Happy Recap: Mets 6 Marlins 2
El Duque was awesome tonight. If you've seen him pitch before you know how he pitches when he's on. Every pitch has great movement, it backs up, it dips, it does something. The first batter of the game (Almezaga) singled, then the Marlins didn't get another base runner until Almezega singled again with two outs in the 6th, after 17 straight outs. El Duque was done after 6, allowing no walks, no runs and only 2 hits.
The problem is Sergio Mitre was just as good. He's a sinkerball pitcher, and every out pretty much was a groundout or a strkeout.
The Mets did have one good chance in the fifth, but LoDuca got thrown out trying to take third on a single by Green. It wasn't a terrible play with the bottom of the order coming up but usually you don't like to make the first out of an inning at third base.
In the 7th inning David Wright hit a little nubber foul along the first base line. But it kicked back into fair territory and since he wasn't running it was an easy out. Bad play, from the Carlos Delgado school of hustle. (I wrote this before the next play).
Delgado showed his lack of hustle on the very next play. He hit a deep fly to left that looked like a home run. Delgado didn't hustle, he ran slowly down to first, then got thrown out at second when the ball hit the top of the wall. Delgado is hitting .220 and right after Wright messed up, Delgado still doesn't bother to run. That pisses me off.
After the game against the Braves, Randolph said the Braves wanted it more. Wright disagreed with that and said the Mets just happened to run into Smoltz. They certainly don't seem like they want it with those two displays of laziness.
In the 8th, Easley singled then Newhan bunted but too hard and the pitcher fielded it and forced Easley at second. I never understood why they don't have pitchers bunt in situations like that. Not only is Newhan not a good bunter, he was wasted as a pinch hitter. If Joe Smith (who pitched another great inning) couldn't do it, then why not one of the other starting pitchers? Glavine is a good bunter.
With Newhan on first, Reyes drew the first walk of the game, for either team. Chavez's fielder's choice advanced Newhan to third, and the Mets caught a break. Beltran hit a broken bat grounder to Uggla. The ball was hit very slowly and Uggla didn't charge, he looked up and saw that he might not have had a play at second with Chavez running, and took his eye off the ball for a second. And it resulted in an error and a run. The Marlins have the most errors in the National League.
This time it was Beltran's time to screw up with lack of effort. Olivo hit a ball over short, which should have been a single, it trickled into the gap so it became a double, then Beltran slipped and when he got up, he took it for granted that Olivo would stop at second, took his time getting the ball in and Olivo stretched it into a triple.
That was a bad break, but Heilman made it a lot worse when he walked the next two. And for every hitter not named Carlos Beltran, runner on third fewer than 2 outs is an easy RBI chance, and Almezega took advantage and drove in the tying run with a fly ball to left.
The Mets bounced back, Delgado walked, Gomez pinch ran, stole second and went to third on a single by LoDuca, his fourth hit of the night. At first, the Marlins chose not to play the infield in with first and third and none out. They did bring the infield in halfway though and it almost worked because Green hit one right to Ramirez. His throw home was perfect, and had Gomez nailed, but the catcher dropped the ball. Keith Hernandez was furious at Gomez for trying to avoid the catcher instead of drilling him, but it didn't matter, the ball was dropped before Gomez got there.
Reyes (1-21) and Chavez (0-15) broke out of long slumps with bases loaded singles. Then Beltran blasted a ground rule double to the deepest part of center, to make the score 6-1.
That was the 9th time this season the Mets scored 5 runs or more in an inning.
This is going to look easy when you see the score but this was a tough game for the Mets and they did not play well at all.
Aaron Heilman vultured his 5th win of the season, tying him Glavine and Maine. And as often happens, Heilman pitched the worst of the four Mets pitchers who appeared in this game.
Because it wasn't a save situation Billy Wagner had a rocky outing, giving up a homer to Cabrera, but he got the job done.
El Duque is so old that he just isn't able to make 35 starts in a season. And when he's injured he gets some much needed rest. The Mets should definitely consider giving him some time off in August or September if they have a nice lead.
