Kuzul

The Mets just can’t seem to figure out the Nationals, as the Metropolitans went to Washington to get beat 5-3 despite a solid performance by starter R.A. Dickey and Angel Pagan’s inside-the-park home run and triple play.

The Mets jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning thanks to Pagan’s homer, but two runs were quickly given back in the bottom of the inning.

The Mets tied the game in the top of the sixth only to give it back in the bottom of the seventh when they probably took Dickey out too early.

The bullpen gave up three runs that inning, which were enough as the Mets could only muster one more run in the bottom of the ninth thanks to a Fernando Tatis homer.

Notes

• R.A. Dickey’s line: 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 2 K, 0 HR. He had only walked eight batters in over 60 innings in Triple-A this season.
• Raul Valdes (0.1 IP), Fernando Nieve (0.1 IP), Oliver Perez (0.1 IP), and Manny Acosta (1 IP) combined for this line: 2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, 0 HR.
• Jose Reyes went 0-for-4.
• Luis Castillo went 0-for-4.
• Jason Bay went 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored.
• Ike Davis went 1-for-4.
• Angel Pagan went 1-for-3 with a home run and a walk.
• Jeff Francoeur went 1-for-2 with a walk.
• Fernando Tatis went 1-for-4 with a home run.
• Henry Blanco went 1-for-3.

Thoughts

• Why is Angel Pagan batting fifth?
• This offense sucks.
• Have all the injuries caught up to Jose Reyes? Will he ever be the player he once was?
• With all the problems this team is having, why is David Wright the scapegoat? Despite the fact that he’s not living up to his own numbers, he is doing better than the rest of the team.
• I think this bullpen is turning the corner, going from good to burned out.

Line of the Day

R.A. Dickey’s line: 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 2 K, 0 HR. If this guy can prove that he can get major league hitters out with that knuckleball, he could end up being an important and versatile pitcher for this club.

Quote

“It’s going to be tough for us to put together any kind of offense,” Mets manager Jerry Manuel said. “We are really, really struggling right now in that area. I thought…today would be a good day for us to break out. I saw some real good signs. But it didn’t happen.”

Up Next

• The Mets really have to take this season one series at a time. It sounds cliché, but when you get swept by the Marlins, taking two of three from the Nationals is still a positive, and it must be looked at that way. That said, winning tonight would get them a series win, and it would hopefully carry over as they face a Yankees team that has been decimated by injuries lately.
• Thursday, May 20: RHP John Maine (1-3, 6.13) vs. RHP Luis Atilano (3-0, 3.90).

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Right handed knuckleballer R.A. Dickey is starting tonight for the Mets in place of lefty Oliver Perez who was demoted to the bullpen last week. To make room for Dickey on the roster the Mets have placed left handed pitcher Jon Niese on the DL according to Andy Martino of the NY Daily News .

Niese’s injury is being labeled a mild right hamstring strain. He suffered the injury in the third inning of his last start against the Marlins. He will be eligible to come off the DL on June 1, but will probably need more time as hamstring injuries tend to take some time to heal for pitchers.

Dickey has been the Mets best starter in Triple-A Buffalo so far this season and a big innings eater as well. In eight starts he is 4-2 with a 2.23 ERA in 60.2 innings. He has struck out 37 batters during that time and walked a very low eight batters, very good considering he is a knuckleballer.

The Mets bullpen has been good this year, but has been taxed as they have been heavily leaned on. The rotation is in taters too so the idea is that Dickey can come in an make an emergency start, but with the way he’s been going deep into games maybe he can help out the bullpen as well.

This move also means that Jenrry Mejia will not be sent down to the minors just yet. That will probably now happen when Ryota Igarashi comes off the DL.

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According to Adam Rubin of ESPN New York, the Mets are sending top pitching prospect Jenrry Mejia to the minor leagues in order to stretch him out and bring him back as a starter about a month from now.

The 20-year-old right hander has been strong out of the bullpen for the Mets this year with a 2.60 ERA in 17.1 innings, but the Mets rotation now has bigger holes than their bullpen. That’s because Jon Niese has landed on the DL, Oliver Perez has been pulled from the rotation, and John Maine has been inconsistent and unreliable.

The team’s intention all along has been to develop Mejia as a starter, but coming out of spring training manager Jerry Manuel felt the bullpen was thin and petitioned for Mejia to join the team in Flushing out of the bullpen. Rubin said it best: a trip to the minors to stretch out Mejia is comparable to a spring training stint. He’ll have about four to five weeks to stretch himself out and prepare for Major League hitters.

My question is – is Mejia ready to face major leaguers as a starting pitcher? It’s a tough one to answer, but while his results have overall been pretty positive out of the bullpen, there are some numbers that are alarming as he is being asked to prepare for a much more strenuous role.

For one thing, Mejia has allowed a lot of base runners with a 1.62 WHIP. That’s due mostly to his high walks total, nine in 17.1 innings. He has also been largely protected, facing hitters in low leverage situations. I’m not sure what that has been exactly about, but if it has been an effort to protect him as he breaks into the majors there will be nowhere to hid as he will have to attempt to go through lineups two or three times.

