Game #154: Mets 5, Phillies 4 (7)

It was the second time this season Dillon Gee earned a "complete game." This time he was on the right side of the shortness.

Home runs by David Wright and Daniel Murphy backed Gee's six innings as the Mets took a rain-shortened affair from the Phillies 5-4 to clinch their final division series of the season.

The Good Stuff:

• Down 1-0 in the 4th, David Wright got his team on the board with his second home run in as many days back from the DL to make it 1-1.
• Daniel Murphy led off a big 6th inning with a solo home run.
• Wright followed with a single, then after Lucas Duda was hit by a pitch, Juan Lagares laced a two-run triple. Lagares then came home on Travis d'Arnaud's double to cap a four-run inning.
• Philadelphia scored three in the bottom of the 6th, but the rain came in the top of the 7th to win it for the New Yorkers.

The Bad Stuff:

• Dillon Gee picked up his 12th W of the season but wasn't great doing it, allowing four runs on seven hits in his six innings, walking none and striking out three on 84 pitches.

Final Analysis:
It's been a rough year for the Mets, but at least they get to finish off 2013 on a high note against their bitter NL East rivals. A sweep tomorrow would make it even sweeter.

MM

Game #94: Mets 5, Phillies 0

(NYDailyNews.com)

Zack Wheeler needed control yesterday. He should take lessons from Matt Harvey.

Harvey struck out 10 in seven spectacular innings, and home runs by David Wright, Marlon Byrd, and Juan Lagares powered the Mets to a 5-0 win over the Phillies.

The Good Stuff:

• Matt Harvey's final line: 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 10 K, 112 pitches. Enough said.
• David Wright and Marlon Byrd hit back-to-back home runs off Cliff Lee in the 1st inning, as Wright's hit barely cleared the fence in the Party City Deck, while Byrd's soared all the way to the second deck.
• Juan Lagares added three more runs with his second career homer in the 4th.
• Scott Atchison had a successful return to game action, pitching two scoreless innings of relief to preserve the shutout.

The Bad Stuff:

• Eric Young and Daniel Murphy combined to go 0-8 in the 1- and 2-holes.

Final Analysis:
Forget the headlines, forget all his extracurricular activities. When Matt Harvey pitches like that, he can do whatever he wants. That was some All-Star pitching.

It was asked yesterday how much Juan Lagares would need to hit in order to warrant a spot in the Mets' future. Since the beginning of June, when he started seeing more regular playing time, he has hit over .300 with an OPS near .750. I'd say with his glove, that's a good enough bat to make him the center fielder of the future. We'll see if he can keep it up during the rest of the season, but things are looking awfully good.

MM

Game #89: Pirates 3, Mets 2 (11)

I suppose we should count ourselves fortunate that the boys only had to play 11 innings tonight.

Jordy Mercer's walk-off single off Gonzalez Germen capped a back-and-forth affair the Mets valiantly failed to stay on top of, as the Pirates took the opener 3-2.

The Bad Stuff:

• This is not the way you want to start your major league career. But that's exactly what Gonzalez Germen did when he entered the game in the bottom of the 11th: walk to Andrew McCutchen, strikeout of Pedro Alvarez, intentional walk of Russell Martin, strikeout of Gaby Sanchez, walk-off single by Jordy Mercer. After 0.2 innings, Germen's ERA stands at 13.50.
• The Mets had nine hits on the night but hit just 1-4 with RISP and stranded seven castaways on Basepaths Island (but don't worry, they'll all have a great time with the Harlem Globetrotters).

The Good Stuff:

(NYDailyNews.com)

• Aside from one pitch in the 1st inning that Pedro Alverez belted for a two-run homer, Jeremy Hefner was as good as ever in his Solid Seven innings, allowing just those two runs on three hits and no walks while striking out three on an efficient 78 pitches. If not for the need to produce runs in the top of the 8th, Hef probably could have pitched the full nine frames.
• David Wright's RBI single in the 6th put New York on the board, and Kirk Nieuwenhuis's solo jack in the 7th tied the score at 2-2.
• Eric Young, Daniel Murphy, and Wright each had two hits, accounting for 66% of the team's total on the night.
• After giving up a leadoff double to Starling Marte to start the 9th, the Met bullpen had one of its most impressive innings of the whole season. Jose Tabata bunted Marte over to third, then after David Aardsma intentionally walked McCutchen, Scott Rice was brought on to face the dangerous Alvarez. But Rice overwhelmed Alvarez, striking him out on five pitches (just one ball). Greg Burke was brought on to face Martin and ultimately failed, issuing a full count walk to load the bases. This brought up Sanchez to the plate and Josh Edgin in from the bullpen. After falling behind 2-0, Edgin got Sanchez to bite on a a fastball and send a weak groundball to Ike Davis at first. Threat averted, extras achieved.
• Despite the two extra frames, tonight's game only went three hours and thirty-two minutes, highlighting the efficiency of both Hefner and his counterpart, Charlie Morton.

