Mets Chat Room: Going for three straight vs. Bucs.
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- August
- 17
Johan Santana starts today to extend the Mets winning streak to three straight here and six in a row overall. Santana has eight no-decisions on the season, with the Mets going 4-4 in those games. There’s little doubt he could have won 20 games with more support.
A lot going on today:
-The Mets get reliever Luis Ayala for Anderson Hernandez. Let’s not get carried away and think he’s the answer. He is 1-8 with a 5.77 ERA.
-David Wright gets the day off.
-Ryan Church left Florida for New York because of the approaching bad weather.
-Billy Wagner returned to New York to have his left elbow examined.
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on Sunday, August 17th, 2008 at 12:57 pm by John Delcos.
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John, I’m going to see the B-Mets tonight. Will Church be there or in Bklyn?
Jeff H.: Neither. He’s leaving Florida because of approaching bad weather and the thought he wouldn’t be able to get out. They haven’t said where he’ll be. ... Say hi to Luis Castillo. -JD
Thanks John. If I hear anything, I’ll pass it along (we’re sitting behind the B-Mets dugout).
Please do. If he does something, good or bad, give us a post.-JD
JD,
I totally agree with what you’re saying about Ayala although he’s pitched well vs ATL and PHI this year. 8 2/3 scoreless baseball, I’ll always look for a silver lining.
Hey JD, Everyone! Long time, no speak.
No, Ayala isn’t the answer, but all things considered, I’d take him over Eddie Kunz, who obviously is a long way from being ready. Ayala has had a bad year statistically, no doubt about that. But he looked pretty good the other night in the two scoreless innings he pitched against the Mets.
Any word on Omar posssibly being able to add any other arm to the ‘pen?
Poor Church, even the weather is against him. Wouldn’t be a bad idea to just have him continue his rehab with the B-Mets or the Cyclones since the bad weather will probably be in Florida for several days.
Gil: Nice to hear from you. Welcome back.-JD
Thanks, JD! We actually just missed crossing paths in Miami. The morning of the day the Mets started their last series there, I flew through Miami on my way to St. Croix.
CHURCH UPDATE: The Mets are now saying Church will go to New Orleans and play there tomorrow and Tuesday.-JD
JD,
Do you know if he will playing right or DH ?
Was Church supposed to play today or would it have been an off day anyhow?
How are we to face the future without Anderson Hernandez?
Ok well enough off the field news. Here we go game 3 has the makings of a good pitching matchup. Karstens has been great for the pirates since coming over in the trade and the mets got Johan on the mound.
With the phillies loss last night they find themselves 2 games up. They just need to keep pushing themselves against these weaker teams.
when does ayala join the mets?
Agee,
I believe he will join the team tomorrow.
tiffany- we’ll be fine in our anderson-less future, we have luis castillo!
Tiffany: While you’re killing me with the faux Anderson Hernandez laments, it’s too bad he never worked out. Fantastic defender, but never could hit.
Interesting trivia notes about him:
1. He was the starting second baseman on Opening Day 2006.
2. He hit his first—and so far only—Majoe League home run in the game the night after the Mets clinched the NL East (I was there at Shea and sat in stunned disbelief).
3. As captured on dugout cameras, he had the most elaborate post-homer choreographed handshake routine with Jose Reyes after Reyes’s homers.
4. In fateful NLCS Game 7, 2006, if things had gone the Mets way in the bottom of the ninth, it would’ve been Hernandez who would’ve scored the pennant-winning run, as he was on first base, having been inserted to run for Paul LoDuca.
David: Church was supposed to start playing the outfield. We’ll see.-JD
And, yes, Ayala is supposed to join the Mets tomorrow.-JD
Wow!
What’s gotten into Brian Schneider?!
Gil: Wheaties.-JD
It’s a rare day when I can watch both Mets/Yankees and today it’s Santana/Mussina both working at the same time. Giambi just hit a grand slam and put Mussina ahead 10-3.
Let’s hope someone on the Mets helps Santana to a comfortable lead, too.
Not sure I’ve ever seen the Pittsburgh stadium for a regular game before – what a nice place.
Hi Gil – Welcome back.
Hey, thanks Annie! How’ve ya been?
Busy watching baseball and all the politicians – how about you?
Gil – I’m very glad to see the Mets on top of the NL East and, remembering last year, a bit nervous.
Same thing, Annie, but also doing some traveling on assignment in the Caribbean and with my wife, taking care of our 10-year-old nephew who was visiting from San Diego.
