Good Morning Mets Fans!

Four in a row is pretty damn good baseball, especially when those four wins came against the teams from last year's World Series.

The Mets are hot, and they have both their pitching and hitting to thank.  Let's start with the pitching.

Hisanori Takahashi is a big league starter...there is no question that he does what every manager wants his pitcher to do--throw strikes and keep hitters off balance.

In his second big league start Taktor K threw six innings of shutout ball and led the Mets to a shutout victory over the Phillies for the second straight game.

"He's a great pitcher with great instincts," Mets manager Jerry Manuel said. "He had great command of his pitches."

Manuel went on to add that Takahashi is now firmly entrenched in the rotation.

"It'd be tough to get him out.... I think his command is among the top pitchers in the league," said Manuel, who compared him to the White Sox's Mark Buehrle. "That means at any time in the count he can throw any pitch, and that's a huge advantage for a pitcher."

"I can do it," Takahashi said through a translator. "As a reliever or starter, I don't change much. I'm happy to be in the starting rotation here."

Takahashi is now 4-1 on the season with a sparkling 2.13 ERA and an astounding 44 Ks in only 38 innings.  Last night he gave up five hits without walking a batter and struck out six.

"To have a performance such as that especially against two very good teams, elite teams, it lengthens the opportunity for him," Manuel said about Takahashi's continuing presence in the rotation.

Takahashi may have been facing a struggling Philly club, but he certainly added to their misery with his array of pitches and pinpoint control.  He and Barajs were in perfect synch, and it was really fun to watch them work the hitters all night like a chess match.  I actually thought his fastball, which sat at 89-90 mph, was his best pitch of the night.  He relied on it early, and when the big spots came up later in the game he had the hitters set-up perfectly for his changeup and slider.  He struck out Ryan Howard in a huge spot with men on base.

"I know he's one of the biggest hitters in the game, and [Rod] Barajas had a good plan to get him out," Takashi said of Howard. "I stuck to the plan."

The offense was working as well.  Jose Reyes is now officially in super hot mode, with 5 multi-hit games in his last 6.  He hit his first homerun of the season, and it really lifted the entire club.

The New and Improved Rod Barajas "Now with even more A-Ha's!" had a two-run double and a sac fly in a three RBI effort and Jose Reyes had his fourth straight multihit game, with his first homer of the season for New York. Luis Castillo chipped in with two walks and two stolen bases, and Angel Pagan had two hits.

The "Strawberry Effect"???

Maybe the Strawberry talk had its desired effect after all?  It's been reported that some players didn't care for his comments, and it may be pure coincidence that the team has gelled, but it is interesting timing. Whatever the spark is, the Mets are playing very, very good baseball.  They are a hustling team, a very good defensive team, and they have removed some of the trouble spots from playing time.

Think about it--first base is now stabilized, centerfield is now stabilized, and with the addition of Takahashi to the rotation, it certainly appears more stable that it had been previously.  They have found something in Dickey as a wonderful rubber armed change of pace guy as well.

There are still issues--that is a given--but when you have professionals doing their jobs in key roles, the stars will help lift you the rest of the way.

Enjoy your coffee!

Scoreboard
Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Philadelphia (26-19)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	7	1
N.Y. Mets (24-23) «	0	1	1	0	0	3	0	0	x	5	7	0

Players of the Game

New York J. Reyes AB 4 R 1 H 2 HR 1 RBI 2

New York H. Takahashi IP 6.0 H 5 ER 0 BB 0 K 6

Related articles:

• Link: Takahashi Embracing New Challenge as Starter (nj.com)
• Mets deal Phillies second consecutive shutout (cbssports.com)
• Mets-Phillies:Tak Terrific Leads New York Past Philadelphia (bleacherreport.com)
• Takahashi, Mets Shut out Phillies Again (abcnews.go.com)

Is It Time to Talk About Feliciano as an All-Time Great Met?

Pedro Feliciano came in last night and did what he seems to do every night--pitch, pitch well, and walk off the mound.

Wash, rinse, repeat.

As Gary Cohen is so fond of calling him, he really is Perpetual Pedro.

You won't find any Feliciano jerseys in the stands, his baseball card is worthless, he doesn't make the big bucks, and he can still walk around in the mall and hardly get noticed.

But he is a star for us.

In the last 4 seasons Pedro has averaged 79 appearances per year, and he has led MLB in appearances for the past two seasons.

For his career he has a sterling 3.21 ERA, and his ERA from 2006 through now is 2.92.

I asked on Twitter the other night, "Is it time to start calling Pedro an all-time great Met?"

The answers came back quite varied.  Some folks agreed, and others compared him to an NFL punter, ie, a specialist.

If we look at his career numbers we can see that he's actually faced righty's more than he's faced lefty's.  To be specific, he's faced a righthanded batter 743 times, against 645 for lefthanders.

