213 Miles From Shea

The Mets rebounded from the loss to open the series with a come from behind, walk off (walk) win to take the second game of the season and put themselves in a position to take their forth series in a row. The Met showed important fight last night which has been a recent development with this team. That being said, the Braves are mad and they will be playing hard in the early afternoon game in Flushing. The Mets will be sending up Niese while the Braves will be sending out Jo-Jo Reyes.

Niese's best start of his young carear was against the Braves last year where he went 8.0 scorless innings allowing 6 hits, 2 walks and struck out 7 on his way to a win in a crucial game for the Mets. His last start was also very good as he lasted 6.0 IP allowing 7 hits, 2 ER, 0 BB and 5 K. Like I said last time, his success seams to be critically based on his strikeout to walk ratio. The more he strikes out the better he does or in other words, he pitches a lot better when there are no runners on base (which almost feels obvious to write). Anyway, here are some Braves stats against Niese:
     Infante 0-4
     Johnson 2-4, 2B
     Prado 0-4
     Francoeur 2-2
     Kotchman 1-3
The Mets were able to keep the Braves offense in check last night mostly due to their lack of major mistakes on the field. If they keep that up again, paried with effective pitching, then they should be able to lock the Braves down again, but that of course will be contigent on their offense's ability to score and produce runs.

To win, the Mets will have to deal with Reyes who is 0-2 on the season with a 5.48 ERA over 4 games, 23.0 IP, 14 ER, 9 BB, 20 K. In his last two games pitched he is 0-2 over 10.1 IP and has given up 12 ER, so he has been struggling as of late. Last year against the Mets he pitched three games with a 0-1 record and a 8.74 ERA over 11.1 IP, 5 BB, and 8 K. The Mets have had success on him in the past but as the Mets have demonstrated time and time again this year that doesn't matter. Here are the numbers the Mets have posted against Reyes:
     Reyes 3-5, 2 HR
     Beltran 3-6, 2B
     Wright 2-5, 2B, HR
     Tatis 2-4, 2B
Even though the Mets have been getting caught stealing a lot (or more, Wright has been caught a lot) the aggresiveness has been paying off. Stealing has been leading to intentional walks, distracted pitchers and bad pitches and this has been the trend so far in May. Reyes is already a frustrated pitcher right now, and anything else that can fluster him would be very good. Lets Go Mets! Lets take this series! Beat the Braves!

The Mets try to bounce back from that terrible loss last night and
try to get back in the win column with another game with the Braves
tonight. Last nights loss ended the seven game winning streak but what
we have to remember, and more importantly, what this team needs to
remember is that they did have a 7 game winning streak meaning they can
start again right here and start another one. This game will feature
Mike Pelfrey and Jurrjens.

Mike Pelfrey is 4-0 on the season over 5 games and a 5.46 ERA. In
his last two games he has been playing better with a 2-0 record over
12.1 IP, 6 ER, 5 BB and 0 K. Thats right, he has not struck out anyone
in last two starts, both against Philly and he got the win both times.
Last year vs Atlanta he was 1-2 with a 6.19 ERA over 4 games and 24.1
IP, 13 BB and 8 K. What we have to remember about that is two of those
starts were terrible and were at the start of the year when Mike was
terrible, before he got his swagger back. Anyway, here are some numbers
the Braves have on Pelfrey:

McCann 6-17, 4 2B
Francoeur 6-16, 3 2B, 3B
Johnson 4-15
Jones 3-10
Escobar 1-4
Kotchman 0-6

The Mets will have to deal with Jurrjens on the mound today who has
been doing a lot better than his record suggests. He is 3-2 on the
season but the really story is his 2.01 ERA over 7 games, which is very
good. In his last two he had a 1-1 record with 9.0 IP, 3 ER, 4 K and 2
BB. Against the Mets last year he was 2-1 with a 4.00 ERA over 18.0 IP,
9 BB and 5 K. Here are some Mets numbers against him, and I am warning
you now, they are not pretty:

Reyes 2-9
Beltran 1-7
Wright 2-8, HR
Murphy 1-3
Tatis 2-3

The Mets have to go back to playing smart baseball tonight. That
means not only do they need to hit and pitch well but they need to do
other things right as well, like field right. If their defense comes
back tonight then they will play much better and then they can worry
about the other aspects that makes them a good team on the field. Lets
Go Mets! Beat the Braves!

The Mets will play again today as they open up a series with the Braves tonight at Citi Field in a much anticipated game. The Mets have now won 7 games straight and a week ago, things were not looking so good for them, but they got this streak started with the Braves and they hope to continue it against the Braves tonight and its going to be a much tougher Braves team they face tonight as the Braves have recently gotten McCann back , who is a huge part of that offense. However, that is not why this game is anticipated. This is ace vs ace, Johan vs Lowe as the two clash with two very different identical 4-1 records. This is the man we passed up on, and the Mets hope to show tonight they made the right move.

