Sunday, June 04, 2006
Giants 6, Mets 4
Mets 3, Giants 2 (11)
Giants 7, Mets 6 (12)
This weekend the Mets lost a series at home for just the second time this season, and the first since the middle of April. After a double header on Saturday which included one extra inning game and another game that lasted past nine on Sunday, the bullpen gave out. But at least a starting pitcher other than the top two pitched well for once.
In Saturday's first game, the El Duque experiment continued not to go well. Orlando Hernandez lasted six innings and gave up five runs on eight hits and three walks while striking out five. One of the walks was intentional, but he was also charged with a balk and was generally ineffective. It seems like he will be given more of a chance to succeed than Jose Lima had, but his first two starts as a Met have not given the impression that he'll last the season in the rotation.
Offensively, the Mets had just six hits and three walks in the first game. David Wright had three of those hits, two of which were doubles. Jose Valentin had a hit and a couple of walks. Jose Reyes had a triple, got hit by a pitch and scored two runs.
The offense was even less productive in the second Saturday game, putting just three runs on the board in eleven innings. Paul Lo Duca had two hits and the slumping Carlos Delgado hit a double. That double and one of Lo Duca's singles came in the eleventh and contributed to the winning run which was scored by pinch runner Lastings Milledge.
The extra inning affair didn't do anything for Tom Glavine's quest for 300 wins, but he pitched well again. He lasted seven innings and gave up just two runs. He allowed seven hits and one walk and struck out three. Two solo home runs accounted for the Giants' runs. It was the second time this season Glavine allowed two home runs in a game and both times he's otherwise limited the damage and the Mets have won the game. Aaron Heilman pitched two scoreless innings and Billy Wagner and Duaner Sanchez pitched one each.
The final score of Sunday's game is in no way indicative of Steve Trachsel's performance, which was very good. He gave up just one run in seven innings on six hits, one walk and one hit batter. Trachsel's been quite inconsistent this season, but one thing he's been able to do with regularity is get the Giants out. The last time he faced them, he gave up one run in six innings. Unfortunately, he will not get another chance to face them this season unless it is in October.
At the time Trachsel left the game, the Mets had provided him with plenty of offense to get the win. A solo home run by Wright and a two-run double by Milledge put the Mets' lead at 3-1 after seven innings. But on this day the Mets' vaunted bullpen was not at its best.
First Sanchez came in and gave up three runs on two hits and three walks while recording just one out. An error by Reyes on a routine double play ball complicated things, but Sanchez was not good. Chad Bradford came in and bailed him out a bit with a quick double play. As you might expect, Wright just hit another home run in the bottom half of the inning to tie things up. It was his tenth of the season.
Wagner pitched a scoreless ninth and we were off to extras again. Then Heilman came in and was less effective. In the top of the tenth, he gave up two runs on four hits. So Valentin and Milledge hit solo home runs in the bottom half against our old friend Armando Benitez. Milledge's was the first of his career, and Valentin's was his fifth of the season. Valentin is now hitting .284/.333/.506 and seems to have removed "second base" from the list of holes on this team. Even at the nadir of its Matsuicity, second base was never the drag on this team that the back of the rotation has been, but having someone playing well there is a nice change.
Pedro Feliciano pitched a perfect eleventh, but he got into trouble in the twelfth allowing a hit and making an error that put a second runner on. After a sacrifice, he left the game with runners on second and third. It was up to Heath Bell to shut down the Giants, and of course that didn't happen. He gave up a hit to the first batter he faced. He got out of the inning without allowing any more runs despite another hit and an intentional walk. But this time the Mets couldn't come back.
Wright's two-home run day was obviously the best offensive performance of the game. But Valentin and Milledge each had a single, a double and a home run and Milledge drew an intentional walk as well. Delgado doubled for the second consecutive game, so perhaps he's beginning to come around.
