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

Last night’s doubleheader loss to the Milwaukee Brewers just about said it all about the 2010 Mets. On the day after an emotional, come-from-behind ninth-inning victory, the Mets responded with the poorest of efforts. In the first game Jon Niese hit a wall, showing he has more work to do, and the makeshift bullpen couldn’t hold down the Brewers.

The Mets rallied, but it fell short.

In the nightcap, as he has all year, RA Dickey gave the Mets a chance to win, but the offense went into hiding.

Oh, during the festivities, the Mets learned Carlos Beltran’s right knee is sore and he’ll be shut down for the remainder of the season. Beltran being hurt again only adds to the growing list of questions for the offseason.

The Mets play Milwaukee tonight, then close the season with three games against the Washington Nationals. They must run the table to finish .500.

Posted under New York Mets 2008-09

Here’s tonight’s line-up vs. Cole Hamels:

Mike Hessman replaces Ike Davis at first base, meaning Davis has sat in two of the last three games. Davis is the future of this team and I want to see him out there; I want to see him get opportunities against left-handed pitching.

Jose Reyes, SS

Angel Pagan, LF

David Wright, 3B

Carlos Beltran, CF

Mike Hessman, 1B

Jeff Francoeur, RF

Henry Blanco, C

Ruben Tejada, 2B

R.A. Dickey, RP

Take a good look at that lineup. The five through nine hitters strike little fear among pitchers. Looks like another low scoring night.

Posted under New York Mets 2008-09

The Mets have given up most of the ground they gained in June. They are 5-13 for July, including losers of four straight and seven of eight on this road trip. They have lost 6 ½ games in the standings to be 7 ½ games behind the Braves.

Game #97 at Dodgers

There’s still time, but it is amazing how it slips away.

Things are even more pressing considering the Mets have three games with the Dodgers, and three each with St. Louis, Atlanta and Philadelphia. They also have three with Arizona, but all they need to do is look at the beginning of the week to know that’s not a slam dunk.

For all the talk about needing another starter, which is still true considering Mike Pelfrey’s slide and the erratic performances of Hisanori Takahashi, it is the offense that has collapsed, scoring four runs or fewer in their last 13 games.

Going tonight is Johan Santana, who knows something about non-support as he has watched the Mets give him three runs or less in 12 of his 20 starts.

“This is a team effort, and it’s part of the game,” Santana said. “We’re going to struggle sometimes, we’re going to do good sometimes. All I got to do is go out there and do my job and try to help to get a win. That’s the way I approach the game.’’

Santana has done his part, with the Mets winning his last three starts. He is 2-0 with a 0.38 ERA in that span.

“We’ve got to eventually turn this thing around,” said manager Jerry Manuel. “Somebody’s got to find a way to get hot and carry us for a minute.’’

Well, a little bit more than a minute would be nice.

Posted under New York Mets 2008-09

Game #88 vs. Braves.

This is what aces do, they lift a struggling team on top of their shoulders and carry them when times are dark and heavy.

The Mets conclude a surprising first half with a disappointing close this afternoon against the Atlanta Braves. The weekend began with the Mets three-games out of first. They now stand five games out fighting to keep from falling six back by the break.

After a rough stretch Santana back to pitching the shutdown way aces are supposed to and the way the Mets have always expected, with tenacity, guile and grit. Santana, a victim of poor run support for much of the first half, could have perhaps a dozen wins with any kind of offensive and bullpen help.

With the Mets’ sputtering this week, and scoring only two runs in this series, Santana can pretty much expect to do most of the heavy lifting today – as he usually does.

Posted under New York Mets 2008-09

Game #86 vs. Braves

Well, as it turns out the Mets won’t get Cliff Lee afterall. He’s heading for Texas. It could have been worse, he could have landed with the Yankees or back with the Phillies. The Rangers’ offer is enough for a rental, then the Mets will have a chance on the free-agent market.

I wouldn’t get my hopes up about that, either. That’s when the Yankees will simply write the biggest check.

Even so, the Mets will need another pitcher if they are to catch the Braves, who are in for three to close the first half of the season. The Mets are three games behind, and to get a good feeling about themselves heading into the break they need to win two of three. That keeps them close heading into the second half, which they start off with a killer trip to the West Coast the face the Giants’ pitching, the Diamondbacks and the Dodgers, who’ll remember how they were dusted by the Mets at Citi Field earlier. If that’s not enough, they’ll come home to face the Cardinals.

Big series in July? You bet.

Posted under New York Mets 2008-09

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.

Posted under New York Mets 2008-09

Game #54 at Padres

In those no-decisions, the Mets gifted a total of five runs. Santana had two other no-decisions in games the Mets won, but they were one-run victories with the winning run scored after he left the game.

Coupled with Mike Pelfrey, the Mets could have one of the best one-two punches in the game.

“With the 1-2 punch of Johan and Mike, I mean, it gives us a good chance to win two out of every five days,’’ said David Wright. “You know that when those two guys take the mound they’re going to give everything they have and keep you in the ballgame. They expect to pitch deep in the game and dominate.’’

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Posted under Chat Rooms, Chat Rooms/2010

Francisco Rodriguez got out of it last night, but it got a little dicey in the end. That’s OK, because when it’s anybody else things get a lot dicey.

One of the best things about Mike Pelfrey’s eight-inning gem is it kept Jerry Manuel from going to his combustible bullpen. The bullpen, which started so well in April, has strained from overuse and evolved into a club concern.

RODRIGUEZ: Only sure thing in pen.

Here we are, June, and the Mets are still trying to find and define roles for their relievers, something that should have been done in March. However, because of ineffectiveness and injury, things change.

For one, Hisanori Takahashi, so effective early is not longer in the pen after being thrust into the rotation. How long Takahashi stays there is anybody’s guess. After two strong starts, Takahashi was raked by the Padres Monday night.

Now in the pen, taking up a spot, is Oliver Perez, now the human white flag in that he will come into the game when it is a lost cause or there are no other options, such as a game going long into extra innings.

The concern now is building a strong bridge to Rodriguez.

Before popping his hamstring, Ryota Igarashi was making claims to be the set-up man, and that’s what Manuel hoped when he came off the disabled list just under two weeks ago.
Igarashi has been awful since coming back, with the bottom possibly being reached Monday night when he gave up six runs on four hits and two walks in a mere one-third of an inning.

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Posted under Commentary/2010, Mets Commentary