Game #90 at Giants
Jon Niese stopper?
That’s the way it’s going to have to be tonight at San Francisco as Niese (6-3, 3.61) tries to pull the Mets out of their July funk.
After a boom in June that saw the Mets go 11 games over .500 and pull within a game of Braves, they are 4-7 for July to find themselves five games behind during a very precarious part of their schedule as this is the second game of a season-high 11-game road trip.
The second half is not off to a good start with Jose Reyes is battling a strained right oblique. Today, the Mets scratched the struggling Mike Pelfrey from tomorrow’s start because of a stiff neck. Pelfrey slept wrong on the flight to the coast.
Pelfrey will start Monday at Arizona.
Reyes has been hurting since he strained the oblique, June 30, and yesterday the Mets said he would be shut down until he was 100 percent healthy. That didn’t last very long as Reyes said he felt better and took batting practice today.
FIRST INNING: Tejada is in the leadoff spot tonight instead of Pagan because Manuel promised Francoeur he’d play tonight vs. the lefty Zito.-JD
BOTTOM FIRST INNING: Sweet turn of the DP by Tejada.-JD
THIRD INNING: Barajas has cooled down. You don’t hear to much about an extension these days.-JD
Hey, JD! How’s it going? Where’s everybody else?
Gil (4): How are you? Things are slow tonight.-JD
Mets will be down your way next week. You going to any of the games?-JD
I’m doing well. It has been an absolutely gorgeous last three days here. I had a nice walk along the boardwalk on Venice Beach earlier today. I hate to do this to you, but I’ve actually gotta step out for a while.
FIFTH INNING: Davis keeps fishing on that breaking ball low and away. He can’t resist that pitch. He’ll keep getting it until he does.-JD
SEVENTH INNING: It was encouraging to see Beltran turn it on with the double. He also ran down a fly to deep center. He’s moving well.-JD
A QUICK WRAP/Game #90
FINAL: Giants 1, Mets 0.
RECORD: 48-42.
THUMBNAIL ANALYSIS: For the second straight game the Mets wasted a strong pitching performance as they were shut out.
ON THE MOUND: Niese was superb, giving up a run on six hits in seven innings.
AT THE PLATE: Three hits.
IN THE FIELD: Jeff Francoeur started in right because of the lefty Barry Zito. … Francoeur made a running catch and doubled off Zito to end the fifth.
LOOKING AHEAD: Hisanori Takahashi goes tomorrow.-JD
pathetic offense. .224 hitter leading off because of jivin jerrys idiocy. Bay still stinks. he better pick it up before they get back to citifield. Why put beltran in the cleanup spot right away? stupid, stupid mets. It really is brutal to be a fan of this team.