Mets baseball blog

Nothing 'Great' for Jose

The Great American Ballpark has a reputation as a hitter's paradise. Just don't try telling that to Jose Reyes. The Met shortstop has never had success in this ballpark, and the last two days have been no different. He's 0-for-9 in this series against the Reds and has not even reached base yet.

Reyes' career average here is now .150 in 13 games. He has one home run, three RBIs, and has five strikeouts to just one walk. "I don't hit good here," Reyes said. "I don't know why." Reyes led off three innings last night and hit fly ball outs each time. He also grounded out to end the eighth. Continue

Mets' win streak ends at 10 as John Maine falls apart in loss to Reds

The Amazin' run couldn't last forever. John Maine failed to complete the fifth inning and the Mets' stay in first place lasted just a day as their winning streak was snapped at 10 games with a 5-2 loss to the Reds Friday night.

The Mets (52-45) fell one victory shy of matching a franchise-record 11-game winning streak, which has been achieved in 1969, '72, '86 and '90. Their last loss had come July 4 in Philadelphia, when Johan Santana departed after eight innings and 95 pitches with the score tied at 2 and Duaner Sanchez surrendered a game-ending RBI single to Shane Victorino. Continue

Doctor visits for Mets pitchers Pedro, El Duque

Thursday was not a good day for the Mets' aging back-of-the-rotation starters. As the team regathered after the All-Star break, Pedro Martinez was in New York getting a cortisone shot in his right hip. He was scratched from his start Sunday against the Reds. Mike Pelfrey will pitch instead.

And Orlando Hernandez, who could have been Martinez's rotation replacement down the road, left his rehab start for Binghamton Thursday after one inning with discomfort in his troublesome right foot. Hernandez will be back in New York Friday to see the Mets' busy team doctors. Continue

Mets rally late, win 10th straight, 10-8 over Reds to tie Phillies for 1st

One month ago the Mets were in shambles. Today, they are in first place. Exactly one month to the day of Willie Randolph's 3 a.m. firing, the Mets used some late magic Thursday night, scoring four times in the top of the ninth to drop the Reds, 10-8, and pull into a first-place tie with the idle Phillies. The victory was also their 10th straight, and improved their record under Jerry Manuel, who took over for Randolph, to 18-9.

"We've been taking such a beating all year long for how we play the game and what we've done wrong and what little we've done right," said Billy Wagner, who shook off his All-Star Game failure to record a 1-2-3 ninth Thursday night. "I love seeing guys who told us two weeks ago how bad we stunk, and now they're going, 'Well, you're in first place.' " Continue

Billy Wagner is a major worry, but starting pitching will carry Mets

For Mets fans, the All-Star break was a time to bask in the glory of a nine-game winning streak that wiped away much of the anger and exasperation that came with watching this team for three months. It was perfect timing: Three days of well-deserved tranquility, a period reserved for happy thoughts and Mike Pelfrey highlights.

And then Billy Wagner had to shatter the mood. By blowing a lead in the All-Star Game and setting in motion the chain of events that led to the 15-inning marathon, Wagner surely raised the angst level all over again for the Mets' faithful and made you wonder if the bullpen will yet be the death of this team. Continue

Wagner blows it again

Billy Wagner's All-Star appearance must have looked awfully familiar to Mets fans. The veteran closer, tabbed to pitch in the Midsummer Classic at Yankee Stadium despite blowing a whopping six saves in the season's first half, let another lead slip away last night.

Wagner didn't waste any time, either, blowing a 3-2 advantage for the National League (who suffered a 4-3, 15-inning loss) in the span of the first two hitters he faced. After replacing the Giants ' Brian Wilson with two out and nobody on, Wagner promptly gave up a line-drive single to the Indians' Grady Sizemore on a 1-1 fastball right over the plate. After Sizemore easily stole second, Wagner gave up a ground-rule RBI double by Evan Longoria of the Rays on a 2-2 slider. Continue

Amazin' plans

The Mets are more seriously considering promoting from within (Fernando Martinez for the outfield, Jon Niese for the rotation, Bobby Parnell or Eddie Kunz if a bullpen arm is needed) then making a trade between now and the July 31 deadline, Omar Minaya told The Post yesterday. Minaya faces three major obstacles to reaching outside the organization for improvements: Continue

Iron Mike coming up aces

The 51,293 on hand last night rose to their feet, twirling their white towels and chanting Mike Pelfrey's name. A year ago they booed him, but now they were cheering, urging him off the bench and, finally, to the top step of the Mets dugout for his first Shea Stadium curtain call.

"That's awesome. I remember last year coming off the field several times getting booed," Pelfrey said after last night's 7-0 win over the Rockies. "I saw Lastings Milledge get a curtain call. It's something I always wanted to do. It was awesome. They started chanting, [Ramon] Castro looked at me, said 'Get out there.' I wasn't going to say no." Continue

Mets sweep Rockies for 9th win in row, two shy of franchise mark

Have your sendoff to Yankee Stadium if you must. After all, important stuff like Home Run Derby champ and World Series home-field advantage must be resolved. But must the Mets take a three-day hiatus?

Mike Pelfrey tossed eight scoreless innings and the Mets charged into the All-Star break with their ninth straight victory, a 7-0 win Sunday night over Colorado. Seven-and-a-half games out of first place on June 13, the Mets (51-44) have closed that deficit to a half-game, and are even in the loss column with the NL East-leading Phillies. Continue

Church vows to return soon

Fresh off another round of medical tests, Ryan Church returned to Shea Stadium yesterday vowing to be back in the Mets' lineup shortly. "I believe I'll be back sooner than a lot of people are saying out there, sooner than I've been reading," the right fielder said before yesterday's 3-0 win over the Rockies. "Definitely, I'll be back. I won't be sitting the rest of the year out." Continue