Final Analysis:
It's hard to fault the Mets too much for this loss. They played hard in what's becoming a hostile environment with every Pittsburgh win, fighting back to force extras. Can't argue with that, even if the result isn't what we wanted.

Jeremy Hefner continues to impress. Take away that single pitch to Alvarez and he's probably got a complete-game shutout. A while back people ironically declared joy over "Hefner Day," but he keeps this up and the irony will disappear faster than the opposition lineup against him.

MM

Game #81: Diamondbacks 5, Mets 3

Turns out the team from Arizona is full of fast learners who took rather quickly to "when it rains, it pours."

Matt Harvey's shutout was ruined by five runs between the 6th and 7th innings and the Mets couldn't muster more than three solo home runs, falling to the D'Backs 5-3.

The Bad Stuff:

• It wasn't a no-hitter, but for 5.2 innings Matt Harvey was lights-out on the mound. Then with two on and two out in the 6th, Cody Ross, the would-be hero of Monday night, took a 1-0 slider and deposited it just over the shortest part of the left field fence. All of a sudden a 2-0 Harvey Day turned into a 3-2 deficit.
• Things didn't get much better in the 7th as Harvey failed to record an out before being yanked. His final line looked much different from his big-league debut in Arizona: 6+ IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 9 K, 110 P.
• Aside from a handful of guys, the Met offense couldn't get anything going against Randall Delgado and company: they had just one at-bat with RISP and left five men on base.

The Good Stuff:

• Eric Young, Daniel Murphy, and David Wright each had two hits, with Wright and Murph launching solo shots in the 4th and 8th respectively.
• Josh Satin reached the pinnacle of his hot streak with his first career home run, a solo shot in the 4th to put New York up 2-0.
• Paid attendance was 41,257. Not all of them returned after the two-hour rain delay, but a combination of Harvey Day and pre-Fourth of July produced one of Citi Field's biggest crowds of the season.

Final Analysis:
Limited as they were, the New York offense did their job in getting Matt Harvey a multi-run cushion. It was Harvey who didn't hold up his end of the deal tonight.

I saw this photo manipulation on MetsBlog earlier today, and it makes me think that we may be putting too much pressure on Harvey to be the savior of the franchise. Don't get me wrong, on the exterior he certainly takes it well, but it must be tough knowing that every time you step on a big-league mound the world expects you to throw a no-hitter.

A couple rainouts delayed it, but the Mets have officially reached the halfway point of the 2013 season, and their record stands at a fourth-place 34-45. Is it great? No, but isn't it what we expected? Recently they've gotten a lot better: with tonight's loss they've won 11 of their last 18. Keep winning at that clip for the rest of the year and they're in playoff contention. "Ya Gotta Believe," right?

MM

Game #72: Mets 8, Phillies 0

The offense the Amazin's had failed to put behind Matt Harvey came out all at once. The result: doublepalooza in Philadelphia.

(NYDailyNews.com)

David Wright slugged four extra-base hits, including two of the team's six doubles, as the Mets put the hammer to the Phillies, taking the series finale 8-0.

The Good Stuff:

