Mack Attack: July 11, 2008

By John Mackin Ade
Posted Monday, August 11, 2008

Pennant/Wild Car Race:

Cubs: 46
Milwaukee 51
Philly: 53
St. Louis 54
Mets 55
Marlins 56

Daniel Murphy continues to be a feel-good story, with Jerry Manuel suggesting he’s performed better than anybody the Mets could have acquired at the trading deadline. Murphy’s pinch-hit, opposite-field, two-run homer off lefthander Renyel Pinto gave the Mets a needed three-run cushion. He remained in the game in left field and misplayed Mike Jacobs’ shot for a run-scoring double charged to Joe Smith, but Murphy has reached base in every major-league game he’s played and owns a .500 average. Mother Sharon and sister Tricia were in attendance. They arrived late Friday, after their flight from Florida was diverted to Philadelphia because of inclement weather. Murphy did recover the baseball from his first big-league homer. He also enjoyed his first curtain call, which he accepted with instructions from Ramon Castro. Murphy is only the fifth Met to carry a .500 average at least 20 at-bats into his major-league career, joining Gregg Jefferies (24 ABs), Ty Wigginton (22), Mike Vail (20) and Alex Ochoa (20). – Adam Rubin

-those of us that follow the minors love a story like this… it’s hard to believe that Murphy will ever play a minor league game again, though I’ll be much happier when he’s back in the infield. Thank God his hitting is going well, because he will never win a Golden Glove playing the outfield. The Mets are going to have to make a decision in the off season regarding Luis Castillo and I can’t see anything more natural than Murph playing 2B and batting in the 2-hole. He has an uncanny ability to make a pitcher throw more pitches than he wants to and a 1-6 lineup of Reyes, Murphy, Wright, Beltran, Church, and Delgado looks awfully good to me…

Billy Wagner played long-toss and threw several pitches on flat ground Saturday. It was the first time Wagner had touched a baseball since he landed on the disabled list with a forearm strain last week. Wagner said he felt "all right." He is hoping to return when eligible on August 18. - Source: New York Daily News

-the reality here is that the 2008 New York Mets can not make the playoffs, no less do well in them, without a healthy and effective Wagner. There is no one else in the pen that even comes close to him right now

According to the New York Daily News, Ryan Church "boomed shots over the outfield wall" during an impressive batting practice session on Saturday. Church is on his way to Florida to begin a minor league rehab assignment with Port St. Lucie. He is hoping to return during the Mets' next home stand on August 19. - Source: New York Daily News

-August 19th could be quite the exciting day if both Church and Billy Wagner return. We might even get a Murph sighting on second base!

Zephyrs:

Prospect Stats:

SP Jonathan Niese - 3-0, 2.37, 19.0 IP, 14 K, 5 BB, 1.00 WHIP

B-Mets:

Dan Murphy's first major league home run, which he hit Saturday night at Shea Stadium, was replayed on the video scoreboard in the middle of the eighth inning.

Prospect Stats:

1B/OF Mike Carp - .291/.387/..449/.836 14 HR 63 RBI

OF Fernando Martinez - .290/.336/.438/.773 7 HR 30 RBI 0 E

3B Shawn Bowman - .262/.304/.452/.757

SP Tobi Stoner - 4-4, 3.96, 48 K 61.1 IP 1.22 WHIP 7 HR

SP Mike Antonini - 0-1 4.70 1.30 17 Ks 23.0 IP

Lucy:

Prospect Stats:

SS Ruben Tejada - .233/.292/.302/.594 26 errors

SP Dylan Owen - 11-6 3.52 1.28 106 K 127.2 IP

Roster moves: Send IF – Peeter Ramos to Binghamton… Add IF – Greg Veloz to roster from Savannah

-no one in the Mets organization deserves a bump up more than Veloz. He came to the States 2 years ago with all the hoopla, but couldn’t find a starting gig on the Gnats due to the team commitment to Leivi Ventura, Juan Legares, and Hector Pellot. Instead, he went down to K-Port, got his daily act together, and wound up back in Savannah for the entire 2008 season. Veloz is a legitimate prospect who will give Jefry Mate a run on who replaces David Wright someday.

Gnats:

Prospect Stats:

2B Greg Veloz - .286/.339/.402/.742 6 HR 52 RBI 28 SB 18 E

C Francesco Pena - .271/.315/.399/.714 6 HR 40 RBI 26 PB

SP Scott Moviel - 9-8 4.58 1.39 77 K 114.1 IP

SP Brant Rustich - 3-4 3.98 1.23 35 K 40.2 IP

SP John Holdzkon - 2-3 7.64 2.18 36 K 35.1 IP

SP Eric Beaulac - 1-0 0.00 0.90 13 K 10.0 IP

Clones:

Mets first round pick Reese Havens made his return to the starting lineup on Saturday after missing over two weeks with a pulled groin. According to Alfonzo, Havens will most likely start at shortstop today as well. Alfonzo also said that Holt was taken out of the game due to the team’s late arrival today and didn’t want to tire him out. After the game, Holt was fine and actually said he thought he could have pitched into the next inning.

Prospect Stats:

SS Reece Havens - .247/.353//.466/.819

1B Ike Davis - .238/.293/.306/.599

SP Bradley Holt - 3-3 2.08 1.17 61 K 47.2 IP

RP Roy Merritt - 1-0 1.48 1.11 30 K 24.1 IP

K-Port:

Prospect Stats:

SS Wilmer Flores - .326/.360/.527/.888 7 HR 36 RBI 13 E

RP Michael Powers - 2-0 1.06 0.82 17 K 17.0 IP

GCL Mets:

Prospect Stats:

3B Jefry Marte - .326/.392/.533/.925 17 E

OF Cesar Puello - .278/.319/.342/.662 0 E

DSL Mets:

Prospect Stats:

SP Gonzalez German - 5-0 1.25 0.73 57 K 64.2 IP

SP Ismael Mendez - 4-1 1.18 0.98 47 K 53.1 IP

The DSL Met’s 7th inning on Saturday:

Amauris Valdez walks… Jairo Castillo singles… Passed ball… Ramon Eusebio reaches on fielding error … Jeyckol De Leon out on a sacrifice bunt… Gerardo Moreno singles … Jose Francisco walk… Wily Hiraldo walks… Julio Concepcion singles … Andres Perez singles … Amauris Valdez walks… Jairo Castillo walks… Ramon Eusebio hit by pitch… Jeyckol De Leon singles … Gerardo Moreno walks… Jose Francisco singles… Wily Hiraldo pops out … Julio Concepcion singles … Andres Perez grounds out… 13 runs