Kuzul

Gosh. I actually have not been in my cozy little home this weekend. I have been on vacation in the interesting state of New Jersey. I saw Thursday’s game. I didn’t see Friday’s or Saturday’s. I didn’t expect to see any of today’s game, but it turns out I got to. I come into the hotel room and the first thing I see is David Wright limping around.

I come to find out Pat Burrell , the Mets killer, nailed him in the knee. I then got to stay to watch the end of Johan Santana ’s day. I got to see him put down Burrell with a strikeout looking, the Met killer. I left confident.

Gosh, how Francisco Rodriguez can blow it. He had a 3-1 lead going into the ninth, I thought he had it in the book. I forgot I was talking about K-Rod. Giants tied it. And K-Rod got his fifth blown save of the year, and a win.

The Mets offense got four runs for the second straight game. This time around it was enough to get a win. Ike Davis had two big run scoring doubles in the seventh and the 10th, as did Angel Pagan . Wright hit a home run, his 15th.

W-Francisco Rodriguez (3-2)

L-Brian Wilson (2-1)

I mentioned the Mets would pull out all the stops to win, and they did.

Flushing Baseball Daily reporter, Tyler Moore. Follow Tyler on Twitter, where he’ll discuss Mets, and also his posts. If you wish to email him, send an email to Tyler with the subject of Flushing Baseball Daily Mail. Thanks for reading!

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

If you missed the original post, I gave my opinion about what is wrong with the Mets, which I feel is the absence of Jose Reyes. Now it is time to go what other fans are thinking, via Twitter. On Twitter, I asked the following question:

Mets fans, quick, 1 thing you think is currently wrong with these mets?

I got so many responses, I decided I needed to post them. Here we go:

The way they play baseball. RT @TylerFlushingBB : Mets fans, quick, 1 thing you think is currently wrong with these mets?

https://twitter.com/AmazinAvenue

That is straight and to the point.

@TylerFlushingBB Currently? The team attitude. They don’t seem to have that comeback in them that they had earlier in the year

https://twitter.com/KevinG34

Interesting to look at that. I have to agree they seemed to have lost some life in their bats and play lately, as if their hearts aren’t into it.

@TylerFlushingBB Starting pitching. Need fausto carmona or lilly, NOW!

https://twitter.com/wilets

I don’t really agree with this statement. The starting pitching hasn’t been really bad, except Hisanori Takahashi , which is shown by the multiple pitchers’ duels since the All Star break.

@TylerFlushingBB not hitting with runners on base, clutch at bats have been scarce

@TylerFlushingBB and they never seem to fix it, that’s the worst part

https://twitter.com/Scientific_1

The thing is, in regards to that, the didn’t do that last year either. It worries me a lot that they can’t get a hit when they need it. That really is something that is wrong with the Mets this year, and last year too.

The team. RT @TylerFlushingBB : Mets fans, quick, 1 thing you think is currently wrong with these mets?

@TylerFlushingBB I mean that the team was constructed poorly. This, in essence, means that the problem is Omar.

https://twitter.com/heyyoeddie

I don’t really agree with this statement, yet I do. I understand the statement, but the thing is, some players Omar got have just not done their jobs. Jason Bay is a prime example.

He has not lived up to expectations, you can’t really blame Omar Minaya for that, it isn’t his fault.

@TylerFlushingBB Hisanori Takahashi simply isn’t as effective as he was in the beginning of the year. Much rather have Lilly.

https://twitter.com/ChrisDouthat

I mentioned this on Twitter, but I don’t think that it is that he isn’t effective anymore, it is that I think he isn’t effective to start games.

I think he is more suited for what he was doing at the beginning of the year, which was coming out of the bullpen.

I seen multiple mentions of Ted Lilly of late, must be another pitcher the Mets are in rumors for, but won’t go after, but that’s for another post.

@TylerFlushingBB where do I start? For me, it’s the inconsistent signs of resiliency. One day, they’re tough. The other, they back down.

https://twitter.com/JonMoreno

Yeah this interesting. They come in one day ready to take on the world, the next day just asleep, not you, Keith Hernandez. I find this puzzling, especially against rookies.

