The Reawakening: MM's 2013 Major League Season Preview

Dust off those gloves, sharpen those spikes, and brace yourself for another exciting(?) season of New York Mets baseball! Welcome back to Midwestern Met, where for the third straight season I'll bring you game-by-game coverage of your favorite team and mine.

I've already done a bunch of Mets-specific analysis on Rising Apple, and you can find my predictions of the team's Opening Day roster and record at the end of the year by clicking on the respective links. Below you will find extended analysis of other predictions I've made about the rest of the Show, 2013 edition.



Division Standings 
AL East
1. Toronto
2. Tampa Bay
3. Baltimore
4. NY Yankees
5. Boston

The Blue Jays were the busiest team in all of baseball in the offseason and are also the most improved. Two former Mets icons, R.A. Dickey and Jose Reyes, will lead the team back to the playoffs for the first time in 20 years. Second place is a tossup: the Rays and Orioles will fight neck and neck for the Wild Cards, but it will be tough for Baltimore to duplicate its luck in one-run games. It's refreshing to see the Yankees on the edge for the first time since before the '94 strike; with the roster torn apart by injuries and Hal Steinbrenner suddenly running his team like an austere Eurozone country, the Bronx Bombers will struggle to finish with a winning record, let alone make the playoffs. The only reason they stay out of the basement is a Boston team still too dysfunctional to compete in baseball's strongest division.

AL Central
1. Detroit
2. Cleveland
3. Kansas City
4. Chi White Sox
5. Minnesota
The Tigers and Twins are almost guaranteed to bookend the AL Central, while the middle three are pretty much interchangeable. The Indians did more work in the offseason and the Royals are probably still a year away from really competing, but KC can still leapfrog into second if their pitching steps it up.

AL West
1. LA Angels
2. Texas
3. Oakland
4. Seattle
5. Houston
It's hard to pick against the team with Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, and now Josh Hamilton. The Angels are by far the presumptive western favorites going into the season, but they could falter due to sky-high expectations. The Rangers have enough backlogged talent that they can cushion the blow of losing Hamilton, but it will take some fighting to get one of the Wild Cards. Oakland as always has the potential to sneak up on everyone, but that doesn't mean they should be expected to finish higher than third; possible, far from probable. Seattle's biggest offseason acquisition was Jason Bay, which in summary says that if there were still four teams in this division they would finish in the basement. Alas, the Astros are an absolute mess and it will show in their first year in the American League.

NL East
1. Washington
2. Atlanta
3. Philadelphia
4. NY Mets
5. Miami

We've dissected this division constantly on Rising Apple, and the general consensus is as follows. The Braves are in great shape but the Nationals are too talented not to finish at the top. The Phillies are old, but are probably comfortable in third because of the Mets' and Marlins' problems. If the Mets can get it together they could challenge for third if Philly's vets all break a hip. The Fish are closer to the Florida State League than the National League, so let's leave it at that.

NL Central
1. Cincinnati
2. Pittsburgh
3. St. Louis
4. Milwaukee
5. Chi Cubs
If Aroldis Chapman reduces every game to just eight innings, the Reds could run away with the Central. The Pirates have made improvements every year, and while they've collapsed the last two seasons, they've done so later each time. This time if they do begin to collapse, it will happen long after they've secured their first winning record since Barry Bonds played for the team. The Cardinals are always solid and won't finish below .500. The Brewers aren't anything special, but the hapless Cubbies will keep them out of last place.

NL West
1. San Francisco
2. Los Angeles
3. San Diego
4. Arizona
5. Colorado
It's nothing but a two-horse race out West between the defending champs and the free spenders, but a combination of strong pitching by the Bay and crushing expectations at Chavez Ravine will result in another one-two finish by the Giants and Dodgers. SF can sew it up if Tim Lincecum is back to his old self. As for the bottom feeders, the Diamondbacks did more to tear themselves down in the offseason than did the Padres. The Rockies are buried under snowfall and won't be dug out until about the second round of the Home Run Derby at Citi Field.

Postseason Awards
AL MVP: Miguel Cabrera (Detroit)

The defending Triple Crown is in the prime of his career and now has a second layer of insurance behind him in the form of Victor Martinez, who will follow Prince Fielder in the Tigers' batting order. In a World Series or Bust season in Motown, a repeat MVP performance from Miggy bring them close. (Repeat Triple Crown not guaranteed)

NL MVP: Joey Votto (Cincinnati)
Votto's MVP-caliber 2012 was crippled by injury, but the 29-year-old is hungry after blowing a playoff lead to the Giants last October. Expect another fine performance from the National League's three-time defending OBP champion.

AL Cy Young: Jered Weaver (LA Angels)
Weaver was worthy of the Cy Young last season, leading the AL with 20 wins. He will benefit from the knowledge of a strong lineup behind him; the Angels' bats will allow him to pitch without a lot of stress, allowing this laid-back California dude to cruise to something more than just a fourth consecutive top-five finish.

NL Cy Young: Steven Strasburg (Washington)

The Nationals are about to unleash the 24-year-old for what will be his first "full" season in the majors. Watch out, majors.

AL Rookie of the Year: Mike Olt (Texas)
The Rangers need a bat to fill in for the loss of Josh Hamilton. Expect Olt to be that bat before Memorial Day, if not on Opening Day.

NL Rookie of the Year: Travis d'Arnaud (NY Mets)
Wishful thinking, perhaps, but Sandy Alderson had to know he was getting something good for R.A. Dickey. d'Arnaud is the next can't-miss catcher and will help the Mets put a strong foundation in for the future.

AL Manager of the Year: John Gibbons (Toronto)
Gibbons has inherited loads of talent, and if he can take the Blue Jays back to the playoffs for the first time in 20 years in his first season back, it will be tough to give MOTY to anyone else.

NL Manager of the Year: Clint Hurdle (Pittsburgh)
Hurdle will face stiff competition from Davey Johnson, Fredi Gonzalez, and Bruce Bochy, but all he needs is for his Pirates to finish with at least 82 wins - a winning record. The ceiling is low enough, and Pittsburgh is finally good enough.

Playoffs and World Series
American League
Wild Card: Rays over Rangers ALDS: Tigers over Rays, 3-1; Blue Jays over Angels, 3-2 ALCS: Tigers over Blue Jays, 4-3

Tampa Bay will have the advantage of playing in baseball's toughest division, but Detroit's talent and experience will prove too much. Toronto is postseason hungry and will overcome an explosive but pitching-short Los Angeles of Anaheim (of California of United States of North America of Earth). As good as R.A. Dickey is, his famous knuckleball will falter in the bitter Michigan October cold.

National League
Wild Card: Braves over Pirates NLDS: Nationals over Braves, 3-2; Reds over Giants, 3-1 NLCS: Nationals over Reds, 4-2

The National League playoffs will be Revenge Tour '13. Atlanta will be out for redemption after last season's outfield fly debacle, but Washington's pitching staff and revenge factor will be far greater. Cincinnati will finally overcome leading a series and put away San Francisco. While Aroldis Chapman has the 9th inning thoroughly covered, Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmerman, Rafael Soriano, and company have every single inning covered.

World Series
Tigers over Nationals, 4-3

In an exquisitely exciting Fall Classic, Detroit's postseason experience will finally pay off, and a return trip to the final round will finally give Motown another World Series title.

Check back on Opening Day for a recap of the Mets' first excursion of 2013.

Keep calm, carry on, and LGM!

MM

Amazin' Ten of 2012

Last month I did a series for Rising Apple on the Mets' best 10 games of 2012. Here's the complete list, including links to each piece:

Amazin’ Ten of 2012

#10 – Slugfest at Wrigley (June 27)
#9 – Niese Caps a Magical Weekend (June 3)
#8 – The Real Johan Returns (May 26)
#7 – Wright Rings the Phillies’ Bell (July 5)
#6 – Turner Walks, Nieuwenhuis Walks Off (April 26)
#5 – Jordany ’Spins Papelbon (May 7)
#4 – Matt Harvey’s Debut (July 26)
#3 – Dickey’s 20^th Win (September 27)
#2 – Lightning Knuckles Twice (June 18)
#1 – No-Han (June 1)

WD

Amazin' Ten of 2012: A Rising Apple Series

Last year on Midwestern Met I published the top ten games from the Mets' 2011 season. My intention was to do that on this blog again for 2012, but my position at Rising Apple makes me realize I can do much more with it than just a simple list. So here's the beginning of my new series at RA, the Amazin' Ten of 2012, starting with New York's slugfest at Wrigley on June 27.

WD

2012 in Review: The Night is Darkest

Perhaps it was fitting that this, the New York Mets' 50th anniversary season, came on the 100th anniversary of the Titanic's doomed maiden voyage. Like the famed ocean liner's one disastrous trip, when things went bad for the Mets, they went bad very fast. But no one denies that the first few days on board the Titanic were amazing. Such was the case at Citi Field before July 8, the day the Mets hit their own iceberg; those days before the 8th? Oh, they were grand.

