Game #149: Mets 1, Marlins 0 (12)

The Mets and Marlins have had more than their fair share of extra-inning "thrillers" in 2013. Their final contest of the season was more of the same, although this time it was the team from New York that took care of business.

(NYDailyNews.com)

Travis d'Arnaud's walk-off bases-loaded single in the 12th gave the Mets a 1-0 win and a rare series win over the Marlins.

The Good Stuff:

• Dillon Gee was great once again for 7.1 scoreless innings, giving up just six hits and two walks to go along with his eight strikeouts on 109 pitches.
• The New York bullpen did a fantastic job of holding back Miami for the remaining 4.2 innings, as Vic Black earned his first Mets W after his scoreless 12th.
• The Mets loaded the bases with none out in the bottom of the 12th, but after fielder's choice groundouts by Zach Lutz and Andrew Brown appeared to be down the long road to nowhere. Enter Travis d'Arnaud, who forced a turnoff onto victory with a single up the middle that scored Lucas Duda. It was d'Arnaud's first-career walk-off hit.

The Bad Stuff:

• The New York offense made Tom Koehler and company look just as good as Dillon Gee and company.
• Daniel Murphy committed two errors at second base.

Final Analysis:
Finally, a long extra-inning affair against the Marlins goes our way! Props to d'Arnaud for his feat, continued props to Gee for putting up great numbers since Memorial Day. Having a deep rotation will alleviate some of the sting that will come if Matt Harvey misses all of next year.

The Mets host the soon-to-be-dethroned San Francisco Giants starting on Tuesday.

MM

Games #147 & #148: Mets 0-3, Marlins 3-1

The Mets split a Saturday afternoon doubleheader with the Marlins, falling in the first game 3-0 while taking the second 3-1.

The Bad Stuff (Game 1):

• New York managed just four hits off Miami's Henderson Alvarez. Enough said.

The Good Stuff (Game 1):

• Carlos Torres turned in a quality start despite the loss, allowing two runs on three hits in six innings, walking two and striking out eight on 111 pitches.
• Matt den Dekker went 2-4 with a double, the Mets' only XBH of the first game.

The Good Stuff (Game 2):

• Daisuke Matsuzaka was vintage Dice-K, allowing a solo home run and one other single in a seven-inning win, his first W in over a year. Matsuzaka walked one and struck out three on 91 pitches and most impressively kept the game from going over the standard three hours.
• Daniel Murphy and Lucas Duda hit back-to-back home runs in the 3rd to add to the 1-0 lead already set up by Wilmer Flores.
• Murphy and Eric Young each had stolen bases.
• Pedro Feliciano and Vic Black combined to toss a scoreless 8th, while LaTroy Hawkins went into double digits in the save column by reeling the Fish in in the 9th.

The Bad Stuff (Game 2):

•  New York hit just 1-6 with RISP and stranded seven.

Final Analysis:
The loss in the first game gives the Mets 82 on the season, clinching them a fifth straight losing season. Deflating, yes, but it was nice to see the team come out with ample air in the nightcap to split the twin bill. That's all they can do over the final 14 matchups of the year. Here's hoping they end closer to 80-82 than 66-96.

MM

Game #146: Mets 4, Marlins 3

Welcome back, Big Dude.

(NYDailyNews.com)

Lucas Duda blasted a three-run homer in the 6th to back Jonathon Niese's strong outing as the Mets snapped their losing streak with a 4-3 over the Marlins.

The Good Stuff:

• Down 2-1 in with two on and two out in the bottom of the 6th, nobody would blame fans who took their snack breaks early with Lucas Duda coming up. The man has not been, to put it lightly, reliable with runners on base. Tonight? Not so much. Big Dude smashed a three-run homer, his first multi-run jack since the second game of the season, to give New York a lead they needed.
• Jonathon Niese took the W after a quality start, allowing three runs on six hits in 6.1 innings, walking none and striking out seven on 103 pitches. Two of his runs against came on solo home runs from Giancarlo Stanton - no shame in that.
• After a legion of Scott Atchison, Vic Black, and Pedro Feliciano managed the next 1.2 innings unscathed, LaTroy Hawkins nailed down Miami with a 1-2-3 9th to earn save #9 on the year in Met victory #65.

