Mets baseball blog

Maine shows improvement

 One day after Oliver Perez posted his best performance of spring training, John Maine did exactly the same. And with Opening Day quickly closing in, the Mets couldn't be happier with these promising developments from their rotation.

Facing the Marlins last night, Maine allowed two runs, six hits and one walk in 52/3 innings, an outing that is hands down his most encouraging.

"The last two starts, I've been getting better and better," Maine said. "It's a good time to start the season." Continue

Perez rebounds

Oliver Perez can exhale. So can Jerry Manuel.

After a rocky showing in the WBC, then a subpar outing last week against the Tigers, Perez looked far more like the pitcher the Mets signed to a three-year, $36 million contract in his final full spring-training tune-up against the Orioles Monday night.

Perez, in line to pitch April 9 in Cincinnati, limited Baltimore to one run on four hits while striking out three and walking one in a 93-pitch effort over 6-2/3 innings. The run came on a homer by Adam Jones in the third inning. Continue

Maine continues his yo-yo performances

 On a day that began with Oliver Perez challenging a reporter to a footrace, the Mets really needed to see something positive from John Maine a few hours later against the Cardinals.

Before Perez returned from his spring break with Team Mexico - and showed up like a frat brother after too many parties - the Mets' biggest concern was Maine, whose only crime is trying to find his old form after shoulder surgery last October.

After yesterday's performance, they can safely upgrade Maine's condition from critical to stable, with two more starts left before his first regular-season turn April 10 in Miami. Continue

Call him "Out of shape" Ollie

When is it no longer too soon to worry about Oliver Perez?

The answer to that $36 million question was provided Wednesday, when Jerry Manuel acknowledged he needs "to pay close attention" in the next several days to Perez, who also was deemed "out of shape" by pitching coach Dan Warthen after the lefty was wild and was again tattooed in a 10-6 loss to the Tigers at Tradition field. Continue

Livan continues to roll

Established pitchers with more than 100 career big-league wins apiece ordinarily aren't told to show up on an off day to face low-level prospects in a 9 a.m. simulated game.

While Livan Hernandez only enhanced his status as the overwhelming favorite to land the Mets' No.5 starter job under such conditions Monday, Freddy Garcia's days in camp appear to be dwindling. "Everything's perfect right now, everything's looking good," said Hernandez, who threw 85 pitches over five innings, allowing one run on four hits with seven strikeouts. "Right now, I'm 100%. I'm good to go." Continue

Maine continues to warrant concern

John Maine continued to allow runs in droves Saturday. He issued a bases-loaded walk to Brandon Jones, then surrendered a three-run double to Jeff Francoeur in the third, and ultimately was charged with five runs on six hits and three walks in four innings as the Braves beat the Mets, 12-1. Maine has allowed 14 runs in 11 innings spanning his past three outings, all against NL East foes.

Still, Maine insisted he's improving and suggested his fastball velocity should increase as he builds arm strength following Sept. 30 shoulder surgery. Continue

Livan looks to be the one for the five spot

Jonathon Niese's loss appeared to be Livan Hernandez's gain in the Mets' No. 5 starter derby yesterday.

The Amazin's took another step toward making Hernandez the fifth and final member of the rotation by optioning Niese to their minor-league camp with two weeks still to go in spring training.  Although more than enough time remains for the Mets' plans to change, Hernandez appears to be the choice. Continue

Murphy is a student of the batting game

The green-covered CVS-brand notebook sits deep in Daniel Murphy's locker at the Mets' spring training site, Tradition Field.

The notebook has been places, though. And like the Mets' 23-year-old leftfielder, it seems to be going places, too.

Murphy bought the notebook in October in Arizona when he played in the Arizona Fall League. He took it home with him to Jacksonville, Fla., and brought it down I-95 to Port St. Lucie when spring training opened. Continue

Maine shows improvement

Maine, who is expected to make his first regular-season start at Florida on April 10, settled down after the first and retired 10 of the final 11 Marlins he faced as the Mets rallied for a 10-5 win. The lone hit Maine surrendered over his final three innings came on a bunt single by Robert Andino.

Maine's final line: four innings, four runs, five hits, no walks, five strikeouts. He actually lowered his Grapefruit league ERA to 10.00. That doesn't include two scoreless innings against Italy, when he walked three and was furious with himself for poor mechanics. Continue

Garcia not making the case for 5th spot

The fact Freddy Garcia was on the mound here yesterday spoke volumes.

Garcia was once among the top pitchers in baseball before shoulder surgery in 2007, and custom dictates top pitchers don't have to get on a bus in spring training for 2½-hour trips. But that's exactly where a humbled Garcia found himself yesterday, and his performance against the Tigers in an eventual 9-3 Grapefruit League victory did little to help him remain a Met. Continue