Friday, July 23, 2004
Expos 4, Mets 1
Entering Thursday, left-handers were hitting .150/.212/.317 against John Franco. Right-handers were hitting .320/.413/.400. These stats aren’t hard to find. I found them in about five seconds on ESPN.com. And you’d assume that a major league baseball franchise would hire someone to keep track of such things. But if the Mets have such a guy, they don’t have another guy whose job it is to share such information with the manager, because Art Howe must not have a clue. I mean, really, he can’t be so inept that if he knew the stats, he’d keep letting Franco pitch to righties, let alone quality righties, can he?
Franco entered Thursday’s game in the top of the eighth with the score tied at one. He retired the first two batters he faced, both lefties. But at this point the Mets didn’t even have anyone warmed up to come in to face the lone serious threat in the Montreal lineup, the right-handed swinging Jose Vidro. So of course Vidro singled to left. Another righty followed Vidro in the fourth spot in the lineup, and still the Mets had no one ready to relieve Franco. Now, I’m not normally one to call Tony Batista a “quality hitter”. The man’s OBP is .262. But he’s obviously got a little power, especially when faced with a pitcher nearly incapable of retiring a right-handed batter. So it was no real surprise to anyone but perhaps the clueless Howe when Batista took Franco deep to break the tie and give the Expos a lead they would not relinquish. Now, I know the Mets’ options among lefties in the bullpen are terrible and they don’t have a whole lot going on in right-handed middle relief either. But when you find a guy who clearly can do one thing and clearly can’t do another, let the guy do the thing he can do, and find somebody else to do the thing he can’t. John Franco can retire lefties pretty successfully. He’d make a decent LOOGY, especially if the Mets had another lefty in their ‘pen who was competent enough to pitch to righties, too. But whether there are four or five righties in the Mets bullpen at any given time, Franco should under no circumstances be allowed to pitch to a right-handed batter in any kind of crucial situation.
Aside from Braden Looper and the occasional flash from one of the other righties, the Mets’ bullpen has been a disaster, and if Jim Duquette is intent on making a deal to improve this team before the trading deadline, that, not the starting rotation, should be his focus. Get on the phone and see what the Mariners want for Eddie Guardado. Have a word with the Orioles about B.J. Ryan. Jason Frasor. Steve Reed. There are relievers out there with a history of success having good seasons for teams that are not going to make the playoffs. Rather than semi-talented or even talented young players trading for that elusive fifth starter, go out and see if you can get one or two of these guys without giving up too much. Hell, maybe Jaime Cerda’s available. He’s only worth, say, Shawn Sedlacek, right?
Orber Moreno pitched for the second straight day and did so in the ninth inning. He gave up a run on a hit and a walk, though that right might have been cut down at the plate had David Wright thought to throw there rather than to second on a slow grounder that was not going to turn into a double play. Wright also made an error in the first inning, but he did have a fine offensive game, hitting a double for his first major league hit and subsequently scoring the Mets’ only run of the day. He also later singled.
The Mets had nine hits on the day and four of them were for extra bases, but as so often happens, they repeatedly failed to get that one clutch hit to drive in a run or two. The most glaring example was when Kazuo Matsui tripled to lead off the fourth, only to be stranded there when the inning ended. Matsui had three hits on the day.
Of course, lost in the ineffectiveness of the Mets’ bullpen and offense was just another great start by Tom Glavine, who lasted seven innings and allowed just one run on five hits and one intentional walk while striking out five. Maybe the other Mets just don’t like Glavine.
Justin Huber made his AAA debut and went two for three with a double for Norfolk. Yusmeiro Petit had a less than spectacular start for St. Lucie as he allowed three runs, two earned, in five innings. He allowed six hits and two walks and struck out just three.
Tomorrow, I’ll be heading back out to Shea to see Al Leiter (6-3, 22.4) and the Mets take on John Thomson (7-7, 4.85) and the division co-leading Braves. The Braves winning this division again simply cannot be allowed to happen, and hopefully the Mets will have something to say about it this weekend. I have a good feeling that this will be the time I go to a Mets game without experiencing a rain delay, at least.