Pedro was back in the dugout shouting in Spanish. He looks good, a little heavier, but maybe that's good for him. He said he's not going to shave his head because he's not on the roster right now.
The problem is Sergio Mitre was just as good. He's a sinkerball pitcher, and every out pretty much was a groundout or a strkeout.
The Mets did have one good chance in the fifth, but LoDuca got thrown out trying to take third on a single by Green. It wasn't a terrible play with the bottom of the order coming up but usually you don't like to make the first out of an inning at third base.
In the 7th inning David Wright hit a little nubber foul along the first base line. But it kicked back into fair territory and since he wasn't running it was an easy out. Bad play, from the Carlos Delgado school of hustle. (I wrote this before the next play).
Delgado showed his lack of hustle on the very next play. He hit a deep fly to left that looked like a home run. Delgado didn't hustle, he ran slowly down to first, then got thrown out at second when the ball hit the top of the wall. Delgado is hitting .220 and right after Wright messed up, Delgado still doesn't bother to run. That pisses me off.
After the game against the Braves, Randolph said the Braves wanted it more. Wright disagreed with that and said the Mets just happened to run into Smoltz. They certainly don't seem like they want it with those two displays of laziness.
In the 8th, Easley singled then Newhan bunted but too hard and the pitcher fielded it and forced Easley at second. I never understood why they don't have pitchers bunt in situations like that. Not only is Newhan not a good bunter, he was wasted as a pinch hitter. If Joe Smith (who pitched another great inning) couldn't do it, then why not one of the other starting pitchers? Glavine is a good bunter.
With Newhan on first, Reyes drew the first walk of the game, for either team. Chavez's fielder's choice advanced Newhan to third, and the Mets caught a break. Beltran hit a broken bat grounder to Uggla. The ball was hit very slowly and Uggla didn't charge, he looked up and saw that he might not have had a play at second with Chavez running, and took his eye off the ball for a second. And it resulted in an error and a run. The Marlins have the most errors in the National League.
This time it was Beltran's time to screw up with lack of effort. Olivo hit a ball over short, which should have been a single, it trickled into the gap so it became a double, then Beltran slipped and when he got up, he took it for granted that Olivo would stop at second, took his time getting the ball in and Olivo stretched it into a triple.
That was a bad break, but Heilman made it a lot worse when he walked the next two. And for every hitter not named Carlos Beltran, runner on third fewer than 2 outs is an easy RBI chance, and Almezega took advantage and drove in the tying run with a fly ball to left.
The Mets bounced back, Delgado walked, Gomez pinch ran, stole second and went to third on a single by LoDuca, his fourth hit of the night. At first, the Marlins chose not to play the infield in with first and third and none out. They did bring the infield in halfway though and it almost worked because Green hit one right to Ramirez. His throw home was perfect, and had Gomez nailed, but the catcher dropped the ball. Keith Hernandez was furious at Gomez for trying to avoid the catcher instead of drilling him, but it didn't matter, the ball was dropped before Gomez got there.
Reyes (1-21) and Chavez (0-15) broke out of long slumps with bases loaded singles. Then Beltran blasted a ground rule double to the deepest part of center, to make the score 6-1.
That was the 9th time this season the Mets scored 5 runs or more in an inning.
This is going to look easy when you see the score but this was a tough game for the Mets and they did not play well at all.
Aaron Heilman vultured his 5th win of the season, tying him Glavine and Maine. And as often happens, Heilman pitched the worst of the four Mets pitchers who appeared in this game.
Because it wasn't a save situation Billy Wagner had a rocky outing, giving up a homer to Cabrera, but he got the job done.
El Duque is so old that he just isn't able to make 35 starts in a season. And when he's injured he gets some much needed rest. The Mets should definitely consider giving him some time off in August or September if they have a nice lead.
Pedro was back in the dugout shouting in Spanish. He looks good, a little heavier, but maybe that's good for him. He said he's not going to shave his head because he's not on the roster right now.
Labels: el duque, happy recap, marlins
posted by Paul at 7:22 PM
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