Santana has been unbelievable this year so far and he looks to continue that tonight as he brings in his 4-1 record over 6 games with 39.2 IP, 12 BB and an amazing 54 K. Against the Braves last year he was 0-2 but during that time he pitched 2.57 ERA baseball over 21.0 IP, with 2 BB and 8 K. Here are the stats the Braves have put up on Santana:
     Anderson 6-25, 5 K
     Infante 2-24, 7 K
     Diaz 8-15, 2B, HR
     Johnson 6-14, 2B
     Francoeur 1-13
     Jones 5-11
    McCann 5-13
The key for Santana tonight is to get the outs that are almost automatic for him and then keeping Chipper and McCann down. If there is an offensive explosion tonight, you can bet that Chipper and McCann will be behhind it. Santana will also be looking for a luxary that he has not had so far this year and that is run Support as he won a 1-0 game his last time out (exciting, but not something he hopes to repeat, which in a strange way is funny because it has happened twice this season now).

The Mets bats will have to deal with Lowe who is 4-1 on the season over 40.2 IP and with a 3.98 ERA. In his last two games he has pitched 11.2 innings and has had a 6.17 ERA. He didn't pitch against the Mets in 2008 but in 07 he went 0-1 over 2 games and 4.0 IP where he allowed 8 earned runs, walked 3, and struck out one. Here are the numbers the Mets have against Lowe:
     Delgado 8-26, 4 2B, HR
     Beltran 3-23
     Sheff 8-17, 2 2B, 2 HR
     Chuch 2-5
     Wright 3-5, 2B
     Reyes 1-2
The offense has been on a roll as of late and it would be nice of them to continue that for Santana tonight. Reyes and Wright have been heating up and the rest of the lineup has remained hot. Church started to get out of his slump yesterday but I have a feeling that Sheff is going to play somewhere today. I am very excited for this game today. Lets Go Mets! Beat the Braves!

That title seems very awkward, so I need to describe it in more detail. What the Pirates represented this weekend was the Mets of April and the Mets were, well not only the Mets of May but the Mets the way we thought they were supposed to play. The Pirates today had so many men on base, especially with RISP, and they couldn't cash in. Their starters struggled and their pen struggled at the worst times for the team. They failed at getting stolen bases and really looked a mess.

Everything the Pirates did wrong this weekend and today the Mets did right. That is the way the Mets not only have to play against teams like the Pirates but have to play to get into the playoffs this year. They are really playing well and things are going their way. For example, these late inning score bursts are very good for the team moral because they help the team put the game away. Speaking of that, Beltran and Delgado are crushing the ball and doing a very good job of that. Wright has returned to being the RBI machine we knew he could be and then there is Reyes.

Over the last few days Reyes has turned it on again and is back to the spark that we need him to be. He stole his tenth base of the season today which is also 300 for his carear (congrats Jose!).

Livan struggled but he was able to get key outs when he needed to and in my opinion he has really been a surprise so far this year. He owes a lot today to Santos who not only had a key two RBI single but also threw out a batter trying to steal to get Livan out of a jam. Overall, the team is playing fantastic and lets keep this streak going against the Braves. Lets Go Mets!

The Mets try for (I have lost count now and don't want to be reminded) to sweep a three game series but this time they are doing it with momentum behind them. They have now won 6 straight and 7 of their last 8 and they will face a Pirates team that has now lost 7 straight. The main weakness the Mets have had this season so far, and it has been one they have had for a few seasons now, is the ability to crush a team to the ground by getting the sweep. The Pirates are a team the Mets should beat, so lets hope this happens. The Mets will be sending out Hernandez, off of a great outing his last time out out and he will be facing Ian Snell who is brilliant at times but unless you are brilliant all the time with the Pirates, the pitching record (1-4) will not reflect it.

Hernandez is 2-1 on the season over his last 5 games with a 5.53 ERA over 27.2 IP. In his last game he pitched 6.1 innings allowing 7 hits, allowed one run, walked 2, and struck out 2. The last time he faced the Pirates was 2007 and he lasted 4.0 IP, allowing 10 H and 4 ER on his way to a loss. I feel like I always say this when Livan pitches but he is often placed against young teams, which is something the Pirates are now. Young players generally struggle against Hernandez because he is very tempting and he can get to the impatientce of youth. Here are some numbers the Pirates have against Livan:
     Adam LaRoche: 7-27, 4 2B, HR
     Vazquez 3-19, 2 2B, 3B
     Hinske 5-20, 2B, HR
     Sanchez 1-3
The Mes have been able to keep this Pirates bats in line so far this series, so they just need to do it one more time toay. After yesterday's performance by the Mets hitters, Hernandez is hoping the Mets bats have something left in the tank for today.

