Tag: Mike Pelfrey

Preview: Rockies at Mets April 11, 2011

Colorado Rockies (6-2) at New York Mets (4-5)  7:10pm

Jason Hammel (1-0 7.20) vs. Mike Pelfrey (0-1 15.63)

TV: SNY   Radio: WFAN

What to watch: The Rockies come to town for a four game series after taking three of four in Pittsburgh. They’re playing some good baseball after signing CarGo and Troy Tulowitzki to big contracts this offseason. Hammel’s first start against the Dodgers wasn’t very good (5 IP, 4 runs) but he did get a win.

Pelfrey has been struggling badly in his first two starts. He needs to turn things around quickly or the Mets will be in trouble with Johan Santana out until mid-season. The Mets have lost four of their last five games and need a win and a good start from Pelfrey tonight badly.

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Video: Mets Weekly Report on Pelfrey, Collins, Warthen

PORT ST. LUCIE, FL - FEBRUARY 24: RY 24: Mik...
Image by Getty Images via @daylife

In this week’s episode of the the Mets Weekly Report with Kerel Cooper of On The Black, we talk about the first week of games in Florida, Philly, and home against the Nationals. Specifically, we get into Mike Pelfrey getting boo’d during player introductions on opening day. Kerel was at the game and said that K-Rod got the loudest boo’s and then Pelf got plenty as well.

We also talk about an article in the Bergen Record this week that Terry Collins time may be short with the Mets. That may be true but can we give the guy more than a week before we start writing him off?

The last segment is about the under-performing pitching staff. Dan Warthen needs to get these guys going quickly. The Mets have the second worst team ERA in the National League. Only the Astros are worse.

Check out the video below and leave your comments on the state of the Mets this week.

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Mets Pitching Among League’s Worst

PORT ST. LUCIE, FL - FEBRUARY 24: Jon Niese #... 

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

 

The first week of the 2011 season hasn’t started well for the Mets’ pitching staff. The offense has been decent. The Mets are in the middle of the National League pack offensively. That’s pretty much where I would expect them to be at the end of the season too. But the pitching is another story completely.

The pitching has been downright dreadful. Only the abysmal Astros have a worse team ERA and only the lowly Pirates have given up more walks than the Mets. It’s a sad state of affairs for a team that’s had a history of some of the greatest pitchers in the game from Tom Seaver, Nolan Ryan, Jerry Koosman, Dwight Gooden, to Johan Santana. It just goes to show that without Santana on the active roster, there isn’t anybody that’s even close to being able to pick up the slack.

Sortable Team Stats - mets.com- Stats 2011-04-09 08-54-06

If you look at the pitcher individually, the bottom five pitcher by ERA on the team are all over 6.00. Of course, we’re only one week into the season so there’s plenty of time for improvement. But the first week has been hideous for Mike Pelfrey, Jon Niese, and Blaine Boyer in particular.

New York Mets Stats- Sortable Statistics - mets.com- Stats 2011-04-09 08-59-32
If you’re unfortunate enough to have tickets for today’s game, you’ll be seeing both fifth starts for the Mets and Nationals. Both teams are expected to have among the worst pitching staffs in the NL this season and you’ll be seeing the pitchers that they least want to have on the mound. Games like today are exactly why I don’t like buying tickets too far in advance. You can get stuck with an awful pitching match-up. It may turn out to be a great game but I would prefer not to spend money on it.

Video: Mets Terry Collins on First Road Trip of 2011

PORT ST. LUCIE, FL - FEBRUARY 26: RY 26: Dav...
Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Mets manager Terry Collins reflects on the first road trip of the 2011 season. He’s talking to reporters after the Mets took an 11-0 beating from Roy Halladay and the Phillies. The Mets finished the road trip at 3-3 and showed some signs of life at times during the trip.

But the Mets also had two complete stinkers from Mike Pelfrey on the trip. Pelf also indicated that he didn’t like the pitch selection from Josh Thole in his second start in which Pelf couldn’t make it to the third inning. I also find it interesting when pitchers get rocked and blame it on the catcher. It doesn’t make any sense. If there’s any communication, that shouldn’t happen. Not to mention the fact that Pelf could have shaken him off at any time.

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

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Phillies 10 – Mets 7 April 6, 2011

PORT ST. LUCIE, FL - FEBRUARY 24: RY 24: Mik...
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Mike Pelfrey had a second straight terrible start only going 2 IP and giving up 7 runs (6 earned). He was completely out of sorts. It looked like a regression to a couple of years ago. He was talking to himself, chewing on his glove, and had a crazy error in the field. It was bad all the way around.

The Mets made a furious comeback with 2 runs in the fourth inning and 5 more in the fifth to tie it at 7-7. Angel Pagan hit a 2-run homer in the fourth. Then they strung together hit after hit to score 5 runs and chase Joe Blanton in the fifth inning.

Blaine Boyer gave 2 runs back in the bottom of the fifth and Ben Francisco hit a solo shot in the sixth off Boyer. Francisco has been hitting the cover off the ball, so I wasn’t surprised to see him finally get one over the wall.

The Mets will have a tough time taking the rubber game tomorrow against Roy Halladay tomorrow. It would’ve been nice to win the series against Blanton tonight.

Box score

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Preview: Mets at Phillies April 6, 2011

New York Mets (3-1) at Philadelphia Phillies (3-1)  7:05pm

Mike Pelfrey (0-1, 10.38) vs. Joe Blanton (0-0, NA)

TV: SNY   Radio: WFAN

What to watch: The Mets try to keep it going with another win to take the series in Philly tonight. They want to get this game with the prospect of facing Roy Halladay tomorrow. Pelfrey is going to try to remove the stink from his opening day start in Florida when he gave up 5 runs in 4.1 IP.

I’m surprised that the Phillies need Blanton this early in the season. Tonight is his season debut and he’s got a reputation as an innings eater but certainly not up to the level that the Phillies’ other four starters are. Blanton will give up runs, his career ERA is 4.30, but he doesn’t usually let the Phillies get out of the game.

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