8TH DROPS METS OUT OF 1ST

Braves 3, Mets 2 (ATL: 5-1, NYM: 4-2, 1 GB)


I'm an optimist, so we begin with the good news: Orlando Hernandez had another very good start for the Mets - 6 innings, 2 hits, 1 earned run, 4 walks, and 6 K's. He definitely put them in a position to win the game. Unfortunately, Aaron Heilman proved to be the weak link in the bullpen on Sunday, giving up 2 eighth inning runs, and the Mets lost their second straight to Atlanta.

It's in my memory that the Mets have struggled against Kyle Davies. That's not something I've looked up...but it sounds familiar to me. Davies gave up back-to-back home runs in the second inning to Shawn Green and Ramon Castro (who hit a bomb), but other than that, he was very good against the Mets. He was also helped by some good defense - that same inning, Andruw Jones robbed David Wright of an extra-base hit with an over-the-shoulder diving catch. Davies struck out 8 Mets in 6-and-2-thirds innings.

Right from the start, though, the Mets wasted opportunities. Jose Reyes led off with a 4-pitch walk, stole second, and got to third on a balk. He was stranded. Wright was robbed later, and the Mets left Reyes on again after he tripled in the fifth (with two outs).

For the Braves, Kelly Johnson led off the game with a homer, giving them the early 1-0 lead. And the Mets had the 2-1 lead into the 8th, when Heilman surrendered the first runs by the bullpen all year (week). Chipper Jones led off the inning with a double, and scored on a double by Brian McCann. Then Jeff Francoeur lined one into right field, which turned into a double, scoring McCann. Just like that, the Braves were ahead.

Bob Wickman made the Mets go quietly in the ninth - a flyout to center by Green, a flyout to left by Castro, and then he struck out pinch hitter David Newhan looking. The loss puts the Braves a game in front of the Mets in the division. That's the first time the Mets have been out of first in about a year (they took over first early last year and stayed there).

The Mets have their home opener on Monday (before another off day Tuesday), against the self-proclaimed "team to beat" in the division, the Phillies (who absolutely don't scare me in 2007). I have a feeling the Braves are going to be hanging around more this year than last. I'm not saying they're going to be a huge threat - but they're going to be the team to worry about in the East. John Maine pitches for the Mets at Shea Monday.


1010 WINS JOHNNYMETS.BLOGSPOT.COM PLAYER OF THE GAME: Sunday the award goes to Bob Wickman of the Braves. He picked up his third save of the season, setting the Mets down 1-2-3 in the ninth. A day after things got a bit dicey in the ninth for the Braves, Wickman didn't give the Mets a chance. His line: 1 IP, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 H, 1 K.



SCHEDULE: The Mets don't play a particular division in interleague play this year - they play the Twins, A's, Tigers, and Yankees twice. The Yankees is because of the rivalry, but the other three, I think, are because the Mets won the division. I feel like the division winner gets a tougher interleague schedule. Am I right on that, or am I confusing it with football? That's a tough go for the Mets this year, though. The Mets also make two trips to Los Angeles this year to face the Dodgers. They have a difficult schedule.

APRIL 8TH - HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO HALL OF FAMER GARY CARTER!! (and Dave in Brighton)

BEAT THE STREAK: Snowed out again. I'm going to try one more time with that series - Ichiro on Monday.

METS DID THE WRIGHT THING

I haven't really looked around, and I'm sure others have used this headline, but I'm using it anyway. I'm pleasantly surprised that the Mets locked up David Wright with a 6-year contract.

Wright wasn't going to make a big deal about Jose Reyes getting a 4-year extension last week, because he was behind Reyes on the pay scale, and wasn't expecting the Mets to give him a bigger contract than the measly, minimum one he had now. That's just the kind of person Wright is.

But the Mets showed what type of organization they want to be - locking up both Reyes and Wright long-term, and I'm thrilled.

The Mets were off on Monday - they host Mike Piazza and the San Diego Padres at Shea in a 3-game series beginning Tuesday. (And this week they have a day game, on Thursday, when I can't be home to watch it. Figures.) Steve Trachsel goes against Woody Williams Tuesday.


MAGIC NUMBER: The Mets knocked the number down to 40 by taking two out of three from the Phillies. The Phillies are still the second-place team, by two games over Atlanta, so we need the Braves to take at least two games from their series with the Phillies now taking place in Atlanta, with the Mets taking care of their own business against the Padres. As of right now, with the Phillies up by 5 in the 9th, it doesn't look like one of the Braves wins is going to come today. So 40 the number stays.

JUST GRAND: The Mets have tied their season record for grand slams, with their 8th as a team on Sunday night. Jose Reyes got this one. The last time the Mets hit 8 grand slams was 2000, when they lost the World Series to the Yankees. (They also did it in 1999, when they made the playoffs.)

MORE STATS: John Maine's scoreless innings streak is now at 23 and 2-thirds innings.

I was watching Monday night's Phillies-Braves game, and the Turner Sports guys talked about Brian McCann hitting .342 since the All Star break - good for only 32nd in the LEAGUE since the break. That means 31 players in the National League are hitting better than .342 since the break! I'm 90% sure they said league, not majors - but this seems really hard to believe. I know Paul LoDuca has been on fire - his average is up into the .320's, after dipping below .300, but that means 30 others? Two per team? I'm not so sure about that stat.

THE KID'S KIDS: A weak weekend by Hall of Famer Gary Cater's St. Lucie Mets - the Mets dropped two games behind Daytona in the chase for the second-half title. The Mets' game against Dunedin was rained out on Monday.

ALFONZO'S COMEBACK: Edgardo Alfonzo didn't play Sunday, after an 0-for-4 on Saturday dropped his average to .233.

Of note from Norfolk, though, is that on Saturday Brian Bannister got rocked in a rehab start, going 4-and-2-thirds, giving up 7 runs on 11 hits. On Sunday, though, Mike Pelfrey got the last-place Tides back into the win column, pitching 5 innings, giving up 2 runs, in a 6-2 win. I think that's Pelfrey's first Triple-A start, because I think he went straight to the Mets from Binghamton, without going back to the minors in between.

BEAT THE STREAK: Sorry, Vlad. I killed the streak. Even though the Rangers intentionally walked Guerrero (so I've read) 4 times, and he only went 0-for-1. But no excuses. I had Miguel Tejada on Monday, with one of Baltimore's 2 hits, to go with Guerrero's hit on Sunday. So it's a 2-gamer. I'm bringing out the big guns on Tuesday - Albert Pujols at Cincinnati.