For the fourth straight season, the Mets finished 2012 at fourth place in the NL East, this time with a 74-88 record, three games worse than their mark in 2011. But even though it's hard to remember things that went right, the year was not all doom and gloom. Yes, the ship sank in mid-July. But the team had flashes of glory as it went down with the ship, even if they came fewer and farther in between when things were smooth-sailing.

Here's a rundown of the highlights, lowlights, and everything in between when it comes to the Mets in their golden anniversary campaign.

The Bad Stuff:

• Talk About Free Fallin' - The high point came on June 3 when the Mets were in a three-way tie with Washington and Miami for first place. New York was 31-23 at that point and riding the momentum provided by that weekend (see Good Stuff). But after holding steady and finishing the first half 46-40, the bottom fell out just about immediately.
• The Mets played to the tune of 28-48 the rest of the way, including just 11-25 in the so-called "friendly" confines of Citi Field.
• Those games in Flushing were the most painful: from July 22 till a September 21 thrashing of Miami, the Mets failed to score more than three runs in a game. Also buried within that embarrassment was an 110-inning drought of multiple-run innings: for 100 consecutive frames, New York scored either 0 or 1 run; this lack of "crooked numbers" fell just short of the 1909 Washington Senators' all-time record of 119 straight futile frames.
• And You Thought K-Rod Was Bad - The unit got a major facelift in the offseason, but not even all the botox in the world could make the Mets bullpen look good this season. Their closer, Frank Francisco, posted a 5.56 ERA and was injured half the season. But the crazy part is that as bad as Frank-Frank was, the team missed him when he was gone. Because no one else came close to resembling anything close to a closer. Offseason import Ramon Ramirez disappointed with a 4.24 ERA. Tim Byrdak couldn't make 38 the new 30, giving up 4.40 runs per 9 innings before getting blown out in mid-season. While great in the set-up role, Bobby Parnell didn't have the mettle to work the 9th. Guys like Manny Acosta, Elvin Ramirez, Pedro Beato, and DJ Carrasco got way too many chances on the mound; each of them had an ERA well over 5.00. But as bad as their numbers were, no one takes the cake quite like Garrett Olson, who, even though he appeared in one game, will forever have an ERA of 108.00 next to his name under "2012." Ouch.
• Field of Dreams, Outfield of Nightmares - It was supposed to be one of the team's strengths in 2012. Instead we got this: a Jason Bay who was even worse than in 2010 and 2011 (did you even think that was possible?), an old and disappointing Andres Torres, a power hitter who couldn't hit (or field) in Lucas Duda, and a cast of platoon players about as big as a Roman legion. All of them had their moments, of course; we all cheered for Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Mike Baxter, and Jordany Valdespin at some point in the season, but put them all together and you get nothing but an unstable, unproductive outfield. The lone exception was Scott Hairston, who hit a career-high 20 home runs as a part-time player.
• Anything for a Backstop - After the '62 Mets took journeyman catcher Hobie Landrith at the beginning of their expansion draft, Casey Stengel mused, "You have to have a catcher because if you don't you're likely to have a lot of passed balls." The '12 edition of the Mets would've been better off with all passed balls, because the four men who manned the backstop did nothing to resemble even one good major league catcher. Josh Thole, Mike Nickeas, Rob Johnson, and Kelly Shoppach combined to hit five home runs all season with a combined batting average of just .219. In a season dedicated to the late Gary Carter, his old stomping ground proved to be one of the weakest points on a team filled with weak points.

Okay, now the worst is out of the way. Let's get to the best of the year that was (trust me, there was a good amount).

The Good Stuff:

• R.A.-Dickeylous - He climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro to help fight human trafficking in Mumbai. He exorcised past demons and wrote a bestselling memoir in the process. He took his famous knuckleball a step further, developing control of the pitch no one had seen before. He tossed back-to-back one-hitters against the best of the AL East in June. He was an All-Star Game rookie at 37 years young. He went on Letterman. He starred in a documentary and action trailer alongside his knuckleball compatriots. He won 20 games on a sub-par team, becoming the first Met to break 20 since Frank Viola did it in 1990. He led the league in strikeouts, edging out Clayton Kershaw with 230 Ks. He could have a Cy Young Award in his near future after finishing top two in the Triple Crown categories, not to mention leading the National League in innings pitched, complete games, and shutouts. He believes in the power of the force. He is The Most Interesting Man in Baseball, if not the world. He doesn't always pitch for the New York Mets, but when he does, he is the undisputed Ace of the staff. Stay motionless, my friends.
• Return of the Wright Stuff - After a couple rough campaigns and an injury-plagued 2011, David Wright was back to his All-Star form in 2012. He was hitting .400 a quarter of the way through the year and .351 at the Break. He cooled off significantly while trying to do too much for a struggling ball club, but he finished with a respectable .306 batting average, 21 home runs, 93 RBIs, and an .883 OPS, breaking Ed Kranepool's all-time team record for hits and Darryl Strawberry's record for RBIs along the way. While not technically a contract season, Wright's performance this year could go a long way to him staying with the Mets for the rest of his career, as David has said he wants to.
• We Like (Post-June 8) Ike - His 2011 was cut short by a freak injury in Colorado, and the absence showed when Ike Davis rode the interstate for the first two and a half months of 2012. The low point came on the aforementioned date when he was batting only .158. But things picked up for him in the middle of that series at Yankee Stadium, as he hit .265 with a .913 OPS from June 9 on, including garnering 27 of his eventual 32 home runs and 69 of 90 RBIs. He hits at that rate the whole season and he's got 44 HRs and 112 RBIs. While at the end of the year it only shows him with a .227 mark, Ike's second half gives the fanbase a lot of confidence going into what will be his second full season in the bigs.
• Jose Who? - While Ruben Tejada certainly was no speedster, the 22-year-old shortstop thrived in the full time role, hitting .289 with 26 doubles in 114 games. At one point he was leading all major league shortstops with a .323 batting average on August 9. The fact that he's doing so well and barely able to buy a beer with his teammates is incredibly encouraging.
• A Glimpse into the Future - Matt Harvey had only 10 starts, but his 2.73 was on par with R.A. Dickey's. His strikeout numbers were outstanding, his WHIP solid. At age 23, Harvey is already a good major league starter. Imagine what he'll do with a full season under his belt. Can you say "A-C-E"?
• "It Has Happened."  - June 1, 2012. 134 pitches, 5 walks, 8 strikeouts, no runs. no hits. 8,020 games prior. Need I say more?
• Meant to Be Broken - In addition to Johan Santana's historic performance against he Cardinals, David Wright's collection of team marks, and R.A. Dickey's Vander Meer-esque June, two more Mets had record-setting 2012s: Jordany Vadlespin, who belted a team-record 6 pinch-hit home runs, and Mike Baxter, who drew five walks on August 4 in San Diego, tying the National League record for free passes in a contest.

Final Analysis:
The New York Mets once again fell below my predictions for the season: while they did finish fourth again, they by far missed the 81-81 mark I set for them. But while things ended up far closer to Worst-Case than Best-Case, I was still right in predicting the famous NoNoHitters.com would need to find a new purpose.

So where do we go from here? This was supposed to be a year forward, but it ends three steps behind the original line. Can we really say next year will be better? Or is it time to blow the team up and start over? I think we're closer than people anticipate. The starting pitching performs to its peak and the offense just has to hold steady and we're at least 10 wins better. The infield is there and perhaps a serviceable outfield can be pieced together. Things may have been their darkest in the last couple months, but, as they said in The Dark Knight, "The dawn is coming."

The dawn is coming, Mets fans. See you in April.

MM

Game #162: Mets 4, Marlins 2

(NYDailyNews.com)

If Monday night was a microcosm of everything that went wrong for New York in 2012, today's finale was a shining example of what could and should have been.

Andres Torres, Scott Hairston, and Ike Davis hit home runs to back up Jeremy Hefner, who delivered a fine performance to give the Mets a season-ending victory over the Marlins, 4-2.

The Good Stuff:

• Andres Torres hit his third home run of the season in the 3rd inning to put New York on the board.
• Scott Hairston had a 2-run bomb in the 4th inning, giving him an impressive 20 home runs in 2012.
• Ike Davis capped his second-half comeback with his 32nd home run and 90th RBI, finishing the season at a more-reasonable .227 batting average.
• Ruben Tejada had 3 hits in the finale to finish with an average of .289.
• Jeremy Hefner earned his 4th W of the year with a 7.1-inning, 5-hit, 2-run performance, including 2 walks and 7 strikeouts.
• Bobby Parnell earned his 7th save, going through Miami 1-2-3 in the 9th and capping the year with a strikeout of Bryan Petersen.

The Bad Stuff:

• Aside from the obvious? No more Mets baseball for six months! Otherwise, today was a pretty good day.

Final Analysis:
Great pitching, clutch hitting, solid bullpen work. The equation for a successful baseball team. While they didn't have it for much of the season, especially the second half, the Mets had it today, and just like last year will send fans into the offseason with a W to chew over.

New York finished 74-88 in 2012, 3 games worse than their 77-85 mark in 2011. Coming up within the next week, Midwestern Met will give you the season in review, best games of the year, and worst games of the year. Let's go into the offseason right.