But now comes the rub--

Righthanded batters hit .269 with a .781 OPS against him, whereas he dominates lefty's to the tune of a .210 BAA and .571 OPS.

That said, overall he has been outstanding.  His combined totals show a pitcher who gets guys out.  His combined BAA is .241 and the OPS against is only .683.

Looking at the top 5 Mets pitchers in appearances, we see Pedro already in 3rd place, just 19 games behind Tom Seaver.  He is 313 games behind John Franco, the all-time leader.

So while Pedro is not a dominant starter, or a closer of renown, he certainly is one of the premiere set-up men in the game.  He might just be the best set-up man the Mets have ever had, or at least in the top 2 or 3.

Though he developed primarily in the Dodgers farm system I'll call him a homegrown Met as he pitched extensively at Norfolk before honing his craft enough to stick in the big leagues.  I'll also add in the fact that he's only pitched for the Mets at the major league level.

Bottom line:  He may not truthfully be an all-time Met great right now, but he's certainly getting there.  In my book he is an "all-time good Met", and that is more than enough to satisfy this Mets fan.

Player	W	L	ERA	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	R	ER
J Franco	48	56	3.10	695	0	0	0	276	702.2	683	279	242
T Seaver	198	124	2.57	401	395	171	44	1	3045.1	2431	953	870
P Feliciano*	20	13	3.21	382	0	0	0	4	322.2	292	129	115
J Koosman	140	137	3.09	376	346	108	26	5	2544.2	2281	994	875
J Orosco	47	47	2.73	372	4	0	0	107	595.2	480	207	181

It's Official: J.J. Putz to Miss Season

He has frayed ligaments in his forearm (Ulnar) and potential further damage to his repaired and still injured, elbow.

While he won't require surgery, he will need time to heal.

As excited as we all were in the off-season when we acquired Putz, his year, much like the Mets of 2009, has been one for the crapper.

I only hope Putz can come back healthy in 2010 to be the pitcher he once was.

With Billy Wagner gone, it's like the call for the old sage in Star Wars...

"Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope."

Get healthy JJ...in fact, get healthy ALL of you....we need to kick ass in 2010 to make all of this 2009 bullshit worth it.

Good Morning Mets Fans! 7 Straight Edition!

Welcome to Jerry's Mets.

Jerry Manuel deserves to lose the interim tag and get a nice 3-year deal.

Why, you ask? Is it because the Mets have won 7 straight and are now 1.5 back in the NL East and 2.5 back in the Wild card? Well, that is only part of the reason. The real reason is relationships.

Jerry is in charge and has made a few subtle moves that have produced results. The relievers now know their roles--no more guessing as to who will do what. They have responded. He has the Mets looser and more relaxed because he treats them like men. Facial hair? Sure. Music in the clubhouse? Why not.

And then you see him on the field lecturing the entire team a few days back after a few mental errors nearly cost the Mets a win against the Phillies. You see him taking care of Jose Reyes the right way, which has kept our young star focused on his mission to get on base vice sulking with hurt feelings after Willie's rebuke last year. Jerry also happens to put together a great lineup and has a great feel for his pitchers.

It's the same in any workplace--give me feedback, treat me with respect, communicate up and down, and work together toward a common goal. Do that and I will give you 110% every day.

Jerry is the man.

And how about those Mets? The suddenly Amazin' pitching staff did something that hasn't been done in the National League since the 1920s--allow 3 hits for the 4th consecutive game. That's right--12 hits and 4 runs total over the last 4 games....a stunning display of pitching.

Ollie Perez threw another gem....he surrendered 2 hits and 1 run in 6 scintillating innings. His fastball crackled through the Shea air at 93 to 97 miles per hour. He finished the night with 7 Ks, but he also gave up 6 walks. When he left it was tied 1-1 and Ollie, gamer that he is, stuck around to cheer on his teammates.

It was nice to see Jerry leave Ollie in for the 6th and 7th when the previous manager would have definitely pulled him.

On sending him back out for the 6th: "His fastball was dominant," Manuel said. "When you've got that kind of stuff, you've got to give the guy the benefit of the doubt."

In his last 3 games, Ollie has pitched 20 innings, given up 2 runs, and only allowed 9 hits, while striking out 21....that is #1 starter stuff.

How about Damion Easley! With the Mets and Rockies tied 1-1 in an exceptionally well pitched game, Mr Professional hit an 8th inning, two-out HR over the left-centerfield wall for the clutch hit of the day.

Easley, who is hitting .405 for the month, is no longer a Super-Sub--he is the starter, and it looks like he'll remain the starter.

Here's a very telling bit from the NY Post on the shot:

"Little by little starting on the road trip [last week], we built some confidence by winning some tough, close games," said Easley, hitting .422 in his past 13 games. "That really set us off and really helped our focus."

Easley's decisive shot - just his third homer of the season, and one day after backup Fernando Tatis' homer led to a win - came on a 3-2 pitch from reliever Taylor Bucholz. But the homer almost didn't happen.

