Is Pelfrey the new Ollie

Photo by Michael Baron

I've been one of the biggest defenders of Mike Pelfrey there is, saying he's on par with the pitchers in his draft, arguably right behind Matt Garza and pretty much even with Chris Volstad. Even excused his struggles by blaming them on the Mets for rushing him to the majors. 

I know Pelf started on Friday after losing 11 lbs. due to the flu and had to fight his way into the appearance but anyone watching could have predicted what was going to happen during that Ryan Howard at bat.  Why because anytime Pelfrey is faced with a pressure situation he seems to crumble. 

The 2005 first round pick has a lifetime 4.43 ERA and this season is off to a 7.39 ERA.  I'm starting to see a distinct comparison between Ollie and Pelf.  Both have a tremendous amount of physical talent but are limited by what's between their ears.  The Mets hoped Pelf would step-up to fill in for Johan and instead have watched him regress and wilt under pressure....

Post Game Wrap Up: Niese Out Dueled By Doc, Mets Drop Third Straight

A day removed from being dominated by a relatively unknown pitcher, the Mets would strike for seven hits in a losing effort against Roy Halladay, who would get the complete game. As a result, the Mets lost their third in a row and fourth in five games this season in Philadelphia.

Jon Niese looked good early, but would ultimately tire in the seventh inning when the first three hitters reached base, including a lead off home run by John Mayberry Jr. Taylor Buchholz would come on in relief, but was unable to hold the Phillies, who would strike for the go ahead run two batters later.

In a game that lasted only two hours and twenty-five minutes, in front of a standing room only crowd, Roy Halladay would throw only 27 balls during his 107 pitch complete game effort. Following the Phillies' two run seventh inning, Halladay would face only one more than the minimum the rest of the way.

With the loss, the Mets fall to 7.5 games behind the Phillies in the NL East and five games under .500 on the year. Tomorrow night on ESPN the Mets will look to salvage the series finale when they send Chris Young to the mound against hired gun Cliff Lee at 8:00 pm.

Game Notes:
- Roy Halladay's first 18 pitches went for strikes.
- David Wright now has only three hits in his last 20 AB.
- Placido Palanco is now second in the NL in batting with a .398 average.

New York Mets @ Philadelphia Phillies 4/30/11 Pregame

The New York Mets will square off against the Philadelphia Phillies and 2010 Cy Young winner Roy Halladay for the second time this year. Coming off the heels of a blowout loss that saw Mike Pelfrey implode again at Citizens Bank park, the Mets will send Jonathon Niese(1-3, 5.10 ERA) to the mound. The last time Niese pitched in Citizens Bank Park earlier this month, he got rocked for 6 runs and 8 hits while only lasting 4 innings. In need of a far greater effort against the top pitcher in baseball, the offense has to act differently than they have in the two preceding games.

Many speculated that Carlos Beltran would sit out today due to the day game after a night game, but he'll be appearing in his 15th consecutive game in what appears to be an effort to bolster the offense. A recurring problem on both offense and defense the past several days has been Josh Thole, who has more passed balls than a pool table. He has been pressing both at the plate and behind the dish and has become somewhat of a defensive liability, posting a -0.5 defensive WAR through the first month of the year(his offense hasn't been much better, a 0.0 WAR, actually).

Lineups:

New York Mets:
1. Jose Reyes SS
2. Daniel Murphy 2B
3. David Wright 3B
4. Carlos Beltran RF
5. Jason Bay LF
6. Ike Davis 1B
7. Josh Thole C
8. Jason Pridie CF
9. Jon Niese P

Philadelphia Phillies:
1. Shane Victorino CF
2. Placido Polanco 3B
3. Jimmy Rollins SS
4. Ryan Howard 1B
5. Frank Francisco RF
6. John Mayberry Jr. LF
7. Wilson Valdez 2B
8. Dane Sardinha C
9. Roy Halladay P

Despite Poor Start, Sandy Was Right To Pass On Big Name Talent

Photo Courtesy Of Michael Baron

After last night's loss at the hands of the Philadelphia Phillies, the New York Mets now sit at 11-15 on the year.  Once again, they rest at the bottom of the NL East, a full 6.5 games behind the hated Phils.  However, despite the borderline horrid start, this season could be much worse.  I don't mean in an injury sense either.

