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Posted Sunday, May 11, 2008
May 11, 2008
Mets News:
A Cincy view of Game 1:
When you send out Matt Belisle to start for you, and the other team puts up Johan Santana, you figure you are at a disadvantage. And you'd be oh, so right. Yet the Reds' offense managed to put some runs on the board this afternoon, while the prevent unit struggled to keep the Mets off the board.
The Mets beat the Reds 12-6 in a game that never seemed to be close. Santana wasn't exactly unbeatable, giving up ten hits in six innings, but the Reds never inspired confidence in their ability to win this game. Marty Brennaman expressed surprise on the radio that there was no one warming up in the bullpen in the fifth, while the Mets were in the process of extending a 4-1 lead to 6-1. However, with another game coming up tonight, it seemed that come Gehenna or high water, Belisle would pitch five innings to save that bullpen. Then, when Bill Bray started the 6th, he pitched to only two batters (giving up two hits) and was pulled without getting an out. So much fo saving the bullpen.
In five innings Belisle gave up six runs (five earned) on seven hits and three walks, with two strikeouts. Bray was charged with two runs, aided by Mike Lincoln, who gave up two homers in two innings, and a total of four runs on three hits and two walks. Jeremy Affeldt pitched a shutout inning.
Edwin Encarnacion hit a solo homer for the team's first run, Brandon Phillips had a triple and a double, Ryan Freel had three hits, and there were two from Ken Griffey, Phillips and Encarnacion. Freel, Griffey, and Joey Votto also had doubles. The biggest quibble of the game has to be in the lineup. Adam Dunn was out of the lineup against the lefty Santana, which is nothing to complain about. However, Corey Patterson WAS in the lineup, and not only that was batting leadoff. Why not Jerry Hairston? And why not Freel and Keppinger at the top of the order, if you wanted Patterson for defense? Dusty Baker needs to realize that Patterson is hurting the team, not helping it, and has no business batting leadoff.
Marty Noble:
But now Wise has rejoined the team, though he hasn't been added to the roster. When he is, Smith will be optioned to Triple-A, despite his effective pitching. That is the plan, a person in the Mets hierarchy said Friday. But the postponement of the Mets' game against the Reds on Friday night, the resulting doubleheader on Saturday and the chance for bullpen overload in two games prompted the club to retain Smith on the roster.
If Smith pitches in the first game, he could be assigned to the Minor Leagues to accommodate Wise on the roster for the second game. If Smith doesn't pitch in the first game, the Mets might not make a roster move until Sunday. And if Smith isn't used in the doubleheader, the club could not make a move with Wise until after Smith does pitch
Mack’s Facts:
Minor Leaguers trying to get promoted:
Starters/ERA/# Starts:
Sal Aguilar/B-Mets 0.00/1
Angel Calero/Gnats 2.32/6
Ruddy Lugo/New Orleans 2.70/7
Tony Armas/New Orleans 3.02/7
Tobi Stoner/Lucy 3.14/3
Mike Antonini/Gnats 3.22/7
Jon Niese/B-Mets 3.44/7
Elvin Ramirez/Gnats 3.70/7
Dylan Owen/Lucy 3.93/7
Relief/WHIP/# appearance:
Matt Wise/Lucy 0.00/2
Carlos Muniz/New Orleans 1.00/11
William Morgan/Lucy 1.00/3
Edgar Ramirez/Gnats 1.11/8
Eddie Camacho/B-Mets 1.16/12
Tim McNab/N.O. 1.17/12
W. Collazo/N.O. 1.25/13
Every day players:
1B: Mike Carp/B-Mets .328/.378/.534/.912
Nick Evans/B-Mets .303/.374/.598/.972
Lucas Duda/Lucy .319/.391/.459/.850
OF: Jesus Feliciano/N.O. .340/.368/.402/.770
C: Jordan Abruzzo/Gnats .330/.388/.500/.888
Mets Contracts
Opening Day payrolls for 25-man roster - (salaries plus pro-rated signing bonuses):
2008: $137,793,376
2007: $115,231,663
2006: $101,084,963
2005: $101,305,821
2004: $ 96,660,970
2003: $117,476,429
2002: $ 94,633,593
2001: $ 93,674,429
2000: $ 79,800,000
Zephyrs
The New Orleans Zephyrs used three early home runs and superb pitching from the bullpen to cruise past the Sacramento River Cats on Saturday, 6-0. Fernando Tatis sent a towering drive over the wall in left-center field on the first pitch he saw from Lenny DiNardo in the second, after Valentino Pascucci had led off with a double, giving the Zephyrs a 2-0 lead.
Gustavo Molina homered to left one out later, extending the lead to 3-0. Adam Bostick appeared on his way to his third win at this point, but was removed from the game for precautionary reasons after three innings. Bostick allowed one hit with two strikeouts.
New Orleans took advantage of some sloppy play by Sacramento third baseman Jeff Baisley in the fourth, when he extended the inning with a fielding error, then allowed a run to score on a throwing error. Jesus Feliciano followed with an RBI single to put the Zephyrs on top, 5-0. With Bostick out of the game, Ivan Maldonado entered and pitched three scoreless innings to earn his first win. After loading the bases with one out, Maldonado escaped the jam and went on to retire eight in a row.
