Yes, yes, yes, I know, Billy Wagner blew a save tonight. That’s five. That stuff happens. However, what the Mets will take out of tonight’s loss is another six innings from Mike Pelfrey. He worked out of a bases-loaded jam in his final inning, and that’s the kind of composure they are looking for in establishing their rotation.
Pelfrey figures to stay in the rotation when the Mets go from six to five with John Maine going to the bullpen.
A mixed night for Lastings Milledge. First, he lost a ball in the sun in the first inning that led to a Marlins’ run and was taken out for defense in the eighth. This guy has all the tools, they say, but gets pulled for defense. Willie Randolph explained Milledge hasn’t played a lot of right field. Then, what better way to learn than stay in the game when it counts?
Offensively, Randolph was pleased with three walks, saying it was a sign of increased patience.
Yeah, I know, right now it’s all about Wagner and a lot of you are probably chewing the rug. However, the Mets are up by a boatload of games and are looking at other things now.
12 Comments
I am so glad Maine will go to the Bull pen. A starter he is not. I am not sure having Pelfrey use the mouth guard to keep the tongue in is a good thing.
Milledge’s patience at the plate was awesome, but did you see his expression? also did you see him turn his back on Randolf? That’s why he was pulled, make no mistake about it. It was a father punishing a misbehaving child.
Wagner throwing a grapefruit fastball to a guy on a HR streak ?! This looked too much like poor glavine’s outings where he just couldnt deliver, no matter how many points the team would keep him up. Hopefully tonight’s game will bode well.
Lets Go…
Billy Wagner is horrid. He’s having by far the worst season of his career. He better improve because we’re going to need him in close games in the playoffs.
Didn’t get to see the game, but I thought that Heilman’s clean inning was perhaps the most encouraging sign.
I can’t help thinking that Aaron’s struggles this year have been as much mental as anything. First he’s told that he gets a rotation spot if he pitches well in winter ball, where he dominates, then he’s told he’s battling for a spot in ST, where he dominates again, then he’s told he’s going to the ‘pen and sits and watches as a parade of bad jokes take the hill as the #5 starter, still no room in the rotation for a guy who made no secret of his desire to start.
It looked to me like the frustration and disappointment simply got in his head, and he lost some focus and some confidence.
With Duaner’s injury, the organization now looks to Heilman to really step up and become the 8th inning guy. It’s not a starting spot, but I’m thinking that the fact that he has suddenly become vital to the team’s hopes this season might be just the thing he needs to re-focus.
The guy throws mid-90’s with excellent movmement, and a pretty good change. If he’s hitting his spots (which he seemed able to do for the entire second half of last season) there’s no reason he’s not a top-notch set-up guy.
This is a very big moment in Heilman’s career. Let’s hope that last night was a sign that he’s got his head together and is ready to take the bull by the horns.
Maine is not a starting pitcher? I might be the only one to think this way, but 17 scoreless innings that included a complete game shutout followed by a 7 inning 0 ER perfomance is I believe a sign that he is a starting pitcher. I know Pelfrey has more star power being a high draft pick, but to me when you compare the two young guys last couple of games its no contest that Maine should be starting and Pelfrey should be placed back in the minors to refine his stuff (not to the bullpen because he needs innings more than anything at this point in his career). Pelfrey is good now, but I feel Maine is better now, and Pelfrey could benefit from pitching with less pressure with this is first pro season. If Maine wasn’t pitching was well as he has I’d have no problem with having Pelfrey in the rotation, I just don’t think it’s necessary. We have plenty of RPs to step up like Bell and Ring from AAA as well…
Maine is most definitely the starter at this point until he proves otherwise.
Send Pelfrey down to AAA and tell him to focus on his secondary pitches until he develops one. Why not have him pitch a game and forbid him from throwing fastballs? You don’t care if he gets a “W”, only that he develops his other pitches. Otherwise, Major league hitters will sit on his fastball and look for a location if they know nothing else is coming.
Steve C. ...
Milledge’s patience was a good sign. Let’s see if he keeps it up. He was taken out last night for defense, which, the best I can see, isn’t a good sign for somebody who is supposed to be a five-tool star.
Anon …
Yup, Wagner could be doing better. But, right now I’d be more concerned about getting to him than a blown save.
AJSMITH …
Heilman’s inning was an improvement. If, what you say is right, that he’s mentally distracted because he’s not starting, then that’s weakness on his part. That’s not the kind of guy you want on your team anyway. He may or may not be. But, the thing in Heilman I see is that he’s not as aggressive as I would like. I’d like to see a mean streak in him.
Jonas …
Well said. They’ll give Pelfrey the first chance to stay in the rotation, but Maine has pitched better. Fair, of course, is never part of the equation.
Dr. Mesmo …
That Pelfrey started last night when they just as easily could have gone with Maine shows their pecking order. That doesn’t make it right.
Jonas,
If i remember correctly maine has only gone up to 6 innings if that. only the last outing did he go long. Or maybe I am remembering wrong and like milledge the lights kept me from seeing the ball 5 feet in front of me. ;-]
As i have stated, we have no star pitching yet. We finally have players , we just need reliable pitching to keep the football scores at a minimum.
Lets Go..
Steve C…
You are correct that Maine’s starts before the last 3 (6ip, 9ip, 7ip) were not long ones at all. However earlier in the season he had a finger injury, and had to be DL’d. Perhaps that injury was affecting his earlier games…or maybe he simply got more comfortable in the majors.
Either way, the first pitch strikes the aggresive pitching style of the last 2 games really are what convince me he is the better pitcher for the Mets right now. Pelfrey higher celling, but he is not as good as Maine right now…
least thats how i sees it…
Lastly, I think Pedro being back will help settle the rest of the pitchers on teh staff (Glavine and Trax mostly) so they dont feel they have to carry the team. The weight is back on Pedro’s shoulders. I think that will help the Mets pitching become more reliable….