The calender has turned into the month of May, but for the New York Mets things really havent changed, one month into the season and the Mets are still showing signs that has earn them the label of chokers. This week the Mets took on two of their division foes, the Marlins and the Phillies, 1st it was the Florida Marlins who came into CitiField ready to play the team they love to beat, they are the same team that in the last two seasons have given the Mets consecutive last day of the season heart break loses. These guys just love to beat up on the Mets and they were at it again.
In the 1st game, the Mets came out blazing as John Maine was able to get his 1st win of the season moving his record to 1-2 in a game that featured a 1st inning grand slam by Omir Santos who has now emerged as the Mets most productive catcher of the moment. The Mets would cruise to a 7-1 win, getting on top of the Marlins who would lose Hanley Ramirez when he got hit by a John Maine delivery in the very 1st inning, knocking out Ramirez for the rest of the series.
In the 2nd game things began to turn for the worst on the Mets when in the 7th, and with the Mets up 4-3, reliever Sean Green came in and gave up a 3 run shot to Jorge Cantu to give the Marlins a 7-4 lead and the eventual victory. It was Cantu's 2nd blast of the game, as the The Mets who once led 3-0, would let it get away as the series was now in the balance. It was off to the rubber game for a afternoon matinee as Johan Santana took the ball and his 0.70 ERA to the mound vs Josh Johnson in a rematch of aces. These 2 met back on April 12th, as Johnson beat Santana 2-1 in a game where Santana would go on to strike out 13 Marlins in the lost.
Santana would get into some early trouble in this one giving up 2 1st inning runs, capped by another Jorge Cantu long ball, his 3rd in 2 days, as the Marlins took a early 2-0 lead. In the 6th, with the game tied at 2 apiece, Fernando Tatis homered off Johnson to give Santana and the Mets their 1st lead of the game 3-2. Santana would not give up anymore runs, going 7 strong and leaving the game with a chance to win his 4th game of the season, but in the 8th, JJ Putz would come in and give up a 2 runs single to Cody Ross, as the Mets suffered their most disappointing lost of the season thus far.
It felt like the same old Mets as for the 2nd straight game the bullpen would let it get away. The Mets would lose the series as the Marlins continue to have their way with the Mets, and all this without Hanley Ramirez.
It was off too Philadelphia to face the Fighting Phillies, as the Defending champions and the Metropolitians got ready to renew their freindly riviraly once again.
Over the past couple of years, the Mets and Phillies rivalry has evolded to the point of name calling and player mocking. This offseason it was fueled some more when Coles Hamels came out with his famous qoutes and flatout called the Mets chokers. There is also the whole Jose Reyes situation with the Phillies, linking Reyes to Shane Victorino after Vitorino HR in the World Series which was followed by some Reyes type of antics by Victorino that led to his teammates mocking Victorino afterward for the same showboating that is more accusstom with the Mets shortstop.
The Mets got off to a smoking start in this one, thanks too Daniel Murphy who's 2 run blast in the 1st inning gave the Mets a 2-0 lead. The Mets would add 2 more in the 2nd off of starter Chan Ho Park, who would go on to take the lost in this one, 7-4. Mike Pelphey won his 3rd to go to 3-0, and even had 2 RBI's as Francisco Rodriguez came in to get his 5th save, as the Met would draw 1st blood.
On Saturday it was a match-up of lefties as 46 year old Jamie Moyer took the ball vs the inagmatic Oliver Perez, who was in need of a good showing or else. The pressure was now on Mr. Perez to perform like the 36 million dollar contract he recieved in the offseason, or probally have to face the consequences of possiblly being demoted. Perez would only last 2/1 3rd, giving up 4 runs, walking 6 batters, as the lefty had a meltdown of a outing another awful performance that now has the Mets brass scratching their heads about Perez's mental situation. He looked like a guy that was letting his emotions get the best of him, many times hanging his head in disgust. It is clear that this guy cannot be counted on anytime soon as he left the game with the Mets down 5-2.
The Mets would then get too Moyer too, In the 6th, the Mets scored 3 times after 2 outs, when Daniel Murphy and Ramon Castro each hit solo HR's, then it was Luis Castillo who singled in the go ahead run to give the Mets a 5-4 lead. But It would not last as the Phillies would tie it in the bottom of the inning, when new Mets killer, Raul Ibanez took Pedro Feliciano deep into the seats for a 5 all tie.
Ibanez has quickly become a fan favorite and some kind of a folk hero already for the Phillies as everytime Ibanez does something the fans would let him know it by chanting his name RAAAAAUUUULLLL! Ibanez so far has been very good with his new team.
It would stay that way until the 10th inning when the Mets came up with a chance to go ahead with runners on 1st and 3rd and 1 out, up came the league leading hitter Carlos Beltran who was already 2-4, this time Beltran came up with a chance to put the Mets ahead, as K-ROD got ready in the pen. Beltran would hit a rope to the 2nd Utley who snared to turn in the inning ending double play, it was over.
In the bottom of the 10th, in came Sean Green who would procced to turn into Aaron Heilman, Green would get leadoff hitter Jimmy Rollins to ground out for the 1st out, but would then give up a single, walk a batter, then hit a batter to load them up as he would go on to walk in the winning run to lose the game in the worst way imaginable. It was the 2nd time in the week that Green had lost the game for the Mets, but this one really hurt. The Mets now have to deal with Oliver Perez, but what do you do with him?
Do you put him in the bullpen?
and how can you put someone in the bullpen who lacks control and confidence?
All we know is that something is wrong with him menthally & physically, cause the guy hasan't been able to reach 95MPH on his fastball all season, topping out at 89 on this night, maybe he is hiding something. Right now what Oliver Perez has become for the Mets is this year version of Luis Castillo, right now Perez has to go but where?
Sunday's rubber game would get rained out and believe me it was a good thing, as the Mets finished the week at 2-3, losing 3 games they could had easily won if they played with a little more confidence. Right now this team is lacking what team like the Marlins and the Phillies have over the Mets, a winning additude. It is still too early in the season and one cannot give up too soon, but when will the Mets start to play the type of consistence ball that was pressent in 2006? they need to start playing with that same energy and edge that has now been missing in action for to long. This is pretty much the same core of players but the level of play has been absent. If the Mets dont get to playing good aggressive baseball by the end of next month, things could start to change, heads may start to roll, cause this is not a good brand of baseball that the Mets are playing, the pressure is on.
Right now the Mets are struggling as a team, Reyes and Wright have no confidence and both have turned into A-ROD in the post-season. Maybe Mets players are having a hard time adjusting to their new ballpark, maybe things will soon start to change, but one thing is for sure and that is that something is missing with these Mets and it needs to change, this is hard to watch. The 1st month of the season is in the books, and Mets fans are still looking for the light.
The Mets get ready to face the Braves for a 2 game series, followed by 2 with the Philles, and will finish off the week with 3 at home with the Pirates.
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