Game #72 vs. Tigers
The Mets will be going for the sweep tonight against Detroit without, as expected, without center fielder Angel Pagan, who is sidelined with a muscle spasm in his right side.
Jesus Feliciano will start in center.
Pagan left last night’s game in the seventh inning, and typically Jerry Manuel rests a player the day after taking him out of a game with an injury.
Manuel said Pagan could be able to play tomorrow night against Minnesota.
Pagan’s injury has done nothing to calm trade speculation he could be included in a deal for Seattle’s Cliff Lee. The Seattle Times reported in today’s edition the Mariners are seeking Jenrry Mejia and Pagan for Lee.
Also missing tonight is catcher Rod Barajas, who has tightness in his back.
Here’s tonight’s lineup:
Jose Reyes, SS
Jesus Feliciano, CF
David Wright, 3B
Ike Davis, 1B
Jason Bay, LF
Jeff Francoeur, RF
Henry Blanco, C
Ruben Tejada, 2B
Hisanori Takahashi, LP
Don’t forget to bury the lead: The Mets are now tied for first place and can take over sole possession with a win tonight.
NOTES: Carlos Beltran will play seven innings tonight at Port St. Lucie. … Still no timetable for Luis Castillo’s return.-JD
Hi John (2) I’ve spent the afternoon between thunderstorms – several heavy ones went through here – others are without power, but so far, I’m OK.
Looking forward to the game -
ROSTER MOVE: The Mets optioned lefty reliever Raul Valdes to Triple-A Buffalo and recalled catcher Josh Thole.-JD
why do we need 3 catchers?
SteveC (5): Barajas has tightness in his back and might not be ready for a couple of days.-JD
Hi Steve – According to John, Rod Barajas has ‘tightness in his back’.
blue flu?
maybe they are all having tightness because Manual is tight with the gratitude with the team and the catchers
thats 2 players that have tweaks. hmmm
SteveC (8): Tweaking the manager early tonight, aren’t we Steve?-JD
yeah sorry,. rough day at work. dealing with 2 consulting firms that don’t know their own jobs. Clueless, very sad.. and no i wont say their names .. and no it isnt TATA .. I had to send out 5 emails explaining the explanations.. how sad is that?!
manual taking Dickey out last night tweaked me!
SteveC (8) I was pretty angry with Jerry Manuel last night when he removed Dickey with only 97 pitches after 8 innings. Apparently I wasn’t the only one – most of the WFAN callers mentioned that today.
BOTTOM FIRST INNING: Let him steal, then bunt.-JD
11. a very poor decision which shows no love for the pitcher/player. at all. you wanna play KRod that badly because he’s whining like a little n
baby, why didnt he pitch the night before when Niese was taken out early..
splain that to me lucy! ..
I have yet to see Manual reward good work on the field. To me rewarding a player is playing every day in case of a pitcher leaving him in to try to complete (with a low enough count) another reward leave him in to battle a bad bases to see if he gets out. How many times did Dickey prove he could have bases loaded and let no one come home.. too many..
I still remember the small smile on Gallaraga’s face when he realized what had happened to his perfect game. Now that Howie has told us that his parents are teachers, I can understand. The whole incident turned into a teaching moment.
SteveC (13): No argument from me on that one. I would have sent out Dickey for the ninth. A guy gets on, then pull him. And, his pitch count was low enough. That shouldn’t have been an issue as he’s a knuckleballer.-JD
SteveC (13) you must be paying attention to Nolan Ryan’s campaign against the pitch counts. None of the teams that he works with are allowed to use them.
so in the span of a few weeks we have a baseball umpire make a bad call that cost a perfect game.
and a paid off soccer referee yellow card the US for no reason. oh i have no proof he was paid off .. i am just venting …
makes you wonder.//
16. sweet. I bet none of the pitchers are injured either. How many injured pitchers do we have now??? oh wait most of them are relievers because they are pitching every damned day! then there’s maine as well. who never had a high pitch count.. I still believe its strength and mechanics …
Annie (14): He showed nothing but class. A lot of guys would’ve gone nuts on the umpire. He got his disappointment across without being a jerk about things. A lot of people could have learned from him.-JD
Howie just announced that on Saturday Johan Santana will pitch against Carl Pavano. Should be interesting.
Annie (20): Always curious to see a guy go against his old team.-JD
THIRD INNING: Obviously, Takahashi doesn’t have it tonight. He’s gotten bombed before (San Diego) but bounced back.-JD
i think he’s a better reliever.
SteveC (23): I do, too. That’s one of the reasons why I want them to get another starter. I’d love them to get Lee, but wonder what it would cost. Mejia and Pagan seems like a lot for a rental.-JD
John (21) My interest in them is different from yours. Pavano grew up in the next town and is well known around here. Apparently he’s found his game after four years doing nothing on the Yankee payroll.
