Pelf Dazzles

When the 2009 MLB schedule came out Mets fans pointed to this series with the Phillies with delight.

This was a weekend to pencil in around your late season vacation plans--a series that would mean everything--the one to watch.

While the season has fallen apart, last night's game certainly made for a great watch, starting with the pitching matchup--the hated Cole Hamels vs Big Mike Pelfrey.

Neither man disappointed Mets fans.

Toss in some timely hitting, a managerial ejection, a few hit batters, and some great relief, and it was the type of win the fanbase has longed for all year--if only it mattered a bit more.

The simple fact of the matter is that we like to beat the Phillies, and they hate to lose to us--if somehow we can pound them the rest of the weekend it would be one small victory in a season devoid of them.

Mike Pelfrey was outstanding, and he recognized how the rivalry helped his game: "I think when you go up against your rival, you have a little extra adrenaline and you're into the game." Pelfrey said.

Pelfrey is now 3-0 with a 3.92 ERA in four starts against Phils this season. He is the only major league pitcher with three wins against Philadelphia this year.

The hitting star of the night was Jeff Francoeur, who had three hits including a homerun. Since joining the Mets, Francoeur is batting .310 with a respectable .340 OBP, and 23 RBIs in 142 at-bats. He is putting the Mets in a position where keeping him around for 2010 is a no-brainer.

Pedro Feliciano and Brian Stokes combined for two scoreless innings. Stokes is having a terrific season and now sports a 2.89 ERA. Just think back to a few months ago when Stokes was in Jerry's doghouse and woefully underused.

Frankie Rodriguez came on in the 9th and gave us the typical heart palpitations that accompany the majority of his outings. With the tying runners at the corners, the All-Star closer struck out Chase Utley and Ryan Howard for his 27th save in 32 chances.

It's certainly fun to watch Cole Hamels struggle. He is now 0-3 in August and took a beating at the hands of the Mets makeshift lineup, allowing 10 hits in only 5 innings.

Since beating the Mets in his first start against them, Hamels is 0-4 with a 5.40 ERA in nine starts vs. New York. That is a beautiful stat line for a kid who called the Mets "choke artists" in the offseason.

Hopefully Hamels can choke on that stat line.

Even Jerry Manuel showed a bit of fight, getting ejected after the ump clearly blew the call on Francoeur's attempted steal of second in the fifth. Jimmy Rollins clearly missed the tag, and Jerry went off on the ump, getting ejected in the process.

"We've got to continue to fight as best we can," Jerry Manuel said. "When we feel that things are against us, we've got to continue to stand up against those things."

As if all this wasn't enough, the drama continued--Sheff was tossed, and we saw another example of Luis "Brainfart" Castillo failing to cover first base on a bunt that Murph charged.

That loaded the bases for the Phillies, but Big Pelf took care of business by inducing consecutive popups from pinch-hitter Ben Francisco and Jimmy Rollins--it was a scintillating sequence for the lanky right-hander and showed how tough he can be under pressure.

"That's what won the game for him," Charlie Manuel said.

All in all a great game--if only it had meant a little more.

The Case for Evans

With the Mets set at almost every position, the fight for the bench spots this spring has been outstanding.

One of the players making a stong case is Nick Evans, a talented young hitter who enjoyed some success last year with the big club.

As Mets.com reports, he has been challenged by Jerry to expand his useability by taking some reps in rightfield:

Now Evans is to play an unfamiliar position in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., where the winds terrorize experienced outfielders. And Evans says "It'll be exciting" in an exclusively positive sense.

No matter the wind or the assignment, no down side exists for Evans in the scenario Manuel has created. Evans is being afforded another opportunity to hit because he can hit. He has hit so well -- he leads the team in RBIs (13) and home runs (three) -- Manuel is rethinking his earlier plans for him.

Chances are, nothing will change in the grander scheme. There still appears to be no place for Evans on the big league roster once the team must add a 12th pitcher in the second week of April.

"But I'll do anything they ask," Evans said. "And I'll play as well as I can."

Even if he were to become proficient in the two corner positions in the outfield and infield, Evans would merely be duplicating what Fernando Tatis already provides. Tatis plays only those positions, and like Evans, he bats right-handed. With Manuel having decided to play Daniel Murphy regularly in left, Tatis is now the all-purpose understudy.

