N.Y. Mets ~ Resiliency Still No Equalizer Against Mets' Bullpen

From the desks of:   HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET  and   BLAME CARLOS MAY

YANKEES WIN QUEENS SUBWAY SERIES 2-1

I  -  NYM 6; NYY 4

II  -  NYY 4; NYM 3

III  -  NYY 6; NYM 5

NEW YORK METS:  Bullpen Situation Becoming Critical.


In the opening game of the Roosevelt Avenue showdown, the Mets jumped on Andy Pettitte early and often, then held on for a win.  But in Game Two, the bullpen faltered, and the Mets let one get away.  The feature match-up between C.C. Sabathia and R.A. Dickey would decide the Queens stop of the Subway Series on Sunday night.


R.A. Dickey retired the Yankees on nine pitches to begin the game.  C.C. Sabathia retired the first two batters, then surrendered a single to David Wright.  That extended Wright's hitting streak to fourteen games.  David then stole second base.  When the throw down to second got away, Wright to advance to third.  But C.C. struck out Scott Hairston to end the inning.  However, the Mets made the Yankees ace throw twenty-three pitches.


Then the night took on the feeling of one of those games.  Right on cue, the game got away from both starters and into the bullpen they went.  The Yankees pulled away.  Then the Mets scrapped back.  But in the eighth, Miguel Batista surrendered a go-ahead home run to Robinson Cano.  Series over.  The Yankees win two games to one.


Miguel Batista threw one bad pitch Sunday.  But with this bullpen, it is still one pitch too many.  The Mets just can't continue to blow games like this.  Not if they plan on being a legitimate contender.  And therein lies the tipping point amongst Mets fans.


Indeed, the Mets bullpen strikes again.  Realistically speaking, where will the help come from?  And what team won't be looking for relief pitching at the trade deadline?  Right now, the only solution available for the Mets is Jenrry Mejia, who continues to work out of the bullpen in Buffalo.  It's only a matter of time now, before he's on the big club for good.


Just to be clear, I am against bringing Jenrry Mejia up this season.  In 2012, I am more interested in development than contending for a Wild Card.  But I can't speak for all Met fans.  But truth is, Jenrry has the most experience out of the young pitchers under consideration for promotion, and seems the logical choice to join the Mets' pen.  Apparently, his promotion was always part of the plan anyway.  Even then, like many roster moves the Mets have made recently, injury, or bare bottom necessity, have hastened the Mets' decisions.  Repeated implosions by the bullpen, will hasten Jenrry's promotion as well.


This season is still fun.  The last two games haven't shattered that for me, but they have certainly highlighted the Mets two most major flaws, their bullpen and defense.  Buffalo can help with the former, but in a limited capacity.  The defensive lapses in Chicago Monday night were somewhat foreshadowed by Coach Terry.  So it's best if the Mets just move on, and try again tomorrow.




Mike.BTB

N.Y. Mets ~ One Amazin' Win Away From Silencing Doubters

From the desk of:   HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

NEW YORK METS:  Pitching Continues to be Amazin!

Mets One Game Away From Proving Their Nay-Sayers Wrong

It took R.A. Dickey all of two hours and seven minutes to dispatch the Orioles.  Monday's game was his ninth straight win, and eleventh of the season, which leads the Major Leagues. Overall this season, the Mets' starter is pitching at historic levels; not just by Mets standards, but in Major League history.  Back-to-back one hitters isn't exactly Johnny Vander Meer like.  But R.A. Dickey's last two efforts are about as close as we'll get in my, or our, lifetime, to accomplishing that age old feat.


In his last two starts, he has thrown eighteen innings, allowed two hits, walked two, and struck out twenty-five batters.  Monday night, he struck out thirteen Orioles to set a new career best.  Monday marked the fourth time this season R.A. has stuck out double digit batters.  He now leads the National League with 103 K's.  R.A. also leads the National League with an even 2.00 ERA.


In his last nine starts, he failed to pitch beyond the sixth inning only twice.  And the most remarkable statistic during R.A. Dickey's stretch, would be his 42.2 consecutive innings pitched without allowing an earned run.  Since breaking Jerry Koosman's club mark earlier this month, only one unearned run has been scored against him.


This pitching run is being spoken about in the same conversations, not only along with the previously mentioned Johnny Vander Meer, but along with the Mets' very own Dwight Gooden of 1985, Fernando Valenzuela of 1981, and Mark Fydrich's 1976 season.  I've witnessed all three of those seasons.  And so far, R.A. Dickey's run most definitely compares favorably with those.  What makes Dickey's campaign even more remarkable, is that he is a knuckle ball specialist, who throws his  specialty pitch with control, and with a certain degree of power.  In that respect, he's one of the most unique knuckle ball pitchers in history.


