Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Phillies 5, Mets 4
Well, that was disheartening. The Mets staged a dramatic comeback to overcome a merely human start from Pedro Martinez, only to give the game right back in short order. For a minute it seemed like Billy Wagner might get a chance to show up the man who replaced him in Philly. But in the end, he just watched from the bullpen as Aaron Heilman reminded us all how important he is to the bullpen.
Pedro got off to a rough start, giving up three runs on four hits in the second inning. Things could have gone more smoothly for Pedro with better defensive support, but regardless, he didn't take long in reasserting control of the game. Those four hits were the only ones he gave up in seven innings of work. He walked two batters and hit one, but he struck out ten and kept the Mets in the game long enough for them to strike back in the latter innings.
Xavier Nady hit a two-run home run, his eight of the season, in the top of the eighth inning to bring the Mets within a run. Nady's attempts at defense had contributed to Pedro's rough second inning, but he certainly redeemed himself with the bat. After being frustrated by Brett Myers for seven innings, the Mets' offense appeared to have a shot at tying this game. But they would not score again in the eighth. And then, the unthinkable happened.
Duaner Sanchez gave up a run.
The Mets' premier reliever of the first month of the season entered in the bottom of the eight with his team trailing by one. He retired the first two batters. He gave up a single. And that was followed by an RBI double from Ryan Howard. But it was totally not Sanchez's fault. Howard hit the ball down the right field line and Nady made a good play to get the ball in to the cutoff man, Kazuo Matsui, quickly. Matsui's throw home was not perfect. It bounced. But it was still mostly on target and certainly on time. Paul Lo Duca could not field it cleanly and apply the tag, though. It would have required a very good play from Lo Duca to record the out, but it was certainly possible. Sanchez escaped the inning without further damage, his ERA now a ghastly 0.41.
The Mets, however, did not fold in the face of this latest adversity. They fought right back. Lo Duca led off the ninth with a single against the new Philly closer, Tom Gordon. One out later, Carlos Delgado strode to the plate. And he showed everyone what not folding in the face of adversity looks like, driving his twelfth home run over the wall in right center to tie the game. The Mets put two more runners on base with just one out, raising the possibility that they might take the lead and bring in Wagner to close it out. But neither Nady nor Matsui could get a run home and the game went to the bottom of the ninth tied.
Heilman came in to pitch the ninth and got the first two outs. Then he gave up a triple. He got to 0-2 on the next batter only to plunk him. A walk later and the bases were loaded for Bobby Abreu. Heilman got Abreu to ground the ball weakly in front the plate, but then he decided to field the ball himself and throw it into the outfield, thus ending the game. Someone more conspiratorial than I might suggest Heilman was trying to prove that he's not as valuable to the bullpen as the Mets think, thus earning himself a starting job. But more likely he just had a bad night and ran into some bad luck, resulting in this disappointing ending.
Tomorrow the Mets will try it again, once again sending an excellent pitcher to get the job done. Tom Glavine (4-2, 1.94) gets the start against Cory Lidle (3-3, 4.17). Hopefully the Mets can get to Lidle a little earlier than they did Myers. ¶ joe | 11:33 PM |
Well, that was disheartening. The Mets staged a dramatic comeback to overcome a merely human start from Pedro Martinez, only to give the game right back in short order. For a minute it seemed like Billy Wagner might get a chance to show up the man who replaced him in Philly. But in the end, he just watched from the bullpen as Aaron Heilman reminded us all how important he is to the bullpen.
Pedro got off to a rough start, giving up three runs on four hits in the second inning. Things could have gone more smoothly for Pedro with better defensive support, but regardless, he didn't take long in reasserting control of the game. Those four hits were the only ones he gave up in seven innings of work. He walked two batters and hit one, but he struck out ten and kept the Mets in the game long enough for them to strike back in the latter innings.
Xavier Nady hit a two-run home run, his eight of the season, in the top of the eighth inning to bring the Mets within a run. Nady's attempts at defense had contributed to Pedro's rough second inning, but he certainly redeemed himself with the bat. After being frustrated by Brett Myers for seven innings, the Mets' offense appeared to have a shot at tying this game. But they would not score again in the eighth. And then, the unthinkable happened.
Duaner Sanchez gave up a run.
The Mets' premier reliever of the first month of the season entered in the bottom of the eight with his team trailing by one. He retired the first two batters. He gave up a single. And that was followed by an RBI double from Ryan Howard. But it was totally not Sanchez's fault. Howard hit the ball down the right field line and Nady made a good play to get the ball in to the cutoff man, Kazuo Matsui, quickly. Matsui's throw home was not perfect. It bounced. But it was still mostly on target and certainly on time. Paul Lo Duca could not field it cleanly and apply the tag, though. It would have required a very good play from Lo Duca to record the out, but it was certainly possible. Sanchez escaped the inning without further damage, his ERA now a ghastly 0.41.
The Mets, however, did not fold in the face of this latest adversity. They fought right back. Lo Duca led off the ninth with a single against the new Philly closer, Tom Gordon. One out later, Carlos Delgado strode to the plate. And he showed everyone what not folding in the face of adversity looks like, driving his twelfth home run over the wall in right center to tie the game. The Mets put two more runners on base with just one out, raising the possibility that they might take the lead and bring in Wagner to close it out. But neither Nady nor Matsui could get a run home and the game went to the bottom of the ninth tied.
Heilman came in to pitch the ninth and got the first two outs. Then he gave up a triple. He got to 0-2 on the next batter only to plunk him. A walk later and the bases were loaded for Bobby Abreu. Heilman got Abreu to ground the ball weakly in front the plate, but then he decided to field the ball himself and throw it into the outfield, thus ending the game. Someone more conspiratorial than I might suggest Heilman was trying to prove that he's not as valuable to the bullpen as the Mets think, thus earning himself a starting job. But more likely he just had a bad night and ran into some bad luck, resulting in this disappointing ending.
Tomorrow the Mets will try it again, once again sending an excellent pitcher to get the job done. Tom Glavine (4-2, 1.94) gets the start against Cory Lidle (3-3, 4.17). Hopefully the Mets can get to Lidle a little earlier than they did Myers. ¶ joe | 11:33 PM |
