Kuzul

From ESPN’s Sports Center to the subway streets of Manhattan, no one believes in the New York Mets.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Following Johan Santana’s terrifically inspiring performance against the St. Louis Cardinals on June 1, general coverage of the New York Mets is still held with a grain of salt.

As Santana became the first pitcher to ever throw a no-hitter whilst wearing the blue and orange jersey of the New York Mets, ESPN was given a perfect opportunity to perhaps bridge into a profile segment on the exciting and lovable group of ballplayers who compose one of the most compelling teams in 2012 baseball.

Instead, ESPN focused their coverage on the controversial call of ruling Carlos Beltran’s would-be double a foul ball.

Columnists and media pundits dwelled on the “missed call” and pointed to other instances of botched officiating in the history of the no-hitter. Rather than looking at the other 26 hard earned outs Santana recorded in his more than impressive showing, it was negativity that highlighted this performance.

After 50 years of hardship and an improbable run of flagship pitchers unable to close out the historic performance needed for a no-hit showing, this is what the folks at ESPN chose to focus on?

In the 2012 New York Mets, you have a group of young players rebounding from organizational financial crisis and the loss of star player Jose Reyes to a divisional rival.

With the guise of collaborative effort at the forefront of this team’s identity, the team is coming together and approaching each game with confidence.

Perhaps that’s why this team has actually been successful.

The players on the current team have certainly not been fans of the New York Mets forever, and none of them knew that they would be picked up by this particular organization when they declared for the MLB draft.

But, what brings them together is that they now put on the orange and blue hat at the beginning of every day of work.

This is their franchise, this is their team and many of them feel as if this their times.

Even if no one else in the world believes it.

When Johan Santana threw his final changeup of the June 1 game, a rush of electric emotion came over my being. I felt invincible. My father and grandfather had both gone their entire life without seeing a no-hitter by their beloved Metropolitans, and it was beginning to feel as if it was never going to happen.

Until it finally did.

As the entire team rushed the field and players like R.A. Dickey flashed their smiles of compassionate and poetic understanding, it all began to sink in.

Maybe this team could be for real.

Quickly, from my fraternity house in Eugene, Oreg., I put down my slice of authentic New York pizza I had happened to order for the game and frantically called my dad.

“LET’S GO METS! LET’S GO METS! LET’S GO METS!” were the words that carried over the phone from the Pacific Northwest to my home in Southern California.

My grandpa was the next one to hear my thrill. It’s just been one of those years for the Mets.

There are two extra wild card positions that can earn a team a spot in the playoffs this season. With their winning record (35-30), the New York Mets have as good of a shot at clinching the inaugural positions as anyone else in the National League.

If that’s what this season can come down to for the club, there is more than enough reason to celebrate.

Coming into the Subway Series against the New York Yankees, the Mets had been working to solidify their identity as a team. Centered around youth and strong pitching, their thoughtful resilience was beginning to unfold as a story central to the narrative of the 2012 MLB season.

Unfortunately, the Yankees swept the Mets.

Much of the momentum they carried was beginning to feel as if it may fizzle and fade, as Santana gave up two homeruns to Robinson Cano in a crushing 9-1 defeat.

The Mets went on to a 4-2 loss by Dillon Gee and a late 5-4 loss surrendered by Dillon Gee.

The most hyped game of the season was arguably an interleague battle between sudden star and New York Mets ace R.A. (C.Y.) Dickey (9-1) and David Price (8-4).

The two pitchers led their respective league in wins coming into the game, but that wasn’t going to stop Dickey. With confidence, the Mets offense came into the game and shelled the Rays for a wildly impressive nine-run performance.

In the game, Dickey took command of the 2012 MLB record for most consecutive scoreless innings pitched (32.2 IP) while setting the franchise record process.

He didn’t surrender a walk, which is wildly impressive for a knuckleball pitcher. He also had his career-best performance in strikeout’s with 12, inspiring the @RADickheads twitter account to spell his name with slightly too many K’s.

Perhaps the most impressive part of his day was the fact that he threw his second career one-hitter. Manager Terry Collins quickly tried to get the Mets their second no-hitter in two weeks as he appealed the ruling of B.J. Upton’s infield single as an error on behalf of David Wright.

Either Collins was specifically asking for the MLB to continue to help write the “Amazin’ Mets 2012” movie, or he was blatantly asking the MLB to remind the organization that it doesn’t believe in them.

Either way, it was an interesting decision for the Mets skipper.

“If anybody deserved a no-hitter or a perfect game tonight, it was him,” Collins told ESPN.com.

