Mets baseball blog

Amazin’s still have time to right ship

The lead is down to two and the Mets’ souls are about to be bared. As we were reminded here, they have enough flaws to test fans’ patience, and now their resolve in the final 29 games. We will find out things never learned last season when their NL East lead reached double digits June 22 and extended to as much as 16 ½ games. When they were not challenged by the Dodgers in a first-round sweep, the Mets showed only enough mettle down 3-1 against the Cardinals to get back as far as 1-1 in the ninth inning of Game 7. Continue

Philip Humber & Mike Pelfrey on way; Pedro Martinez next

The Mets are preparing to start Mike Pelfrey on Saturday in Atlanta, but Philip Humber is expected to get a call-up, too. Pelfrey is 0-7 with a 5.92 ERA with the Mets this season, although GM Omar Minaya countered those stats by revealing that an organization study showed the Wichita State product has had the lowest run support in the league at 2.8 per start. A winless record with seven decisions is the most this season, ahead of runner-ups Jerome Williams, John Van Benschoten, Jorge Julio and Danys Baez at 0-5.

Humber (11-9, 4.27 ERA at Triple-A New Orleans) merited the call-up on the strength of his last two starts, which included taking a no-hit bid into the ninth on Aug. 22. Pelfrey is 3-6 with a 4.01 ERA at Triple-A. He might be making only one start before moving into a relief role when Pedro Martinez returns. Continue

Mets swept away in heartbreaker

The Mets showed up Thursday. They showed resistance, they showed resolve. It wasn't enough of a showing, though. And ultimately, they were shown up -- in an afternoon game and four-game series. The Phillies put them on their heels and now are on their heels as well, following a stunning and excruciating 11-10 victory that completed an improbable sweep of the National League East leaders.

The Phillies scored once in the eighth inning on Pat Burrell's home run against Billy Wagner after the Mets had scored five times in the eighth inning to take a 10-8 lead. They struck again in the ninth against Wagner, with the Phillies stealing three bases, Tadahito Iguchi driving in the first run and a sharp single to right by Chasey Utley providing the winning run. Continue

No excuse for Mets' miscues

Oliver Perez walked a pitcher old enough to practically need a walker, marching the Mets up against a wall.

Marlon Anderson went into Tad Iguchi with his forearms up in the ninth and the Mets, self-described victims of a robbery, thought they left Citizens Bank Park with their arms up. But CB Bucknor made an interference call for a game-ending double play, which, under rule 6.05 (m), was his right, whether Anderson made contact with the base or not.  Continue

Mets fall to Phils, NL East lead at three

Throughout his team's mostly unremarkable season, manager Willie Randolph often has bemoaned the Mets' inability to bury their opponents or at least create margins for error. Though his lament has been directed at his team's in-game shortcomings, it now applies to pursuit of the National League East championship as well.

The Mets have buried no team, least of all the self-proclaimed "team to beat." And now their lead in three games -- down from seven, their losing streak is four and, after another troubling defeat Wednesday night, there is considerably more to lament. Continue

Omar: No relief in sight

For the record, Billy Wagner's arm is no more weary than Omar Minaya of looking through the same tired pitchers on the waiver wire as his last chance to improve the Mets' bullpen is down to its final three days. "The reality is, nobody's giving you bullpen right now," the Mets GM said yesterday afternoon. "Nobody is getting through waivers." Which is harder, getting a quality reliever through waivers after July 31 or the Mets getting through the seventh and eighth innings?  Continue

Swinging bunt sends Mets to tough loss

When the baseball finally came to rest, it was inches from the chalk and miles from where the Mets wanted it to be. It had rolled foul first, then crossed the line, traveling perhaps 40 feet in the general direction of third base. To the Mets, there was no question where its journey ended -- that gray area between a victory they nearly secured and loss that vexed them. Call it unfair territory.

On this night when the unseen hand played a significant role, it nudged a critical swinging bunt fair and simultaneously slapped the Mets in the face. They eventually lost to the Phillies, 4-2, in 10 innings Tuesday night because of the power of Ryan Howard. But they had lost their lead two innings earlier because of the power of providence. And that troubled them more that Howard's final-pitch home run. Continue

Pedro solid again in rehab start

It's getting encouraging for Pedro Martinez, and with potentially one final rehab start remaining, the Mets' ace is absolutely looking impressive. Martinez had another strong rehab outing last night, his fourth, firing a six-inning 88-pitch effort for Single-A St. Lucie. Facing Palm Beach, he allowed only an unearned run on five hits, two walks and a hit batter, while striking out four. He told The Associated Press afterwards that he "felt good overall."

Martinez, who was also excellent in his previous rehab start, evidently isn't returning to the Mets just yet, though. "Pretty safe to say he's going to make another [rehab] start," Willie Randolph said before Martinez's outing last night. Continue

Irked Wright ejected

David Wright jawed with C.B. Bucknor over disputed strikes in the fourth inning last night. And when the plate umpire called Wright out on strikes for the third time in the game to end the top of the eighth, Wright had had enough. After playing the bottom half at third base, Wright was ejected for the second time in his career.

"I saw things a little differently than he did, and I said what I had to say," Wright said. Wright's other ejection came in May 2005 in Atlanta. Coach Jerry Manuel had to usher him off the field after ump Jeff Nelson ruled Wright's takeout slide strayed too far from second base. Continue

Lawrence, Mets outplayed by Phillies

Four losses to the Dodgers and Padres last week pushed the Phillies further back in the National League East race than they had been at any time this season, and suggested their four-game series against the Mets this week might be lacking in anticipation, tension and consequence. Then the first- and second-place teams in the NL East played nine innings Monday night and made it so.

Mets vs. Phillies turned out to be the Mundane Night Game of the Week. The Phillies scored early and often, and the Mets showed fewer signs of life than the latest Mars probe has found. The result was a NL encounter that had too many American League touches and almost no suspense. Continue