Owned
Omar: Willie, the Phillies are passing you.
Willie: Do you think the Phillies are passing me in my subconscious?
Omar: No, they are actually passing you. That's happening right now.
My how quickly things have changed. The Yankees have charged back from three games down in the Wildcard to tie the Mariners and the Mets were beat up by the Phillies and are in danger of seeing a six game lead evaporate into a two game lead in four days.
Just when this team looked like they were on the verge of breaking things open, they fall back down to earth. Marlon's ridiculous slide was just the topper as he tried to break up a double play, which was apparently completely unnecessary. That slide wreaked of desperation.
There are plenty of things you can point to for the Mets struggles. Delgado's perpetual ineptitude, some bizarre calls by Willie, Reyes just looking flat out gassed, the bullpen's struggles, bad bounces, Wright's strikeout problem this series, etc. There are just too many things to point to specifically because the Mets have just been flat out ugly despite close scores.
Many of us were ready to declare the division the Mets' as they extended their lead further than they had all season, but one devastating week could change all of that. The bright side is the Mets can make it a three game lead with a win tomorrow leaving them in a solid position, but they need to wake up. The last thing you want to do is embolden one of you rivals with a month to go. With just about a month left, one hot streak could seal it for anyone and the Mets are off to a very inauspicious start as they sprint to the finish line.
His major league experience, though not the results, should give him the edge over his Zephyrs teammate Philip Humber. In discussing Pelfrey, who is 0-7 with a 5.92 earned run average in 10 appearances (9 starts) for the Mets, Omar Minaya mentioned how Pelfrey’s lack of success should be viewed within the context of run support.
Talk about trying to spin the impossible.
But Pelfrey has not helped himself much, with batters hitting .298 off him and .344 with runners in scoring position.
I do not really care about Pelfrey getting the start over Humber, but it would be nice if the Mets opened their minds a bit.
Even if Humber does not start Saturday, the Mets have apparently changed their minds on whether to promote him as part of their September call-ups.
Last week, Willie Randolph said he could not foresee Humber joining the team because he did not want to use Humber out of the bullpen and there would not be space for a spot start. What changed?
Well, I should have said it would be nice if Willie opens his mind a bit. Even if Omar calls Humber up, what are the chances Willie actually uses him when he has all of those grisly vets to use? I mean, why use Gotay as a pinch hitter when you have Green to tap a dribbler back up the middle?
Yes, I know Green's hit should have scored a run, but I'm sure Willie did not envision the run scoring on a weakly hit to short. You never lose with a better hitter on the bench in a case where two hitters bat from the same side of the plate.
Ambiorix Burgos underwent Tommy John surgery, which will likely sideline him for the entire 2008 season. ... Jose Valentin will be examined in the next week to see if he can return this season. ... Damion Easley is likely done for the year.
There should be a moratorium on the Mets trading for relievers.
Labels: suck
posted by michael o. at 9:49 PM
36 Comments:
Its The Roadtrip From Hell. Substitute Takatsu for Mota, Eyechart for Green and Wright for Anderson and it's 2005.
I give the Phillies a 50-50 chance at a sweep. It'll be a 10-8 kind of game. The Mets season is over if they lose. OVER. They are not recovering from a four game sweep to beat Smoltz or Hudson.
I don't do this often, especially not to Reyes or Wright, who I view like my adopted children, but CAN JOSE FUCKING REYES DRIVE A FUCKING BALL? STOP HITTING WEAK GROUNDBALLS YOU GUTLESS SPACECASE.
Ever since that little hamstring tweak against the Cubs, I believe he's slugging under .400. MVP MY ASS.
Emad
11:33 PM
Ehh, Mets lose the series. But whatever, they're 3 games up just like 2 weeks ago. THey just have to win tomorrow to make it 4 games that's all.
I'm not worried yet, but am I being unreasonable? Or am I a reasonable guy who can see that the Phillies and Braves suck and aren't good enough to wi nthe division.
I think and I been thinking this for a while, that what the Mets need is... Saturday. The Mets need those September callups to come and take some innings from the very tired bullpen.
I have never ever said anything negative about Omar Minaya and i have never called him a name but, RUN SUPPORT? REALLY? Is he serious!?
IS HE FUCKING STUPID?
12:25 AM
There have been some arguments over whether Bucknor should have called the interference. Some people claim it’s akin to some referees in Basketball, Hockey and Football who take the no harm, no foul approach at crucial times in the game so the players and not the officials determine the outcome. But Bucknor had his back to 1st and made the correct call independent of whether or not Green would have beaten the throw. Consider this, would Anderson have made the desperation slide and hand slap if Gotay was the hitter. Another option would have been to pinch run Gotay and let Chavez pinch hit. But unfortunately both of those guys are under 30.
