Month: July 2010

Preview: Mets at Giants July 18, 2010

New York Mets (48-43) at San Francisco Giants (50-41) 4:05 pm

Johan Santana (7-5 2.98) vs Jonathan Sanchez (7-6 3.47)

TV: WPIX   Radio: WFAN

What to watch: The Mets try to avoid the sweep this afternoon behind Santana who’s been outstanding in his last two starts before the break. He’s given up 1 run in his last 23 innings. Sanchez got rocked in his last start in Washington giving up 5 runs in 3.2 innings.

Don’t forget to visit The Mets Report Facebook page during the game to chat with other Mets fans! Connect with The Mets Report on Twitter too.

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Giants 8 – Mets 4 July 17, 2010

New York Mets starting pitcher Hisanori Takahashi delivers a pitch against the Baltimore Orioles in the first inning of their MLB interleague baseball game in Baltimore, Maryland June 12, 2010. REUTERS/Joe Giza (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASEBALL)

http://view.picapp.com//JavaScripts/OTIjs.jsThe Mets were out of this game in the second inning. You could have just turned off the TV at that point. Hisanori Takahashi was awful again giving up 6 runs in 2.2 innings. His ERA is up to 4.69 now and he just can’t stay in the rotation anymore. The Mets need to find another solution whether it’s Pat Misch or someone else.

The Mets offense had 7 hits and 2 walks. They didn’t score a run until the seventh and it was starting to look like they might get shut out for a third straight game. Ike Davis turned it on going 2 for 4 with 2 home runs including his first one into McCovey Bay. Carlos Beltran was also 2 for 4 with a single and a triple. It was nice to see him leg out a triple on his bad knee but he still looks slow in the outfield.

The Mets will try to avoid a four game sweep tomorrow afternoon behind Johan Santana.

Box score

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Preview: Mets at Giants July 17, 2010

New York Mets (48-42) at San Francisco Giants (49-41) 9:05 pm

Hisanori Takahashi (7-3 4.15) vs Matt Cain (6-8 3.34)

TV: SNY   Radio: WFAN

What to watch: The Mets have a tough road to even this four game series after dropping the first two. Doing it against Cain might be a good chance. For his career, he’s 3-3 with a 4.26 ERA against the Mets. He’s on a bad stretch right now giving up 21 runs in his last four starts. Takahashi hasn’t started a game since July 4 and I don’t have a lot of confidence in his ability to get past the fifth inning.

Don’t forget to visit The Mets Report Facebook page during the game to chat with other Mets fans! Connect with The Mets Report on Twitter too.

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Pitch in for Baseball Joins State Farm “Go To Bat” Campaign

2008 MLB All-Star Game - State Farm Home Run D...
Image by Al_HikesAZ via Flickr

Pitch In For Baseball is delighted to have been selected to participate in State Farm’s ‘Go To Bat’ campaign.  Now we need your help!

‘Go To Bat’ was launched nationally during the State Farm Home Run Derby.  ‘Go To Bat’  gives entrants a chance to win tickets to the upcoming World Series and selected charity partners the chance to receive significant financial support.

Here’s how to play and how to help Pitch In For Baseball:

  • Go to  www.statefarm.com/gotobat to register for your chance to win World Series tickets.
  • As you register, you will get a chance to designate a charity that could win up to $25,000/week.
  • To designate Pitch In For Baseball as your charity, select PUBLIC GOOD as the charity category and then choose Pitch In For Baseball from the drop down list.
  • Revisit www.statefarm.com/gotobat each day and play the ‘Go To Bat’ online game to increase your chances for tickets and Pitch In For Baseball’s chance at financial support
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Video: Jose Reyes May Return Sunday

NEW YORK - JULY 10: David Wright #5 of the Ne...
Image by Getty Images via @daylife

The Mets have been shut out by the Giants in two straight games. The offense has been almost non-existent and for the last two seasons we’ve been talking about how the Mets don’t click when Jose Reyes doesn’t play. He’s been out of the lineup since he left the game on July 10 against the Braves and missed the All-Star game.

Jerry Manuel explains to reporters below what they’re seeing from Reyes’ oblique injury and what he needs to do to return to the lineup. The Mets even called up Justin Turner and optioned Nick Evans to Buffalo to add some middle infield support in Reyes’ absence.

It’s getting a little tiring to hear day after day that he could return “tomorrow”. And tomorrow doesn’t seem to happen. Take Manuel’s words with a grain of salt in the video below.

http://espn.go.com/videohub/player/embed.swf

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Preview: Mets at Giants July 16, 2010

New York Mets (48-41) at San Francisco Giants (48-41) 10:35 pm

Jon Niese (6-3 3.61) vs Barry Zito (7-4 3.76)

TV: SNY   Radio: WFAN

What to watch: The Mets try to even up the series at a game apiece tonight. Niese has pitched well in his last three starts. Although he took a loss to Cincinnati in his last start. Zito has been up and down this season but it’s definitely his best season since coming to San Francisco in 2007.

Don’t forget to visit The Mets Report Facebook page during the game to chat with other Mets fans! Connect with The Mets Report on Twitter too.

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Mets 2010 Second Half Begins on West Coast

Tim Lincecum
Image via Wikipedia

With the first half of the season now a thing of the past, the Mets will start their second half quest to the pennant on the West coast for 11 games. They’ll be in San Francisco for four, Arizona for three, and back to California for four against the Dodgers. Here are some keys to each series I’ll be paying close attention to.

San Francisco 7/15-7/18
Expect pitching, pitching, and more pitching… And also the return of Carlos Beltran. The Mets will be facing a formidable quartet of Giants pitchers in the spacious confines of AT&T Park. Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain are as good a 1-2 punch as there is in the league at the top of any rotation. With that said, I’m confident in the Mets starters not only because the Giant lineup is far from imposing, but because the rotation proved themselves to be stingy in the first half. I foresee a series where Jerry Manuel’s strategic make-up will be tested, and a lot of “small” ball being executed. Like all Met fans are, I’m anxious to see Beltran back on the field, but my expectations are low, seeing as how it took Jose Reyes so long to adjust to the speed of the Major Leagues upon his return in April.

Arizona 7/19-7/21
The Mets are going to have to bring the lumber to the desert when they take on the D-Back’s for a three game set. Although the big bats of Justin Upton and Mark Reynolds can change the tide of a game with one swing, The Arizona pitching staff is about as effective as John Daley after 12 cold ones on the 15th hole. They are worst in the NL in ERA and earned runs allowed. The Mets have proven to be capable of coming from behind this season, so the lineup should be able to touch up the D-Back bullpen in the later frames if they fall behind. In addition, the Mets historically play really well at Chase Field. I’m expecting an abundance of offensive output in this series from the Met lineup. We’ll also see two players who are attracting a lot of attention on the trade market in RHP Dan Haren and left-hand hitting 2B Kelly Johnson. Continue reading “Mets 2010 Second Half Begins on West Coast”