Maybe the Mets will score for him today. The Mets, winners of nine straight home games, haven’t been supportive of their ace.
Games #59/60 vs. Padres
Johan Santana has been marvelous, throwing 15 straight scoreless innings over his last two starts, but having nothing to show for it. In his last start, he threw seven scoreless at San Diego, but the Mets went on to lose 5-1 in 11 innings.
Santana’s ERA over his last five games is 0.74, but the Mets have given him two or fewer runs in four of them. Santana has four victories, but with a little support he could have eight. Easy.
Santana will start Game 1 of the day-night doubleheader at Citi Field and Jon Niese will start the second game.
Manuel flipped Niese with R.A. Dickey, saying he liked the idea of starting a knuckleballer in the first game of a series because it could throw a team off balance.
The Mets enter the first game four games over .500, with their season best five games over, that being after their Friday night win at Philly in what seems like ages ago.
With a doubleheader sweep – and that’s thinking greedy – the Mets would tie an 11-game home streak in August, 2006.
“We’ve played extremely well here,’’ manager Jerry Manuel said. “We’re confident here.’’
NOTE: John Maine is to throw today on the side and barring any setbacks make the first of two rehab starts on Sunday. When he’s ready to be activated Hisanori Takahashi should return to the bullpen. If not, Maine said he would be open to the bullpen.
Here’s the lineup for Game 1:
Jose Reyes, SS
Angel Pagan, CF
Jason Bay, LF
Ike Davis, 1B
David Wright, 3B
Jeff Francoeur, RF
Alex Cora, 2B
Henry Blanco, C
Johan Santana, LP
FIRST INNNG: I’d send Reyes and then if I were to bunt I’d move him to third.-JD
SECOND INNING: Santana cruising so far.-JD
Well, 10 pitches into the at-bat and Blanco goes deep. Didn’t have to wait until the last inning this time.-JD
Blanco hits like he’s Rod Barajas!
Dan (4): He does have a knack for coming through when Santana pitches.-JD
FOURTH INNING: Bases loaded, two on walks. He’s in some trouble now. He’s always been able to minimize the damage. Let’s see if he can do it again.-JD
Limited to one run. Good job.-JD
BOTTOM FOURTH INNING: First strikeout in five games for David Wright.-JD
FIFTH INNING: Eckstein comes through again vs. Mets.-JD
Hey — let’s come up with some ways to blame this on Jerry Manuel.
I’ll start:
There’s no reason to take Santana out at the 100-pitch mark. He should be allowed to throw around 150 pitches each start. I hate it when he takes Santana out around 100 pitches. It ruins baseball for me.
Tiffany (10): How can you blame Jerry for this? Santana walked hitters who came around to score and the offense again has disappeared with him on the mound.-JD
(11) You have to blame Jerry — he’s a buffoon. It’s his fault. Santana should have been left in there for at least 150 pitches. They need to fire Jerry ASAP.
Oh gosh — Mike Adams again. I can’t bear to watch. Tell me when his appearance is over.
EIGHTH INNING: Jesus Feliciano making his ML debut after 13 years. How can you not help but root for this guy?-JD
(14) This just in: Jesus Feliciano retains his status as the answer to a trivia question.
Nineteen straight Met hitters have gone down. They haven’t had a runner since Blanco’s homer. When are they going to support Santana? This is bizarre.-JD
Of course, Santana didn’t help himself today. He walked four and two of them came around to score.-JD
(17) They gave him a 2-0 lead, but then Jerry had that quick hook again. How does he expect Santana to ever win when he’s taking him out after 100 pitches?
Tiffany (18): You can call heads or tails, you can’t call both. … Santana wasn’t sharp today and the offense gave him little help, either.-JD
A QUICK WRAP/Game #59
FINAL: Padres 4, Mets 2
RECORD: 31-28.
THUMBNAIL ANALYSIS: Once again, the offense takes the day off when Johan Santana pitches. Santana wasn’t sharp, either, with four walks of which two came around to score.
ON THE MOUND: Santana was far from his sharpest, giving up four runs on eight hits and four walks in 6 2/3 innings.
AT THE PLATE: Henry Blanco hit a two-run homer, and not another Met reached base after that, with 22 straight going down to end the game.
IN THE FIELD: The Mets turned four double plays.
LOOKING AHEAD: Jon Niese goes in the nightcap.-JD
Jerry admits the layoff might have contributed to Santana’s lack of command today. They didn’t plan on the rainout, but they could have started him Tuesday.-JD
Three hours until first pitch of the second game.-JD
i missed the game. busy with system issues
18. hey tiffany.. thats my complaint! have you come over to our side finally?!