Sure it’s just Wheaties that’s gotten into Brian Schneider?
I know he your 3 hitter today but you have to bunt with Easley here dont you?
Funny, Argenis Reyes is all the things I thought Anderson Hernandez would be, except Reyes is much better. Please take your sweet time returning, Luis Castillo. No rush at all.
David: What I don’t understand is why Easley is batting third. I would’ve hit Beltran third, especially with D-Wright taking a day off.
Well teribble managing there. Dont understand how you have Easley swinging in that situation.
Gil,
The only thing i can imagine with Easley hitting third is wanting to keep everyone else in their spots in the order…
David: Probably so. I would’ve tried a double steal, with the Reyeses.
Gil,
I agree you have to try something there, heck even a hit and run. I understand playing for the big inning which is probably what Jerry was thinking especially with Santana on the mound. But to me when you have a chance to tack on and put 2nd and 3rd with 1 out and you’re 4 and 5 hitters coming up I’ll take those chances any day of the week.
Maybe Schneider and Beltran ate from the same Wheaties box this morning.
David: And with the state of our bullpen, it’s imperative that we tack on every run we can at every opportunity to maximize leads.
Gil,
Exactly thats why you have to score every run you have a chance to and cant role the dice on the big inning. Dont get me wrong if you have one your boppers up there, then by all means swing away, but with Easley you have to lay it down.
David: Agreed.
gil- yea we’ve blown several 4 run leads recently, i’d feel much better with some more runs
So the marlins called up LoDuca from the minors. Interesting to note because you know darn well he will get a start against the mets in an important game down the stretch.
Speaking of the state of the bullpen, anyone know what the status of Mr. Eddie Kunz is today?
Annie,
Im just guessing here, but with the acquisition of Ayala, the Eddie Kunz era is most likely put on hold for the time being as I’d assume he’ll be the one to go down. With that said, if the mets could tack on some more runs here it would be nice to see Manuel get him back in there today,
david- when did loduca go to florida?
and i agree, that could be trouble
Kunz will likely be on a morning flight tomorrow to Binghamton or New Orleans, with Ayala joining the team tomorrow.
From the Thank Goodness We Didn’t Sign THIS Guy in the Off-Season File: Pitcher Carlos Silva. He was 4-14 with a 6.36 ERA before going on the DL today with tendinitis.
And just in case anyone’s wondering about our old friend, Brian Bannister? He’s 7-11 with an ERA over 5 on a bad Royals team.
Good job by Johan picking up his defense again.
Thats Carlos Silva of the 4 Year 48 Million variety.
David –
I agree – it’s kind of like getting back up on the horse that threw you ASAP. After all, Eddie is only 22, and Santana is rolling along like a Cadillac with some room to spare.
Good news from Miami: Cubs up 4-2 on the Marlins in the 7th.
now its 5-2
David, Annie: Not to get on my high horse here, but let Eddie Kunz get back on a horse in Binghamton or New Orleans, not Pittsburgh and not today.
I’m not in the mood for any bullpen BS.
Johan’s in complete command.
Let him finish.
Well down here in Miami looks like the Marlins pen is taking a page out of the Mets book turning a 2-0 lead into a 5-2 defecit in the 7th inning this comes on the heels of blowing a 5-3 9th inning lead on Friday.
whats with the mets wearing the black uniforms every game of this road trip? im not complaining though, i dont really like the other ones
Matt,
You win you dont change things easy as that…
Well lets check that one more time and make it an 8 run 7th for the Cubs against the Fish.
works for me
I LOVE the Mets black unis with the old school road lettering. Mets and the Padres’ sand roadies with ocean blue lettering are the best in MLB.
gil- couldnt disagree more about the padres unis lol
Gil –
I’m not sure, has Manuel ever let Santana finish? If that’s his plan, OK.
FYI, Mussina left the Yankee game in the 7th inning ahead 15-3.
Two really great pitchers worked today.
and while we’re talking about unis, i wouldnt mind seeing the mets wear the grey uniform with the all blue hat and blue socks, like they wore in yankee stadium
8-2 Cubs.
So it’s fairly safe to say we’ll finish today no worse than 3 1/2 up on the Fish.
annie- manuel let johan finish a few weeks ago against the cardinals…then again we were up by 7 or 8 runs
Johan looks very strong right now.
1. Matt B: Come on, dude, it’s a San Diego thing! I lived there for the last 10 years before moving down south. The sand and sea color motifs are PERFECT for Aerica’s Finest City.
