Monday, June 28, 2004
Mets 9, Yankees 3
Yankees 8, Mets 1
Yankees 11, Mets 6
Part one of your 2004 Subway Series was another weekend of mixed messages from the Mets. First, they got adequate starting pitching to go along with an offense that looked like a legitimate run-scoring apparatus. Then the pitching fell apart and the offense got shut down by the pitching equivalent of the Mets’ own inconsistent offense in Jose Contreras. And then Former Yankee Mike Stanton reminded us all that it doesn’t really matter what the offense looks like as long as he’s out in the bullpen.
Game one was one of those rare occasions when the Mets got offensive production from everyone in the lineup, scoring the first eight of their nine runs without the benefit of a home run before Cliff Floyd went deep for the eighth time this season in the seventh inning. A six-run inning on six hits in the fourth gave starter Al Leiter all he needed as every Mets starter was on base at least once in the game, with only Mike Cameron failing to get a hit. Mike Piazza and Jason Phillips each had a double and Piazza, Kazuo Matsui, Richard Hidalgo and Todd Zeile each had a pair of hits. Zeile also walked three times. Leiter went six and one-third innings, striking out five while walking four, allowing three runs and five hits including a pair of home runs.
Steve Trachsel couldn’t work out of trouble as well as Leiter and wound up charged with six runs on three walks and six hits including three home runs while striking out three. He didn’t get much help from his bullpen once he left the game with two on and none out in the eighth, though. Orber Moreno allowed an infield single to load the bases and then Art Howe brought in noted clutch performer Mike Stanton. Stanton of course allowed all three runners to score as Hideki Matsui took his first pitch over the rightfield wall.
Meanwhile, the offense managed just two hits and four walks off of Contreras, who also struck out ten through six innings. Mike Cameron had two hits, including a double, while Jose Reyes was the only other Met with a hit.
The night game was more of the same, with the starting pitching collapsing even more quickly and getting even less bullpen support, although at least the offense came to life. The game started with Matt Ginter flubbing an easy ground ball that wasn’t ruled an error for some bizarre reason and his night didn’t get much better after that. He wound up allowing six runs in the first inning, and while he did get things under control for a while after that, he lasted only three innings, allowing seven runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out three.
The Mets’ offense actually managed to get them back in the game, though, as Mike Cameron hit his tenth homer of the season in the second inning and Richard Hidalgo hit a pair of long home runs in the fourth and sixth to give him seven on the season. While there was a lot to be unhappy about in this game and on this day, Hidalgo’s play, with five hits and two home runs on the weekend, is a definite positive sign. If he can return to the area of consistent offensive threat, that will be a serious boost to a Mets lineup that’s only really gotten regular production from Mike Piazza lately. The Mets strung some hits together in the seventh to close the gap to 7-5 with Kazuo Matsui contributing a key RBI single.
Meanwhile, Dan Wheeler came in and pitched three very good innings, holding the Yankees hitless, but then Art Howe sent him out to pitch a fourth inning and things didn’t go so well. He allowed a pair of hits to start the seventh and was relieved by Jose Parra who struck out the first batter he faced as the two baserunners stole second and third. After an intentional walk to Jorge Posada, Art Howe once again brought in Mike Stanton with the bases loaded, and once again that went badly. Stanton let two runs score on a single by Ruben Sierra and after a groundout, allowed two more in on a Miguel Cairo single. Stanton’s line on the day: six inherited runners, all of them scored. He was only charged with two runs in an inning and two-thirds pitched on the day.
Eric Valent added his fourth home run of the season in the ninth, but by then the game was well out of reach. So the Mets exit the weekend in the unusual position of perhaps feeling okay about their offense while having serious reason to be concerned about the pitching. But at least Tom Glavine should pitch in the next series against the Yankees.