The Mets (33-22) get no break as they head west to begin a series with the Dodgers (32-25) on Monday. Alay Soler (0-1, 7.36) will start for the Mets with his job likely in jeopardy. Brett Tomko (5-3, 4.38) will start for the Dodgers. ¶ joe | 11:17 PM |
Mets 3, Giants 2 (11)
Giants 7, Mets 6 (12)
This weekend the Mets lost a series at home for just the second time this season, and the first since the middle of April. After a double header on Saturday which included one extra inning game and another game that lasted past nine on Sunday, the bullpen gave out. But at least a starting pitcher other than the top two pitched well for once.
In Saturday's first game, the El Duque experiment continued not to go well. Orlando Hernandez lasted six innings and gave up five runs on eight hits and three walks while striking out five. One of the walks was intentional, but he was also charged with a balk and was generally ineffective. It seems like he will be given more of a chance to succeed than Jose Lima had, but his first two starts as a Met have not given the impression that he'll last the season in the rotation.
Offensively, the Mets had just six hits and three walks in the first game. David Wright had three of those hits, two of which were doubles. Jose Valentin had a hit and a couple of walks. Jose Reyes had a triple, got hit by a pitch and scored two runs.
The offense was even less productive in the second Saturday game, putting just three runs on the board in eleven innings. Paul Lo Duca had two hits and the slumping Carlos Delgado hit a double. That double and one of Lo Duca's singles came in the eleventh and contributed to the winning run which was scored by pinch runner Lastings Milledge.
The extra inning affair didn't do anything for Tom Glavine's quest for 300 wins, but he pitched well again. He lasted seven innings and gave up just two runs. He allowed seven hits and one walk and struck out three. Two solo home runs accounted for the Giants' runs. It was the second time this season Glavine allowed two home runs in a game and both times he's otherwise limited the damage and the Mets have won the game. Aaron Heilman pitched two scoreless innings and Billy Wagner and Duaner Sanchez pitched one each.
The final score of Sunday's game is in no way indicative of Steve Trachsel's performance, which was very good. He gave up just one run in seven innings on six hits, one walk and one hit batter. Trachsel's been quite inconsistent this season, but one thing he's been able to do with regularity is get the Giants out. The last time he faced them, he gave up one run in six innings. Unfortunately, he will not get another chance to face them this season unless it is in October.
At the time Trachsel left the game, the Mets had provided him with plenty of offense to get the win. A solo home run by Wright and a two-run double by Milledge put the Mets' lead at 3-1 after seven innings. But on this day the Mets' vaunted bullpen was not at its best.
First Sanchez came in and gave up three runs on two hits and three walks while recording just one out. An error by Reyes on a routine double play ball complicated things, but Sanchez was not good. Chad Bradford came in and bailed him out a bit with a quick double play. As you might expect, Wright just hit another home run in the bottom half of the inning to tie things up. It was his tenth of the season.
Wagner pitched a scoreless ninth and we were off to extras again. Then Heilman came in and was less effective. In the top of the tenth, he gave up two runs on four hits. So Valentin and Milledge hit solo home runs in the bottom half against our old friend Armando Benitez. Milledge's was the first of his career, and Valentin's was his fifth of the season. Valentin is now hitting .284/.333/.506 and seems to have removed "second base" from the list of holes on this team. Even at the nadir of its Matsuicity, second base was never the drag on this team that the back of the rotation has been, but having someone playing well there is a nice change.
Pedro Feliciano pitched a perfect eleventh, but he got into trouble in the twelfth allowing a hit and making an error that put a second runner on. After a sacrifice, he left the game with runners on second and third. It was up to Heath Bell to shut down the Giants, and of course that didn't happen. He gave up a hit to the first batter he faced. He got out of the inning without allowing any more runs despite another hit and an intentional walk. But this time the Mets couldn't come back.
Wright's two-home run day was obviously the best offensive performance of the game. But Valentin and Milledge each had a single, a double and a home run and Milledge drew an intentional walk as well. Delgado doubled for the second consecutive game, so perhaps he's beginning to come around.
The Mets (33-22) get no break as they head west to begin a series with the Dodgers (32-25) on Monday. Alay Soler (0-1, 7.36) will start for the Mets with his job likely in jeopardy. Brett Tomko (5-3, 4.38) will start for the Dodgers. ¶ joe | 11:17 PM |
