Sunday, July 30, 2006
Mets 6, Braves 4
Mets 11, Braves 3
Mets 10, Braves 6
Well, that was some run the Braves had, eh? Fourteen straight division titles (if you don't count 1994). Undefeated in NL East competition. Ten straight playoff appearances without winning a World Series. Wait, that last one's not so impressive. But anyway, it's over now.
The Mets got their ace back on Friday but wound up sweeping the Braves via pummeling. They scored twenty-seven runs to overcome some difficulties with their pitching and defense. But even the starting pitching had its moments.
Pedro Martinez got knocked around early, giving up four runs in the first inning on Friday. But he was excellent thereafter. He gave up four hits and a walk in the first and just one hit and one walk in the next five innings. He struck out just two batters along the way, but after getting that rough first inning out of the way, he gave plenty of reason to believe that it is the real Pedro who has returned to the Mets.
The offense was just getting warmed up on Friday as the scored a mere six runs on ten hits and five walks. David Wright and Jose Reyes each homered. Wright, Carlos Beltran and Julio Franco each had two hits. Wright's other hit was a double and Pedro contributed a double of his own.
On Saturday the offense provided a bit more room for error, scoring eleven runs on fifteen hits and five walks. Paul Lo Duca had four hits including a double, really hampering my ability to make fun of him. He was still overshadowed by Beltran who hit two home runs. Franco, Cliff Floyd and Endy Chavez each had two hits as well.
The beneficiary of all of this offense was Orlando Hernandez who had a pretty good day himself. He allowed three runs in eight innings, but all were unearned. He gave up just three hits, didn't walk anyone and struck out seven. Hernandez has had a handful of really terrible starts since coming to the Mets, but he's also had several excellent outings like this one. If he keeps up this pattern, I expect he will get to start a game or two in October and it will be hard to argue with that decision.
Also likely to pitch a playoff game or two is Tom Glavine who did not fare well on Sunday. He lasted just four innings and gave up six runs on ten hits and three walks, striking out three. Glavine really hasn't been much more than adequate since early May and often he's been quite a bit worse than that. And I will just say that Tom Glavine pitching like a forty year old finesse pitcher is not the kind of thing I want to see in October.
But I suppose if the Mets can score ten runs every day, things might work out all right. Beltran continued his assault on Todd Hundley's single season franchise record of 41 home runs with two more in this game to give him 32 on the year. Carlos Delgado also hit his twenty-sixth of the year on Sunday, leaving him nearly on pace to claim the second spot on the Mets' all-time list between Beltran and Hundley. Wright, who hit his twenty-fifth on Friday, has some catching up to do. Wright did have two hits in this game, as did Xavier Nady and Jose Valentin. But Reyes had three and Delgado had four, adding two doubles to his home run.
The Mets (63-41) will take a day off before resuming their whupping of the NL East. They'll begin a three game series in Florida against the Marlins (48-56) on Tuesday with Mike Pelfrey (2-1, 5.28) on the mound. The Marlins, who have lost three straight to the white flag-waving Phillies will start Scott Olsen (9-4, 3.79). ¶ joe | 11:15 PM |
Mets 11, Braves 3
Mets 10, Braves 6
Well, that was some run the Braves had, eh? Fourteen straight division titles (if you don't count 1994). Undefeated in NL East competition. Ten straight playoff appearances without winning a World Series. Wait, that last one's not so impressive. But anyway, it's over now.
The Mets got their ace back on Friday but wound up sweeping the Braves via pummeling. They scored twenty-seven runs to overcome some difficulties with their pitching and defense. But even the starting pitching had its moments.
Pedro Martinez got knocked around early, giving up four runs in the first inning on Friday. But he was excellent thereafter. He gave up four hits and a walk in the first and just one hit and one walk in the next five innings. He struck out just two batters along the way, but after getting that rough first inning out of the way, he gave plenty of reason to believe that it is the real Pedro who has returned to the Mets.
The offense was just getting warmed up on Friday as the scored a mere six runs on ten hits and five walks. David Wright and Jose Reyes each homered. Wright, Carlos Beltran and Julio Franco each had two hits. Wright's other hit was a double and Pedro contributed a double of his own.
On Saturday the offense provided a bit more room for error, scoring eleven runs on fifteen hits and five walks. Paul Lo Duca had four hits including a double, really hampering my ability to make fun of him. He was still overshadowed by Beltran who hit two home runs. Franco, Cliff Floyd and Endy Chavez each had two hits as well.
The beneficiary of all of this offense was Orlando Hernandez who had a pretty good day himself. He allowed three runs in eight innings, but all were unearned. He gave up just three hits, didn't walk anyone and struck out seven. Hernandez has had a handful of really terrible starts since coming to the Mets, but he's also had several excellent outings like this one. If he keeps up this pattern, I expect he will get to start a game or two in October and it will be hard to argue with that decision.
Also likely to pitch a playoff game or two is Tom Glavine who did not fare well on Sunday. He lasted just four innings and gave up six runs on ten hits and three walks, striking out three. Glavine really hasn't been much more than adequate since early May and often he's been quite a bit worse than that. And I will just say that Tom Glavine pitching like a forty year old finesse pitcher is not the kind of thing I want to see in October.
But I suppose if the Mets can score ten runs every day, things might work out all right. Beltran continued his assault on Todd Hundley's single season franchise record of 41 home runs with two more in this game to give him 32 on the year. Carlos Delgado also hit his twenty-sixth of the year on Sunday, leaving him nearly on pace to claim the second spot on the Mets' all-time list between Beltran and Hundley. Wright, who hit his twenty-fifth on Friday, has some catching up to do. Wright did have two hits in this game, as did Xavier Nady and Jose Valentin. But Reyes had three and Delgado had four, adding two doubles to his home run.
The Mets (63-41) will take a day off before resuming their whupping of the NL East. They'll begin a three game series in Florida against the Marlins (48-56) on Tuesday with Mike Pelfrey (2-1, 5.28) on the mound. The Marlins, who have lost three straight to the white flag-waving Phillies will start Scott Olsen (9-4, 3.79). ¶ joe | 11:15 PM |
