The Happy Nightcap

Mets 9 – Astros 1

• Chris Capuano pitched an excellent game, giving up just 1 run over 7 innings. He looked like a poised, professional pitcher. Great job.

• David Wright busted out of his 0 for 20 slump, crushing a HR to deep left center and driving a solid double into the gap to plate 2 runs.

• Terry Collins got himself tossed in the top of the 1^st, arguing a foul tip call. Terry’s antics were clearly premeditated to fire up his team.

• Mike Nickeas hit his first Major League HR.

• Ike killed a ball to dead center, well beyond the Apple.

• Jason Bay returned and had to circle the bases on a 4 base error by Hunter Pence. It’s nice to see the opponent screwing up and the Mets taking advantage for a change.

• Outfielder In - Outfielder Out

On the night when Jason Bay returns, Angel Pagan is forced to leave the game with an injury. We should have seen this coming. The idea that the Mets could have all three starting outfielders on the field for more than a few innings was too good to be true. It looked like Angel hurt his left arm colliding with Justin Turner on a pop up but Terry said after the game that Pagan pulled a muscle in his side swinging the bat. We know that Angel is off to a slow start but the idea of Harris or Hairston playing CF is scary.

Mets fall to Astros 4 to 3

THE GOOD, THE BAD and THE STUPID!
 
THE GOOD

• Murphy hits 2 run HR in the bottom of the 6th to tie game.

• Beltran has 3 hits, including 2 Doubles.

• Reyes has 4 hits and 2 stolen bases.

 
THE BAD

• The Mets load the bases with 1 out in the bottom of the 1st inning and fail to score. Bases loaded for most teams is a good thing, but for the Mets it is a recurring nightmare.

• David Wright is tied for the league lead in strikeouts and is 0 for 19. How long can the Mets continue to bat him in the 3 hole?

• Dickey gives up go ahead HR to Pence in the top of the 8th.

 

THE STUPID

• Angel Pagan gets nailed at the plate trying to score the tying run on a wild pitch in the bottom of the 8th. His slide was awful. His front foot was airborne for some reason and never touched the plate.

• Terry Collins calls on Thole to bunt Reyes over after a leadoff single in the bottom of the 9th. Why do we continue to sac bunt and give up outs? This is the aggressive baseball we were promised?

• Thole pops up an attempted bunt, and Reyes freezes and gets doubled off first, as Houston’s 2nd baseman sneaks in behind him to cover the bag.

THIS IS OUR BENCH?

• The Mets had only 4 bench players tonight because they are carrying an extra pitcher. There is no weaker bench in baseball:  Hu, Hairston, Turner and Nickeas.

This is not even a money issue. This is the work of a clueless GM. Even when Bay returns - and Harris assumes a backup role - the bench remains a joke.

Astros 6 – Mets 1

Astros 6 – Mets 1

• Wandy Rodriguez, an average starting pitcher, made the Mets look foolish. Our squad followed Babe Wright’s lead and swung from their heels all night. Apparently, cutting down on your swing and trying to line drives isn’t an option. It’s cooler to hit lazy fly balls or strike out.

• The Blob is tired of hearing Gary Cohen get all excited when Babe Wright flies out. Gary, when an outfielder is settled under the ball waiting for it to come down, the ball is not well struck. It is a pop out.

• Why is Scott Hairston on the team? His hitting? His Fielding? His…if anyone comes up with anything let us know.

• Kevin “The Wandering Mannequin” Burkhardt did a feature on the type of wood used to make Hairston’s bat. The wood seems pretty irrelevant when you can’t make contact. However, the Blob would like to know what kind of wood Hairston’s glove is made from.

• Met pitchers gave up 6 more walks.

• Bobby Parnell joined the fun in the 8th inning when he entered the game with the bases loaded and balked in a run before throwing a pitch. Gary Cohen referred to Parnell’s choke job as “unfortunate.” Gary, “unfortunate” is twisting your ankle on the slick mound. Balking with the sacks full is a meltdown.

• Dear SNY, showing highlights from the classic 1986 playoff between the Mets and the Astros was a tad sadistic.

THE PLANE TRUTH: METS DOCTORS ARE FLYING HIGH

The Mets flew Jason Bay to NY today, from Florida, in order to determine that Jason Bay should fly back to Florida. Bay met with Terry Collins, Sandy “Khaki Pants” Alderson and Dr. Mandrake Shitforbrains from The Hospital for Especially Wrongheaded Diagnosis. Dr. Shitforbrains insists that his highly controversial technique of having injured players board flights for no reason is the wave of the future stating, “I believe that anyone who has a head or body injury should be at high altitude, getting dehydrated, eating tiny pretzels, sipping ginger ale and watching Paul Blart Mall Cop. It's really the only way to optimum health.”

Collins and Alderson, considered having Bay play a few games in AA Binghamton or AAA Buffalo but decided against it because Binghamton and Buffalo are experiencing Binghamton and Buffalo weather. Collins explains the change, “Sandy and I determined that both of those places are too cold for playing ball with a strained oblique but we knew Bay needed a few more games so we got him on a return flight to Florida as soon as possible. The doc said it was for the best.” When asked why they did not realize that it was cold in upstate NY before making Bay get on the flight north, Collins said “Do I look like Sam Champion to you? I only manage the ball team, I don’t control the sun.”

DAVID WRIGHT PLAYS CATCH WITH YOUNG FANS

No joke here, this is just really kind of cool.

OFF DAYS

Off days are difficult for fans during the baseball season. We get conditioned to an evening routine and get a bit out of sorts when it is broken. After the way the season has been going, one would think Met fans would welcome a night without a game. Hell no. We love our team and want to see them perform. This spirit goes all the way back to 1962, when the Blob was just a tiny globule or Blobule, sitting on his father's lap, listening to the great Casey Stengel ramble on: "Metsies, Metsies, Metsies." Being a Met fan is in our DNA.

The Happy Nightcap is back!

The Happy Nightcap

Mets beat Braves 3-2

• Dillon Gee pitches strong game, using all his pitches and keeping Braves off balance. 

• Terry goes to Dickey and Capuano out of pen to get big outs. 

• WalK-Rod is shaky but gets the save. 

• Reyes remains hot. Wright remains lost at the plate with three more strikeouts. 

• Thole bats 2nd and drives Reyes in twice. 

• Yesterday Gary Apple was on post-game with Bobby O, today it was Jonas Schwartz. Mets Blob hopes Chris Carlin is OK. Last we checked, he was having some difficulty.


Enjoy the day off on Monday Kids!