Collins was only echoing the sentiments of the rest of the country, who all seem to be riding his bandwagon. This ESPN article, for instance, discusses his Cy Young candidacy.

As does this article on Bleacher Report.

And this one on FanGraphs.

Meanwhile, we can only assume that Dickey will challenge San Francisco Giants pitcher Matt Cain for the starting spot on the National League squad in the upcoming All-Star Game.

“He’s at a different level right now. It’s amazing what he’s been able to do,” Wright said. “It just seems like each outing he’s getting better and better. It’s fun to be a part of.”

First he climbs a mountain. Then he publishes the beautifully written memoir.

Now this.

Dickey has been unstoppable as of late.

And, in my opinion, so have the Mets. They have been a pleasure to watch, sans the poor play from Mike Nickeas and the injury troubles of Jason Bay.

The team is coming together. Kirk Nieuwenhuis is finding his swing and hitting homeruns, Scott Hairston is hitting .428 with five homeruns in his last 11 games and the Mets are rolling.

The Mets are currently in third place in the NL East, but that has proven to be one of the more competitive divisions in baseball.

Behind only the San Francisco Giants for the first wildcard spot with 35 victories, they’re now tied with the Atlanta Braves for rights to the second spot.

The Mets are playing like a team this June, even if no one believes it.

We’ve learned lots about the Mets so far in June, but what is perhaps most impressive is the way that they’ve been able to rally around the team and play like a real club.

As long as they continue their hot streak into the second half of the season, we may be seeing the Mets in the playoffs for the first time in quite a few years.

Follow @BryanKalbrosky

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Last weekend, I went to Citi Field and saw Johan Santana pitch a masterpiece. Santana dominated the San Diego Padres over nine innings. The Mets won 9-0 and Santana had his first shutout since 2010. The lefty struck out eight batters, walked none and threw 74 of his 96 total pitches for strikes. What made his performance that day even more impressive was the fact that Santana is still coming back from major shoulder surgery after missing all of the 2011 season.

Tuning in to the Mets’ game last night, it appeared early on that Santana did not have his best stuff. He walked four batters over the first five innings and ran up his pitch count. He did, however, keep a potent Cardinals lineup from reaching base on a hit.

From the sixth inning on, the warrior in Santana came out. His poise noticeably increased and his stuff looked better than it had in the earlier innings. When Terry Collins came out to the mound in the eighth with Santana’s pitch count mounting, it was obvious that Santana was not going anywhere.Then, Santana went on to finish what he started.

In a span of six days, Santana had pitched two complete-game shutouts, given up just four hits over 18 innings and threw 230 pitches. Not bad for a guy whose career was potentially over after being shut down with shoulder trouble in September of 2010.

For a franchise and a fanbase that have always been the butt of all late-night jokes (Letterman, Conan, Jon Stewart, etc.), it was a cathartic moment of celebration. It was a chance to finally check off an accomplishment that had eluded this team for its entire existence. After so much recent misery surrounding the Mets, it was a chance to just be proud.

The Mets have had 35 one-hitters. I clearly remember Tom Glavine coming close in 2004 against Colorado with the only hit coming from utility player Kit Pellow, who registered a career total of just 52 major league hits. Santana’s no-hitter has made those near misses less painful.

What makes the feat even better is the fact that it was Johan Santana. He has proven himself to be the consummate professional and total team player since he first arrived in Queens. To Santana, it’s all about the team. You never read about Santana getting arrested, using performance-enhancing drugs, carousing, complaining or anything like that. He just leads by example and fights whether he has his good stuff or not. His heart and attitude have driven him to success in addition to his arm. This couldn’t have happened to a better guy.

One other amazing twist in the story is the involvement of Mike Baxter in the no-hitter. The kid who grew up in Whitestone, literally down the street from Shea Stadium, makes the game-saving catch. As I wrote last time, these 2012 Mets are exceeding expectations with rookies, journeymen and long-time minor leaguers led by vets such as Johan Santana. Mike Baxter is the latest feelgood story in a string of similar stories so far this season for the Mets.

Twitter was abuzz during and after the game. Of course, Santana himself tweeted to thank his teammates and the fans. 

@johansantana  Tonight we made history @mets, i want to thank all my teammates and all the fans for the support…Believe it!! You guys are the best!!!

Enjoy this one, Mets fans.

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After 51 years, two months, and one day, the wait ended for the New York Mets. Johan Santana gave Mets fans what they so desperately craved: a no-hitter. 

