Monday, April 30, 2012

Mets can't come baclk one more time, fall to Astros


Epic tease by the Mets on Monday. 

RA Dickey held the Astros hitless for five innings, then gave up three runs in the sixth inning.

But our mostly homegrown Mets know how to battle back, scratching out three runs of their own. Kudos to Kirk Nieuwenhuis, again, for getting the big hit.

Kirk also had his first game in left field after Andres Torrres saw game action for the first time since he gimped out of Opening Day.

Sadly, the Mets re-designed bullpen is still giving away games. Manny Acosta made it through one inning, but couldn’t get through the eighth. He wasn’t helped by Josh Thole bobbling a ball instead of shooting a laser down to second to nail Jordan Schafer.

Instead, Schafer trotted home on a Jed Lowrie single and the Mets, masters of the comeback in Colorado, were left on short side of the score in Houston.

Interesting was Astros manager Brad Mills using a different pitcher for seven Mets batters in a row. Somewhere in retirement, Tony LaRussa is smiling.

The defeat means that the Gnome of Defeat comes out of hiding and taunts us from the Murray Van Wagoner Transportation Building in Lansing.

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Mets survive multiple bullpen meltdowns, take two of three from Rockies


Sometimes you have to love the Mets a whole bunch to avoid hating them. 

Ace Johan Santana nursed a two-hitter through six innings, when he was removed after throwing just under 100 pitches as the teams goes easy with his surgically repaired shoulder. 

Santana must have done a double-take as he saw the scoreboard, as the Mets never score any runs for him, and he was leaving with a 4-0 lead.

Sadly, the team again employed death by bullpen, giving back the lead with a Todd Helton pinch-hit grand slam.

The Mets scored again in the top of the ninth, and again the bully gave it right back. 

Amazingly, the resilient Mets offense again pushed a run over in the top of the 10th on an Ike Davis hit, which must have felt good for the slumping slugger.

This time, the lead held. Frank Francisco gets a “vulture win,” and anytime we can take a series on the road, it’s a good thing.

The win means Caroline gets to show off the new Mobile Flag of Victory, which is needed because you never know when the world will need to be informed of a Mets triumph!

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Mets bounce back from disastrous night, beat Rockies 7-5



I’m not saying Ruben Tejada is better than the departed Jose Reyes.

Sure, Jose is slumping with his new team and looking at losing his leadoff spot. But we know he bounces back.

But Tejada is not stinking up the joint. He went 3-for-5 in the Mets 7-5 victory over the Rockies, keeping his average around .300. Nobody is going to complain if he stays there.

Lucas Duda had a pretty big night, too, depositing a two-run bomb into the Mets bullpen while going 2-for-4 with 4 runs batted in.

But David Wright continues to pad his franchise RBI record, adding two to his total with three hits, helping his .385 batting average.

All in all, it was a nice bounce-back win after the Friday night disaster, and a good reason to hoist the Flag of Victory.

Gnome of Defeat crashes family celebration, Rockies beat Mets 18-9



How about that Scott Hairston? 

Hit for the cycle and everything. 

Too bad no one is going to remember it because the Mets allowed the Gnome of Defeat to crash an otherwise nice family celebration. 

The 18-9 disaster in Denver included an 11-run fifth inning where the team committed four throwing errors and gave up two three-run homers.

Just because we’re commemorating the 1962 Mets this season doesn’t mean we have to play like them. Actually, that might not be fair because as bad as the 1962 team was, I don’t think it ever had an inning like that one.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Andres Torres, take your time


Any remember Andres Torres? 

He was the Opening Day center fielder for about six innings before gimping off the field.

Kirk Nieuwenhuis is doing his best to make sure that when Torres returns, possibly on this road trip, he enjoys the view of the game from the bench.

Kirk led off Thursday’s series finale against the Marlins with a triple – passing Jose Reyes on his way to third – and scored on a sac fly.

Things looked grim in the bottom of the ninth with the Mets down 2-1 and expensive Marlins closer Heath Bell on the hill. But the Mets loaded the bases, and Justin Turner battled Bell for 14 pitches, earning a walk to force home the tying run.

The brought up Nieuwenhuis, who smacked a game-winning RBI single to broom out the Marlins for the Mets’ second sweep of a division rival so far this season.

Hey, Andres. Take your time. We're letting Kirk hoist the Flag of Victory again.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Mets top Marlins, Wright tops Strawberry



No need to fear the Fish! It’s not like the Marlins owners spent a bunch of money on new players.

Oh, wait.

The Mets hoist the Flag of Victory for the second game in a row against the rival Marlins, though the game was closer than the 5-1 final score would indicate.

Kudos to David Wright. His third homer of the year finally allows him to overtake Darryl Strawberry to be the team’s all-time runs batter leader.

Wright already holds the team record for career doubles, and could even catch Ed Kranepool for the lead in hits.