The John Delcos New York Mets Report Featuring Mets' commentary, analysis and news.

Games #128-129

At one time this season Mike Pelfrey was 9-1 and headed for the All-Star Game in a breakthrough season.

Then July came to derail his year and leave us wondering whether the first half was a fluke, a mirage and whether the good times were over and he had regressed as he went 3-6.

True growth comes from adversity and it looks as if July might become a watershed moment for him as he fought his way out of a tailspin to pitch great ball with a 1.64 ERA over his last three starts.

He’ll continue the rebound tonight against the Houston Astros at Citi Field.

I thought Pelfrey had pitched too good for too long in the first half to lose it completely, but I was concerned. Was it an injury? A loss in mechanics and subsequent loss in confidence?

Whatever it was, Pelfrey is once again pitching aggressively and quickly. That aura about him has returned.

If it comes back to say, it will be one of the highlights of this season.

NOTE: I have programmed the chat room to open around game time. I am currently getting ready to go to New Jersey for a wedding. No, not mine. I won’t be able to monitor t0night or tomorrow, but should be back in time for Sunday’s game.

My best to you, JD

Posted under New York Mets 2008-09

It was June, not that long ago when the Mets were surging – 11 games over .500 – and Mike Pelfrey and Ubaldo Jimenez were mentioned in the same sentence as budding pitching stars.

Game #112 vs. Rockies

Jimenez (17-2, 2.61) has been hit briefly, but still has electrifying numbers. Pelfrey, meanwhile, has gone from 9-1 to 10-6 with a 4.16 ERA. Pelfrey’s ERA has spiked nearly two runs a game, and it was eight starts ago that he pitched six complete innings.

Tired arm, tipping his pitches, poor mechanics, losing control of this splitter and sinker and a psychological step backward are just some of the partial explanations for his slide.

There’s not just one answer, but all of the above have contributed to Pelfrey’s slide to where he’s one again a reliability question.

The Mets have been waiting for Pelfrey to take that next step bit of five seasons now. At 200 innings and a 13-11 record in 2008 was a positive. Pelfrey won his first four decisions the following year to give the believe things might have sunk in, but he went 6-12 the rest of the way and the same of problems resurfaced.

Pelfrey seemed to put it together through most of June. He pitched quickly and efficiently; he had command of his secondary, breaking pitching; and he had confidence in his fastball.

All that’s gone now, and based on performance both Jon Niese and R.A. Dickey are ahead.

The slide didn’t happen overnight and neither will the recovery. The Mets falling out of contention coincided with Pelfrey’s fall.

Now, it’s in the remaining two months where Pelfrey needs to right himself and remove his name from being an off-season question.

Posted under New York Mets 2008-09

The talk prior to the game was how the Mets could ride the momentum behind Jeff Francoeur’s game-winner the night before if Mike Pelfrey would step up.

PELFREY: No positive signs.

Jerry Manuel said he would stress upon Pelfrey the importance of the game – as if he didn’t already know – and the pitcher spoke about snapping out of his funk.

In the end, that’s all it was. Talk.

Pelfrey spit the bit last night in arguably one of the most important starts of his career.

“The team needed me to step up and be a lot better than I have been,’’ Pelfrey said. “I take full responsibility for tonight.’’

Actually, there was plenty of responsibility to go around as Pelfrey complemented perfectly the Mets’ total breakdown. Four errors, three in one nightmarish sixth inning, and a sluggish offense was how the Mets responded to their most important game of the season.

Today, the Mets could have been showing signs of life only 5 1/2 games out of first. Instead, they are 7 1/2  back and floundering as they head into Philadelphia. The Phillies won’t have Ryan Howard or Chase Utley, but does anybody really think that will make a difference this weekend?

Read More…

Posted under New York Mets 2008-09

There was a time this season when the Mets could count on a win, or at least a good chance at one, when they sent Mike Pelfrey to the mound. For the most part, until late June the Mets knew they’d get a quality start from him.

No longer.

Game #108 vs. Braves

Pelfrey surged to a 9-1 start and was on the cusp of dominance until he lost his mechanics, and not shortly after, his confidence. He’s been in a tailspin since with little indication of snapping out of his funk.

Pelfrey hasn’t gone through six innings in any of his last six starts. In that span he is 0-3 with a 9.59 ERA and hitters are batting an astronomical .446 against him.

Included in that span was a 4-0 loss to the Braves, July 10, when he gave up four runs on 12 hits in four innings.  Pelfrey didn’t get a decision in last Friday’s 9-6 loss to Arizona in which he gave up five runs in 5 2/3 innings.

Pelfrey’s problems start early. He didn’t allow a run in the first inning in his first 11 starts, but 16 in his next 10.

“Everybody else in the rotation has been throwing the ball great and I’ve kind of taken a step back from early in the year,’’ said Pelfrey. “I definitely plan on getting this thing turned around and back on track so we can start winning some games.’’

A win tonight at Atlanta will pull the Mets within 5 ½ games of the Braves with a three-game series coming up this weekend at Philadelphia.

Posted under New York Mets 2008-09

PELFREY: Needs to figure it out.

We might know more about one of the Mets’ key second-half questions tonight, which is: Who is the real Mike Pelfrey?