The Bad Stuff:

• Duda's home run was the fifth and final hit of the night for the Mets, who couldn't get much going against the Fish pitchers.

Final Analysis:
Oh, what could have been. Lucas Duda was supposed to be doing this kind of thing all season, and while he came through this time, fans can't help but think to themselves, "Could've used you in the summer." Duda has 16 more games to make a name for himself before the end of the season and the true consideration of the first base question, but if he keeps doing stuff like that, he's got a good chance of supplanting Ike Davis as the man of the future. Or at least becoming marketable to an AL team that needs a DH.

MM

Weekly Recap: July 27-August 4

I have returned to my regular life after an exciting week in Orlando. Unfortunately, despite visiting two of the most magical places on Earth (Disney World & Harry Potter World), I couldn't transfer any of it to my baseball team. Yes, the magic was little and far in between for the New York Mets this week.

Team record, Games 101-109: 3-6
Second half of Nationals Series, July 27-28: 0-2
Marlins Series, July 29-August 1: 2-2
Royals Series, August 2-4: 1-2

The Good Stuff:

• Zack Wheeler was quite effective in two starts, taking a no-hitter into the 7th against the Marlins and taking the loss against the Royals after his defense failed him.
• Matt Harvey was his usual self, and the Mets' offense was their normal ineffective selves during his start.
• Eric Young had his first walk-off home run, a two-run shot in the bottom of the 11th Friday night against Kansas City.
• Pedro Feliciano made a triumphant return to the big leagues, making two scoreless appearances on Friday and Saturday.

The Bad Stuff:

• See injuries to David Wright, Bobby Parnell, and Josh Edgin.

Final Analysis:
The Mets played .500 ball out of the All-Star Break, but with the fall of their Captain I don't expect that will happen while he's out for 3-5 weeks. Now the team will have to struggle to avoid being leapfrogged by the Marlins, a team that has owned them all season.

Magic from Disney and Hogwarts didn't work. At this point the Mets need a Doctor...think Peter Capaldi has some free time in his schedule?

MM

Game #58: Marlins 8, Mets 4 (10)

After yesterday's endless misery, New Yorkers were treated to a bargain: today's soul-crusher only took half the time.

The Marlins pounded out 17 hits and scored four runs in the top of the 10th to once again sweep the Mets, 8-4.

The Bad Stuff:

• Again, I will be brief: how's giving up 17 hits to a Miami team without Giancarlo Stanton sound?
• Or how about the three-run lead our pitchers couldn't hold against that Miami team?
• Or how about Bobby Parnell giving some weight to this recent analysis of mine by surrendering the go-ahead runs in the top of the 10th inning?
• Or maybe you can just look at the aftermath of the bloodbath at the hands of baseball's (supposedly) worst team: the demotions and replacements of Ike Davis, Robert Carson, and Mike Baxter to Triple-A Las Vegas. Josh Satin, Josh Edgin, and Collin Cowgill will rejoin the team on Tuesday.

The Good Stuff:

• Jonathon Niese deserved far better than a no-decision, as he turned in the Mets' third quality start in two days with 6.2 innings of three-run (two earned), eight-hit ball, walking one and striking out four in his return to the mound.
• David Wright and Daniel Murphy deserved better too: Murphy's solo shot in the 2nd got New York on the board, and Wright's two-run double in the 3rd put the team on top. The fourth run came in right after Wright's double, as a cleanup-hitting Murphy produced an RBI groundout.

