Author: Dave Doyle

Frequently disappointed Mets fan

Mets 2009 Season Close To Oblivion

Carlos DelgadoWe’ve been waiting for months now for the injured Mets to heal and get back to help this team to a miracle playoff run. But if the current Mets can’t, at least, hang on there won’t be a chance at all. The Mets need to go 40-18 over their final 58 games of the 2009 season to reach the 90 win plateau. That’s the number of wins that it took the Milwaukee Brewers to beat out the Mets by one game in 2008 for the wild card spot in the National League. It should take about that same number of wins to take the wild card spot this year.

The Mets had a good little run going against Houston and Colorado over the last week. But that will come crashing down quickly if the Mets lose tonight to the D-Backs and Dan Haren. Losing three out of four games at home to a team that’s completely out of it, like the D-Backs, is going to hurt the Mets badly this late in the season.

Even if Carlos Beltran, Jose Reyes, Carlos Delgado, J.J. Putz, John Maine, and Billy Wagner are playing for the Mets in September, will it really matter? September could be a very quiet venue for the Mets. And the season ticket holders that are trying to sell on Stubhub and eBay will be taking a big loss in the secondary market.

I understand why Mets GM Omar Minaya chose to stand pat at the non-waiver trading deadline. The team often looks dead and spending resources appears to be a lost cause. But it would have been nice to bring in some much needed offense that would be here next season too. Say a Victor Martinez. But that didn’t happen. So we’re still watching and waiting. Watching this impostor of a big league team. Waiting for the players to heal. The same high-priced players that are drawing their salaries from the pricey seats at Citi Field.

Enhanced by Zemantahttp://static.zemanta.com/readside/loader.js

Mets Figueroa To Start; Misch Optioned

PORT ST LUCIE, FL - FEBRUARY 26: Pitcher Nels...
Image by Getty Images via Daylife

The Mets are bringing Nelson Figueroa in for a spot start against the D-Backs and Dan Haren tonight at Citi Field. To make room on the roster, Pat Misch was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo. He wasn’t designated for assignment as some other websites have reported. Misch doesn’t have enough MLB service time yet so he still has options.

Figueroa has been fantastic at Buffalo this season starting 17 games with a 7-5 record and 2.25 ERA and 1.03 WHIP. Keep in mind this is a Buffalo team that’s in last place and 24 games under .500 in the International League.

Misch hadn’t pitched in two weeks before yesterday’s game. Although he hasn’t lit the world on fire this season with his 4.08 ERA and 1.74 WHIP, he has’t been terrible either. The league is hitting .308 against him, which has led to him having few clean innings.

Enhanced by Zemantahttp://static.zemanta.com/readside/loader.js

Mets Injury Updates: Putz, Wagner

PORT SAINT LUCIE, FL - FEBRUARY 28: Pitcher B...
Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Before yesterday’s game against the D-Backs J.J. Putz spoke to the media and said that he pitched in the bullpen at Citi Field and he’s shooting for a return in about three weeks. He’s been on the disabled list for about two months after having surgery to remove a bone spur in his right elbow.

Billy Wagner is going to pitch again in St. Lucie today in a rehab game. He threw an inning on Friday for them as well. It looks like he’s on track to return to the Mets around the same time as Putz, at the end of the month.

Unfortunately, I think they’ll both be coming back to a team that’s out of playoff contention. But both players are really pitching for next season. Putz has a team option for next season at $8.6M with a $1M buyout. It’s highly unlikely the Mets will exercise that option. And Wagner has a team option for $8M with a $1M buyout that the Mets have already told him that they aren’t picking up.

Enhanced by Zemantahttp://static.zemanta.com/readside/loader.js

Game Preview: D-Backs at Mets [Game 105] August 3, 2009

d-backs logoArizona D-Backs (46-59 Road: 22-26) at New York Mets (50-54 Home: 29-23) 7:10pm

Dan Haren (10-6 2.19) vs. Nelson Figueroa (0-1 4.50)

TV: SNY

What to watch: Figueroa is making a spot start because of the rain forced double header last Thursday. Haren has had a terrific season but he has been vulnerable in his last two starts only going 5 innings in each. Hopefully, that trend will continue or the Mets will be in serious danger of losing three of four games at home to the D-Backs.

Don’t forget to visit The Mets Report Live Game Chat during the game to chat with other Mets fans!

Enhanced by Zemantahttp://static.zemanta.com/readside/loader.js

D-Backs 5 – Mets 2 August 2, 2009

PHOENIX, AZ - May 6: Mike Pelfrey #34 of the ...
Image by Getty Images via Daylife

The Mets were victimized by a very solid complete game by Jon Garland. I won’t dwell the fact that the Mets should have signed Garland in the offseason instead of Oliver Perez. Garland only gave up 7 hits and 2 runs, but this is the Mets weak offense that he did it against.

Mike Pelfrey struggled through 5 innings  giving up 3 runs on 107 pitches.

Gary Sheffield made his return to the lineup as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the fifth and stayed in to play left field. He told reporters that he wasn’t thrilled about not starting today, and this is after he wasn’t thrilled about going on the disabled list in the first place.

The Mets are in a bad spot now after losing two of the first three games to the D-Backs. Tomorrow night they go up against Dan Haren. Bad news.

Box score

Enhanced by Zemantahttp://static.zemanta.com/readside/loader.js