So my brother calls me after the top of the seventh inning to inquire as to whether Carlos Beltran's at-bats were sponsored by Gorilla Glue.If they are, my guess is that nobody would know ... since the advertisement would be placed on the very spot on the shoulder of the jersey where Carlos keeps his bat against pitchers like J.C. Romero.
So when Carlos was up with two outs in the ninth inning and the tying run two bases away, the stage was set for Beltran to make Brad Lidge look like Adam Wainwright, or to give him a Scott Podsednik flashback.
The very fact that he swung the bat is a moral victory. The fact that he made good contact turned out to be the great tease as Eric Bruntlett ... the same Eric Bruntlett that made a mess of himself last week at Shea Stadium, saved the day with a brilliant stab up the middle and drove a stake through our hearts as the Phillies hung on to prevent a sweep, 5-4.
Four out of six wins against Philadelphia is nothing to sneeze at. But it still doesn't explain why Adam Eaton makes the Mets sit and stay on command. It's become one of life's great mysteries along with such classics as "Why are we here?" " Is there life in outer space?" "Where do we go when we die?" And "If someone with a split personality threatens to commit suicide, is it a hostage situation?"
Or: "Is this game going to continue the long line of games where the Mets have an opportunity to step on a team's throats, with a seemingly hittable pitcher on the mound (except for us, apparently) only to wither and die (remember Tyler Clippard?)"Or maybe: Why would Willie Randolph put Luis Castillo back in the two hole when Ryan Church has been working out just fine lately?" I mean, I'm all for Luis Castillo. But when it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?
(You can weigh in on that in my completely tongue in cheek poll.)
Or even this: "Why I don't just turn the sound down on my television while a Met game is on ESPN?" Joe Morgan, who does like what ... one, two games a week, doesn't have time to research why Mike Pelfrey wears a mouthpiece? And they're on ESPN in New York again tomorrow? What exactly have I done to my television to deserve this retribution from it?
(The game's on SNY as well, right? Or is my channel guide just playing with my head?)
That one's too hard for me. I'll stick to easy ones like: "Why do people pay to go up tall buildings and then put money in binoculars to look at things on the ground?"
14 comments:
I actually did turn my sound down during the game last night. So there, Joe Morgan.
I've had to watch Harry Kallas et al, on lovely Comcast Sportsnet Philadelphia, so Joe Morgan adn Co. are actually preferable to watching a football game (while thinking abour NFL Films).
They really needed that one last night. Its not enough to have a better record, – I think Philly needs to be demoralized as well - so that the Mets will be in THEIR heads come september.
They let them off easy.
I think Morgan is reaching his dotage: "I'd send the runner here . . .I'm not saying Willie should send the runner, but I would." Huh?
Castillo can't execute a basic sac bunt when the team needs it most? What exactly is his purpose if he can't do that. Really annoying.
It's becoming clear to me that the lower half of the batting order lacks punch, especially with Delgado and Beltran not hitting for power. You have to assume Beltran will get his 30/100, but we have to pray that Alou hits, and stays on the field, when he returns.
I'm ok with the loss last night. We still got away with a series win, on the road nonetheless, and without losing last night in an emotional fashion. That game could have gone either way, and we just happened to be on the wrong end. I agree with the thoughts about Castillo/Church though I think that's more of a nit-picky nonfactor than anything else.
I'll take Joe Morgan's awful announcing any day if it means I get to watch the Mets on TV. I live in VA.
I think willie was trying to get some more power in the bottom of the order with BS out of the lineup. By moving chruch down, it made the lineup longer...
i wasnt upset with the game yesterday. The phills are no joke... they really didnt want to get swept, and we gave em a run. Even the worse teams win 1 of 3 and the best teams lose 1 of 3.
keep getting those series!
Responding the way the Mets did to tie the game after falling behind 4-0 was significant, in particular for a team that wilted in all of its previous come-from-behind efforts against the Phils since last summer. Normally the Phils take the lead and that’s it -- the game is over. No Mets comeback. No Mets chance of sniffing a win.
I know they lost, but I’m still counting yesterday’s game as a big positive.
Perhaps some of the swagger that in many ways defined this team in 2006 is back. The stubbornness that a good baseball team needs, that’s what I thought the Mets demonstrated last night.
I know the Mets’ execution was poor, in particular Castillo’s, in the ninth inning last night, but it took an outstanding play by Bruntlett, who played awful last week at Shea, to bail Lidge and the Phils out. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Mets get to Lidge sometime later in the season as payback. Also, it was very encouraging to see the Mets fight themselves back into the game and then put themselves in a position to win in the ninth.
Can't win em all. They put away the Nationals. They won five in a row already. If Pelfrey pitches two goods game and one average all year, that'd be fine. The bullpen could use a rest here and there, so i'm not too worked up with not being able to sweep _every_ team.
I adore Joe Morgan. Who else would call our catcher, "Paul" Casanova? And I love the way he perseverates; he makes a point about something, then he just can't let it go, he keeps bringing it up, over and over again, in a slightly aggrieved tone, as if, in his own head, someone is arguing with him.
"Lengthening the lineup" only works if you're not doing it at the expense of sticking a .215 batting average into the two-hole. Otherwise, you're just giving extra at-bats to weak hitters, robbing stronger hitters of better pitches and hitting situations, and breaking up your strength.
It's pretty much idiotic.
But I do agree that that was Willie's thinking. Such as it is.
As to Joe Morgan, I find neither humor nor entertainment in watching the slow unraveling of his sentient mind played out over the few Mets games I'll get to watch on my home TV (I live on the west coast.)
Let him slide into dementia on the Reds' local broadcasts or something. Jeez.
"I love the way he perseverates; he makes a point about something, then he just can't let it go, he keeps bringing it up, over and over again, in a slightly aggrieved tone, as if, in his own head, someone is arguing with him."
ha ha ha hah ahaha haha ha ha
Aaron Heilman makes me want to punch kittens in the face.
Thats a sad thought.
God I hate him.
SO much.
UGH.
Perhaps someone should give Willie the link to the league leaders and note that Church is leading the league in runs scored. You don't lead the league in runs by mistake. You get on base a lot batting 1st or 2nd and the 3,4 and 5 hitters knock you home.
Oh, and Morgan is God awful. Katherine hit it on the nose. He makes a point, then follows up with 4 more points to prove his first point. Is Jon Miller gonna argue with him? He's Joe freakin Morgan for Pete's sake.
Congrats on taking 2 outta 3 this weekend. You deserved it.
Stop being so reasonable and stuff, Gonzo. It's disconcerting. Can't you be like that weird anonymous guy who comes in ranting about Mutt$ and liberals?
I was at the game in Philly surrounded not only by the crowd of Phillies fans, but also the few friends I went with were Phils fans. We had walked around Philly for 5 hours before the game with me wearing a Wright jersey, Mets cap, and eventually a Mets jacket. The waitresses at the restaurant we went to had on Utley jerseys and initially refused to serve me. It was a rough day, ended by Eric "Look What I Found" Bruntlett. Still, there's a strange pride from having a whole couple sections of the crowd chanting that you're an "@$$hole" every time you applaud something good by the Mets.
I didn't understand the swap in the batting order at all. I said it to the people around me from the announcement of lineups through Castillo's wasted at-bat in the 9th. Church is hitting as well as any rightfielder in the NL. Get him in lineup in front of Wright.
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