Santana delivered a decent performance:a full nine innings, no runs, no hits, five walks and eight strikeouts. His cause was aided by a controversial call on a Carlos Beltran ball that touched the foul line, and a spectacular catch by Queens native Mike Baxter, who left with a bruised shoulder after crashing into the left field wall.

But there was more to this no-hitter than just the numbers. This no-hitter was special in a number of ways.

What ways, you may ask? Well, this slideshow will tell you. 

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It’s time to place your Mets (bets).

The New York Mets finally have their first no-hitter in franchise history. And it only took 51 years, 8,020 games and three ballparks to do it.

Left-handed pitcher Johan Santana will have his name etched in the record books thanks to a milestone performance on Friday night, tossing the 275th no-no in major-league history. The two-time Cy Young winner had to make a career-high 134 pitches to finish the job.

“Amazing. I mean, coming into this season I was just hoping to come back, stay healthy and help the team.”

As always, each no-hitter or perfect game comes with two criteria: a questionable call, and “the catch.”

The questionable call was actually correct. In the sixth inning, former Met Carlos Beltran—back at Citi Field for the first time since the Mets traded him last July—ripped a grounder down the third-base line that actually hit the foul-line chalk, indicating it was a hit. Third-base umpire Adrian Johnson, however, incorrectly ruled it a foul ball. Everyone seemed to have something to say about the missed call.

“I saw the ball hitting outside the line, just foul,” Johnson said.

“It was in front of his face, and he called it foul. I thought it was a fair ball. At the end of the day, one hit wasn’t going to make a difference in the ballgame. We needed to score more runs and we didn’t do that,” Beltran said.

“There’s times when one play makes the whole difference, one calls makes the whole difference. And tonight it was that call,” Santana said.

The following inning, we got “the catch.” Yadier Molina drove a ball deep to left, but Mike Baxter made a fantastic catch before running full speed into the outfield wall. The Queens, N.Y. product was forced to leave the game with a shoulder contusion.

Regardless, after more than a half-century of misery, the Mets finally have their first no-hitter. Only the San Diego Padres, born in 1969, seven years after the Mets, are the only MLB team without a no-hitter.

New York has come close on multiple occasions, though. Since 1962, they’ve had 35 one-hitters. Ten pitchers had thrown no-hitters before coming to the Mets, and seven had thrown no-hitters after leaving the Mets. The Mets themselves had been no-hit six times. 

Tom Seaver is the only other Met to take a no-hitter into the ninth inning, and he did so three times without being able to finish the job. Seaver came within two outs of a perfect game in 1969 and fell one out shy of a no-hitter in 1975, the previous time a Mets pitcher had made it into the ninth without yielding a hit. Not even Nolan Ryan nor Dwight Gooden accomplished the feat, though all three threw no-hitters after leaving the team.

The 33-year-old Santana faced a plethora of question marks entering the season. He missed all of the 2010 season recovering from shoulder surgery, and upon his return he faced doubts that he could once again return to form. The $137.5M contract he signed after coming over from the Twins might as well have been money sent down the drain.

”Coming into this season I was just hoping to come back and stay healthy and help this team, and now I am in this situation in the greatest city for baseball.”

But he proved all his naysayers wrong. Not only did Santana accomplish the feat, but he may also have made history by joining White Sox right-handed pitcher Phil Humber as trade-mates to have thrown a no-hitter—in the same season.

Santana made just his 11th start following the surgery Friday against the Cardinals, and he was supposed to be limited to 110-115 pitches, according to manager Terry Collins.

It’s very exciting. But if, in five days, his arm his bothering him, I’m not going to feel very good…I just couldn’t take him out. I just couldn’t do it. So, we’ll wait five days and see how it is.

Santana received a standing ovation as he headed out to the mound for the ninth inning. He made quick work of OF Matt Holliday and OF Allen Craig. With 27,069 screaming fans on their feet, Santana got World Series MVP David Freese on a 3-2 count before his foul tip was caught by catcher Josh Thole. Santana pumped his left fist, slammed it into his glove and shouted as Thole showed the ball to plate umpire Gary Cederstrom and then went running out toward the mound.

It’s an honor. When I came into this team in 2008, I came here to help this team win a championship. We have been through a lot of things. But, I’ll never give up…I know how much this means to New York and to the New York Mets. It’s something I’m proud of and I’m very happy to be a part of it.

The Mets rushed out of the dugout and mobbed Santana as security guards tackled a fan who ran onto the field near home plate. Santana then raised his right arm and saluted the crowd in celebration, as “No-Han” was displayed on the Citi Field screen.