Final Analysis:
June 9 is the day I often site as the day Ike Davis turned it around last season. Now, just one year later, he won't get that same chance. The difference of course is that last year the Mets were (somehow) in contention despite Ike's mighty struggles. This year, the team continues to bottom out with no sign of actually reaching that bottom yet. Terry Collins had no choice. He has to do something to get this team out of reverse. Are Satin, Edgin, Cowgill, and even Zack Wheeler the answer? No. The best the Mets can do at this point is get it into neutral, because the drive gear fell out in the Western snow of April. But for the sake of his job and the jobs of everyone who isn't a starting pitcher, David Wright, or Daniel Murphy, he has to try something. Anything. Because while they've been bad in the past few years, they've finally become nearly unwatchable. And you're reading the optimist's blog.

MM

Game #57: Marlins 2, Mets 1 (20)

Unlike the game that took twice as long to finish, I'll keep this recap short and sweet.

The Mets got 13 hits but couldn't plate more than a single run, falling to the Marlins 2-1 in a marathon 20-inning affair.

The Bad Stuff:

• Let's try "one run in 20 innings" and see if that sticks.
• Oh, you want something more? Try 0-19 with RISP and 22 men left on base. That's right, the Mets came three runners short of leaving an entire major league roster on base.

The Good Stuff:

• Matt Harvey was once again phenomenal on the mound, going seven innings and allowing one run on six hits and no walks, striking out six. He was removed from the game before the 8th inning could start due to injury concerns, but the cautious move seems to have paid off as he is not expected to miss his next start.
• Shaun Marcum took the tough loss in what turned out to be a de facto start. Marcum entered the game in the 13th inning and finished up eight frames of one-run, five-hit, seven-strikeout ball with a far-from-deserved L. At least this solves the dilemma of having him miss a start due to the recent rainouts.

Final Analysis:
Usually I try to put a positive spin on things, but I can't bring myself to mince words tonight. That was a pitiful excuse of an offensive performance. To score one run against the lowly Miami Marlins, a team that has gotten half their wins against New York, in a little more than two games' worth of innings is downright unacceptable. I don't know how he is going to manage it, but Terry Collins must find a way to get more offense out of this group of men who supposedly represent the top 0.1% of baseball players in the world. Otherwise today's paying Citi Field crowd of 20,338 is going to end up being the attendance ceiling, not the floor.

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 #53: Marlins 8, Mets 1

Remember when the Mets swept the Yankees earlier this week? Yeah, those were good times.

Collin McHugh was shelled in his spot start and the Mets couldn't get the motor running in the Marlins' waters, falling 8-1 to lose another Miami series.

The Bad Stuff:

• Collin McHugh's first start of the season went like just about every other appearance he's made: four runs and six hits in four innings.
• Jose Fernandez, meanwhile, kept New York at bay with seven scoreless, three-hit innings, including eight strikeouts.
• David Wright went 0-4 again, dropping his average to .277.
• Ike Davis also had an 0-for, going 0-3.

The Good Stuff:

• Omar Quintanilla had two hits
• Justin Turner kept the Mets from being shut out with an RBI double in the 8th.

Final Analysis:
What a way to celebrate the anniversary of No-Han...

By the way, happy anniversary, Johan Santana!

That is all. Tomorrow will be better. Probably.

MM

Game #52: Marlins 5, Mets 1

And just like that, the momentum is gone, drowned in a fish tank in front of 15,493 Floridians.

Ed Lucas broke the scoreless tie and opened the floodgates against Shaun Marcum as the Mets' five-game winning streak was snapped 5-1 against the Marlins.

The Bad Stuff:

• For six innings, Shaun Marcum was brilliant and was looking to continue New York's recent string of quality starts. Then came the 7th, when Miami scored four runs on four hits, a walk, and a sac fly. Marcum's final line went from nearly spotless to very much spotful: 6.2 innings, 7 hits, 4 runs, 2 walks, 4 strikeouts. A 5th-inning intentional walk to Greg Dobbs also broke a streak of 121 batters faced without a walk by Mets starters.
• Meanwhile, the once-potent New York offense returned to its familiar impotence against Miami's Jacob Turner, who tossed seven scoreless, five-hit innings in his first start of the season.
• David Wright's cold spell continued as he went 0-4 with two strikeouts to drop his average down to .283.

