How the Rotation Sets Up -- 2008

[Gwreck]

The rainout screws everything up. Here are the new projections:

vs. ATL
Sat Sep 13, Game 1 - Santana v. Mike Hampton
Sat Sep 13, Game 2 - Jon Niese v. Jo-Jo Reyes
Sun Sep 14 - Perez v. Jorge Campillo

at WAS
Mon Sep 15 - Martinez v. John Lannan
Tue Sep 16 - Pelfrey v. Odalis Perez
Wed Sep 17 - TBA v. Shairon Martis
Thu Sep 18 - Santana v. Tim Redding

[Benjamin Grimm]

Hopefully the Phillies are equally screwed, but they do have some off-days remaining on their schedule, so they should be able to more easily absorb the rainout.

[Gwreck]

Knight to go on Wednesday.

No word on the Atlanta series yet. The doubleheader allows them to keep Niese "on schedule" and pitch against Atlanta again, or to push him back to face the Cubs. My guess is that they do the latter.

at WAS
Mon Sep 15 - Martinez v. John Lannan
Tue Sep 16 - Pelfrey v. Odalis Perez
Wed Sep 17 - Brandon Knight v. Shairon Martis
Thu Sep 18 - Santana v. Tim Redding

at ATL
Fri Sep 19 - Perez v. Jo-Jo Reyes
Sat Sep 20 - Martinez v. Jorge Campillo
Sun Sep 21 - Pelfrey v. James Parr

[Benjamin Grimm]

Knight, huh?

My money would have been on Figueroa.

[HahnSolo]

Didn't Figueroa get blasted by the Nats earlier? The game right before he was DFA'd? I think it was the game he complained about them celebrating in the dugout.

Maybe that game went into the thinking.

[metirish]

I'm sure Figgi will be on standby to enter in the second inning.

[Gwreck]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Knight, huh? My money would have been on Figueroa.

So says Adam Rubin's blog.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

It doesn't surprise me that Knight is getting more opportunity. As Casey would say, "he hasn't failed here yet."

Figgy is strictly a mopup man in my book.

[bmfc1]

HahnSolo wrote: Didn't Figueroa get blasted by the Nats earlier? The game right before he was DFA'd? I think it was the game he complained about them celebrating in the dugout. Maybe that game went into the thinking.

Figueroa called them "softball girls."

[Benjamin Grimm]

That's right! I had forgotten about that.

I'm not saying that Knight is the wrong choice, by the way. Just not the one I was expecting.

[Gwreck]

bmfc1 wrote: Figueroa called them "softball girls."

Wasn't Elijah Dukes in the middle of that situation too? (As the lead cheerleader?)

[Benjamin Grimm]

Yup. He even had pom-poms and was wearing a skirt.

[Gwreck]

Updated with the Cubs, now that we know their rotation after their rescheduled games:

at WAS
Tue Sep 16 - Pelfrey v. Odalis Perez
Wed Sep 17 - Brandon Knight v. Shairon Martis
Thu Sep 18 - Santana v. Tim Redding

at ATL
Fri Sep 19 - Perez v. Jo-Jo Reyes
Sat Sep 20 - Martinez v. Jorge Campillo
Sun Sep 21 - Pelfrey v. James Parr

vs CHC
Mon Sep 22 - Jon Niese v. Jason Marquis
Tue Sep 23 - Santana v. Rich Harden
Wed Sep 247 - Perez v. Carlos Zambrano
Thu Sep 25 - Martinez v. Ted Lilly

[Elster88]

For some reason I had thought Pelfrey had been knocked around in recent starts but it was only the last one.

[Elster88]

oops wrong thread.

[Gwreck]

Cubs moved Harden back and bumped Ted Lilly out of this series.

vs CHC
Tue Sep 23 - Santana v. Sean Marshall
Wed Sep 24 - Perez v. Carlos Zambrano
Thu Sep 25 - Martinez v. Rich Harden

vs FLA
Fri Sep 26 - Pelfrey v. Chris Volstad
Sat Sep 27 - Santana (short rest) v. Ricky Nolsaco
Sun Sep 28 - Perez (short rest) v. Scott Olsen

[Benjamin Grimm]

So if there's a one-game playoff on Monday vs. Milwaukee we get who... Pedro on short rest? Or Niese or Knight?