Many Mets fans cried foul when new general manager, Sandy Alderson, didn't make a free agent splash this past winter.  Did the team need pitching? Absolutely.  Would a proven outfielder have hurt in a time when the future of Carlos Beltran was in doubt? Absolutely not.  But please for a half a second picture this...

Imagine the Mets with a similar record, with another $25 million on the books for the 2011 season.  Hell, imagine a similar record with the franchise on the hook for more than a quarter BILLION dollars over the next seven seasons, because that's exactly where they'd be had they signed Carl Crawford and Cliff Lee.

Thus far this year the Boston Red Sox' $142 million dollar man, Carl Crawford, has had exactly 100 plate appearances.  In that time, he's had a paltry 15 hits and reached base only 22 times. While his numbers will undoubtedly improve, I can't even begin to fathom the venom Mets fans would have for Crawford had he signed in Queens.  At 29 years old, Crawford's contract will carry him into the twilight of his career.  A man who's built his game on speed, this is not a favorable start in Boston and could have been a death sentence in New York.

On the other side of the ball, Cliff Lee was the obvious decision.  Unfortunately for the Phillies, with the season still in its infancy, Lee has reverted into the mediocrity that has followed for him for all but three seasons of his ten year career.  As it stands now, Cliff Lee and Chris Capuano boast the same record, however Capuano stands to make a cool $9.5 millon less.  At 32 years old, Lee's contract is built purely on his playoff performance, but at this point in the regular season he has not been a difference maker for his new team and would have certainly driven Mets fans mad to this point had he signed here.

The Mets' season is not going as envisioned by Sandy and Co., but believe it or not this may be as good as it could have gone.  Short of making a set of absurd trades that would have sacrificed the minimal depth the franchise currently houses in its farm system, there were no better options it turns out.  Picking through the bargain rack, bringing the Chris Capuanos and Willie Harris' of the world has provided the Mets will similar results at limited financial obligation to this point.  So while things are bad, remember that they could be worse...much worse.

Follow me on Twitter @RobPatterson83

Mets Preparing To Demote Gee?

As for Gee, Collins made it sound like the right-hander needs to go to the rotation somewhere -- be that the majors or Triple-A Buffalo.

"You'd like to put guys in positions where they're most comfortable," Collins said.

Asked if that meant doing something different with Gee, Collins answered: "Until I talk with Sandy [Alderson] and see what our options are going to be ... " The manager did not complete the thought, but then added: "What you saw in that one inning is not Dillon Gee." ~ESPN NY~
The Mets need to think long and hard before they make this personnel decision. Prior to last night, Dillon Gee made two starts, resulting in two wins. In his 11.2 IP, he had allowed only 3 ER while striking out 9 and walking only 2. For his trouble, hes been banished to the bullpen where gave up a Ryan Howard Grand Slam in his first appearance.

Mike Pelfrey on the other hand, has won only one game over his first six starts. He is averaging only 4.2 IP per start and flat out not pitching well. In the process of striking out 16, he has walked 13. Worse yet, in his 28.0 IP he has allowed 25 runs to score and has pitched to a 7.39 ERA.

Has Gee's sample size been less than that of Pelfrey, you bet. However, the team shouldn't demote Gee because there isn't a spot in the rotation for him. They should make one! Mike Pelfrey entered the year as the teams "ace". He has failed miserably in his quest to fill the shows of Johan Santana.

The issue with Pelfrey becomes how long will it take him to get himself together. Big Pelf has plenty of talent, but mentally his is a total disaster. Sandy Alderson needs to send Mike Pelfrey to Buffalo, not Dillon Gee. The Mets cannot afford to lose games while allowing Pelf to work things out. The clock is ticking on this Mets' season... Every game counts!