SteveC (23): Sorry Steve, my guess is she’s busting chops.-JD
oh i see the other posts. oh well. I just dont understand this team they play so hard then nothing. are they maybe making a statement? *sigh*
SteveC (25): It was Santana. The offense takes the day off when he pitches. Home or away. I guess they figure the other team won’t score and they’ll get enough runs by accident to win. It doesn’t work that way. … Santana said he didn’t have his best stuff today.-JD
Is it that whole thing from last year. these guys take a break then turn it on. Frustrarting..
Last year Santana came out hot at the start. Then he had arm issues.
I do not know if changing his approach had anything to do with the injury or not, but he was pissed that they lost by a game or two. Every game counts so he tried.
I guess he had a league avg game today.
Hope Jon does the same and maybe they split June 10th.
So how is Beltran’s rehab? He had a batting cage experience last week so he should be ready to man CF by Monday so we can kick that bum Pagan to the curb?
that would be nice.
It is so nice to come here and read the posts once ion a while and then go hug all the friends and family and thank them mightily for not being STEVE C.
Tiffany; is it still enjoyable trying to have fun with the mental midget?
Our drive to first place hits a momentary roadblock. Santana was not quite Santana tonight. Oh well…get them in the second game….
wheelhouse has a mejia update. allegedly.
dave (29): They say Beltran’s rehab is going well, but he’s still not running full speed or involved in baseball activities. When that happens he’s still four to six weeks away, barring any setbacks. We have to be thinking August now.-JD
Harry (31): I wish you could work and play nice with others.-JD
Here’s the lineup for Game 2:
Jose Reyes, SS
Jesus Feliciano, CF
David Wright, 3B
Ike Davis, 1B
Chris Carter, LF
Rod Barajas, C
Jeff Francoeur, RF
Ruben Tejada, 2B
Jon Niese, LP
loudmouths on SNY just said manual did a crap job with the lineup.
I don’t understand sitting both Bay and Pagan. You have to wonder about the outfield defense tonight.-JD
SteveC (37): Did they? If you want to rest Bay, that’s fine. If you want to rest Pagan, that’s fine. Not both.-JD
Starting tomorrow, the Mets have nine games to give Carter and Feliciano at-bats because of the DH. Why hamstring yourself tonight? Don’t get it.-JD
thats what they said. I am just dumbfounded this is the B or C team
Jesus Feliciano, CF – need to prove
Chris Carter, LF – everyone knows his defense is weak
Ruben Tejada, 2B can cora be that tired?
———————-
Now is it manual is a genius or he wants us to lose the second half too to make Santana not feel so bad?
I hope this lineup magically works out .. But this change of pace really didnt work in the past either..
39. almost in those exact words.. They couldnt impress strong enough on TV how much they hated it..
40. they also agree with you on that.. they mentioned the same exact thing.. I forget the bald guys name – he said and I quote .. I hope this doesnt wind up biting manual in the end. “
SteveC (41): Well, we knew Tejada was going to get the second game. Personally, I thought Bay would sit because he’s cooling off. Will be interesting to see Felciano handle all that room in center.-JD
So JD – how do we get you on SNY? I think you would be perfect.. you see everything they see and are also a little more fair in your critiques than some of us die hards
SteveC (44): Thanks.-JD
Chris Carter with the lifetime .311 slugging percentage bats 5th..ahead of the home run hitting machine that is Rod Barajas??? Come back, Art Howe..all is forgiven!! No, not really, but you and Cobra Joe Frazier have been surpassed as managers who don’t have a clue on how to make a lineup.
unreal. SNY has ronnie discussing last game and the lineup. he was just asked about carter in the lineup.
(45) Who was the SNY personality you were romantically linked with? Julie Alexandria or something?
Dan (46): Agreed. I would have put Barajas ahead of Carter.-JD
BTW – Storm clouds over head and noise coming from the sky. I am 30 plus miles north of queens
Niese starting the second game. Even if he continues to pitch well, I believe the Mets need to add a pitcher at the trade deadline if they are to contend. … I don’t think if Niese goes on a tear between now and July that it should preclude the Mets dealing for a starter.-JD
FIRST INNING: Easy inning for Niese. Kept the ball down and got three groundouts.-JD
51. agreed.. definitely 1 starter.. and a utility ….
BOTTOM FIRST INNING: The Mets didn’t sign any pitchers in the offseason for several reasons, one of which they weren’t impressed with the market. Jon Garland, tonight’s starter for San Diego, was one of those overlooked. His 6-3 record would look good in the Mets’ rotation.-JD
SteveC (53): Think they’ll need to add a reliever because they are burning the pen.-JD
They had this same situation in the first inning of Game 1, but Reyes waited to run. By the time he did an out was burned. I’d like to see him run now.-JD
RISP. lets go Dave!
oh no reyes may have gotten redally hurt!