MM

October 3: Bobby Thompson Day

In addition to being the last day of the regular season, today marks the 61st anniversary of the most famous home run in baseball history: Bobby Thompson's Shot Heard 'Round the World that propelled the New York Giants to the World Series over the Brooklyn Dodgers, forever immortalized by Russ Hodges's famous call: "THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT! THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT!"

Here are a couple peaces I wrote to commemorate the 60th anniversary of October 3, 1951 last year.

First, a comparison between Thompson's home run and Evan Longoria's playoff-clinching blast from last year.

Second, a baseball biography of my paternal grandfather, who moved to New York City and became a Giants fan in 1951, just in time for the famous event.

Happy reading, happy Game #162, LGM!

WD

Game #161: Marlins 4, Mets 3 (11)

(NYDailyNews.com)

While they finally figured him out after many a dominant start, Miami couldn't keep R.A. Dickey from closing out his season in quality style.

Dickey finished 2012 with a 6-inning quality start, while a Mets comeback was undone by Collin McHugh in the 11th, resulting in a 4-3 loss to the Marlins.

The Bad Stuff:

• New York left 10 men on base and couldn't score a run off Jacob Turner of all people until the 8th inning.
• In the 11th, Collin McHugh gave up a leadoff triple to Jose Reyes, intentionally walked the next two, got a strikeout, then surrendered the winning hit to Donovan Solano. McHugh's once-promising callup now sits in an 0-4, 7.59 ERA ruin.

The Good Stuff:

• While he wasn't at his best tonight, R.A. Dickey bowed out of his Cy Young-worth season with a quality start, giving up 3 runs on 7 hits in 6 innings, walking none, and striking out 8.
• His final numbers in 2012: 20-6, 2.73 ERA, 1.053 WHIP, 5 CG, 3 SH, 230 K, 233.2 innings. I'd say he's done enough.
• David Wright added his 93rd RBI of the year, going 1-4.
• Scott Hairston went 4-5 with an RBI.

Final Analysis:
While it's disappointing the Mets are ending on such a weak stretch (lost 4 in a row now), Dickey's night is the biggest story. While his ERA increased slightly, he still should be the frontrunner for the award named for a man who won 511 games in his career. And unless Clayton Kershaw does something spectacular in the next couple days, R.A. Dickey the knuckleballer will lead the National League in strikeouts. I'd say he's Winded Up in a good place this year.

On a "triumph of the human spirit" note, congratulations to Adam Greenberg, who made it back to the major leagues for an at-bat tonight after being struck on the head in his only previous at-bat, a 2005 venture with the Chicago Cubs. He may have struck out on 3 pitches from Dickey, but it's the greatest anyone's ever felt about a strikeout in a long, long time.

MM

Game #160: Marlins 3, Mets 2

New York opened up its final series in 2012 against a team it had owned all year. Apparently the statute of limitations ran out when the calendar hit October.

The Mets bullpen let runs trickle in in the 6th, 7th, and 8th, letting the Marlins off the hook and resulting in a 3-2 loss.

The Bad Stuff:

• Jeurys Familia may have allowed only one hit on the night, but it came opposite 6 walks. It took him 75 pitches just to get through 4 scoreless innings, and Terry Collins wasn't going to risk sending him out there in the 5th.
• Manny Acosta, Jon Rauch, and Ramon Ramirez let single runs score in the 6th-8th frames, turning a once-sterling 2-0 lead into a 3-2 deficit the team could not make up in the 9th.
• Despite 11 hits, including going 5-15 with RISP, the Mets stranded 12 men on base and could only muster the two runs.

The Good Stuff:

• David Wright went 2-4 with his 92nd RBI of the year, all but assuring he will hit .300. He also picked up stolen base #15.
• Mike Baxter had a pinch-hit RBI double in the 6th.
• Daniel Murphy and Jason Bay each had 2 hits.

Final Analysis:
In a way, this game was a microcosm of the Mets' entire 2012 season: staring off well, getting hopes up, then slowly and painfully letting it trickle away into disappointment. What more is there to say that hasn't been said in the previous 159 games? I would wish for something more to write about in recaps 161 and 162, but then again, isn't there that old Chinese curse, "may you live in interesting times?" Let's just get through Wednesday with some uninteresting (yet winning) baseball and we'll all be good.

MM

Game #159: Braves 6, Mets 2

If there was any doubt before, it's mathematically official: the New York Mets regressed in 2012.

Whereas the Braves figured out Jenrry Mejia early, the Mets couldn't solve Kris Medlen, falling to the Braves 6-2 and guaranteeing a worse record than they had in 2011.

The Bad Stuff:

• Jenrry Mejia served up a 3-run homer to David Ross in the 2nd inning and let one more through before the end of the 5th inning. His final line in those 5 frames: 4 runs on 6 hits, 2 walks, 3 strikeouts. His ERA now stands at 5.63.
• Collin McHugh was just as mediocre, allowing 2 runs in the 6th inning to put his ERA at 7.29.
• New York got just one earned run off Atlanta in 9 innings, hit 1-7 with RISP, and stranded 6 men on base.

The Good Stuff:

• Justin Hampson tossed a scoreless 7th inning to lower his ERA to 1.86.
• Daniel Murphy and Ike Davis each had a double; Murphy's was his 40th of the season and Davis scored on Andres Torres's RBI single in the 9th.

Final Analysis:
You never would have thought it before mid-July, when the team was 46-40 and still in the playoff hunt. But now it's staring right back at us: with their 86th loss, the Mets will not finish as "well" as they did last season when they went 77-85. Sure, there have been some great moments this year, but it's disappointing to see the finish line so close and nothing to show for it at the end. Guess you've got to follow the Brooklyn model: wait till next year.

But before we can get to next year, there's still the matter of games 160-162 to play, and New York will finish up by Wednesday after helping the Miami Marlins close down their new ballpark. Can't think of any reason to watch? How about this: it's the last we'll see of the orange and blue for six months. That's why I'll be tuning in.

MM

Game #158: Braves 2, Mets 0

After New York spoiled Larry's special night, was it any surprise Atlanta would take this one?

Chris Young was good but Mike Minor and the Braves were better, shutting out the Mets to the tune of 2-0.

The Bad Stuff:

• The Mets managed only 5 hits, didn't walk once, and went 0-5 with the few runners they had in scoring position. Any questions?

The Good Stuff:

•  Chris Young was solid in his final start of the season, picking up a tough loss but a quality start with 6 innings, 7 hits, 2 runs, a walk, and 6 strikeouts.

Final Analysis:
Look, if you had to choose between winning on Chipper Jones Night and on any old Saturday night, you'd choose the former. I'm as cool as I'll ever be with a loss.

The only thing this does is guarantee the Mets can't finish better than they did last season. All they have to do is win the last four games and we'll be 77-85 again. Sure, it's not the best of records, but at least we'll know we haven't lost any ground.

MM

Game #157: Mets 3, Braves 1

(NYTimes.com)

On a night when the Atlanta Braves honored Larry the Met Killer, it was Lucas Duda doing the deeds Chipper Jones has done so many times to New York over the years.

Duda's 3-run homer in the 7th helped make Jon Niese's last start of the season stand up as the Mets knocked off the playoff-bound Braves, 3-1.

The Good Stuff:

• Down 1-0 in the 7th, the Mets offense had been silenced all night by Tim Hudson. But Hudson's Nyquil was about to run out: Daniel Murphy led off with his 39th double. David Wright lined out, and Ike Davis was walked intentionally to get to Scott Hairston, who struck out. That brought up Lucas Duda, who battled off two foul balls after going down in the count early. He fouled the 8th pitch off after getting a couple more balls, and on a 3-2 sinker, the 9th pitch of the at-bat, Bid Dude launched a no-doubter to right center. 3-1 Good Guys.
• Those runs were all Jon Niese needed in his Solid Seven outing. He finished allowing just a solo home run and 3 other hits, with 3 walks and 3 strikeouts.
• His final stats of 2012: 30 starts, 190.1 innings pitched, 13-9 record, 3.40 ERA, 155 strikeouts, 1.17 WHIP. His 22 home runs against is a concern, but overall a very nice season by a man who gives the Mets a strong #3 starter, something every team needs.
• Manny Acosta, Justin Hampson, and Bobby Parnell combined for 2 hitless innings after Niese made his exit, with Parnell picking up his 6th save and 2nd in as many nights.

The Bad Stuff:

• New York had the chance to add more runs in the 8th, loading the bases with one out, but David Wright grounded into a 5/5-3 double play to end the threat. He finished 0-4 on the day, dropping his average to .306.

Final Analysis:
And the wins just keep on coming! Niese capped a very encouraging season, Duda had one of the best battles at the plate he's had in a while, and the Mets spoiled a special night for a man who has spoiled many a night in Flushing through the years.

The Mets are still on track to do technically better than last season: at 73-84, they can win the rest of their games and finish with one more win than they had last season. Small victories, but victories nonetheless.

