Game #121: Padres 8, Mets 2

Enter one stud of a prospect, exit another. And he took any chance of a win with him.

Travis d'Arnaud's big-league debut was marred by injury to Jenrry Mejia and a rare misstep by the Mets bullpen in an 8-2 thumping at the hands of the Padres.

The Bad Stuff:

• Jenrry Mejia bent in the first three innings. The breaking came in the 4th, when elbow discomfort forced Mejia from the game. Jenrry has acknowledged his need for elbow surgery in the coming offseason, but with Jeremy Hefner's predicament fresh in everyone's minds, Mets fans will be holding their collective breath in hopes the bone chips are all that's bothering Mejia.
• Tied 1-1 at the time of Mejia's departure, David Aardsma let the game get out of reach, allowing four runs and eight baserunners in his two relief innings.
• Carlos Torres wasn't much better in his 2.1 innings after Pedro Feliciano's brief appearance, allowing three more runs to put it permanently out of reach.
• New York hit just 2-7 with RISP and stranded nine.

The Good Stuff:

• Travis d'Arnaud made his much-anticipated Mets debut and showed surprising plate discipline, drawing two walks in four plate appearances, including a four-pitch free pass in his first time up against San Diego starter Edinson Volquez.
• Eric Young had a slump-busting day at the plate, going 2-4 with a walk, a double, two stolen bases, and both the team's runs.
• Daniel Murphy and Ike Davis each had RBI singles.
• Juan Lagares also had a couple singles in hopes of breaking his slump at the plate.
• Wilmer Flores returned to the lineup, going 1-4 with a double.

Final Analysis:
Combine the optimism of the past couple nights with d'Arnaud's arrival to the bigs and you get the "thud" that ended up being tonight's game. It's been a long road trip, and we're all looking forward to it ending after Monday's flyover in Minnesota. The only suspense left on the West Coast is what happens to Jenrry Mejia and whether d'Arnaud gets to stay in the majors for the last week before September.

MM

Game #86: Mets 4, Giants 3 (16)

Come on, the Mets could only play so many marathons before catching a break. The Giants agreed at about 3:00 in the morning New York time.

Eric Young scored on Brandon Crawford's error in the top of the 16th and Bobby Parnell mercifully closed the door on a comeback as the Mets took a marathon game from the Giants 4-3.

The Good Stuff:

• Down 2-0, John Buck got the scoring going in the top of the 5th with an RBI double. Then in the 6th, the Mets were beneficiaries of some truly dreadful San Francisco defense. The first two miscues were committed by ex-Met Andres Torres, whose misplay of an Eric Young line drive led to a leadoff triple and missed tough catch resulted in Daniel Murphy's game-tying RBI single. David Wright followed with an infield single that Pablo Sandoval couldn't turn the double play on, and Murph went to third on a Marco Scutaro error trying to get out Wright. Ike Davis's double play killed the rally but brought home the go-ahead run to make it 3-2, and if not for the double play another run would've come home on Marlon Byrd's Gregor Blanco-assisted triple.
• After the Giants tied the game on the first two pitches of the 7th, the scoring stopped for almost an entire extra game. The star of the game at this point became the New York bullpen: Carlos Torres (2), David Aardsma (1.2), Scott Rice (0.1), Greg Burke (2), and Josh Edgin (2) stewarded the Mets through eight scoreless innings.
• New York was also beneficiary of some excellent clutch pitching and defense, as the Giants hit just 1-15 with RISP and stranded 18 men on base. And none of those tough outs came through the double play.
• The Mets' bats finally woke up in the top of the 16th, led by Eric Young's one-out single. Young promptly stole second and went to third on Murphy's groundout. After Wright was walked intentionally, Anthony Recker hit into what should have been the third out, but shortstop Brandon Crawford bobbled the ball and had no play. Young scored, and the Mets were back up.
• Bobby Parnell walked Marco Scutaro and allowed a Buster Posey single, threatening to spiral the game back into the Fourth of July's back-and-forth-style affair. But Parnell buckled down to strike out Brandon Belt between Scutaro and Posey, strike out Pablo Sandoval, and force Guillermo Quiroz to ground into the 5-4 force play. Game over, marathon over, Mets win.