After his 3-for-5 afternoon against the Astros on Thursday -- including two doubles and a home run -- Evans was batting .308. Among his teammates with at least 40 at-bats in exhibition games, only Murphy (.375) and Luis Castillo (.312) have higher averages. Evans' slugging percentage is .615, higher than any of those who have played regularly in this Classic-affected spring.

Evans' swing has been so torrid of late, he and Murphy have reversed roles. Murphy now is answering reporters' questions about Evans.

Evans and Murphy, roommates in Double-A and in the big leagues last year, locker next to each other in the clubhouse. Third-base coach Razor Shines passed by after the Mets' 12-1 victory against the Astros on Thursday and paused.

"The hit corner," Shines said.

"I'll take it," Evans said. "It's a nice place to live."

In an article back in January I asked the question: Is Nervous Nick Evans the Key?

With the Mets lefthanded cadre of returning players and new additions, and the increasing amount of lefthanded starters and relievers in the NL, every righthanded bat is a commodity.

For the unaware (and there aren't many of you since we know how savvy Mets fans are), Nick Evans scorched lefty's for much of last year.

How good was he?

2008 Batting Splits
Overall	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	HBP	SO	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
Total	109	18	28	10	0	2	9	7	1	24	0	0	.257	.303	.404	.707
By Breakdown	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	HBP	SO	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
vs. Left	72	15	23	8	0	2	5	6	1	15	0	0	.319	.380	.514	.894
vs. Right	37	3	5	2	0	0	4	1	0	9	0	0	.135	.150	.189	.339

That is a pretty good sample size, and the results are there.

It's also no coincidence that when the Mets played their best baseball of the season in July and August (18-8 and 18-11), that Nick was putting up back to back months of .300+ BA with a few timely hits thrown in for good measure.

His minor league stats show a guy quite capable of hitting for average with a little power thrown in, and he is improving...the real question is what is his ceiling?

Regardless of whether or not he starts the year with the big club, odds are that Nick Evans will play a big role in the success of the 2009 Mets.

MLB Network is Here...and We Love It!

The diehard baseball fanatics that were amongst the 50 million subscribers that witnessed the debut of MLB Network were treated to some great baseball chatter and the broadcast of one of the seminal games in baseball history.

Coupling familiar faces such as Al Leiter and Harold Reynolds, with some classic broadcasts of the past and news of the day was enough for this baseball blogger to give the new network a big "thumbs-up."

My only wish is they would have done this sooner.

About MLB Network

Overall:

• MLB Network will launch on January 1, 2009 in approximately 50 million homes as the largest network debut in cable history
• MLB Network will air live games, original programming, highlights, classic games, and coverage of baseball events
• The MLB Network studio is located at 40 Hartz Way, Suite 10, Secaucus NJ, 07094
• Named to honor Jackie Robinson and Babe Ruth, "Studio 3" and "Studio 42" total 15,200 square feet, including 9,600 square feet for Studio 42 alone.
• Every video display in both studios will be fully native HD, as will all video produced at the studios.

Studio 3:

• Named to honor Babe Ruth, Studio 3 will be the primary home of the live nightly studio show, MLB Tonight.
• Measuring 5,600 square feet, Studio 3 features 62 video displays, including a 30x7-foot rear projection screen, 108" and 103" monitors, as well as a Perceptive Pixel touch screen display, which will allow MLB Network personalities to interact with and change graphics and images on-screen.
• The studio will feature a desk that can rotate to various stations and includes six distinct broadcast areas, including a balcony, stat center, and interview area.
• The ceiling is ringed by backlit logos of all 30 MLB teams and the entire studio features lighting that can be altered to give it the feel of day or night.

Studio 42:

• Named to honor Jackie Robinson, Studio 42 measures 9,600 square feet, and will be used as a demonstration center by MLB Network's on-air talent.
• Studio 42 is designed to be a replica baseball field, featuring a half-scale infield made of field turf measuring 45 feet from base to base and a pitcher's mound 30 feet from home plate that can be moved back for more realistic demonstrations.
• The studio also features a replica outfield wall, complete with padding, brick designs, three different seating areas that can hold up to 173 people, and an out-of-town scoreboard modeled after the scoreboard at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, which will be updated in real-time.