Yeeee...

[Frayed Knot]

Where does the short rest info come from?
Manual was saying as late as yesterday that he wasn't going to go that route.

Plus, even if he were so inclined, why make that decision now before knowing what the situation will be?

[Benjamin Grimm]

Yeah, he doesn't have to make that decision until Saturday, which is the next time Niese's turn comes around. (And he could also opt to replace Niese with Knight, or Figueroa, or... I don't know. Maybe they can activate Julio Valera.)

One of the silver linings I've been seeing is that if there's a one-game do-or-die playoff game against the Brewers at Shea on Monday, that we'd have Oliver Perez going. Although it may be necessary to do the short-rest thing just to GET to Monday, I'd hope that the Mets could avoid it.

Anyway, if the Mets win today and tomorrow and the Brewers lose today and tomorrow (could happen!) things will be looking a lot brighter on Thursday morning, (magic number of 2 with three to play) and there won't be any "short-rest" talk.

[metirish]

Manuel was asked if he had any thoughts of starting Santana on short rest Saturday and he absolutely stated that that would not happen.


Who knows by then where this team will be in the standings.

Edited September 23, 2008 by Guest

[HahnSolo]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: One of the silver linings I've been seeing is that if there's a one-game do-or-die playoff game against the Brewers at Shea on Monday, that we'd have Oliver Perez going. Although it may be necessary to do the short-rest thing just to GET to Monday, I'd hope that the Mets could avoid it.

Interestingly (or not), if both teams stayed on rotation it would be Perez v. Suppan. Sound familiar?

But who knows, the Brewers could throw Sabathia on 3 days rest.

[Frayed Knot]

Here's an interesting theoretical choice:
Sunday we're one game up on Milwaukee - aka, clinched at least a tie

* Do you start Santana against Florida as planned thereby reducing him to one game in Round 1?

OR

* Skip him and fugure that the 25% chance (we lose + Brews win) of forcing yourself into a one-game playoff won't come up?
If it does you throw him in the play-in game, if not he's available twice in NLDS

[Benjamin Grimm]

If their playoff ticket isn't punched by Sunday morning, I think you have to pitch Johan that day.

[metirish]

I would start him against FLA , got to give my team the best shot at getting in.

[metirish]

If Santana does pitch Sunday then the earliest he would be available in the playoffs would be when , game three?

[Gwreck]

1. It's how the rotation "sets up." Obviously we know a lot can and will change between now and Saturday.

2. That being said, I don't think that Niese, Knight or Figueroa will start on Saturday if the playoffs hang in the balance. Adam Rubin's blog had some info on this:

]Niese�s turn next comes up Saturday, in the Mets� second-to-last game of the season. Manuel said it�s too early to commit to Niese for that start, though the interim manager had previously resolved not to use Johan Santana on short rest that day. The only other obvious options, Manuel agreed, are Nelson Figueora and Brandon Knight.

3. If Santana pitches Sunday, he'll be available for game 2 of the division series (3 days rest) or game 3 (5 days rest).

4. If Santana pitches Saturday on short rest, he'd be available to go in game 2 of the division series (regular rest) and game 5 (regular rest).

5. If the Mets stay "on turn" and do not move anyone up to pitch on short rest -- meaning that the "5th starter" spot pitches on Saturday -- the rotation would set up like this for round 1:

Game 1: Perez
Game 2: Pelfrey
Game 3: Santana
Game 4: Martinez
Game 5: Perez or Pelfrey

[Guest sharpie]

The Friday game vs Florida also makes me nervous as Pelfrey has been cuffed around by those guys this year.

[Gwreck]

More on Saturday, from Josh Thompson of the Journal News' blog:

]Near where the lineup is posted in the clubhouse, the Mets have listed �staff� as Saturday�s starter. In the past when the starter wasn�t determined until late, it would have a question mark. I�d say this would indicate the Mets may pitch just about everyone, including starters on their throw days. The starter will just be starter in name only. UPDATE, 4:40 p.m.: A correction and an update. The correct term written on the wall in the clubhouse is �Staffinator.� Seriously. Also, Manuel said he has �nothing in ink for Saturday.�

[Guest themetfairy]

This guy?

[seawolf17]

Someone get Derek Bell and Brent Mayne on line two.