Mets Fans Forever

Mets Sweep Astros To End Lost Season

Author: Paul Zinn

At least it ended on a good note, if just for the fans that have suffered through the 2009 New York Mets Season.

Nelson Figueroa pitched a complete-game shutout, the first of his career, as the Mets defeated the Astros, 4-0, at Citi Field this afternoon to close the 2009 season.

The Mets finish the 2009 campaign 70-92 and in fourth place in the National League East, no where close to where they wanted to be on Opening Day. But at least they rewarded the fans with a sweep to close the season.

Luis Castillo's sacrifice fly in the third was all the Mets needed, and Josh Thole added an RBI single in the fourth, before a throwing error by Miguel Tejada plated one more in the same frame for a 3-0 advantage.

Lastly, David Wright's sacrifice fly scored Angel Pagan in the fifth.

The story though was Figeuroa, who at the age of 35 got his first complete-game shutout and received a shaving cream pie as a reward.

It was good to see Figueroa's perserverance payoff this afternoon. Who knows what next year will hold for him, but it was a pleasure to watch him pitch this afternoon.

Figueroa finishes the season at 3-8, and allowed just seven hits while walking no one in the outing.

Other bright spots for the Mets included Pagan, who went 4-for-4 with two runs scored, missing the cycle by a home run, and Thole, who was 3-for-4 with a run batted in.

Mets Win Second In A Row; Down Astros 5-1

Author: Paul Zinn

Pat Misch looked good for his second straight start and helped propel the Mets to a 5-1 victory over the Astros on Saturday afternoon at Citi Field in a game that was delayed two hours and twenty minutes for rain in the fifth inning.

In last start, Misch (3-4) tossed a complete-game shutout against the Marlins. And after five yesterday, he had allowed just a single run on five hits. That completed Misch's day, but it was most likely the extended rain delay that prevented manager Jerry Manual from bringing him back for a sixth inning.

Misch could be one of the few bright spots this season and will hopefully add depth to a 2010 Mets' rotation that needs a lot of help, the way it currently sits.

The Mets pitcher even got in on the action offensively, plating Anderson Hernandez in the third inning when Miguel Tejada made an error on Misch's ground ball. Hernandez had prevously driven home Cory Sullivan with a double.

Tejada's sacrifice fly cut the score in half in the third, but the Mets increased the gap to 4-1 with a Fernando Tatis, broken-bat single that scored Luis Castillo and Sullivan in the fifth.

The game would be delayed by rain at the end of the fifth, and the Mets added only a Josh Thole RBI after that. Earlier in the fourth, Thole's triple was the team's 48th, a franchise-record.

Francisco Rodriguez converted the save, his 35th of the season, by recording the last out of the game.

Interestingly, David Wright was given the day off for some rest according to ESPN.Com, while Carlos Beltran was a late scratch because he was feeling ill.

Why Wright needed a day off seemed to be beyond a lot of Mets fans that I heard, unless of course there is something we don't know.

The season finally wraps up today when the Mets and Astros complete their three-game series with Nelson Figueroa facing Wilton Lopez.

K-Rod Coughs up a Grand Slam and Mets Lose 7-4

Authoer: Drew Costello

Mets fans should be used to these types of games in 2009. If there is anything we've learned as fans this season it is to expect the unexpected. Francisco Rodriguez gave up 5 runs in the ninth inning on a bases loaded walk to Adam Dunn and a Grand Slam to Justin Maxiel to give the Nationals a victory in their last home game of 2009.

I'm not sure if K-Rod is a victim of not getting much work in the second half or if there is something wrong physically with him, but he seems off. He can not control his pitches right now and has me terrified every time he comes in in a close game. It is something worth watching for next season because if the Mets want to be playing in games that matter next season they are going to need him.

Lost in the Rodriguez debacle was a solid start from Tim Redding. Redding went 6 innings and gave up 1 run on 4 hits. Redding passed the ball off to Bobby Parnell, Pedro Feliciano and Sean Green who were able to bridge the gap to K-Rod.

Redding may be earning himself a fifth starter role on the team next year. At the very least he should be brought in for a competition in the spring.

