The Daily News had its priorities straight as they made sure to feature the Mets on the back page instead of NY/NJ getting the Superbowl in 2010 (of course the front cover featured the Superbowl). Anyway, here's the back page:
(NY Post)
Some quick hits to go with your Wednesday morning Chocolate Chip Bagels:
2) Jose Jose Jose Jose. Jose. Jose. It was great last night to see Reyes come alive again with three hits including a triple and two stolen bases. Thanks to that triple, I have a feeling teams might start to play him farther back now, which will give Reyes a better chance to hit singles, and cause more problems on the base paths.
3) Francoeur came alive with two RBI's last night. Bay wasn't stellar (1-5), but he also drove in a run as the Mets offense is putting it together now.
4) With last night's win, the Mets are at .500 and tied with the Nationals for forth in the division. Four teams in the division are now separated by one game and the Phillies lead from top to bottom now by only 4 games. Things are getting close again.
The Mets took two of three from the Yankees, and three of their last four to get to the Phillies. Last time these two teams met, the Mets just took over first place in the division and the Phillies were floundering. Then the Phillies took two of three from the Mets and since then, the Phillies have been amazing, while the Mets have not. Also since then, the Mets have gone through a series of controversies, and the Phillies have accused the Mets (for really no reason) of cheating. This series means something now. Well, it always meant something. But now its beyond just beating the Phillies because they are in our division, but they called out the Mets character and now its time to strike back on the diamond.
R.A. Dickey will get the nod over Valdes tonight. The Mets are hoping that not only does he replicate his last start (6 innings, 2 ER) but that he also replicates what Tim Wakefield, a friend of his, did the Phils this weekend (8.0 innings, 5 H, 0 ER). Dickey hasn't seen many of the current Phillies since he spent a lot of time in the American League, but there are a few batters who are slightly familiar to familiar to our starter tonight:
The Phillies will try to tame the recently hitting Mets lineup with Jamie Moyer. Moyer was the opposing pitcher during the Santana game a few weeks ago. Any other Santana outing, Moyer would have been stuck with the loss as he allowed 5 ER and 6 hits over 6.0 innings, including two homers. On the season he is 5-3 with a 4.30 ERA. When the Mets last saw him, he was really struggling (his ERA was 5.70 after that game) but two of his last three starts have been very good including a complete game shutout. The Mets have been able to put these numbers on Moyer over the years:
Lets Go Mets! Beat The Phils!
*21/50 is not only Wright's average against Moyer, it was also the average score on the Quantum Mechanics final I took about two weeks ago. I'm not sure what that says about the final or about David Wright, but it was interesting to see that number pop up again in my life.
The Mets are a team right now that are at the cusp of a turn around but they are also battling a controversy, another controversy, yet another controversy and finally another controversy. They have received three straight games of good starting pitching and they also have a lineup that might be heating up. However, just in case they need it, they have something to bond over.
Do you remember that? It wasn't too long ago fellows. As pointed out by Metstradamus today (where I have copied the entire quote above from), this is something that cannot stand. Metstradamus says that retaliation has to happen, and I agree. He cites the whole incident in 2007 with Reyes' one finger in the air, and how the Phillies used that as bullitan board material. He talks about how this must be a bigger deal than that. Once again, I agree.
Look it has been said many times this season that Baseball needs the Mets to be good so that this rivalry means something. Well thanks to Charlie, the Mets do not need to be good for this rivalry to mean something.
(If you thing Strawberry came on strong about the Mets being in last place and how they are better than that, then well this is going to appear a lot stronger)
Mets players, Charlie here has gone beyond just normal teasing and playing that goes on between teams. He has called you out, NOT rightfully so, as cheaters. Thats right, he is challenging your integrity of playing this game. Why? Because his team was basically CAUGHT cheating. Instead of claiming innocence, or accepting, he has deflected that to you, the New York Mets, because you guys win games at home. There is no evidence of you cheating. So what are you going to do about it? This is the time to make a stand against the Phillies and well, their cheating ways. Play with grit tonight, tomorrow, and the next day and show them that you play the game justly and you play it with justice. Beat the Phillies. Not just because they are in first place, not just because they are divisional and geographical rivals but because they have challenged your respect for the game of baseball and your character as individuals.