Either way, Mejia’s future is brightest as a starter, and the fact that the Mets are removing him from the bullpen is a good sign because it is a step in the right direction for the future of baseball’s youngest pitcher.

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It really seems that Mets manager Jerry Manuel’s job status goes as their record goes. He was on the chopping block early, but a 9-1 homestand bought him some time. Now that the Mets have gone from 1st place to last he is back on that chopping block.

To make matters worse, says Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated , the general consensus seems to be that if the Mets did fire Manuel his replacement would “almost assuredly” be former Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin.

Here is more from Heyman:

Mets manager Jerry Manuel is under the gun, whether it’s deserved or not. Manuel’s bosses had a close eye on things even before flying to Atlanta Monday to discuss the team’s latest issues. Club owner Jeff Wilpon said he didn’t go to Atlanta to fire anybody, but it’s clear at the very least that Manuel is at the very least under evaluation.

If Manuel goes, the Mets will almost assuredly hire Bob Melvin , the ex-Diamondbacks manager who’s been serving as a Mets’ scout, to replace him. And it’s probably not a good sign for Manuel that everyone seems to know this.

The Mets’ 19-21 record isn’t awful considering they’ve been without Carlos Beltran . But there are concerns that go beyond that mark. Their attendance is down 17 percent, which is the third biggest drop in baseball (behind only Toronto and Cleveland), and it’s to the point where they are handing over Subway Series tickets to the Yankees to fill the stands for games that are normally sold out immediately.

Through it all, Manuel’s retained his perspective and humor. “I’m still here,” he told reporters after emerging from the impromptu meeting.

For how long remains a question.

Thoughts : I’ve said in the past that I don’t necessarily like Manuel to manage this team. He’s a good coach and a great guy to have around, but as manager I feel that he is lacking of the leadership to really motivate this team. The way he handles a pitching staff also comes with a lot of question marks, particularly when it comes to the bullpen.

The thing is, firing him seems like it would only be a quick fix and the Mets in the past I have advocated that they hold off firing the manager until they can start off fresh and fire their general manager as well. That doesn’t appear to be happening though. For now, Minaya’s job seems fine even though for the life of me I don’t know why. The Mets also have a pennant race to try to win. As long as the plan, for now at least, is to keep Minaya around doesn’t mean they shouldn’t also have the best manager fit to help this team win.

Maybe it is time for a change. Is Bob Melvin your man?

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According to ESPN.com writer Adam Rubin, the Mets announced today that Hisanori Takahashi will make his first start of the season, against the Yankees, on Friday.

Takahashi has been stellar coming out of the bullpen this year. The 35-year-old lefty will be making his first start since joining the Mets this off-season.

Takahashi was a solid starter in Japan, posting a career 3.70 ERA and a respectable 79-66 record with the Yomiuri Giants.

Takahashi has a solid line this season: 15 G, 26 IP, 1 HR, 14 BB, 33 SO, 3 W, 1 L, 1 HLD, 1.38 WHIP, 3.12 ERA

Not bad for a guy who never seriously contended for a starting spot this spring.

It seems this was the only logical move for manager Jerry Manuel . Manuel will also need to find a replacement for Oliver Perez , who has struggled mightily this season. John Maine also seems to be on thin ice.

Who does that leave New York with? Pelfrey and Santana?

The Mets needed to address their spotty pitching staff during the off-season. However, outside of Jon Garland, most of the free agents the Mets bid for have struggled this year.

Possible off-season additions:

Ben Sheets: 8 G, 42.2 IP, 6 HR, 22 BB, 32 SO, (2-3), 1.66 WHIP, 5.70 ERA

Jon Garland: 8 G, 48 IP, 3 HR, 25 BB, 27 SO, (4-2), 1.27 WHIP, 1.88 ERA

Brandon Looper: Still in FA

Jarrod Washburn: Retired

Jason Marquis: (currently on DL, expected back around all star break) 3 G, 8.1 IP, 2 HR, 6 BB, 3 SO, (0-3), 2.88 WHIP, 20.52 ERA

John Lackey: 8 G, 50 IP, 5 HR, 21 BB, 31 SO, (4-2), 1.50 WHIP, 4.86 ERA

Joel Pineiro:  8 G, 51 IP, 5 HR, 10 BB, 33 SO, (3-4), 1.31 WHIP, 3.71 ERA

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Jon Niese left Sunday’s game in the third inning after re-aggravating his right hamstring. Niese had surgery on the same hamstring last August.

After the game, the 23-year-old lefty tried to downplay the injury. Niese said that he wanted to make his next start, but the Mets sent him back to New York for further testing.

“It was more a scare than anything,” Niese said . “I’m feeling a little sore now, nothing major. I don’t want to miss a start. I’ll do whatever I can, but that being said, I have to listen to the doctors.”

It’s a good sign that the injury appears minor, but the Mets rotation is extremely thin right now, especially with Oliver Perez’s recent demotion to the bullpen. This is all very scary for N.Y.