• With NL All-Star voting winding down and his nemesis Pablo Sandoval injured, David Wright made his strongest push yet to start in his home ballpark. Wright went 4-5 with a pair of doubles, a triple, a solo home run, two runs, and two RBIs to give the game its final margin.
• The visitors were beneficiaries of a controversial call in the 5th inning.
• Juan Lagares appeared to fly out to center fielder Ben Revere for out number one, but in the process of a quick transfer from glove hand to throwing hand, Revere was ruled to have lost possession of the ball and Lagares was awarded a three-base error.
• Sensing the opportunity to pad his own lead, Matt Harvey seized the chance two batters later with a double to the gap in right center, scoring Lagares.
• On the very next pitch, Eric Young laced his own two-batter into the left field corner to plate Harvey.
• Wright broke it open two batters later by smashing his second double of the game, this one to around the same spot as Harvey's and missing clearing the fence by a few feet.
• Lagares had an RBI double of his own later in the game, and Marlon Byrd drove in a couple runs with a couple of his own hits of the two-base variety.
• Matt Harvey usually makes due with two or three runs behind him, so with the pressure of a close game lifted, he was able to completely subdue the non-Phightin' Phils through six innings, allowing two hits and a walk against six strikeouts. He was removed after just 72 pitches due to a short rain delay, giving him a little extra rest before his next outing, which I'm sure both he and the Mets are grateful for.
• Harvey's presence was hardly missed in the last three innings, as LaTroy Hawkins and Brandon Lyon shepherded the New Yorkers to three scoreless innings, retiring nine of 10 batters on the way to preserving the shutout.

The Bad Stuff:

• With a 1-5 day at the plate, Daniel Murphy's batting average continued to drop, finishing the day at .271. Murph has hit under .200 for the month of June, effectively removing him from from All-Star contention.

Final Analysis:
Except for a narrow blemish yesterday afternoon, this was a very impressive series for the New York Mets, who have won six of their last nine games. The bats have been producing overall and in the clutch, and the bullpen for the most part was rock solid. Matt Harvey's dominance elevated a very ordinary showing from the starting pitchers. Starting pitching is usually clearly the Mets' strong point, but if the team can win two out of three and push the third to the absolute limit with just average starting pitching, they will be in very good shape.

After sleepwalking through the couple weeks after the Subway Series, the Mets have woken up in a big way. Will they elevate their performance to playoff contention? Almost positively not. But the New York Mets are playing good baseball right now, and I hope the fans are taking notice.

MM

Game #70: Mets 4, Phillies 3

For all the abuse the New York outfield has taken in 2013, tonight it was two of its unsung/new additions that put the team over the top.

(NYDailyNews.com)

Eric Young had a couple RBIs and Juan Lagares's run-scoring double in the 6th put the Mets up for good as they beat the Phillies 4-3 in the series opener.

The Good Stuff:

• Juan Lagares got the best of Cole Hamels, going 3-4 with two doubles against the former Philly ace. His two-out double in the 6th inning scored a hustling Lucas Duda to put the Mets up (for good) 4-3.
• New acquisition Eric Young went 2-4 with a run and a two-run single in the 5th inning that tied the game at 3-3.
• David Wright drove in the first New York run with an RBI single in the 4th.
• The runs backed up Jeremy Hefner, who earned his second W of the season (as many as Hamels) with a three-run, 10-hit, six-inning outing that resulted in yet another quality start. He walked just one and struck out six on 107 pitches, knocking down his ERA to 3.89.
• Scott Rice, Carlos Torres, and Bobby Parnell combined for three hitless innings in relief of Hef, and Parnell picked up his 12th save on a 1-2-3 9th in which he struck out Ryan Howard to "put it in the books."

The Bad Stuff:

• New York committed two errors, as Daniel Murphy made an errant play in the 2nd inning that resulted in one of the Phillies' three runs in the frame, and Anthony Recker's throwing error led to an extra baserunner in the 4th.

Final Analysis:
The Mets' best wins always seem to come in Philadelphia, and tonight's showing in front of 40,062 fans at Citizens Bank Park was no exception. The Amazin's had everything from quality starting pitching to clutch hitting to lockdown bullpen work in their corner tonight as they won their fifth game in seven.

Jonathon Niese's injury is certainly unfortunate, but it means Jeremy Hefner will get most likely a full season as a starting pitcher, which up to this point he has earned. His W-L record doesn't show it, but when has it ever for the Terry Collins era Mets (see R.A. Dickey's 2011)? Hef is doing Perkins, Oklahoma proud by establishing himself as a genuine major-league starter: five of his last six outings have been quality starts, and he hasn't allowed more than five earned runs all season. He'll never be more than a fourth or fifth starter in the majors, but every team needs one of those in their rotation, and Hefner has been quite valuable in that role for the Mets in 2013. Here's hoping he continues to impress and keeps on giving us the chance to win night after night.

MM

Game #63: Cubs 5, Mets 2

Behold a game recap that took almost as long to write as the game itself.

Scott Rice and Brandon Lyon imploded in the 8th inning to allow the Cubs three insurance runs as the Mets offense failed to find traction in an agonizingly slow 5-2 loss.

