Sunday, June 18, 2006
Orioles 6, Mets 3
Orioles 4, Mets 2
Mets 9, Orioles 4
This is a rather unfamiliar sensation. The Mets lost their second consecutive home series and their third all year after returning home from a highly successful road trip. I suppose the offense can't be spectacular every day. At least the Phillies were kind enough to lose two games this weekend to preserve the nine and a half game gap between the teams.
Things started off well enough as Alay Soler pitched well again on Friday. He pitched six innings and gave up just two runs on four hits and two walks with four strikeouts. And one of the runs was justly unearned due to an error that was charged to Jose Reyes even though it was clearly more Carlos Delgado's fault. Soler now has the best ERA among pitchers currently in the starting rotation at an even 3.00 in five starts. Brian Bannister had a 2.89, also in five starts, before he got hurt, but Soler's doing it in ways that actually make it seem sustainable. His 19:13 K:BB ratio isn't all that impressive, but it sure beats Bannister's 14:17.
When Soler exited the game, he appeared in line for his third win. The Mets put up three runs on just four hits and three walks. Reyes had two of those hits, both doubles, and drove in two runs.
Sadly, the bullpen was not so effective. Aaron Heilman continued his decline into uselessness, allowing four runs in one inning. He allowed two walks and two hits, one of which was a home run, while striking out none. Heath Bell pitched the final two innings without incident, allowing two hits and striking out one. At this point Bell's entrance into a game may be less frightening than Heilman's.
On Saturday neither the starting pitching nor the hitting was quite as good as Pedro Martinez suffered the indignity of losing to Kris Benson. Pedro lasted seven innings and gave up four runs on eight hits and one walk. He struck out five. One of the runs was unearned, but the error was his own. And he somehow gave up a home run to Benson.
The Mets got two runs in the first inning, thanks in part to a Benson error. But after that he held them scoreless, allowing just six hits and one walk in eight innings. Lastings Milledge had two of those hits and a third against reliever Chris Ray. Delgado had two hits and he and Reyes each had a double.
The Mets may not have gotten much in return when they traded Benson, but, this game aside, he appears to be the same old Kris. His 8-5 record is solid and actually represents the best season winning percentage of his career. But the 4.32 ERA is business as usual. If he keeps it up, this will be his fifth straight season with an ERA greater than 4.00 and his sixth in seven major league seasons. The Mets' rotation may be a bit of a shambles, but it's not because they're missing this guy.
Things went considerably better on Sunday despite Tom Glavine struggling again. He gave up four runs in six innings on nine hits, though he walked none and struck out six. But the bullpen pitched well, including Heilman striking out two in a perfect ninth.
It was the offense that carried the club, however. David Wright's fifteen home run of the season, a grand slam, put the Mets on the board in the fifth. They scored five more runs in the next two innings, thanks in part to three seventh-inning errors by the Orioles. Wright had three hits in the game. Ramon Castro started at catcher and hit his third home run. He also threw out Corey Patterson trying to steal, something which has only been done four times all year while Patterson has stolen 28 bases. Castro and Reyes each had two hits. Eli Marrero got the start in right field and had a hit, a walk and two stolen bases.
Up next for the Mets (43-25) is a four-game series against the Reds (37-32), who remain in position to be the Mets' first round playoff opponent by the slim margin of one game. Orlando Hernandez (4-5, 5.50) goes for the Mets in game one. Bronson Arroyo (8-3, 2.51), having an excellent year for his new team, will start for Cincinnati. ¶ joe | 10:29 PM |
Orioles 4, Mets 2
Mets 9, Orioles 4
This is a rather unfamiliar sensation. The Mets lost their second consecutive home series and their third all year after returning home from a highly successful road trip. I suppose the offense can't be spectacular every day. At least the Phillies were kind enough to lose two games this weekend to preserve the nine and a half game gap between the teams.
Things started off well enough as Alay Soler pitched well again on Friday. He pitched six innings and gave up just two runs on four hits and two walks with four strikeouts. And one of the runs was justly unearned due to an error that was charged to Jose Reyes even though it was clearly more Carlos Delgado's fault. Soler now has the best ERA among pitchers currently in the starting rotation at an even 3.00 in five starts. Brian Bannister had a 2.89, also in five starts, before he got hurt, but Soler's doing it in ways that actually make it seem sustainable. His 19:13 K:BB ratio isn't all that impressive, but it sure beats Bannister's 14:17.
When Soler exited the game, he appeared in line for his third win. The Mets put up three runs on just four hits and three walks. Reyes had two of those hits, both doubles, and drove in two runs.
Sadly, the bullpen was not so effective. Aaron Heilman continued his decline into uselessness, allowing four runs in one inning. He allowed two walks and two hits, one of which was a home run, while striking out none. Heath Bell pitched the final two innings without incident, allowing two hits and striking out one. At this point Bell's entrance into a game may be less frightening than Heilman's.
On Saturday neither the starting pitching nor the hitting was quite as good as Pedro Martinez suffered the indignity of losing to Kris Benson. Pedro lasted seven innings and gave up four runs on eight hits and one walk. He struck out five. One of the runs was unearned, but the error was his own. And he somehow gave up a home run to Benson.
The Mets got two runs in the first inning, thanks in part to a Benson error. But after that he held them scoreless, allowing just six hits and one walk in eight innings. Lastings Milledge had two of those hits and a third against reliever Chris Ray. Delgado had two hits and he and Reyes each had a double.
The Mets may not have gotten much in return when they traded Benson, but, this game aside, he appears to be the same old Kris. His 8-5 record is solid and actually represents the best season winning percentage of his career. But the 4.32 ERA is business as usual. If he keeps it up, this will be his fifth straight season with an ERA greater than 4.00 and his sixth in seven major league seasons. The Mets' rotation may be a bit of a shambles, but it's not because they're missing this guy.
Things went considerably better on Sunday despite Tom Glavine struggling again. He gave up four runs in six innings on nine hits, though he walked none and struck out six. But the bullpen pitched well, including Heilman striking out two in a perfect ninth.
It was the offense that carried the club, however. David Wright's fifteen home run of the season, a grand slam, put the Mets on the board in the fifth. They scored five more runs in the next two innings, thanks in part to three seventh-inning errors by the Orioles. Wright had three hits in the game. Ramon Castro started at catcher and hit his third home run. He also threw out Corey Patterson trying to steal, something which has only been done four times all year while Patterson has stolen 28 bases. Castro and Reyes each had two hits. Eli Marrero got the start in right field and had a hit, a walk and two stolen bases.
Up next for the Mets (43-25) is a four-game series against the Reds (37-32), who remain in position to be the Mets' first round playoff opponent by the slim margin of one game. Orlando Hernandez (4-5, 5.50) goes for the Mets in game one. Bronson Arroyo (8-3, 2.51), having an excellent year for his new team, will start for Cincinnati. ¶ joe | 10:29 PM |