MM

Game #156: Mets 6, Pirates 5

(NYDailyNews.com)

When Johan Santana tossed his no-hitter in June, Howie Rose told us to "Put it in the books, the HISTORY books!" Chalk up September 27, 2012 in those books as well.

Behind a clutch home run from David Wright, R.A. Dickey dazzled fans in New York's final home game of the season to bring home his 20th win, with the Mets triumphing over the Pirates, 6-5.

The Good Stuff:

• While his ERA went up a couple points, all attention was on that statistic so many sabermetricians shun nowadays: Ws. R.A. Dickey became the 6th Met to earn 20 of those in a single season, turning yet another quality start of 7.2 innings, 8 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, and a strikeout total turned the DICKEY sign at Citi Field into DICKKKKKKKKKKKKKEY (that's 13 Ks, for your convenience). And all that with a season-high 128 pitches.
• All would have been meaningless had the Mets not turned on their offensive jets once again.
• Ike Davis put a run on the board with a solo homer in the 2nd (Mike Baxter would've had one himself but fell victim to the catch of the year by Travis Snider).
• New York got 3 hits in the 4th and scored on Scott Hairston's RBI single.
• Andres Torres led off the 5th with a walk, then after Dickey failed to advance him, Ruben Tejada singled. Daniel Murphy's base hit brought in Torres. Then David Wright, now the Mets' all-time hits leader, added one more to the pile with a 3-run blast to right center not even Snider could get to. 6-3 Mets, and the way things have gone for Dickey this year, it was more than enough.

The Bad Stuff:

• It was not more than enough, however, for Jon Rauch and the New York bullpen. Rauch needed one pitch to get the last out of the 8th, but walked a guy and served up a 2-run homer to Alex Presley in the top of the 9th. But Bobby Parnell saved the day by getting Josh Harrison to ground out to Ruben Tejada (who made a fantastic play) and Jose Tabata to fly out to a sprinting Mike Baxter to send this final Citi Field crowd of the season (31,506 strong, including many of my colleagues at Rising Apple) home very, very happy.

Final Analysis:
Howie Rose ended the day by saying something to the tune of "it's not often that you leave the park on the final day of a season you failed to contend and be completely happy." But Mets fans can rejoice on this day because Robert Allen Dickey reached the milestone he so deserved. For a great pitcher and an even better man, this was a crowning achievement on a year which has brought him so much. And that, I would say, is worth the price of admission. Congratulations, R.A. Dickey! Now let's get him that Cy Young Award.

MM

(MetsBlog.com)

Game #155: Mets 6, Pirates 0

(MetsBlog.com)

The hit king is dead, long live the king!

David Wright broke Ed Kranepool's franchise hits record with a single in the 3rd inning, and Ruben Tejada added 4 hits of his own to help out Jeremy Hefner, who stifled the Pirates for 7 innings en route to a 6-0 Mets win.

The Good Stuff:

• In the 3rd inning, with one run in already after Daniel Murphy singled home Ruben Tejada, David Wright chopped a nubber off his bat that rolled just weakly enough down the third base line that he beat out Pedro Alvarez's throw to the bag. After Alvarez's throw went wild, Murphy scored from first, and Wright went to second, the 22,890 in attendance stood up and applauded: with that infield single, David Wright had himself career hit #1,419, exactly one more than the career total of Mr. Met, Ed Kranepool.
• But the fireworks weren't over in this inning: Wright scored on Scott Hairston's double and Kelly Shoppach drove Hairston in to give the suddenly offensive-minded Mets 4 runs in the inning.
• On a night when his left-side infield counterpart made New York history, Ruben Tejada lept closer to getting back to a .300 batting average, going 4-5 with 2 RBIs. His line now stands at .296.
• Daniel Murphy also boosted his BA with a 2-4, RBI night.
• The team hit 6-9 with RISP and left only 7 men on.
• All this was more than enough for Jeremy Hefner, who turned in his finest start of the season: 7 scoreless, 3-hit innings, including just 1 walk and 7 strikeouts.
• Jeurys Familia tossed 2 hitless innings to close out Pittsburgh, a team even weaker this second half than the Mets.

The Bad Stuff:

• We're winning again...was it too much to ask for these kinds of games in July and August?

Final Analysis:
This was just about all you could ask for in a record-setting night: a great performance all-around and a dominant win. It's so un-Mets like, but it feels so good. Congratulations, David! Now let's have many more over the next decade.

But WAIT, there's more! The fireworks continue into tomorrow afternoon: not only is it the Mets' home finale in 2012, not only is it R.A. Dickey's first of two attempts at 20 wins, but it's the day Keith Hernandez dishes out two bits for a shave and a haircut (haircut optional). Even for teams with records of 71-84 and 76-79, this is must-see TV!

MM

(NYDailyNews.com)

Game #154: Pirates 10, Mets 6

Collin McHugh? Try Collin McEwww.

McHugh was rocked in presumably his final start of the season and the Pirates overshadowed David Wright tying Ed Kranepool's franchise hits record by delivering the Mets a 10-6 loss.

The Bad Stuff:

• Collin McHugh didn't help his cause against folks who thought he'd be a one-hit wonder after his debut against the Rockies last month: he got just 4 outs while allowing 7 earned runs on 5 hits and 3 walks.
• Elvin Ramirez let another run in in the 5th and Jon Rauch served up a 2-run homer in the 9th that iced it for Pittsburgh.

The Good Stuff:

• After falling behind 4-0 in the top of the 1st, Justin Turner and David Wright went back-to-back in the next half inning to make it 4-3.
• In the 7th, Wright laced a 2-run single to right field to give him 1,418 hits in his career, tying him with Ed Kranepool, the true Mr. Met, atop the Mets' all-time hit list. The 3 RBIs on the night gave him 88, which tie him with Ike Davis for the team lead this year.
• Ruben Tejada went 2-4 and scored twice.

Final Analysis:
On Sunday David Wright talked about how his chase of this latest Kranepool record has been "bittersweet."  I think we can understand him: sure, it's great to have this record, but it's bittersweet because the team is struggling, it's bittersweet because New York lost tonight, and, as I mentioned on Rising Apple yesterday, bittersweet because of a potential future in which Wright isn't a Met. But David's reached the summit now and should surpass Mr. Kranepool either tomorrow or Thursday, the team's home finale. Right now wouldn't it be nice just to put aside all the bitter stuff and celebrate the sweetness of #5 coming closer to bearing the all-time torch for this ballclub?

MM

Game #153: Mets 6, Pirates 2

(NYDailyNews.com)

To the moon, Issac. To the moon.

Ike Davis's 29th and 30th home runs helped back Jenrry Mejia's 5 shutout innings as the Mets knocked off the Pirates 6-2 for their fourth straight win.

The Good Stuff:

• With no score in the bottom of the 4th, David Wright led off with a walk. After working the count to 3-1, Ike Davis got a fastball from Kyle McPherson, which he deposited just over the wall in left center.
• In the 5th, the Mets got two on with two out for Wright, who channeled his first-half self and singled home Josh Thole. Up came Davis looking to add some more. Oh, did he ever: Ike blasted a moon shot to right center to ice the game at 6-0. The double-dip gave Davis 30 home runs on the season and 88 RBIs, 3 ahead of Wright for the team lead.
• All this was enough for Jenrry Mejia, who was uneconomical but effective in 5 innings of 4-hit, shutout ball, including 2 walks and 4 strikeouts, for his first big league win.

The Bad Stuff:

• Jeurys Familia and Ramon Ramirez let in a run each in the 8th and 9th but the rest of the bullpen picked up the pace.

Final Analysis:
Can you imagine what kind of numbers Ike Davis would have if he didn't spend the first two and a half months on the interstate? Since June 9th he is hitting .267 with 24 home runs and 67 RBIs. I don't know what happened that night at Yankee Stadium, but whatever it was snapped Ike back into the kind of player Mets fans dreamed he would be. He goes on a run at the end of the season and he's got an outside shot at 100 RBIs. And New York wants to...trade this man? GOB, I think you share my feelings. Ike Davis is the future for the Mets at first base. Perhaps a future perennial All-Star. And his rejuvenation over this last part of the season is next to R.A. Dickey's Cy Young chase something to celebrate for Amazin' fans.

MM

Game #152: Mets 3, Marlins 2

(NYDailyNews.com)

If Mr. T was a Mets fan, he'd be saying "I pity the fool who disrespects Ruben Tejada."

The Marlins challenged Tejada over Fred Lewis and Ruben made them pay with a walk-off bases-loaded single in the bottom of the 9th to give the Mets the win and the sweep, 3-2.

