IGT, 3/5/07, vs. Cleveland

[Guest Edgy DC]

Mets are down 2-1 starting off the seventh. Oliver Perez and and Alay Soler each gave up a run in three innings. Scott Schoeneweis pitched a 1-2-3 inning.

Julio Franco led off the seventh with a single. Wright, batting second, has the lone RBI. Reyes has two hits and a stolen base.

Kiner is in the booth.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

I'm certain it doesn't mean a thing this early, but worth mentioning I suppose that WWSB has used Wright in the No. 2 slot twice, with LoDuca 5th or 6th or something, and also threw Beltran there once. Could relate to LoDuca's health or something.

[TransMonk]

IIRC, Gary or Keith mentioned during Wednesday's broadcast that the early batting orders didn't mean much. Willie is just trying to maximize certain players' number of at-bats on certain days due to all of the substitutions.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Smith look goodish, but he didn't hit his spots the way Bradford can,a nd he walked a guy. Maybe it's just the number 70 on his back, but he doesn't look like a guy about to break camp with the team.

We go to the ninth. You have to bat rookies in the ninth, because the veterans aren't motivated to send the game into extra innings.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Wow, great exchange by Gotay and Hernandez to make a play on a grounder up the middle.

Never saw that done.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Three grounders for Smitty in the ninth.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Mets drop it.

[Frayed Knot]

I don't think they'll do it, but hitting Beltran 2nd would allow him to run more which, considering that he's got the best SB% in ML history, isn't a bad idea. Beltran has also said he wants to run more this year but I know he & Willie like to keep that gap open when Delgado is up.

Plus, if you're under the impression that LoDuke won't duplicate his BA from last year then #2 becomes somewhat of a hole in an important point in the lineup since he'll never take enough walks to keep his OBA up to a respectable level unless he keeps that BA high.
Come to think of it, LoDuca would make a great #8 hitter.

The question would then remain who you'd bat #3;
- move everyone up 1 slot? : Reyes, Beltran, Delgado, Wright, Alou, etc.
- Slide Wright up to #3 in order to keep Delgado in cleanup?: Reyes, Beltran, Wright, Delgado, Alou
- Put Alou 3rd?

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

I also like LoDuca 8th, and I think I'd try Wright 3rd, at least until he louses it up.

So:

Reyes
Beltran
Wright
Delgado
Alou
Green/Milledge
Valentin
LoDuca

would be what I'd try. I don;t think WWSB has this in mind, though.

[metirish]

I'd rather have Wright protecting Delgado than Alou.

[Frayed Knot]

metirish wrote: I'd rather have Wright protecting Delgado than Alou.

Protection for Delgado is a non-issue IMO.
And, besides, the diff between Wright & Alou is a jump ball. Wright's a better overall player at this point but Alou could always hit (and still can) so it's not like pitchers are going to want to get to him anymore than they would to young David.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Edgy DC wrote: Smith look goodish, but he didn't hit his spots the way Bradford can,a nd he walked a guy. Maybe it's just the number 70 on his back, but he doesn't look like a guy about to break camp with the team. We go to the ninth. You have to bat rookies in the ninth, because the veterans aren't motivated to send the game into extra innings.

Just watched the hi-lites.

Smith looked kinda good, though all they showed were pitches resulting in groundballs to the infield.

Perhaps the real revelation is Soler. Still ain;t whiffing them, but looking good (and wearing No. 58, now that Mota owns his 59).

Oh, the offense sucks ass.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Did nobody else catch the Gotay-Hernandez-Carp play? Sweeter than lemon drops.

Wright seemed to be hitting right-to-left again when I saw him. There was a fierce wind blowing in.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

That was a cool play. Did ya notice it's pronounced Go-TIE? How lame is that?

[Guest Edgy DC]

If Soler doesn't make this team, I think he's at least the New Orleans opening-day guy.

Hey, look. Frayed Knot steals my birtchday in 33 minutes.

[Frayed Knot]

]Smith look goodish, but he didn't hit his spots the way Bradford can, and he walked a guy.

He also went 2 hitless innings against a lineup of mostly LHBs (5 of the 7 he faced I believe) - usually a tough assignment for RH sidewinders.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Certainly true. And a particularly tough assignment for Bradford.

They were grounding out on pitches hip-high and higher.