Month: April 2009
Brewers 4 Mets 2 April 19,2009
The Mets blew a quality start by Nelson Figueroa by not hitting, again, with runners in scoring position. They were 2 for 13 in the game and are now hitting .236 as a team with RISP through the first 12 games of the season.
The Mets couldn’t do anything with Carlos Beltran and Gary Sheffield on with no outs in the seventh inning. Fernando Tatis struck out and Omir Santos lined into a double play to end the threat. There’s been some criticism of Jerry Manuel’s decision not to sacrifice the runner’s around with Tatis’ spot in the lineup. But I like having Tatis hit with a runner in scoring position versus a sacrifice. He hit .392 with RISP in 74 at-bats last season so I like those odds.
The Mets win 2 for 3 from the Brewers in the series but their season record drops to 6-6.
Video: Highlights Mets- Brewers April 18, 2009
Game Preview: Brewers at Mets [Game 12] April 19,2009
Milwaukee Brewers (3-8 Road: 1-4) at New York Mets (6-5 Home: 3-2) 1:10 pm
Jeff Suppan (0-2 12.91) vs. Nelson Figueroa (0-0 0.00)
TV: WPIX Radio: WFAN
What to watch: Suppan has been horrible for the Brewers in his two starts this season. The team was even considering skipping this start to give him some time to figure out what’s going wrong. Figueroa is making the start for the slightly injured Mike Pelfrey today. We may see Fernando Tatis get a start at second base. That could be interesting. Although he appears to be much more comfortable playing the infield than the outfield.
Don’t forget to visit The Mets Report Live Game Chat during the game to chat with other Mets fans!
Mets Add Nelson Figueroa For Start Sunday
- Image by Getty Images via Daylife
Mike Pelfrey‘s forearm tendinitis will keep him from making his scheduled start tomorrow. To replace him, the Mets called up Nelson Figueroa from Triple-A Buffalo. Pelfrey says that he could make the start if he had to. But keeping him on the sidelines this early in the season is a smart move.
To make room on the major league roster for Figueroa the Mets designated Darren O’Day for assignment. O’Day was a Rule 5 pickup from the Angels this off-season so if he clears waivers the Mets have to offer him back for $25,000.
In my opinion, Figueroa can do more for the Mets major league roster than O’Day can anyway. He’s more flexible in terms of being able to spot start, long relief, and short relief. I’m hoping they keep Figueroa on the team at least until Tim Redding is healthy.
Santana, Mets Over Brewers 1-0 April 18, 2009
Johan Santana threw seven shutout innings again only giving up five hits and no walks. His season ERA is down to 0.46. There’s no slow start to the season for Santana. Once again, the bullpen shut down the Brewers over the final two innings with J.J. Putz and Francisco Rodriguez combining to preserve the shutout. I can definitely get used to this bullpen!
The only run for the Mets, and in the game, occured in the bottom of the seventh. Omir Santos pinch ran for Ramon Castro and scored on a fielder’s choice by Jose Reyes. Scoring the run in the seventh earned a win for Santana.
The Mets go to 6-5 on the season and go for the sweep tomorrow afternoon against the Brewers.
Mets Sheffield Hits 500th Homer; Gets Ball Back
Gary Sheffield became the first player to hit his 500th home run as a Met and was warmly embraced by the team and the fans. It’s clear that the fans are charged up when Sheffield comes to the plate and the opposing teams respect his ability. We still need to see some consistent production over time if Sheffield is going to maintain his spot on the Mets roster this season. But I’d say that he’s off to a good start.
Chris Matcovich was the one that caught the ball and promptly returned it to Sheffield. He didn’t even request anything of Sheffield. But he did get some signed jerseys for him and his friends and Sheffield plans to give him some autographed bats in exchange for the milestone ball.
It’s good to see the ball returned to Sheffield. My view on these things is that if you catch a historic ball you should give it to the player or the National Baseball Hall of Fame. I understand that some people may need the money that could come from auctioning these valuable souvenirs and I don’t take that lightly. But if you’re in a resonably sound financial position, the fact is that the ball is more important to the player or the HOF than it is to you.
From MLB.com:
“I wanted nothing but to just give it back to Gary,” Matcovich said. “It was his ball. It’s not mine.”
And on a night full of exceptional memories — and an eventual 5-4 Mets win — this is one Sheffield won’t soon forget.
“That was special of him to do that,” Sheffield said. “He didn’t have to do that. But I’m appreciative that he did.”
The Mets Report 