Executives and On-Air Talent:

• President and CEO: Tony Petitti
• Studio Hosts: Matt Vasgersian, Victor Rojas
• Analysts: Al Leiter, Joe Magrane, Harold Reynolds
• Reporters: Trenni Kusnierek, Hazel Mae

Late Bloomers

My good friend Andy the Lawyer penned an excellent article about "Late Bloomers" and makes a great point about our current outfield.

Enjoy!

I started this piece on Tatis a week ago, but it seems even downright prescient now, after he's hit homeruns in consecutive games.

When Tatis was 24, he hit 34 HR and drove in 107 RBI, with a 139 OPS+, for the Cardinals. Despite that, he was never given 500 at-bats in a season ever again, and by 2008 he was a minor leaguer who hadn't played in the majors in two years, a guy generally not expected to do anything and who many complained about getting a call up when he came up to fill in due to injuries.

Suddenly, he has become a key part of the Mets offense, slugging away at a .306/.361/.479 clip with 6 HR and 24 RBI going into today's game, when he went 3 for 4 with a HR, 2 doubles, and 2 more RBI.

The question for Mets fans is, "what do we really have in Tatis?" Is he simply a guy on a hot streak, or has he "got it" at the youthful age of 33?

The tendency in baseball circles is to assume that anyone who is ever going to be a good player will do so by 25 years old or so (maybe longer in the case of pitchers, especially lefties). I think that comes from the way scouts assess prospects, based on how old they are at which levels. And the truth is, if you are going to have a hall-of-fame career, you better get started by 24 years old, since its basically required if you are going to hit the accumulation milestones required for the Hall. But so-called "late bloomers" are seen ALL THE TIME in baseball, baseball "experts" just pretend that it doesn't happen.

Remember Rick Reed? To call Reed a "journeyman" when he came to the Mets would have been charitable. In 1997 he was 32 years old, blackballed as a scab for playing during the strike, a guy with a total of 266.4 innings pitched in a 8 season career. His prior two years, he had only 8 appearances with a 5.90 ERA.

He then proceeded to be a dependable #2 starter, generally one of the best pitchers in baseball over the next two years, and had 2 all-star game appearances in 4.5 seasons as a Met. His career numbers at Shea, when all was said and done, were 467.2 innings pitched to a sterling 3.14 ERA, with only 426 hits and 70 walks allowed, versus 346 strikeouts. He was a great Met.

And I'm sure we all remember Carl Everett, who only showed flashes of power (and temper) as a Met but whose offensive game didn't really come around until his 7th MLB season, in Houston (the temper stayed, sadly).

And I don't think you can't chalk up those examples to the steroids era, as it still happens today. How about Ryan Ludwick? After hitting .220 in both 2004 and 2005 (and not getting a MLB at bat in 2006) he winds up in St. Louis, and in 2008, at 29 years old, he's got 23 HR and 70 RBI at just beyond the halfway point.

Expecting Tatis to play 3 more years at this pace is foolhardy - I'm not advocating signing him to a long-term contract based on 150 at-bats. But is it unreasonable to think that, for this year, he's our best bet to get power out of an outfield position? Its not crazy to imagine that this burst isn't an "illusion" as much as a veteran guy finally figuring out how to hit a bit better.

His .840 OPS+ this year is better than Raul Ibanez, Ken Griffey Jr., and most of the other options folks discuss as potential trade targets (Jason Bay is better, though).

If Church is done for the year, the comparisons are moot, since there will be plenty of at-bats for Tatis. But if he comes back, its not clear that giving Tatis' at-bats to Raul Ibanez isn't a downgrade for this team.

-- Andy

Good Morning Mets (Mike Pelfrey) Fans! 9 is Fine!

What a display of pitching from our young ace in the making--8 innings of no-run baseball that can be described in one word: Dominating.

He has now won his last 6 starts in a row.

Every pitch was working, he was hitting 95-97 on the radar gun, and no one looked comfortable against him in the box. The Mets didn't field a ball in the air until the last out of the 6th inning....Pelfrey was that good.

He has taken the city by storm, and the Shea faithful rewarded him with ovation after ovation and chants of "Pel-Frey" as he finished the 8th inning before walking off to applause not seen around here since Dwight Gooden made Flushing his own personal cheering section.

There was absolute electricity (and a TON of noise) in the air at Shea, and Big Pelf responded to the moment by finishing in style. His curtain called was very well deserved...there seems to be a real mutual admiration society building between Big Mike and the Mets fans.