The Bad Stuff:

• With a more capable offense, a 2-1 deficit may have been surmountable. But 5-1? No chance, and that's what Scott Rice and Brandon Lyon combined to create in an 8th inning that put Chicago up for good.
• After Jordany Valdespin drove in a run in the bottom of the 8th to put two runners on, New York had their best chance to get back into the game with their only two major-league hitters. But Daniel Murphy could only muster a productive groundout, and David Wright chased a slider in the dirt to doom the team's final rally.

The Good Stuff:

• Jonathon Niese was stuck with the loss after allowing two runs in 5.2 innings, including six hits, four walks, and five strikeouts.
• Murphy and Wright did combine for the team's first run, knocking back-to-back doubles in the 4th inning.

Final Analysis:
The least they could do at this point is get the game over with in less than three hours and thirty-two ticking minutes.

MM

Game #60: Mets 5, Cardinals 1

What is this feeling that's put us in our place? A rush of hot blood straight to an up-slanted face? ...Oh, that's a win. Forgot how that felt.

(NYDailyNews.com)

David Wright and company gave the Home Run Apple a workout to back Dillon Gee's strong start as the Mets halted their losing streak with a 5-1 win(!) over the Cardinals.

The Good Stuff:

• Just like last night, New York got on the board early with 1st-inning RBIs from Daniel Murphy and Lucas Duda. Unlike last night, they got more runs later on. Many more runs, by current standards.
• The first came in the bottom of the 4th when Lucas Duda sent one into the Mo-Zone for his 11th home run of the season (still only 22 RBIs).
• In the 6th, David Wright gave Citi Field fans a preview of next month's Home Run Derby with a long solo shot to straight center field.
• Then in the 7th, Marlon Byrd kept pace with both the previous team home run leaders with a solo homer to left.
• Suffice it to say, Dillon Gee was pretty lucky to get such a cushion. Turns out he didn't need it: Gee went 6.2 innings, allowing just a solo homer to Allen Craig and five other hits, along with two walks; he also struck out seven on 107 pitches.
• Scott Rice, Brandon Lyon, and Bobby Parnell combined for 2.1 perfect innings of relief to vault the Amazin's to just their second win in nine games since the Yankee sweep.

The Bad Stuff:

• While the 3-6 hitters (Wright, Murphy, Duda, Byrd) combined to go 6-14, the 1-2/7-9 hitters combined for 0-16. Omar Quintanilla "led" the pack with a Golden Sombrero (four strikeouts).

Final Analysis:
Good feeling, won't you stay with me just a little longer?

It probably won't last. So enjoy this one, Mets fans. We won this one. The glory of baseball is that there's always another chance to win.

MM

Game #56: Mets 10, Nationals 1

With all the runs New York wasn't scoring, you figured the pressure was building up and they were due to pop. The lid flew off tonight. Repeatedly.

(NYDailyNews.com)

Marlon Byrd socked two home runs to back Dillon Gee as the Mets got revenge for last night with a 10-1 thrashing of the Nationals.

The Good Stuff:

• Washington took an early 1-0 lead. It wouldn't last: Lucas Duda led off the 2nd with a double and Marlon Byrd's home run to center gave New York a lead they would build on. And build on, and build on, and build on.
• The first insurance run came in the 3rd on a (slump-busting?) solo homer from David Wright, then two batters later Byrd flew again with a rocket to left.
• And even 4-1 wasn't enough on this night: Anthony Recker came alive to drive in the next three runs - the first two came on a single in the 5th, while number three was plated on a 7th-inning double.
• The 7th would bear even more fruit, as Dillon Gee helped his own splendid cause with an RBI single, then Daniel Murphy doubled in a run put the Mets into double digits for the first time since Opening Day.
• Lost in all this, and the fact that every starter got a hit (even Ike Davis), is a stellar effort from Juan Legares, who led the orange and blue with three of the team's 15 hits.
• All the support was more than enough for Gee, who strung together his second straight great outing by allowing one run on nine hits in seven innings, walking one and striking out seven on 107 pitches.

The Bad Stuff:

• What, was it too much to spend a couple of those runs last night for Jeremy Hefner? I haven't gotten to say this often enough this year: Pace yourselves, guys!