”Finally, the first one. That is the greatest feeling ever.”

For more, check out www.VoiceofValeri.com, or tweet me at Twitter.com/VoiceofValeri.

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Happiness. It’s a word that’s been hard to come by as a New York Mets fan the past twenty or so years. Thank you, Johan Santana. 

There’s been Carlos Beltran not swinging at a called third strike to end the 2006 playoff run, the heart-wrenching collapses of 2007 and 2008, the signings of Mo Vaughn, Jeromy Burnitz, Roberto Alomar and Jason Bay (and about 100 others). Even the World Series run in 2000 was crushed by the cross-town, star-studded New York Yankees. A team that has always been better, drawn larger crowds and gladly taken the spotlight on the city’s obsession with baseball.

But 2012 has the feeling of something different.

With low expectations coming into the season, Mets players (mostly Double-A All-Stars) and Terry Collins have given fans a reason to believe. A reason to smile. An opportunity to feel good.

Johan Santana’s performance last night was (excuse my pun) “amazin’.”

Coming off major shoulder surgery last year, experts expected little to nothing from Santana. Retirement rumors swirled for the pitcher who at one time, was considered one of the best in the past 50 years.

But Santana worked. He rehabbed down in Florida. He pitched in front of 5,000 fans up in Buffalo. He threw long toss. He tweeted his progress. He made it back and he is back. Last night proves that fact. Although he isn’t throwing 95 mph any longer, he’s still striking guys out. And that’s what great pitchers do. They always find a way.

Santana’s grit, heart and hard work are the epitome of the 2012 Mets.

A team that would in the past give up after being down four or even one run, is coming back. They’re getting big hits and phenomenal pitching performances from guys like Mike Baxter and R.A. Dickey. They’re getting angry when being pulled out of a game (instead of willingly taking themselves out of a game). They’re showing a passion and desire that has been absent on past teams.

Like Johan Santana, the Mets were a team everyone counted out this year. But they’re winning and having fun doing it. Manager Terry Collins keeps the clubhouse loose but disciplined, and the boys in blue and orange have responded admirably.

There’s something magical going on in Queens. Get over to Citi Field now. You never know how long it’ll last. 

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After 50 years and a grand total of 8,019 games before it, the New York Mets have finally tossed a no-hitter, and I am proud to say that I was in attendance.  

The scene was electric at Citi Field as Johan Santana dazzled for nine straight innings in front of a crowd that was 27,069 strong.

The night was filled with suspense and a few minor outbreaks of rain, but not even a few rain drops could stop the Mets ace from dominating the Cardinals. 

The Mets ace fanned eight Cardinals batters on the night, which is pretty impressive considering that the Cardinals came into the game as the National League’s leaders in batting.

Santana was helped with some great defense by his teammates as well. David Wright made some tough plays look easy over at third base, and Mike Baxter made an incredible catch in the 7th inning as he crashed into the wall to save the Mets no-hitter. Baxter would end up leaving the game with a shoulder injury.

As I was watching the final three innings, it reminded me of the feeling that I had for this years Super Bowl. I told myself that there was no way that Santana was going to pull this off, but that feeling faded away more and more with every out.

Then there was the ninth inning.  

Santana retired Matt Holiday and Allen Craig, but he still had to face last years World Series hero David Freese.

Santana threw three straight balls before fighting back in the count to strike him out on a change-up, and then Citi Field erupted.

It was truly an amazing moment and it is one that I will never forget. 

Santana’s gem goes right up there with the greatest moments in Mets’ history, which includes the World Series titles in 1969 and ’86, and Mike Piazza’s game winning home run against the Braves that was just days after the attacks of September, 11th.

Santana’s accomplishment was even more special because of the wait. It was something that Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman, Jon Matlack, Nolan Ryan, David Cone, Dwight Gooden and all pitchers before him could not do as Mets, which will forever grace him in the hearts of the fans. 

I also have to mention that the irony in this game was almost unbearable. 

Carlos Beltran, who is a former Met, almost broke up the no-hitter when he ripped a ball down the third base line. The ball should have been called fair, but it was ultimately called foul by third base umpire, Adrian Johnson. Met killer Yadier Molina was the batter that hit the ball that Mike Baxter caught, and he is the same player that smashed the game-winning home run to beat the Mets in the 2006 National League Championship series. The pitcher that struck out Beltran in that NLCS game to win it for the Cardinals was Adam Wainwright, who also happened to be the pitcher that started against Johan Santana Friday night.