Jose Santiago came on in the seventh and extended the consecutive batters retired streak to 13 before a Travis Buck single in the eighth. Santiago finished with three scoreless frames of his own to earn his first save.
B-Mets:
Jonathon Niese allowed two hits and struck out six over six innings, but the Binghamton Mets fell to the Connecticut Defenders 1-0 at Dodd Stadium Saturday. The loss ends Binghamton’s win streak at three games.
Connecticut (18-16) leadoff man Ben Copeland tripled to begin the bottom of the first before scoring on Olmo Rosario’s groundout. Niese (2-4) allowed a leadoff single to Rosario in the fourth and walked Travis Ishikawa to begin the fifth, but had both base runners erased as part of double plays. Robert Paulk followed Niese with two perfect innings of relief.
The B-Mets (14-21) had base runners in five of Joey Martinez’s six innings, but Martinez (2-3) was able to keep Binghamton off the scoreboard. Osiris Matos tossed a 1-2-3 ninth for his third save in four chances.
Gnats:
Hickory concluded its 18-games-in-18-days stretch with a 9-0 loss to Savannah at L.P. Frans Stadium on Saturday, the first time the Crawdads have been shut out this season.
Down 5-0 after the first inning, Hickory (16-21) never found an offensive rhythm against Savannah (15-21) and its starter Michael Antonini, who already owned a win against the 'Dads in 2008.
The Sand Gnats pounced on Crawdads starter Bradley Clapp in support of their ace, sending nine men to the plate to score the five runs on Clapp in the opening stanza. Savannah used five singles and a walk to score, also taking advantage of a wild pitch, passed ball and Hickory error in the first to take the lead.
The Gnats would later add two runs in the fifth on back-to-back RBI singles by Joaquin Rodriguez and Jake Eigsti, following with a two-run home run by Jose Jimenez in the seventh inning.
For Hickory, Bobby Spain went 2-for-3, the only Crawdad with multiple hits in the defeat. Spain finished the series 9-15 with three runs and five RBIs. Against Savannah this year, he has gone 15-for-30 with five doubles, five runs and six RBIs in eight games.
Keanon Simon had Hickory's only extra-base hit, lacing a double off Antonini in the second inning.
The Savannah southpaw earned the win, moving Antonini to 3-1 after six scoreless innings in which he allowed five hits and one walk against three strikeouts. It was the third straight outing Antonini has lasted six innings or longer and his second win against Hickory this year. Josh Stinson relieved Antonini with three scoreless innings to notch his second save of the season.
Minor League Bios:
Jonathan Sanchez OF L L 6-2 175 9-3-85
Sanchez was signed as a free agent straight out of high school to the DSL Mets. 2006 was his 1st season in the US where he made his pro debut with Hagerstown. He finished the season with Brooklyn and had a combined stat of .223/.275/.329 in 130 games. Sanchez played the 2007 season as a backup outfielder for Savannah, where he hit .190/.245/.190 in 179 at bats. He was born in La Vega, Dominican Republic.
Jose Sanchez P R R 6' 0" 170 05-12-1984
Sanchez was signed as an undrafted free agent by the San Francisco Giants in 2002. He played parts of 3 years in the Giants organization and came to the Mets through a Rule 5 acquisition in 2005 (which I don’t understand because I didn’t think the Rule V came into effect until the 6th year).
Sanchez had a banner year, going 11-5, with a 4.20 ERA. 2006 wasn’t as good, but still impressive, especially the time he spent with St. Lucie (26 starts, 11-9, 3.87 156.0 IP).
Sanchez pitched 2007 for Binghamton and had a disappointing year (4-9, 4.52, 1.53 in 27 starts).
Observation: This is one of the reasons you don’t get too crazy about A and rookie stats. You don’t find out if you have a major league prospect until they dominate at AA and AAA ball, and Sanchez didn’t.
Ex-Mets:
C Jesus Flores has been recalled from the minors.
Over Carlos Gomez's last 10 games, he's hitting .385/.429/.641
Kaz Matsui reached base 3 times and scored twice as the Astros cruised to a 7-1 win over the Dodgers
Tom Glavine yielded just 2 runs in 7 innings for Atlanta
Jason Isringhausen is being relieved of his closing duties
This Day In Mets History:
1972 - The Giants trade Willie Mays to the Mets for right-hander Charlie Williams and $50000 cash. The ‘Say-Hey Kid’, who is clearly past his prime, returns the city where he brilliantly began his Hall of Fame career
1996 - Al Leiter pitches the first no-hitter in the Marlin's brief existence beating the Rockies, 11-0.
1999 - For the first time this century, two starting major league pitchers share the same name as the Rockies southpaw Bobby M. Jones bests right-hander Bobby J. Jones and the Mets.
And lastly:
"I never feel more at home than at a ballgame" -ROBERT FROST, American poet
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