Tag Archives: Eighth Inning

May 12

May 12.10: Davis goes all out.

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There’s only one way to play the game and that’s all out, which is what Ike Davis has shown us during his three-week Mets career.

Last night marked the third time he’s gone over the dugout railing to make a catch, this time it was a game-ender.

Said Davis: “It’s not that far a drop. I’d rather end the game than worry about getting a bruise.’’

More telling, is Davis said he’d make the same effort regardless of the score.

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Was last night a breakout game for Jason Bay?

“I would like to say yes, but I can’t stand here and tell you that everything is hunky dory,’’ said Bay, who had three singles and a bases-loaded walk. “It’s a feel thing, and I am starting to feel a lot better.’’
Bay has been struggling all season, the first of a four-year, $66 million deal. He entered the game batting .248 and ended it at .263, but with still only one homer.

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Luis Castillo is playing with an orthopedic wrap on his left foot to protect a bone bruise that has bothered him since spring training.

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How much playing time Chris Carter gets remains to be seen, but for now it looks as if it will be as a pinch-hitter. With Jason Bay and Jeff Francoeur had productive games last night so they probably won’t rest, but it is a day game today so you never can tell.

Carter delivered a RBI double last night in the Mets’ six-run eighth inning. “It’s a great feeling,’’ Carter said. “It’s really special. I definitely felt like part of the team right there.’’

May 11

May 11.10: Wright’s woes and tonight’s line-up

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David Wright was hitting .324 in 426 at-bats prior to his beaning last season and is batting .253 in 217 at-bats since. (Source: ESPN)

He’s also striking out a lot more times.

Wright is batting .277 on 31 hits in 112 at-bats with 42 strikeouts. If those numbers were reversed and he had 42 hits with 31 strikeouts, his average would be .375. Another way of saying it is he’s striking out 37 percent of the time.

In his first full four years, Wright struck out an average of 115 times a season. Last season, Wright struck out 140 times and he is on pace to strike out 188 times this year.

Last season, Wright exceeded his career average by 25 times. If he keeps his pace, he would exceed his pre-2009 career average by 73.

A strikeout is a wasted at bat.

That’s 73 less times he put the ball in play. In keeping with his career average, that would be 23 more hits. And, what about those other 50 at-bats? That’s 50 less chances of a productive at-bat, such as a sacrifice fly, chance to advance the runner into scoring position, chance for a walk, or chance to reach on an error.

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Ryota Igarashi is close to beginning a minor league rehab assignment on his left hamstring, said assistant general manager John Ricco.

Igarahsi is threw off the mound without discomfort Monday.

Igarashi had a 1.35 ERA in seven appearances prior to the injury and was moving into the eighth-inning set-up role.

Significantly, getting a healthy Igarashi back would reduce the work loads of Fernando Nieve and Pedro Feliciano.

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Tonight’s line-up

No changes, so it is safe to assume Jerry Manuel doesn’t believe the offense has hit rock bottom, yet.

Here’s tonight’s line-up:

Angel Pagan, CF
Luis Castillo, 2B
Jose Reyes, SS
Jason Bay, LF
David Wright, 3B
Ike Davis, 1B
Jeff Francoeur, RF
Rod Barajas, C
Jon Niese, LP

May 08

May 8.10: Chat Room, Game #30 vs. Giants: Santana goes; Pelfrey still tight.

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The weather is breaking up and the Mets and Giants should be set to go on time this afternoon at Citi Field.

Johan Santana, coming off his implosion last Sunday in Philadelphia, will start for the Mets. You know Santana will come out amped after Philly. He can’t be happy stewing for a week after a nine-run inning.

Having Santana going after last night has to make the Mets feel good about winning this series.

What a remarkable game last night was, one of the best in years. It had drama, excitement, great pitching, clutch hitting and leather flashing defense.

Lost in the buzz of the Rod Barajas’ game-winning homer – he and Ike Davis each hit two – and Davis’ catch over the dugout railing was the job of Mike Pelfrey, who pitched into the eighth inning. The Giants had chances to break open the game but Pelfrey neutralized most threats.

For the second straight game, Pelfrey said he still experienced tightness in his shoulder, but would start Wednesday against Washington.

I proposed the question whether the Mets pushed the envelope with Pelfrey. As well as Pelfrey pitched last night, that he still has tightness is not a good sign.

Sitting out today’s game is Barajas, who has a bruised left hand on a catcher’s interference play when Eli Whiteside swung at a pitchout.

Prior to the game, Giants catcher Bengie Molina told SNY he wanted to come to the Mets. He was upset because the Mets wouldn’t increase their one-year, $5-million offer, but signed a one-year contract for $500,000 to stay with the Giants.

If he really wanted to play for the Mets, he’d be here. However, the Mets’ catching has been superb this year with Barajas leading the team in homers.

Here’s today’s line-up for the 16-13 Mets behind Santana:

Angel Pagan, CF
Luis Castillo, 2B
Jose Reyes, SS
Jason Bay, LF
David Wright, 3B
Ike Davis, 1B
Jeff Francoeur, RF
Henry Blanco, C
Johan Santana, LP

Apr 21

April 21.10: Chat Room, Game #15 vs. Cubs: An Ollie P. encore?

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With a victory tonight against the Cubs, the 6-8 Mets would win their third straight game and first series of the season.

On the mound is Oliver Perez, who is coming off a solid start last Friday at St. Louis when he gave up one run in 6 1/3 innings.

Perez worked quickly and got ahead in the count in that game, spotting his pitches low and on the corners. It was how the Mets have wanted him to work for years.