The Good Stuff:

• Daniel Murphy picked up Wright's slack by going 2-4 with an RBI double to score the Mets' only run of the game.
• Omar Quintanilla got two hits and scored in his second game filling in for the injured Ruben Tejada, and his first in the leadoff slot.
• Ike Davis had himself a double in the top of the 5th, and he would have had an RBI if Marlon Byrd had not been picked off trying to steal second base one pitch earlier.

Final Analysis:
How is it that after sweeping the almighty New York Yankees, adding that to a come-from-behind win over the division-leading Atlanta Braves, the Mets end up losing to the historically bad Miami Marlins? I guess that's the way it falls for a team that frankly isn't going anywhere this year. This game brought us back down to earth in time for the end of the month.

The good thing is that while 22-30 is far from great, at least it's not 14-41. Also, for every game the Marlins actually win, the farther they get from losing 120 games like the '62 Mets. Yes, in some twisted way, I don't want the Marlins to have a worse record than our Lovable Losers. They make me feel special. And if you're reading this blog, you know what I'm talking about.

MM

Game #26: Mets 7, Marlins 6

Hmm...I guess the Marlins bring out the best in Jordany Valdespin after all.

Valdespin's pinch-hit home run in the 6th gave the Mets a lead they would finally hold on to, as they beat to the Marlins 7-6 to avoid an embarrassing sweep.

The Good Stuff:

(NYDailyNews.com)

• Down 4-1 in the top of the 6th, New York looked on the road to oblivion in the form of a sweep at the hands of a team that needed a nightclub and a host of other attractions to get even 16,000 fans to show up. Luckily for all of us, the Amazin's found themselves a detour.
• Captain David Wright led off the inning with a double to the left field corner. It was his second extra base hit of the game, as his solo home run over the Clevelander in the 4th gave the team its first run.
• After a couple groundouts only sent him to third base, Marlon Byrd gave the word of a run-scoring single.
• After Ike Davis followed with a single of his own, Jordany Valdespin was sent up to pinch-hit for a listless Juan Lagares. With fresh arm A.J. Ramos at the plate, 'Spin recaptured the magic that propelled him to a team-record five pinch-hit home runs last season. Jordany took a mighty cut at a 2-2 changeup, sending a rocket just over the high wall in right field. He almost floated around the bases in triumph, and with a foot to the plate, the Mets had a 5-4 lead after a four-run 6th.
• Singles by Daniel Murphy and the Captain allowed John Buck to pick up two RBIs with a double in the 7th. Had April lasted 31 days instead of 30, Buck would have set a New York record with 27 RBIs in a calendar month.
• After an unfortunate error brought Miami back to one down in the 7th (see Bad Stuff), Scott Atchison dug deep and, to his credit, got out of the jam with the lead still in tact.
• LaTroy Hawkins and Scott Rice brought the visitors through the 8th, and Bobby Parnell slammed the door on the way out with a 1-2-3 9th that ended his team's losing streak at six games, and not a moment too soon.

The Bad Stuff:

• Dillon Gee was far from fantastic en route to his second win of the season, going just five frames while allowing four runs on nine hits, with two walks and a solitary strikeout on 70 pitches. As fate would have it, it is he, not Matt Harvey or Jeremy Hefner after their stellar starts, who picks up the W. That's the way the ball drops sometimes.
• Lucas Duda had a miserable afternoon at the plate and in the cavernous left field of Marlins Park. Against Wade LeBlanc and company, he went 0-4 with a walk and three strikeouts. In the field, he misjudged a Justin Ruggiano single in the 7th inning, allowing it to bounce past his glove, roll to the wall, and plate two Miami runs. How it was only his second error of the season is beyond me.