Final Analysis:
And all of a sudden, the Mets have a rotation again. Hefner and Gee have established themselves as steady middle men for Matt Harvey and Jonathon Niese, who should come back this weekend. Once Zack Wheeler comes up, Shaun Marcum may be the one go to, and then the Amazin's will have the top-five NL rotation they envisioned in April.

I won't say much about the offense; every once in a while a blind squirrel finds a nut. Hopefully it breaks the slumps of Wright and Murphy, whose averages went back up to .276 and .290 respectively. Hopefully there are plenty more nuts in the future.

MM

Game #50: Mets 9, Yankees 4

Walk-offs are fun. You know what else is fun? Blowouts at the expense of your rival in their building. Oh my.

(NYDailyNews.com)

Ike Davis's two-run single capped a five-run 1st inning as the Mets never looked back, beating the Yankees 9-4 and clinching their first Subway Series win since 2008.

The Good Stuff:

• Ruben Tejada got things going in the top of the 1st with a single off David Phelps and came around on Daniel Murphy's RBI double. After David Wright walked and Lucas Duda struck out, a second run came home on John Buck's RBI single. Rick Ankiel walked to load the bases, and while Marlon Byrd grounded into what should have been a double play, it turned into a third run when Jayson Nix booted it. Ike Davis was up next and hammered the nail in Phelps's coffin with a two-run single. When the dust settled and Phelps was relieved, the NL New Yorkers had a 5-0 lead over their AL rivals.
• What a relief it must have been to Jeremy Hefner, who threw his first pitch with the game already in hand. Hefner earned his first W of the season (and the Mets' first win in one of his starts) with a three-run, nine-hit, six-inning outing, complete with no walks and five strikeouts.
• More offensive prowess was showed in later innings: Byrd took advantage of the Little League ballpark that is Yankee Stadium with a solo homer to right in the 3rd, while Duda drove in two more with an opposite-field double in the 4th. Ankiel drove in the final run on an RBI single in the 9th.
• Gary Cohen had a fine game in the broadcast booth, charming the SNY audience on two separate occasions:
• When Travis Hafner came up to face Jeremy Hefner in the bottom of the 1st, Cohen channeled David Letterman at the 1995 Oscars with an "Oprah, Uma" moment.
• In the bottom of the 7th, Gare introduced the Mets' oft-used reliever as Scott "Every Minute" Rice. Well done, sir. Well done.

The Bad Stuff:

• Already in the discussion for demotion, Ruben Tejada injured his quad late in tonight's game. For those who want to speculate on how bad the injury is, note that Omar Quintanilla was pulled from his game with the Las Vegas 51s. We may be seeing the return of Mr. Q in the next couple days.

Final Analysis:
All of a sudden, everything is firing on all cylinders: 12 hits, quality starting pitching, a bullpen that holds leads. The result is a four-game winning streak, including three over the big, bad New York Yankees. Who are these guys?

Great to see another quality outing from Jeremy Hefner, who is quietly establishing himself as the Mets' third-best starting pitcher. It's especially nice to see him doing so well in the face of the immense tragedy of seeing his Oklahoma hometown ripped apart by last week's tornado.

With some sudden momentum going in their direction for once, the New York Mets will go into tomorrow night's Yankee Stadium finale attempting to do something they have never done before: sweep the New York Yankees in the Subway Series. This could make the season right here. Whoa baby.

MM

Game #39: Mets 3, Cubs 2

And by his ninth start of the season, Matt Harvey figured out that if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.

(NYDailyNews.com)

Harvey himself drove in the go-ahead run in the 7th to make another great start stand up as the Mets knocked off the Cubs in the afternoon series opener, 3-2.

The Good Stuff:

• After getting the first out in the bottom of the 1st, Matt Harvey let Chicago score twice on a single, double, and another single. He would give up just two more hits the rest of his 7.1 innings of work, walking no one and striking out six on 106 pitches.
• Yet New York failed to do more than tie the game when Harvey came to bat with Rick Ankiel on second and two out in the top of the 7th, and it looked like the young ace's fifth straight great start would go once again unfulfilled. Except Harvey helped his own cause with a groundball single through the hole in the left side, scoring Ankiel and finally putting himself in position to pick up that elusive fifth W.
• But fate was looking unkind once again when Scott Rice was brought on with a runner on second and one out in the 8th inning. David DeJesus hit a single to right field, and Darwin Barney was coming around to score the tying run and seal another no-decision. Except Marlon Byrd through a strike from the outfield to nail Barney by a mile at the plate. Not even Mr. Harvey himself could have done it better.
• After that, Rice got Starlin Castro to ground out and end the inning, and Bobby Parnell pitched a 1-2-3 9th for the save.
• David Wright and Daniel Murphy provided the rest of the offensive spark for the Mets, as Wright hit a bomb that barely missed clearing Waveland Avenue in the 1st (one of his three hits) and Murphy defied the in-blowing breeze with an opposite-field liner that just cleared the ivy-covered brick walls.