At one time, Pelfrey was 9-1 and cruising toward the All-Star Game. All was right in his world and the Mets were making up ground on Atlanta. However, he has hit a rough five-game stretch since in which he’s gone 1-3 with a 7.52 ERA.

That’s just the beginning of the bad numbers.

In that span Pelfrey (10-4, 3.58 ERA) failed to make it out of the fifth inning in his last three starts, including going four while giving up four runs on 12 hits in his last start against the Braves.

Read More…

Posted under New York Mets 2008-09

The Mets are a flawed team, but one of them isn’t attitude.

Game #61 at Orioles

When asked what he liked best about his team he said “character,’’ that he has 25 players who mostly hustle and not give up on the play.

It has created a sense of chemistry. These Mets, unlike previous teams in recent years, really like each other and it goes beyond a whipped cream pie to the face during a TV interview.

These Mets genuinely like each other and it shows. Catch glimpses in the dugout during a game and you might see Johan Santana showing the grip of his change-up to another pitcher, or Jason Bay demonstrating hitting mechanics, in particular, how his shoulders are dropping.

The Mets have struggled at times, but they’ve never quit on Jerry Manuel and his message. Manuel has the clubhouse.

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Posted under Chat Rooms, Chat Rooms/2010

The pressure never ends.

As much as last night’s epic 20-inning victory – anything 20 innings plus is epic – has been written and mentioned as being a catalyst to turn around this sluggish season, it means nothing unless the Mets can sustain.

That means John Maine must step up, perhaps unlike at any other time during his career with the Mets, and pitch big tonight against the St. Louis Cardinals. The Mets exhausted their bullpen last night for 13 innings, and despite pitching one inning, Francisco Rodriguez was spent after throwing 100 pitches in an up-and-down evening warming in the pen.

If a starter won’t throw the next day after throwing 100 pitches, the same could be for Rodriguez tonight.

Maine, who seems to hyperventilate around the third or fourth inning, needs at least six, better seven innings tonight. He needs it for a lot of reasons, including to silence the Dillon Gee whispers.

You see, Maine isn’t pitching tonight to save the bullpen as much as he is his spot in the rotation. While it is likely Maine, barring a disaster, will get another start after this, manager Jerry Manuel has done nothing to dispel the speculation.

Aware of ramifications of a third hammering, Maine went to the videotape to look at his mechanics and pitch selection from 2007, when he won 15 games. Fundamentally, Maine concluded if he’s going down it would be with his fastball, which has atrophied after falling in love with his off-speed and breaking balls.

“I’m fine, my shoulder is fine,’’ Maine said after the Colorado debacle. “ I know the No. 1 priority is to get back and throw my fastball. That’s what I’m going to do in my bullpen. That’s what I’m going to do in my next start I’m going to get back to where I was.’’

Maine looked at everything from wind-up to delivery to release point and said he’s going back to his 2007 delivery and with it, hopefully that year’s fastball. Where Maine once touched the radar gun at 94 mph, he topped out at 91 in his last start, Tuesday night’s meltdown in Colorado.

“I’m just going to go back to that delivery, going back to throwing the fastball,’’ Maine said. “Hopefully it turns out fine. I may get hit, but, you know, at least I know I’m going out there, getting beat with my best pitch and not my second and third pitch.’’

Maine, 0-1 with a 13.50 ERA, has given up 12 runs in eight innings in his two starts, including eight runs in three innings at Colorado Tuesday.

“It’s hard. I’m doing my stuff in between starts,” Maine said. “I’m doing the right things. I just can’t put it together. … This is awful right now.”

****

Tonight’s line-up for the Mets (4-7):

Jose Reyes, SS
Alex Cora, 2B
David Wright, 3B
Frank Catalanotto, 1B
Jeff Francoeur, RF
Gary Matthews, CF
Rod Barajas, C
Angel Pagan, LF
John Maine, RP

NOTES: Mike Jacobs was designated for assignment to make room for reliever Tobi Stoner, who was brought up to bolster their depleted bullpen. It’s obvious the Mets won’t go with a Fernando Tatis-Catalanotto platoon, so expect Ike Davis to be promoted. By designating Jacobs for assignment, the Mets open a spot on their 40-man roster.

Posted under Chat Rooms, Chat Rooms/2010, Mets Features

It wasn’t a good day for Johan Santana, who gave up four runs on six hits in 1 2/3 innings in today’s loss to Houston.

Santana, who is coming off elbow surgery was clocked in the low 90s and reported no discomfort or pain.

“They made me work today,’’ Santana told reporters. “They were swinging right away. But I felt good because I was able to throw all of my pitches.

“I was a little bit off with my mechanics, releasing the ball. That’s part of spring training. That’s what we’re here for, trying to make adjustments and throw all of my pitches. The good thing is I felt good. I didn’t feel any problem in my arm. So that’s good.’’

Also today:

* Mike Pelfrey’s threw today and said his bruised right knee is fine and he’s on for Thursday’s start.

* Francisco Rodriguez threw in the bullpen today. He’ll throw again tomorrow and is scheduled to pitch Saturday.

* Fred Wilpon returned to Port St. Lucie.

* Jenrry Mejia is still turning heads but GM Omar Minaya said he’s still slated for the minor leagues. The Mets are stretching out Mejia’s outings to build up his stamina to be a minor league starter.

Posted under Mets News