As far as the game itself, Monday's game was won on the strength of Dickey's arm, but more importantly, victory came off the bat of Ike Davis, who connected on the first grand slam home run of his career.


In Tuesday's affair, Lucas Duda supplied the power.  His two run home run in the sixth inning was Duda's eleventh, which came along with his forty-first, and forty-second, RBI of the season.  Jordany Valdespin had himself a nice game, going 2 for 4, with two RBI.


Johan Santana pitched six innings and earned his fifth win of the season.  He allowed four hits, walked two, while striking out five.  Of greater noting, Johan, Bobby Parnell, Miguel Batista, and Jon Rauch, combined on the Mets' eighth shut-out of the season, which leads Baseball.


More important than just the last two games, Johan Santana and R.A. Dickey have established themselves as the most lethal starting duo in the division; if not the National League.  That's not a stretch considering the Washington Nationals have let it be known, they will be shutting down Stephen Strasburg at some point this season.  In the mean time, between them, R.A. and Johan have pitched four complete game shutouts this month, while accumulating six wins.


Johan Santana and R.A. Dickey have now provided an answer to getting swept by the Reds.  The Mets are now 9-9 over this stretch against above .500 teams which started back against the Cardinals; the series in which Johan Santana authored the Club's first no-hitter in history.  Wednesday, the Mets will attempt to sweep the Birds with Dillon Gee, and improve their record to a game over .500 for the stretch.  It might just be the difference of one game, but should they pull off a victory in game three of this series, the narrative on the New York Mets' season deserves to change dramatically, for they continue to AMAZE.  If you remember, this was the stretch many in the media said the Mets would be lucky to end with a .500 record.




Mike.BTB

N.Y. Mets ~ Failed Opportunity

From the desk of:   HEAD BUTTING MR. MET

NEW YORK METS:  Two Opportunities Lost.


Opportunities lost indeed.  With no Roy Halladay to face, the Mets had Cole Hamels right where they wanted him Monday.  Wednesday night, the Mets similarly had Cliff Lee right where they wanted him as well.  In both cases, the bottom of the bullpen fell out.

Monday's meltdown centered around Manny Acosta.  And it cost him his job.  After seeing what happened to D.J. Carrasco prior to that, the word is out - Sandy will cut you; no other descriptive needed.

Wednesday night, everyone who stepped out of the bullpen got roughed up.  Bobby Parnell took a second tumble this series.  Along with Parnell, Tim Byrdak and Jon Rouch, I believe are just matters of usage.  So I won't harp on a loss with regards to them.  And for the moment, it's not fair to pick on Chris Schwinden either. 

So that leaves us with Ramon Ramirez, who took his turn at folly Thursday evening.  He surrendered only his second home run this season, to Jimmy Rollins.  Thing with Ramon Ramirez is, when he's on, he's good.  When he's off, he's really off.  And he's terribly streaky.  So I hope this isn't about to begin a new string of troubles for him, and us.  This would be the absolute wrong time for that.

Guys like Ramirez and Miguel Batista just became more important to the Mets.  After all, there are only so many appendages Sandy Alderson can amputate from the bullpen, before Buffalo, and Binghampton run out; if they haven't already.  And quite obviously, what we can reasonably expect from Chris Schwinden, is negligible.  Which is to say, we have a real precarious situation on our hands, as this schedule begins to test the Mets.

For a night, or a series, Bobby Parnell, Tim Byrdak, and Jon Rauch, at least I feel, we all victims of over-use heading into Wednesday night.  And not just lately, but over all this season.  Sometimes over-use manifests itself at different times, even on the heels of recent, long and strong performances by Johan Santana and Dickey.

Losing two out of three games to the Phillies was an opportunity lost on the Mets.  In the face of mystifying offensive accomplishments, the Mets still betrayed their own timely hitting and decently strong pitching with an array of confounding bullpen performances.  These two losses to the Phillies are the kinds that haunt.  These are the ones you rue not winning.  This was a series designed to seize the moment.

What is still undeniable about these Mets however, is their ability to, if not staying in against strong opposing starting pitchers, but they also have shown they can indeed out-last them.  This was the second time against Cliff Lee this season, and they had him where they wanted him too.



Mike.BTB