The Bad Stuff:

• Wrigley Field is anciently old, so Gary and Keith were probably crammed into the press box pretty uncomfortably. At least Keith's lip won't tickle anymore.

Final Analysis:
In his appearance at the Grand Old Lady of the National League, Matt Harvey found out that this was his kind of town, Chicago is. His ERA went up again after this start, if you can believe it, increasing to 1.55 from 1.44. He keeps this up and the Mets have a legitimate chance of getting to see their boy start on the mound at their All-Star Game. And if David Wright and Daniel Murphy keep up their hot streaks, Harv could be pitching with two of his teammates right behind him in the infield.

As for the New York ball club, they have now won back-to-back games for the first time since visiting Minneapolis last month. Just the thing a hapless team needs to get their hap back: a team with even less hap. Hopefully the Chicago Cubs will continue their line of hap-credit tomorrow afternoon.

MM

Game #38: Mets 5, Cardinals 2

It is official: we root for a solar-powered baseball team. All it took to win was the sun.

Daniel Murphy and David Wright led the offensive charge and Jonathon Niese finally got back on track as the Mets skipped town with a 5-2 win over the Cardinals.

The Good Stuff:

(NYDailyNews.com)

• Down 1-0 in the top of the 3rd, Jordany Valdespin got a rally going with a two-out single. Daniel Murphy continued his hot streak with a game-tying double. David Wright singled him home one batter later to put the New Yorkers on top for the first time in what seems like forever.
• In the 6th inning, Murph took his hot streak to a whole new level, lining a double with some impeccable aim through a gap in the right field wall for a ground-rule double. He scored five pitches later when Wright took Adam Wainwright for a ride for an RBI double, and Wright in turn came home two batters later on Lucas Duda's sac fly.
• Murphy finished 4-4 at the plate, topping off a spectacular series hitting 10-16 with four doubles and three RBIs. His batting is now back up to a respectable .297.
• The sudden barrage of runs was more than enough for Jonathon Niese, who finally pitched a good game at a two-run, six-hit clip in 7.1 innings, walking two and striking out three on 113 pitches.
• Bobby Parnell shut the door for his fourth save to drop his ERA to 1.04.
• New York executed two more double plays, a couple 5-4-3 turns that killed Redbird rallies in the 6th and 8th.

The Bad Stuff:

• Ike Davis was the only starter (aside Niese) who didn't get in on the Mets' 11-hit parade, going 0-5 and striking out a lousy four times.

Final Analysis:
Maybe it was Daniel Murphy continuing his All-Star worthy series, maybe it was Jonathon Niese's return to last year's form, or maybe it was a sudden victory after a rough week. Probably it was all these things. Whatever it was, this win felt good. I mean really good. Hey, everyone! Come to Wrigley Field and see how good the Mets look! If they really do play like this in the daytime, it's going to be a heck of a weekend.

MM

Game #23: Phillies 5, Mets 1

Most teams who commit three errors in a game are going to lose. Today was no exception.

John Buck's dropped popup opened the flootgates for a big Phillies 7th inning, as the Mets were swept for the first time at home in 2013, 5-1.

The Bad Stuff:

• New York got lucky in the 1st inning as errors by Jonathon Niese and David Wright led to nothing on the Philadelphia side. They wouldn't get so lucky in the 7th when John Buck dropped a two-out foul ball by way of Lance Nix. Nix took the second chance to single into left, then after Jimmy Rollins's single knocked out Niese, Ryan Howard slammed a pinch-hit double to put the Phils up. Chase Utley drove in Howard to make it 4-1 after seven, and John Mayberry's double in the 8th provided the final margin.
• The Mets could only manage three hits on the afternoon and just one after the 1st inning, giving Cole Hamels his first W of the season despite six walks from him. They hit 1-5 with RISP and left eight men on base.

