Here’s the post game reaction from Terry Collins and Mike Pelfrey to last night’s loss to the Phillies. You can read the full game recap here. It was an ugly loss and the second straight bad start for Pelfrey.
Terry Collins audio
Mike Pelfrey audio
Tag: Philadelphia Phillies
Phillies 10 – Mets 7 April 6, 2011
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.
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.
Mets 7 – Phillies 1 April 5, 2011
The Mets got to Cole Hamels early and often in this one. They got him for 6 runs in 2.2 IP on 7 hits and 2 walks. It looked like it was pretty deflating for the Philly crowd that was amped up to start the game. The Mets offense was on fire with 13 hits and 4 walks in the game.
David Wright was 4 for 5 with 2 runs and 2 RBI’s. He had a huge game. And Chris Young not only pitched well but he was 3 for 3 with the bat! The Mets set the scene early with a double steal by Jose Reyes and Angel Pagan in the first inning that put the Phillies on notice that the Mets were in town intending to do some damage. It was great to see.
Young looked pretty solid in his first start. The good news is that he only gave up 1 run in 5.1 IP on 5 hits and 4 walks. He also had 7 strikeouts including getting Ryan Howard twice. It was definitely a solid effort. The bad news is that Young looked like he was starting to lose it in the fifth inning and had nothing in the sixth inning. It’s still early in the season but I didn’t expect him to have such a noticeable decline in the fifth inning.
The Mets will do it again tomorrow with Mike Pelfrey and Joe Blanton on the mound.
Preview: Mets at Phillies April 5, 2011
New York Mets (2-1) at Philadelphia Phillies (3-0) 7:05pm
Chris Young (0-0, NA) vs. Cole Hamels (0-0, NA)
TV: SNY, WB17 Radio: WFAN
What to watch: The Mets travel south to start a three game series with the Phillies tonight. Coming into the season, many of us didn’t think the Mets could match up at all with the Phillies. But the Mets road series win in Miami gives us hope that 2o11 might not be another lost season for the Mets. Maybe they can compete this year.
Tonight will be our first look at Young in regular season game competition. It’ll be interesting to see how he stacks up against the Phillies lineup in a small park.
Mets-Phillies Series Preview April 5-7, 2011
It took the Mets until June 13 last year to accomplish what they already have in their first series; win a road series. The first matchup had them pitted against 6’7” 250lb flamethrower Josh Johnson of which they predictably lost. Johnson is tough enough to hit, even had a no hitter going through 6, but then giving up a grand slam to newly acquired John Buck proved to be the nail in the coffin for Mike Pelfrey. The Mets have proven (so far) to be a resilient team. They came back and ripped off the next two games in style, in extra innings and a shellacking of once dominant Javy Vasquez.
While all of this does give each Met fan a small glimmer of hope of “why not us?”…Let’s slow down the World Series ticket buying just for a bit. We beat a Marlins team who lost its power bat 2nd baseman and replaced him with a catcher who had a .281 average last year while previous best was a solid 34 points less. A team that was almost forced by Major League Baseball to spend money on players. I’m not saying that they are an awful team, but they aren’t the Phillies. As I watched the games in Florida I couldn’t help but notice almost a swagger about the Mets. Something about them came off as almost professional. They seem much more energized. Skipper Collins and his brash motivational talks may be exactly what this team needs after 2 years of “it is what it is and let’s get them next game” mantra from Jerry Manuel.
Speaking of which, a Phillies series is right on the horizon. This will be much more telling than Florida series. The Mets somewhat dodged a bullet and won’t have to face Lee or Oswalt but they will have to face possibly the best number 4 and 5 pitchers in all of baseball along with Doc. Hamels was 0-4 last year against the New York Metropolitans and Blanton can shut down a team as easily as he implodes. Beltran, Wright, Hairston, Thole are all batting over .300 versus Doc. So there is hope. It’s not impossible, it is improbable.
Final prediction: Mets win two out of three, World Series ticket purchases from New York area double, Mike Francesca explodes from Mets callers, and Family Guy can eat their heart out.
Video: Mets Weekly Report – Marlins, Beltran, and Phillies
In this week’s video, Kerel Cooper of On The Black and I talk about the Marlins series that the Mets just took in Miami. We talk about Carlos Beltran (and his knees), Mike Pelfrey’s poor start on Friday night, Willie Harris’ hot bat, and the upcoming series in Philly starting tomorrow.
The Mets will face Hamels, Blanton, and Halladay in Philly this week. That will be a good early season test of how the Mets offense stacks up against some solid pitching. Tomorrow will also be our first look at Chris Young in a regular season game. He goes right into the fire in Philly.
Check out the video below and comment with your thoughts.
The Mets Report 