Blogging Mets

After dropping two out of the first three games against the Pirates at home, the Mets really needed a win on Sunday in the finale. They had Matt Harvey on the mound, so you’d figure it was all-but a done deal. Well, Harvey did not have his best stuff, but he managed to keep the Mets in the game. However the inept offense and a leaky bullpen sent the Mets down to their third straight defeat.

Juan Lagares makes incredible circus catch against Pirates.
Screenshot courtesy SNY

Lucas Duda got the Mets on the board in the second with a solo home run to center field. It was Duda’s eighth home run of the year to go along with his 12 RBIs. How is that even possible?!

However Matt Harvey gave the run right back in the bottom of the third when Clint Barmes took him deep to tie the game at one.

Juan Lagares made one of the better circus catches you’ll ever see on the next batter. Opposing pitcher Jeanmar Gomez hit a sinking liner to center. Lagares dove for the shoestring catch. It bounced out of his glove, but luckily it bounced forward and Lagares was able to snag it as he continued his dive.

Good thing he made that catch because Harvey then walked Starling Marte and allowed a hit and run single to Travis Snider to put runners in first and third with one out. He walked Andrew McCutchen to load the bases. Garrett Jones flew out to right, scoring Marte on the sacrifice fly to give the Pirates a 2-1 lead. Harvey was able to get Jordy Mercer to pop out to end the inning.

The Mets got a huge assist when Pirates manager Clint Hurdle removed Gomez from the game after five innings and just 65 pitches. Gomez baffled Mets bats, allowing just two hits. Gomez started the season in the bullpen and this was only his third start, so perhaps Hurdle wants to bring him along slowly. But Gomez has been a starter for most of his career, so he should have been able to go further.

The Mets cashed in against the Pirates bullpen in the seventh. John Buck walked with one out. He went to second on a wild pitch. Mike Baxter, the new Mr. Clutch, singled to right as Buck motored home to tie the game at two. By the way, Buck stole his first base since 2009 earlier in the game. Perhaps inspired by Buck’s sudden base running abilities, Baxter stole second. Lagares struck out, but Baxter stole third on the play. Justin Turner pinch hit for Harvey but he struck out to strand Baxter at third.

So Matt Harvey went seven innings and 101 pitches. After his early trouble he settled down and seemed to get better as the game went on. He allowed two runs on five hits, with two walks and four strikeouts — his lowest strikeout total of the season. Harvey’s record remains at 4-0 after his fourth straight no decision. His ERA ballooned to 1.44, up from 1.28.

Scott Rice, making his league-leading 21st appearance, got the first out in the eighth but then walked McCutchen. Brandon Lyon came on and walked Gaby Sanchez. Lyon struck out Jose Tabata for the second out. Bobby Parnell was summoned and he allowed a single to Pedro Alvarez to give the Pirates a 3-2 lead.

Daniel Murphy broke out of an 0-17 slump with a double in the eighth with one out. Murphy advanced to third on a passed ball. David Wright walked (they were pitching around him). Ike Davis struck out for the second out as Wright stole second. Duda then hit a shot that hit off the first base bag. That’s usually good, as the ball will bounce somewhere crazy. But this time it bounced right to second baseman Brandon Inge, who tossed to the pitcher covering for the final out to keep it a 3-2 game.

The Mets went quietly in the ninth to end a 2-4 homestand.

John Harper’s column in the Daily News on Sunday contained something rare from the Mets media corps — criticism of Sandy Alderson. It was buried in the middle and it wasn’t particularly harsh because it appears people are still afraid to say bad things about the Mets GM, but it was there. Perhaps this will begin what should be a flood of criticism of the job Alderson has done thus far.

In commenting about how terrible the Mets are, Harper wrote:

Good thing for Sandy Alderson that he can hang his GM hat on his trades for top prospects Zack Wheeler and Travis d’Arnaud as centerpieces to his rebuilding plan, or he would be under siege by now in this, his third season on the job.

Alderson’s hands have been tied financially, but for someone who came in with a reputation of being able to find value in unheralded players, he sure hasn’t filled in the gaps at the major league level while waiting for the farm system to produce.

