In the finale of an embarrassing weekend for Mets fans everywhere, NY handed the rival NY Yank$$s 3 runs and lost 4-2 Sunday night at Citi-Field. Mets pitchers walked 11 Yank$$s(1 with the bases loaded) and could not turn two crucial plays in the first inning, costing the club 3 runs. Starting pitcher Livan Hernandez was again outstanding for New York, going 7 innings and allowing only 3 hits. He walked 5 and K-ed 1, however, he induced the Yank$$s into hitting into 3 double plays.
The game (and series) was a microcosm of the 2009 NY Mets season. They cannot hit with an injury depleted line-up, they make silly mental mistakes on the bases and in the field while playing hard but not smart. The recent lineups feature 2-3 players a night who are backups or minor leaguers!!! This is not the 07-08 NY Mets, this team is likeable, Manuel’s men battle and try. But watching this team is like watching someone fighting a tank with a slingshot! This cannot and will not work! If this continues or Mets GM Omar Minaya does not make a major trade, fans will not be heart broken by another collapse in September. It will be over in August!!!
The Yank$$s plated 3 runs in the first, on 2 doubles(One to lead off the game), 2 fielders choice plays(2 plays that could and should have gotten the Mets out of the inning) , a walk and sacrifice fly. They scored a huge insurance run in the 9th in embarrassing fashion. Mets closer Francisco Rodriquez walked future hall of fame closer Mariano Rivera(2 career at bats going into the game) with the BASES LOADED!!! The Yank$$s outscored the Mets 17-3 and out hit them 26-9 in the 3 game weekend series.
The Mets offense might have hit a season low when they allowed the awful and unconfident Chien-MingWang(1-6) to earn his first win in more than a year. Wang has posted horrific numbers(10.06 ERA, 2.13 WHIP) yet he looked like Sandy Koufax vs the Minaya Mets! Over 5 and a third, he allowed 4 hits and 2 runs. He walked 3 and K-ed the same amount. The Mets plated 2 runs in the 4th. After RF Gary Sheffield walked and advanced to 3rd on a ground out, rookie LF Fernando Martinez drove him in with a double. 2b Luis Castillo then drove the rookie in with a single down the 3rd base line to make it 4-2.
The Mets did not muster any offense after that. They managed 3 walks vs 3 set-up men before Rivera(1 hit, 2 Ks in 1 and a third) ended the night to earn his 19 save in 2009 and 500th all time. “He’s one of the premier closers in my time,” Mets manager Jerry Manuel said about Rivera. “I wasn’t applauding him tonight, but you do have to applaud that.”
Star of the Game: Rivera- 500 saves is 500 saves. No other Yank$$ did anything worthy of this award. This weekend is on Mets GM Omar Minaya, who should be embarrassed by allowing his team to put that talent deprived product on the field.
Mets starting Line-up:
1- 1B Daniel Murphy
2- SS Alex Cora
3- 3B David Wright
4- LF Gary Sheffield
5- RF Ryan Church
6- CF Fernando Martiinez
7- C Brian Schneider
8- 2B Luis Castillo
9- Pitcher
Game Notes: Manuel came close to begging Minaya for help post game. “If we get below [.500] and we continue to struggle offensively as we are, I think that’s a no-brainer,” Manuel said. “I think we have to visit that. I think that has to be visited or talked about at some point. It would be dishonest if I said no.”… Mets LH SP Oliver Perez had a great outing for the Brooklyn Cyclones on his rehab assignment, recovering from a knee injury. He went 5 innings, allowing 2 hits, striking out 6 and walking one. He threw 73 pitches(41 for strikes) and will make at least one more start(probably Triple A Buffalo) to get stretched out to 100 pitches… Mets went 5-10 in Inter league play
Next Game:
Monday, Start a 2 series road trip with 3 games at the Milwaukee Brewers
7:05
Mets RH Fernando Nieve(3-0, 1.31) vs. RH Braden Looper(5-4,5.16)
