What team have they been watching? Last night the Mets did look good and Joey Cora in particular saved their bacon. But one game of scrappy, small ball doesnt make up for weeks of melancholy moseying. Did anyone else catch this on MLBTV?
TexMets (36): MLBTV hired a bunch of morons.-JD
Yes they did. Knuckleheads. I thought Sean Casey was still playing. Surely he’s as good as a lot of guys on rosters.
This is starting to loook eerily like Pineiro’s Sept. 27, 2007 start at Shea…in that game, Pineiro got 15 ground ball outs, five fly outs and two line drive outs. He threw 93 pitches in shutting the Mets out over eight innings in that 3-0 win.
Gil (39): Sinker is working. Mets are pounding the ball into the mud.-JD
40 Guys have to start laying off that pitch. They also should try doing what they did when the finally knocked out their nemesis Greg Maddux in an ’06 playoff game — try hitting the ball to the opposite field.
Gil (41): Or move up in the box to get the ball before it drops.-JD
42 Even better idea. Wonder why we can think of this stuff, but the hitters don’t…Well, not like we’d have any better success…
Another good start so far by Hernandez. That one inning could have been worse, but it is a credit to him that it wasn’t. He’s able to do what Mike Pelfrey can’t, and that is minimize the damage when he gets in trouble.-JD
They aren’t even making Pineiro work.-JD
45 David Wright seems like he’s become way too much of a guess hitter. I know, I know, it seems ridiculous to criticize the league’s leading hitter, but in that last AB against Pineiro, he swung at the first strike, took strike two then fanned at strike three…
Gil (46): He looked overmatched in that at-bat. Then again, so have all the Mets against Pineiro tonight.-JD
Gambled and lost. Should’ve bunted.-JD
VERY DUMB call right there.
Why the hell are you trying to hit-and-run with the pitcher up and the opposing pitcher dominating the game?
Just SACRIFICE!
“I know Jerry thinks he’s challenged offensively, but this is not a wise move.” Gotta love Keith.
Just a bad decision. … Phillies destroying Tampa Bay.-JD
Phillies have 10 runs in Tampa? Not a good sign.
The Mets aren’t even breathing offensively tonight.-JD
wow.
i return to the game and it’s a pitchers duel.
who knew?
Another run by the Cardinals might make this insurmountable.-JD
Here’s the game.-JD
Pujols with bases loaded, 1 out. Oy vey.
The best thing you can say here is, a 2-run single is better than a grand slam.
Wow, this is hard to believe!
he seems to have lost just enough control to get hit or to not hit the edge of the plate when he wants.
What the hell are the Cardinals doing on the bases?-JD
If it was anybody but the Mets, I’d think, this is Karma — Cardinals lose TWO base runners without a pitch being thrown? Mets HAVE to come back and win this game!
Of course, that’s what I thought after that incredible catch in left field in 2006, too.
Jeff (62): I thought the same.-JD
Watching the Mets try to hit tonight is like watching paint dry.
Why are the fans booing Wright getting plunked? We need the baserunners!
Gil (64): C’mon Gil … watching the paint is far more exciting.-JD
We can’t afford to have the league’s leading hitter get hurt! That could mean 15 or 20 rbi we don’t get the rest of the season.
Anyone else realize the maximum number of pitches Pineiro has thrown in any inning tonight is 12?
(68) And he’s only thrown 69 pitches through 7? Not much chance of attacking the bullpen after he’s pulled for 100 pitches — assuming anybody else does that — if he doesn’t hit that mark until after the game is over.
Just came back from dinner, thought the rain delay would be a little longer. Was sad that the time spent staring over my dinner date’s shoulder was looking at the score stuck on 1-0. Has the Mets offense really been pathetic or is it pitching?
by the way, I’m out of market – so I was staring at the espn bottom line not the actual game.
abbey (70): A little bit of both. How was dinner? What did you order?-JD
Large two topping pizza (ham & green pepper) and a pitcher of Stella for $11.00. It was great, would’ve been better if I was coming back to a lead…
abbey (73): What a bargain. That’s $30 plus in NY.-JD
well, factor in the $20 a month I pay for mlb.tv- I’m breaking even.
abbey (75): If you lose that connection, let me know if you want the play-by-play.-JD
thanks will do, john- absolutely love following the site/comments here.
i wonder if this Mets as the can-do underdog talk that permeated Metsblog and other sites today will die out after tonight.
abbey (78): Whatever you need. Glad you like the site. The negative will start again soon.-JD
My prediction? This game will end with yet another D-Wright strikeout.
cmon murph
we need a grand slam
Just like the 2006 game against Pineiro. A masterpiece.-JD
well nieve is up tomorrow.
The Mets’ bats needed Viagra tonight. And once again, we make a journeyman pitcher look like Walter Johnson.
Let’s hope Tony LaRussa doesn’t celebrate by deciding to drink and drive as he’s gotten busted for twice in the past…
dave (82): They’ll really need him again. A shame they wasted a strong start by Hernandez.-JD
(83) When the Mets look like this against a pitcher, I prefer to think of him as **Sigh** Young.
No Annie, so I guess once again I’ll have to assume Howie took a stiff drink and put it in the books.
I’m curious about Abbey’s dinner date, whose shoulder was being looked over the whole time. Couldn’t have been that scintillating a conversation to have been eclipsed by a crawl about this game!
john(84)
yeah. nice game once again by livan. he has been a nice surprise this year. he has pitched better than expected.
Jeff M. (85)
It happened again – rain delay, I fell asleep – woke up to Tony Paige at 5AM. Let’s see – so far, I only fall asleep during losing games….what can that mean??
Incidentally, my sports hero of all time is playing in the TPC Pro Am at Cromwell today – yes, It’s Sandy Koufax – weather is iffy here and now they use carts otherwise, I’d be walking with him again.