No Reyes! RT @TylerFlushingBB @michaelgbaron Mets fans, quick, 1 thing you think is currently wrong with these mets?

https://twitter.com/willbeekman

Before I say anything else, I think I should say thanks to Michael Baron, over at MetsBlog and MetsPhotos for retweeting that to his followers, that got me a lot of replies. So here to you dude: https://twitter.com/michaelgbaron Now to my response, thanks. I am glad to see someone agrees with me that the lack of Reyes is really hurting the Mets.

@TylerFlushingBB everything

@TylerFlushingBB They rely on the bad contracts they already have when it’s clear those players are only hurting the team. (Ollie, Barajas)

https://twitter.com/NYMetsGrrl94

Interesting approach. I am surprised they didn’t mention Jeff Francoeur who many Mets fans believe is hurting the team. I agree Oliver Perez and Rod Barajas are hurting the Mets with their production.

I do consider Barajas and Henry Blanco to be good mentors, though, for Josh Thole . They can really help Thole in the long run.

@TylerFlushingBB The offense is staggering

https://twitter.com/bbhkf78

Yes it is, but it always seems to stagger on the road.

@TylerFlushingBB Not enough Seals in our water next to Citi field..

https://twitter.com/Mets25Reyes7

In response to this I can only say one word, what? I guess this comment was for comedic relief. This is what the fans think is wrong with the Mets, what do you think?

Flushing Baseball Daily reporter, Tyler Moore. Follow Tyler on Twitter, where he’ll discuss Mets, and also his posts. If you wish to email him, send an email to Tyler with the subject of Flushing Baseball Daily Mail. Thanks for reading!

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The Mets sailed into the All-Star break in second place, only a few games out of first, and one game out of the wild card lead. Three games later, the Mets now sit in third place, five games behind the first place Braves, half a game behind the second place Phillies, and two games out of the wild card. What has happened? What is wrong with these second half Mets? The return of Carlos Beltran was supposed to help the Mets get more wins, but they have yet to get one since he’s returned. Could it be they are worn out already? Could they have lost faith in Jerry Manuel? Or is it something else?

I personally feel it is currently the absence of Jose Reyes . Reyes is the spark plug on this team, and the Mets have done great this year in games he’s scored at least one run. He is currently not doing any baseball activities until he feels no pain what-so-ever in his oblique. The Mets need him. He also needs the Mets. He has become a key part of the Mets core, no one can deny that. He is part of a core that includes the likes of David Wright , Johan Santana , Carlos Beltran, and, I might even toss Ike Davis into that category. The Mets need to make a decision about Reyes. They either have to place him on the DL, or they play him. Right now they have an idle body on the roster, and it isn’t helping them. The way the Mets are handling the Reyes injury is what’s wrong with the Mets. They are removing the spark plug from their lineup and expecting to still win.

Flushing Baseball Daily reporter, Tyler Moore. Follow Tyler on Twitter, where he’ll discuss Mets, and also his posts. If you wish to email him, send an email to Tyler with the subject of Flushing Baseball Daily Mail. Thanks for reading!

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I haven’t had the chance to see games two or three, but I did see game one, and looking at the scores of the other two games, the Mets have not had a good weekend. They can’t even get a split of this series, so I have a feeling Jerry Manuel will be pulling out all the stops to make sure the Mets win this game. Here is today’s lineup, with some comments from myself:

1. Angel Pagan – CF  Pagan has been a great asset to the Mets this year, Carlos Beltran gets the day off today.

2. Justin Turner – 2B  I haven’t had much Mets news the past few days, without much access to computer, so I didn’t even know who this guy was. The Mets called him up a couple days ago.

3. David Wright – 3B

4. Jason Bay – LF

5. Ike Davis – 1B  Davis doesn’t get the cleanup spot back when Beltran is out, Bay does. Interesting maneuver by Manuel.

6. Jeff Francoeur – RF  With Beltran getting the day off, Pagan shifts over to center and Francoeur gets a start.

7. Henry Blanco – C

8. Ruben Tejada – SS  Still no Jose Reyes , not a good sign for the Mets. They need to either place him on the disabled list to get another player, or get him in the games. They can’t continue to have him do no activities yet stay on the active roster.

9. Johan Santana – SP  Santana has amazed, confused, angered, and pleased me at different times this year. He has had an average year thus far on the mound.

