The Game

The Mets won a laugher yesterday, by a score of 12-1. The victory was had by starting pitcher John Maine, the loss was taken by Brad Penny. With the victory, the Mets improve to 17-15, a single game behind in the National League East.

John Maine’s performance was exactly what the doctor ordered. He’d go 8 1/3 innings, striking out four, and allowing just a single earned run. The most important aspect of his outing was his quick work, and his saving the bullpen of another long day (eventually Duaner Sanchez would come on to relieve Maine, he’d record the final two outs of the game). Its outings like these that establish Maine as one of the quiet leaders on this team; its a shame that Ollie Perez can’t match Maine’s mental toughness on the hill. The win was Maine’s 4th of the season.

The Mets’ had their backs against the wall heading into this game. Yesterday they lost a demoralizing game in which they stranded 21 base runners, and led 3-0 at one point. However, the offense showed no ill effects of the loss, and put up four runs in the 2nd inning. The runs came from a Marlon Anderson ground rule double, a Raul Casanova single and a Luis Castillo base hit. This would hardly be the worst Dodgers starter Brad Penny would endure. In the next inning Angel Pagan, who had made a highlight reel catch in the 2nd, hit into an RBI fielder’s choice, plating Carlos Beltran, who returned to the Mets lineup after missing Tuesday’s game. After working a harmless 4th, Penny’s wheels began to come loose in the 5th. After hitting Ryan Church with a pitch (possibly a sign of protection, after John Maine had knocked down Dodgers second baseman Jeff Kent with a pitch) and a single from Marlon Anderson, the Mets put together a two out rally. Raul Casanova drew a walk, filling the bases. With an 0-2 count, Mets pitcher John Maine took a weak hack at an off-speed delivery and dunked a single into center field, scoring two. With the score now 7-0, Penny walked Jose Reyes, to again load the bases. This is when LA skipper Joe Torre pulled Penny from the game, and sent in long man Scott Proctor.

Proctor would pitch just as ineffectively as Penny. His first hitter faced, Luis Castillo, would draw an easy walk to score run number eight for the Mets. The slumping David Wright would then go to the plate, and hit a laser beam to left field as a ground rule double. This would score every runner left on base from Brad Penny, leaving him a hearty line of 4 2/3 innings pitched, with 10 hits, and 10 earned runs. Proctor would then allow a run of his own, when he spiked a wild pitch, allowing Luis Castillo to trot on home. This wouldn’t be the last run allowed by Proctor either; in the 6th, Ryan Church took him yard for his 6th home run of the season.

Almost too many positives from this game to count. First off, the Mets won. This was a game that the Mets had to win, after losing two to a league average Los Angeles Dodgers team. Ryan Church just kept on trucking with a home run yesterday, upping his season average to .328. The Mets didn’t need lady luck for their offensive production today, as the team totaled 13 hits. Eight of the nine starters in the batting order had hits on the game (the only left out of the hits parade was Jose Reyes; he’d draw two walks and score a run anyway). This win put me in a good mood, no matter how many Verizon Fios commercials I had to deal with while watching the game.

Tomorrow the Mets have an off-day. The Amazins will return to Flushing on Friday, when they tangle with Johnny Cueto and the Cincinnati Reds.

The Haiku

Penny for your slump
Mets tee off on nemesis
Maine gets to the ninth

The Boxscore

The Win Probability Added Graph

The Credits

Recap by Milo Taibi
Haiku by Howard Megdal