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

Game #161 vs. Nationals

Do you remember 2007 and 2008 when the season came down to the final weekend and we got wonderful pitching performances from John Maine and Johan Santana? Gems that kept alive the season in those summers of memorable collapses?

Those were the days.

Even if it meant the disappointment of losing the final game, I’d take that kind of finish over the one this year. Citi Field won’t be packed this sunny afternoon. There will be a bite of chill in the air, just like there should be for October baseball, but it won’t mean anything other than Game #161.

Last night was a thriller, with Josh Thole and Ike Davis reminding us there could be an exciting future with the Mets.

But, it will have to wait.

To check out the new chat room, click onto the Mets Chat icon to your left

Posted under New York Mets 2008-09

Game #140 at Nationals

There was some glitch with the new system last night. What? I’m not sure, but it has been reported. I was able to make an initial comment prior to the game, but later I was unable to either respond or initiate  a comment.

Sorry. And, it was a good game worth talking about. Dillon Gee was good, definitely worthy of another look. A few more like this and he might go into spring training as a fifth starter candidate.

Today, we have R.A. Dickey in the matinee start. Dickey has been off lately, but not enough to where it should impact him having a role in spring training. I know people are waiting for the other shoe to fall with Dickey, and I hope this is just a blip on the radar.

We’re still working on the new chat room. If you have any feedback on it, that would be welcomed.

To access the new chat room, please click onto the Mets Chat Room icon to the left of this post. It will bring you to another page. At the bottom on the right is where you can click on to register. If you can use your same screen names that would be great. If not, do the best you can.

Take care.

JD

Posted under New York Mets 2008-09

Game #139 at Nationals

With the competitive aspect of the season now over, it is time to see some of the kids. With Johan Santana out, and maybe done for the year, we have Dillon Gee tonight in Washington.

His future with the Mets? Who knows?

But, with all prospects, he bears watching because there’s no such thing as having too much information. The more the Mets know about a prospect, whether it be for their own use or to use as trade material, the better.

To access the new chat room, please click onto the Mets Chat Room icon to the left of this post. It will bring you to another page. At the bottom on the right is where you can click on to register. If you can use your same screen names that would be great. If not, do the best you can.

Posted under New York Mets 2008-09

Game #82 at Nationals

Ten walk-off losses for a season sounds high, let alone 10 for the first half. That’s the number after Frankie Rodriguez’s latest meltdown yesterday.

“The worst performance I ever had in my life,’’ he called yesterday afternoon’s ninth inning, which for all practical purposes was over before Adam Dunn’s game-tying drive off the wall.

Walking Cristian Guzman on four pitches to open the ninth was as bad a sign as there is.

Rodriguez’s implosion made Stephen Strasburg a footnote and threw away what would have been RA Dickey’s seventh win.

Ten walk-off losses out of 36 is way to high a percentage and is something the Mets must address immediately. For all the talk about the eighth inning, a band-aid needed to be put on the ninth, too.

“We have our issues,’’ manager Jerry Manuel said. “We can’t have an issue at the end of the game.’’

But, they do.

While the Mets’ bullpen is an issue heading into the break, so to is Jose Reyes’ health. Reyes, who has a strained right oblique, won’t play again today at Washington and is now questionable for the Reds series starting tomorrow at Citi Field.

Posted under New York Mets 2008-09

Game #81 at Nationals

They couldn’t be any more opposite, RA Dickey and Stephen Strasburg.

One, Dickey, is a 35-year-old knuckleballer hanging on to his career with grit, guile and perseverance.  The other, Strasburg, is the rookie phenom, who despite a handful of starts in his young career already has some clamoring for him to be on the National League All-Star team.

Imagine, less than 40 career innings and already they are lobbying for him to be an All-Star. It shouldn’t happen, but you never know.

Read More…

Posted under New York Mets 2008-09

Game #80 at Nationals

This has not been a good roadtrip for the Mets, who have lost three of four so far to Florida and Washington, teams they should be feasting on.

The Mets have played well at home this year, but have been lackluster on the road, and so far have gone 8-14 against the Marlins and Nationals. After losing last night, they are 3-6 against Washington.

If they are going to stay in contention, they must beat up on those teams.

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Posted under New York Mets 2008-09

Game #79 at Nationals

Johan Santana takes the mound tonight looking to avoid losing his third straight start when the Mets go to Washington.

Santana (5-5, 3.55 ERA) has been uncharacteristically poor recently, going 1-3 with a 5.96 ERA in his last four starts.

“Is he frustrated? I don’t know, but he’s a competitor,’’ catcher Rod Barajas said. “He wants the ball every five days and when he doesn’t pitch as well as he thinks he should, he takes it hard. I don’t know if frustrated is the word, probably a little anger because he knows he has the stuff.’’

Read More…

Posted under New York Mets 2008-09

Game #46 vs. Phillies

Next up are the Mets’ real rivals, the Philadelphia Phillies, who lead then by five games in the National League East.

The Mets are feeling better about themselves these days. Can you imagine how good they’ll feel if they swept?

Because Boston knuckleballer Tim Wakefield baffled the Phillies Saturday, the Mets are hoping the same will happen tonight behind R.A. Dickey.

“When you haven’t seen it, basically what we were doing was popping it up,’’ Phillies manager Charlie Manuel. “It wasn’t like we were striking out a lot, we were popping balls in the air, and at times, we weren’t very aggressive with it.’’

Well, now that the Phillies have seen the knuckleball, it makes one wonder if they might adopt a different approach with Dickey, who says Wakefield shouldn’t have much of a bearing on his start.

“I don’t think it has much to do with my outing,’’ said Dickey, who is taking John Maine’s spot in the rotation. “It’s good that he threw a shutout instead of giving up 15, I’ll tell you that.’’

Dickey planned to talk with Wakefield prior to this start. Dickey is coming off a no-decision last Wednesday against the Nationals in which he gave up two runs on six hits in six innings.

The Mets are hoping to feed off the good feelings generated from Johan Santana’s strong start Sunday night against the Yankees.

“You see the atmosphere around here,’’ Santana said. “Everybody’s happy. Everybody’s excited.’’

They might be happy now, but Jamie Moyer has put a damper on them before. The Phillies have won 13 of their last 16 games against the Mets, and have won six of their last eight in games started by Moyer.

NOTEBOOK: Jason Bay is sizzling, going 10-for-15 – including two homers – with eight runs scored in his last four games. … David Wright is 21-for-50 (.420) with four homers lifetime vs. Moyer. However, he has 32 strikeouts since May 3. … Luis Castillo was back in the line-up at second.

Posted under Chat Rooms, Chat Rooms/2010