Despite the standard apology alleging that Alderson could have made more moves if he had the money, Harper hit the nail on the head. Where is the so-called evaluating genius who can find all-stars at the bottom of the barrel? All he’s given the Mets are the Collin Cowgills, Aaron Laffeys and Brad Emauses of the world.

Defenders of Alderson love to point out, like Harper did, that Alderson traded for Wheeler and d’Arnaud. Those were fine moves but they are the only two players of any significance that Alderson has managed to acquire. In three years he has acquired two players?! And we’re supposed to think that qualifies as doing a good job?

It takes 25 players to staff a team and as we’re seeing now, two good players (David Wright and Matt Harvey) cannot make up for the other mediocre 23. Okay, Bobby Parnell is doing very well, but you get my point.

I applaud Harper for finally standing up and suggesting that Sandy Alderson is not doing a good job as Mets GM. Perhaps other beat writers will join him and certain bloggers (okay, I mean me) who have been saying it all along — Sandy Alderson is just not a good general manager.

I doubt it will happen anytime soon. I think everyone is waiting for this off season, when the salaries of Johan Santana and Jason Bay come off the books, when the Mets claim they will spend money, when the time for excuses will be over. If Sandy Alderson continues his inaction, the chorus will grow. Until then, Alderson will be the teflon GM as we have to live with this team he has constructed.

Is there something wrong with Jonathon Niese? He turned in yet another poor performance as the Pirates drubbed the Mets Saturday afternoon at Citi Field.

Jonathon Niese with another awful start Saturday against the Pirates.

The Pirates loaded the bases with one out in the second inning via two hits and a walk. Clint Barmes singled to right to score the game’s first run and keep the bases loaded. Fortunately opposing pitcher Francisco Liriano was the next batter. He hit a chopper to David Wright, who fielded it right on the bag. Wright stepped on it and threw to first to turn the inning-ending double play to help Niese escape with just one run allowed.

Niese wasn’t so lucky in the third. With a runner on second Andrew McCutchen singled to make it a 2-0 game. Jose Tabata then hit a two-run homer to center to extend the Pirates lead to 4-0.

The wheels fell off in the fifth. With one out Jordy Mercer hit a solo home run to make it 5-0. Niese then walked two straight batters and Jose Tabata doubled to deep center to bring another run home. That was all for Jonathon Niese, who gave way to Scott Atchison with runners on second and third. Atchison got the second out, but then Michael McHenry singled to left to score two more runs to make it an 8-0 game. Barmes singled on the next pitch to knock in McHenry to extend the lead to 9-0.

So Jonathon Niese went 4.1 innings, allowing eight runs on eight hits, three walks and just one strikeout. Niese dropped to 2-4 and his ERA soared to 5.93.

The Mets finally broke through against Liriano, who was making his first start of the season, in the sixth. Wright led off with a single and with one out Justin Turner singled to advance Wright to third. Marlon Byrd reached on an infield single to score Wright and put Turner on second. Liriano was taken out of the game and Bryan Morris was able to retire the  next two batters to keep the score 9-1.

With the score 10-1 in the eighth, Mercer added another solo shot to make it 11-1.

The game was stopped by rain in the middle of the ninth inning. As usual it is beautiful here in sunny Los Angeles and I want to go out. I am not waiting around, so I assume the game will be called and end at 11-1.

UPDATE:

Did they really finish this game?! Apparently yes, after the stupidest 47-minute rain delay ever — stupid except for Andrew Brown, who hit his first home run as a Met, a solo shot in the bottom of the ninth to make it an 11-2 loss.

Shaun Marcum is not good. There, I said it. Marcum’s third start for the Mets was just as poor and short as his first two, as the Pirates crushed the Mets Friday night at Citi Field.

Jose Tabata is thrown out at 3rd in second inning.

Marcum found trouble in the second. A double and a single put runners on first and third with no outs. Pedro Alvarez singled to right to score one run to make it 1-0. But Jose Tabata, trying to going first to third, was thrown out by Marlon Byrd on a fine throw for the first out. It was crucial because Marcum couldn’t get any outs on his own. A double and a hit by pitch loaded the bases. Opposing pitcher Wandy Rodriguez smacked a bullet up the middle that hit Marum on his wrist, knocking his glove off. It bounced to Justin Turner, who was able to get the out at second, but a run scored to make it 2-0. With runners at first and third and two outs Sterling Marte hit a slow grounder to short. Ruben Tejada double-clutched and the speedy Marte was safe at first to extend the Pirates lead to 3-0. Another single loaded the bases, but Marcum was able to get Andrew McCutchen to fly out to end the inning.