The Mets offense got things started in the top half of the second inning when Fernando Tatis hit a sacrifice fly to Elijah Dukes. Omir Santos continued the rally with a base hit to give the Mets the early 2-0 lead. The Mets got their other runs on a 6th inning RBI single by Carlos Beltran and a ninth inning RBI single by Santos.

All in all it was another tough loss in a season full of them. I'm sure the entire team can't wait until the offseason. Sunday can't come soon enough.

The Mets start their final series of the year on Friday night against the Astros at 7:10 EST.

Mets Blow 3 Run Lead and Lose to Nats 4-3

Author: Drew Costello

The Mets are giving off a vibe that they would like the season to be over. Lucky for them, there are only 4 games left in this disaster of a season. On Tuesday night, Mike Pelfrey took the hill for the Mets looking for his 11th win. Pelfrey was solid going 7 innings and giving up 3 runs on 8 hits. His counterpart J.D Martin shook off a shaky start and ended up going 6 innings giving up 3 runs on 7 hits.

Pelfrey pitched a pretty good game. He was not able to hold the early 3 run lead that his teammates secured for him, but he didn't lose the game for the team as well. One has to wonder if next year is a real make or break season for the young righty.

The Mets jumped on J.D Martin early. Carlos Beltran brought home the first run of the game on a bases loaded walk. Angel Pagan continued the scoring in the second with an RBI single to left that plated Wilson Valdez. The Mets rounded up their scoring later in the inning when David Wright doubled Pagan home.

In the beginning of the game it appeared the Mets offense was firing for once. However, they were not able to tack on insurance runs. We've seen this story before.

The Nats were able to tie the game in the fifth inning on a 2-run home run by Ian Desmond followed by an RBI single by Ryan Zimmerman later in the inning. The Nats grabbed the lead in the eighth when back to back throwing errors by Anderson Hernandez and Luis Castillo brought Justin Maxwell home with the game winning run.

I have always liked Jerry Manuel, but if he ends up getting fired this season it won't be because of the record. God knows he's been through his fair share of injuries. It will be because of the consistent sloppy baseball and his team's numerous mental errors throughout the season. It is clear that they are not learning from their mistakes.

The Mets conclude their season series with the Nationals on Wednesday afternoon when Tim Redding takes on John Lannon at 4:35 EST.

Nats Rookie Shuts Down the Mets 2-1

Author: Drew Costello

Nats rookie Ross Detwiler recorded his first win going 6 innings and giving up 1 run on 7 hits and only 1 walk. Nelson Figueroa was the tough luck loser going 6 innings and giving up 2 runs on 6 hits and one walk.

It felt like the old days when the Mets could not beat a rookie pitcher to save their lives. Detwiler appeared to have good stuff and the Mets weak lineup was no match for them.

The Mets got their only run when Fernando Tatis singled home a run in the sixth inning. Other than that, Detwiler was in complete control and was able to get the victory when Mike Morse homered off of Figueroa in the bottom of the sixth. Morse's homer ended up being the game winner.

It was difficult to watch the Mets struggle to score runs off of one of the worst teams in all of baseball. As a team the Mets had runners in scoring position in six different innings, and yet didn't get one run to cross the plate. Even for this team that is bad. As Jon Heyman tweated last night, "lengthen the season by 20 games, and the Mets would fall below the Nats." Now that is just flat out embarrassing.

The good news is the season is almost over and we can soon turn our attention to how to fix what happened this year. Also keep this in mind, the Phillies are in the midst of a collapse. With their loss Monday the Braves are now only 4 GB. On September 21st the Phillies were leading the NL East by 8 games.

The Mets continue their series against the Nats when Mike Pelfrey takes on J.D Martin at 7:10 EST.

Pat Misch Throws the Game of his Life and the Mets Beat the Marlins 4-0

Author: Drew Costello

Pat Misch threw a complete game shut out and the Mets cruised to a 4-0 victory in Miami on Sunday afternoon. Misch held the Marlins to 8 hits and only walked 3 in what was clearly his most impressive start this season. Chris Volstad was not as impressive as he only lasted 4 innings giving up 3 runs on 5 hits and 2 walks.

Starting pitching has been a major issue for the Mets this season and Misch gave them a lift today. Misch won't likely be in the Mets starting pitching plans next season, but he has a unique opportunity to showcase his ability for other teams. Today's start will likely earn him a job somewhere next year.