The move alters the Mets’ rotation plans for this week. Perez was originally scheduled to start on Wednesday but, since he was scratched from the rotation, reliever Hisanori Takahashi is expected go that day.

This presents a problem. Takahashi had to come on as the emergency long reliever when Niese left the game on Sunday.

The way things look now, Takahashi will probably start in place of Niese on Friday, with  R.A. Dickey possibly being called up to take Perez’s place on Wednesday.

Who the Mets send down at that point is another question the team will have to deal with later on in the week. But, if they only have to skip Niese once through the rotation, rather than put him on the DL, I think they’ll take it.

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According to David Lennon of Newsday, the Mets released right-handed reliever Kiko Calero, whom they signed to a minor league deal this offseason.

Calero, 35, pitched for the Marlins last year and had an impressive season, putting up a 1.95 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP over 60 innings. The Mets signed him late in the offseason after injury concerns scared away most other teams.

He didn’t make the squad out of spring training and has struggled so far in Triple-A Buffalo. In 10 games there he has a 2-0 record with a 10.59 ERA. He has also struck out 16 and walked nine in 17 innings.

This doesn’t do much to the Mets right now. He hasn’t been much of an option for Flushing, especially considering the way he’s pitched. Still, it is a little surprising that he wasn’t given a chance in The Show, but I guess with the way the bullpen has been, there wasn’t a huge need.

It’s too bad. I thought this was a good low-risk signing by the Mets. Tell us your thoughts.

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• April 17, 2010 — Manuel Needs To Go Just Not Now (4)
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According to Phil Hoops at Always Amazin’ , the Mets have signed minor league first baseman/outfielder Val Pascucci to a minor league deal to play for their Triple-A Buffalo affiliate.

Pascucci, 31, is a career minor leaguer who got a cup of coffee with the Montreal Expos back in 2004, and hasn’t been back to the majors since. Between then and now, he played for Team Italy in two World Baseball Classics, spent time in the Mets organization in 2008, and played a season in Japan.

He was playing for the Camden Riversharks of the Atlantic League when the Mets signed him, hitting .275 with three homers and nine RBI’s over 14 games.

I wouldn’t expect him to make an appearance in Flushing anytime soon, but you never know. Realistically he is taking over Chris Carter’s spot in the outfield that has since been vacated.

Gary Matthews Jr. deserves to get released, but that isn’t likely to happen because they signed Pascucci. Realistically, Matthews will stick with the team until Daniel Murphy is ready to come back and Pascucci will play for Buffalo all season long.

I’m not sure why he never got a chance to play in the majors.

He’s 31 now and nothing more than organizational filler. He has a career .886 OPS in the minors and when he did make it to the majors back in 2004, there doesn’t seem to be a very good reason for why he was cut.

Who knows, these types of players tend to get a chance because of injuries and make short, but decent, impacts before the league adjusts to them and they go back to being pumpkins. Maybe that will happen this season with him.

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There has been a lot made of the Mets lineup since Jerry Manuel dropped the “Jose Reyes to hit third in the order” bomb on us this spring. Well, he’s been there for a couple of weeks and the results have not exactly been thrilling.

Here’s Manuel: “We have to probably take note these next couple days where we are as an offensive club. And if we continue to see the same thing, I’m going to have to make some adjustments to the lineup.”

Personally, I don’t think Reyes batting third has been that big of a deal. Mostly because the Mets seem to be lacking of a strong hitter to bat third in the order. A number of guys could do the job, but most haven’t been hitting up to expectations anyways, and it would severely weaken the bottom of the order.

Manuel didn’t express specifically what he meant by lineup changes, but hopefully Angel Pagan isn’t going to be moved to third in the order. If anyone gets that spot, I’d hope it goes to David Wright, but at this point it is hard to say.

Really if some more guys, Jason Bay, start hitting then this would be less of an issue. Until that happens or Carlos Beltran returns, I expect this will be an issue.

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The Mets designated outfielder/pinch-hitter Frank Catalanotto for assignment earlier this week, and instead of trying to hook on with another team, the 36-year-old is likely to call it a career, according to the NY Daily News.

“I don’t necessarily know that it came as a surprise – I wasn’t getting a chance to play much. I knew eventually it may happen, especially if I wasn’t helping the team out and producing,” said Catalanotto. “I don’t know what’s going to happen. Chances are this is the end of my career.”

In his prime, Catalanotto was a decent left-handed bat averaging a 113 OPS+ from 2001-06, and he provided average defense at first base and the corner outfield positions. He also played some second and third base at times in his career. This season with the Mets, he was merely a left-handed bat off the bench who didn’t hit. He managed only a 6 OPS+, and nobody was surprised when he was released.

There has been word that the Brewers might be interested in signing Catalanotto for minor league depth, but at this point in his career it seems unnecessary. For one thing, he was probably only hanging on with the Mets as a native New Yorker. It’s hard to blame him then for not wanting to move out to the middle of the country to play in the minor leagues.

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