Final Analysis:
If by some chance Terry Collins ends up on the outskirts of the Mets blogoverse and reads this, my message to him is as follows: We Want More Jordany! I've expressed my support of our sparkplug in the past, and I reiterate that support today. Jordany Valdespin makes watching the game more fun. He also hits in the clutch as well as anyone on the team. Why not give him more regular starts in center field? What do we have to lose at this point?

All I can say after that win is "whew." The offense finally woke up from its coma. The bullpen finally hammered down the Double-A quality Fish bats. Was it a pretty win? Not by any means. But any sort of win is a refreshing sight, especially one that kept me from having to write "Swept. By. The. Marlins." Well done, boys.

The Mets get to enjoy their getaway win for one extra day, as they'll have tomorrow off in preparation for their weekend set with the NL-best Atlanta Braves. Savor this one, everybody.

MM

Game #25: Marlins 2, Mets 1

It got to the point where I was yelling at the MLB.tv: "Just throw a wild pitch so we can all go home!" Suffice it to say, I got my wish.

Jeremy Hefner was brilliant for eight innings, but the Mets couldn't get a single out in the 9th, giving the Marlins a 2-1 walk-off wild pitch win in exchange for their sixth straight loss.

The Bad Stuff:

• Jeremy Hefner was masterful for 24 outs. Except baseball is a game of 27 outs, and Hef would get no more. A leadoff double and contested failed fielder's choice chased him in favor of Brandon Lyon, who promptly gave up the game-tying single to Donovan Solano. After an intentional walk, Lyon unintentionally threw what could only be classified as a wild pitch, allowing Juan Pierre to waltz home with the winning run.
• The game was uninspiring for both teams at the plate, but the losing team could barely get four men on base, scoring their lone run courtesy of a few productive outs. When they did get runners in scoring position, they hit 0-3.

The Good Stuff:

• Hefner did not deserve the loss in this, his second consecutive great start. Jeremy struck out a career-high eight batters and didn't walk anybody.
• Daniel Murphy scored the team's only run after a double in the 5th and a couple sac flies.
• Lucas Duda went 2-3 with a double.
• The Mets hit more than their fair share of long fly balls that would have been home runs in virtually every other ballpark in America.

Final Analysis:
It's hard to believe that if just a couple things had gone differently in this series the Mets would be the victorious ones the last two nights. If Collin Cowgill doesn't go back on that fly ball yesterday, he catches it, New York wins. If veteran third base ump Tim McClelland doesn't blow the call in the bottom of the 9th, perhaps New York wins again. Still, there was the matter of getting those other outs as well, and with the bullpen in as such sorry shape as it has been, that didn't seem likely.

What boggles my mind is the disappearance of what should be, and what has been, a quality offense for the Mets. It's hard to believe they could be this overmatched by the Miami Marlins, so what could it possibly be? Everyone slumping at once? Terry Collins making too frequent of lineup changes? Who knows for sure? But whatever it is, it's allowing other teams to stay in the game well past their time and allowing the bullpen to give away said games.

After a disappointing 10-15 start in April, the Mets turn the page to May looking to salvage...something in 2013. What that is remains to be seen. But at least we're out of Miami after tomorrow.

MM

Game #24: Marlins 4, Mets 3 (15)

A long night was made much too long, and in the end it was New York that ended up on the long side.

The Mets blew leads in the 9th and 15th innings, falling to the Marlins in a sparsely-attended series opener, 4-3.

The Bad Stuff:

• Up 2-1 in the 9th, Bobby Parnell gave up a long leadoff double to Justin Ruggiano. Collin Cowgill misplayed a Rob Brantly single to send Ruggiano to third, and then he came home on a Nick Green sac fly, resulting in Parnell's second blown save in four opportunities.
• A long stalemate was broken in the 15th by a Ruben Tejada base hit, the Mets' first and only hit with runners in scoring position. The team went 1-18 in that particular category, stranding 14 men on base.
• Entering into his unusual second inning of relief work, Shaun Marcum got a quick first out of Placido Polanco. It was the last out he would get on the night. Greg Dobbs singled, Ruggiano walked, and the tying and winning runs came home on a Brantly single and a Green sac fly. Game, set, match.