2. Annie: I’ve said this often in this forum, that my feelings about modern managers’ utter paranoia about starters throwing over 100 pitches and their collective cowardice in removing them after that threshhold is beyond words that can be printed in a family newspaper. I grew up in the ‘70s and ‘80s watching Mets greats like Seaver, Koosman, Matlack, Gooden, Darling, Fernandez and many top-notch starters on other teams. It would be incomprehensible for any of them or any other quality starting pitcher to be lifted after pitching a three-hit shutout after seven innings.
And back in the day, any pitcher worth his salt would be called more than a few epithets by his teammates, opponents and fans for not fighting his manager if the skipper wanted to remove him.
I’m for kickin’ it old school.
The complete game shutout used to be a badge of honor for a starting pitcher and it still should be.
Gil – I agree with you completely – I saw Koufax.
Old school rules.
Johan is the man.
He sealed the deal.
WAY TO GO!
God i wish Johan would step up and earn his contract. How could he give up 3 hits.
nice 5 pitch inning for johan, also good to hang on to a 4-run-lead once in a while
You know after the debacle that was Monday afternoon I expected the team to go on the road and just squeak by series wins. However, for the most part they’ve dominated these weaker opponents in taking 6 in a row.
My heroes have always been pitchers and Santana was one today – he was in total control of the game and won “going away” like a thoroughbred.
Howie has put this game in “The Book” and tomorrow John Maine gets the ball to keep the streak going. See you then – it’s a day game.
If you extrapolate Jerry’s performance over a full season, you’ve got 99 wins.
21 games from last home stand thru raod trip and next weeks home stand that Mets had to go at least 14-7 to have a chance. 10-3 so far.
22 wins to 90. 22-16 the rest of the way not out of reach.
tiffany- manuel has just gained 34 wins, which is as many as the mets had when randolph was fired, and manuel has been manager for 14 less games than randolph
I suppose any new meat is good for the pen, but Ayala is nothing to get excited about. He’s thrown 57 IP in 62 games, with 63 hits and 22 BB and only 36K. His ERA is 5.77. The sad news is that these poor numbers are comparable to Heilman, Smith, Sanchez, Schoeneweis. I dont know anything about him though. Does he have lights out stuff or something else that suggests that he has potential? His career stats arent much different.
So, having just written that, I found this little tidbit on Ayala, which is encouraging. It is from May.
“Reliever Luis Ayala is back to being the player…overmatching hitters with his power sinker…Ayala hasn’t given up a run in his last seven appearances—a 7 2/3-inning span…
http://washington.nationals.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080529&content_id=2793971&vkey=news_was&fext=.jsp&c_id=was
Ski,
You say that Ayala’s career stats arent much different to this year but that couldnt be further from the truth. Prior to his injury in the World BAseball Classic that cost him all of ‘06 Ayala was a very good middle man with a sub 3 career ERA. Even coming back last year his ERA was 3.19. He’s having a down year no doubt and I’m not expecting anything huge from him but he does have a track record and can easily catch lighting in a bottle in a pennant race.
John, I went to the B-Mets game tonight @ Bowie. Castillo was taken out of the game after his second AB (GO 1-3, BB) for a PR. I asked one of the players if Castllo was OK and was told that he was called up. I don’t know if that means the Mets for tomorrow or NO for another day of rehab (Binghamton has the day off). Dillon Gee looked really good (6 IP, 1 ER, and the got the win).
I don’t have high hopes for Ayala… I mean, jeez, when is Omar just going to change the name to the New York Expos Of Six Years Ago… but he HAS to be more useful than Andy Hernandy.
The Andruw Jones of AAA Shortstops, for heaven’s sakes.
Dave,
I agree that his ERA was better, but IMHO, the hits/walks per inning is a better stat for relievers. His WHIP was about 1.2 (pretty good)prior to this year at 1.4 to 1.5, which is pretty bad. We didnt give up much and maybe there is something there, but I dont see an upgrade. CHeck out this link to read about his exploits lately – sounds like he’ll fit right into our sorry BP. http://washington.nationals.mlb.com/news/gameday_recap.jsp?ymd=20080810&content_id=3286617&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=was
Ayala has been going thru some personal issues. Hopefully that works out and it is the cause of his bad yr and he turns it around to even last yrs numbers. Give Ayala a chance.
People like to get on Omar, and I for one still feel the jury is out on Mets scouting and player dev, but he has done pretty well on acquiring these guys who were suppose to be done (Tatis for one) or are messed up mentally (OP) and have come in and contributed.