The Bad Stuff:

• Harvey Day seemed almost an afterthought after the 13th, but Matt Harvey's outing was spoiled by three bad pitches: a 3-1 1st inning fastball Buster Posey turned into a two-run homer, a fastball Hunter Pence led the 7th off with a triple, and a changeup Brandon Crawfored parlayed into the game-tying single. His final numbers produced a quality start (7 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 6 K, 121 pitches), but based on Harvey's lofty standards we'll categorize it as Bad Stuff.
• New York's bats did their best to make Tim Lincecum look like vintage Big-Time Timmy-Jim, as the former Freak struck out 11 and walked just one in his seven innings.
• The Mets could absolutely not get reigning NL MVP Buster Posey out: Posey went 5-8 with his two-run homer and two doubles.

Final Analysis:
Well, it certainly looks like the Mets will set a record for most innings played in one season. That was a great win, enough said.

MM

Game #78: Nationals 13, Mets 2

In Zack Wheeler's Citi Field debut, New York fans witnessed a masterful performance from a bona-fide ace. Just not the one they wanted.

Gio Gonzalez shut the Mets down for seven innings and the Nationals got to Wheeler and the bullpen, resulting in a humiliating 13-2 loss in the Mets' June finale.

The Bad Stuff:

• Zack Wheeler had a great 1st inning, and that was about it. Adam LaRoche's 2nd-inning home run opened the door for Washington to get four runs off Wheeler in that inning. He was knocked out of the game after 4.2 innings having allowed five runs on six hits.
• Brandon Lyon must have felt bad enough about Zack's rough outing, because he made Wheeler's performance look positively Cy Young-esque. Lyon let in six 8th-inning runs while only retiring two Nats.
• It got so bad that even backup catcher Anthony Recker got on the mound for an inning. Recker allowed a two-run homer to Ian Desmond in the 9th.
• Meanwhile, there was nothing the Met offense could do against Gio Gonzalez, whose final line consisted of seven three-hit shutout innings.

The Good Stuff:

• John Buck's two-run home run in the bottom of the 9th kept the home team from being shut out.
• Josh Satin had two more hits, including his fourth double, to increase his average to .375.
• David Wright smashed his 17th double of the season.

Final Analysis:
And I thought Friday's blown victory sucked...at least there was life in the team that night.

Zack Wheeler will get better, that's almost a given. It's just rough to see him struggle so mightily when his peer Matt Harvey adjusted finely to the big leagues. It's just going to take patience...something we Mets fans should be great at by now.

MM

Game #69: Mets 4, Braves 3

The boys from New York rallied around one of their own tonight and came up big in their traditional house of horrors.

Josh Satin's pinch-hit RBI double put the Mets over the top in the 7th inning, and Bobby Parnell and company slammed the door shut on the Braves as the Mets won 4-3 to clinch their first series in Atlanta since 2011 and deal the Braves their first series loss at home this year.

The Good Stuff:

(NYDailyNews.com)

• David Wright socked two solo home runs, one in the 1st and one in the 4th.
• Andrew Brown hit a pinch-hit home run in the 5th to tie the game at 3-3.
• After Omar Quintanilla battled Mike Minor to a 10-pitch double to lead off the 7th, Josh Satin pulled through with a double of his own to provide the final margin.
• After Jonathon Niese's early departure (see below), the New York bullpen came together to toss 5.2 scoreless innings in relief. LaTroy Hawkins was on the winning line for the Mets after taking care of the 5th and 6th innings, and Bobby Parnell picked up his 11th save with a no-nonsense 1-2-3 9th.

