Rally Killer

I guess what I was trying to say with this post from Metsgeek.com and this post from my site was that the Mets were primed to run off a hot streak. The Mets took the first two games from the first place Padres and face Jake Peavy, who is 3-3 in his last seven starts with a 4.22 ERA, today. Today's game is a game that the Mets can win against an ace who has not been on his game and it would be nice if the Mets put their best foot forward. Originally, Kaz Ishii was going to be skipped, but he has since been reinserted into the rotation. Since June 1st, Ishii has a 5.70 ERA and has left every game in the middle of an inning. However, what is more disturbing is that he is getting beat up while only walking 3.19 BB/9, which is great for him. Basically, he is finding new ways to lose. Willie needs to keep implementing a quick hook with him and not let him get to that inning where he keeps coming unraveled. If he goes five good innings today, pop a cork and celebrate and get him out.

Ishii may win, but not one person in the grand 'ole US of A will put money down on it. Obviously miracles can happen, and if Al Leiter can win a game at Fenway Park after getting designated for assignment, Ishii can win against the Padres. However, with current options in the organization better than Kaz Ishii, it is time the Mets put winning in front of whatever reason Kaz is still around. The Mets are not good enough to have a weak leak in the chain when better options are available to them at little cost. Sometimes I get sick of the Mets not acting like they play in the biggest market in the entire world, and this is one of those times. Their strong pitching has them primed for a solid streak of games and they can rattle off ten wins in the next fourteen games when they face the Dodgers, Astros, Rockies, Brewers, and their last game with the Padres. They have to get serious about winning and give their team a chance to win every five days like they have the ability too. If they can complete the sweep, the potential of taking that momentum and flattening the downward spiraling Dodgers is immense and the Mets can start a much needed streak to put .500 behind them, but it all rests in the incapable hands of Kaz Ishii.

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Minor update:

• Norfolk was beat by Ottawa 7-2. Anderson Hernandez went 1 for 2 with a run scored and two walks. Neal Musser went six innings giving up eleven hits, six earned runs, one walk, one homer, and struck out one. He is now 2-8 with a 5.66 ERA.
  
• New Britain beat Binghamton 10-8. Lastings Milledge went 3 for 5 with four runs scored and a stolen base. Mike Jacobs went 3 for 4 with one run scored, one double, one walk, and three RBIs.
  
• Vero Beach beat St. Lucie 3-2. Steve Trachsel went 2.2 innings giving up four hits, one earned run, one walk, and struck out two.
  
• Brooklyn beat Oneonta 10-8. Caleb Stewart went 3 for 5 with one run scored, one double, and one RBI. Nick Evans is starting to hit after a slow start and went 2 for 5 with one run scored and two RBIs.
  
• Kingsport took on Greenville in a double header yesterday. In game one, Greenville beat Kingsport 1-0. Kingsport only mustered one hit and their pitchers did not allow an earned run and only surrendered five hits and one walk. In game two, Kingsport beat Greenville 7-2. Gregory Gonzalez went 3 for 3 with three runs scored and a double and Matthew Anderson went 1 for 3 with a homer and four RBIs.
  
• The GCL Mets beat the GCL Nationals 11-7. Brahiam Maldonado went 2 for 6 with a run scored and a double and Gregory Cain went 3 for 6 with two runs scored and an RBI.

Jose Reyes went the other way yesterday batting from the left-handed side of the plate and I almost fell off my barstool. Over the last seven days, Reyes is batting .292/.346/.417 with four stolen bases, two walks, and three doubles. Over his has 25 games, he is batting .271/.310/.336 and over his last fifteen games he is batting .297/.338/.344.

From the NY Post:

The Mets have no interest in two relievers who were recently designated for assignment: White Sox righty Shingo Takatsu (1-2, 5.97) and Baltimore righty James Baldwin (0-0, 1.61). Takatsu, 36, saved 19 games for the Sox last season.