In the fifth Marum hit the leadoff batter and allowed a single. Garrett Jones then hit a ball to right that was just out of the reach of Mike Baxter. It also just cleared the orange line on the wall and after an umpire review, it was correctly ruled a home run — 6-0 Pirates.

Shaun Marcum was done after 4.2 inning. He allowed six runs on nine hits. On the bright side, he didn’t walk anyone, but he did hit two batters. Marcum has failed to go five innings in any of his starts. He also was the loser of that 15 inning game. He is now 0-3 with an ERA of 8.59. If Shaun Marcum were not signed for $4 million his time with the Mets would be over (see Laffey, Aaron). But the Mets will not eat that much cash.

Anthony Recker finally got the Mets on the board in the bottom of the fifth with a rocket into the seats in left. His first home run as a Met made it a 6-1 game.

Scott Rice allowed a run in the ninth and it was an important one because Jordany Valdespin hit a solo homer in the bottom of the inning to cut the lead to 7-2. Ike Davis singled and Recker then walked. With two outs Andrew Brown singled to score Davis to make it 7-3 and put runners on first and second. Had Rice not given up that run, Tejada would have come to the plate as the potential tying run. Instead, he was not, and he flew out to center to end the game, anyway.

Mets go down 7-3.

So guess what Phil and I talked about on “The Phil Naessens Show” this week? If you said “Matt Harvey,” then you are correct. I mean, what else can you talk about these days when it comes to the Mets? The feeble offense? Oh yeah, we chatted about that, too.

Juan Lagares saved Thursday’s game for the Mets with a sensational catch in the ninth inning. With two outs, a runner on and the score tied at two, Andrew McCutchen hit  long drive to center. Lagares went back to the wall, jumped and caught the ball. It was either going to go over the wall or hit the top of it, scoring at least one run. The Mets then won the game in the bottom of the ninth.

People who have seen Juan Lagares in the minors have raved about his defense prowess. Now we know why.

Here’s a photo of the catch:

The Mets offense these days can be described as feeble, at best. Yet they have been able to win two out of their last three games, and we can thank Mike Baxter for both of those wins.

Justin Turner not happy after being thrown out trying to stretch single into double.

The Mets got on the board against the Pirates in the second. John Buck led off the inning with a single and went to third on a Justin Turner single. Turner was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double. Buck scored on a sacrifice fly by Marlon Byrd to give the Mets a 1-0 lead.

Dillon Gee was pitching very well until the sixth inning. He allowed two singles and hit a batter to load the bases. Brandon Lyon came on and surrendered a sacrifice fly to tie the game at one.

Gee threw 101 pitches over his five innings, allowing one run on five hits.

The Mets offensive woes continued against some guy named Jeff Locke, who held the Mets to three hits and that one run over six innings.

In the seventh inning Andrew Brown collected his first hit as a Met and with two outs Ike Davis laced a double to right-center to drive home Brown and give the Mets the lead again, 2-1.

LaTroy Hawkins, who had not allowed an earned run since April 10, came on to pitch the eighth. Pedro Alvarez broke that streak, slamming a solo shot to right to tie the game at two.

Juan Lagares saved the game for the Mets in the ninth. With two outs and a runner on first, Andrew McCutchen drove a Bobby Parnell pitch deep to center. Lagares went back to the wall and leaped, snagging the ball for the third out. It might have gone out or hit the top of the wall. Either way, the sensational catch kept the game tied. And now we know why people rave about Lagares’s defense.

And the Mets made that catch count. Byrd led off the ninth inning with an infield single. Brown bunted him over to second. And just like he did Tuesday in the tenth inning, Baxter came through, getting a pinch hit single to win the game 3-2.

A nice win by the Mets.

