Sunday, May 23, 2004
Mets 5, Rockies 4
Is it time to scrap the Tyler Yates, Starting Pitcher experiment? Not that the Mets really have anyone to replace him in the starting rotation until Al Leiter gets back, or a spot for him in the bullpen, but after Saturday's start, it may be time to start thinking about sending him back to the role he played in the minors prior to last year. Yates started off strong, striking out two of the first three batters he faced, but ran out of steam quickly, lasting just four and one-third innings, allowing four runs on six hits and four walks while striking out three. Yates has proven capable of getting major league hitters out, but as of yet he hasn't shown that he can do it particularly well the second time through the lineup. And no, the Expos don't count. Maybe Yates can still build up the endurance to be a starter, and whatever he's going to be, he's probably going to be it in Norfolk once Leiter gets back, but at this point, the Mets should at least consider the idea of moving him back to the bullpen.
Luckily for Yates and the rest of the Mets, the offense did manage to put some runs on the board. Kazuo Matsui led off the first with his fourth home run of the season, all leadoff shots, to kick off a three-run inning built on a hit batter, a walk, an error and a Jason Phillips RBI single. And with two outs in the bottom of the eighth, Ty Wigginton hit a two-run homer to put the Mets on top and leave things in the hands of Braden Looper.
The Mets got four and two-thirds good innings out of their bullpen, starting with Dan Wheeler striking out two in the fifth to get Yates out of jam. Wheeler went one and two-thirds, striking out three, allowing two hits and one walk. And one day after giving up his first earned runs of the season, Looper was back to his old stingy self, allowing just one hit while striking out two in the ninth to earn his seventh save of the season.
This win left the Mets once again on the precipice of adequacy, one game shy of .500 with Tom Glavine going up against former Met mistake Shawn Estes. ¶ joe | 7:32 PM |
Is it time to scrap the Tyler Yates, Starting Pitcher experiment? Not that the Mets really have anyone to replace him in the starting rotation until Al Leiter gets back, or a spot for him in the bullpen, but after Saturday's start, it may be time to start thinking about sending him back to the role he played in the minors prior to last year. Yates started off strong, striking out two of the first three batters he faced, but ran out of steam quickly, lasting just four and one-third innings, allowing four runs on six hits and four walks while striking out three. Yates has proven capable of getting major league hitters out, but as of yet he hasn't shown that he can do it particularly well the second time through the lineup. And no, the Expos don't count. Maybe Yates can still build up the endurance to be a starter, and whatever he's going to be, he's probably going to be it in Norfolk once Leiter gets back, but at this point, the Mets should at least consider the idea of moving him back to the bullpen.
Luckily for Yates and the rest of the Mets, the offense did manage to put some runs on the board. Kazuo Matsui led off the first with his fourth home run of the season, all leadoff shots, to kick off a three-run inning built on a hit batter, a walk, an error and a Jason Phillips RBI single. And with two outs in the bottom of the eighth, Ty Wigginton hit a two-run homer to put the Mets on top and leave things in the hands of Braden Looper.
The Mets got four and two-thirds good innings out of their bullpen, starting with Dan Wheeler striking out two in the fifth to get Yates out of jam. Wheeler went one and two-thirds, striking out three, allowing two hits and one walk. And one day after giving up his first earned runs of the season, Looper was back to his old stingy self, allowing just one hit while striking out two in the ninth to earn his seventh save of the season.
This win left the Mets once again on the precipice of adequacy, one game shy of .500 with Tom Glavine going up against former Met mistake Shawn Estes. ¶ joe | 7:32 PM |