The Good Stuff:

• With the score tied 2-2 in the bottom of the 9th, Miami sent out Ryan Webb to get it to extras. It didn't work out so well for him, but for New York, it was deja-vu all over again.
• Scott Hairston led off with a single up the middle then after Lucas Duda's strikeout went to second base on a wild pitch. Andres Torres walked and was replaced by Jordany Valdespin at first after a fielder's choice that sent Hairston to third. Up came the light-hitting Fred Lewis, and he of all people scared Ozzie Guillen and the Fish into walking the bases loaded. Who was up next? Not another no-name, but Mr. Bases Loaded: Ruben Tejada. After taking a strike, Tejada calmly laced the game-winner into the gap in left center. His teammates greeted him with a mob in short center, and (we're guessing) Justin Turner was waiting with a pie in the face.
• David Wright got the Mets on the board in the 1st inning with his 19th home run of the season. His 83rd and 84th RBIs on the year gave him the team lead once again.
• Chris Young allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 5 hits in 6 innings, walking 2 and striking out 5 to earn the quality start.
• Ramon Ramirez, Manny Acosta, and Bobby Parnell combined for 3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen with Parnell picking up the W.

The Bad Stuff:

• New York hit just 2-10 with RISP and left 8 men on base.

Final Analysis:
Was this September 23 or April 26? Was that Kirk Nieuwenhuis at the plate or Ruben Tejada?  In a game that harkened back to a brighter time in the 2012 Met timeline, the team once again got the best of Miami, prevailing three times in a row for a very satisfying sweep. Still think this team has given up?

The Mets give a final encore performance in 2012 over the next four games against the free-falling Pittsburgh Pirates, followed by a trip down south to close out into the winter. We certainly won't miss most of this second half over the next six months, but we'll sure as hell miss moments like today's.

MM

Game #151: Mets 4, Marlins 3

(NYDailyNews.com)

Worst Jaws movie ever, but with a happy ending for New Yorkers.

Jason Bay and Scott Hairston backed R.A. Dickey's 19th W and Jon Rauch fought for every out in the 9th as the Mets beat the Marlins 4-3.

The Good Stuff:

• CY-watch continues for R.A. Dickey, who allowed 2 runs on 6 hits in 8+ innings, walking 2 and striking out 4. He had a shutout going through 8 innings, took the NL lead in Ks, dropped his ERA to a league-leading 2.66, and secured his 19th W of the season, making him the first Mets since 1990 to win as many (Frank Viola won 20 that year and Doc Gooden added 19).
• Jason Bay got the ball rolling with his bat in the 2nd, blasting a 2-run homer to straight-away center field off Mark Buehrle.
• Scott Hairston added a solo shot (his 19th) in the 4th and Daniel Murphy singled in Josh Thole in the 5th.

The Bad Stuff:

• Just when the 30,332 at Citi Field put away their heart meds, Miami came back and made it uncomfortably close in the 9th. Dickey let the first two men get on and Jon Rauch promptly gave up a 3-run homer to John Buck. Buck struck out a man but then allowed a single, but with the shadows of Tuesday night's giveaway behind him, buckled down to get the final two men and send the home fans home happy for the second straight day.
• David Wright went hitless again, failing to reach in 4 at-bats to drop his average to .305.

Final Analysis:
Gio Gonzalez of Washington may be on his way to his 20th win of 2012, but R.A. Dickey has 19 and leads in every other category that matters: ERA (2.66), strikeouts (209), innings pitched (218) complete games (5), shutouts (3). Knuckleballer or not, Dickey has been the best pitcher in the National League in 2012. As long as he doesn't completely implode on Thursday against Pittsburgh and Tuesday in Miami, there's no way he can't win the Cy Young Award. And that, my friends, would be something to celebrate at the end of this dreadful season.

MM

Game #150: Mets 7, Marlins 3

Apparently when it comes to losing, there's always a weaker fish.

Scott Hairston and Ike Davis led a New York offense that finally broke out to give Jon Niese some run support and give the Mets the win over the Marlins, 7-3.

The Good Stuff:

• Remember August 12? Remember before the All-Star Break? Those were the last times the Mets scored more than three runs in a home game and three runs in a home inning, respectively. Finally we can stop talking about it!
• The innings streak was broken in the 1st when Ike Davis singled home Daniel Murphy and Scott Hairston homered home both of them.
• The game streak was broken the very next inning when Jon Niese came in on a wild pitch and Murphy's sac fly brought home Fred Lewis.
• New York made it Lucky 7 on Scott Hairston's 5th-inning triple and Ike Davis's 7th-inning solo home run (his 28th on the year).
• All these runs were more than enough for Jon Niese, who for once didn't have to be perfect to get a win at Citi Field. He wasn't perfect, allowing 3 runs on 7 hits in 6.1 innings, but it registers as a quality start and was more than enough for us tonight.
• Bobby Parnell and Jon Rauch, two of the few redeeming members of such a dreadful bullpen, combined for 2.2 scoreless innings in relief to secure Niese's W.

The Bad Stuff:

• David Wright went 0-4 and at .307 is dangerously close to seeing his average dip below .300 for the season.
• I still have no idea who the heck Fred Lewis is or what he's doing batting leadoff.

Final Analysis:
What a refreshing sight. A near-bushel of runs, good pitching from both fronts, and a show of managerial authority: Terry Collins removed Lucas Duda from the game after the 2nd inning for lack of hustle. It always seems that after Terry has something to say, his team responds (remember this gem from last June?). Distraught they may be, discouraged since July for sure, but on this night at least, definitely not quitters. That's all you can ask for. That's all we ask for over these last 12 games.

MM

Game #149: Phillies 16, Mets 1

There are no words that can ease the pain of this one.

Philadelphia had 21 hits, New York had 3. The Phillies scored 16 runs, the Mets scored 1.

The Bad Stuff:

• Everything.

The Good Stuff:

• Nothing.

Final Analysis:
It's not like New York had anything left to lose after last night's soul-crusher. But tonight? Philly left town with a sweep and any shred of pride the Mets had left. Yesterday I said I wouldn't be surprised if New York didn't win a single game the rest of the year. Still think that's such an impossibility?

And if it weren't bad enough, now hear this: Keith Hernandez is shaving his mustache next Thursday. God help us all.

MM

Game #148: Phillies 3, Mets 2

No...just...no...

One strike away from securing Matt Harvey a W to go with his one-hit masterpiece, Josh Edgin served up a go-ahead 2-run homer to Ryan Howard, propelling the Phillies past the lifeless Mets in excruciating 3-2 fashion.

The Bad Stuff:

• And here I thought I would get to put Good Stuff first this time. At least I'm not in the same boat as Adam Rubin and have to burn my copy of an uplifting piece.
• Up 2-1 in the top of the 9th, Josh Edgin had Chase Utley on the ropes, ready for his first big-league save. But a couple close pitches missed and Utley was on with a walk. Up came Ryan Howard, looking to infuse some life into a team suddenly in the playoff chase. But in order to bring his team to life, he would have to further bludgeon an already beaten beyond belief Mets team. Howard sent Edgin's 0-1 fastball deep into right field, sucking the joy from those who remained of the Citi Field crowd of 21,741.
• And you just knew that when that ball went over the fence New York was done. Jordany Valdespin's ejection for arguing balls and strikes was just the cherry on top of a sick, sick sundae.
• Of course, if the team could just score some runs, all of this could have been avoided. New York stranded 10 men and hit 2-10 with RISP.

The Good Stuff:

• All this overshadows what was supposed to be the final bow in Matt Harvey's first act in the bigs. After giving up a leadoff homer to Jimmy Rollins, Harvey was beyond brilliant, refusing to allow Philadelphia another hit in 7 innings. He walked 3 and struck out 7 to finish his 2012 with a 3-5 record, a 2.73 ERA, 26 walks, and 70 strikeouts in 59.1 innings. Fear not, Mets fans: we have at least one bright spot in 2013.
• David Wright was in line to be the hero at the plate as he belted a solo home run in the 6th inning (his 18th and 82nd RBI) to put the Mets on top 2-1.

Final Analysis:
Just when you think it couldn't get any worse. Every home game has been a further nail in this coffin of a two months. But this was the one that made it feel all the more real: this loss gives New York 82 losses on the season, clinching a 4th straight year under the .500 mark. There are 14 games remaining in the 2012 season. Fourteen more games until we can wake up from this terrible nightmare. But after a loss like tonight's, it wouldn't surprise me if they didn't win one more game in those final 14.

MM

Game #147: Phillies 3, Mets 1

(NYDailyNews.com)

Nope! Turns out we didn't even have Dickey's 19th to look forward to.

R.A. Dickey turned in a quality start but picked up the loss as Cliff Lee and the Phillies furthered themselves back into the Wild Card chase at the expense of the Mets, 3-1.

The Bad Stuff:

• That big fat "L" in R.A. Dickey's corner. Plus two solo home runs.
• (Insert same old offensive woes, including 11 strikeouts)

The Good Stuff:

• Dickey's actual numbers: 7 innings, 5 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), 2 walks, 8 strikeouts (giving him 205 on the season)

Final Analysis:
Dickey's certainly doing his part to try to win the Cy Young. It's his backing bats that are failing him and skewing that record; what was once 18-4 is now 18-6. Here's hoping the voters really do look past W-L record, because the way R.A. has pitched for what turned out to be a lousy team is certainly praiseworthy.

MM

Games #145-146: Brewers 9-3, Mets 6-0

I missed posting on last night's loss and figured I could just lump it in with today's. Unfortunately both games end with the same sound: splat.

