After hinting at change, Jerry Manuel opts for the status quo tonight against Cubs lefty Tom Gorzelanny, so the slumping 3-4-5 of David Wright, Jason Bay and Jeff Francoeur will remain intact.
Perhaps this weekend against a right-hander there could be some change.
In a nutshell, Wright is averaging a strikeout a game, Bay has 22 strikeouts and Francoeur, who opened the season with a 10-game hitting streak is on an 0-for-22 slide.
“I’ve never been so hot, and then so cold,’’ Francoeur said.
Here’s the line-up for the 6-9 Mets:
Jose Reyes, SS
Luis Castillo, 2B
David Wright, 3B
Jason Bay, LF
Jeff Francoeur, RF
Ike David, 1B
Rod Barajas, C
Angel Pagan, CF
Johan Santana, L
FIRST INNING: That’s 15 strikeouts for Wright.-JD
SECOND INNING: Bay isn’t hitting, but he hasn’t taken it to the field.-JD
Hey, JD. How’s it going?
Gil (3): Good, and you?-JD
Good, thanks. No complaints. In about a couple of hours, I’m gonna turn the Lakers game on, so I’ll follow the Mets on TV on my laptop and the Lakers on TV.
SECOND INNING: Francoeur went after the first pitch. Needs a little more patience.-JD
Gil (5): Hope you hang with us tonight.-JD
I will. Gonna multitask.
I was tempted to go see the LI Ducks and the battery of Sidney Ponson pitching to Robinson Cancel. But poverty forced me to stay home. Got psyched up watching the Bartman game earlier on espn classic (they didn’t have any episodes of American Gladiators to run?).
From Jayson Stark of ESPN. “Twice in the last week, we’ve heard two scouts make a remark like this: I think Washington is a much better club than the Mets.”
Dan (9): That’s not very encouraging. I’ve heard similar. They did beat the Mets in a series.-JD
Washington may indeed be better than the Mets. At least they can hit.
FOURTH INNING: Cubs have threatened three times. Mets haven’t had a hit.-JD
Gil (11): Eventually the Mets will hit. They have too many good hitters.-JD
By the way, you guys…why was the Oakland pitcher today so hot and bothered at A-Roid for in today’s game? Saw the highlight on MLB Network, but had the TV on mute.
Castillo still gets a lot of static, but he’s having another decent season. He doesn’t have a lot of range, but he’s been consistent offensively.-JD
Wow. Who’s the guy impersonating David Wright?
Horrible at-bat by Wright and he’s hearing it.-JD
Dallas Braden. The Roid man apparently broke an unwritten rule by stepping on the mound when returning to base after a foul ball.
Gil (16): Don’t know about Rodriguez. … Wright looks off. Like he’s searching for the ball.-JD
Dan (18): Figures.-JD
Bay: Progress. At least he didn’t strike out.-JD
18 Thanks, Dan. Is that all A-Roid did? Hafta admit, as long as I’ve been watching baseball, I never knew that was considered by pitchers to be an unpardonable sin. What difference does it make what or where he stepped on? At least he wasn’t trying to slap the ball out of someone’s glove.
Question: Does the NFL really need three days for its draft?-JD
Gil (22): The mound belongs to the pitcher. It’s trespassing in their mind. … Personally, I never had a problem with him trying to slap the ball out of the glove. What if he got the call and the Yankees went on to win? History might have changed.-JD
i thought ike cant hit lefties?
22/24
never heard of it. but it makes sense.
territory. if i were a pitcher and there was this rule i would be pissed too. my next pitch would be high and tight.
kinda like a stranger walking around with dirty shoes on your living room carpet.
Don’t know about the call on that play. Davis may have been out.
dave (25): That’s four hits in four games. He looks very comfortable. He keeps this up and Daniel Murphy will be a footnote.-JD
dave (26): Excellent analogy.-JD
24 I dunno, guys. I used to pitch in high school. Unless someone did something to mess up the area around the rubber to mess with my footing, I’d have a problem. But seriously, how much territory should a pitcher have? Back in the day, guys like Drysdale, Gibson and even Koosman would brush back hitters, saying the plate was theirs, to.
Gil (30): Who knows how those unwritten rules get adopted? It seems to me to be reasonable.-JD
(30) Have you read the new book about the Baseball Codes? There’s a great story in there about the 1968 All-Star Game, where Dodger catcher Tom Haller spies Rusty Staub going through Don Drysdale’s shaving bag in the clubhouse in an attempt to find the instrument Drysdale was allegedly using to scuff the ball.
Weeks later, when the Astros played against the Dodgers, Drysdale drilled Staub and then yelled, “That’s for going through my goddamned shaving kit!”
Tiffany (32): Is Baseball Codes the name of the book? Need to get that. Great story.-JD
#32 must have been the Vitalis that he and Herman Franks made a commercial for after Franks accused him of having more than honest sweat on the ball.
johan is dealing
32 That IS a great story, Tiffany. Thanks for sharing that.
john(28)
i thought murphy already was a footnote.
unless ike cant deal that is.
29
thanks
(33) The Baseball Codes by Jason Turnbow.
(34) There’s a story in there about how Whitey Ford used to employ an antiperspirant roll-on container to house a concoction that included pine tar and other substances he would use to load up the ball. Hilarity ensues when Yogi enters the picture and, thinking it’s deodorant, applies some under his arms.
