Double Plays

post from Baseball Musings on 21 May 2006 11:59:00 PM. © Baseball Musings

The Yankees put 19 men on base tonight by a hit, walk or hit by pitch, but scored but three runs. Two reasons for this are a lack of extra-base hits; Bernie Williams had two doubles, but both were with...

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Floyd Hurt

post from Baseball Musings on 21 May 2006 11:53:00 PM. © Baseball Musings

Cliff Floyd hurt his left shoulder making a diving catch, and is being examined. He's out of the game....

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Post-game thoughts

post from MiracleMets.net - A New York Mets Blog on 21 May 2006 11:23:00 PM. © MiracleMets.net - A New York Mets Blog

Well, I can't honestly say this was a well played game by the Mets. The Mets definitely got a lot of luck in this one. The Yankees left an amazing fifteen runners on base, eight in scoring position. In that regard, it was almost Mets-like. The Mets only left five on base, but all of them were in scoring position. That's odd, not leaving a single runner on first the entire game. Probably had something to do with the three steals.

But yeah, if you're a Mets fan, you gotta admit that there was some luck in this win. Delgado and Wright hit back to back homers, and the Mets don't score again for the rest of the game. Tom Glavine continuously put runners on base, but other than the two runs he allowed in the fourth, none of them scored. The Mets as a whole would put runners on every inning, not once getting through an inning 1-2-3, but would somehow, by hook or by crook, avoid getting them across home plate. It was far from a dominating performance for the Mets, but then again, they dominated yesterday's game and lost, so sometimes it's better to be lucky than good, as the old cliche goes.

Nice to see Wagner get some confidence back with a decent ninth. He put two runners on, but it wasn't nearly as bad as yesterday, with all the walks and what have you. I was nervous, but unlike yesterday, he clearly had "it" tonight. The way he blew by Cano was just mind-boggling. He pitched with a vengeance, like he had something to prove. He knew he needed a good performance to get the Mets fans back, and I think he did that in a small way tonight.

Not much left to say other than it's nice to take two of three from the Yankees. You can say, this is one out of 162, or that this series is three out of 162, but to any Mets fan, it's always more than that. Getting a chance to take on the Yankees, a chance to knock them and their arrogant fan base down a peg or two...it means so much more. To the players, it's just another series, and I respect and accept that. To the fans, it just means so much, and I'm glad that we were able to celebrate more than we mourned this weekend.

Mets are off tomorrow, so expect the first installment of my reviews of the 1986 World Series DVDs tomorrow, with a review of Game 6 of the NLCS, the sixteen inning classic between the Mets and the Astros. It will be the first time I've ever seen this game, and I'm excited to be watching it. I'll have that for you tomorrow, and until then I hope you have a terrific evening. I for one will have a slightly better evening knowing the Mets won tonight.

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Mets 4, Yankees 3, final

post from MiracleMets.net - A New York Mets Blog on 21 May 2006 11:13:00 PM. © MiracleMets.net - A New York Mets Blog

Wagner pitches to Robinson Cano like he has something to prove. Strikes him out on three pitches that I don't think anybody could have hit. Wow, he just blew Cano away, he never had a chance. Now Bernie's up, and he has yet to not reach base tonight. Now would be a nice time for that streak to end. Unfortunately, it doesn't happen, Nady can't track down a bloop to right. He had a nice dive and traps it, but can't catch it. Bernie on for the fifth time tonight. Melky Cabrera's now at the plate. Cabrera worked a key walk here yesterday. Today, he singles to left. First and second, one out. Kelly Stinnett up. Takes him to 2-2, then blows him away with the slider. Two outs, Miguel Cairo up. Cairo was the guy Wagner got out yesterday, so that's a good sign. With the count 2-2, Wagner gets Cairo to groundout to Kaz Matsui. That's game. Whew. It was a little more nerve-wracking than I'd have liked, but Wagner got through it. Good job bouncing back, Billy. Post game comments in a few minutes.

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Mets 4, Yankees 3, end 8

post from MiracleMets.net - A New York Mets Blog on 21 May 2006 11:03:00 PM. © MiracleMets.net - A New York Mets Blog

Scott Erickson, one-time awful Mets pitcher (he was the Jose Lima of 2004) now pitching for the Yankees. They double-switch here, taking A-Rod out of the game and put Cairo at third. That might have been a blessing in disguise for the Yankees, because now if they need to score a run late in the game, they might have somebody who can get him home.

Delgado bats, as a shot of Billy Wagner warming up in the bullpen is shown. If you're a Mets fan, that had to give you at least a few butterflies. Delgado pops it up to right, and Melky Cabrera has trouble with it, but Damon makes the catch for the first out. David Wright now up, trying to put an insurance run across home plate. Wright hits one to shallow center, and Damon and Cano narrowly avoid colliding with each other in center. Unfortunately, Cano makes the play, and even more unfortunately, they don't collide. Two outs, Chavez up. He strikes out. Erickson gets the 1-2-3 inning. This guy absolutely blew as a Met, and he does what no Met pitcher has done yet so far tonight, and get through an inning without a baserunner. Oh well, Wagner will pitch the ninth. Say a prayer.

