Wednesday, June 23, 2004
Mets 7, Reds 4
As if the New York Mets organization didn’t do enough to ruin Paul Wilson’s life in the 1990s, on Tuesday they handed him the first loss in his surprising 2004 season. Things started off pretty well for Wilson, as the Mets’ own surprising starter, Matt Ginter got hit pretty hard and didn’t even make it to the fifth inning. In his four innings Ginter allowed four runs on nine hits and two walks while striking out four, but at least he managed to prevent things from getting completely out of hand, leaving nine runners on base. And although four runs might have seemed like enough to beat the Mets in a lot of games this season, this time they got plenty of offense from the same hitters they’ve had all year and got plenty of good relief pitching to make it hold up.
Mike Piazza and Cliff Floyd each contributed a pair of hits including a home run, their sixteenth and seventh, respectively, with Piazza adding a double as well, but the star of the show was Mike Cameron. The newly dangerous centerfielder singled, doubled and tripled in his three at bats, and also added a walk, scoring three runs and driving in another, driving his batting average all the way up to .223 in the process. Of course, while Cameron has been hot, the top of the lineup continued to struggle, as both Kazuo Matsui and Jose Reyes each went hitless in four at bats. New guy Richard Hidalgo at least added a single and scored a run.
Of course, none of this would have mattered much if the bullpen hadn’t stepped up and shut the Reds down for five innings. And John Franco, Mike Stanton and Braden Looper did just that. Franco and Stanton each pitched two scoreless innings in relief, allowing just one base runner apiece with Stanton also striking out a pair. They left things up to Looper, who pitched a dominant ninth, striking out the fourth through sixth batters in the Cincinnati lineup to earn his thirteenth save of the year.
Down on the farm, it was just another day in the life of David Wright. Get out of bed, smack a double. Wright also hit a single in his five at bats for Norfolk. Victor Diaz added his tenth home run of the season, Craig Brazell his eighteenth. Justin Huber also homered for Binghamton, his seventh, and also doubled. Matt Peterson got the start and again sort of struggled but got the job done, allowing two runs on three hits and four walks in seven innings, striking out five. Also knocking a ball out of a park on Tuesday was Lastings Milledge, who notched his fifth home run, as well as a double, in three at bats for Capital City.
Tomorrow Jae Weong Seo (3-5, 4.63) tries to follow up a strong, rain-shortened performance against another of the former failed first round picks that populate the Reds’ rotation in Todd Van Poppel (3-2, 4.53). ¶ joe | 12:13 AM |
As if the New York Mets organization didn’t do enough to ruin Paul Wilson’s life in the 1990s, on Tuesday they handed him the first loss in his surprising 2004 season. Things started off pretty well for Wilson, as the Mets’ own surprising starter, Matt Ginter got hit pretty hard and didn’t even make it to the fifth inning. In his four innings Ginter allowed four runs on nine hits and two walks while striking out four, but at least he managed to prevent things from getting completely out of hand, leaving nine runners on base. And although four runs might have seemed like enough to beat the Mets in a lot of games this season, this time they got plenty of offense from the same hitters they’ve had all year and got plenty of good relief pitching to make it hold up.
Mike Piazza and Cliff Floyd each contributed a pair of hits including a home run, their sixteenth and seventh, respectively, with Piazza adding a double as well, but the star of the show was Mike Cameron. The newly dangerous centerfielder singled, doubled and tripled in his three at bats, and also added a walk, scoring three runs and driving in another, driving his batting average all the way up to .223 in the process. Of course, while Cameron has been hot, the top of the lineup continued to struggle, as both Kazuo Matsui and Jose Reyes each went hitless in four at bats. New guy Richard Hidalgo at least added a single and scored a run.
Of course, none of this would have mattered much if the bullpen hadn’t stepped up and shut the Reds down for five innings. And John Franco, Mike Stanton and Braden Looper did just that. Franco and Stanton each pitched two scoreless innings in relief, allowing just one base runner apiece with Stanton also striking out a pair. They left things up to Looper, who pitched a dominant ninth, striking out the fourth through sixth batters in the Cincinnati lineup to earn his thirteenth save of the year.
Down on the farm, it was just another day in the life of David Wright. Get out of bed, smack a double. Wright also hit a single in his five at bats for Norfolk. Victor Diaz added his tenth home run of the season, Craig Brazell his eighteenth. Justin Huber also homered for Binghamton, his seventh, and also doubled. Matt Peterson got the start and again sort of struggled but got the job done, allowing two runs on three hits and four walks in seven innings, striking out five. Also knocking a ball out of a park on Tuesday was Lastings Milledge, who notched his fifth home run, as well as a double, in three at bats for Capital City.
Tomorrow Jae Weong Seo (3-5, 4.63) tries to follow up a strong, rain-shortened performance against another of the former failed first round picks that populate the Reds’ rotation in Todd Van Poppel (3-2, 4.53). ¶ joe | 12:13 AM |