There were at least some good things going on in the minors, as Aaron Heilman finally put together a good start on Saturday, going six innings, allowing just two runs, one earned, on six hits and one walk while striking out six. His ERA is still an ugly 5.34. Also, Scott Erickson got rocked again on Friday and David Wright hit his third and fourth home runs of the year on Friday and Saturday. He’s now hitting .356/.412/.778 in forty-five at bats. Meanwhile, Ty Wigginton went one for ten with two walks and a throwing error in the series against the Yankees. ¶ joe | 12:37 AM |
Yankees 8, Mets 1
Yankees 11, Mets 6
Part one of your 2004 Subway Series was another weekend of mixed messages from the Mets. First, they got adequate starting pitching to go along with an offense that looked like a legitimate run-scoring apparatus. Then the pitching fell apart and the offense got shut down by the pitching equivalent of the Mets’ own inconsistent offense in Jose Contreras. And then Former Yankee Mike Stanton reminded us all that it doesn’t really matter what the offense looks like as long as he’s out in the bullpen.
Game one was one of those rare occasions when the Mets got offensive production from everyone in the lineup, scoring the first eight of their nine runs without the benefit of a home run before Cliff Floyd went deep for the eighth time this season in the seventh inning. A six-run inning on six hits in the fourth gave starter Al Leiter all he needed as every Mets starter was on base at least once in the game, with only Mike Cameron failing to get a hit. Mike Piazza and Jason Phillips each had a double and Piazza, Kazuo Matsui, Richard Hidalgo and Todd Zeile each had a pair of hits. Zeile also walked three times. Leiter went six and one-third innings, striking out five while walking four, allowing three runs and five hits including a pair of home runs.
Steve Trachsel couldn’t work out of trouble as well as Leiter and wound up charged with six runs on three walks and six hits including three home runs while striking out three. He didn’t get much help from his bullpen once he left the game with two on and none out in the eighth, though. Orber Moreno allowed an infield single to load the bases and then Art Howe brought in noted clutch performer Mike Stanton. Stanton of course allowed all three runners to score as Hideki Matsui took his first pitch over the rightfield wall.
Meanwhile, the offense managed just two hits and four walks off of Contreras, who also struck out ten through six innings. Mike Cameron had two hits, including a double, while Jose Reyes was the only other Met with a hit.
The night game was more of the same, with the starting pitching collapsing even more quickly and getting even less bullpen support, although at least the offense came to life. The game started with Matt Ginter flubbing an easy ground ball that wasn’t ruled an error for some bizarre reason and his night didn’t get much better after that. He wound up allowing six runs in the first inning, and while he did get things under control for a while after that, he lasted only three innings, allowing seven runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out three.
The Mets’ offense actually managed to get them back in the game, though, as Mike Cameron hit his tenth homer of the season in the second inning and Richard Hidalgo hit a pair of long home runs in the fourth and sixth to give him seven on the season. While there was a lot to be unhappy about in this game and on this day, Hidalgo’s play, with five hits and two home runs on the weekend, is a definite positive sign. If he can return to the area of consistent offensive threat, that will be a serious boost to a Mets lineup that’s only really gotten regular production from Mike Piazza lately. The Mets strung some hits together in the seventh to close the gap to 7-5 with Kazuo Matsui contributing a key RBI single.
Meanwhile, Dan Wheeler came in and pitched three very good innings, holding the Yankees hitless, but then Art Howe sent him out to pitch a fourth inning and things didn’t go so well. He allowed a pair of hits to start the seventh and was relieved by Jose Parra who struck out the first batter he faced as the two baserunners stole second and third. After an intentional walk to Jorge Posada, Art Howe once again brought in Mike Stanton with the bases loaded, and once again that went badly. Stanton let two runs score on a single by Ruben Sierra and after a groundout, allowed two more in on a Miguel Cairo single. Stanton’s line on the day: six inherited runners, all of them scored. He was only charged with two runs in an inning and two-thirds pitched on the day.
Eric Valent added his fourth home run of the season in the ninth, but by then the game was well out of reach. So the Mets exit the weekend in the unusual position of perhaps feeling okay about their offense while having serious reason to be concerned about the pitching. But at least Tom Glavine should pitch in the next series against the Yankees.
There were at least some good things going on in the minors, as Aaron Heilman finally put together a good start on Saturday, going six innings, allowing just two runs, one earned, on six hits and one walk while striking out six. His ERA is still an ugly 5.34. Also, Scott Erickson got rocked again on Friday and David Wright hit his third and fourth home runs of the year on Friday and Saturday. He’s now hitting .356/.412/.778 in forty-five at bats. Meanwhile, Ty Wigginton went one for ten with two walks and a throwing error in the series against the Yankees. ¶ joe | 12:37 AM |