There could not have been a better script. 

As soon as it happened, I received numerous phone calls and texts from people that know what I have gone through with the Mets, which made the experience that much more special. It was also great to see what this game meant to my uncle, as he has been a Mets fan from day one. 

This was truly an amazing moment for the Mets and their fans, and who knows if this game sparks a rally for the rest of the season “You Gotta Believe!”

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The magic continues this season for the New York Mets.

The Mets have watched Johan Santana pitch great all season long, but Santana has had issue with run support and had only one win to show for his efforts just past the quarter mark of the 2012 season.

Santana made sure that there would be no variables—such as a lack of run support or a blown lead by the bullpen—that would cost him the game against the San Diego Padres on Saturday.

Santana pitched a masterful four-hit shutout while striking out seven and not issuing a walk. The four hits were all singles.

The shutout was his first since August 12, 2010, and his first since coming back from his 2010 shoulder surgery.

It was his 14th career complete game and ninth shutout of his career.

“Any time you pitch a complete game, it’s a good feeling. It’s not easy to do,” Santana said after the game.

Santana is pivotal to the Mets’ success as the season progresses. If New York wants to remain competitive for the NL East crown, he will have to step up and stay healthy.

The southpaw is clearly on track in 2012 and feels healthy. 

With the win, the Mets remarkably find themselves in second place in the NL East, sitting 2.5 games behind the surprising Washington Nationals. 

The Mets finish up their series with the Padres on Sunday before welcoming the last place Philadelphia Phillies to Citi Field for a three-game set beginning Monday, May 28.

Follow @NargOnSports

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The San Diego Padres (17-30) and New York Mets (25-21) continue a National League series on Saturday afternoon at Citi Field, with the first pitch scheduled for 1:10 p.m. ET.

Las Vegas oddsmakers have established the Mets as -160 home favorites, while the total has remained at its opening number of 7.5.

New York came away with a 6-1 win over San Diego in the second game of the series on Friday night, picking up their third victory in four games. The Mets moved their record to 15-9 against the Padres at home since 2005.

Mets starting pitcher Johan Santana (1-2, 3.24 ERA) will be trying to win his first start since May 5, as he’s failed to earn a decision in his last three outings. He has been bitten by the long ball of late, serving up one home run in his last four starts, after not allowing a long ball in his first five appearances.

The left-hander has garnered a 2-3 record and 2.47 ERA in seven career starts versus the Padres, issuing 20 walks and striking out 30 in 47.1 combined innings.

The Mets are 5-0 in Santana’s last five starts versus NL West teams, while the “under” is 5-1-1 in his last seven home starts.

Clayton Richard (2-5, 4.63 ERA) hasn’t fared very well away from San Diego this year, posting an 0-3 record and 6.68 ERA in five road starts, as opposing hitters have hit .305 against him. He didn’t factor into the decision of a 4-3 setback on the road to the St. Louis Cardinals last time out, allowing two runs and even hits over 7.1 frames.

In three career starts versus the Mets, Richard has gone 1-0 with a 2.41 ERA, issuing nine walks and picking up 16 strikeouts in 18.2 combined innings. 

The Padres are 5-23 in their last 28 road games against left-handed starters, with the “under” going 4-1 in the last five games in that situation.

Weather forecasts suggest scattered thunderstorms and game-time temperatures in the low 80s, with a 5-10 mph breeze out of the southwest.

Follow on Twitter: @JeffGrantSports 

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As Opening Day for Major League Baseball approaches (not counting the two-game series in Japan), every team, no matter how they look on paper, has a shot to win it all.

Getting off on the right foot and winning on Opening Day, while not crucial to a team’s success, can go a long way towards building momentum, especially for clubs whose expectations for the 2012 season may be on the lower side.

As with any team, there is always an “X-factor” or wild card that can change the outcome of anything from one game to an entire season. These players can be anyone from a superstar returning from injury or an “off” season, to a young player trying to make a name for himself, yet somehow can find that his performance, or lack there of, will be directly related to his team’s performance.

Who will be the biggest X-factors this Opening Day? Who will surprise, disappoint, help or hurt their teams as the 2012 season begins?

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If the New York Mets are going to have any chance of finishing over .500 this season, then they are going to need to get a lot of outstanding performances from their starting pitchers.

The Mets’ rotation is set entering the season, but they still have a number of questions about the health and abilities of their starters.

It is very possible that the Mets’ rotation looks a lot different at the end of the year. Pitchers may be dealt and prospects may come up from the minors to replace ineffective starters.

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