Three straight strikeouts for Wright. All he needed was a fly ball. Not a good at-bat.-JD
for some reason SHoprite is selling Spaten Optimator for 10 a six pack. my loving wife called.
so i get to watch this game with a damned great beer!
59. yeah wasted Reyes efforts..
SECOND INNING: Another quick inning for Niese.-JD
nice. I wonder how Santana feels about this.. everytime this has happened to him the next pitcher had a great outing..
SteveC (61): Did the same thing in the first game. Those missed scoring opportunities always come back to bite you.-JD
SteveC (63): Publicly, he’s saying all the right things. Privately, it has to drive him crazy.-JD
65. thats a professional for you .
NIce job by Barajas to set up the run-scoring DP.-JD
Nice job Frenchy!
DAMNIT! Triple play. unreal!
BOTTOM SECOND INNING: You don’t see many triple plays. The Mets have hit into two in two years. … They also turned a triple play.-JD
Mets are broadening their skills…hitting into triple plays other than the 9th inning.
Who remembers that bases loaded, no out situation in a tie game when a similar ball was hit to Hojo, who, instead of throwing home to ensure the continuation of the game, attempted an around-the-horn triple play?
Dan (71): It hurts less this way.-JD
Tiffany (72): I don’t remember that play. How did that game end?-JD
72. i half faded memory.
(74) It ended with the Met players shaking their collective heads at what a boneheaded decision their third baseman had just made. A 5-2-3 DP would have been a likely outcome, which would have left the other team (I think it was the Astros) with second and third and two outs; instead, it was “winning run scored with outs.”
Reyes is HOT!
76. Thanx for that Tiffany. I try to forget the bad games there’s so many ya know
There’s always next year!!!
BOTTOM THIRD INNING: Bunting is another thing I’d like to see Reyes do more of. He could bunt .300.-JD
Feliciano waited 13 years to get here. You’d think he’d take a pitch or two.-JD
Wow, our runners at second and third held. For a nanosecond, I’d thought they’d run the Mets into another triple play.
Tiffany (76): Thanks. Yup, that was bonehead all the way.-JD
Dim memories of doing that. Remember some bonehead play by Jeffries at third in a game Tommy Herr made a great throw from second to nail runner at home.
And to think, they started the season with Mike Jacobs at first base. Seems like ages ago.-JD
Finally a rally with RISPS
NOTE: Beltran is playing in extended spring training games, but still not running full speed.-JD
another great inning.. lets just do it inning per inning let us not project what we want less we jynx it..
I think the Mets could be in it down the stretch, but they really need to add a starter. We don’t know about Maine, Dickey might not keep it up, and who knows about Perez?-JD
FIFTH INNING: Let’s see Reyes run now.-JD
88. yep.
39. yes!
oops that should have been 89. yes!
*ugh*
SEVENTH INNING: Niese has been superb; 15 in a row by him.-JD
Niese has gone 7 with no issues. I wonder what M&M will do.
i really dont want to jynx it so lets just leave it at that :-\
Its probabky the Spaten that my wife brought home.. since those beers its been all good..
SteveC (94): He’s batting so he’s staying in. He has a one-hit shutout. Do with him what they did for Pelfrey the other night, which is give him the ninth, assuming no problems in the eighth.-JD
EIGHTH INNING: You have to give him the ninth.-JD
9th inning?
where is the book? why is he still pitching? isnt it illegal for a pitcher to go this long?
wow heilman. havent heard that name in a while.
wow
1 hit shutout.
Brilliant job by Niese. Missed a perfect game by one batter.-JD
FINALLY!!!!
ok so from now on I have to drink Spaten in order for us to go 9 !
A QUICK WRAP/Game #60
FINAL: Mets 3, Padres 0.
RECORD: 32-28.
THUMBNAIL ANALYSIS: Jon Niese was brilliant in throwing a one-hit shutout, retiring the last 21 Padres.
ON THE MOUND: Niese struck out six and didn’t walk a hitter.
AT THE PLATE: Jeff Francoeur, David Wright and Ike Davis each drove in runs.
IN THE FIELD: The Padres turned a triple play in the second. … Chris Carter and Jesus Feliciano started in the outfield.
LOOKING AHEAD: R.A. Dickey opens the series in Baltimore.-JD
Mets !!! 1 hit shutout. where the pitcher completed the game! Be still my heart.. there’s hope yet!!! bloody pitch count..
Gee manual. reward a pitcher by letting him finish a game. go figure.. maybe if you do that more.. they will produce..
have a great night everyone.. noe for e celebratory Optimator.