The Mets got their runs on home runs by Anderson Hernandez and Jeff Francoeur. Josh Thole got the offense started early with a sacrifice fly that ended up being the only offense the Mets needed on the day.

It was surprising to see Hernandez hit a home run and it is clear that he has come a long way with his offensive game. Francoeur continues to be a fantastic pick up for this team and will likely be the starting right fielder next season.

The Mets start a series with the Washington Nationals on Monday night when Nelson Figueroa takes on Ross Detwiler at 7:05 EST.

Marlins Take Down Mets 9-6; Don't Worry the Season is Almost Over

Originally Posted By Ed Leyro For Mets Merized Online

The air is getting cooler and the days are getting shorter as the horsehide is being replaced by the pigskin.  It sure felt like football was in the air at Land Shark Stadium in Miami Saturday night.  The Dolphins’ end zone was visible near the right field warning track (prompting Gary Cohen to exclaim “he hits it to the end zone…Touchdown, Francoeur!”).  The Mets also gave up a touchdown to the Marlins in the fifth inning to turn a lead into a deficit.  In the end, the Mets fell short by a field goal, losing to the Marlins by the final score of 9-6.

For anyone who hasn’t been watching the Mets this season, the recap of the fifth inning is all you need to know how this team has been doing.  That inning was a microcosm of the 2009 baseball season.

After David Wright gave the Mets a 3-2 lead with his latest “just short of a home run” double, he failed to hustle on Jeff Francoeur’s base hit.  When Francoeur was thrown out trying to stretch his single into a double, Wright had not yet scored the potential fourth run.  Despite the fact that there were two outs at the time and David should have been running hard as soon as Francoeur made contact, Wright assumed he would score easily on the play and trotted home from second base.  Still, the Mets had the lead as John Maine took the mound for the bottom of the fifth inning.  That lead was very short-lived.

John Maine labored through the first four innings.  After the first inning, he appeared to have some kind of discomfort but continued to pitch and kept the Mets in the game.  Then he decided to play butler to the Marlins in the fifth inning by serving up fat pitches on a silver platter.

Maine gave up four hits and a walk in the fifth inning.  The final blow came off the bat of Cameron Maybin, a three-run homer to left field that gave the Marlins a 7-3 lead.  Interestingly enough, Maybin would not have been in the game had Maine not hit Cody Ross with a pitch in the fourth inning (the first of two consecutive hit batsmen by Maine in the inning).  When Ross was forced to come out of the game, Maybin came in as his pinch-runner.  Somewhere in the Marlins clubhouse, Cody Ross must have been smiling.

Elmer Dessens didn’t fare much better when he replaced Maine after the Maybin homer.  After walking Brett Carroll on four pitches, Dessens finally found the plate.  Unfortunately, he found too much of it.  He followed the walk by giving up back-to-back doubles to Brett Hayes and Chris Coghlan.  The latter two-bagger produced the last of the seven runs scored by the Marlins in the fifth inning.

The Mets tried to rally late in the game against the Marlins as they did in Friday night’s victory.  It started with Carlos Beltran’s long home run in the eighth inning and was followed by a two-run error on a ball hit by Luis Castillo.  Those plays cut the Marlins’ lead to 9-6.  However, David Wright and Carlos Beltran struck out to end the rally and the game.

One run taken off the scoreboard in the top of the fifth inning was followed by seven runs put on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth.  That one inning summed up the Mets season.  Bad baserunning, bad pitching, bad results.  Are you ready for some football?

Before we completely switch over to football, there’s still a week of the season left.  Tomorrow’s pitchers for the 1:10 PM start will be Pat Misch, he of the one career victory as a starter.  He will be faced by Josh Johnson (15-5, 3.12 ERA), who owns a 7-0 career record against the Mets with a 2.30 ERA.  Good luck, Pat.

Mets Lose Third Straight To Braves And Are Swept

Author: Paul Zinn

It was more of the same at Citi Field last night, in a season that just can't get end fast enough for the Mets at this point.

With Mike Pelfrey on the mound, the Mets put themselves in a huge hole. They tried to climb out, but could never mount an extended rally and lost 5-2 in the final game of the series.

The Braves struck for three in the second, with the help of a David Wright error, and then tacked on another in the third. Everything came on a series of hits, but Adam LaRoche had two of the RBIs, one in the second and another in the third. And like that, the Mets were down 4-0.