The Bad Stuff:

• Jon Niese left the game in the 4th with discomfort in his left shoulder, the same shoulder that bothered him earlier this season. Niese will head back to New York for an MRI.

Final Analysis:
Now that is how you win a close game. Clutch hitting and clutch pitching haven't come together often for the Mets, but when they do, it's a thing of beauty. Now they can celebrate (to a degree) winning a rare five-game series in Turner Field, where so much had gone wrong in the past.

The only thing that spoils the victory is Niese's lingering shoulder problems. This hasn't been his season, and he will be crucial to the team's success in the long-term. It would be so wonderful if he only had to miss a start or two, but if you're looking for silver linings in a potential long loss of playing time, at least we didn't lose him at the height of a pennant race. Get well soon, Jon.

MM

Game #54: Marlins 11, Mets 6

From "We. Swept. The. Yankees." to "Swept. By. The. Marlins." A great week for the punctuation industry, I suppose.

Matt Harvey was ineffective and so was every pitcher who followed him as the Mets lost their third straight to the Marlins, 11-6.

If you want to relive the misery with me, you can read my extended recap for the day on Rising Apple.

For those of you who want the short version, Parks and Recreation's Chris Traeger delivers my message for the day to the Mets:

MM

Game #35: Cardinals 6, Mets 3

New York's most valuable man at the plate tonight may well have been Carlos Beltran. (NOTE: You're not reading this in 2011.)

The Mets put up a three-spot in the 2nd inning but the Cardinals broke a tie in the 7th with three runs of their own, taking the series opener 6-3.

The Bad Stuff:

• After a rare quality start from someone not named Matt Harvey, the New York bullpen once again burst his bubble. Scott Rice gave up two runs in the bottom of the 7th, one of them coming home on a two-run homer Scott Atchison gave up to Matt Holliday in the same frame.
• The Mets improved on quality but lacked in quantity with RISP, hitting 2-3 in that situation and leaving seven men on base.

The Good Stuff:

• Jeremy Hefner had himself a third quality start in his last four, allowing three runs on five hits in six innings, walking four and striking out two.
• Daniel Murphy broke his slump in a big way, collecting three of his team's four hits on the night. One was a two-run double in the 2nd (admittedly the aforementioned Beltran lost a seemingly sure line drive in the sun) to put the team on the board. He then scored on David Wright's infield single two pitches later.

(NYDailyNews.com)

• Rick Ankiel made his debut for the orange and blue, starting in center field and scoring the team's first run after a leadoff walk in the 2nd.
• New York turned two more double plays, one of them completed by a rare outfield assist from Lucas Duda.

Final Analysis:
Focus on the positives. Focus on the positives. Murphy got some momentum going again. Hefner is turning into one of the better starers we have. We only struck out 10 times tonight instead of 12 or 16. I'm about to have a good Top Ten list for Rising Apple (check back soon for the link). Focus on the positives.

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 #18: Dodgers 7, Mets 2

After their starter went down much too early, it was only a matter of times before the bullpen started caving in on itself.

The implosion started in the 7th inning, as the beleaguered Mets relief staff gave up five runs over two innings to allow Mark Ellis and the Dodgers a 7-2 series-opening victory.

The Bad Stuff:

(NYDailyNews.com)

• This ballgame was trouble right from the start, as Jonathon Niese walked the bases loaded in the 2nd inning. The benefit of a double play allowed him to escape with just one run against, but Niese would be out of the game in the next frame after Mark Ellis's line drive ricocheted off his right leg. X-rays came back negative, revealing only a bruise, so things seem to be fine there (for now...).
• Six innings would prove to be too much heavy lifting for the worst bullpen in the National League.
• Newly-promoted lefty Robert Carson gave up the tying home run to Ellis in the 5th.
• Ellis struck again in the 7th, this time against Brandon Lyon, lacing a two-out homer of the three-run variety over the sloped corner of the left field wall to make it 5-2.
• Another Ellis, A.J. Ellis, brought the nail in the coffin in the 8th with a two-run double to provide the final margin.

