Tag Archives: Pitches

Jul 24

Mets Chat Room; Pelfrey tries to halt his slide.

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Game #98 at Dodgers

NOTE: Sorry about last night. I had some computer issues and watched helplessly as the Mets finally won.

The Mets stopped one slide last night, can they halt another this afternoon?

The Mets’ dismal road trip – now 2-7 after Johan Santana’s sparkler last night – continues today in Los Angeles with Mike Pelfrey attempt to end a three-game losing streak in which he has failed to make it out of the fifth inning in each.

“I’m just going through one of the worst stretches of my life,’’ said Pelfrey, who has a 15.30 ERA during that span.

In the worst start of his career Monday in Arizona, Pelfrey gave up six runs on seven hits in 1 1/3 innings.

Mets manager Jerry Manuel said Pelfrey has a mental block when it comes to his fastball; he doesn’t trust it anymore and is relying too much on his secondary pitches.

“He’s not a finesse pitcher, he’s not a trick guy,’’ Manuel said.  “He’s a power, sinker guy, and that’s what he’s got to get back to.’’

Jul 20

Pelfrey a mess

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“There was a time when you could say, `Johnson, Jimenez, Pelfrey.’ You can’t say that right now.’’- Jerry Manuel.

PELFREY: He's unraveled.

At one time Mike Pelfrey was making signs and sounds of being an elite pitcher, but he has hit a wall in his development and regressed. Manuel said Pelfrey needs to re-establish his fastball and get back to pounding it low in the zone.

Pelfrey is a hot mess right now. He claims he’s healthy – I guess the dead arm period is over – and maybe so physically, but emotionally and mentally he’s damaged. He’s aiming the ball and going away from his power to finessing his pitches.

It’s now six straight starts in which he’s been off, with the last four being poor. He’s not going to find it overnight. It will be a progression before Pelfrey will be back again.

By that time, the season could be over.

Jul 07

Mets Chat Room; Niese tries to keep it rolling.

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Game #85 vs. Reds

Jonathan Niese will be pitching tonight to push the Mets to 11 games over .500, which would tie their season high and pull them within a game of Atlanta with the Braves coming in this weekend for three games.

Once four games under .500 and floundering early this season, the Mets are relevant again and could be in first place by the All-Star break.

Niese is more than partly attributable to that relevancy, going 5-0 with a 2.43 ERA in six starts since his June 5 return from the disabled list. The Mets are 10-2 in his last 12 starts, including beating Washington last Friday when he struck out a season-high eight and didn’t issue a walk.

What makes him successful?

“I think if I’m able to throw all my pitches for strikes,’’ Niese said. “I think I have a good variety that keeps them off-balance.’’

Off-balance is what tonight’s Reds starter, Bronson Arroyo, has kept the Mets, going 6-2 in ten career starts against them.

Jul 07

Mets Notes: Perez getting closer.

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* Oliver Perez, who threw 85 pitches in a Class A rehab game yesterday, will report to Class AAA Buffalo. Before making a deal, the Mets will see where Perez rates.

* Luis Castillo will begin a rehab assignment for Class A St. Lucie this weekend.

* Hisanori Takahashi is available out of the bullpen tonight.

* Jerry Manuel said it is clear Ike Davis is pressing and could use the All-Star break.

Jul 07

Santana shows how to get it done.

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SANTANA: Offers encouragement for strong second half.

In watching Johan Santana toy with Cincinnati it was almost as if he were telling Mike Pelfrey, “Mike, this is how you do it.’’

While Santana isn’t as consistently dominant as he used to be, for one night he was as good as ever, throwing a three-hit shutout of the Reds, 3-0, with the game-winning run coming on his first career home run.

And in the ninth inning, after Jason Bay’s dropped pop-up in left, Santana told Jerry Manuel, “I‘ll finish it.’’

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Jul 03

Mets Chat Room; Strasburg vs. Dickey.

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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.

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Jun 16

Mets Chat Room: Rolling towards first.

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Game #65 at Indians

The red-hot Mets will attempt to keep it rolling tonight in Cleveland behind Jon Niese, who appears to have turned the corner since coming off the disabled list.

In his two starts since, Niese is 2-0 with a 0.56 ERA, which included a one-hit shutout in his last start – missing a perfect game by that hit.

“Hopefully I don’t give up any runs the rest of the year, but that’s probably not going to happen,’’ Niese told reporters. “ I just go out there and try to put up zeroes every time, and when I don’t have good stuff that day, just do what I can to keep the team in the game.’’

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Jun 14

What your confidence level in the Mets?

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In a way, he’s playing just like his team.

David Wright is swinging free and easily, which is exactly how his Mets are playing as they enjoy the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame today before starting a three-game series in Cleveland.

WRIGHT: Has found his stroke.

“There doesn’t seem to be any anxiety or rush to his swing,’’ manager Jerry Manuel said of Wright, who homered twice Sunday in Baltimore. “It’s kind of like it is sitting on a tee for him.’’

Well, the Orioles were like a ball on a tee over the weekend, a team ready to be swatted, but the Indians, a team also struggling is playing better of late.

So are the Mets, who are 1½ games out of first in the National League East and a season-high seven games over .500. The Mets are playing exactly like the promised they would.

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