Follow me on Twitter @RobPatterson83

Post Game Wrap-Up: Mets Lose 2nd In A Row, Face Halladay Tomorrow

The Mets lost to the Phillies by the score of 10-3 tonight and dropped their 2^nd game in a row. Mike Pelfrey struggled mightily again tonight.

After shutting the Phillies down for the first 3 innings tonight, Pelfrey came apart in the 4^th. After Jimmy Rollins 1B to RF for his 2^nd hit of the game, Ryan Howard stepped to the plate and launched a first pitch fastball over the RF wall to give the Phillies a 2-0 lead. Next hitter Ben Francisco singled to LF and stole 2B, but Pelfrey was able to get through the inning after striking out the opposing pitcher Vance Worely on a 3-2.

The Phillies struck again in the Bot of the 5^th. Shane Victorino and Placido Polanco led off the inning with back to back singles. Then after retiring Jimmy Rollins on a pop out to SS, Pelfrey tried pitching inside to Ryan Howard who already took him deep. Pelfrey however came too far in and hit Howard on the elbow loading the bases for Ben Francisco. Francisco took advantage of his opportunity and grounded a 1B through the hole between 3^rd and SS, scoring both Victorino and Polanco, giving the Phillies a 4-0 while knocking Pelfrey out of the game.

To add insult to injury Ryan Howard connected for his 2^nd HR of the game, this time a Grand Slam which broke the game wide open at 8-0.

The Mets scored all 3 runs in the 9^th on a Solo HR from Ike Davis (5) and a 2-run shot from Jason Pridie (2).

Game Notes:

-With his 2 blasts tonight, Ryan Howard now has 31 career HR’s against the Mets. (2 HR, 6 RBI tonight)

-Howard’s GS was the 18^th against the Mets since 2009. The Mets have hit none during that span.

-The Phillies were 3-3 on stolen base attempts against Pelfrey/Thole.

-Ike Davis extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a SOLO HR in the 9^th.

-Josh Thole drew 3 BB’s tonight.

The story of tonight’s game was both Mike Pelfrey’s continued struggles and the Mets inability to hit in clutch situations. In the Top of the 1^st they got a gift from the Phillies when Placido Polanco and Jimmy Rollins made back to errors putting runners on 1^st and 2^nd with 1 out. Carlos Beltran however killed the rally by hitting into a routine 6-4-3 DP to end the inning. The Mets were in the same 1^st and 2^nd 1 out situation in the 4^th, but Thole and Pridie could not get the big hit. Then in the Top of the 6^th, the Mets put the first two runners on, however Jason Bay was the victim this time as he also hit into a 6-4-3 DP. The Mets made Rookie RHP Vance Worley look like a seasoned veteran tonight by only mustering 2 hits over 6 innings against him.

After winning 6 straight games to help themselves creep back towards the .500 mark, the Mets have now dropped 2 in a row and have the daunting task of facing Roy Halladay tomorrow and Cliff Lee on Sunday. Game 2 of the series will be played tomorrow afternoon at Citizens Bank Park beginning at 1:10PM.

A swing and a miss by Willie Harris ended the New York Mets 6 game winning streak last night in anti-climatic fashion. After a roaring start to the season which led many to believe that Harris could be a big time player in the club's success he came crashing down faster than DirecTV. Following the loss last night, he had a few choice words to say about his experience as a Met.

“The [Mets and the Nationals] are a lot different. You know, over here in New York it seems as if everything is somewhat segregated, guys stick to themselves pretty much. In DC, it was more unified. It’s different each place you go. I’m trying to get accustomed to it. I really miss those guys on the other side. I miss playing here in DC, I miss the fans, and wish them the best only except when they’re playing against us.”
-Willie Harris,

Now, there are several parts of this quote that need to be examined and should be elaborated on by Harris before buying him a one way ticket out of New York.