The Mets will have to handle Snell today who is 1-4 on the season with a 4.50 ERA over 4 G and 34.0 IP (23 BB, 22K). To show you how these stats are really a tell tale sign of this season his last two starts he has pitched 12 innings, and has allowed 6 runs (basically having one really good outing and then followed it with a really bad outing). Last year against the Mets he got a ND in 4.1 innings of work after allowing 5 H and 4 ER. In 2007 he had a 0-1 record in 11 IP and two games against the Mets with an ERA of 7.36. Here are the numbers the Mets have against him:
     Reyes 5-14, 2B, 2 3B
     Beltran 2-9, 3 BB
     Wright 1-9
     Delgado 2-9, 2B
     Church 2-8, 2B
The game plan for the offense is the same as yesterday. Score early, score late, score often. Never let the starter establish himself, and keep the bullpen edgy. Lets Go Mets! Sweep the Pirates!

The Mets finally did it. After starting the season 2-0, the Mets are finally back in first place after a win today and Phillies Loss. More importantly, the Mets continued their winning streak and now have a three game cushion above .500. There are a few reprecussions from this game. The first is now that the winning streak is at 6 games, this is a longer streak then any winning streak the Mets had in 2007. The second is that they now put themselves in position to sweep a three game series for the first time this weekend.

The game was fantastic today. Maine came out and had his third consecutive good start and this one was a dazzling performance. He went out for six innings where his only mistake was a homer to the pitcher. Another part of his performance that will probably be overlooked but is very important is his walk totals, which was only 2 for this game. The other pitchers also did a great job. Takahashi had two great innings, and he looks to be a very nice asset for this team (amd he is getting his handshake as they showed today). Stokes finally got some work. He was a little rusty, not playing for 11 games, but he continued his performance as he allowed no runs in the ninth.

Of course the real story of this game was the Mets bats. They unloaded for 10 runs and 17 hits including 13 hits. You know that saying when you are winning every thing goes right. Well all of those hits the Mets weren't getting in April due to amazing defense found their way into this game as the Mets got bloop hit after infield single and at the same time were able to take those hits away from the Pirates. That shows how confident the Mets are right now and how good they are right now. And I have to mention that homer from Beltran. In terms of Physics, every thing went right for Beltran. That pitch was right in the heart of swing where the barrell passes through the zone and the bat went straight to the ball causing a level swing and the ball to jump off at a 45 degree angle producing the fartherst travel possible. The ball landed in the second deck and it was just incredible. Lets keep it up for tomorrow, Lets Go Mets!

The Mets play the early game against the Pirates today for game two in this three game set. By winning, the Mets are will try to accomplish a few things today including winning their third consecutive series, extending their winning streak to 6 games, and try to take over the top spot in the east. Today also might be the toughest game in the series for the Mets as they have to take on one of the two top Pitchers the Pirates have (we face the other one tomorrow). To battle this pitcher, Maholm, the Mets will be sending John Maine.

Maine is 2-2 over 5 games and 27.2 innings on the season so far with a 5.20 ERA, 18 BB and 22 K. In his last two starts though he is 2-0 over 12.0 IP and has a 2.25 ERA. As of late he has been getting outs and performing when he needs to. A concern for him though is that he is still walking a lot of batters, so if he can keep that number down, then he should be that much better. Last year against the Pirates he got a no decision in 5 innings of work where he allowed 0 runs of any kind, 2 hits, walked 4 and struck out 3. Here are the numbers the Pirates have against him:
     Sanchez 4-14
     LaRoche 2-6
     McLouth 1-5, HR
     Hinske 1-4
The Pirates are still well in their losing streak and we need to keep them playing like that. Maine, and hopefully the rest of the Mets pitching staff have to play on the natural impatience at the plate a team in this type of streak gets. With the way the Pirates play, just stopping the rally will be very helpful because as a team they do not have that much power but they can hit in succession.

The Mets will have to deal with Maholm who is 3-0 this season over 6 games and 39.1 IP, 13 BB, 19 K and a 2.97 ERA. He is the ace right now of this Pirates staff. In his last three games though he has pitched 18.3 IP, 1-0 record but has a 5.30 ERA. Last year against the Mets he got a no decision in 7 innings of work where he allowed 2 runs and 5 hits, walked 3 and struck out 4. He started off the season pretty much unhittable, but now he is. Jumping on him early is a good idea as long as it happens in the first inning and then again in another early inning in a way that it rocks Maholm from establishing a rythem. Here are the numbers the Mets have against him:
     Wright 3-14, 2B
     Reyes 5-13
     Beltran 2-8, 2B
     Delgado 0-9
     Castro 2-6
The Mets did a good job yesterday of scoring late in the game to get the win and if they can score early, late and often in this game, then they should be able to continue their streak and continue the Pirates streak. Lets Go Mets! Beat the Pirates!