Jenrry Mejia was rocked in his first big league start in two years and New York spent all their offense on Saturday, leaving none for Sunday afternoon. The result: the Brewers taking both games and the series, 9-6 on Saturday and 3-0 today.

The Bad Stuff:

• Let's start with the man who wants to be a big-league starter, despite his tendencies toward the bullpen: Jenrry Mejia. The way he pitched on Saturday afternoon he wouldn't make either spot on a major league roster. Mejia gave up 5 runs on 5 hits and 5 walks in 3+ innings. His ERA now stands at a terrible-but-we're-used-to-it 10.80.
• New York's relief effort wasn't great holding back Milwaukee either, combining to let the other four runs in after Mejia's exit.
• The Mets scored six runs in that first game but didn't leave any for today when they could have actually won: the Amazin's had just two hits and four total baserunners against Wily Peralta.
• All of Milwaukee's runs today came from solo home runs against Chris Young: two by Ryan Braun and one by Aramis Ramirez.

The Good Stuff:

• New York pounded out 10 hits on Saturday, including three each by Daniel Murphy and Ike Davis. Murph's double and two singles produced a couple runs and Davis added a single, double, and his 27th home run of the year to tie David Wright for the team RBI lead.
• For all of Young's iniquities against Braun and Ramirez, he technically merited a quality start this afternoon, going 6.2 innings and allowing just 5 other hits, walking none and striking out 2.

Final Analysis:
At 66-80, the Mets would have to go undefeated the rest of the way to finish with a winning record. Think it can happen? Nope. So what's keeping us interested with football on? Try Robert Allen Dickey, who goes after W #19 tomorrow against Cliff Lee and the Phillies.

MM

Game #144: Mets 7, Brewers 3

(NYDailyNews.com)

All the New York offense needed? A change of scenery. And sausage.

Lucas Duda's 6th inning home run put it away for Jon Niese, who helped the Mets cruise to a 7-3 series-opening victory over the Brewers.

The Good Stuff:

• After stalling at Citi Field all week, the Mets' bats got going right of the bat in Milwaukee, scoring 2 runs in the 1st inning on RBIs by Ike Davis and Lucas Duda. The 2nd inning brought further treasures as Daniel Murphy launched a bomb for his sixth home run of the year on the first pitch from Mike Fiers. 4-0 Amazin's.
• The Brewers cut the lead in half by scoring twice in the bottom of the 2nd, but Lucas Duda led a 3-run charge in the 6th with his 14th home run of 2012. Two batters later Andres Torres reached on an error and Josh Thole hit a rare double to score him. Thole came in on Ruben Tejada's fielder's choice, and the Mets had a should-be insurmountable 7-2 lead.
• Spoiler alert: it was insurmountable. Because Jon Niese pitched as well as he needed to, going 6 innings and allowing 2 runs on 6 hits, walking 3 and striking out 5.
• When he left, Josh Edgin, Jon Rauch, Bobby Parnell, and Ramon Ramirez took care of the rest, allowing just one throwaway run in the 9th to secure the victory.
• After scoring more runs than fans are used to seeing in a week, these men stand out from the box score:
• Daniel Murphy (2-4, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI)
• David Wright (2-5, 2 2B, 2 R) [his 2 doubles give him 40 two-baggers on the year]
• Lucas Duda (2-4, 2B, HR, 2 RBI)

The Bad Stuff:

• I was out tonight so I didn't get to see any of these runs being scored. I don't know when I'll ever see as many runs scored again!

Final Analysis:
There's a high school in my home state of Indiana, Cathedral High School in Indianapolis. They are one of the best football teams in the country, not just the state, and they play all their games on the road because they don't have a homefield. The Mets should take a page out of Cathedral's book; it certainly worked for them tonight as they broke a 6-game losing streak (all at home). For once, all three important factors showed up to the right ballpark: starting pitching, relief pitching, offense were all in sync as New York played spoiler for a Brewers team with a potential back-to-back MVP (although he won't get it - see Jayson Stark for why) looking to get back into the playoff race. This season is sunk; heck, it's so far sunk that Robert Ballard is about to discover it. But if the Mets can keep winning games, and keep winning like this, they'll give their fans a smile going into a crucial offseason. Keep it up, boys!

MM

Game #143: Nationals 2, Mets 0

M-E-T-S Mets? Try R-U-T-S Ruts. Cause that's what New York is stuck in, and tonight, once again, it wasn't pretty.

Matt Harvey allowed a single run but that was all the Nationals needed as the Mets came up empty at the plate, falling in a sweep 2-0.

The Bad Stuff:

• Try 13 straight homegames with 3 or less runs and an 0-6 homestand against hated division rivals. Just another week at Citi Field.

The Good Stuff:

• Matt Harvey's lone crime, the one thing he did to merit the L on the night, was allowing a solo home run to Ryan Zimmerman in the 4th inning. Nowadays, that "1" on the scoreboard might as well become a "10." Other than that one bad pitch, Harvey was great in his106 pitches over 5 innings, giving up 4 additional hits and 3 walks while striking out 10 for the second time this season. While his record says 3-5, his 2.92 ERA and 63 Ks over 9 starts (52.1 innings) make him one of the few bright spots in this season of discontent.
• David Wright did his best to break the ice, going 2-4 and stealing 2 bases.

Final Analysis:
Well, they're certainly making my job easier. That's not a good thing.

MM

Game #142: Nationals 5, Mets 3

(NYDailyNews.com)

The Mets made a bit of history tonight by breaking a historically long drought...and even that wasn't enough.

R.A. Dickey gave up a late 2-run homer to Tyler Moore and the Nationals put the Mets away late for the 5-3 victory.

The Bad Stuff:

• R.A. Dickey was roughed up early but escaped with only one run against him in the 1st inning. After New York grabbed the lead in the 5th, he was well on his way to win #19. But lest we forget, we shouldn't just assume he can go out and pitch nearly perfect every time; sometimes he will be merely good. Dickey allowed a one-out single to Kurt Suzuki in the 7th, his first knuckleball to Tyler Moore didn't knuckle, and Moore deposited it into the left field stands. Nationals up 3-2 and R.A. would make his exit after that inning, beneficiary of quality start of 3 runs on 8 hits (3 by Bryce Harper, who had 4 in the game) in 7 innings.
• Unfortunately for Dickey, those two runs were all the support he would get. The Mets went down 1-2-3 in the 7th and 8th, and by the time Scott Hairston delivered run #3 with a 9th-inning homer, Frank Francisco had let two more runs leak in and it wasn't enough.
• New York went 1-6 with RISP (I suppose we should count ourselves lucky to even get that one hit), hit into 2 double plays, and stranded 7 men on base, including leaving the bases loaded with one out in the 1st.

The Good Stuff:

• Now here's that history-making stuff I was talking about earlier. It's the kind of history only the Mets could make. After 4 innings tonight, the team had gone, according to Howie & Josh on WFAN and confirmed by Adam Rubin on Twitter, 110 consecutive innings without scoring more than one run at home. That's either 0s or 1s on the hometown scoreboard for a little more than 12 games in a row. Said Josh Lewin: "That's the longest drought since '09...1909, that is." Yes, the 1909 Washington Senators had the longest such streak in baseball history with 119 consecutive innings without "crooked numbers," as Howie Rose put it. First thoughts: again, the people at Elias Sports Bureau have way too much time on their hands. Second, that's pretty darn bad. You thought the Diamondbacks played in the desert? Try Citi Field since the All-Star Break.
• Fortunately, in the 5th inning, we all got to freeze that number at 110. Ruben Tejada hit a one-out single, his third hit in a 3-5 night, and came home on Daniel Murphy's 36th double of the year. New York fans would've been satisfied with just that run, but David Wright woke up in time to slash a single into left to bring home Murphy and finally put a "2" in the home boxscore. About freakin' time.
• Scott Hairston hit his 17th home run of the year in the 9th, tying a career high he set with the Padres in 2008 and in San Diego and Oakland in 2009. He got there this time about 30 plate appearances quicker than in '08.

Final Analysis:
A friend of mine (Tigers fan) tweeted me this after tonight's game. Enough said. Good night, folks.

MM

Game #141: Nationals 5, Mets 1

Shea Stadium in its heyday was known for the airplanes that would fly directly over en route to LaGuardia Airport. Citi Field also has that feature, only tonight the objects flying overhead were a little more spherical...and originating from Dulles.

Collin McHugh served up 3 Washington home runs and the offensive woes continued to plague the Mets, who fell to the Nationals 5-1.

