Jose Reyes returns to the lineup after taking a few days off with his injury, and with his return comes a shake-up in the lineup. With Luis Castillo struggling, and after Angel Pagan did a great job replacing the two at the top of the lineup, Castillo drops to 8th in the batting order. However, it is not Pagan batting second, but rather Ryan Church has been moved up into that position.
This would not be as surprising if the Mets were facing a right hander today, as Willie Randolph has put Church above Pagan against some righties. But Odalis Perez, a lefty, will pitch for the Nationals, yet Willie still chose to put the left-handed hitting Church second. It seems like an odd move, but I think Pagan is pretty valuable batting 6th behind Carlos Delgado. I certainly missed his presence lower in the order when he was batting 1st and 2nd. The move also moves Church out from in between the left-handed bats of Delgado and Brian Schneider. I don't know how permanent this will be, so it will be interesting to see what kind of lineup Willie sends out tomorrow.
Of bigger news though is the reactivation of Duaner Sanchez from the DL. Sanchez was a major part of the bullpen's success in 2006, and his absence may have helped lead the bullpen to falter down the stretch in 2007. He last pitched in a Major League game on July 28, 2006. It will be great to see him back.
Carlos Muniz was sent back to the Minors to make room for Sanchez. Muniz did a tremendous job in his three games filling in for Matt Wise, throwing 4 scoreless innings with just 2 hits and 2 strikeouts.
Finally, the Mets will be honoring Jackie Robinson today. All the Mets will be wearing #42.
A recap of last series will come later today. Enjoy the game.
Showing posts with label Angel Pagan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Angel Pagan. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Friday, April 11, 2008
Taking down the Phillies 2-1
Well, we lost the important one, but in the end, the Mets are up 2-1 on the season series against the Phillies.
First up was the emotional Opening Day. Willie Randolph took a lot of heat for his quick hook of Oliver Perez, and his post-game comments regarding why. But I have to side with Willie here, for once. Although he had pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings, he had a lot of control problems throughout. I really don't think he was pitching well that game, although he was getting out of trouble. He came out of the game after throwing 94 pitches, and with runners on 1st and 3rd. It really didn't seem to me like a bad move at the time, and Joe Smith came in to get out of it to keep the Phillies off the board. The move worked, at least for the time being; perhaps Willie was putting too much pressure on the bullpen, but he has to have faith in his guys and not give up on them this early, whereas the fans are free to criticize and see the bullpen as a failure all they want. Anyway, Oliver Perez still hasn't given up a run, or even an extra base hit, in two starts, so that's great to see.
But then, we lost to the Phillies in typical fashion. The bats went to sleep, and the bullpen blew the lead. Scott Schoeneweis loaded the bases in the 7th, but should have gotten out of it, but Carlos Delgado threw a should-be inning-ending double play into Chase Utley's back, and 2 runs would score on the play, with a 3rd later in the inning. Then Aaron Heilman gave up another two in the 8th to give a cushion to the Phillies' lead that they didn't need, and they won 5-2.
Of note though are the two injuries that quietly happened in that game. Luis Castillo exited the game after the 4th inning with soreness in his knee. More importantly, Jimmy Rollins came out in the 8th after injuring his ankle. Neither injury was serious, but both would miss the rest of the series, and considering it was the struggling Castillo compared to the reigning MVP Rollins, that would certainly help us out more.
It turned out that it would help us a lot more. In Game 2, the Mets would score six runs in the third inning, with only one being earned, with help by two errors by Rollins' replacement, Eric Bruntlett. The game was certainly odd, as we scored 8 runs on just 5 hits, with 9 walks and 4 errors from the Phillies. I'll take the win any way we can get it though, and the 8-2 victory to snap the 9 game losing streak against the rivals felt good.
The rubber game was by far the highlight of the series, though. Like Perez, John Maine wasn't at the top of his game, but he got the job done, going 6+ innings while allowing just 1 run on 5 hits, although 5 walks. However, it would be problems for Aaron Heilman once again. He came in in the 8th inning with a 3-1 lead, but immediately gave up a lead-off HR to Ryan Howard. That was followed by a walk, a single, and an RBI groundout to tie the game. It was looking like it would be another typical blown game to the Phillies. But he got out of the inning, and the game would soon be going to extra innings.
It would also soon be time for Scott Schoeneweis to make his appearance. I want to give him a second chance, a fresh start this season. But so far, he has continued to struggle, and has continued to deserve the boos from the home crowd. However, today was hopefully the day when he turns it all around, as he would leave the game to an ovation. He came into the game in the 11th inning with runners on first and second, one out, and the two big lefties coming up for Philadelphia. He got the ground ball from Chase Utley though, and nobody was in Damion Easley's way, so the double play was turned. He also got Ryan Howard out to lead off the 12th. Getting those two batters out is obviously a big key to beating this team, and especially getting Utley out in that situation was huge. Hopefully Mets fans won't be so quick to boo him next time.
