IGT - 4/3/11 Mets at Marlins

[Centerfield]

Rubber game on the road. I feel like the last time we won one of those was 2009.

Good stuff.

[Gwreck]

We actually won 2 rubber games on the road in September last year, on 9/8/10 at Washington and 9/26/10 at Philadephia. We lost the 8 other road rubber games that year.

The last time we WON a road rubber game when we weren't hopelessly out of the playoff race was probably June 7, 2009 in Washington.

[Guest The Second Spitter]

Case anybody missed it - tHere was a nice story during the game about Carlitos approaching and mentoring Duda when we was slumping last year. He even took him out for a nice dinner.

[duan]

how'd murph do at 2nd?

[Guest The Second Spitter]

duan wrote: how'd murph do at 2nd?

Awesome. Although he wasn't confronted with anything overly difficult. Best described as a confidence boosting experience.

[Gwreck]

Ceetar wrote: and I like all the matchups with the Phillies this week.

Young-Hamels? Umm, ok. Maybe the players dislike Hamels as much as I do and are ready to give him the pounding he so richly deserves.

Pelfrey-Blanton? I guess.

Niese-Halladay? Put down the crack pipe.

[Ceetar]

Gwreck wrote: Ceetar wrote: and I like all the matchups with the Phillies this week. Young-Hamels? Umm, ok. Maybe the players dislike Hamels as much as I do and are ready to give him the pounding he so richly deserves. Pelfrey-Blanton? I guess. Niese-Halladay? Put down the crack pipe.

Well, the Mets do tend to beat Hamels, and I think he's going to have a down year. More walks, less Ks. Hard to say Young is 'better', but I just like getting to face Hamels.

Pelfrey's better than Blanton, that's an easy one.

Obviously the last one is in their favor, but I do like Niese. Our offense is better, and our bullpen is better. Halladay might not be stretched out to go 8-9 effectively yet.

[Guest The Second Spitter]

I don't think Niese v Halladay is a lay down misere*. At the risk of sounding like Joe Morgan, you still have to put up the runs to win a ballgame. I don't know, maybe I'm drinking kool-aid.

OE *dead certainty.

[Gwreck]

I have no doubt that the Mets can beat Halladay; we need look no farther than Roy's last start when Houston bested him. But I will still be realistic that we are the underdog.

I will be satisfied with winning one of the 3 games in Philly this series and happy with winning 2.

[Ceetar]

For all the talk of 'getting off to a hot start', if it's worth anything, winning the series against the Phillies would go a long way towards that. Then they've got 13/16 at home, and if the home field advantage they've had holds up, (They're playing Washington, Colorado, Houston and Arizona so..) they'll be off to quite a decent start.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Gwreck wrote: I will be satisfied with winning one of the 3 games in Philly this series and happy with winning 2.

Me too.

[batmagadanleadoff]

On the fourth day of this baseball season, R.A. Dickey slots in at third place in ESPN.com's new feature - The Cy Young Predictor - based on formulas by Bill James and Rob Neyer