Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Mets 6, Phillies 4
I love baseball. This game had a playoff atmosphere and drama to match. Much to my surprise, the Mets fell behind early. But some heroes, likely and unlikely, came through in the late innings to get the Mets a huge win.
Jae Seo got smacked around early, allowing two home runs in the first inning. He lasted just five innings and gave up four runs, all of them in the first two innings. He allowed ten hits, but he didn't walk anyone and he struck out six.
But, unlike this past weekend, the Met offense didn't just roll over and die. Carlos Beltran did all he could to keep the Mets in the game. He homered in the bottom of the first to give him fourteen on the season. And that was just part of a three-for-three night that also included two singles. And he threw out a runner at the plate on a very controversial call which may very well have been right. Beltran also drove in the Mets' second run in the fifth to cut the deficit to two. Then the Mets got acquainted with the Philadelphia bullpen.
Ramon Castro started a big night of his own by leading off the seventh with a double, but the next two batters could only get him to third in the process of making two outs, so it was all left up to Miguel Cairo. Cairo had his usual oh-for-four night, but in this clutch spot in the seventh, he did all that was within his power to do. He got hit by a pitch. A couple of pitches earlier he had, for some reason, gotten out of the way of a pitch headed for him, as though he were capable of doing more than acting as a human backstop. But Ryan Madson was diligent and succeeded in plunking Cairo. Beltran then walked to load the bases and a wild pitch brought Castro home.
Cliff Floyd struck out to end the seventh with the Mets still trailing by a run, but that wasn't the end of the world. After all, it meant that David Wright would lead off the eighth and inevitably reach base somehow. He chose to draw a walk this time and subsequently stole second base on a play that was waaaaay too close for my liking. But Victor Diaz followed with a one-out walk, leaving things up to Castro, who did the sort of thing Met fans have come to expect from their catchers in such situations. He launched a ball into the left field bleachers. It was Castro's sixth home run of the season and it put the Mets up by two.
The Mets got four scoreless innings of relief in this game, with Aaron Heilman pitching two of them and Juan Padilla another. Braden Looper entered in the ninth and close things out with ease. He struck out one batter in a perfect ninth for his twenty-eighth save of the season.
So now the Mets (and the Astros) are just half a game behind the Phillies (and the Marlins) for the Wild Card lead. Four teams separated by half a game. Now this is fun. Tomorrow, the Mets have a chance to pass the Phillies, perhaps to take the Wild Card lead, perhaps not. The Mets will have the right pitcher on the mound, as Pedro Martinez (13-5, 2.77) gets the start. He'll be opposed by Brett Myers (11-6, 3.55). ¶ joe | 10:47 PM |
I love baseball. This game had a playoff atmosphere and drama to match. Much to my surprise, the Mets fell behind early. But some heroes, likely and unlikely, came through in the late innings to get the Mets a huge win.
Jae Seo got smacked around early, allowing two home runs in the first inning. He lasted just five innings and gave up four runs, all of them in the first two innings. He allowed ten hits, but he didn't walk anyone and he struck out six.
But, unlike this past weekend, the Met offense didn't just roll over and die. Carlos Beltran did all he could to keep the Mets in the game. He homered in the bottom of the first to give him fourteen on the season. And that was just part of a three-for-three night that also included two singles. And he threw out a runner at the plate on a very controversial call which may very well have been right. Beltran also drove in the Mets' second run in the fifth to cut the deficit to two. Then the Mets got acquainted with the Philadelphia bullpen.
Ramon Castro started a big night of his own by leading off the seventh with a double, but the next two batters could only get him to third in the process of making two outs, so it was all left up to Miguel Cairo. Cairo had his usual oh-for-four night, but in this clutch spot in the seventh, he did all that was within his power to do. He got hit by a pitch. A couple of pitches earlier he had, for some reason, gotten out of the way of a pitch headed for him, as though he were capable of doing more than acting as a human backstop. But Ryan Madson was diligent and succeeded in plunking Cairo. Beltran then walked to load the bases and a wild pitch brought Castro home.
Cliff Floyd struck out to end the seventh with the Mets still trailing by a run, but that wasn't the end of the world. After all, it meant that David Wright would lead off the eighth and inevitably reach base somehow. He chose to draw a walk this time and subsequently stole second base on a play that was waaaaay too close for my liking. But Victor Diaz followed with a one-out walk, leaving things up to Castro, who did the sort of thing Met fans have come to expect from their catchers in such situations. He launched a ball into the left field bleachers. It was Castro's sixth home run of the season and it put the Mets up by two.
The Mets got four scoreless innings of relief in this game, with Aaron Heilman pitching two of them and Juan Padilla another. Braden Looper entered in the ninth and close things out with ease. He struck out one batter in a perfect ninth for his twenty-eighth save of the season.
So now the Mets (and the Astros) are just half a game behind the Phillies (and the Marlins) for the Wild Card lead. Four teams separated by half a game. Now this is fun. Tomorrow, the Mets have a chance to pass the Phillies, perhaps to take the Wild Card lead, perhaps not. The Mets will have the right pitcher on the mound, as Pedro Martinez (13-5, 2.77) gets the start. He'll be opposed by Brett Myers (11-6, 3.55). ¶ joe | 10:47 PM |