BTW a poster at Metsblog wrote:
Check out this comment from the beerleaguer Phillies blog:
“How ironic that the Mets won a World Series thanks to Buckner, and now may lose a pennant race thanks to Bucknor.”
Sometime ago after Doug Davis of Arizona had beaten the Mets he remarked how he had seen a video scouting report that mentioned the Mets lack of success against pitchers with decent curveballs. He attributed his success that night to throwing a greater percentage of curveballs than he normally does. If you look at the pitchers over the last four games most of them had good breaking pitches. Even if the curveballs are out of the strike zone our heroes tend to wildly swing at them. Even Meyers was throwing mostly curve balls. Just after Delgado struck out with a wild swing at a curveball I switched to the Yankees game to see A-Rod hit a similar pitch for a hr. If I was the Braves or Phillies I would trade for Mike Mussina. His knuckle curve would stymie the Mets offense.
The major difference between the two teams has been the play of their respective shortstops. Rollins has stepped up while Reyes is in a funk. Reyes looks like he needs some time off.
BTW if Humber pitches well in relief Willie will destroy him unless he comes with “instructions.”
4:30 AM
Reyes has looked terrible all year, especially with RISP. This is really nothing new. Honestly, that his BA is below .300 is impossible. His K-BB says he's underachieving.
He's been worse than his numbers. I agree with Emad, he's not a legit MVP candidate.
6:06 AM
Reyes has looked terrible all year
Wow, way to put your name on a stupid comment like that.
Benny, if Pelfrey had enough starts to qualify, he would have the lowest run support in the National League. Like the #1 worst. He's really only had two terrible starts, Rockies and Brewers. The other 7 starts were back-end quality and gave the Mets a good chance to win.
Now don't get me wrong, I don't think Pelfrey is ready and I disagree with the way he has been developed (or non-developed in this case), but the run support comment at least has some merit.
Having said that, I want to see Humber get the start. He's throwing well right now and he has earned the chance.
8:21 AM
Oh, and by the way, the interference call was horse shit. Was it technically interference? Absolutely. But I will agree with the call when you find the "neighborhood play" rule at second base in the Baseball Rulebook. (Don't bother looking, it doesn't exist.)
You don't end a game that would have been tied on that. You just don't. Especially when the runner could touch the bag as he slid, which is the unwritten rule with takeout slides. Bucknor loves his name in the lights and he had an axe to grind from Monday. You won't convince me of anything else. I can't wait until he intentionally blows a close call at first base tonight. It's going to happen.
8:38 AM
The sweep is on the table big time. However, I would not say the season is over, but the momentum has swung. There are not many games left and like I said, a hot streak could change the face of the division. At least there is the Wild Card to fall back on, but I have a hard time believing the Mets could crumble this bad.
I am frightened for this weekend as well. Smoltz and Hudson spells disaster. The Mets only needed to have mediocre week and they are completely shitting the bed.
RE: Reyes…I think only Buster sees him as the MVP at this point of the Mets. Wright has stepped up and carried this team, though obviously not in this series.
Benny, you are right. I meant four games up with a win today. But I would not trivialize getting spanked by the 2nd and 3rd place teams. The division could easily be won and lost in those games.
Two-by-four….great point. Gotay is not exactly slow and if you wanted a bit of a veteran bat, you could have had Endy available. It wasn’t like he was going to steal and Gotay could go 1st to 3rd and score form second on a single. Keith Hernandez said he would have gone with the vet and Gary was curious about the move from the start.
It was the correct call to call Marlon out. You don’t have to assume the double play on interference when the guy literally tries to push the guy.
BTW if Humber pitches well in relief Willie will destroy him unless he comes with “instructions.”
What is funny is the Yankees had to put ‘instructions’ on Joba because they know exactly how Joe Torre wrecks pitchers.
The curve theory is interesting and the broadcasting team had remarked upon Myers lack of fastballs.
Danny….plenty of people don’t put there names to outlandish things which makes me kind of want to ban anonymous posting, but that won’t really solve anything since we’ll have pseudonyms emerge.
Benny, if Pelfrey had enough starts to qualify, he would have the lowest run support in the National League. Like the #1 worst. He's really only had two terrible starts, Rockies and Brewers. The other 7 starts were back-end quality and gave the Mets a good chance to win.