Finally, the game would end in the 12th, and what more can be said about Angel Pagan. After a two out double by Jose Reyes, Pagan lined one up the middle to bring Reyes home in a close play at the plate to end the game and give the Mets the 4-3 win. I, and most Mets fans, had high hopes for him replacing Moises Alou after a great Spring Training, and he is far exceeding expectations. After the 3-5 day with 2 runs scored an an RBI, he is now batting .370 with 9 RBIs, both leading the team, as well as 8 runs, which is tied for Delgado at the top. It's going to be tough to take him out when Alou comes back, but with what Alou can bring, and as good as Ryan Church has been playing as well, it's going to be tough to keep him in. With all the problems on this team though, this is a welcome one, for sure.
And what more can be said about Shane Victorino. While not as flashy as the big three of Rollins, Howard, and Utley, I saw him last year as a great complement to them. He just seemed to do everything right to beat us, between finding ways to get on base, great baserunning, and great fielding. He earned a spot on my fantasy baseball team this season, which is saying a lot considering how much he made me hate him last year. Although he's started off slumping at the plate, he proved to be an extremely dangerous force in the outfield, especially now moving to CF with after Aaron Rowand left. Atlanta may have let Andruw Jones go, but now there is Shane Victorino in Philadelphia.
First up was the emotional Opening Day. Willie Randolph took a lot of heat for his quick hook of Oliver Perez, and his post-game comments regarding why. But I have to side with Willie here, for once. Although he had pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings, he had a lot of control problems throughout. I really don't think he was pitching well that game, although he was getting out of trouble. He came out of the game after throwing 94 pitches, and with runners on 1st and 3rd. It really didn't seem to me like a bad move at the time, and Joe Smith came in to get out of it to keep the Phillies off the board. The move worked, at least for the time being; perhaps Willie was putting too much pressure on the bullpen, but he has to have faith in his guys and not give up on them this early, whereas the fans are free to criticize and see the bullpen as a failure all they want. Anyway, Oliver Perez still hasn't given up a run, or even an extra base hit, in two starts, so that's great to see.
But then, we lost to the Phillies in typical fashion. The bats went to sleep, and the bullpen blew the lead. Scott Schoeneweis loaded the bases in the 7th, but should have gotten out of it, but Carlos Delgado threw a should-be inning-ending double play into Chase Utley's back, and 2 runs would score on the play, with a 3rd later in the inning. Then Aaron Heilman gave up another two in the 8th to give a cushion to the Phillies' lead that they didn't need, and they won 5-2.
Of note though are the two injuries that quietly happened in that game. Luis Castillo exited the game after the 4th inning with soreness in his knee. More importantly, Jimmy Rollins came out in the 8th after injuring his ankle. Neither injury was serious, but both would miss the rest of the series, and considering it was the struggling Castillo compared to the reigning MVP Rollins, that would certainly help us out more.
It turned out that it would help us a lot more. In Game 2, the Mets would score six runs in the third inning, with only one being earned, with help by two errors by Rollins' replacement, Eric Bruntlett. The game was certainly odd, as we scored 8 runs on just 5 hits, with 9 walks and 4 errors from the Phillies. I'll take the win any way we can get it though, and the 8-2 victory to snap the 9 game losing streak against the rivals felt good.
The rubber game was by far the highlight of the series, though. Like Perez, John Maine wasn't at the top of his game, but he got the job done, going 6+ innings while allowing just 1 run on 5 hits, although 5 walks. However, it would be problems for Aaron Heilman once again. He came in in the 8th inning with a 3-1 lead, but immediately gave up a lead-off HR to Ryan Howard. That was followed by a walk, a single, and an RBI groundout to tie the game. It was looking like it would be another typical blown game to the Phillies. But he got out of the inning, and the game would soon be going to extra innings.
It would also soon be time for Scott Schoeneweis to make his appearance. I want to give him a second chance, a fresh start this season. But so far, he has continued to struggle, and has continued to deserve the boos from the home crowd. However, today was hopefully the day when he turns it all around, as he would leave the game to an ovation. He came into the game in the 11th inning with runners on first and second, one out, and the two big lefties coming up for Philadelphia. He got the ground ball from Chase Utley though, and nobody was in Damion Easley's way, so the double play was turned. He also got Ryan Howard out to lead off the 12th. Getting those two batters out is obviously a big key to beating this team, and especially getting Utley out in that situation was huge. Hopefully Mets fans won't be so quick to boo him next time.