The Good Stuff:

• Jonathon Niese took the hard-luck loss on the afternoon, allowing three runs (one earned) on five hits in 6.2 innings, walking one and striking out three on a season-high 117 pitches. The one earned run Niese allowed was a stupid home run to Freddy Galvis in the 5th inning; Galvis golfed a pitch he had no business hitting over the short wall in the left field corner.
• David Wright drove in the Mets' only run on a single in the 1st. Ruben Tejada scored that run after a leadoff double in the 1st, his first of two doubles on the afternoon.

Final Analysis:
I believe in the power of the healing hot springs. Miami should provide those tomorrow. Already guaranteed a losing record in the month of April, the Mets need at least a series win and probably a sweep to get their confidence back up for the merry (or not-so-merry) month of May. Matt Harvey takes the hill tomorrow; if anyone can get New York going, it's him.

MM

Game #22: Phillies 9, Mets 4

Even yesterday, New York could have survived with just one bad inning. Two bad innings? Not so much.

Shaun Marcum was knocked around in his season debut and Robert Carson didn't do the Mets any favors in the 5th inning as the Phillies clinched the series with a resounding 9-4 win.

The Bad Stuff:

(NYDailyNews.com)

• After getting through his first two frames, and with a fresh 1-0 lead courtesy of back-to-back doubles by Ike Davis and Jordany Valdespin, Shaun Marcum faltered in the 3rd inning of his Broadway debut, allowing singles to opposing pitcher Jonathan Pettibone and Jimmy Rollins, then a run-scoring double by Chase Utley. Rollins came home on a wild pitch, then two batters later Ryan Howard brought home a third on a sac fly. Marcum was relieved for a pinch-hitter in the 4th inning with his final numbers a disappointing four innings of five-hit, three-run ball, including two walks and three strikeouts on 71 pitches.
• The Mets only scored one run in the 4th inning (an Ike Davis sac fly) after loading the bases with none out. Just a half frame after they put this game in a coffin, Robert Carson provided the hammer, nails, shovel, and burial plot. Carson allowed five earned runs in the top of the 5th, including back-to-back home runs by Dominic Brown and John Mayberry, Jr. His ERA now stands at an even-worse-than-Josh Edgin 16.20.

The Good Stuff:

• David Wright continued to do his best in a bad situation, going 2-4 with an RBI double in the bottom of the 5th. It was is fourth two-bagger of the season and 18th RBI.
• John Buck pounded his eighth home run of the season in the 9th inning, a solo shot that gave him 23 RBIs so far in April.

Final Analysis:
Maybe the Mets are still in the process of thawing out from their frozen road trip of two weeks ago: since being snowed out on April 14th in Minnesota, the team has lost eight out of 11 to fall from 7-4 to 10-12. Come soon, summer. New York needs a team to heat up.

MM

Game #10: Mets 16, Twins 5

Not even the blinding snow of Minneapolis could cool off John Buck, whose heat spread like wildfire to his teammates on Friday night.

Buck's record-setting grand slam in the 2nd inning put the Mets into double digits, as they cruised to a series-opening 16-5 win over the Twins.

The Good Stuff:

• With flurries fluttering all around, the runs came in as such when Jordany Valdespin led off the game with a bloop single to left. Daniel Murphy doubled to put them both in scoring position and David Wright's double made it 2-0 quickly off Minnesota starter Vance Worley. After Ike Davis walked, John Buck converted his blazing hot start into a bit of luck as a hard groundball to third went through the wickets of Trevor Plouffe. After a Marlon Byrd two-run single two batters later, the visitors had a commanding 5-0 lead.
• After the Twins responded with a couple runs in the bottom of the 1st, the Mets kept the train a-rollin' in the 2nd, when Valdespin, Murphy, and Wright produced deja-vu singles to make it 6-2. Davis drew another walk, this one of the 10-pitch variety, to bring up Buck, who left no doubts on who the hottest baseball player on the planet is with a second-deck grand slam to left. After adjusting his beard on the steps, Buck descended into the dugout with the following marks:

(NYDailyNews.com)