"I saw Lastings Milledge get a curtain call. It's something I always wanted to do. It was awesome. They started chanting, [Ramon] Castro looked at me, said 'Get out there.' I wasn't going to say no."

"He's been dominant against any team we play," the aforementioned Castro said of Pelfrey, who is 6-0 with a 2.56 ERA in this personal six-game winning streak.

"The few guys that made it to first [base] said this guy's absolutely nasty," Carlos Delgado said with a smile.

Over his last 9 starts (since his last loss) his stats are incredible: 6-0, 59.2 innings, 53 hits, 41 Ks, 21 BBs, 15 Earned Runs, 2.26 ERA, 1.239 WHIP, and, most importantly, the Mets are 8-1 over that span.

And he is getting better--let's look at his last three starts:

3-0, 22 IP, 14 H, 1 ER, 16 K, 2 BB, 0.41 ERA and a Cy Young-like 0.727 WHIP.

"I don't think I knew what to do, otherwise I would've taken advantage of it," Pelfrey said about the fans demand for a curtain call. "That felt awesome when they started chanting. I just looked around and needed one guy to say boom and I'm gone."

The Mets are now 51-44 and a half game back of the Phils in the NL East. It is only a matter of time before they put the competition in the rearview mirror and become the chased vice the chaser.

Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado combined for 900 feet of homeruns and 5 RBIs. Beltran's blast came in the first inning and the Mets never looked back. Delgado's blast was an absolute moon shot that had Jon Miller of ESPN positively delirious.

Jose Reyes, you know, the guy who is not an All-Star, drove in a run for the 5th consecutive game.

How good is Reyes in 2008? Well, he is the first player EVER to have more than 20 doubles, 10 triples, 10 homeruns and 30 stolen bases before the break.

Joe Smith, the other 24 year old pitcher on the team, closed out the 9th in fine fashion to continue the bullpen's scoreless streak, now at 19 2/3 innings on this homestand.

On the year Smith has a minuscule 1.070 WHIP. Moreover, MLB is batting .206 against him with a .294 OBP, .324 slg %, and a .618 OPS.

So here we are, at the break, with the Mets playing like the best team in baseball. They are 17-9 under "interim" manager Jerry Manuel, and all the signs for a great second half are there.

The schedule is favorable, Ryan Church is due back on Saturday, the team is playing loose and confident, and we are seeing our young players step up in a big way, while our older players are having the years we thought they'd have. Guys who we thought would be role players are pulling their weight and then some. A special kudos to Carlos Delgado for turning his season around and becoming the boomer in the middle we need, and to Damion Easley for being a solid professional who gives 110% on every play while coming up with key hit after key hit. Senor Titties? We love ya!

I could go on and on...Heilman, Castro, Schoeney, P2, Happy Endy, Johan, Schneider, Maine, etc....they are all doing their job and much more.

Mets Magic!

Enjoy your coffee my friends...you've earned it.

Scoreboard
Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Colorado (39-57)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	7	0
N.Y. Mets (51-44) «	3	1	0	1	2	0	0	0	x	7	11	0

Players of the Game

New York M. Pelfrey IP 8.0 H 6 ER 0 BB 0 K 5

New York C. Beltran AB 4 R 1 H 3 HR 1 RBI 3

New York Mets
Hitters	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Jose B. Reyes, SS	3	0	1	1	1	0	1	.302
Nick Evans, LF	3	1	2	1	0	0	0	.226
David Wright, 3B	3	1	0	0	1	0	4	.282
Carlos Beltran, CF	4	1	3	3	0	1	0	.268
Damion Easley, 2B	4	1	0	0	0	1	2	.286
Carlos Delgado, 1B	4	1	1	2	0	1	1	.248
Fernando Tatis, RF	4	1	1	0	0	0	0	.292
Ramon A. Castro, C	4	1	2	0	0	1	0	.286
Mike Pelfrey, SP	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	.125
Totals	30	7	11	7	2	4	8
BATTING
HR - C Beltran (15); C Delgado (17)
RBI - J Reyes (43); N Evans (3); C Beltran 3 (66); C Delgado 2 (52)
SF - N Evans (1)
S - M Pelfrey 2 (6)

New York Mets
Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Mike Pelfrey (W,8-6)	8.0	6	0	0	0	5	0	3.64
Joe Smith	1.0	1	0	0	0	0	0	2.97

Good Morning Mets Fans! 8 is Great!