Today’s starting pitching matchup will be: for the Mets, Johan Santana (7-5, 2.98 ERA), and for the Giants, Jonathan Sanchez (7-6, 3.47 ERA). Today’s game is set to start at 4:05pm. The game will be broadcast on WPIX-11.

Flushing Baseball Daily reporter, Tyler Moore. Follow Tyler on Twitter, where he’ll discuss Mets, and also his posts. If you wish to email him, send an email to Tyler with the subject of Flushing Baseball Daily Mail. Thanks for reading!

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The Mets lost their third straight game to the Giants tonight, 8-4 in a game that wasn’t as much as a pitcher’s duel compared to the last two games.

Starting off, Hisanori Takahashi was just awful; he gave up six runs over a mere two and two thirds, five of those runs in the second inning.

Andres Torres blasted a three-run homer in the second, and Buster Posey hit a solo shot in the third, until skipper Jerry Manuel said enough is enough and brought in Fernando Nieve in the third inning.

On a more positive note, the Mets did not get shut out for the third straight game, scoring four runs, and even managing to get seven hits against Matt Cain .

Ike Davis knocked in three of the Mets four runs, and hit two home runs, his second multi-homer game of the season, the other also being against the Giants.

Notes:

Carlos Beltran went 2-for-4 and hit a triple, also hit the ball with solid contact on every at bat, and there was no confusion in the outfield tonight.

The Mets bullpen pitched well in relieving Takahashi, particularly Francisco Rodriguez who struck out two in a scoreless eighth, although Raul Valdes gave up two runs over his two and a third innings.

Josh Thole got a hit in another pinch hit situation, making him 5-for-6 in pinch hit situations, and is 11-for-21 on the season.

Jason Bay went 0-for-3 and is hitless in his last seven at bats, yet also made solid contact tonight.

With this loss, the Mets are now 5.5 games out of first place in the NL East, and were overtaken by the Phillies for third place, who are now a half game over the Mets.

Tomorrow the Mets face the Giants at AT&T Park in an effort to try to avoid the four-game sweep, with Johan Santana (7-5, 2.98 ERA) facing LHP Jonathon Sanchez (7-6, 3.47 ERA) at 4:05 EST.

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For the second straight game, the Mets got shut out by the Giants—this time 1-0 at AT&T Park.

Barry Zito pitched an absolute gem, one which may have even been better then Tim Lincecum’s start yesterday.

The Mets lineup seemed lost without Jose Reyes and Angel Pagan . It was a Mets lineup that featured Jeff Francoeur as the five hitter, Ruben Tejada as the leadoff man, and Jason Bay hitting second.

Francoeur was promised this start by Jerry Manuel , but Jerry couldn’t have known that Reyes wouldn’t be able to play, which put him in a tough position by not being able to have both Pagan and Reyes in the lineup.

Jon Niese pitched a great game, only allowing one run over seven innings, but couldn’t get a sprinkle of run support—the Mets only had three hits throughout the game. The game’s only run came in the third inning. While trying to get out of a second and third jam, a ground ball was hit to Alex Cora where he tried to go home with it, and Aubrey Huff scored.

Notes:

Carlos Beltran went 1-for-4 for the second straight night. He had a pop-up double but struck out swinging with a runner on first to end the game.

Jason Bay went 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts, and Barry Zito, over eight innings, tallied 10 strikeouts.

Bobby Parnell pitched a seven-pitch scoreless eighth inning, getting his ERA down to 1.42.

The Mets announced that Luis Castillo will return for next weekend’s series against the Dodgers.

Tomorrow, the Mets play the Giants at AT&T park at 9 ET, with Hisanori Takahashi facing Matt Cain.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Jerry Manuel is taking an interesting approach in hitting Ruben Tejada lead off Jason Bay second and Jeff Francoeur fifth, Jerry said he wanted to keep giving Francoeur his at-bats and that was the reasoning for him hitting higher in the order.

Mets

Ruben Tejada, SS
Jason Bay, LF
David Wright, 3B
Carlos Beltran, CF
Jeff Francoeur, RF
Ike Davis, 1B
Rod Barajas, C
Alex Cora, 2B
Jon Niese, LHP

Giants

Andres Torres, RF
Edgar Renteria, SS
Aubrey Huff, 1B
Buster Posey, C
Pat Burrell, LF
Juan Uribe, 2B
Pablo Sandoval, 3B
Aaron Rowand, CF
Barry Zito, LHP

Notes:

Jon Niese flipped his start from Monday to today, because Mike Pelfrey slept on his neck wrong on the plane ride and will start Monday

Infielder Justin Turner was called up in Jose Reyes ‘s absence, and outfielder Nick Evans was sent down.