1.Word Choice- I don't think it's a mistake that Harris decided to use "segregated" while speaking to MASN reporters. There have been various reports over the past few seasons reporting cliques in the clubhouse--a lack of overall unity. While it seems likely that the same mentality exists, it should be questioned if he feels any discomfort due to his race. Scott Hairston is the only other player on the club of African American descent, and while it seems that it's a long shot that the clubhouse is racist, Harris doesn't seem to think the clubhouse is what it should be.

2. New Culture- Harris has spent the last three seasons with the Washington Nationals and being a part of their growth. While not a major player, Harris brought experience and professionalism to a club that needed a veteran presence. On a team that boasts a more established, veteran presence, Harris may feel out of place taking a backseat and being less of an influence on the future.

The quote came as a surprise to me, while it may not necessarily should have. While riding a hot streak it seems impossible for a team to have it's issues, and it's entirely possible that the clubhouse Harris described is the way things are--BUT, as a major league veteran in a city with a media presence that drowns the number of people in the stands it's a threat to your job to make any off color remarks about the organization. Potential free agents and other teams perceptions alike may be skewed by these quotes to the media.

Distractions? The Mets have plenty of them off the field. It's why Willie Harris needs to be further questioned before he's designated for assignment. He has proven to be a solid, albeit sloppy defender--and with his bat cooling off it's hard to justify him sticking around if his attitude will be detrimental to the future. To his credit, he said it'll take some getting used to--but comments like this shouldn't be coming out.

Pre-Game: Game 26 - New York Mets VS Philadelphia Phillies

After having their 6 game win streak snapped last night in Washington, the Mets will head to Philadelphia in hopes of starting a new streak against the Phillies. If the Mets want to prove to the rest of the National League that they are indeed contenders, the next 12 games can be a great opportunity to do so. During this 12 game stretch the Mets will play the NL favored Phillies, defending champion San Francisco Giants, a tough LA Dodgers team, and a Colorado Rockies team who swept the Mets right out of Citi Field in early April. It is going to be a very difficult 12 games, but good teams take one game at a time, and find ways to win against good competition. The Mets will open this tough stretch in Philadelphia and take on a Phillies team who is playing good ball despite having several injuries, especially in their bullpen.

Taking the mound for the Mets tonight will be RHP Mike Pelfrey (1-2, 7.23 ERA). Pelfrey, who got off to a very rocky start in 2011, was able to put it together in his last start against the D’Backs when he got his first win of the year and went 7 IP, while only giving up 1 ER. Pelfrey was questionable all week to make the start tonight as he has had a terrible battle with the flu, reportedly losing as much as 11LBS during the week. However, the Mets declared him fit to pitch tonight. Pelfrey has struggled in Citizens Bank Park in recent history. In his last 3 starts there his is 0-1 with a 15.00 ERA. He will look to turn it around tonight.

On the hill for the Phillies will be rookie RHP Vance Worley who is making a spot start because Joe Blanton was forced to be placed on the DL yesterday. Worley busted on to the scene last September and pitched extremely well. In 2 career starts, he is 1-1, with a 1.38 ERA. He did pitch 1 inning of relief against the Mets last year and did not allow a run.

Game time is 7:05PM from Citizens Bank Park. Here are the starting lineups:

For the (11-14) New York Mets:

1. Jose Reyes SS

2. Daniel Murphy 2B

3. David Wright 3B

4. Carlos Beltran RF

5. Jason Bay LF

6. Ike Davis 1B

7. Josh Thole C

8. Jason Pridie CF

9. Mike Pelfrey P

For the (16-8) Philadelphia Phillies:

1. Shane Victorino CF

2. Placido Polanco 3B

3. Jimmy Rollins SS

4. Ryan Howard 1B

5. Ben Francisco RF

6. Raul Ibanez LF

7. Pete Orr 2B

8. Brian Schneider C

9. Vance Worley P

LET'S GO METS!

Paulino back on Friday..