Eight in a row and the Mets are officially the hottest team in baseball.

All they did was combine for the 33rd 1-hitter in club history and set a major league record in the process by allowing 3 or fewer hits in 5 consecutive ballgames.

The Mets are now just a half game back of the Phils in the NL East, and only 1.5 games back of the Cards in the NL Wild Card race.

It's as if Jerry Manuel snapped his fingers and said, "I want to get my guys to the top and let the second half decide the best team." Right now, the Cubs and Mets look like the cream of the NL crop.

National League East
Team	W	L	Pct.	GB	Home	Road	East	Cent.	West	L10	Strk
Philadelphia	51	44	.537	-	26-23	25-21	17-14	17-12	13-7	5-5	L 1
N.Y. Mets	50	44	.532	½	27-18	23-26	18-16	6-8	17-14	9-1	W 8
Florida	49	44	.527	1	26-20	23-24	19-14	11-10	14-10	6-4	W 3
Atlanta	43	50	.462	7	30-18	13-32	16-19	9-16	10-8	3-7	L 2
Washington	36	59	.379	15	20-29	16-30	14-21	11-18	3-10	2-8	L 1

How did they get it done today? Pitching, pitching, pitching, and just a smattering of timely hitting.

Pedro Martinez was masterful early, surrendering only 1 hit through 4 before being taken out for precaution. His shoulder stiffened up on him a little, and Jerry Manuel quickly made the move to the Mets stellar bullpen.

"He wanted to go back in the game," Manuel said. "He fought, fought, fought, fought to go back out there and pitch, but I said, 'No."'

“My shoulder kind of locked up, so I had to pop it back,” Martinez said. “The flexibility is there. The strength is there. There’s nothing bothering me. I was fine, except my groin is a little sore. We’re going to rest it now during the All-Star break. … It’s not anything uncommon. It’s scar tissue and stuff like that. The doctor already checked me. My shoulder is perfectly fine. I’ve got nine days.”

Jose Reyes, you know, the guy who is not an All-Star, hit his 43rd extra-base hit of the season, his 10th homerun...Reyes also walked to lift his OBP to .366.

Jose's projected stats for the year are phenomenal:

SPLITS	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
Season	92	391	68	118	23	10	10	42	41	48	32	10	.302	.366	.488	.854
Career	687	2905	487	832	141	62	54	283	215	352	266	68	.286	.335	.433	.769
Last 7	7	31	5	13	3	0	0	3	4	2	3	1	.419	.486	.516	1.002
Projected	160	680	118	205	40	17	17	73	71	83	56	17	.302	.366	.488	.854

Jose is definitely happy. "It feels good," Reyes said. "We're playing together as a team, we've got a lot of communication. That's why we've been successful."

Brian Schneider is another player who is hot, though you don't hear much about it. He has a .424 OBP in JUly, and I believe he is benefitting from the "near-platoon" he has with Ramon Castro.

Schneider had 3 leadoff walks on the day and called a terrific game behind the plate.

But the real "Player of the Game" was the bullpen. They have pitched 18 2/3 scoreless innings on this homestand and held the Rockies hitless over 5 innings.

Muniz, Schoeneweis, Heilman and Wagner...it was a symphony orchestrated masterfully by the Mets skipper.

Carlos Muniz has pitched 3.1 innings of no-hit baseball during this 5 game run and got the win.

Scott Schoeneweis sports a 2.65 ERA on the season hasn't given up a run in his last 6 outings. His July ERA is 0.00 with 4 hits allowed in 4.2 innings.

Aaron Heilman is on fire....REALLY on fire. In June and July he has pitched 21.2 innings, allowed 4 runs, struck out 25, and walked only 6. I wrote last month that he was still our best bridge to Wags, and he is proving that more and more every day.

Speaking of Billy Wagner, how happy was he to get out of Philly? All he's done the last 3 games in pitch no-hit baseball to close out all three wins with just 32 pitches. He also leads the team in ERA.

There's still one more game left before the break....Mike Pelfrey on the ESPN Sunday night game. Big Pelf is another hot pitcher, and I like our chances here...it's a game the Mets can make a statement with.

So enjoy your Sunday Morning coffee my friends....it sure feels good to be a Mets fan right now.

