Mets baseball blog

Figs strikes out 10 vs Cubs

K-Rod can't help but feel disappointed by the direction the Mets' season has turned, and his resulting inactivity as the closer. Still, K-Rod didn't show much rust Sunday.

Nelson Figueroa posted a career-high 10 strikeouts, the Mets chased Carlos Zambrano with five consecutive one-out hits in the fourth inning and Rodriguez tossed a scoreless ninth as the Mets salvaged their series finale against the Cubs with a 4-1 victory at Wrigley Field. Rodriguez recorded his first save in nine days while making only his second appearance during that span.

"It's a disappointing season all the way around," Rodriguez acknowledged. Continue

Stokes blows Misch's chance at 1st win

The table could not have been more perfectly set for a rare Mets heart-warmer yesterday.

Unheralded left-hander Pat Misch was on the verge of getting his first major-league victory, a feat that also would have kept him out of a dubious spot in the record books.

Not only that, but Misch -- a native of nearby Northbrook, Ill. -- had his wife, family and more friends than he could count watching from the stands on a windy, chilly day at Wrigley Field.

But then the baseball gods remembered something -- there is no such thing as a happy ending for these Mets. Not this season, at least. Continue

Mets lose 5th in a row

 Mike Pelfrey gave up a tiebreaking two-run homer to Ronny Paulino in the fifth inning and the Mets lost their fifth straight, 5-3, to the Marlins Wednesday night. Pelfrey, now the de facto ace of a rotation that also includes Bobby Parnell, Tim Redding, Nelson Figueroa and Pat Misch, was charged with five runs on 11 hits and five walks (one intentional) in a 118-pitch effort spanning 5-2/3 innings. Continue

Ollie done for season

"Oliver Perez today was examined by Mets Medical Director Dr. David Altchek at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan.

"Upon the exam, Perez was diagnosed with patella tendon tendinosis in his right knee, which will require season-ending surgery.

"He is expected to fully recover and be ready for Spring Training."

Santana is done for 2009

Johan Santana will have his elbow cleaned out, ending his season, but the ace should be fine for 2010, the Mets announced. Team doctor David Altchek examined Santana at the Hospital for Special Surgery. Santana will undergo an arthroscopic procedure to remove bone chips.

The 30-year-old lefthander finishes the season with a 13-9 record and 3.13 ERA. He logged 166 2/3 innings, snapping a streak of five straight seasons of exceeding 200 innings pitched. Santana's velocity has sagged during the second half.

"It's mostly soreness. It's my understanding from the doctors there are bone chips," Mets general manager Omar Minaya said on a conference call. "We all want to see Johan Santana pitching in September. But this is a smart move because we want to see him pitching for the long haul." (Daily News)

Mets lose, yawn. Santana hurt ouch

At least there were no game-ending triple plays. And at least they weren't swept.

Yes, it has come down to silver linings for the done-as-dinner Mets, who only added to their lost season by dropping the final three of four games to their supposed rivals, the Phillies, including Monday's 6-2 loss at Citi Field.

But even that news didn't come with a catch. Afterward, the team learned that Johan Santana would be scratched from his next start with a sore elbow and would be evaluated Tuesday.

Cliff Lee didn't allow an earned run over seven innings to improve to 5-0 since his trade-deadline arrival, and Ryan Howard clubbed two home runs and drove in five runs, as the Mets fell to 8-17 in their last 25 games entering a nine-game road trip that begins Tuesday in Florida. Continue

Mets lose on a night of celebration

The Mets brought Tom Seaver and Nolan Ryan to Citi Field Saturday night to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Miracle Mets. Following a pregame ceremony that included 21 players and coaches from 1969, The Franchise couldn't have liked what he saw from the franchise.

The Mets wasted a solid return to the rotation by Tim Redding and lost to the Phillies, 4-1.

Redding had a 6.99 ERA in nine starts earlier this season before being pulled from the rotation when Oliver Perez returned from a two-month DL stint. Yet Redding, who was on the verge of being released until Fernando Nieve tore a thigh muscle two months ago, shut down the Phillies for five innings Saturday night in his first start since July 2. Back in the rotation with the release of Livan Hernandez, Redding held Philadelphia to one hit and three walks.

The Mets (57-66) left too many runners in scoring position, though, and left too little margin for error once Redding departed. Continue

Sheffield coming undone

It is the 2009 Mets. So, of course, the story never gets better. Only more humiliating. Only more dispiriting. Only more bizarre.

Gary Sheffield went from on his best behavior to, well, being Gary Sheffield. That means the five-month honeymoon is over replaced by Sheffield's familiar demands for more money combined with less professionalism. So even one of the Mets' few feel-good stories this year -- Sheffield proving to be a mature, useful player -- has now exploded on them.

The Mets rejected his bizarre request for a contract extension. So Sheffield, according to sources, initially became verbally abusive, then demanded he be released or traded to the Marlins, then threatened to return home to Florida, and finally just pulled himself from the starting lineup. He struck out as a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning and then ignored reporters' interview attempts after the game. Continue

Mets release Livan

There was a time this season when Livan Hernandez was the Mets' most dependable pitcher aside from Johan Santana. Those times now seem like ancient history, and now, so is Hernandez.

To make room for former closerBilly Wagner, who was activated for the first time this season and pitched a scoreless inning in the Mets' 3-2 loss to the Braves, the Mets released the struggling Hernandez Thursday. (Daily News)

Mets let it all hang out in 4th, win 9-4 over Braves

The Mets usually are known for their wackiness off the field.

They pulled some of it on the field for a change last night, inexplicably erupting for eight runs on a team-record 10 hits in the fourth inning of an eventual 9-4 win over the Braves.

Not only that, but the explosion was from a Mets lineup that wouldn't have been out of place at Triple-A Buffalo -- and came mostly against Atlanta ace Derek Lowe.

Yes, baseball is a funny, funny game.

The 29-minute half inning was even more remarkable because it didn't include a triple or a home run, coming instead on seven singles and three doubles. Continue