Mets will activate Ronny Paulino before tomorrow night's opener against Philly.   Paulino is a life time .286 hitter, .322 OBP, .402 SLG and .724 OPS against Philly.  Even better at Citizen's bank park he's a .327 hitter, .353 OBP, .429 SLG and .782 OPS.  It will be curious to see who will be sent down to make room on the roster...

Post Game Wrap-Up: Mets Lose, Win Streak Ends At 6. Head to Philly

The Mets lost to the Nationals by the score of 4-3, ending their 6 game winning streak. Chris Capuano did his job tonight (5.2 IP, 4 ER). He did everything that a team can ask out of a 5^th starter, keep his team in the game. The Mets bats just couldn’t overcome the deficit tonight

Unlike the 1^st two games of the series, the Nationals got on the board first tonight. In the Bot of the 3^rd with 1 out, P Livan Hernandez singled up the middle. Then after retiring the lead-off man Danny Espinosa on a pop up, the Nats got a single from Rick Ankiel advancing Hernandez to 2^nd and an RBI double from Jayson Werth which put the Nats up 1-0.

The Mets would fight right back in the Top 4^th by scoring a “Reyes run”. Jose led off the inning with a rocket 2B that just missed clearing the wall for a HR. Then after a Daniel Murphy ground out, David Wright hit a soft ground ball to first, scoring Reyes and tying the game at 1-1.

The Nats would regain the lead in the Bot of the 4^th. With 1 out, SS Ian Desmond, fresh off paternity leave, drove a 3B to LF. Jerry Hairston JR. followed with an RBI 1B to give the Nats a 2-1 lead. Then after an Ivan Rodriguez 1B, Nats P Livan Hernandez dropped down a SAC bunt, and just like Ike Davis did in the first game of the series, the runner on 3^rd came down the line with 3^rd baseman David Wright and broke towards the plate scoring the Nats 3^rd run of the game.

The Mets cut the lead in half in top of the 5^th. After the Mets loaded the bases with 1 out, Jose Reyes lifted a SAC fly to CF, scoring Ike Davis, cutting the lead to 3-2.

The Nats responded once again however in the bottom half of the inning on a SOLO HR from Nats SS Ian Desmond, making the score 4-3.

The Mets would score 1 more time. In the Top of the 6^th Ike Davis ripped an RBI 2B to RF, driving in his 19^th run of the season, and cutting the lead in half once again. However, the Mets offense was held in check the rest of the night, and the Mets fell by the score of 4-3.

Game Notes:

-Ike Davis had 2 more hits and extended his hit streak to 10 games (.352 AVE).

-Pedro Beato was great again, giving the Mets 2 innings of shutout ball. He has not yet given up an ER this year.

-Willie Harris is really struggling at the plate. He struck out in the Top of the 8^th with the tying run on 2^nd to end the ball game.

This was a tough loss for the Mets to swallow. They had a few opportunities tonight to take the lead but were turned away. The Mets will look to start a new winning streak tomorrow as they head to Philadelphia for the 2^nd time this season to play the Phillies. Game time is 7:05 PM from Citizens Bank Park.

Pre-Game: Game 25 - New York Mets VS Washington Nationals

The Mets go for their 7^th win in a row and a sweep of the Nationals in game 3 of their series tonight at Nationals Park. This Mets team is on a roll as they have been playing excellent baseball over the last week or so. They will look to carry the momentum from last night’s emotional win into the final game of the series.

On the mound for the Mets will be LHP Chris Capuano (2-1, 5.95 ERA). Capuano has had moderate success over his first three starts of the season. Despite a high ERA, he has averaged over 6.0 IP per start, while keeping walks to a minimum. Capuano picked up his first win of the season against the Nationals, at the expense of Tom Gorzelanny on April 9th. In five career starts against them, Capuano is 2-2 with a 4.01 ERA.

Taking the ball for the Washington Nationals will be former Mets RHP Livan Hernandez. Hernandez, who entered the season as the ace of the Nationals' rotation has pitched fairly well, despite only having a .500 record on the year. He has run hot and cold so far, as he has had three very good outings and two where he struggled to find the strike zone. Hernandez has a ton of experience against the Mets, as he has a career record of 12-14 over 37 career starts against them.