The Good Stuff:

(NYDailyNews.com)

• While he ran his pitch count up early on, Matt Harvey was in line for his fifth W, allowing a run on seven hits in 5.1 innings, walking two and striking out seven on a career-high 121 pitches.
• John Buck blasted his ninth home run of the season into Miami's kitschy home run sculpture in the 4th inning. The RBIs were Buck's 24th and 25th of April.
• Justin Turner and Ruben Tejada each had three hits on the night.

Final Analysis:
The moral of the story: you can't win a game on productive outs. The Mets had far too many productive outs last night. It didn't work.

MM

Game #6: Mets 4, Marlins 3

In a game they had absolutely no business winning, as WFAN's Josh Lewin put it, it took the Mets' Marlon to take down Miami's Marlins.

Marlon Byrd's two-run walk-off single gave the Mets a dramatic and unexpected come-from-behind victory, as they defeated the Marlins 4-3 to win consecutive series to start the season for the first time since 2006.

The Good Stuff:

(NYDailyNews.com)

• Down 3-2 in the bottom of the 9th, Ruben Tejada got hit by a pitch from side-armed closer Steve Cishek. That brought up pinch-hitter Kirk Nieuwenhuis, who laced a single in to left. Aware of Juan Pierre's weak arm, Tejada bolted for third, sliding in safe ahead of a throw that allowed Nieuwenhuis to take an extra base. That brought up Marlon Byrd, who hadn't started the game but had already struck out twice. But with the infield in, and on Cishek's second pitch, Byrd poked a groundball down the third base line to score both runs and made sure everyone knew that for the first time as a New York Met, the Byrd was the word. Justin Turner knew the word and made sure it was properly punctuated with the first whipped cream pie-in-the-face of the young season.
• The Mets were outhit 13-5 over the course of the game but were kept in it thanks to stellar relief work from the bullpen. Greg Burke, Josh Edgin, Scott Atchison, LaTroy Hawkins, and Scott Rice combined for 4.2 scoreless innings after starter Aaron Laffey made his exit in the 5th, with Rice picking up his first career W after finishing the 9th.
• With the hot-hitting John Buck getting the day off, Anthony Recker filled in nicely both behind the plate and at it, throwing out Donovan Solano on what could've been a passed ball and punching an RBI double to get the Mets on the board in the 5th.
• Daniel Murphy launched an absolute bomb to dead center in the 6th inning to get New York within one. It was his second home run of the young season; last year, when he hit just six, it took him until June 17 at Wrigley Field to get his second home run (his first two of the season came in that game).

The Bad Stuff:

• Aaron Laffey was less-than-stellar in his first start in a New York uniform, giving up 3 runs on 10 hits in 4.1 innings, walking one and striking 5 on 90 pitches.
• The Mets couldn't get anything going against highly-touted prospect Jose Fernandez, who made his major-league debut to the tune of 8 strikeouts on 80 pitches over 5 innings. It was the beginning of a breezy afternoon at the plate for the home team, who struck out 13 times overall.

Final Analysis:
Every time the Fish looked like they would pull away in this game, the Amazin's kept reeling them back in, and with every reel, they felt that maybe, just maybe, they could catch them for good. The usually paper-thin New York bullpen kept the game from getting out of the way all day, and Marlon Byrd's heroics secured the unlikely victory. And as the Mets go out on the road for the first time tomorrow, they take with them a winning record and hopes for a continued strong start.

MM

Game #5: Mets 7, Marlins 3

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

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

The Good Stuff:

(NYDailyNews.com)

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

The Bad Stuff:

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

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

MM

Game #4: Marlins 7, Mets 5

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

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

The Bad Stuff:

(NYDailyNews.com)

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

The Good Stuff:

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

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

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

MM