Preview: Braves at Mets July 10, 2010

Atlanta Braves (51-35) at New York Mets (47-39) 4:10 pm

Tim Hudson (8-4 2.44) vs Mike Pelfrey (10-3 3.39)

TV: FOX   Radio: WFAN

What to watch: The Mets need to take both games this weekend to win the series after losing the opener last night. The Braves have lost four of the last six games that Hudson started but he’s been pitching really well. He hasn’t pitched less than 7 innings in a starts since June 1. Pelfrey got crushed by the Reds in his last start for 7 runs over 4.2 innings. He really hasn’t looked great since his complete game win over the Padres on June 8.

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 Minor League Update: Lucas Duda

Lucas Duda
Image by slgckgc via Flickr

Watch out Fernando Martinez, there’s another corner outfielder who is gaining ground on your prospect mojo.

Lucas Duda received International League Offensive Player of the Week accolades last week after blasting five home runs in 23 AB’s. Duda finished the week with a .304/.433/1.000 clip at the plate for the week. Duda has 22 RBI and 23 total hits for AAA Buffalo since his promotion from Binghamton. Impressively, that promotion came on June 14th. The USC product only has 20 games at the AAA level under his belt.

The 24-year-old has made a splash onto the AAA scene, and has impressed scouts at all levels of the farm, but not so much with his power until now. Duda supplanted himself into the Buffalo record books by going yard in five consecutive games last week. After being drafted by the Mets in the 7th round of the 2007 draft, Duda has only tallied 24 home runs in his three full seasons of professional ball. Clearly, Duda is maturing at the plate and putting his 6’5 240 lb frame to good use. Continue reading “Mets Minor League Update: Lucas Duda”

Mets 2010 Trade Deadline Needs – Bat Off the Bench

Rusty Staub Bat at Mets Hall of Fame
Image by slgckgc via Flickr

Friday night, as I watched Jesus Feliciano hit a weak dribbler to second baseman Martin Prado with runners on second and third with two outs from my section 401 seat in the promenade, yet another need for the Mets became apparent to me. Some pop off the bench would be really nice for the second half of the season. I feel like a solid bat could prove to be just as important as a new bullpen arm at this point.

Feliciano was pinch hitting for Ruben Tejada in that spot. It was the bottom of the 6th, and Braves starter Tommy Hanson had just been pulled. A big 2-RBI hit there would have put the Mets ahead 4-2 and could have very well changed the complexion of the game at that juncture. In the following inning, a recently called-up, and clearly over-matched Nick Evans was tardy on a Johnny Venters fastball while pinch hitting in the pitcher’s spot to lead off.

Having established Major League hitters available on your bench is an invaluable quality late in games. When Matt Franco or Lenny Harris would get up in the on-deck circle, I was confident that if they saw a pitch to hit, they would put a charge into it. Franco, although absentminded at times (he forgot his glove in the Shea Stadium picnic area after taking a picture with me before a game when I was 12), was a master of the craft of pinch hitting from the left side. It was basically his sole purpose on the team and he excelled. I will always remember his walk-off line drive single against the Yankees in the Subway Series, among other clutch hits. Pinch hitters are under-appreciated assets of baseball clubs, yet upon delivery, they are game changers. Continue reading “Mets 2010 Trade Deadline Needs – Bat Off the Bench”

Billy Wagner May Keep The Mets From The Playoffs

Atlanta Braves relief pitcher Billy Wagner (R) is congratulated by catcher Brian McCann after Wagner's 400th save of his career at their MLB inter-league baseball game against the Detroit Tigers in Atlanta, Georgia, June 25, 2010. McCann also hit hit the game winning home run. REUTERS/Tami Chappell (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASEBALL)

http://view.picapp.com//JavaScripts/OTIjs.jsOk, this is going to hurt. My theory is as follows:

Billy Wagner, who is currently having a great year, could be in a position to kill the Mets chances at the playoffs.  Here are Wagner’s stats… His ERA is ridiculously low at 1.27, he’s 5-0, 55K’s, 19 saves and 3 blown saves. He’s obviously still throwing heat!

How is our closer doing? K-Rod has a 2.57 ERA, 2-2, 52K’s, 20 saves and 4 blown saves. Not too bad. Most teams would love those numbers from their closer.

Pitching wins championships and Atlanta is proof of that. If you don’t remember those dominate Atlanta pitchers of the 90’s, let me refresh your memory:

A Braves pitcher won the Cy Young Award almost every year during the 90’s:

1991 – Tom Glavine
1993 – Greg Maddox
1994 – Greg Maddox
1995 – Greg Maddox
1996 – John Smoltz
1998 – Tom Glavine

But this time around we don’t have to worry about facing three Cy Young’s in the same rotation. I believe the combination of Johan Santana and Mike Pelfrey could match Atlanta’s top two of Tim Hudson and Derek Lowe. The bottom three pitchers of each rotation are also doing very well and these two pitching staffs are pretty evenly matched. Continue reading “Billy Wagner May Keep The Mets From The Playoffs”

Braves 4 – Mets 2 July 9, 2010

May 25, 2010 - New York, United States - epa02173153 New York Met Pitcher R.A. Dickey pitches in the fourth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies, in Flushing New York, USA, 25 May 2010.

http://view.picapp.com//JavaScripts/OTIjs.jsThe Mets dropped the first of the three game series to the Braves. R.A. Dickey was solid going 6.2 innings and giving up 4 runs (3 earned). The Braves scored in the top of the first on a Jose Reyes error. Dickey held the game tight until the seventh inning when he gave up back to back homers to Melky Cabrera and Omar Infante. That’s where the Mets lost the game.

The Mets offense had 8 hits and 2 walks. Angel Pagan was 2 for 5 with a stolen base. The offensive star of the game was Dickey who went 2 for 2 with 2 runs scored.

The Mets fall to 4 games behind the Braves with the loss tonight but have Mike Pelfrey and Johan Santana coming up this weekend.

Box score

Preview: Braves at Mets July 9, 2010

Atlanta Braves (50-35) at New York Mets (47-38) 7:10 pm

Tommy Hanson (8-5 4.19) vs R.A. Dickey (6-1 2.62)

TV: SNY   Radio: WFAN

What to watch: The Mets and Braves start up a three game series tonight, the last before the break. The Braves just took 2 of 3 games in Philly. Hanson has lost 2 of his last 3 starts but his last start against the Marlins was a good one. He went 6.2 IP allowing no earned runs. Dickey threw 7 shutout innings in his last start in Washington.

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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