As for Johan…….
Annie (25): Ah Pavano. The Southington Softie is what he was known as around the Yankees. He’s salvaged his career.-JD
John (19) People will be learning from him for the rest of his career.
NICE! wright’s the hero! DP!
I’m hearing Bobby Valentine to the Marlins – can that be true?
Annie (29): You are hearing correctly. He could be in the seat in time for the Mets series. He’s a big favorite of the Marlins’ owner.-JD
John (26) Mr. Pavano is now a resident of Vermont in the off season. A very strange man.
Annie (31): He was tough to deal with in the Yankees clubhouse. Has no sense of humor.-JD
John (30) I’m not quite sure what kind of an owner Mr Luria is – haven’t some managers had a problem with him?
Annie (33): Yes, he has. The latest being Fredi Gonzalez. He’ll come back next year to manage the Braves. Bet on it.-JD
Valentine pulled out of the running for the Orioles job. He’s been in touch with the Marlins and all indications are he’s their guy. Hope he lands something soon. If for no other reason, to end the rumors of him coming back to the Mets.-JD
wow. i guess felicano wants to prove he can do it..
nice catch!
I wish he would come back to the mets. make it interesting..
SteveC (36): And, he’s played very little center field. That was a tough catch.-JD
SteveC (37): Not me. Been there, done that.-JD
John –
I think the rains are over – there’s a really pretty sunset outside the office sliders.
Did you have thunderstorms at home today, too?
39. yeah i know roygh ride with him. BUT…always interesting..
Annie (40): Sure did.-JD
SteveC (41): Yup … I’ll give you interesting.-JD
John (42) I don’t like thunderstorms.
Oh Back to the game – this would be a nice place for Ike to homer.
wake up bats!
John (43) What’s wrong with this team tonight? The Expectations??
Annie (46): Good pitching by Detroit.-JD
Who’s in the booth tonight? Ron or Keith? I’m having trouble with the Sunday Times Crossword.
I’m no manager but he does not look comfortable at the mound right now. i would take him out.
… And, bad pitching by Takahashi.-JD
48. ron keith and gary. the trifecta.
Annie (48): Both are in the booth.-JD
John (47) OK, good answer, Gallaraga is a class act and needs some wins.
SteveC (49): His fastball is way off. Not moving at all. … I don’t think he’s long for this game.-JD
SteveC (51) Trifecta – you a racetracker?
55. my dad. i picked up some of the lingo from him. i used to have to go buy him the lawtons every so often along with the carton of cigarettes. and i was maybe 10-12 years old.
SteveC (56): Times have changed.-JD
SteveC (56) It’s a fascinating place.
57. a carton was really cheap too. brooklyn neighborhood. they new it was for my dad. and if it wasnt they knew i would get a beatin so it didnt matter. He smoked Viceroys..
yeah in some ways its better in other ways not so much.. There are aspects i do miss.
OT – I’m reading “Steinbrenner – The Last Lion of Baseball” by Bill Madden. There is a lot about Cleveland in the book – before his Dad died and they moved the operations to Tampa.
Annie (60): I want to read that book. I’ve heard a lot of good things about it.-JD
ugh. that was a very painful inning.
John (61) Have your Library reserve a copy for you. That’s what I did – I’m wasn’t going to pay $30 for it.
SteveC (62): This is an ugly game.-JD
I’ve seen uglier but yeah this is up there .. i am hoping they wake up. I miss the teams that were dangerous in the 9th inning. there were many times Mets owned the 9th Inning throught the decades..
John (61) An interesting fact about George that even I didn’t know before. He is an accomplished musician, plays the piano and organ and sings tenor. Was an English Lit major at Williams.
SteveC (65): This isn’t one of those teams.-JD
66. you should read roddenbury’s bio. you wouldnt believe what he did in his life.
67. Nope that they arent.
Annie (66): There won’t be another one like him. It was always interesting covering the Yankees. The worst thing a Yankee writer could hear on his voice mail is: “John, George Steinbrenner returning your call.” You knew you wouldn’t get another chance.-JD
John (69) As you know I knew him at the racetrack and in Saratoga etc. He was always a charmer with me.
BOTTOM SIXTH INNING: This has the potential to be a big inning. They don’t need the bomb here. Just a hit would be huge.-JD
John (67)I can’t believe the Mets can pull this one out of the mess that it is in.
Annie (70): Charming is a word to describe him. There are a lot of words that define George. He is a schmoozer.-JD
RALLY!!!!
small ball!
John (73) I’ll go along with that. Very obvious that he treats men and women differently.