Scoreboard
Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Colorado (39-56)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
N.Y. Mets (50-44) «	0	0	0	1	1	1	0	0	x	3	8	0

Players of the Game

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

New York B. Schneider AB 1 R 0 H 1 HR 0 RBI 1

New York Mets
Hitters	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Jose Reyes, SS	4	1	1	1	1	0	2	.302
Argenis Reyes, 2B	5	0	1	0	0	1	4	.278
David Wright, 3B	4	0	1	0	0	2	1	.285
Carlos Beltran, CF	4	1	1	0	0	0	2	.262
Fernando Tatis, LF	4	0	1	1	0	2	2	.293
Carlos Delgado, 1B	2	1	1	0	2	1	0	.248
Endy Chavez, RF	3	0	1	0	0	1	3	.269
Brian Schneider, C	1	0	1	1	3	0	0	.254
Pedro Martinez, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.167
a- Nick Evans, PH	1	0	0	0	0	1	3	.179
Carlos Muniz, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
b- Marlon Anderson, PH	1	0	0	0	0	1	1	.192
Aaron Heilman, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Scott Schoeneweis, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
c- Robinson Cancel, PH	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.200
Billy Wagner, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Totals	30	3	8	3	6	9
a-struck out for P. Martinez in the 4th
b-struck out for Muniz in the 6th
c-grounded out for Schoeneweis in the 8th
Batting
2B - Carlos Beltran (23, Jimenez), Brian Schneider (5, Jimenez)
HR - Jose Reyes (10, Jimenez)
SH - Endy Chavez (8), Pedro Martinez (3)
RBI - Jose Reyes (42), Fernando Tatis (19), Brian Schneider (20)
SB - Argenis Reyes (1, 2nd base off Jimenez/Iannetta), David Wright (11, 2nd base off Speier/Iannetta), Carlos Beltran (15, 3rd base off Jimenez/Iannetta), Fernando Tatis (3, 2nd base off Jimenez/Iannetta)
Team LOB - 11
Fielding
DP - Reyes-Delgado

New York Mets
Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Pedro Martinez	4	1	0	0	3	3	0	6.25
Carlos Muniz (W,1-1)	2	0	0	0	1	2	0	4.80
Aaron Heilman (H,11)	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	4.50
Scott Schoeneweis (H,10)	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	2.65
Billy Wagner (S,22)	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	2.31
Pitches-Strikes - Pedro Martinez 66-36, Carlos Muniz 31-20, Aaron Heilman 12-7, Scott Schoeneweis 7-6, Billy Wagner 14-10
Ground Balls-Fly Balls - Pedro Martinez 2-6, Carlos Muniz 1-3, Aaron Heilman 2-0, Scott Schoeneweis 1-1, Billy Wagner 1-1
Batters Faced - Pedro Martinez 15, Carlos Muniz 7, Aaron Heilman 3, Scott Schoeneweis 3, Billy Wagner 3

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

Whither Castillo?

OK Mets fans, let me ask you this very simple, yet complex, question:

"Are the Mets a better team with Luis Castillo OUT of the lineup?"

Yes he gets on base at a nice clip and has good baserunning skills....that is a given. Does he hit enough is quite another thing.

IMO, Castillo back to second base is the right move IF he hits 8th in the order.

The Mets best lineup is still...

Reyes
Church
DW
Beltran
Delgado
Alou
Schneider/Castro
Castillo
P

The guys playing now are getting it done which is great, but sustaining that for the next few months is a tall order.

We need our stars back.

Good Morning Mets Fans!

A good win or a bad win? I think that depends on whether or not you fancy yourself an optimist or a pessimist.

The optimist in me sees that the Mets are 3-2 in July against the current Wild Card and NL East leaders, they beat their biggest rival last night with timely hitting and solid starting pitching, and they are only 4 games back in the loss column with almost half a season remaining.

The pessimist in me says that John Maine's recent "dead arm" and last night's "cramp" are indicative of a larger problem, perhaps the one that caused him to falter in the second half of 2007. To whit: in 2007, Maine's first half ERA was 2.71, and his second half ERA was 5.53. He went 10-4 in the first half, and 5-6 in the second.

The pessimist in me also worries about Ryan Church, who left yesterday's game with dizziness. The optimist wants to believe his story about migraines, how he's had them in the past, and that this was nothing more than that.

The optimist in me really believes in Jerry Manuel. Once again he seemed to push all the right buttons, sending up three straight pinch hitters to open the game up and seal the win.