Finally, the game would end in the 12th, and what more can be said about Angel Pagan. After a two out double by Jose Reyes, Pagan lined one up the middle to bring Reyes home in a close play at the plate to end the game and give the Mets the 4-3 win. I, and most Mets fans, had high hopes for him replacing Moises Alou after a great Spring Training, and he is far exceeding expectations. After the 3-5 day with 2 runs scored an an RBI, he is now batting .370 with 9 RBIs, both leading the team, as well as 8 runs, which is tied for Delgado at the top. It's going to be tough to take him out when Alou comes back, but with what Alou can bring, and as good as Ryan Church has been playing as well, it's going to be tough to keep him in. With all the problems on this team though, this is a welcome one, for sure.
And what more can be said about Shane Victorino. While not as flashy as the big three of Rollins, Howard, and Utley, I saw him last year as a great complement to them. He just seemed to do everything right to beat us, between finding ways to get on base, great baserunning, and great fielding. He earned a spot on my fantasy baseball team this season, which is saying a lot considering how much he made me hate him last year. Although he's started off slumping at the plate, he proved to be an extremely dangerous force in the outfield, especially now moving to CF with after Aaron Rowand left. Atlanta may have let Andruw Jones go, but now there is Shane Victorino in Philadelphia.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Johan, Pedro, and winning the first series.
This is the first in what should be a season-long series of posts in which I recap and discuss the Mets' previous series. In addition to what I think about what the Mets did, I will also look a little bit about what I think of the opposing team.
First off, Opening Day. It felt like a long time coming. The pitching match-up was Johan Santana against Mark Hendrickson and the Marlins. As I wrote earlier, it's hard to get worried about that match-up, but on the other hand, it would just be that much worse if we lost. But the "$137 million eraser," as Ron Darling put it, removed the lingering feelings from last season.
Johan was great. Pitching 7 innings, he gave up 2 runs, all on one HR, and just 3 hits, with 8 strikeouts. Asking for anything more from him, especially on Opening Day, would just be greedy. The home run, of course, is something to think about though, as he has had a bit of a problem keeping the ball in the park, despite his tremendous success in the past. That is one reason why I'm really looking forward to seeing what he can do with the Mets, with a home stadium that tends to keep fly balls contained. Coming from the hitter's park in Minnesota - besides just facing a National League lineup - that factor could really make his numbers look even better.
With all the excitement building up to Opening Day, and then the results, Monday was a wonderful day. Not only did the Mets win 7-2 on a great performance by Santana, but the Phillies were 0-1, the Braves were 0-2, and the Yankees had their home opener rained out.
Oh, how quickly moods can change.
Pedro Martinez began Game 2 by hitting Hanley Ramirez, then giving up a 2-run HR to Dan Uggla. Then he gave up a solo HR to Luis Gonzalez and an RBI triple to Ramirez in the 2nd inning. Pedro was struggling. But then, with one grab of the hamstring, things were so much worse. He left giving up 4 runs and 4 hits in 3 1/3 innings, an ERA of 10.80. The news would come the next day that he would be out at least 4-6 weeks with a mild strained hamstring.
The Mets got back into the game though as their bullpen kept the Marlins off the scoreboard, tying it 4-4. But in the end, the unlikely hero was Robert Andino, as he hit the walk-off HR off Matt Wise in the 10th. After all the excitement of the day before, all I could feel on this day was depression. The mood had completely changed. I don't think the loss of Pedro will hurt too bad as far as our win-loss record is concerned, but it certainly stings mentally and emotionally.
What better way to relieve the pain though than a 13-0 victory the following day to win the series. Oliver Perez was brilliant, throwing 6 shutout innings, also with 8 strikeouts. Already with a 10-0 lead, there was no need to stretch him out any further in his first start. Nelson Figueroa (Pedro's replacement on the roster), Pedro Feliciano, and Billy Wagner all got their first innings of work of this season in a no-pressure situation. The dominating win should definitely make the players feel better as they travel to Philadelphia. A loss could have really hurt, after what happened the day before.
The pitching outside of Pedro was obviously great. The offense was pretty good, too, though. You can't say enough about Angel Pagan right now, stepping up into the 6th spot in the lineup with Moises Alou out. He went 4-for-10 with 4 RBIs and 4 runs scored in the series, getting us started in each of the first two games. Other new acquisitions Ryan Church and Brian Schneider also did a great job. Carlos Delgado struggled in the first two games, but he went 2-for-5 with an RBI yesterday, so I won't give up on him yet. All the way up and down the lineup, we performed pretty well, obviously, with 24 runs scored.
The Marlins certainly lost a lot with Miguel Cabrera and Met-killer Dontrelle Willis being traded away to Detroit. They still remain a team that I don't feel comfortable playing, though. They have a lot of solid young talent that can burn you throughout the whole lineup. But I think, like last season, it may not matter, as you can just hope to put up more runs than they do with that shaky pitching staff.