SteveC (75): Small ball is always the way to go. If you play small ball and are successful half the time, that’s 4 runs at least.-JD
Annie (76): And, he treats managers even more differently.-JD
John (78) You can read about every one of them in this book.
SEVENTH INNING: I know I’m in the minority on this one, but I’ve always liked Parnell.-JD
nice job by Parnell.
77. agreed my dad always said singles win the game. many people would poo poo me when i said that. oh HR is the great equalizer. yeah maybe. but hit after hit after hit. is better. because as the enxt guy gets up he sees runners on the bases and thing\\ks if i bloop it i get a RBI.
SteveC (82): Your dad is a wise man. It’s like the running game in football. You wear them down that.-JD
OK guys – think the Mets will pull this one out? This is the first season in a while when that really might happen. This Mets team is different.
see there ya go. small ball effs with the pitcher and the manager has to switch.
BOTTOM SEVENTH INNING: You nervous, Steve?-JD
83. very wise.also very hard man.. there were moments when it was make or break ya..
84. I think so. if they keep it small. if one of them decides to swing for the fences it wont last.
86. depends on manual. if he pinch hits someone will they swing for the fence or swing for a run. a single will bring 1 and with reyes maybe 2 depending where it lands.
SteveC (88): Can’t score on a strikeout (Wright).-JD
This is a fun team to watch this year.-JD
almost. *sigh*
John (90) It really is. I think it is because they can surprise you either way – by winning or losing. They are also much closer to each other as a team than any Mets team in recent memory.
90. yeah they are exciting. unlike the other years where you knew they would lose. like many of the other tyears this team keeps ya guessing. although lately stranding bases loaded is almost the norm… i say almost because sometimes they dont
SteveC (91): Still have two more at-bats. It can be done. But, Igarashi has to keep it right here.-JD
Annie (92): They rave about chemistry in the clubhouse. But, chemistry comes from winning, too.-JD
SteveC (93): Last year it was almost a curse for them to load the bases.-JD
92. The piazza years.. there was a time it was only Mike. and then hampton came.. and honestly though we won. they werent a “team”
but there have been teams.. But phillips did his best to keep that revolving door going. selling off all our gold for iron pyrite..
EIGHTH INNING: So Igarashi walks a hitter. That’s always good.-JD
96. yeah I hated that! because everyone wanted to be the hero… swinging for river..
SteveC (99): There was also a lot of double plays last year. Tatis, for one, was an automatic DP.-JD
Iggy looked damned good .. and confident for a change!
Nice! and that curveball was nasty!
SteveC (101): He always looked confident before the hammy. That took something away from him.-JD
fricken tatis. he’s manuel’s boy. why he is still on the team is beyond me. look at that.. 2 stranded runners.. *sigh*
1 more inning.. come on be 9th inning heros. i miss my 9th inning mets!
hey whats up nieve? why not KRod I thought he needed to be worked.. oh only when a complete game is on the line is that it?
Bobby’s getting four years?
Annie (105): Sounds about right. I haven’t heard anything official.-JD
too funny! http://www.newsday.com/sports/columnists/anthony-rieber/rieber-it-won-t-be-dull-if-bobby-v-is-managing-marlins-1.2051775
what did i say..
manuel just throws the 9th inning away.. all the time.. *sigh*
you know sometimes.. there;s justice in the world. ok its up to the batters..
here’s the thing.. we cant have reyes or any one of these guys going up there thinking to be the hero and swing for the fence. they need to do this smart!!!!
Howie has put this interesting game “In The Book” – that’s because we spent a lot of time discussing the “Steinbrenner Book” and reminiscing about our Steinbrenner memories. A baseball legend.
Tomorrow, Mike Pelfrey will meet the Twins at Citi Field at 7 PM
See You Then.
Well, they didn’t win, but I liked how they came back. In hindsight, they stayed with Takahashi too long.-JD
once again .. they lose with a whimper..
*sigh* reyes swinging hard did it..
Thanks Annie and SteveC, Catch you later.-JD
A QUICK WRAP/Game #72
FINAL: Tigers 6, Mets 5.
RECORD: 41-31.
THUMBNAIL ANALYSIS: Hisanori Takahashi was roughed up. The Mets chipped away but their rally fell short.
ON THE MOUND: Takahashi was in trouble all night, giving up six runs on eight hits and four walks in four innings. … Elmer Dessens walked in a run to the first batter he faced.
AT THE PLATE: David Wright, Ike Davis and Jason Bay drove in runs in the sixth. … Jesus Feliciano had three hits. … Wright struck out with the bases loaded and one out in the seventh.
IN THE FIELD: Wright started a double play to end the third. … Feliciano made a sliding catch to start the fourth.
LOOKING AHEAD: The Minnesota Twins come in for a three-game series. Mike Pelfrey, Johan Santana and Jon Niese will start.-JD