¶ joe | 1:48 AM |
Entering Thursday, left-handers were hitting .150/.212/.317 against John Franco. Right-handers were hitting .320/.413/.400. These stats aren’t hard to find. I found them in about five seconds on ESPN.com. And you’d assume that a major league baseball franchise would hire someone to keep track of such things. But if the Mets have such a guy, they don’t have another guy whose job it is to share such information with the manager, because Art Howe must not have a clue. I mean, really, he can’t be so inept that if he knew the stats, he’d keep letting Franco pitch to righties, let alone quality righties, can he?
Franco entered Thursday’s game in the top of the eighth with the score tied at one. He retired the first two batters he faced, both lefties. But at this point the Mets didn’t even have anyone warmed up to come in to face the lone serious threat in the Montreal lineup, the right-handed swinging Jose Vidro. So of course Vidro singled to left. Another righty followed Vidro in the fourth spot in the lineup, and still the Mets had no one ready to relieve Franco. Now, I’m not normally one to call Tony Batista a “quality hitter”. The man’s OBP is .262. But he’s obviously got a little power, especially when faced with a pitcher nearly incapable of retiring a right-handed batter. So it was no real surprise to anyone but perhaps the clueless Howe when Batista took Franco deep to break the tie and give the Expos a lead they would not relinquish. Now, I know the Mets’ options among lefties in the bullpen are terrible and they don’t have a whole lot going on in right-handed middle relief either. But when you find a guy who clearly can do one thing and clearly can’t do another, let the guy do the thing he can do, and find somebody else to do the thing he can’t. John Franco can retire lefties pretty successfully. He’d make a decent LOOGY, especially if the Mets had another lefty in their ‘pen who was competent enough to pitch to righties, too. But whether there are four or five righties in the Mets bullpen at any given time, Franco should under no circumstances be allowed to pitch to a right-handed batter in any kind of crucial situation.
Aside from Braden Looper and the occasional flash from one of the other righties, the Mets’ bullpen has been a disaster, and if Jim Duquette is intent on making a deal to improve this team before the trading deadline, that, not the starting rotation, should be his focus. Get on the phone and see what the Mariners want for Eddie Guardado. Have a word with the Orioles about B.J. Ryan. Jason Frasor. Steve Reed. There are relievers out there with a history of success having good seasons for teams that are not going to make the playoffs. Rather than semi-talented or even talented young players trading for that elusive fifth starter, go out and see if you can get one or two of these guys without giving up too much. Hell, maybe Jaime Cerda’s available. He’s only worth, say, Shawn Sedlacek, right?
Orber Moreno pitched for the second straight day and did so in the ninth inning. He gave up a run on a hit and a walk, though that right might have been cut down at the plate had David Wright thought to throw there rather than to second on a slow grounder that was not going to turn into a double play. Wright also made an error in the first inning, but he did have a fine offensive game, hitting a double for his first major league hit and subsequently scoring the Mets’ only run of the day. He also later singled.
The Mets had nine hits on the day and four of them were for extra bases, but as so often happens, they repeatedly failed to get that one clutch hit to drive in a run or two. The most glaring example was when Kazuo Matsui tripled to lead off the fourth, only to be stranded there when the inning ended. Matsui had three hits on the day.
Of course, lost in the ineffectiveness of the Mets’ bullpen and offense was just another great start by Tom Glavine, who lasted seven innings and allowed just one run on five hits and one intentional walk while striking out five. Maybe the other Mets just don’t like Glavine.
Justin Huber made his AAA debut and went two for three with a double for Norfolk. Yusmeiro Petit had a less than spectacular start for St. Lucie as he allowed three runs, two earned, in five innings. He allowed six hits and two walks and struck out just three.
Tomorrow, I’ll be heading back out to Shea to see Al Leiter (6-3, 22.4) and the Mets take on John Thomson (7-7, 4.85) and the division co-leading Braves. The Braves winning this division again simply cannot be allowed to happen, and hopefully the Mets will have something to say about it this weekend. I have a good feeling that this will be the time I go to a Mets game without experiencing a rain delay, at least.
¶ joe | 1:48 AM |