He’ll be backed by this line-up:

Jose Reyes, SS
Luis Castillo, 2B
David Wright, 3B
Jason Bay, LF
Jeff Francoeur, RF
Ike Davis, 1B
Rod Barajas, C
Angel Pagan, CF
Oliver Perez, LP

Offensively, Wright and Bay have been strikeout machines lately and Francoeur’s hot start is now a memory. On the upside, with four hits Reyes might be getting into a groove.

Ryota Igarashi was placed on the disabled list today with a strained left hamstring (he was replaced by Manny Acosta), which leaves the eighth inning to Pedro Feliciano and Fernando Nieve.

Apr 12

April 12.10: What to make of the first week?

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To be sure six games is too small a sampling to get a definitive feel about the Mets. However, it isn’t too small to quash some first impressions.

Among them:

1) The preseason concerns on John Maine. As has been the case with Maine, he throws far too many pitches and labors with his command. He gets his second start tomorrow in Colorado, a place where it is not easy to pitch. Maine is No. 2 in the rotation currently and insists his shoulder is fine. OK, but his velocity is down and control is off. Not good and there have been little signs of turning it around.

2) Oliver Perez is Oliver Perez, which is to say he’s an enigma. Through his first five innings Saturday he threw 12-24-12-24-12 pitches. He walked four or which two of the runners scored. Perez will live and die with his command. When he worked quickly his control was good, but get a runner or two on base and he takes forever and his ball can go anywhere. Perez is not the pitcher you bet on.

3) The offense is as spotty as it was last year. Hitting with runners in scoring position seems to be a foreign concept. It’s not too many games in which they’ll hit four homers.

4) Mike Jacobs is Mike Jacobs. He’s always been a streaky hitter and so far he’s gotten off to a slow start. Maybe the homer Sunday will get him on track. Colorado is often a good place for a hitter, or an offense, to get hot.

5) Until David Wright hits the inside pitch he’s going to be pounded inside and handcuffed. When Wright is on he drives the ball the opposite way, but he’s not getting many pitches on the outside half of the plate. He needs to pull a few to keep the hitters honest.

6) The bullpen will be a key. So far it has been outstanding, and perhaps the biggest reason why these games have been competitive. Fernando Nieve and Pedro Feliciano are in competition for the eighth inning role. If the bullpen can maintain the Mets will be all right. However, it can’t keep throwing three innings a game. That will add up before you know it.

7) I’m not worried about Jason Bay. No homers so far, but he’s making contact and I love his hustle. He’ll be fine.

Apr 11

April 11.10: Chat Room, Game #6 vs. Nationals: Santana tries to right ship again.

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Oliver Perez has thrown worse, but by no means does that make yesterday’s loss to Washington a quality outing.

He had three innings of 12 pitches, but two innings of 24. It was the same old problem with Perez: When he slowed up his tempo he lost command; he walked four of which two of them scored.

Those two runs were the difference in the game, so let’s not blame in all on the offense taking another game off.

NOTEBOOK: The Mets placed reliever Sean Green on the disabled list with a small tear in his rib cage. He was replaced on the roster by left-hander Raul Valdes. The addition of Valdes could take some of the pressure off Pedro Feliciano, who’s in competition with Fernando Nieve for the eighth-inning, set-up reliever. … Despite Mike Jacobs’ slow start there are no plans to bring up Ike Davis. … Today the Mets try to get back to .500 behind Johan Santana.

Apr 10

April 10.10: About Last Night; Pelfrey makes stride.

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Pitching plus power have always been baseball’s greatest winning equation and the Mets finally got it last night with a solid start from Mike Pelfrey and four homers.

The Mets have questions with their rotation after Johan Santana, and the Mets have gotten three solid starts in their first four games.

Pelfrey had his rough spots, but with the exception of one inning he overcame them. Last night, working under cold and windy conditions, Pelfrey showed marked improvement. He continually threw first-pitch strikes.

Pelfrey gave up two runs in six innings, an effort he can build on. The bullpen pitched well for the second straight game. It looks as if Fernando Nieve appears to have gotten the first crack at being the eighth-inning set-up man.

Pelfrey was aided by his defense, especially Alex Cora, who made two scintillating plays, one of which saved a run. The offense was four homers – two each by Jeff Francoeur and Rod Barajas – and amazingly enough, a couple of hits with runners in scoring position.

Apr 02

April 2.10: Toying with Mejia.

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All that talking about Jenrry Mejia needing minor league experience is probably going to wind up as lip service because the reports are he’s more than even money to go north.

In what role, the Mets won’t say, but Jerry Manuel said the eighth-inning role “will be by committee,’’ a situation that always works.

What the decision to bring Mejia up now is really one made out of desperation by men, who in order to survive in their jobs, have to be shortsighted. If the Mets don’t win out of the gate, Manuel will be gone and he’s banking on Mejia’s rocket arm to suddenly find command and maturity.

But, at the same time, Manuel is saying he doesn’t have faith in Mejia in certain circumstances.

If Mejia needs to be saved from pressure situations such as the eighth inning, then what would he be doing on the roster in the first place? We all know the outcome of a game could be decided in the sixth or seventh innings. (And, with the Mets starters it could happen anywhere in the first five.)

I’m not sure whether Mejia should be a starter or reliever, but whatever it is, they should make a decision and stick with it.

Apparently, the Mets are currently thinking bullpen, which is fine. If that is the case, then he should be here the entire season learning from Francisco Rodriguez. Give him one relief role and stick with it.

I don’t want to see him here in the pen, then sent back down to the minors to start, then come back at the end of the year and go back in the pen. If Mejia is as good as they say, he’ll adjust. But, waffling between roles can only deter his progress.

That the Mets are even considering Mejia for the pen right now is a clear sign they have little faith in who they have right now. Their priority in this case is to compete now and worry about the future later.

That’s because the decision makers might not have a future.