-LHP Oliver Perez has always been a study of inconsistency, and coming off a nine-strikeout performance his last start against Atlanta, he gave up a three-run homer in the first inning to Washington’s Austin Kearns. “A young player is never totally out of the woods with me,’’ manager Willie Randolph said when asked if Perez had turned the corner after his last start. Perez settled down to give up four runs in seven innings.
-Shawn Green continues to swing a hot bat. With a second-inning single he has hit safely in 17 of his first 21 games. Coming off a miserable spring training, there was speculation Green could lose his job. Green said a mechanical adjustment that eliminated a hitch in his swing has helped.
-Joe Smith has pitched 12 scoreless innings in 13 appearances, extending his club record for a rookie reliever. During that stretch, Smith has stranded nine of 10 inherited runners.
-With Friday’s 4-3 loss, the Mets have lost back-to-back games for just the second time this season.
-Moises Alou is hitting at least .360 through his first 20 games for the third time in the last four seasons.
2 Comments
I thought Perez looked real good tonight.
The only really bad mistake was the hanging slider to Kearns in the first. Aside from that, he was just as dominant as his last start, evidenced by repeating his nine strikeouts, and not allowing another run until the 7th when he was obviously beginning to tire. I was happy that Willie let him stretch it out and throw close to or over 120 pitches – however, hindsight is always 20-20, and maybe it would have been a better idea to pinch hit for him in the 6th with the bases loaded…
But no matter how you slice it, tonights loss is squarely on the shoulders of the offense. The overall BA with RISP is absolutely horrendous and MUST change if this team wants to hold off the other teams in the NL. With the pitching we have gotten this month, our record should probably be 17-4, not 13-8. Our pitching is not losing games right now, and neither is Willie – contrary to foolish backseat GM’s running rampant on mets.com – it’s the offense that needs to come up with the big hit, and they just haven’t been getting it done.
The only move I would have made differently from a managerial standpoint is probably pinch running Endy Chavez for Alou in the 8th. Those two deep flies would have tied the game if Endy was on base, and its never bad to bring him in for defense anyway…
My .02, for what it’s worth…