Wednesday, April 21, 2004
Expos 2, Mets 1
Effective starting pitching? Check. Impotent offense? Check. Inept bullpen? Check. Ladies and gentlemen, your 2004 New York Mets.
As has become his custom, Al Leiter gave the Mets an excellent starting pitching performance. With some help from The Rangeless Wonder Ricky Gutierrez, he finally allowed a run, but he also dramatically improved his pitch efficiency, as he managed to get through seven innings on just 102 pitches. Through those seven innings, he allowed just five hits while walking two and striking out five. He also managed to maintain the team lead in ERA among starters over Tom Glavine's 0.90 by keeping his mark at a miniscule 0.52 through seventeen and one-third innings. Unfortunately, that wasn't enough, as David Weathers entered in the eighth only to give up a solo home run to Jose Vidro, and that was that.
Much like the first week of the season, the Mets got off to an early start scoring runs, as Mike Piazza singled in Kazuo Matsui in the bottom of the first. But by the time the game was over, the offense had racked up just four total hits, one from each of the first four batters in the lineup, and two walks, one of which was intentionally handed to Piazza. Todd Zeile and Karim Garcia both manged doubles, but this extra-base bonanza failed to produce any more runs for the Mets.
Zeile, incidentally, was starting at first base in place of Jason Philips for the second consecutive day for reasons known only to Art Howe. Yes, Zeile has gotten off to a relatively hot start in limited at bats. But benching Phillips after just forty at bats is ridiculous. Not only did he hit .298/.373/.442 last year, but despite his early-season struggles and subsequent benching, he's still second on the team in walks with 7. He's also a guy likely to be part of this team next year and perhaps beyond. A team in the Mets' current rebuilding situation shouldn't be sacrificing at bats of guys like that to a thirty-eight year old friend of the owner. And if Art Howe is determined to get him in the lineup, how about putting him in the place of a guy who didn't really hit last year, certainly isn't hitting this year and almost surely won't be starting next year like Ty Wigginton? By the way, David Wright doubled and homered in four at bats for Binghamton tonight. He's now hitting .348/.483/.717 with eleven doubles, two home runs and seven walk in forty-six at bats.
Tomorrow, the Mets hit what I guess would be the teeth of the Montreal rotation, as Livan Hernandez (0-2, 3.79) opposes Tom Glavine (2-0, 0.90). Hopefully Glavine can do what it takes to have a shot at winning a game, i.e., shut the Expos out for nine innings. ¶ joe | 12:56 AM |
Effective starting pitching? Check. Impotent offense? Check. Inept bullpen? Check. Ladies and gentlemen, your 2004 New York Mets.
As has become his custom, Al Leiter gave the Mets an excellent starting pitching performance. With some help from The Rangeless Wonder Ricky Gutierrez, he finally allowed a run, but he also dramatically improved his pitch efficiency, as he managed to get through seven innings on just 102 pitches. Through those seven innings, he allowed just five hits while walking two and striking out five. He also managed to maintain the team lead in ERA among starters over Tom Glavine's 0.90 by keeping his mark at a miniscule 0.52 through seventeen and one-third innings. Unfortunately, that wasn't enough, as David Weathers entered in the eighth only to give up a solo home run to Jose Vidro, and that was that.
Much like the first week of the season, the Mets got off to an early start scoring runs, as Mike Piazza singled in Kazuo Matsui in the bottom of the first. But by the time the game was over, the offense had racked up just four total hits, one from each of the first four batters in the lineup, and two walks, one of which was intentionally handed to Piazza. Todd Zeile and Karim Garcia both manged doubles, but this extra-base bonanza failed to produce any more runs for the Mets.
Zeile, incidentally, was starting at first base in place of Jason Philips for the second consecutive day for reasons known only to Art Howe. Yes, Zeile has gotten off to a relatively hot start in limited at bats. But benching Phillips after just forty at bats is ridiculous. Not only did he hit .298/.373/.442 last year, but despite his early-season struggles and subsequent benching, he's still second on the team in walks with 7. He's also a guy likely to be part of this team next year and perhaps beyond. A team in the Mets' current rebuilding situation shouldn't be sacrificing at bats of guys like that to a thirty-eight year old friend of the owner. And if Art Howe is determined to get him in the lineup, how about putting him in the place of a guy who didn't really hit last year, certainly isn't hitting this year and almost surely won't be starting next year like Ty Wigginton? By the way, David Wright doubled and homered in four at bats for Binghamton tonight. He's now hitting .348/.483/.717 with eleven doubles, two home runs and seven walk in forty-six at bats.
Tomorrow, the Mets hit what I guess would be the teeth of the Montreal rotation, as Livan Hernandez (0-2, 3.79) opposes Tom Glavine (2-0, 0.90). Hopefully Glavine can do what it takes to have a shot at winning a game, i.e., shut the Expos out for nine innings. ¶ joe | 12:56 AM |