Game time is 7:05PM from Nationals Park. Here are the starting lineups:

For the (11-13) New York Mets:

1. Jose Reyes SS

2. Daniel Murphy 2B

3. David Wright 3B

4. Carlos Beltran RF

5. Jason Bay LF

6. Ike Davis 1B

7. Josh Thole C

8. Willie Harris CF

9. Chris Capuano P

For the (10-13) Washington Nationals:

1. Danny Espinosa 2B

2. Rick Ankiel CF

3. Jayson Werth RF

4. Adam LaRoche 1B

5. Michael Morse LF

6. Ian Desmond SS

7. Jerry Hairston JR.

8. Ivan Rodriguez C

9. Livan Hernandez P

LET'S GO METS!

Five Things I Think I Think After Last Night's Game

Photo Courtesy Of Michael Baron

Having been lucky enough to be in attendance last night, I can't say I remember a better Mets' win in the past few seasons. Here are a few things I'm pretty sure I think after last nights win...

1) I really hope Sandy Alderson was paying attention last night, because Jose Reyes is even more irreplaceable than I originally thought. His impact on his team members is clear and apparent. Jose had a temporary break from reality last night after being incorrectly called out at third. Had Chip Hale not been there to get in the middle, Reyes would likely be looking at a suspension this morning (possibly a long one). As if the triple hadn't been enough to get everyone going, there was a noticeable 'Not This Time' demeanor to the Mets after that play.

2) The Mets are beginning to play better fundamental baseball. Yes, Jason Bay dropped the ball in the left field and yes, Daniel Murphy should have been covering second on the play, but its getting better. You can't say enough for Ching-lung Hu, who came through with the biggest productive out of the Mets' season thus far. Willie Harris got down a big bunt, that would have moved the runners up anyway, which thanks to some indecision on the part of the Nationals allowed the Mets to load the bases.

3) The Mets need to get Daniel Murphy more reps at second base. More reps in the game, more reps in practice... if they can figure it out, more reps in his sleep. Murph is never going to be a premiere second baseman, but he is a pretty good major league hitter. There needs to be a balance of stars and character players on any winning baseball team. Daniel Murphy is the type of blue collar baseball player that can be very good for this team and right now, Murph has not better friend than Jose Reyes.

4) These are not last year's Mets. Last year's Mets would have been left for dead after seven hapless innings at the plate. They certainly would have been finished after Reyes was called out in the third. This group however seems to have a bit more fight in them. When it really mattered, they shortened up, worked the count and got the job done.

5) The Mets travel really well. I know that there were several references made to the lack of attendance at the game last night. The Nats have never drawn well here, and it feels great to take over another team's stadium as a result. Even prior to the mass exodus at the end of the eighth inning (when the Nats were winning mind you), the Lets Go Mets chants could not be drowned out by boos. Now to be fair, Nats fans are much more cordial than fans in other stadiums I've visited. As there were not threats of bodily harm or comments made about my mother on the way to the train.

These guys have a good thing going right now. Have the righted the ship? We probably won't know that for a few more weeks. Right now they are beating teams they probably should beat. If you don't want to finish the season in the basement of the NL East, you need to beat the teams like the D'Backs and Nats to ensure that. The trip to Philly this weekend, will provide the team with a better measure for their success, as they are clearly not the team that showed up there earlier this month.

Follow me on Twitter @RobPatterson83

Post Game Wrap-Up: Mets Win On Great Comeback In The 9th, Win Streak at 6

The Mets defeated the Nationals by the score of 6-3 tonight at Nationals Park and extended their winning streak to 6 games.

The Mets got on the board first again tonight. Mike Nickeas led off the 3^rd with an infield single that 2B Danny Espinosa couldn’t coral. Then after an RA Dickey SAC bunt and a Jose Reyes GO to 2B, Justin Turner stepped to the plate and lined a 2 out 1B to RF, scoring Nickeas and putting the Mets ahead 1-0.