I beg to differ. Against the Nationals he missed like two bats in 97 pitches or something ridiculous. He has been horrible. I think we all agree he hasn’t gotten run support, but that is far from the problem there. We are talking about a guy with a 5.93 (or whatever) ERA that cannot miss bats. It’s not the run support in regards to his bad season. Maybe he should be 2-5 whatever. Even if he was 4-3 we all would universally think he is a bad pitcher at this point in time.
I don't think that call was horse shit. The play was horse shit. Touching the bad is irrelevant when you try some bush league crap, which I think that was. It was no different than A-Rod slapping Arroyo.
9:04 AM
a little adversity comes around and guys start going crazy.
this is baseball. 99% of the time, the better team advances. the phillies arent gonna have a bullpen like this forever. they suck. they got a great offense and brett myers. the mets arent gonna play like this forever either. they're peaking at our our mini valley. the phillies arent that good and neither are the braves. the mets are better.
reyes has been very good this year. he doesnt have the base totals that he could have because the offense was shit after april thanks to delgado and our injuries. his power numbers are lacking too but i want him on base. its easier to hit against pitchers when he's on base.
god forbid willie use his fucking brains. i see myers abusing us for the last few days and he sends up fucking shawn green. his fucking head would explode if he was the manager of the marlins last year. he is a fucking douche
9:04 AM
The Phillies bullpen is actually been pretty good for a bit now. Romero (2.20 in the 2nd half), Gordon, Geary (2.70 in the 2nd half), and Myers give them four pretty good relievers.
Four good relievers is not a bad way to head into battle.
Can the Mets say they have four reliable guys at this moment in time?
My fear about the Phillies is that they have been historically streaky over the last few years for whatever reason. They went on tears for a bit of time and were bad for a bit of time. If they hit a hot streak to end the season, I would not put anything past them and they are closing the gap pretty fast with Smoltz and Hudson on the hill for a team the Mets have had serious issues with this season.
9:13 AM
I'm with Benny and ossy, the same folks that said the Mets were going to run away with the division are the same people who say the sky is falling now. This is the second time that the Phillies have let the air out of the Mets' balloon this year. Let's hope the hangover is not as long this time as it was last time.
Seems to me that I said the Mets should have signed Romero when the Sox DFA'd him.
Bannister has 11 wins for the Royals. We wouldn't even be having these Pelfrey discussions if the Mets didn't trade him for Burgos.
9:32 AM
Let's hope the hangover is not as long this time as it was last time.
The difference is the time this is happening. Their margin for error is slimmer now, but they simply have to step up.
I'm not deviating from what I said earlier, though I said it about the Braves and not the Phillies, the division could quite possibly be won in the head to head match ups.
If the Mets cannot beat the Braves or Phillies from here on out, it is very easy to see them losing the division. Simply said, they need to win today and take two of three this weekend to right the ship.
9:41 AM
can i get shawn green as my regular first basemen?
delgado has shown me nothing
10:35 AM
Delgado > Green
It's not close. I'm grumpy today.
10:39 AM
It bears noting that after tonight, Pelfrey is pitching the only game not pitched by Smoltz and Hudson this weekend (I'm stealing that from Ossy).
The cards are not in our favor this weekend at all.
10:58 AM
"Willie, the Phillies are passing you."
Try: "Willie, the Phillies are pissing on you."
11:55 AM
It's from Talladega Nights...slightly modified of course.
11:56 AM
here's to the mets winning today and sweeping the motherfucking atlanta braves.
game on in 30 minutes.
12:36 PM
5-0....Ouch. I thought El Dominator would step up.
2:13 PM
what a bunch of bloop crap in the bottom of the fifth.
3:23 PM
Didn't see it. I'm guessing the Phillies blooped and bled their way to three runs in the bottom of the fifth?
3:29 PM
Didn't you get the memo that as soon as the Mets tied the game, their craptastic bullpen would cough it up?
3:42 PM
Just checked...I did get the memo but just didn't look at it.
Awful four days of baseball for the Metropolitans.
4:02 PM
Season Over.
5:22 PM
Absolutely disgusting.
(by the way I am not the anonymous poster who claimed "season over")
Get ready for 2nd place with 3rd rushing up fast by Monday folks...I hope I am wrong, but this weekend's Braves rotation is set-up for a major kill for the Phillies.
I don't know if this year's Mets team has the guts and nutsacks to fall into 2nd and get back to 1st with less than a month to the season. I just don't know....as I said, I hope I am very wrong.
5:35 PM
I wouldn't declare this season over, but I am waiting until Sunday night before I jump off a bridge...This was a demoralizing series for sure. The Mets lost in a whole lotta fancy ways that I never dreamed imaginable from this team.