• Buck's six home runs on the season have now surpassed the home run totals of all Mets catchers during the entire 2012 season.
• He has hit home runs in four consecutive games, one shy of Richard Hidalgo's franchise record, making him the first Met to accomplish the foursome since David Wright in June 2007.
• Buck's 19 RBIs are the most any player has ever driven in during his first 10 games with a new team. The mark is also the second most in Amazin' history, five shy of Jeff Kent's April 1994 record of 24 ribbies. And we're still closer to April Fool's Day than May Day.
• Buck's heroics relegated these outstanding offensive lines to page two:
• Jordany Valdespin - 2-5, 3 R, 1 RBI
• Daniel Murphy - 4-5, 2 2B, 3 R, 4 RBI (mostly courtesy of a bases-clearing two-bagger in the top of the 7th)
• David Wright - just a HR shy of the cycle, Captain America's line read 3-5, 2B, 3B, 2 R, 4 RBI (doubling his total for the season)
• Even New York's 7-8-9 tandem of Marlon Byrd, Mike Baxter, and Ruben Tejada combined to do great things, collectively going 5-15 with three runs.
• Scott Atchison, Greg Burke, and Aaron Laffey combined for four innings of scoreless, one-hit relief pitching.

The Bad Stuff:

• Jonathon Niese's 22-game streak of six or more innings ended as he only lasted five frames, giving up five runs (four earned) on five hits, four walks, and a strikeout on 101 pitches. This can be excused for two reasons: first, the snowy weather was playing tricks on both starters; second, scoreboard. The result: W #2 of the season for Niese.
• Ruben Tejada's defensive woes continued as a throwing error in the 5th clocked him up to five E6s on the young season. It took him until July 23 to get to that many last year.

Final Analysis:
Said Keith Hernandez on tonight's SNY telecast about John Buck, "I don't think I've seen anyone hotter out of the shoot." Amen, brother. So I'll talk about the rest. Sure, the Minnesota Twins may have some of the worst pitching in baseball (Philadelphia outcast Vance Worley was their Opening Day starter), but they've still managed to win four games so far, so our boys must have been doing something right. In any other situation we'd be singing the praises of a red-hot Daniel Murphy, but instead he takes a backseat to the white-hot Buck. When either of them cool off is yet to be seen, but if they both keep it up for another week or so, they may be battling each other for NL Player of the Month for April. Because just imagine how good they'll be when they don't have to play in (mini) blizzard-like conditions. Whoa baby.

MM

Game #5: Mets 7, Marlins 3

The first half of the ballgame was reminiscent of last night's ugly affair. Then the Captain got a rally going and the Mets rode the Buck all the way to victory.

John Buck drove in four runs, including three of New York's five between the 6th and 7th innings as the Mets took the second game of the series from the Marlins, 7-3.

The Good Stuff:

(NYDailyNews.com)

• John Buck got the scoring going in the 1st inning with a sac fly to right field that scored Mike Baxter. Five innings later with his team down 2-1, he delivered again with a two-run double to plate David Wright and Ike Davis.
• Tied 3-3 in the 7th, Mike Baxter got the ball rolling with a one-out walk. He then promptly stole second and went to third on a throwing error by catcher Miguel Olivio. All Daniel Murphy needed to plate him was a bloop single, but instead Murph sent a rocket to the wall in center and ended up on third with an RBI triple. Wright then plated Murphy with a single to cap a 3-4 day at the plate. Wright then followed Baxter's script, stealing second and ending up on third via another Olivio error. Ike Davis was then walked intentionally to get to Buck, who made Miami pay with his second sac fly of the game.
• Collin Cowgill provided some insurance in the 8th inning, poking a solo home run into the Party City Deck to lock in place the final line.
• The offense came too late for Jonathon Niese, who didn't factor into the decision despite another strong outing: 6 innings, 8 hits, 2 runs (1 earned), 2 walks, and 5 strikeouts on 100 pitches.
• Brandon Lyon struck out two to breeze through the 8th inning and Bobby Parnell shut down the Fish 1-2-3 in the 9th to secure the W.

The Bad Stuff:

• Scott Atchison coughed up Niese's lead in the 7th inning by putting a baserunner on that Josh Edgin inherited and let score.
• Ruben Tejada committed his fourth error in five games, rushing a double play throw in the 5th inning that lead to an unearned run. It took until late June for Tejada to pick up his fourth error last season.

Final Analysis:
John Buck has been as hot as hot can be to start his Mets tenure, hitting .421 with 2 home runs and 9 RBIs and helping Jon Niese and the rotation post a 1.40 ERA in its first five starts. Take him out of the equation and this comfortable 3-2 start for the New Yorkers would likely be closer to 0-5 than the other way around. Buck will eventually cool off, but hopefully not too soon. His team will need all the offense they can get while in pursuit of a winning month.

MM