Games #12 & #13: Rockies 8-9, Mets 4-8

You're cold and tired, I'm cold and tired, the Mets are cold and tired, let's just get this over with and go to bed.

Dillon Gee's 5th inning implosion lifted the Rockies to a 8-4 victory in the afternoon game of the doubleheader, while Ruben Tejada's sixth error in 13 games spelled doom for the Mets in a four-hour, 10-inning day-after-Tax-Day cold-fest of misery.

The Bad Stuff:

• Dillon Gee got plowed like the snow at Coors Field in the first game, giving up 5 runs on 7 hits in 4.2 innings, walking 2 and striking out 2 on 88 pitches.
• While David Wright and John Buck combined for five hits in the opener, the rest of the New York squad teamed up for just three.
• Up 8-2 after a five-run explosion in the 5th inning of the night game, the Mets turned around and gave up four runs the very next inning. In the 8th, Bobby Parnell looked like he got out of a tough jam, but Ruben Tejada threw away what would have been the third out and let the tying runs score.
• After getting runners in scoring position in the 9th and 10th, New York failed to plate the go-ahead. Then a walk and an error off Greg Burke with two outs allowed Jordan Pacheco to play the hero with the game-winner, breaking the Mets' hearts while at the same time warming up the rest of their bodies as they descended into the dugout.
• The Mets extended their home run streak to 12 games after the first, but failed to leave the yard for the first time all season in the second.

The Good Stuff:

• David Wright went 3-4 with his first two homers of the season in the first game, driving in three runs and scoring twice.
• Marlon Byrd had three RBIs in the second game.
• Ruben Tejada picked up three RBIs between the two contests, proving that at least something was working for our troubled young shortstop.

Final Analysis:

(NYDailyNews.com)

First off, props to the grounds crew at Coors Field for managing to get all that mountainous snow off the field in time to get both these games in tonight. While it may have been a miserably cold affair, the odds of the Mets having to make the return trip to Denver in the summer just went down with the mercury.

Secondly, I think these guys have the best summary as to how today went. And my goodness, what is going on with Ruben Tejada? Less than a tenth of the way into the season and he's already halfway to his error total for all of last season. Young he may be, but there's no excuse for such sloppy baseball. If he doesn't get back on track soon, he may lose his starting job at shortstop. I'm sure Omar Quintanilla would be more than eager to fill in.

Final thoughts of the night go to this tweet from @_mistermet. We'll start fresh in the morning. Sleep well, everybody. As well as possible once the frostbite sets in.

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

Game #4: Marlins 7, Mets 5

Remember yesterday how the Mets lost a close game to the Padres and everyone was all, "Yeah, that's wasn't so bad." Not so much the feeling tonight.

Ruben Tejada's error and inconsistent relief pitching combined to bury the Mets late, as the Marlins scored five runs in the 7th inning en route to a 7-5 victory, their first of the season.

The Bad Stuff:

(NYDailyNews.com)

• You knew things were going to go south when the bullpen became a factor, but Ruben Tejada's third error in four games on a Donovan Solano groundball sealed New York's fate. Greg Burke and Scott Rice were helpless to stop the suddenly-potent Miami offense, letting in five runs (two earned) in the top of the 7th inning and turning a 1-0 nail-biter into a 6-0 laugher.
• LaTroy Hawkins picked out an insurance policy for the Marlins in the form of one more run in the 9th inning, this one coming on a two-out single by Justin Ruggiano.
• The formerly lively Mets offense once again came up cold on this frigid April evening in New York, hitting 2-11 with RISP and stranding a dozen men.
• Ike Davis went 0-4 with a walk, run, and strikeout, dropping his average in the first four games to a 2012-esque .063.

The Good Stuff:

• Jeremy Hefner proved his worth on the mound, allowing just one run (a 2nd inning solo homer to Greg Dobbs that barely cleared the Mo-Zone) on five hits in six innings, walking two and striking out three on 102 pitches. While it was just against the Marlins, it's an encouraging sign from a man the New Yorkers will unexpectedly have to depend heavily on to get through the season.
• Daniel Murphy did his best to get the Mets back into the swing of things with a three-run opposite field shot in the 7th inning.
• Other offensive highlights included Jordany Valdespin, who went 2-3 with a walk and a run, and Kirk Nieuwenhuis, who pinch-hit in the 9th and delivered an RBI double.
• Arguably the most positive thing about the Mets tonight was the debut of the team's new alternate uniforms: beautiful deep-blue jerseys with bright orange piping and white pants, complete with the classic solid blue caps with the orange "NY" insignia. These new digs were far superior to the black jerseys of the past decade, and hopefully they stay the team's official third uniforms for years to come.

Final Analysis:
The whole evening was accompanied by an uncomfortable sense of deja-vu dating back to last season's great offensive drought. The area the Mets showed the most skill in tonight was making the formerly hapless Miami Marlins find their hap, and their first win of the young season. Whereas at least two of the team's major components (staring pitching, bullpen, offense) needed to show up to win the ballgame, only one third of it was there entirely. The result? A disappointing loss to start the opening weekend.

On the bright side, in four starts this season, the Mets' starters have given up four earned runs in 26 innings. Jeremy Hefner was just as good tonight as Dillon Gee was yesterday and was nearly on par with Jonathon Niese on Monday (no one can touch Matt Harvey's shining performance on Wednesday). If he and his three predecessors in the rotation can keep pitching this well, New York will almost surely compete for a .500 record in 2013.

MM