The Big Inning Nemesis

The Mets pitching staff can't seem to just let up one run. They don't blow games with a single RBI. Instead they open the flood gates for the opposing offense.

Wednesday's loss marked the 16th time the Mets have given up 3 or more runs in an inning and ended up losing the game. That's 16 out of 17 losses with the one exception being a 2-1 loss to the Nationals.

It's time to admit this is a serious problem. It basically means that no lead is safe...ever. A 3-run lead in the 9th inning should be a lock regardless of the closer, but this habit is making any game have the potential of becoming a loss.

Starters and relievers alike are guilty of this and Dan Warthen has to be aware of this. Whether it means going out to the mound after 1 run is scored or pulling relievers after walking the leadoff batter or whatever the case may be the Mets need to do something about it soon to break this big inning trend.

The comeback kids make for exciting baseball, but at some point the inability to have a comfortable lead will wear these young players down.

The 7 Line: Kirk Nieuwenhuis T-Shirt

When I saw this design from the fantastic designers at The 7 Line, I literally laughed out loud. Google now knows when I start to type "Kirk N..." to just serve up "Kirk Nieuwenhuis" because I have to look up his name every time I blog about him.

Head on over to The 7 Line and check out the shirt below as well as their collection of incredibly designed Mets fare.Also follow on Twitter at @the7line. Let's go Mets!

The Unexpected Mets

Everything is not going right for the Mets. Tejada who was off to a great start is injured. Thole who is off to a great start is injured. Pelfrey who looked solid is done for the year. Miguel Batista has somehow found his way into the starting rotation. The bullpen has let up more runs than the Mets have scored. Ike Davis is batting below the Mendoza line. Jason Bay is out. Justin Turner is playing shortstop. The Mets' schedule is the toughest in baseball to this point. And the Mets are playing 4 guys on a regular basis who had never started for major league team in any capacity up to this point.

Oh yeah and they just swept the Phillies...in Philadelphia.

This is bizarre. It's remarkable, amazing and I'm loving every second of it, but it's still baffling. How on earth are the Mets doing it? You can make an argument that they are the scrappiest team in the National League right now, but they're pitching is far from top notch.

The key has been 2 out hitting. The Mets are batting .289 with 2 outs and runners in scoring position after last year not being able to scratch past .200. Call it clutch. Call it timely. Whatever you call it, the result is winning baseball.

When the Mets finally do get some consistent outings out of their pitchers and Ike Davis finally turns things around, some even more amazing things can happen. Winning 5 out of 6 from the Phillies in Philadelphia in the first month of the season is beyond unexpected, but there's hope that more of this type of play is yet to come.

It's apparent that the Mets are making believers out of skeptics. I love the headline from Justice4U blog that reads: "If you don't like the 2012 Mets, you don't like ice cream."

I do love my ice cream. Let's go Mets!

Link: Mets Are a Likeable Bunch

...Ken Davidoff writes a nice piece on how this team is different from past Mets teams. He hints at waiting for the second half demise which has been the Mets MO the last few years but the vibe from this group of youngsters gives hope that things are changing.


...link below to the full article.

New York Mets, who scored a come-from-behind 7-4 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies Tuesday night, are finding different ways to win and are fun to watch, Ken Davidoff says - NYPOST.com:

'via Blog this'

The Overlooked David Wright

Jordany Valdespin made a statement last night with his first major league at bat being a monstrous one to propel the Mets to an unexpected 5-2 win over the Phillies when Roy Halladay was the starter.

While Valdespin will get most of the attention today, don't overlook just how big David Wright has been playing. His game-tying 2-run double is what changed this game. Oh and did I mention he hit it off of Roy Halladay...with 2 outs.

David Wright has been uncharacteristically clutch. The 2011 Wright would have gotten down 0-2 and then struck out on a fastball low and away. The old Wright would have cowered in these types of moments, but not this year. Wright has provided nothing but stellar performance and has come through whenever the Mets have desperately needed him.

Through last night, Wright is still batting an unthinkable .374 with a .482 OBP. I expect these numbers to eventually dip a little, but Wrigth looks like a different man out there than what we've seen in the past.

Maybe it's maturity. Maybe it's the hitting coach. Or maybe it's just the Wright time.

In any case, Wright should not be overlooked. He's off to an amazing start and was the catalyst for a great win over the rival Phils.

Great win for the Mets and much needed as well as the Harbinger of Losing, Miguel Batista, unfortunately starts tonight.

Mets Police: Dudaism T-shirt

...great t-shirt from our friends at Mets Police. Order it here.

The Mets and the Curse of the Big Inning

The Harry Potter-esque structure of the title of this post is far from a fantasy. In fact it's a painful reality that the Mets need to deal with.

The Mets currently have a record of 13-12 after a painful end to their road trip which concluded with getting swept by the meager Astros. But the most significant stat of the season so far is that in 11 of the 12 losses the Mets have this season Mets pitchers have given up 3 or more runs in one inning.

Mets pitching is cursed by the big inning.

The only exception was the second loss of the season against the Nationals where 1 run was scored in the 2nd inning and then in each of the last 3 innings. These big innings have as much to do with mental toughness as they do with making the right pitches.

RA Dickey has been victim to the big inning, mostly by giving up a 3-run home run which has to do with not making the right pitch. Chris Schwinden, Manny Acosta and Miguel Batista on the other hand have experienced innings where when one run scores they just lose control and see the flood gates open.

The Big Inning affects starters and relievers alike and it puts this young lineup in a precarious position especially when they're down early like they were constantly in the Houston series. When you find yourself down 3-0 in the 2nd inning, hitters tend to press a bit more and they don't play loose. Then any additional run scored just buries the team a bit more.

This is a major problem that has to be addressed by Collins and his staff. The Mets can't afford to have Big Innings against them this often. I understand that it's bound to happen every once in a while but when it occurs this often, it's an issue that has to be dealt with.

Even in 4 of the Mets wins, pitchers have given up 3 or more runs in an inning. Before it becomes an epidemic that cripples the psyche of this team and adds more digits to the loss column, the Mets need to face the reality that their pitcher's problems are producing staggering results.