The Mets and their fans quickly came down to earth from Matt Harvey’s near-perfect game when Jeremy Hefner took the mound at Citi Field on Wednesday. Hefner’s two previous outings have been very good, and he wasn’t terrible tonight, but he is no Matt Harvey and the White Sox beat the Mets 6-3 to split the brief two-game Mets-White Sox series.

Lucas Duda congratulated after homer Wednesday in Mets-White Sox game.

The White Sox apparently wanted to show early on that it would be a very different kind of night — Alejandro De Aza led off the game with a bullet into the seats in right that got out of the stadium in hurry for a 1-0 lead.

Lucas Duda got the run back in the second with a bomb of his own, into the second deck in right field to tie the game at one. Duda now has seven home runs with a whopping 11 RBIs.

A bunt single and infield single put runners on first and third with one out in the top of the fourth for the Sox. Alex Rios doubled to make it  2-1 and put runners on second and third. Conor Gillaspie then hit a bloop to shallow center that  no one could get to. It went for a two-run double to give the White Sox a 4-1 lead.

Hefner went six innings, allowing four runs on eight hits, with one walk and five strikeouts. Hefner was done in by some soft hits in that fourth inning. Bloops or rockets, though, they all still count.

Scott Atchison allowed a run in the seventh as the White Sox ran the score to 5-1.

The Mets could do nothing against Jake Peavy. The former Cy Young Award winner held the Mets to just one run on three hits over 6.2 innings.

Ruben Tejada led off the eighth inning with a single. Pinch hitter Justin Turner followed with a hit down the line in right. He should have had a double but he stumbled rounding first base and had to head back there. Rios bobbled the ball out there, allowing Tejada to score on the error to make it 5-2. Later in the inning Duda came to bat with two on and two outs, representing the potential tying run. He struck out swinging. Hey, at least he took the bat off of his shoulder.

Rios homered off of Jeurys Familia in the ninth to bring the score to 6-2.

In the bottom of the ninth Mike Baxter tripled with one out and came around to score on a two-out Tejada single to make it 6-3. After Turner reached on an infield single, Juan Lagares came to the plate as the potential tying run. But he struck out to end the game.

There will be another two-game Mets-White Sox matchup next month in Chicago. Ah, the perils of daily interleague play.

With all of the days off and rainouts the Mets have had recently, Matt Harvey hasn’t pitched in a week. There were concerns that the break in his usual routine would negatively effect him. When will everyone learn that nothing fazes this kid? All Harvey did was go out against the White Sox and take a perfect game into the seventh inning, eventually throwing nine one-hit, shutout innings. But the Mets couldn’t score, either, and they would win the game in 10 innings.

Matt Harvey pitches first inning with bloody nose.

Not even a bloody nose could bother Matt Harvey. The game was delayed a few minutes because Harvey was dealing with the issue. The crack Mets medical staff couldn’t stop it, so he pitched the first inning with blood coming out of his nose. It had no effect on him whatsoever.

With two outs in the seventh and Citi Field praying for a second franchise no-hitter,  Alex Rios hit a ball into the hole at shortstop. Ruben Tejada made a nice play and one of those Derek Jeter jump throws, but Rios beat the throw by a hair to break up the perfect game.

Meantime Hector Santiago was nearly as good for the White Sox. The Newark native who grew up rooting for the Mets held his boyhood team scoreless in his seven innings, allowing just four hits, striking out eight and walking two. He was removed after throwing 111 pitches.

Harvey made it through nine innings, allowing just that one hit, no walks and a career-high 12 strikeouts. He threw 105 pitches, which was apparently enough for Terry Collins. So Matt Harvey pitches the best game of his life and gets a no decision for his considerable efforts.

Ike Davis led off the 10th inning with a walk. He was sacrificed to second. Pinch hitter Mike Baxter came through with a single to right to score Davis for the 1-0 win. Bobby Parnell, who pitched the tenth, gets the win. But we all know who was the star of this game.

The legend of Matt Harvey grows with every game. Tuesday’s game against the White Sox started a few minutes late because Harvey was dealing with a bloody nose. He couldn’t get the flow to stop, so he pitched the first inning with a nice stream of blood coming out of his nose. Nothing can faze Matt Harvey — he retired the White Sox in order. Trainers were able to get things under control for the second inning and beyond.