The Mets 10-Game Report: Volume 4

Hello, boys and girls, and welcome to the 4th installment of the Mets 10-Game Report.  

Previous results:

Volume 1: Games 1-10: Record: 5-5

Volume 2: Games 11-20: Record: 4-6

Volume 3: Games 21-30: Record: 8-2

And the latest:

Games 31-40

Record: 4-6

vs ATL L 8-3

vs ATL W 4-3

vs ATL L 8-7

@ SFO W 7-4

@ SFO W 8-6

@ SFO W 9-6

@ SFO L 2-0

@ LAD L 3-2

@ LAD L 5-3

@ LAD L 2-1

Runs Scored: 44

Runs Allowed: 47

Team BA: 101/355 = .284

Team BA with RISP: 25/96 = .260

Team BA with RISP and 2 outs: 8/42 = .190

HR's: 2  (2?)

HR’s Allowed: 4

Team ERA: 90.1IP, 37ER = 3.69 

Starter ERA: 61IP, 27ER = 3.98

Bullpen ERA: 31IP, 10ER = 2.90

Team BAA: 103/363 = .283

Errors: 12 (gasp!!!)

GIDP: 13

Fielding DP: 11

SB: 17 (nice)


Volume 3 MVP's:
Starter: Mike Pelfrey: he has been very steady over his last few starts, and is very economical with his pitches - which I love.  
Reliever: K-Rod: this guy is a winner.  But we knew that.  
Hitter: David Wright: Wright appears to be in first-half 2006 clutch mode.  Welcome back, David.  

Volume 3 Makers Mark Specials:
Starter: John Maine: he wasn't even that bad, but he got roughed up a bit in his most recent start.  
Reliever: J.J. Putz: this man needs to stop giving up a run every time he comes into a game.
Hitter: Fernando Tatis: he has been very cold at the plate.  

Summary Analysis: Obviously this is a disappointing result.  But I would submit that things are not as bad as they seem.  Sort of.  The Mets started this volume after having won 7 in a row, so we can tolerate that they started off by losing two of three to the Braves (even though they lost those games in typical frustrating Mets fashion).  Then they went to San Francisco and won 3 in a row, and - wow - did they look good doing it.  All of the sudden (and this started shortly before the San Fran series) the Mets began to get those big clutch hits, to rake with runners in scoring position, and they began to score lots of runs late in games.  They looked stellar.  

Then they lost 4 in a row: they lost the last game in San Fran, and then they got swept by the Dodgers.  They were in every one of those games until the very end, and - no - I don't want to talk about Church not touching third base in game 2 against the Dodgers.  If there is any positive to look at over this mediocre 4-6 result, it's that the pitching was still very, very good.  And at the end of the day it's all about pitching.  

The problem was the offense.  On this recent 4 game losing streak, they couldn't get any hits with RISP.  But this time, injuries have played a much bigger role in the offensive struggles.  No Reyes, no Delgado.  Delgado I believe can be made up for - especially with Daniel Murphy manning first base.  And the Mets did alright for a little while with Reyes out of the lineup.  But then - and this really killed them - Alex Cora went down with a thumb injury.  Enter Ramon Martinez.  Mr. Martinez, you have no business being in the major leagues.  In any case, the Mets lineup has been a mess over the last few days because of this.  

On the one hand - this is comforting, since we can be confident that once the lineup is back in tact, everything will be fine.  But on the other hand - who knows how long it will be in flux?  Reyes will likely go on the 15 day DL now.  Will we have to watch Ramon Martinez play short stop or second base all this time???

In any case - it's worth noting that after 40 games last year, the Mets had the exact same record as they do now.  They did it a bit differently last year, going 5-5, 6-4, 5-5, 5-5.  I have to say that I feel much, much more confident about the team right here right now than I did after 40 games last year.  The Mets posted a putrid 3-7 in volume 5 last year, so this next 10-game stretch for the Mets right now is very crucial I think.  They have 3 against Boston at Fenway, and then they come home to play the Nats and Fish.  6-4 would be perfectly fine.  

Around the NL East:

Phillies: 4-6, 7-3, 5-5, 5-3

Braves: 5-5, 5-5, 4-6, 6-3

Marlins: 9-1, 3-7, 4-6, 3-7, 0-1

I saw an interesting stat on the Phillies recently.  They are 7-2 against the Nats this year.  Take away those games, and they are one game under .500.  The Braves appear to be playing better, but they are still a .500 team until they prove otherwise.  And the Marlins - well they are quickly making a case for being pulled off the list here.  They just can't seem to get out of their own way.  

In other news, the Yankees look pretty hot right now.  Ah, baseball is so funny and so fickle.  Things change so quickly.  One week, the Yankees are losing everything and look awful and the Mets look like world beaters, and then the very next week things are completely reversed.  This weekend is going to be very, very interesting, and - I hope - a hell of a lot of fun.  Mets @ Red Sox; Phillies @ NYY.  I'll be rooting for the pinstripes for the first time in my life.  

The Mets 10-Game Report: Volume 3

Welcome to Volume 3 of the Mets 10-Game Report.  The Amazins are starting to roll, and are currently in first place in the NL East.  