The Good Stuff:

• New York got two runs off Clayton Kershaw in the bottom of the 3rd. L.A.'s ace temporarily unraveled, starting with a two-out walk to Carson, who as a relief pitcher was making his first-career MLB at-bat (his OBP as of now stands at an impressive 1.000). After Ruben Tejada fought for a signature full count walk, Daniel Murphy pounced on a hanging slider for an RBI single up the middle. David Wright followed with a line drive single of his own to score the then-go-ahead run.
• Tejada and Murphy both had Web Gems in the field, with Ruben soaring high to snag a Jerry Hairston line drive in the 3rd (#1 on ESPN's segment) and Daniel making a nice jump throw to rob A.J. Ellis of a base hit in the 4th (#4 on ESPN's segment).

Final Analysis:
Well, the bullpen sucks (5.52 ERA collectively), but we knew that already.

Initial news is good for Jonathon Niese, but knowing the state of the Mets medical staff, any sort of misdiagnosis is not out of the question. If you'll recall, it was just a knee bruise for Ike Davis as well.

Remember two years ago when we couldn't put Daniel Murphy anywhere in the field? Not so much anymore. It was just a matter of finding a place for Murph and making him stick to it, and after a full year of work at second base, he not only looks serviceable, he is exceeding expectations as a fielder. Now that he has a glove to match his fantastic bat, it all but guarantees him a place in the Mets' future, and maybe even an All-Star appearance this season.

The boys had a rough go of it tonight, but the beauty of baseball is that there's always another game. And the next one is the latest installment of The Matt Harvey Show. Whoa baby.

MM

Game #17: Mets 2, Nationals 0

With some surprisingly good pitching, and a touch of generosity from the opposition, New York completed its thaw-out from the previous week in grand style.

John Buck's moonshot gave Dillon Gee and company all the run support it needed as the Mets knocked off the Nationals 2-0 to win the teams' first series of the year.

The Good Stuff:

(NYDailyNews.com)

• On a 3-1 fastball from Jordan Zimmerman in the bottom of the 2nd, John Buck continued his stampede to NL Player of the Month, blasting off a rare upper-deck home run to put his team on the board. The solo shot was his seventh round-tripper of the season (more than halfway to his total last season) and league-leading 22nd RBI.
• Mike Baxter's sac fly in the 4th provided Dillon Gee some much-welcome (if not needed) insurance, as Gee turned in 5.2 scoreless innings, allowing three hits, three walks, and striking out six on 98 pitches.
• New York stole two more bases on the afternoon, as Jordany Valdespin stole third in the 1st inning and David Wright swiped second in the 5th.
• After Gee walked the bases loaded in the 6th, LaTroy Hawkins came on and calmly struck out Ian Desmond to preserve the Washington goose egg.
• Brandon Lyon cruised to a 1-2-3 7th, but Scott Rice had some trouble to lead off the 8th, allowing a single to Steve Lombardozzi and a walk to Denard Span. Now here's where the aforementioned generosity comes in to play: after working the count to 3-0, Jayson Werth was given the swing away sign, which he promptly turned into a 6-4-3 double play to let Rice mostly off the hook. Not even Bryce Harper could save this rally, as Rice took care of him by way of the K.
• Bobby Parnell pitched a brilliant 1-2-3 9th, striking out two Nats en route to his second save of the season.

The Bad Stuff:

• The team went 0-8 with RISP and stranded seven castaways on Gilligan's Island. But they won the game anyway, so we can forget about them. They'll be fine; they've got the Professor. And Mary Ann.

Final Analysis:
That'll do. Dillon Gee finally showed signs of life on the mound and John Buck continued his Flushing Renaissance, as the Mets held their own in what turned out to be a hard-fought and very exciting series. With the New York-Washington rivalry only set to heat up as the weeks, months, years go by, the taste of what's to be we got this weekend makes it that much more scintillating.

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