In all, Pelfrey went six innings and allowed four runs, three earned, on nine hits.

New York got a run back in the bottom half of the third on a Luis Castillo single. They then cut the deficit to 4-2 in the fourth with the help of an error, but could get no closer in a 5-2 loss.

Perhaps most frustrating was that the Mets had runners on in every inning but the second but could only score two runs. In all, New York went 2-for-18 with runners in scoring position.

The Mets are off today before beginning a three game weekend series in Florida.

Mets Drop Second Straight To Braves

Author: Paul Zinn

The Mets were unable to solve Jair Jurrjens last night, dropping the second straight game in a three-game set to the Braves, 3-1. Jurrjens (13-10) allowed just one run in seven innings on five hits.

This was a game where the Mets certainly had their chances. But New York just continues to appear lifeless at times.

Luis Castillo gave the Mets an early 1-0 lead in the third on a run-scoring single, but Yunel Escobar answered right back for the Braves in the fourth with a two-run knock that put Atlanta ahead to stay. The Braves, who remain on the outside of the fringe of the National League Wild Card race, tacked on one more in the ninth.

The Mets did get a good effort from Nelson Figueroa, who tossed seven innings and allowed just the two runs. But the Mets could not convert on any of their numerous opportunities. New York had runners on second and third and one out in the seventh, as well as a runner on second in the eighth, but couldn't score.

The series continues tonight when Mike Pelfrey (10-11) faces Tim Hudson (1-1) at 7:10 p.m.

Surprise! Mets actually win a game 3-2.

Originally posted on Mets Merized Online by Ed Leyro

For the second straight outing, Tim Redding gave up only one earned run.  Fortunately, he didn’t have to face Pedro Martinez this time around.  Redding’s mastery of the Nationals and some timely hitting by David Wright and Jeff Francoeur in the seventh inning helped the Mets snap their season-long six-game losing streak.  Today’s final score was 3-2.

Redding shut down the Nats so completely that the only hit they were able to muster off him through the first six innings was a bunt single by leadoff hitter Willie Harris in the fourth inning.  He tired a little in the seventh inning, giving up the tying run on an RBI single to Adam Dunn, but the Mets bailed him out when Wright and Francoeur hit back-to-back doubles leading off the bottom of the seventh inning.  A much-needed insurance run came around to score when Adam Dunn butchered (bucknered?) a Daniel Murphy grounder to first.

Sean Green allowed the Nats to trim the score to 3-2 when he made a throwing error on what would have been the third out of the inning.  Luckily, Perpetual Pedro (has Gary Cohen trademarked that monicker yet?) came into the game and was able to retire Adam Dunn on a grounder to second.

The Mets did not even break a sweat in the ninth inning as Francisco Rodriguez pitched a 1-2-3 frame with two strikeouts.  In picking up his 32nd save, he helped give Tim Redding only his third win of the season against six losses.

Ever since Redding was moved back into the starting rotation on August 22,  he has been excellent.  In his six starts, he has given up three runs or less five times.  Unfortunately, he has been the victim of poor run support.  Other than the 10-3 Mets victory on August 27, they have scored only eight runs in his other five starts.  His ERA over those six starts has been a solid 2.72.  If Redding is making a case to be a Met again next year, he is surely not failing in his effort to do so.

Another hot player who played well today was Jeff Francoeur.  He doubled twice today, with the second two-bagger driving in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning.  He is now hitting .318 as a Met, raising his season average to .280.  Over his last ten games, he has been particularly scintillating, hitting .475 (19 for 40).  In those 40 at-bats, he has more doubles than strikeouts (six doubles, five strikeouts).  If there’s a multi-hit game to be had, Frenchy is a top candidate to grab it.

Tomorrow could be a big day at Citi Field.  With a victory over the Nats on Sunday, the Mets will clinch fourth place in the National League East.  Grab your silly string in anticipation of the celebration.  John Maine will make his second start since his return from visiting Pai Mei for all those months.  He will be opposed by Garrett Mock of the Nationals.  Game time for the potential clincher is at 1:10 PM.  I wonder if the police officers on horses will be there as well in case the crowd gets out of hand if the Mets win…