Previous results:

Volume 1: Games 1-10: Record: 5-5

Volume 2: Games 11-20: Record: 4-6

And the latest:

Games 20-30

Record: 8-2

vs FLA L 4-3

@ PHI W 7-4

@ PHI L 6-5

@ PHI postponed

@ ATL W 6-4

@ ATL W 4-3

vs PHI W 1-0

vs PHI W 7-5

vs PIT W 7-3

vs PIT W 10-1

vs PIT W 8-4

Runs Scored: 58

Runs Allowed: 34

Team BA: 103/340 = .302 (yes)

Team BA with RISP: 30/88 = .340 (yes)

Team BA with RISP and 2 outs: 9/45 = .200 (they still suck at this)

HR's: 12 (see, Citi Field ain't that big)

HR’s Allowed: 8

Team ERA: 72.2IP, 30ER = 3.73 (yes)

Starter ERA: 59IP, 21ER = 3.20 (yes)

Bullpen ERA: 31IP, 9ER = 2.61 (yes)

Team BAA: 77/333 = .231 (nice)

Errors: 10 (woah - too high)

GIDP: 7

Fielding DP: 8 (Big Pelf is a double-play ground-ball inducing machine)

SB: 16 (nice)


Volume 3 MVP's:
Starter: Johan Santana: Is this guy even human?  His ERA is 0.91.
Reliever: K-Rod: 4 saves in a row vs the Braves and the Phillies - nice.  And in that second game against the Braves, he needed to get 5 outs.  
Hitter: Carlos Beltran: He is still locked in and looks as good at the plate as he has ever looked in a Mets uniform.  

Volume 3 Makers Mark Specials:
Starter: Oliver Perez: Disabled list, bullpen, minors, whatever - I'm just glad he is no longer in the rotation.  Hopefully he will work his stuff out and return in shape.  
Reliever: Sean Green: Visions of Aaron Heilman...
Hitter: Ryan Church: His batting average has dropped to the .260s after hitting over .400 through the first 2 weeks of the season.  

Summary Analysis:  This isn't rocket science, folks.  When you pitch well, and when you hit with runners in scoring position, you're going to do a lot of winning.  And that's exactly what the Mets have done in this 3rd Volume of the season - they have won a lot.  8-2.  That's impressive.  It must be noted that the Mets did not notch themselves an 8-2 on the 10-Game Report last year until Volume 13.  

Of course, at the end of the day, it really does come down mainly to pitching.  The Mets struggled in the first two volumes mainly because the starting pitchers other than Santana pitched to a collective ERA of about 6.50.  But over the last 10 games, everyone seems to have gotten themselves in a groove.  Big Pelf, Johnny Maine, and El Duque's brother have all been solid.  And it was  quite nice to see the young Jonathan Niese pitch well against the Pirates on friday night.  Hopefully he will be consistent.  

I made a point of saying in the last two volumes that we haven't even yet gotten to see the Mets bullpen really show their value.  Well we got to see it in Volume 3.  Those wins against the Phillies and Braves? - Yeah, not happening with the 2008 Mets bullpen.  Parnell, Putz, K-Rod.  Wash, rinse, repeat.  When the Mets are ahead after 6 innings, they are going to win most of the time.  No one is perfect of course, and even K-Rod will eventually blow a save or two.  But over the course of a 162 game season, this current Mets bullpen will be the best in the business.  

The offense, though they still can't get those hits with RISP and 2 outs, have nonetheless gotten the hits with RISP and less than 2 outs.  It's about time, and really was only a matter of time, I suppose.  A team with a collective batting average of over .300 is eventually going to bring in those runs.  The lineup is starting to gell.  Reyes seems to have turned the corner away from his early season slump, Castillo continues to be great at the plate, Beltran is just in the zone, Delgado still has his pop, and even David Wright has shown some signs of improvement.  He does still have way too much of a tendency to strike out in big spots.  It's funny with Wright.  No one looks as bad hitting .310 as he does.  But that's the thing - we're all getting on Wright, and rightfully so at times, and the guy his still hitting over .300.  He'll only get better too as the season goes along.  

The Mets have also gotten some very good help at the bottom of the batting order, thanks to the likes of Gary Sheffield, Omir Santos, Fernando Tatis, and Ramon Castro.  Brian Schneider - take your time getting back from the DL.  

Winning cures all ailments, and it's very contagious.  And it's pretty nice, if you're the Mets, to be able to follow up a 7-game winning streak with Johan Santana on the mound to try to make it 8.  What we're seeing now is the starting pitching performing to its potential, which has allowed the offense to relax and simply realize their talent.  And there is tremendous talent in that lineup and on this team.  

We have, of course, seen this team lose in mind-blowing ways, and we have seen them before look awful after a decent stretch of looking great.  But they gave us one encouraging sign here: they whopped the Pirates and swept them out of Citi Field after beating the Braves and the Phillies.  Last year the Mets might have dropped 2 of 3 to a team like the Pirates after looking great against their division rivals.  So there is good reason to think that this team is on the right track.  

For Volume 4, the Mets have a 3-game set at home against the Braves, and then they travel to the west coast to take on the Giants for 4 games, and the Manny-less Dodgers for 3.  

Things are finally looking up for this team.  Let's hope they keep it that way.  

Around the NL East:

Phillies: 4-6, 7-3, 4-5

Braves: 5-5, 5-5, 4-6

Marlins: 9-1, 3-7, 4-6

The Phillies continue to showcase the fact that they have no starting pitching and a one-dimensional offense.  The Braves still can't get their stuff together, and the Marlins continue to struggle after starting off the season 11-1.  The Marlins will rebound I think.  Their starters have taken a beating lately, but they still have a nice rotation and a lot of power in that lineup. 

And in the American League, the Yankees still can't get anyone to sit in those 25oo dollar seats, which now cost only 1200 I hear.  And their ballpark is giving up more homeruns than Citizens Bank Park.  Meanwhile, the Red Sox continue to play the role of "Daddy" to the Yankees, while the Rays continue to play the same role to the Sox.