in-game blogger

After mailing it in for three straight nights in Denver, the Mets are in Houston tonight to take on the Astros. 3 decisive losses to Colorado, marked by inconsistent hitting, terrible starting pitching, pathetic play from a team that generally continues to test my confidence in their 2007 championship pedigree...I'm hoping to forget about all this for at least one night as John Maine tries to shut down the 'stros in Ten-run Field. Oh yeah, it's now Simply Orange Park. Oops. Sunny Delight Field?


At any rate, we'll pick this one up in the top of the 2nd, with the Mets already up 2-0 and Maine trying not to be the next Mets starter to blow an early lead. It's looking good so far; having already taken their aforementioned 2-0 lead, the Mets have the bases loaded with 2 outs right now and Carlos Beltran at the plate. Then again, that's also my primary cause for concern right about now...

Top 2, bases loaded, Beltran up: Carlos Beltran confirms my lack of confidence in Met clutch hitting, striking out on three pitches. I'd really like to be less pessimistic when the Mets have runners on base, but it's sort of been a trend this year for the Mets to fail miserably with ducks on the pond. Back to the hill for John Maine to face the Astros 4-5-6 hitters, starting with Carlos Lee.

The ducks just want to come home

Bottom 2, 1 out: SNY cuts to a clip of Willie Randolph addressing "the debacle in Colorado." (Gary Cohen's quote) Apparently the Mets aren't "mad," (Willie Randolph's quote) just disappointed in their play. I should hope so.

Top 3, 1 outs: Carlos Delgado hits a monster double up the center field hill at Minute Maid and off the fence, 436 feet from home plate. It was one of those classic one-handed Carlos Delgado home run swings, and it would have produced a home run in almost any other ballpark. Here's hoping Delgado can get going a little bit. .240 would be nice. Right now I just don't really expect anything good when he comes up and when he hits the ball like he just did off the fence, I'm more pleasantly surprised than anything else. Expecting failure is generally a very good way to deal with being a Mets fan. At least I end up being less disappointed.

Top 3, 1 out: Delgado is still at second; Jose Valentin just walked so now it's 1st and 2nd with one out for Shawn Green.

Top 3, 2 outs: Hallelujah! After a Shawn Green flyout, Ramon Castro bangs a double off the fence in left to plate Delgado and Valentin. For some reason it seems fitting that a Mets clutch hit came from a non-regular player. I probably have more faith in Ramon Castro with a runner on 2nd and 2 outs than Carlos Beltran right now. Check that, I definitely do.

Bottom 3, 0 outs: Not that he isn't having a great season, but John Maine will make himself a much better pitcher if he can stop doing things like getting behind no. 8 hitters 3-0 before walking them on 6 pitches. Houston catcher Eric Munson is on first base now with pitcher Jason Jennings going for the sacrifice.

Bottom 3, 1 out: Maine has now struck out 6 of the first 9 Astros hitters as Jennings fails to get down the sacrifice bunt. 3,000 hit man Craig Biggio comes to the plate and promptly pops up to Jose Reyes. 2 outs, Munson still on first.

End of 3: 7 Ks for Maine as Hunter Pence goes down on a low and outside 1-2 slider. Top of the order coming up for the Mets in the 4th.

Top of 4: Reyes is out on a weak grounder to second. Ricky Ledee is retired on a check-swing groundout to third. Carlos Beltran strikes out looking. (3rd punchout on the night for Beltran) Nice performance by the top of the order. Sometimes you just have to let the facts speak for themselves.

Bottom 4, 2 outs: After a near-circus play from David Wright, Mark Lorretta flies to deep left with Carlos Lee on first for the second out. Mike Lamb now at the bat. Keith Hernandez mistakes the oranges in the back of the Astros home run locomotive for pumpkins. Silly Keith Hernandez. I guess it's understandable. They are awfully big oranges. Mike Lamb F-7s for the final out.

Top 5, 1 out: Nice catch by right fielder Luke Scott on a David Wright blooper. Wright did a nice job inside-outing the pitch to right field, though. Thought that one was going to fall in.

Top 5, 1 out: Carlos Delgado is 3 for 3. jgshdgjksdhg?!? This isn't him coming out of his slump. This is one game and he happens to have 3 hits in it. Shut up New York media. Delgado remains at first after Scott makes another nice play on a Jose Valentin drive to right. The inning is over after a Shawn Green dribbler to second.

Bottom 5, 1 out: Keith Hernandez reads an ad for SNY's Jets Nation program, before making a casual, off-handed remark about how working out in the July heat for 300-pound NFL lineman "must kill them." Eeeee.

Top 6: Jose Reyes is 2 steals away from 200 for his career. Who's the youngest player to reach 200?

I don't know!