First off, Opening Day. It felt like a long time coming. The pitching match-up was Johan Santana against Mark Hendrickson and the Marlins. As I wrote earlier, it's hard to get worried about that match-up, but on the other hand, it would just be that much worse if we lost. But the "$137 million eraser," as Ron Darling put it, removed the lingering feelings from last season.
Johan was great. Pitching 7 innings, he gave up 2 runs, all on one HR, and just 3 hits, with 8 strikeouts. Asking for anything more from him, especially on Opening Day, would just be greedy. The home run, of course, is something to think about though, as he has had a bit of a problem keeping the ball in the park, despite his tremendous success in the past. That is one reason why I'm really looking forward to seeing what he can do with the Mets, with a home stadium that tends to keep fly balls contained. Coming from the hitter's park in Minnesota - besides just facing a National League lineup - that factor could really make his numbers look even better.
With all the excitement building up to Opening Day, and then the results, Monday was a wonderful day. Not only did the Mets win 7-2 on a great performance by Santana, but the Phillies were 0-1, the Braves were 0-2, and the Yankees had their home opener rained out.
Oh, how quickly moods can change.
Pedro Martinez began Game 2 by hitting Hanley Ramirez, then giving up a 2-run HR to Dan Uggla. Then he gave up a solo HR to Luis Gonzalez and an RBI triple to Ramirez in the 2nd inning. Pedro was struggling. But then, with one grab of the hamstring, things were so much worse. He left giving up 4 runs and 4 hits in 3 1/3 innings, an ERA of 10.80. The news would come the next day that he would be out at least 4-6 weeks with a mild strained hamstring.
The Mets got back into the game though as their bullpen kept the Marlins off the scoreboard, tying it 4-4. But in the end, the unlikely hero was Robert Andino, as he hit the walk-off HR off Matt Wise in the 10th. After all the excitement of the day before, all I could feel on this day was depression. The mood had completely changed. I don't think the loss of Pedro will hurt too bad as far as our win-loss record is concerned, but it certainly stings mentally and emotionally.
What better way to relieve the pain though than a 13-0 victory the following day to win the series. Oliver Perez was brilliant, throwing 6 shutout innings, also with 8 strikeouts. Already with a 10-0 lead, there was no need to stretch him out any further in his first start. Nelson Figueroa (Pedro's replacement on the roster), Pedro Feliciano, and Billy Wagner all got their first innings of work of this season in a no-pressure situation. The dominating win should definitely make the players feel better as they travel to Philadelphia. A loss could have really hurt, after what happened the day before.
The pitching outside of Pedro was obviously great. The offense was pretty good, too, though. You can't say enough about Angel Pagan right now, stepping up into the 6th spot in the lineup with Moises Alou out. He went 4-for-10 with 4 RBIs and 4 runs scored in the series, getting us started in each of the first two games. Other new acquisitions Ryan Church and Brian Schneider also did a great job. Carlos Delgado struggled in the first two games, but he went 2-for-5 with an RBI yesterday, so I won't give up on him yet. All the way up and down the lineup, we performed pretty well, obviously, with 24 runs scored.
The Marlins certainly lost a lot with Miguel Cabrera and Met-killer Dontrelle Willis being traded away to Detroit. They still remain a team that I don't feel comfortable playing, though. They have a lot of solid young talent that can burn you throughout the whole lineup. But I think, like last season, it may not matter, as you can just hope to put up more runs than they do with that shaky pitching staff.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Moises Alou out 4-6 weeks
It has begun. Injuries have been the big story this Spring Training for the Mets, and now we know for sure that one key player will be out at the start of the season. And it's really no surprise who (sorry to those who bet on El Duque, though).
Moises Alou is expected to be out for four to six weeks for hernia surgery.
Probable replacement Endy Chavez has yet to play in a Spring Training game as he is also currently dealing with an injury. However, he should be seeing some action soon, so hopefully he will be able to take over in left field by the start of the regular season.
This certainly also opens the door for Angel Pagan to make the Opening Day roster. He got some Major League experience the last two seasons with the Cubs, and has been very impressive so far in Spring Training. He may very well have been earning the last bench spot on the roster anyway, but the Mets now need to have another outfielder for Opening Day.
Moises Alou is expected to be out for four to six weeks for hernia surgery.
Probable replacement Endy Chavez has yet to play in a Spring Training game as he is also currently dealing with an injury. However, he should be seeing some action soon, so hopefully he will be able to take over in left field by the start of the regular season.
This certainly also opens the door for Angel Pagan to make the Opening Day roster. He got some Major League experience the last two seasons with the Cubs, and has been very impressive so far in Spring Training. He may very well have been earning the last bench spot on the roster anyway, but the Mets now need to have another outfielder for Opening Day.
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