Sunday, June 20, 2004
Mets 4, Tigers 3 (10)
It took a little while for your official 2004 New York Mets “Catch The Energy” offense to finally get going, but when they did, things went pretty much as planned and it was enough to get the win. That is to say, Jose Reyes is back. His one for five line in the box score doesn’t look too pretty, and he didn’t fare well in his first three times up, but after that, it was like things were back to normal. With the Mets trailing three to one in the eighth, Reyes came up with Karim Garcia on third and hit a grounder to the second baseman to drive him home, but the ball went through the fielder’s legs and Reyes made it all the way to second and wound up scoring on a Cliff Floyd single. Then, with one out in the tenth, Reyes tripled to right center to set things in motion for Mike Cameron to hit his second consecutive game-ending hit, this time a single with the bases loaded, although I don’t know why it didn’t count as a two-run double given that the ball bounced over the left field wall. Not that it matters, I just wonder if there’s some strange rule regarding game-ending ground rule doubles or if it was just a Robin Ventura situation where the Mets didn’t bother to score the second run. Regardless, Reyes’s return to the Mets and Cameron’s continued return to the realm of productive hitters were both very encouraging developments. There still seemed to be a bit of tentativeness to Reyes’ running on the triple, so perhaps we’re not quite out of the injury woods yet, but still, things seem to be progressing in the right direction for Reyes and the team’s offense.
Of course, the Mets couldn’t have made it to extra innings without another good starting pitching performance, and it was once again Al Leiter living on the edge. It looked like Leiter’s luck might finally catch up to him in the first, as five of the first six hitters reached base, leading to two runs. But he managed to get out of it, as usual, and did what for him might be considered cruising, allowing just five more base runners over the next five innings. In the end it was one hundred twenty-three pitches, six innings, six hits, four walks, two runs and four strikeouts adding up to another no decision for Leiter.
Jose Parra, recently of Norfolk, is apparently old enough, at thirty-one, to have earned Art Howe’s confidence sight unseen, as he was brought in to relieve Leiter in a one-run game on his first day with the Mets. He lasted just one-third of an inning, allowing two hits before his elder John Franco had to come in and save him. Franco closed out the seventh with ease, fanning the first two batters he faced. But he stayed in to pitch the eighth where a leadoff walk, a couple of bunts and a groundout led to a run. After the Mets tied it up, Art Howe made a good move, using his closer in a tie game in the ninth for the second consecutive night. Braden Looper pitched two scoreless innings, hitting a batter and striking out three, to earn his second win of the season and in two nights.
And while Jose Reyes’s arrival brought some youth and excitement to the major league squad, there’s still plenty of interesting things happening down in the minors. For instance, Scott Kazmir had perhaps his best start of the season, tossing six scoreless innings, allowing four hits and two walks while striking out seven in a 6-0 St. Lucie loss. David Wright had an unusual rough night for Norfolk, going hitless in five at bats, but Prentice Redman went three for five with two doubles and a stolen base and Victor Diaz went two for three with a double, a walk and his eighth home run of the season. Meanwhile, Scott Erickson had another less than impressive start, going seven innings, allowing four runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out five. His ERA fell to 7.20 as a result.
On Sunday the Mets try to finish off the sweep of the Tigers as Steve Trachsel (6-5, 3.57) takes on Jeremy Bonderman (5-5, 5.63). ¶ joe | 1:46 AM |
It took a little while for your official 2004 New York Mets “Catch The Energy” offense to finally get going, but when they did, things went pretty much as planned and it was enough to get the win. That is to say, Jose Reyes is back. His one for five line in the box score doesn’t look too pretty, and he didn’t fare well in his first three times up, but after that, it was like things were back to normal. With the Mets trailing three to one in the eighth, Reyes came up with Karim Garcia on third and hit a grounder to the second baseman to drive him home, but the ball went through the fielder’s legs and Reyes made it all the way to second and wound up scoring on a Cliff Floyd single. Then, with one out in the tenth, Reyes tripled to right center to set things in motion for Mike Cameron to hit his second consecutive game-ending hit, this time a single with the bases loaded, although I don’t know why it didn’t count as a two-run double given that the ball bounced over the left field wall. Not that it matters, I just wonder if there’s some strange rule regarding game-ending ground rule doubles or if it was just a Robin Ventura situation where the Mets didn’t bother to score the second run. Regardless, Reyes’s return to the Mets and Cameron’s continued return to the realm of productive hitters were both very encouraging developments. There still seemed to be a bit of tentativeness to Reyes’ running on the triple, so perhaps we’re not quite out of the injury woods yet, but still, things seem to be progressing in the right direction for Reyes and the team’s offense.
Of course, the Mets couldn’t have made it to extra innings without another good starting pitching performance, and it was once again Al Leiter living on the edge. It looked like Leiter’s luck might finally catch up to him in the first, as five of the first six hitters reached base, leading to two runs. But he managed to get out of it, as usual, and did what for him might be considered cruising, allowing just five more base runners over the next five innings. In the end it was one hundred twenty-three pitches, six innings, six hits, four walks, two runs and four strikeouts adding up to another no decision for Leiter.
Jose Parra, recently of Norfolk, is apparently old enough, at thirty-one, to have earned Art Howe’s confidence sight unseen, as he was brought in to relieve Leiter in a one-run game on his first day with the Mets. He lasted just one-third of an inning, allowing two hits before his elder John Franco had to come in and save him. Franco closed out the seventh with ease, fanning the first two batters he faced. But he stayed in to pitch the eighth where a leadoff walk, a couple of bunts and a groundout led to a run. After the Mets tied it up, Art Howe made a good move, using his closer in a tie game in the ninth for the second consecutive night. Braden Looper pitched two scoreless innings, hitting a batter and striking out three, to earn his second win of the season and in two nights.
And while Jose Reyes’s arrival brought some youth and excitement to the major league squad, there’s still plenty of interesting things happening down in the minors. For instance, Scott Kazmir had perhaps his best start of the season, tossing six scoreless innings, allowing four hits and two walks while striking out seven in a 6-0 St. Lucie loss. David Wright had an unusual rough night for Norfolk, going hitless in five at bats, but Prentice Redman went three for five with two doubles and a stolen base and Victor Diaz went two for three with a double, a walk and his eighth home run of the season. Meanwhile, Scott Erickson had another less than impressive start, going seven innings, allowing four runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out five. His ERA fell to 7.20 as a result.
On Sunday the Mets try to finish off the sweep of the Tigers as Steve Trachsel (6-5, 3.57) takes on Jeremy Bonderman (5-5, 5.63). ¶ joe | 1:46 AM |