SIXTH INNING: What’s this the Mets have the leadoff hitter on?-JD
OK. Jose BETTER be running here. I don’t care if a lefty’s on the mound. Doesn’t seem to stop D-Wright when he’s on first.
i guess jose still cant steal
The NFL needs three days for its meat market, er draft, as much as the NCAA needs 68 teams in its basketball tournament.
39
too funny
Gil (41): I don’t like giving up the out there. I would have sent Reyes. Then bunted him to third.-JD
#39 Whitey Ford could do some mean things to a baseball with his wedding ring until an umpire told him to go in the clubhouse, fix his jockstrap and come out without the ring. After that Elston Howard rubbed baseballs over a sharpened buckle on his shin guards.
A Mets run!!!!!!!!!!
Dan (46): I heard that story. Love it, also.-JD
Two Mets runs! We’ve doubled our output for the year!
Francoeur said he’d been trying to pull the ball too much and that he needed to go to the opposite field. … Maybe this will jumpstart him.-JD
Gotta love the way Davis battles and puts the ball in play so far.
kevin (50): You really do. And, that last one was off a breaking ball.-JD
SEVENTH INNING: Did I mention I hate pitch counts and managers not letting pitchers work out of trouble?-JD
Why in the world did Johan come out. Nieve’s arm is going to fall off. Johan is the ace, let him pitch. Like I said Monday. I HATE PITCH COUNTS
Nieve was a waste. Why is Johan out of the game?
Hey, guys and gals. Had some connectivity issues — they happened right as D-Wright was in mid-at-bat. I see even though we scored four, we’re right back in a jam again…
(55) It was fine until Johan came out. Jerry is an idiot.
Why would Wright reach down to tag a runner when he has a force? Could have gotten spiked?
(57) LIke Keith said, he wasn’t sure if he was on the base. Doesn’t matter.
metsgl (56): For somebody new to this blog you fit in quickly.-JD
Dan (57): My guess is he didn’t think he stepped on the bag and it was instinct.-JD
What a great play by Frenchy.
Gil (61): He certainly hasn’t taken his offense to the field.-JD
How come Feliciano is facing all of these righties?
metsgl (63): He’s the eighth inning guy now.-JD
Or at least he was.-JD
(64) Well he’s blowing the game. Mejia is coming in now. He should have started the inning.
This is some textbook managing, I’ll tell you… he even got a double switch in there for good measure.
Jerry is an idiot. Let somebody pitch. Stop Pitch Counts. Stop Lefty-RIghty. Let Mejia or Nieve pitch. Why did Johan come out?
This is the right move, bringing in Frankie.
Oh sweet panic move Jerry, what is wrong with you?
This game should not be in doubt.
Frankie is fine. I thought it was Valdes
But it is.
Gil (69): Agreed. Let him earn his money.-JD
This is April, there is no reason K-Rod should be going for a 5 out save.
EIGHTH INNING: Lou is barking. Pitch was right there.-JD
It looked good, it was just a delayed call by the ump.
kevin (75): There is when your bullpen is undependable.-JD
75 Kevin: Sorry buddy, but we need this game, so K-Rod must be called upon. Winning this represents the first series win of the year. We’re facing some tough Atlanta pitching this weekend in which we could easily be swept. Preserving this likely win tonight could do a lot for the team’s confidence and gives some possible momentum.
Way to go, Ike!
i hope when they adjust to ike he adjusts back
I’m glad Jerry started Davis against the lefty. He could have gone by the book and gone with Fernando Tatis.-JD
I agree with the import of the game, my only issue is that we burned through 4 pitchers in the most haphazardous, irrational way possible. Jerry just baffles me. Yesterday he wanted to pitch everyone two innings for no reason, now he gives people a pitch or a batter… have some faith in your pen.
dave (81): That’s the ultimate test for sure.-JD
JD (82): Agreed, I feared he would start Tatis, I think Minaya must have made it very clear to him that this is not a platoon situation.
Nice. How long has it been since we’ve won a series? Very good. Another good reason why Frankie was called upon — can’t waste a chance to get a win when your ace is pitching.
cool.
they won
Gil (86): Absolutely. It would have been a shame to waste another Santana outing.-JD
A QUICK WRAP/Game #16
FINAL: Mets 5, Cubs 2.
RECORD: 7-9.
THUMBNAIL ANALYSIS: It just wasn’t the 3-4-5 hitters who had trouble. Tom Gorzelanny had all the Mets off balance. The Cubs had their chances off Johan Santana, but he showed again why he’s baseball’s best.
ON THE MOUND: Santana gave up one run on eight hits with five strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings. … Francisco Rodriguez got the last five outs for the save.
AT THE PLATE: The struggling Wright and Jeff Francoeur drove in runs with hits. … Three hits for Ike Davis.
IN THE FIELD: Davis also looks very comfortable at first. … Wright’s throw to the plate cut off a run.
LOOKING AHEAD: John Maine starts tomorrow night against Atlanta.-JD
#86 Last year, the last series of 2009 was a three game sweep of the pitiful Astros October 2-4.
Hey, I missed the game but caught the postgame summary. I checked back here and found no mention of the guy who seemed to be in the middle of a whole bunch of plays — not even by Tiffany. So, since she didn’t say it, I will: You can’t stop Barajas, you can only hope to contain him.
i only got to see the score via higlights ..
why didnt Santana go into more than 7 innings?
91. been watching barajas. maybe our gary carter.
the tank at home plate that will throw you out. and then can hit
i should say our new gary carter. lets keep an eye on him