Tag: Carlos Beltran

Cardinals 8 – Mets 7 July 28, 2010

New York Mets starting pitcher Johan Santana throws a pitch to the St. Louis Cardinals in the second inning of their MLB National League baseball game in New York, July 28, 2010. REUTERS/Ray Stubblebine (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASEBALL)

http://view.picapp.com//JavaScripts/OTIjs.jsIt took a great comeback to get into the game but the Mets ended up losing it in 13 innings. Johan Santana had one of the worst starts of his career giving up 6 runs on 8 hits… In the first inning! He gathered himself to go 5.2 innings but the damage was severe.

The Mets bullpen did a great job including Francisco Rodriguez throwing 2 scoreless innings. He did have a little trouble, as usual, giving up a hit and a walk but managed to work out of it.

The Mets offense was pretty solid with 13 hits and 5 walks in the game. Jose Reyes and David Wright had 3 hits apiece. Angel Pagan and Carlos Beltran both had home runs in the nice comeback. Ike Davis had a big 2 RBI pinch hit in the eighth inning that tied the game and would eventually send it to extras.

Pedro Feliciano gave it up to Albert Pujols in the 13th to lose it. That’s a terrible match up for Feliciano but they didn’t have much choice left in the bullpen. Oliver Perez was about all they had left and that’s a bad match up against anyone.

The Mets and Cardinals are even at 1 apiece in the series. They’ll play an early one at noon tomorrow in the rubber game.

Box score

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Mets 8 – Cardinals 2 July 27, 2010

New York Mets' Jeff Francoeur (C) celebrates his two-run home run against the Minnesota Twins with team-mates during the fourth inning of inter-league MLB baseball action at Citi Field in New York June 27, 2010. REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASEBALL)

http://view.picapp.com//JavaScripts/OTIjs.jsI was at the game last night so I got home too late to work on the game recap. Here’s the box score of the game for you. Big three-run homer from Jeff Francoeur and another nice start from Jon Niese were the stories of the game. Not to mention that the Mets continue their winning ways after home after getting beaten to a pulp on the west coast.

Here’s the post-game audio.

Jon Niese post-game

Jerry Manuel post-game

Carlos Beltran post-game

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My Mets Rant After a Week to Forget

Angry Arsenal Fans after Emmanuel Adebayor's 3rd goal Celebration Arsenal 2009/10 Manchester City V Arsenal (4-2) 12/09/09 The Premier League Photo Robin Parker Fotosports International

http://view.picapp.com//JavaScripts/OTIjs.jsSo far in the second half of this season, the bad has far out-weighed the good in Mets land. The team has lost 6 of 8 and is currently 4 games out of the wild card spot while trailing the Braves by 6.5 games in the NL East. Jason Bay, despite valiant offensive and defensive contributions in Friday night’s 6-1 win against the Dodgers, is giving fans reason to believe he is a bust. The team has won 4 of 15, all 4 of those wins have been started by ace Johan Santana who everyone (including myself) was writing off prior to the break. Mike Pelfrey has seen his ERA inflate to 4 and hasn’t been the same since Father’s Day weekend at Yankee Stadium. Carlos Beltran has returned quietly. He looks capable at bat, although he is still adjusting. However, not surprisingly, he does not appear to possess the same spring in his step as he has in years past roaming center field. With all this said, and more, this team somehow still finds itself in the mix for a playoff spot.

The San Francisco and Arizona series were extremely painful to watch. The team traveled to the West coast with no vigor, no fight. Instead of making a statement, they were embarrassed, and should have been swept by a solid Giants club, then went to the desert and bowed to Barry Enright and the last place Diamondbacks in a 3 straight. The managing was questionable, the execution was lackluster, and the heart was non-existent. The team looked dead on their feet. The 2009 New York Mets appeared to have been reborn. Continue reading “My Mets Rant After a Week to Forget”

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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Mets 2010 Second Half Begins on West Coast

Tim Lincecum
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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”

Mets 2010 Midseason Report Card

Mets Logo
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At the halfway point the Mets sit 8 games over .500 and 4 back of the surging Braves. This season has seen a number of surprises and has exceeded expectations (if there were any after last year). Let’s take a look at my report card for the 2010 Mets so far.

Starting Rotation   –   B

If you would have told me in January that the rotation would be a bright spot, I most likely would have called you a liar. Jon Neise has bounced back from injury to solidify the rotation. He has used his newly acquired cutter in better variation with his signature curveball. His 6-3 mark with a 3.61 ERA will continue to improve if he is able to keep the momentum he has said since his return. R.A. Dickey may be the name most synonymous with the 2010 Mets. A former first round fireballer, Dickey has come into his own at an ideal time for the Mets. He has shown an ability to get out of jams, and drive in his own run support. He set a team record winning the most consecutive starts for a pitcher in his first season with The Mets. His 2.77 ERA could be even lower if he didn’t have a small setback in Puerto Rico against the Marlins. Hisanori Takahashi has served valiantly in his time in the rotation. It seems that he runs out of gas around the 6th inning, but remarkable performances against the Yankees have marked his time here. His return to the bullpen, if and when The Mets acquire another starter, will put him back to where he was dominant early in the year. Mike Pelfrey sprinted out of the gate in 2010. He was an early candidate for the All-Star team (Thanks Charlie) and even the Cy Young Award. He has slipped lately but we have seen the flashes that we needed to see. Hopefully, he was just experiencing a little fatigue, and the break is exactly what he needed. Johan Santana has gotten an undeserved beating from the press this year. The media has questioned his status as an ace and continuously posted his dropping velocity as an issue. Santana could easily have 9 or 10 wins, and still retains in ERA under 3. His big issue has been the problems he has had in big games. He was shelled by the Phillies and then again by the Yankees. Nonetheless, his last start against the Braves put a lid on the constant media banter. He threw a complete game shutout and deterred Jerry Manuel from pulling him after Jason Bay dropped a fly ball in the 9th. We all understand he is not throwing as hard as he used to but his body of work should always give him the benefit of the doubt. Continue reading “Mets 2010 Midseason Report Card”

Mets’ Carlos Beltran Returns From DL

New York Mets center fielder Carlos Beltran (15) warms up prior to the game against the Washington Nationals on September 18, 2008 at Nationals Park in Washington. (UPI Photo/Mark Goldman) Photo via Newscom Photo via Newscom

http://view.picapp.com//JavaScripts/OTIjs.jsThe Mets made room on the roster for Carlos Beltran by optioning Jesus Feliciano to Triple-A Buffalo after yesterday’s game. Jerry Manuel has told reporters that Beltran will slot into the cleanup spot and start on Thursday in center field. It’s too bad for Feliciano. He hit .278 in 54 at-bats and did a nice job. He’s no All-Star but I like his game as a solid fielder and a consistent bat off the bench.

Manuel also told reporters that Angel Pagan will start in right field on Thursday in San Francisco. Jeff Francoeur will hit the bench. Clearly, that’s the right decision. There’s no way that Francoeur deserves to play over Pagan. Pagan’s game is so much more dynamic with his ability to hit consistently and the speed he has.

When asked by reporters if he thought he would be rusty at the plate:

“Who knows? I mean, the way I played in Port St. Lucie, I think I swung the bat well. But at the big league level it’s a different story,” Beltran said. “I do feel like I need to make adjustments. It will take me time. I don’t expect to come here and rake. I just expect to come here and like I say, do my part. Being able to contribute any way I can, and I believe in that.”

You can listen to Beltran’s interview from Citi Field yesterday with Wayne Hagin of WFAN.

Carlos Beltran audio

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