The pessimist in me sees that the Mets are 9-9 under Jerry Manuel. Sure he seems like a great guy and the guys are looser with him at the helm, but has that really translated into results?

So here we stand, seemingly as usual, with the Mets teetering on the brink of good and bad, firmly entrenched at or near the .500 mark.

We all see the signs for optimism--Reyes hitting, DW driving in runs, great outfield defense, terrific starting pitching, etc, etc.

We also see the other side that brings out the pessimists in us all--blown saves, infield errors, key players on the disabled list, incredible starts by Santana that go to waste for want of a 1 out, man on third shot to the outfield, etc. etc.

Are you an optimist or a pessimist Met fan? I want you to ask yourself that right now.

As for me, I am an optimist...the team can hit--the team can pitch--the team can run--the team and field....yes, I am an optimist for 2008...the Mets will win the NL East, they are just taking the long road to get there.

Scoreboard
Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
N.Y. Mets (43-44) «	1	0	0	2	0	0	0	3	3	9	14	0
Philadelphia (48-40)	0	0	0	3	0	0	1	0	0	4	4	2

Players of the Game

New York D. Easley AB 5 R 2 H 3 HR 0 RBI 1

Philadelphia R. Howard AB 3 R 1 H 1 HR 1 RBI 3

New York Mets
Hitters	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Jose Reyes, SS	5	1	2	0	0	1	2	.294
Ryan Church, RF	3	0	1	0	0	2	1	.307
Duaner Sanchez, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
a- Fernando Tatis, PH-1B	1	1	1	0	0	0	0	.267
David Wright, 3B	5	1	1	0	0	0	4	.288
Carlos Beltran, CF	3	2	0	0	2	0	0	.259
Damion Easley, 2B	5	2	3	1	0	0	1	.287
Carlos Delgado, 1B	5	1	2	0	0	0	2	.237
Tony Armas, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Ramon Castro, C	3	0	0	0	0	1	1	.261
b- Marlon Anderson, PH-LF	1	1	0	1	1	0	0	.198
Chris Aguila, LF	3	0	1	0	0	0	0	.167
c- Endy Chavez, PH-RF	2	0	1	1	0	0	0	.256
John Maine, P	2	0	1	0	0	0	0	.114
Aaron Heilman, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
d- Argenis Reyes, PH	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	.000
Joe Smith, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Pedro Feliciano, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
e- Brian Schneider, PH-C	2	0	1	2	0	0	2	.258
Totals	41	9	14	5	3	4
a-doubled for Sanchez in the 9th
b-walked for Castro in the 8th
c-grounded out for Aguila in the 8th
d-flied out for Heilman in the 7th
e-doubled for Feliciano in the 8th
Batting
2B - Jose Reyes (21, Moyer), Fernando Tatis (3, Seanez), David Wright (21, Moyer), Brian Schneider (4, Gordon)
RBI - Damion Easley (20), Marlon Anderson (9), Endy Chavez (8), Brian Schneider 2 (18)
2-OUT RBI - Endy Chavez (5), Brian Schneider 2 (8)
SB - David Wright (9, 3rd base off Moyer/Coste), Carlos Beltran (12, 2nd base off Moyer/Coste)
Team LOB - 9
Fielding
Outfield Assists - Chris Aguila 1

New York Mets
Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
John Maine	5.2	1	3	3	2	5	1	3.91
Aaron Heilman	0.1	0	0	0	0	1	0	4.67
Joe Smith	0.2	1	1	1	1	0	0	3.44
Pedro Feliciano (W,1-2)	0.1	1	0	0	0	0	0	2.91
Duaner Sanchez (H,13)	1	1	0	0	1	0	0	3.86
Tony Armas	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	5.14
IBB - Jenkins by Joe Smith, Howard by Duaner Sanchez
HBP - Victorino (by John Maine)
Pitches-Strikes - John Maine 99-65, Aaron Heilman 5-3, Joe Smith 10-5, Pedro Feliciano 6-3, Duaner Sanchez 12-6, Tony Armas 10-6
Ground Balls-Fly Balls - John Maine 4-8, Joe Smith 1-1, Duaner Sanchez 2-1, Tony Armas 1-1
Batters Faced - John Maine 21, Aaron Heilman 1, Joe Smith 4, Pedro Feliciano 1, Duaner Sanchez 5, Tony Armas 3