Manuel revealed that he nearly pulled Easley two pitches before the homer because of a strained left quadriceps that is likely to keep the 38-year-old journeyman out of today's contest.

"Considering the injury, that was a very impressive at-bat," Manuel said. "[Easley] is a very smart, stable and professional player - the whole nine yards. He's been a welcome, welcome, welcome surprise."

And how about the Mets bullpen? During this homestand the Mets bullpen has not allowed a run in 13.1 innings....incredible.

"Guys are picking up other guys and going in and getting the job done," Manuel said of the bullpen. "They're making us a tough team to play at the end of the game."

Heilman has really turned his season around. In June he had an 0.64 ERA in 14 appearances, and in July he looks even better. In 6 weeks he has lowered his season ERA from 6.67 to 4.59.

All in all a great day for the Mets--Ollie was an Ace, the bullpen was smashing, Easley continues to rake, the Mets were clutch, David Wright was rightfully named to the All-Star team, Jose Reyes drove in a run, Delgado had a hustle double, Schneider had a few nice at-bats, and the Mets won their 7th in a row.

Color me optimistic!

Enjoy your coffee!

Scoreboard
Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Colorado (39-55)	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	3	2
N.Y. Mets (49-44) «	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	x	2	7	0

Players of the Game

New York D. Easley AB 3 R 1 H 2 HR 1 RBI 1

Colorado A. Cook IP 6.0 H 6 ER 1 BB 1 K 3

New York Mets
Hitters	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Jose Reyes, SS	4	0	2	1	0	0	1	.302
Endy Chavez, RF	4	0	1	0	0	1	2	.268
David Wright, 3B	4	0	0	0	0	1	2	.285
Carlos Beltran, CF	4	0	0	0	0	1	0	.262
Damion Easley, 2B	3	1	2	1	1	0	0	.292
Carlos Delgado, 1B	4	0	1	0	0	1	2	.246
Fernando Tatis, LF	3	0	0	0	0	0	2	.295
Brian Schneider, C	3	1	1	0	0	0	0	.250
Nick Evans, PR	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.185
Ramon Castro, C	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.274
Oliver Perez, P	2	0	0	0	0	1	1	.154
Aaron Heilman, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
a- Argenis Reyes, PH	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.308
Duaner Sanchez, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Pedro Feliciano, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Billy Wagner, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Totals	31	2	7	2	1	5
a-hit a sacrifice bunt for Heilman in the 7th
Batting
2B - Jose Reyes (23, Cook), Carlos Delgado (19, Cook)
HR - Damion Easley (3, Buchholz)
SH - Argenis Reyes (1)
RBI - Jose Reyes (41), Damion Easley (23)
2-OUT RBI - Jose Reyes (22), Damion Easley (10)
Team LOB - 7
Fielding
DP - Wright-Easley-Delgado

New York Mets
Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Oliver Perez	6	2	1	1	6	7	1	4.44
Aaron Heilman	1	0	0	0	1	2	0	4.59
Duaner Sanchez	0.2	1	0	0	1	0	0	3.57
Pedro Feliciano (W,2-2)	0.1	0	0	0	1	0	0	2.86
Billy Wagner (S,21)	1	0	0	0	0	2	0	2.37
Pitches-Strikes - Oliver Perez 119-66, Aaron Heilman 16-10, Duaner Sanchez 13-6, Pedro Feliciano 7-2, Billy Wagner 13-7
Ground Balls-Fly Balls - Oliver Perez 5-5, Aaron Heilman 1-0, Duaner Sanchez 2-0, Pedro Feliciano 1-0
Batters Faced - Oliver Perez 25, Aaron Heilman 4, Duaner Sanchez 4, Pedro Feliciano 2, Billy Wagner 3

Johan Santana Injury Report

Is he injured, hurt, bruised, or all of the above? We'll really know today, but I vote for bruise and zero starts missed.

For those that watched the game, it didn't look too bad.

For those that like hype, like the media, it looked catastrophic. To whit:

There are two articles on MLB.com that are making this thing sound far worse than it is, and here are a few quotes and headlines:

"SAN DIEGO -- A decidedly left-handed man, Johan Santana extended his right hand into a small bag, removed lip gloss of some kind and applied it with his right hand. A few moments earlier Friday night, the Mets pitcher slid his arms into a shirt, clearly favoring his left arm. Underneath that shirt, on the front of his left shoulder, he wore a bandage, specially medicated to eliminate inflammation."

And here is the headline from another article:

"Santana hurt as Mets suffer tough loss!"

OK guys, let's bring this down a notch.

Yes, Santana was hit by a pitch in his left shoulder, and it was a solid hit.

He also stayed in the at-bat, and came out and pitched another inning.

Will it be bruised? Of course. But to jump around this morning inferring he has some type of major injury is irresponsible.