Ramon Castro leads off with a single to left for his second hit on the night. After a 2-strike sac bunt from John Maine, the aforementioned Reyes pops out to short. In case you forgot, there was a runner on second for Reyes. Next up is Ricky Ledee, who singles to right to drive in Castro. Another clutch hit for a Mets non-regular. Sometimes you just have to let the facts speak for themselves. Ledee steals second. 2-1 to Beltran, who grounds out to second. Sometimes you just have to let the facts speak for themselves.

Bottom 6: Rickey Henderson is the fastest player to reach 200 steals. He was 23. Reyes is 24 right now. Henderson got to 200 steals in 400 something career games. Reyes is playing his 519th tonight.

Bottom 6, 0 outs: Craig Biggio gets hit no. 3,010 on a flare to center. 2 runners on now for Lance Berkman after Ricky Ledee misplays a sinking Hunter Pence liner. Berkman strikes out swinging. 1 out. Maine strikes out Carlos Lee on a hard fastball. 2 outs. He looks angry. Maine gets out of the jam as Jose Valentin catches a harmless pop-up for the third out.

Top 7, 1 out: That was the worst swing I've ever seen David Wright take. Strike three on the slider from intimidating Astros reliever Matt Albers. Delgado walks on 5 pitches. Jose Valentin hits into a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.

Bottom 7, 1 out: "I've been to rooster fights," says Keith Hernandez. "Tulsa, Oklahoma. It was ugly. Some serious buckaroos being bet on that stuff." Maine is now out of the 7th; the score remains 5-0 Mets.

Top 8: Shawn Green gets a seeing-eye base hit to center. None out and 1 on for the best clutch hitter on the team, Ramon Castro. Castro continues to swing a hot bat with a hard single through the hole into left. Didn't he hit a home run the other night too? John Maine pops up an attempted sac bunt to Lance Berkman, who web-gems Green at second to double him up for the second out.

Throw your bat and helmet after another weak groundout with a runner on base, Jose Reyes. Try to suck less next time. End of the inning.

Bottom 8: Hit number 3,010 on a double to right for Craig Biggio. His 661st double, too. Thanks Gary Cohen!

Bottom 8, 2 outs: Consecutive outs hold Biggio at second. Carlos Lee at the dish. After overmatching him with a couple of fastballs, Maine loses a 3-2 battle to Lee, who doubles home Craig Biggio. That'll be the end of John Maine's night after 7 2/3 innings and 121 pitches. 5-1 Mets.

Maine dished it out tonight and metaphorically marked his territory on the pitcher's mound in Houston

Bottom 8, 2 outs: Joe Smith continues to struggle, allowing Maine's second run to score on a base hit to right field. 5-2. You can close the book on Maine, who finishes with a line of 7 2/3 innings, 6 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, and 9 strikeouts. Smith is out after one batter; Pedro Feliciano is in.

Bottom 8, 2 outs: 1-2 to Morgan Ensberg for Feliciano. Gotta love the "back door" slider. 2-2 now, and...strike threeeee! The (front door?) slider catches Ensberg looking to end the inning.

Top 9: Does John Maine always look like he's about to kill somebody, or does John Maine always look like he's about to kill somebody? He's always got the same, stone-cold expression on his face. Personally, I love it. The man has got some cajones.

Top 9, 1 out: Carlos Beltran lines his 15th homer of the season over the high wall in left field, coming up big with a 5-2 9th inning lead and no one on base. 6-2 Mets. 2 down in the 9th after a David Wright strikeout.

Top 9, 2 outs: After fouling about 7 pitches off with the count 1-2, Carlos Delgado hits a line drive to center field to go 4-4 on the night. He's at first, but not anymore as Jose Valentin strikes out to take the game to the bottom of the ninth.

Bottom of the 9th: 1 out on a Chris Burke strikeout; Castro to Delgado completes the putout on the pitch in the dirt. 4-3 retires Brad Ausmus for the second out.

Bottom 9, 2 outs: Billy Wagner walks Eric somebody to put a man on first with 2 outs for Craig Biggio. Strike 3 to Biggio ends it.

****

Nice win for the orange and blue tonight. The Mets pretty much owned this game from the start with 2 first inning runs; unlike in Colorado, they were actually able to hold the lead. The Maine event has figured out how to throw pitches other than his fastball and continues to show why he should be on the NL all-star team and Cole Hamels shouldn't. 47-37 now for the Metsies; they'll await the result of Atlanta's game in LA to see if they gain any precious divisional ground.

The Mets improve to 1-4 in July as they take aim at some long-lost consistency. Winning consistency, that is. 3 more in Houston and the Mets will pack up the first half of the year and take Reyes, Wright, Beltran, Wagner, and Maine to San Francisco for the all-star game - oh wait.

Let's go Mets.

(Pics courtesy pbase.com, shraps.com, mets.com)