The Mets have extended their winning streak to five games after another great game tonight on the back of Niese and some late inning magic. Before we get to the pitching, which was for the most part fantastic, we need to highlight the bats tonight. The Mets got first inning runs, like they always do in a hurry thanks to great hitting with runners in scoring posititon but then fell silent for the rest of the game. However, in the 8th, the bats came alive again and the Mets got key hit after key hit with RISP to put up a huge 5 spot in the 8th to get the Mets the win tonight.

Niese was fantastic tonight. He allowed only 2 runs over 6 innings of work. While the hits he allowed were on the high side, he walked no one, which was the key of the game for him today and struck out 6. If he continues these types of performances, he deserves to stay here because he can earn this, and young blood is always the best recipe for sparking a team. Speaking of young blood, Parnell has been incredible this year with another great inning. with two strikeouts. We all knew he would be good this year, but we didn't think he would be this good.

Anyway, the Mets have a tough challenge with Maholm tomorrow but if they keep up this level of play they should be able to win their sixth easily. Lets Go Mets!

Things went well for the Mets from the start of this game. Going into Thursday night, the Mets were on a three game winning streak and they were looking forward to sweeping their second series in a row. From the start of the game the Mets jumped all over starter Moyer putting a quick 7 runs over 3 innings featuring two run home run shots by Beltran and Wright and a solo shot by Reyes. The only downside with the bats side of the game was that the Mets then didn't actually score again for the rest of the game, luckily the pitching was good enough to hold off the attacks of the Phils.

Pelfrey pitched well, not great, but a little better than good as he allowed 3 runs over 7 innings and did it without striking out anyone. While not striking out batters isn't “good” he got the win, and when you get the win, the methods really don't matter so much. Feliciano then allowed two in the 8th to make things interesting and that caused Krod to have to come in and record a 4th save in a row, which he did and the Mets ended up winning four straight and sweeping the Phils. Bonus: they became one game over five hundred.

This put the Mets in a great position for tonight trying to not only win their fifth game but also to get two games over Five Hundred for the first time since the Mets started the season 2-0.

Teams from the Quaker State (or officially, the Keystone State) continue their tour of Citi Field as the Pirates come to town. The Pirates got off to a hot start to the season but have cooled as of late as they are on a 5 game losing streak and have lost 9 of their last 10. The Mets are on the other end of the spectrum with a 4 game winning streak and now have won 6 of their last 10. Tonight is also a big night for the Mets as Niese makes his 2009 debut despite some rocky starts in Spring and in the minors and he will have to face Karstens who is also off to a rocky start for the season.

Niese is a highly touted prospect, and you have more than likely have already heard of him. His signerture move is his curveball that appears as if it breaks 18 inches, really its quite devastating when it is on. Last season he pitched 3 games with a 1-1 record and a 7.07 ERA, over 14.0 IP, 8 BB, and 11 K. His best start of the season was his second one where he pitched 8 shut out innings of ball against Atlanta, allowed 6 hits, walked 2 and struck out 7. This Spring Niese was 0-2 over three games and 8 innings where he allowed 6 runs, 7 BB and 7 K. In the minors this year he was 0-2, with a 6.55 ERA, 5 G, 22.0 IP, 8 BB and 25 K. In his last outing he pitched 6.0 innings, allowed 3 hits, one run, walked one and struck out eight. And that is what is a stand out characteristic for Niese this season (which is why he is getting this start) that his BB to K numbers look to be drastically improving, and if that keeps up, he will be a devastating pitcher. So the key of the game for him tonight is to keep that high ratio alive and strike out a lot of batters.

It will be helpful if the Mets can score runs behind Niese, and the Mets bats hope to build off of last night (despite going quiet after the third) against the Pirates and Karstens tonight. Karstens is 1-1 in 4 games and 20.0 IP this season where he has a 5.85 ERA, 13 BB and 9 K. Last season he was 2-6 in 9 games and 51.1 IP with a 4.03 ERA including 13 BB and 23 K. And thats what I really wanted to point out here. He has pitched about 30 innings less so far this year, and has already matched his season total for walks last year. Key for the Mets batters: be Patient at the plate. Last year he took a loss against the Mets lasting 6 innings and giving up 4 runs, a walk and struck out 3. Here are some stats the Mets have on him:
    Beltran 2-3, HR
    Delgado 0-3
    Murphy 0-2, BB
    Reyes 1-3
    Cora 1-2
The overall goal for the Mets tonight is to not give up mistakes. We have to be tough on the Pirates because any opportunity and this team can then jump out of this downward spiral. We need to take advantage of the position they are in right now and as long as we are patient at the plate, and Niese doesn't walk to many tonight, I really think that can happen. Lets Go Mets! Beat the Pirates!