If this keeps up, Turner Field is going to lose its image as a House of Horrors for the Mets. Then again, Horacio Ramirez is really a far cry from the likes of Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine. The Mets pounded Ramirez, gave Pedro Martinez* some time to settle in, and went on to beat the Braves, 6-4, Friday night in Atlanta.
The game looked promising, then didn't, then did again. Here's why - the Mets jumped out to a 2-0 lead on Ramirez and the Braves, but then Atlanta responded against a spotty Pedro Martinez*, scoring 4 in the bottom of the first. It didn't look like it at the time - but that was all they would get. The Mets got two more in the top of the 2nd, and another in the 3rd to take a 5-4 lead. Then Pedro* settled in, combining with Pedro Feliciano and Duaner Sanchez to set down a stretch of 17 straight Braves (Martinez* retired 12 straight to end his outing). Pedro* improved to 8-4 with the win. He gave up those 4 earned runs in 6 innings, on five hits, while walking 2 and striking out 2. Billy Wagner pitched another perfect inning, striking out 2, to record his 21st save.
Pedro* just furthered my argument tonight that he has to be the all-time leader in percentage of innings pitched that are scoreless - because he gave up those 4 first-inning runs, then threw up 5 straight innings of 0's. He's been doing that all year - and most of his career.
David Wright helped the Mets get some pad in this game with career homer number 63 (22 on the year) , and also had his 25th double of the year, while continuing to own Horacio Ramirez (see BTS, below).
The Mets have now taken 3 out of 4 in Atlanta so far this year. Orlando Hernandez goes against Tim Hudson Saturday afternoon - I'll see if I can post something - I am not going to be able to see this game because the Red Sox are on Fox locally.
TBS COVERAGE: This quote from the opening of the TBS coverage of Friday night's Mets-Braves series: "The Mets find their stranglehold on the NL East slipping." First of all, I thought TBS was supposed to be less biased towards the Braves as it got away from being strictly a "Braves" station and moved towards being a national baseball station. Secondly, "stranglehold on the NL East slipping"? Let me know when the Braves are within shouting distance of first place, thanks very much. For crying out loud! I have a Magic Number countdown going already! Speaking of which:
MAGIC NUMBER: The Braves lost, of course, and the Mets won, but the Marlins also won, keeping the Mets' magic number from decreasing by more than one. So it stays at 49...now if the Phillies win and the Mets win on Saturday, we will see the magic number decrease by two. There's something to root for!TRADE TALK: I want to clarify what I wrote yesterday about the Mets' trade possibilities, because I'm not sure I was clear. I wouldn't mind a deal that netted the Mets a good pitcher for the post-season and beyond. That's one thing - it would have to be a solid starter that stays with the Mets (a la Dontrelle Willis, who is signed through 2008). I also would not mind the Mets trading Lastings Milledge OR Mike Pelfrey - but I would hate to see BOTH of them dealt. And finally, a couple of additional pieces on Barry Zito: First, it's rumored that Billy Beane would trade Zito to the Mets straight up for Milledge. Now, Zito is a free agent at the end of the year, but he might stay with the Mets, considering he'd be their ace, and they'd be competitive. Also, if the Mets traded for him, and lost him, they'd get supplemental draft picks - I think two of them. So it's not like they'd get nothing for him.
The Brewers traded Carlos Lee today to the Texas Rangers for Francisco Cordero, Kevin Mench, and Laynce Nix. I think that's a good deal for both teams. Yes, the Brewers are losing a big bat, but Mench can plug that hole in the lineup pretty well. Cordero lost his closer's job with the Rangers, but the Brewers have been having bullpen problems, so this move could help them shore that up, whether he replaces Derek Turnbow as the closer, or helps set him up. And for the Rangers to get a big bat like Lee is huge - it almost returns them to the days of Juan Gonzalez in their outfield, where they could outslug almost anybody.
Also on Friday, the Giants acquired Mike Stanton from the Washington Nationals for a minor league player. That doesn't mean much other than the fact that the Nationals now don't have any lefties worth a darn in their bullpen.
ELSEWHERE AROUND THE MAJORS: Chase Utley's hitting streak is now at 28 games. Dare I pick him for Beat the Streak during this run? Stay tuned.
Watch out John Maine - you have some competition. The Cleveland Indians' Jeremy Sowers pitched his second straight shutout, beating the Mariners 1-0 on Friday. Sowers has now pitched 19 straight scoreless innings, 1-and-two-thirds more than Maine.
For the first time I saw Tony Gwynn's son, Tony Gwynn, play for the Brewers. He pinch hit in Friday's game. It was weird hearing the announcers talking about Tony Gwynn. Just weird. They don't call him junior or anything - it's not even on his name in the graphic. He is also 4-for-8 in limited pinch-hit duty...so the similarities are striking (except for the weight issue - the young Tony Gwynn is quite slim.)
NAME GAME: I have a meter on this page and the Jets page which allows me to see how many people read each day. (And each day it increases by 4 or 5, thanks to Justin, Steve, Kevin, Dave, and the Wife.) But once in a while, there's a reader directed to the site by a search engine, because they searched for something like "Mike Pelfrey", or, recently, "Harold Reynolds", and my site will occasionally register. Well, Thursday, someone searched "John Mets", and when you search that, my page comes up as the second hit - right behind the website of an artist, or art dealer, I'm not sure, named John Mets. How awesome is that!? Too bad that name's already taken - I would sign up for that name in a heartbeat.
THE KID'S KIDS: The St. Lucie Mets split their doubleheader with Lakeland on Friday (making up Thursday's rainout), losing game one, 5-1, but bouncing back to take game 2, 9-2. Interestingly, game 2 went to extra innings, tied at 2, when St. Lucie opened up for 7 in the extra frame.
ALFONZO'S COMEBACK: This is sad to keep reporting on. Another 0-for-3 for Alfonzo, dropping his average to .167. Alfonzo did manage to get an RBI - his 5th. He also walked. Heath Bell got a save in his first game back with Norfolk - he was demoted to make room on the roster for Pedro Martinez*.
BEAT THE STREAK: That was easy - it only took one at-bat for the David Wright double off Horacio Ramirez. That made Wright 8-for-his-last-8 against Ramirez. So I now have an 8-game hitting streak. I wasn't sure who to take Saturday, I settled on Albert Pujols against Greg Maddux.
1 comment:
I seem to remember the old Tony Gwynn being pretty thin in his early playing days. Wasn't he an accomplished base stealer?
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