Pat Burrell will start in his first game against the Mets this season. Back in his days with the Phillies, Burrell would crush Met pitching. Hopefully Jon Niese can stay out of trouble.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

After a three-day break for the all-star game, the Mets managed to put together no runs, but the storyline of Carlos Beltran ’s first game of the 2010 campaign overshadowed this Mets loss to the Giants.

Beltran finished 1-for-4 with a single and grounded out to in the ninth without hustling down the line, which was not a good sign.

Tim Lincecum pitched a six-hit shutout, using a great mix of change-ups and fastballs. The Mets couldn’t hit a lick off of him tonight.

R.A. Dickey pitched seven innings only allowing one run, yet got the loss and his record dropped to 6-3.

With this game, the Mets fell five back from the Braves and 1.5 out of the wildcard, and hope to rebound tomorrow in a game that matches up Jon Niese and Barry Zito , the Mets really could use a few series wins on this critical 11 game west coast road trip.

Notes:

No Met had a multi-hit game.

No Met had a extra base hit.

Pedro Feliciano in the one batter he faced walked a lefty on four pitches to load the bases.

Carlos Beltran tried to swipe a base but got caught on a great throw by Buster Posey.

Jose Reyes was scratched from the starting lineup, no word on how long he’ll sit for.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

With the All-Star Break over, the Mets head to San Francisco to start a four-game series with the Giants. Today marks the return of Carlos Beltran after being out all year due to a knee injury. Jose Reyes was originally supposed to be in the lineup, but his struggles with left-handed pitching continue, so he was scratched.

1. Angel Pagan —RF  Pagan had a great first half, which earned him the right to remain a starter now that Beltran has returned.

2. Alex Cora —2B  Cora was in the original lineup for tonight.

3. David Wright —3B  Wright had an excellent first half, which was capped by going 2-2 in Tuesday night’s All-Star Game.

4. Carlos Beltran—CF  Beltran makes his first start of the year.

5. Ike Davis —1B  Davis had a nice first half, though his average doesn’t show it. He is now bumped out of the cleanup hole with the return of Carlos Beltran.

6. Jason Bay —LF

7. Josh Thole —C  Interesting that Thole gets the first start of the second half instead of Rod Barajas or Henry Blanco .

8. Ruben Tejada —SS  Tejada was a replacement for Jose Reyes after the first lineup was posted.

9. R.A. Dickey —SP

Tonight’s starting pitching matchup will be: for the Mets, R.A. Dickey (6-2, 2.77 ERA) and for the Giants, Tim Lincecum (9-4, 3.16 ERA). Tonight’s game starts at 10:15pm. The game will be broadcast on SNY.

Flushing Baseball Daily reporter, Tyler Moore. Follow Tyler on Twitter, where he’ll discuss Mets, and also his posts. If you wish to email him, send an email to Tyler with the subject of Flushing Baseball Daily Mail. Thanks for reading!

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• July 3, 2010 — Strasburg vs Mets, Mets@Nats game 3 preview (0)
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• July 1, 2010 — TWITTER: Lineup for Game 1 vs Nats (0)

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Twitter is such an interesting place to spark ideas and have conversation. I was talking to Rob_Sports over there tonight when they mentioned an interesting scenario for when Luis Castillo returns.

@TylerFlushingBB I’d like to see Tejada get a chance to start full time with Castillo there to take over if he struggles.

https://twitter.com/rob_sports/status/18569163935

Could Ruben Tejada fill the starter role when Castillo returns? I personally would love for him to take over the starter role everyday. I have not been a fan of Castillo but still, Tejada has done pretty well. He can also spell Jose Reyes once in a while.

What do you all think? What is your opinion on the second base question? Post comments, let me know what you think!

Flushing Baseball Daily reporter, Tyler Moore. Follow Tyler on Twitter, where he’ll discuss Mets, and also his posts. If you wish to email him, send an email to Tyler with the subject of Flushing Baseball Daily Mail. Thanks for reading!

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com