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Mets 4, Yankees 3, mid 8

post from MiracleMets.net - A New York Mets Blog on 21 May 2006 10:47:00 PM. © MiracleMets.net - A New York Mets Blog

Duaner Sanchez will pitch the eighth inning for the Mets, and Endy Chavez will take over in left as a defensive replacement for Cliff Floyd. I think it might be a little early for a defensive replacement with a two run lead, but hopefully it won't factor in. The first batter he'll face is the last pinch hitter off of the Yankees' bench, Miguel Cairo. Cairo said this season that, while a Met last season, he cared more about the Yankees than he did the Mets, so I harbor a lot of bitterness. I'd like to see him either retired, or beaned in the face. Preferably the former, it would keep a runner off base. I will not get either wish, Sanchez walks him. Leadoff runner on first, nobody out. Johnny Damon now up with a runner on. He dribbles one down the third base line that neither Sanchez nor Wright can get to, and Damon has a leadoff single. Two on, no out, Jeter up.

Sam Ryan then checks in with a note - Cliff Floyd wasn't taken out for a defensive replacement, he's having shoulder issues and they took him out as a precaution. Hope he's OK. Jeter showing bunt here. Sanchez keeps missing, though. Not his best stuff here, I'm getting a little nervous. Jeter bunts it high, Sanchez dives but can only trap it. Bases now loaded for Jason Giambi, no outs. Uh oh. Now Sanchez is complaining that he hurt his shoulder in a play eerily similar to the one where Floyd hurt his. He's saying he's OK. A double play here would be nice.

Jason Giambi now up. He hits the sac fly to right, scoring Cairo. 4-3 Yankees. One out, runners on first and second for A-Rod. Sanchez gets out of it, forcing A-Rod to ground into an inning-ending double play. Maybe there's something to this "can't deliver in the clutch" thing for A-Rod. Mets had a scary situation, but get out of it without too much damage, still up one.

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Mets 4, Yankees 2, end 7

post from MiracleMets.net - A New York Mets Blog on 21 May 2006 10:30:00 PM. © MiracleMets.net - A New York Mets Blog

Why can't ESPN let Sam Ryan say the news that Peter Gammons finds? Would anybody be opposed to seeing Sam Ryan over Peter Gammons? Seriously, I like reading Peter Gammons, but I don't need to see him. I'd much rather look at Sam Ryan. TV is a visual medium, give me the more aesthetically pleasing person to deliver the news, please. I'll shut up before the Keith Hernandez police come after me.

Jose Valentin walks on four pitches from Colter Bean, in to pitch a second inning. Not for very long, as he throws one more pitch to Jose Reyes, a ball, before Torre goes to the bullpen. Odd to see a pitcher taken out only one pitch into an at-bat, but Colter Bean was pitching like a combination of Rick Ankiel and Mark Wohlers. Ron Villone now in. With the count 1-2, the ball gets away from Kelly Stinnett. Valentin runs and narrowly makes it to second. Stinnett had a good throw, but Valentin sneaks in there. Jose Reyes then strikes out. Not a great at-bat.

There we go, Sam Ryan's interviewing Tom Glavine. Thanks, ESPN. Of course, they're focusing more on her interview subject than her, but I guess that's to be expected. Following that exciting interview, Paul Lo Duca pops up to Jeter for the second out. Carlos Beltran is the Mets' last hope for the insurance run here. He doesn't get it, lines right to Jeter for the third out. Mets lead still stands at two.

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Delgado Del-Gone-O

The Mets come back in the bottom of the fourth with two singles to set the stage for Carlos Delgado, who smashes the first pitch into the right field stands. He looked like he knew what was coming and was...

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Mets 4, Yankees 2, mid 7

Aaron Heilman comes in to relieve Tom Glavine in the seventh. Not Glavine's best stuff, but the Mets still have the lead, and that's what matters. Jason Giambi hits a long fly ball deep to center, but Beltran is there to get the first out. A-Rod up now. Heilman makes a great stab on a A-Rod grounder to get the second out. But the Mets still refuse to end an inning without allowing a baserunner, as Cano hits one the other way for his first hit of the night. Bernie stands in here, he has yet to commit an out in this game. A ball gets by Paul Lo Duca, and Cano races to second, putting a runner in scoring position with two outs. Heilman walks Bernie, for his fourth trip on base in this game. I'm getting a little nervous - Heilman turns into a different pitcher when he allows a baserunner. He can be dominant with the bases empty, but he becomes a lot more passive once he puts one on. I'd have felt a lot better if he hadn't allowed that hit. Melky Cabrera is now up. Heilman takes him to 3-2 before walking him as well. Now I'm real nervous. I didn't think Kelly Stinnett could beat the Mets yesterday, but sure enough he was walked with the bases loaded to keep the inning going for the Yankees yesterday. Whew, he gets him to ground out. It was close, Reyes was in good position to make a play on Stinnett's grounder. If he had been out of position, the Yankees tie the game up. Fortunately, they get out of the inning still up two. Time to stretch.

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Mets 4, Yankees 2, end 6

David Wright leads off the bottom of the sixth against new pitcher Colter Bean. Bean starts off on a positive note for him, and a negative note for all of those not going to hell by striking out Wright. Cliff Floyd makes old man Bernie run down a pop fly to shallow left, but he gets there for the second out. Bean then hits Xavier Nady, which keeps him from retiring the side in order. Shame. The big question is, will Kaz avoid making the last out? Nady steals second to take the force away from the Yankees. Kaz is good for one hit out of four, so it'd be nice if he got it here. Alas, if he is to get that fourth hit, it will be later in the game, as he grounds out to Derek Jeter to end the inning. Mets lead stays at two.

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