The Nationals tied the game in the Bot of the 4^th. After a 1B by Jayson Werth leading off the inning and long fly out to CF by Adam LaRoche, C Wilson Ramos singled to RF advancing Werth to 3^rd, putting runners at the corners. Next hitter Michael Morse hit a long fly ball to RF for a SAC fly, tying the game at 1-1.

The Nationals grabbed the lead in the Bot of the 5^th. After former Met Alex Cora led off the inning with a single and advanced to 3^rd after a SAC bunt and a ground out, Rick Ankiel would break the tie with an RBI 2B to LF, putting the Nats ahead 2-1.

The Mets would tie the game in the Top of the 8^th despite some controversy. With 1out, Jose Reyes drove a ball to the left centerfield gap that rolled all the way to the wall. Reyes touched 2^nd and made a turn for third where he slid head first safely, however 3^rd base umpire Marvin Hudson ruled that Reyes came off the bag and called him out. Reyes’ hand clearly never came off the bag, and Marvin Hudson knew it, which I assume is the reason he never ejected Reyes or Terry Collins for arguing. However, next hitter Daniel Murphy provided some redemption, as he drove the 8^th pitch of his at-bat over the RF wall to tie the game at 2-2.

The Nationals quickly responded in the Bot of the 8^th after the Mets tied the score in the top half. Adam LaRoche hit a high fly ball down the LF line. With LaRoche being a dead pull hitter, LF Jason Bay was playing towards left center. Bay raced over and made a sliding attempt but the ball bounced off the heal of his glove, and LaRoche was safe at second. LaRoche would then come around to score after a passed ball and a SAC fly by Wilson Ramos, which gave the Nats a 3-2 lead.

The Mets however would not be denied this victory. With the Nationals left-handed closer Sean Burnett on the mound, Jason Bay led off with an infield 1B. Then next hitter Ike Davis followed Bay with a single of his own putting runners on 1^st and 2^nd. With the tying and winning runs on base, Willie Harris who came in as a pinch hitter in the Top of the 7^th, dropped down a bunt for the sacrifice. However, Nats’ pitcher Sean Burnett slipped while fielding the ball, allowing everyone to be safe, loading the bases for the last man on the Mets bench Chin-Lung Hu. Hu worked the count to 1-1 and on the next pitch hit a deep fly ball to RF for a SAC fly, scoring Jason Bay to tie the game, and move the go ahead runs up to 2^nd and 3^rd. Josh Thole would then give the Mets the lead as he hit a little chopper up the middle that was fielded by the SS, however he did not have a play at the plate, and was forced to get the out at 1^st while Ike Davis scored the go ahead run. Daniel Murphy then came to the plate and put the game away by ripping a 2-run double down the RF line, giving the Mets a 6-3 lead.

Game Notes:

-Daniel Murphy came off the bench and went 2-2, with a HR, and 3 RBI.

-David Wright struck out 2 more times.

-Despite giving up his first ER, Pedro Beato picked up his first ML win.

-Ike Davis had 2 more hits, raising his AVE to .345 on the year and extended his hitting streak to 9 games.

-The Mets have scored 23 runs during their 6 game winning streak with 2 outs.

Wow! What a game! What a win! R.A. Dickey (6.2 IP, 2 ER, 8 H, BB, 3 K’s) was very good tonight and kept the Mets in the ball game when their bats were quiet early. The pivotal point in this game was obviously the play at 3^rd base involving Jose Reyes. Although the call didn’t go their way, it really pumped up this Mets ballclub and when Murphy drove his HR over the RF wall, the team erupted. I don’t understand how the umpire missed the call, but all is forgotten as the Mets won. This Mets team is starting to play like a contender despite their record. These are the type of games that good teams find a way to win and the Mets did exactly that tonight. The Mets will look to extend their win streak to 7 games and sweep the Nationals tomorrow night at 7:05 PM.