The Bad Stuff:

• It all began with a harmless foul popup by Kurt Suzuki in the 3rd. Collin McHugh was solid for the first couple frames and looking to make short order of Washington's 8-9-1 hitters. Kelly Shoppach was looking to give him the chance to do so...until that hope for a quick inning bounced off Shoppach's mitt and fell harmlessly to the ground. Two pitches later, Suzuki took advantage of the free pass to launch his 4th home run of the year. McHugh looked to put that unfortunate pitch behind him, quickly retiring Gio Gonzalez and Jayson Werth. But McHugh wasn't ready to reach for 4 outs instead of the standard 3: he walked Bryce Harper and promptly served up another longball, this time one of the 2-run variety to Ryan Zimmerman. By the time the inning had finally ended, the Nationals were the proud owners of 3 unearned runs, courtesy of benefactor Shoppach and delivery boy McHugh.
• I don't have anything nearly as eloquent to say about the 4th inning: Michael Morse single, Ian Desmond homer. Five-zip. Ballgame. McHugh made his exit after that frame with a final line of 4 innings, 5 hits, 5 runs (2 earned), 2 BB, 3 Ks, 3 HRs. Ouch.
• On the other side of the plate, New York continues to play small ball in hopes that baseball will suddenly switch to golf rules and give the win to the lowest scoring team. Scott Hairston's solo homer in the 4th was the only run the Mets could plate as their 3-runs-or-less home streak stretched on to 11 games.

The Good Stuff:

• At least now, as Howie Rose pointed out on WFAN, we have one at-bat that serves as a microcosm for the whole second half of 2012: Shoppach's dropped popup that turned into a home run. Imagine how much time we'll save trying to explain it to our non-Met fan friends!

Final Analysis:
Terry Collins moved the team's batting practice closer to game time in hopes of jump-starting some offense. Well...that didn't work. Back to the drawing board, better luck next time. With R.A. Dickey on the mound looking to match Gonzalez with his 19th win, perhaps a single run is all the Mets will need.

MM

Game #140: Braves 3, Mets 2 (10)

And the train keeps on...not rolling.

The Braves broke through in the top of the 10th and the Mets wasted more opportunities at the plate, falling in a sweep 3-2.

The Bad Stuff:

• Make it 10 in a row without eclipsing 3 runs at home. Today the team went 2-9 with RISP and left 7 men on base.
• The key moments of futility came in the 8th, 9th, and 10th innings.
• After Ruben Tejada reached on an error in the 8th, Daniel Murphy singled him over to third base. David Wright, already with one RBI in the game, failed to plate Tejada, grounding out softly to the right side.
• In the 9th, Ike Davis led off with a single, but Lucas Duda and Kelly Shoppach struck out, failing to advance pinch-running Jason Bay. Andres Torres was the last chance after Bay stole second himself, but Torres grounded out to end the threat.
• After Bobby Parnell allowed a run to score in the top of the 10th, Jordany Valdespin led off with a single of his own. Tejada sac-bunted him over to second, and Valdespin stole third base during a Scott Hairston strikeout. Murphy, who had a monster game at the plate (see Good Stuff), was walked to bring David Wright up for a chance at redemption. Chance squandered: Wright swung at the second pitch from Peter Moylan to fly out to right field, and Chipper Jones's ballclub left Citi Field for the last time in 2012 with the last laugh.

The Good Stuff:

• Chris Young turned in a quality start, going 6 innings and allowing 2 runs on 5 hits with 4 walks and 7 strikeouts.
• Daniel Murphy went 3-4 with 2 doubles and both New York runs.
• David Wright and Ike Davis picked up the RBIs on the day, continuing their chase for the team lead; Wright leads slightly, 80-78.

Final Analysis:
How quickly things can turn around: 8 of 9 wins a couple weeks ago has turned into 5 of 6 losses this week. Starting pitching was there today, and so was the bullpen for the most part, but the bats were locked away somewhere and couldn't make it in time.

Wish I could have given you some more fanfare for Midwestern Met's 300th post, but unfortunately that's not happening today. Ho-hum, wait till next time. At least with the Nationals coming into town the Mets won't have to face Stephen Strasburg anymore.

MM

Game #139: Braves 11, Mets 3

The game was bad enough, what made it worse was the thunderstorms that prolonged the agony.

Jeremy Hefner was rocked early and a poor showing from the bullpen guaranteed a Mets loss as they fell 11-3 to the Braves.

The Bad Stuff:

• Jeremy Hefner didn't get out of the 3rd inning, allowing 5 runs on 8 hits.
• It didn't get any better once Hef left the game, as Justin Hampson, Robert Carson, Manny Acosta, Jeurys Familia, Ramon Ramirez, and Elvin Ramirez combined to allow 6 more Atlanta runs come in over the next 6 innings.
• Even a halfway decent offense would be hard-pressed to score 12 runs to win the game, but this New York "run-scoring machine" has been like wet paper at home lately. Only plating 3 runs tonight, the team has now scored thrice or less in 9 consecutive home games.

The Good Stuff:

• Lucas Duda had a good day at the plate, going 2-4 with a double and 2 RBIs.
• Both times Duda drove in David Wright, who went 2-4 himself on the afternoon.
• Ronny Cedeno hit a solo home run in the 5th.

Final Analysis:
It's not Chipper Jones who's raining on the Mets' parade this weekend, but he seems to have transferred his Larry-ness powers to...well, the entire Atlanta Braves team. Nothing has gone right for the Mets in these two games and are in danger of giving Chipper one last cackling laugh before he finally sinks into the depths of retirement. He's going out with a series win anyways, and now the least the Mets can do is let the back door hit him on the way out.

MM

Game #138: Braves 3, Mets 0

It wasn't Larry who killed the Mets on this night; no, the old timer went hitless in four at-bats. Other Braves, on the other hand, fared just a little better tonight at Citi Field.

Atlanta's 6-7-8 hitters combined to drive in all the runs and Jon Niese got absolutely no run support as the Mets dropped the first game of Chipper Jones's swansong in New York, 3-0.

The Bad Stuff:

• Let's cut right to the chase: 5 hits, 0-10 with RISP, 11 left on. I think that paints a vivid enough picture for tonight.

The Good Stuff:

• Jon Niese picked up a tough L on the night, only allowing a solo home run to Jason Heyward in the 4th inning. Niese finished the night with just that 1 run on 5 hits in 6 innings, including 1 walk and 2 strikeouts in exactly 100 pitches.
• Jenrry Mejia returned to the major leagues after a misconstrued half-season in Flushing and tossed 2 innings in relief, his only mistake being a curveball that didn't curve which Dan Uggla blasted for a home run in the 9th.

Final Analysis:
Once it got out of the hands of Paul Maholm in the 6th (and he pitched a heck of a game as well) and into those of the rock-solid Atlanta bullpen, you could have called it right then and nobody would've missed anything. The Mets couldn't get any hits after Maholm made his exit and could barely get any when the Braves' starter was in there in the first place. It was as if the team left their bats in St. Louis; a tough, tough way to start a homestand. All that can be hoped for is that the team's bats get into LaGuardia early tomorrow; it's an afternoon game.

MM

Appearance on the Phil Naessens Show, 9/6/12

The Midwestern Met is expanding from print to sound! I made my Internet sports talk debut tonight on The Phil Naessens Show's Mets Weekly Report, talking about Terry Collins, Sandy Alderson, and Joel Sherman's suggestion to trade David Wright and R.A. Dickey. Take a listen!

http://www.philnaessens.com/apps/podcast/podcast/254976

WD

Game #137: Mets 6, Cardinals 2

(NYDailyNews.com)

Remember that Spring Training game all those years ago when Randy Johnson killed a dove with a fastball? That didn't happen today. But a few Cardinals got stunned by a knuckleball, that's for sure.

R.A. Dickey soared to his major league-leading 18th W and Ike Davis gave him some insurance with a 3-run homer as the Mets salvaged the final game of the series against the Cardinals 6-2.

The Good Stuff:

• Compared to what he's done earlier in this season, you could say R.A. Dickey was a little off this afternoon: "just" 6 2/3 innings, 8 hits, 2 runs, 1 walk, "only" 5 strikeouts on 104 pitches. One of those runs was even a solo home run for St. Louis starter Adam Wainwright! His ERA even increased...from 2.63 to 2.64 (shocking!) That's the perspective Mets fans see Dickey work in nowadays. But when you step back and look at the big picture...dang, son! This guy's good! He may have fell short of the Solid Seven, but R.A. was rock solid en route to his 18th win of the season.
• Ike Davis's mid-season comeback made another stop at Busch Stadium as he launched a 3-run home run in the 5th inning to make the score 5-1. The blast was Ike's 26th of the year and the 3 RBIs gave him 77, just 2 shy of David Wright's team lead. Since June 12 Davis has hit .266 with an .894 OPS, including 20 of his home runs and 52 RBIs.
• Daniel Murphy had 3 hits on the afternoon, scoring once. Other New Yorkers who came up big at the plate were Mike Baxter (2-5, 2 runs) and Justin Turner (2 doubles, 2 runs). Lucas Duda, Josh Thole, and Andres Torres picked up the other 3 RBIs.
• Josh Edgin bailed Dickey out of the 7th inning, while Jon Rauch took care of the 8th and Frank Francisco managed the 9th in easy, if not unusual fashion: Adron Chambers drew a leadoff walk, and after Frank Frank struck out Daniel Delasco, Yadier Molina hit a flyball to right field. In the same fashion as in Monday afternoon's game, the Mets appealed that Chambers did not touch second base while heading back to first to avoid being doubled off. Baxter tossed the ball in to Murphy, who flipped it to Ruben Tejada on second base. Third out, 9-4-6 style, and with the "most anti-climactic 'Put it in the Books' ever" (as Howie Rose described it) and some of the players actually complaining about the freebee the received, the Mets were Wednesday afternoon winners. And as for Monday? Now we're even.