Side Note: Please check out the article at Metstradamus. He talks about this issue to, and the importance of retaliating for the words that Charlie spewed.
Some quick hits to go with your Tuesday Morning Cheese Danish:
2) Did yesterday feel strange to you too? It was the first off day the Mets have had for 17 straight games.
3) There were actually only 4 games last night in the majors, so a pretty quiet night.
4) The Red Sox have really started to heat up. They took the first game from the Rays last night and now they are 4 games over .500.
Based on how the Empire State Building was let for the start of the Subway Series, this seems to be a pretty good prediction of what it will look like tonight in celebration of the New York Mets:
In a season that seems to have different turning points at every few weeks (for example the Ike Davis Debut and then the back to back disastrous losses to the Phillies) the Mets may have reached another turning point to the season last night.
Last night's game marked the first time in the season that the Mets have won the rubber match in a series. It also marks the third night in a row that the Mets recieved good starting pitching. Jason Bay had a tremedous night at the plate, also hitting two homers, tripling his season numbers. After dropping a game decided by one run, the Mets have cashed in on back to back save opportunities.
All of this has been done with a lot of pressure, controversy and problems with this team. 3/5 of the starting rotation is out now either due to injury or incompetence. Castillo could be injured. Jerry's job comes in and out of good standing. Maine has talked back. Is Wright striking out too much (despite his good power numbers and great RBI numbers)?
The main question being proposed here is if this is another turning point to the season. The answer will come starting on Tuesday. The Mets will send out Dickey (or maybe Valdes) against the Phillies, as the Mets injured rotation will try to battle through against the fighting Phillies. If the Mets can take this series, then they could be on there way again of making a run. Two of three games would put the Mets right back at .500 for the season.
Side Note: Santana has a 3.41 ERA on the year over 63.1 innings. However if you take out the start against the Phillies, well those numbers dive to be around 2.11 ERA. Nice.
The Empire State Building will not have any white on it tonight! With the Mets win last night, they took the first three game set of the 2010 Subway Series thus also taking the colors of the Empire State Building. Oh, and the New York Papers had something to say about it:
(NY Post)
(NY Daily News)
Some quick hits to go with your Monday morning Co-Co Puffs:
2) Once again, by the end of the game, the Mets had to make it interesting but Krod was able to rise from the mess caused by himself and Igarashi and close out the game.
3) Jason Bay! After a 4 hit, 3 run night, he tripled the amount of homers he had on the season by knocking in two homers, 3 RBI, and added a walk and hit by pitch.
4) In his last four games, Wright has 7 RBI.
We have all heard the expression before, “tailor made double play ball” but what a “tailor made national broadcast game” that ESPN will be getting tonight. They have one of the more notable series in Interleague play, the Subway Series, and for this game they have the two biggest names in the rotation going at each other in CC Sabathia and Johan Santana.
Santana (3-2, 3.72 ERA) has been like the Santana of old in his last two starts as he has pitched 14.0 innings with a 1.29 ERA. In his last three starts, he has made through the seventh inning or beyond, which is what the bullpen of this team really needs. What the team will really like though is if he doesn't repeat his performance from last year. Last season Santana went out there, pitched 3 innings and allowed 9 ER. The Yankees have these stats against Santana lifetime:
CC (4-2, 3.43) is coming off his best start in a while where he went 7 innings and allowed one run. In his last three starts (and this shows how much he has been struggling lately) he has pitched 17.2 innings allowing 10 ER. Actually, when you go through his game log, he doesn't have many averages games. He has either been brilliant or has been terrible. He made one start against last year where he picked up the win in 7 innings of work allowing 1 ER. The Mets have these numbers against him:
Lets Go Mets!