Revenge Should Be on Mets Minds

Last night's tragic affair is almost too soon forgotten thanks to the RA Dickey led Mets win over the Cardinals.It's nice to see this team bounce back quickly from a punch in the gut, but it's easier to do that when your starting pitcher throws 8+ scoreless innings for you.

The Mets got their revenge on the Cardinals this afternoon, but that cold dish now needs to be served up to the Arizona Diamondbacks. The DBacks thoroughly embarrassed the Mets the other week by sweeping the three game series. If ever the Mets needed a three game sweep, the DBacks series is just the moment as the Mets will then have to travel to Atlanta and Philly the following week.

The Mets should not even pitch to Mark Reynolds this series. The guy sends balls into LaGuardia air space every time he comes to Citi Field. Hit him in the shin and don't even give him the chance to make you pay.

The thing that concerns me is that the Mets have scored 19 runs their last three games. That means their due for a drought. In any case the Mets need to scrap together three more consecutive wins. A 2-1 series win is almost pointless at this point.

It's now or never because next week's NL East battles will determine the direction for the rest of the Mets season or usher in thoughts of fantasy football draft status.

Umpires Blow Game for Mets

And so it wasn’t meant to be. On a night where we saw the Mets roll out yet another spare part from the junk yard, it was Albert Poo Holes’ picture perfect swing, 5 hours after the first pitch, that ultimately did us in.

I’m not going to get too crazy over this one; after all, I was already putting it in the loss column when Brandon Knight was announced as the emergency starter, replacing Pedro Martinez who left the team to be with his family in the DR after the passing of his father.

But, we could have, actually, should have won this game. Sure we left a hundred men on base and were like 1-50 with RISP, but if it weren’t for two blown calls by the umpires in extra innings, we definitely would have come up with another dramatic, come from behind victory, and that is what annoys me.

In the bottom of the 10th, after Reyes led of with another hit, Chavez laid down a bunt that the pitcher hurled to second, gunning out Reyes. Now, I admit, Chavez needs to do a better job there, but if the ump opened his eyes, he would have seen that the ball was actually bobbled and out of the glove when Reyes slid in. So instead of having 1st and 2nd with no outs and D. Wright at the plate, we had one out and a man on first. Big difference. Especially when Wright singled to left, that would have scored Reyes from second.

Then, in the 12th, the fist base umpire inexplicably called Chavez out on an infield hit, when it was clear he was safe. This prompted Manuel to come out and argue the call. That call was even worse than the previous. Of course, what happens next? Jiminez, the Cardinals pitcher, walked the next 3 guys, but survived when he got Super Hero Tatis to ground back to him to end the threat. Do the math, infield single, 3 straight walks, and the game is over.

So while I can live with this loss, it’s still a tough pill to swallow knowing we should have won. We need a strong outing from Johann today, especially since the bull pen was overextended last night in 14 innings. A win today, and we’ll take another series.

Amazing Play by a Pitcher

I can't even comment on this. You have to see it for yourself.

Payback: Round 2

I will never forget Game 7 of the NLCS, the energy, drama and ultimately the heartbreaking end to what was a tremendously exciting Mets season. I will also never forget the St. Louis Cardinals players, celebrating their victory in the confines of our own building, mocking the original (for Baseball that is) Jose-Jose-Jose chant that has become a staple at Shea.

Therefore, it is incumbent upon this Mets team to continue to apply the beating they so thoroughly delivered to the Cardinals at the start of the season when they swept them in St. Louis. Revenge is sweet and until we get our chance to crush them in the post season, these regular season games will have to suffice. And I hope Willie and boys put forth a relentless attack. I want to see an all out assault starting with Reyes and Gomez tearing up the base paths, ripping bags left and right, scoring runs at will. I want to see Beltran, Wright and Delgado hit lasers into the Cardinals dugout (I mean out of Shea). I want to see Glavine, Perez and El Duque dominate and see a renewed Wagner shut down this got-old-quickly team.

It is time to put the nail in the coffin and extinguish the ’07 Cardinals season. And it all starts tonight. Let the beatings commence!