The Bad Stuff:

• Ruben Tejada was the only starter besides Dickey to go hitless in the game, earning the "Golden Sombrero" with 4 strikeouts in 4 at-bats. Tejada, who once led all major league shortstops in batting average, is now hitting .294; still perfectly acceptable, but kind of disappointing that he appears to have run out of gas.

Final Analysis:
It took R.A. Dickey, who first made it to the majors in 2001, until 2008 with Seattle to get to 18 wins in his career. He's equaled that total in 28 starts in 2012. While not at his absolute best, Dickey pitched as well as he needed to, mostly silencing the Redbird bats and furthering his case for the NL Cy Young Award. As for his team, it may not have been a series win, but they escaped St. Louis with one win in their back pockets and have still won 8 of their last 11. After an off day tomorrow, the fight for third continues on Friday as, for the final time, Flushing plays host to Chipper the Met Killer and the Atlanta Braves.

MM

Game #136: Cardinals 5, Mets 1

There was a late run scored, but far less drama tonight at Busch Stadium.

Matt Harvey was flat in the 2nd inning, leading to 3 St. Louis runs and eventually resulting in the Cardinals' 5-1 triumph over the Mets.

The Bad Stuff:

• Matt Harvey had one bad inning: 4 straight singles in the 2nd inning led to 3 Redbird runs. Harvey's final line wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been, though: 5 innings, 6 hits, 3 runs, 3 walks, 4 strikeouts.
• The Met offense couldn't hit in the clutch, going 0-7 with RISP and stranding 7 castaways on Gilligan's Island: Midwest Edition.
• Justin Hampson and Ramon Ramirez allowed a run each in the 6th and 7th, allowing the Cardinals to put some more space between them and the visitors.

The Good Stuff:

• Jeurys Familia finally made his New York Mets debut in the 8th inning, allowing a hit but striking out Lance Berkman and forcing a double play to complete a scoreless frame.
• Of the Mets' 11 hits, 2 of them each came from Ruben Tejada, David Wright, and Scott Hariston (none of them scored at all).

Final Analysis:
A brief summary for a brief and otherwise uneventful game. The Mets dropped their first series since the Colorado debacle in August, although at least this time it was to a contender. R.A. Dickey has a chance to play spoiler tomorrow and keep St. Louis from breaking out their brooms. Let's do it.

MM

Game #135: Cardinals 5, Mets 4

(NYDailyNews.com)

On this Labor Day afternoon, Andres Torres labored New York out of another potential comeback.

Torres was called out after missing first base on a double in the 9th, taking the life out of the Mets, who fell to the Cardinals 5-4.

The Bad Stuff:

• After a long at-bat to lead off the 9th against St. Louis closer Jason Motte, Andres torres appeared to hit a rally-starting double. But he stutter-stepped around first base, making the play too close for comfort, and young umpire David Rackley called Torres out for missing the bag Marv Throneberry style. That crucial call deflated the Mets as they went down easily in the rest of the final inning, falling one run short of another comeback.
• Torres's actual hit of the afternoon was a a 2-out triple in the 7th, but he was stranded on third when Justin Turner grounded out to end the inning.
• A week and a half removed from his sensational major league debut, Collin McHugh was exposed as mortal at Busch Stadium; McHugh lasted just 4 innings in his second start, giving up 4 runs on 6 hits, including Skip Schumaker's first home run of the season (a 2-run bomb in the 4th).
• David Wright went hitless again, going 0-4 to drop his average to an increasingly-pedestrian .311.

The Good Stuff:

• Kelly Shoppach and Daniel Murphy were responsible for turning a 4-0 deficit into just a 5-4 one with 2-run homers each in the 7th and the 8th.
• Robert Carson allowed a run in the 7th but the rest of the bullpen kept the Cardinals from pulling away.

Final Analysis:
Certainly a tough loss knowing how well the team has played in late innings lately. I have to figure that if Torres had definitively touched first on that faux double the Mets would have come back. But hey, they sure as heck don't quit. Let's just shake it off and get them tomorrow.

MM

Game #134: Mets 5, Marlins 1

(NYDailyNews.com)

Swab the deck, me mateys: we're sweeping up some fish now!

Jason Bay's 1st inning grand slam provided the difference and Chris Young and the bullpen strung together a fantastic day on the mound, giving the Mets the win and the sweep over the Marlins, 5-1.

The Good Stuff:

• It didn't take long for New York to solve Miami's Mark Buehrle: Ronny Cedeno and Justin Turner led off the game with doubles and Cedeno was driven in by a David Wright groundout.
• After Scott Hairston popped out, Ike Davis walked and Kelly Shoppach was hit by a pitch. Up came Jason Bay, reduced to a part time player, making his first start since August 25. Met fans probably didn't get their hopes up, but Mr. Bay proved he still has a little left in the tank, launching a grand slam to right center to effectively end the game before the Marlins even came to bat.
• Bay went 2-4 on the day to increase his batting average to .160 and, as Walter Villa of ESPN New York points out, equaled his offensive production (1 HR, 4 RBIs) for the past month in one swing.
• This was more offense than Chris Young is probably used to getting in a month's worth of starts, but Young gladly took the gift of lots of wiggle room to pitch 5 strong innings of 1-run, 5-hit ball to pick up the W.
• The team then stared down the prospect of having the bullpen pitch 4 innings, but the men in the relief role once again did not disappoint: Bobby Parnell, Josh Edgin, Jon Rauch, and Frank Francisco nailed down the storm windows and allowed just 1 more hit the rest of the way. While it wasn't a save situation, Frank-Frank did his job more than adequately in the 9th, needing only 11 pitches to close out the Marlins.

The Bad Stuff:

• While the offense was great in the 1st, the unit was basically shut down for the rest of the afternoon. Buehrle ended up pitching 7 innings, needing only 1 more pitch to get through that than Young needed to get through 5.
• David Wright went 0-4, dropping his average down to .314.

Final Analysis:
Talk about Labor Day fun in the sun. Everything came together for the Mets this weekend in Miami, as great starting pitching, solid relief, and clutch (if not abundant) hitting combined to give New York its first sweep since June 18-20 against Baltimore. While Chris Young probably won't be back in the rotation next April, he made a case for one of the long relief roles alongside Jeremy Hefner. Jason Bay showed the best way to use him is to do so like sweets at the top of the food pyramid: sparingly. All-in-all, a great weekend to be a Mets fan, and a great way to begin the home stretch in pursuit of 3rd place in the NL East.

MM

Game #133: Mets 5, Marlins 3

(MetsBlog.com)

New York was dormant for 8 innings, but an eruption in the final frame gave one of its most embattled members his shot at redemption.

Kelly Shoppach's 2-out single plus an error capped a 4-run 9th and Frank Francisco nailed down the save for the Mets, who strung together a thrilling comeback over the Marlins 5-3.

The Good Stuff:

• Down 3-1 in the 9th, the Mets caught a break when Ozzie Guillen pulled Josh Johnson, who had limited his opposition to 3 hits over 8 innings, in favor of closer Steve Cishek. Daniel Murphy got things going with a leadoff single, and David Wright followed with one of his own. After Ike Davis struck out, Lucas Duda chopped a groundball through the middle to score Murph and send Wright to third. Mike Baxter popped out and Andres Torres drew a full-count walk, bringing up Kelly Shoppach, who had replaced Josh Thole on a double switch an inning earlier. Right decision: Shoppach grounded a base hit to center that was mishandled by Justin Ruggiano; when the dust had settled all three runs scored and Shoppach was on third with 2 RBIs, another clutch hit, and a strengthened case for a return trip to Flushing in 2013.
• After Cishek did his best Heath Bell impression, Frank Francisco came in looking to shut the door on the Marlins and his doubts. The last time he was down here, Frank-Frank blew 2 saves, lost his temper, and nearly lost his job. But he put those days behind him and sat Miami down 1-2-3, striking out John Buck to end the game and send the Met fans within the Marlins Park crowd of 26,042 home happy.
• Jeremy Hefner pitched well enough to win, tossing 6 innings of 2-run, 6-hit ball, but was unfortunately let down by his offense.
• Josh Thole pounded out his first hit in half a month, a single in the 8th to go along with his RBI groundout in the 5th.

The Bad Stuff:

• See Innings 1-8 when Josh Johnson allowed just 5 baserunners all together.
• Ramon Ramirez picked up the W but allowed an insurance run to the Marlins in the 8th.

Final Analysis:
The Mets were dead in the water but went completely Jaws on the fish tonight, staring off September in thrilling fashion. Henfer continues to impress on the mound, Shoppach makes that waiver-wire trade in August seem better and better, Frank Francisco has one of his better days to close it out. The result was New York's 6th win in 7 games and third straight series. We'll take it.

MM