The went from the driver's seat to perhaps being dropped out of first in eight days. Good times! I think their call-ups are going to be a big boon....that is if they are used. And by they I mean some bullpen arms to get the current crop some rest and see if anyone steps up to contribute.
5:39 PM
0.25 MG Xanax is my friend. Its my wife and its my life.
Emad
5:40 PM
Even Rotoworld is mocking Reyes. Funny stuff. What a useless fucking player he was in this series.
Emad
5:43 PM
How do you bring a relief pitcher back who was suffering from a dead arm issue and ask him to throw 45 pitches?
Ask any Phillies fan and they will tell you that they’ve seen this from Wagner. Wagner not only has a dead arm but also a dead head. You have to hold the base runner close, especially when you have a catcher that couldn’t throw out my aunt Zelda and she’s been dead for 30 years.
Willie was trying to do with Wagner what he had seen Torre do in years past with Rivera. The problem is that the Rivera of previous years was special. Wagner has a history of meltdowns in important games and has not had a two inning save since 1999.
6:56 PM
Dreadful.
7:04 PM
If Willie manages to blow the season, would Omar can him? One could only hope.
7:53 PM
I was watching highlights of the 2006 Mets because I'm a big loser and its just something I do from time to time. And I will say this, the 2007 ain't got SHIT on the 2006 Mets. Watching those highlights I nearly teared at how beautiful they played baseball.
THe Mets lost, they got swept in a 4 game series. They are now only 2 games up. Am I being a dumbass for thinking that way?
THe Mets ARE 2 games up despite getting swept. I STILL think the Mets make the playoffs. I'm not panicking yet but my patience is wearing thin. This team is pissing me the fuck off. I don't over-react like some other ass clown Met fans but jeeze, enough is enough, this is fucking ridiculous... WAKE THE FUCK YOU DOO DOO HEADS, THE SEASON IS ALMOST OVER AND YOU GUYS ARE GONNA BE BLOW IT!
8:54 PM
I've been the guy all year who's been pretty confident, but...
This was bad. Really bad. You know what worries me? Two things - Willie managed the last two games like they were Game 6 & 7, it was obvious the team knew they needed to win, and they still shit the brick. You want to blame Willie for batting Green instead of Gotay in last night? OK, I guess. Bottom line - 1st & 3rd, 1 out, Green's got to get the winning run home. Period. Marlon's gotta know what's an accepted slide and what's not. Period. Today El Duque's gotta give us a bigger start, and Wagner's gotta get that save. Willie brought him in the eighth to face the heart of the Phils lineup, he's at least gotta put those guys away. If he went 1-2-3 in the 8th and then blew it in the 9th, I'd question the strategy. But I think you really need to blame Wagner. Period. And Jose's gotta contribute this series. And Beltran. And, oh forget it.
But here's what really, really worries me. That was some BAD mojo. Blown out Game 1, blowing the lead in Game 2 on a bloop, SB, throwing error, and f***** swinging bunt that changed direction twice, losing Game 3 on a runner's obstruction call (when does THAT happen), and then losing Game 4 after coming back from 5-0 and 8-5 down. Am I the only one that can see Buster Olney or Tim Kirkjan talking about the "Philadelphia Fileting" in 20 years the same way Peter Gammons talks about the Boston Masacre in '78? That whole series felt like the next sequel to those crappy Tony Danza / Angel movies. "Angel in a Bandbox" or some shit like that. I kept feeling like some invisible force was pushing thing the Phillies' way. THAT'S what really scares me, and makes me think this might just be their year.
Damn...I need a drink...
-ube
8:57 PM
The Braves' last 13 are with Philly (3), Florida (3), Houston (3) and Milwaukee (4).
The Phillies have 16 road games left; 7 of the last 14 against Washington; 3 against STL and Atl each.
13 of the Mets last 14 are against Washington and Florida.
Let's keep positive. While it's preferable to take care of it ourselves, it would be funny if the Braves actually helped us win the division by beating the Phillies late in Sept.
We'll see. I'm still hoping for a sizable lead to return.
9:01 PM
'I don't over-react like some other ass clown Met fans but jeeze, enough is enough, this is fucking ridiculous... WAKE THE FUCK YOU DOO DOO HEADS, THE SEASON IS ALMOST OVER AND YOU GUYS ARE GONNA BE BLOW IT!'
If you're calling me an ass clown, well...
I guess you're right.
Emad
9:45 PM
actually not you Emad, your the fucking man. I meant about 95% of metsblog posters...
12:22 AM
These two things shouldn't brighten up the mood.
Crazy Yankee Fans
Phillies Fire Sale
12:30 AM
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