IGT 8/23 Mets at Birds Niese v. J Garcia

[Guest d'Kong76]

Flute-playing front man is a bit of a stretch for the Gary pic. I'd more expect
him to have a couple bags of weed to sell in those pockets or looking to cop if
not.

Anyways, how 'bout that Addison Reed!!

[Zvon]

Ha. Molina sucks.


Wild pitch? He still sucks.

[Zvon]

Oh no Keith, I thought that dropped low.

[fimg=200:fidaukgg]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ZExyyLhyPGRP5iYl0dX9RdF1503yAP5m2wdGBwuraFO1K_faIGVeQCw9g9jeR48Ngd01xT602SEkFqGJYO6U4BMWCowFvmWnYwsyuGjOdQhjC3vucpUU3clHzVbN5r-rLoDkZGxxppS7hX_w9E0kPXmf1kdzdAShUUJS9L_IZLvWZ7a-BC6xVU19S6EmDWAUaVkT-GwVw3I-iW0ktg-k_ODr7N6pQLzOlYFa8vtb-32ZlYLB1ro3ooLDDigsPAhR7WwA1E7ARp8DFLayV0RI__MndVUsk7OIekoa361qa4290ssRb7upK-k9YiMWFCEYELT3AEYsSDEsZNUOU7lF8_NwI_LUPlBc-1acXMNgkcrbuo-YqiiRrh1WP-A09hhhyxINMlHno1T2rabtrpsf0lVRM4outUsW-wiWlEoxWxahRokvxB3OaB4i4pgmrZ-mlK-jkqwGIFUN-Hn7j5TLL6NRJh98RGD_f543g2ElB7B3U52Q26m5jZNP27Jw6cMSkHSdjtsEGFvs-0_1qJU-ul-kaYB2iAKKfch7mZuv40xDMUryoy3rLYdcAe61elHRAFbVS-qEXZUPfdsHKnj5kEwguntQocVr=w390-h358-no[/fimg:fidaukgg]

[Centerfield]

Wow. Bruce looks lost.

Come on Jeurys. Need this one.

[Guest Mets Guy in Michigan]

Poor Bruce has looked awful at the place tonight.

[Guest themetfairy]

Mets Guy in Michigan wrote: Poor Bruce has looked awful at the place tonight.

Tonight? He's looked awful at the plate as long as he's worn a Mets uniform!

[Zvon]

That outside corner curve/off speed. He's gotta lay off.

[Guest Mets Guy in Michigan]

Molina's neck tats look ridiculous.

[Guest themetfairy]

[Centerfield]

Big one.

We are in the wild card chase folks. If only for one night.

[Zvon]

Good start to the most important series of 2016.

[Frayed Knot]

Centerfield wrote: Henderson? really? Why are we not going to Robles here? Don't agree with this move.

Have you been watching Robles lately?
13 R on 10 hits + 10 BB over his last 8 outings/9-1/3 innings. And that includes a 3-inning scoreless game in the middle of that run.

[Frayed Knot]

Mets Guy in Michigan wrote: I step out to mow the lawn and find a 3-3 tie and Niese out of the game.

Well stop cutting the lawn then.

And now we have a guy making his major-league debut in the first game of a must-wine series.

A lot of Mets games this year have been "must-wine". I know they've often driven me to drink.

[Zvon]

Frayed Knot wrote: A lot of Mets games this year have been "must-wine". I know they've often driven me to drink.

And look what they've done to Gary.
[fimg=500]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CqmHRA2VYAAGQDj.jpg[/fimg]
@hotstover^

[Zvon]

Niese to the DL (whiners knee) and Goeddel up from Vegas.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Gosh guys I;m so amped after this win I dunno what.

First time in "New" Busch, we enjoyed a tour & the Cardinals hall o' fame this morning and the game tonight.

Except:
1) Cardinals only open the park 90 minutes before gametime so no fan BP for either team. Meanwhile all the beer sales happening at bars across the street. kinda dumb.

2) Park seats go high & tight, and with many beneath overhanging levels it's decidedly "dark" in much of the park, even in the concourses.

3) Like Cti, they have 2 big scoreboards but confusingly laid out, especially the OoTS, hard to tell where ads end and info begins, like a badly laid out web page.

4) Cards fans were all pretty kind to us, tho one redneck behind us didn;t like the way we cheered the Flores HR. That said for such great fans they were very quiet until something good happened, but never before. THey had the tying run at bat like 3 or 4 times and you couldn't tell. Energy was low. Many streamed out after 8.

5) They didn't show replays of any of the great fielding plays the Mets made, but they did show Johnson diving too late to get the DP ball like 50 times. THat's very weak IMO.

6) No fun 7th inning stretch song. They play the 'Here comes the king' Budweiser song in the 8th with video of the Clydesdales. Weak!

7) Tonihgt was "Beatles Night" but you couldn't really tell. Some Beatles songs between innings. The promo was only for fans who paid for a special ticket that allowed them to get a t-shirt commemorating the concert at Busch II 50 years ago. A Beatles lookalike tribute band played outside the park before the game but only "Paul" was really trying.

8) We're really optimized to hurt LH starters between Flores and Ruggiano. But Bruce, omigod, he's awful.

9) Big Gsellman fan. Getting that bunt down was a huge key to victory.

10) 8th inning wasn't pretty but also huge. I felt like if we didn't get Reyes in there, no way we win.

11) I got a turkey BBQ sandwich, not bad. Beer is heavy on the AB products but there are a few taps with local IPAs (Schlafly) and another that seems to specialize in German style lagers -- Zwickle -- which I liked so much I'm having another now.

[Guest cooby]

6) No fun 7th inning stretch song. They play the 'Here comes the king' Budweiser song in the 8th with video of the Clydesdales. Weak!

Was it the Christmas one? That one is pretty

[Frayed Knot]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: 3) Like Cti, they have 2 big scoreboards but confusingly laid out, especially the OoTS, hard to tell where ads end and info begins, like a badly laid out web page.

Seemed garishly bright, like electric green garish. Keith got on it big time before Gary jumped in and denounced it as "sensory overload".

9) Big Gsellman fan. Getting that bunt down was a huge key to victory.

A first-pitch successful sac bunt from a pitcher ... that might be the first of the year!!
I'm betting we have more K's than successes from attempted pitcher sacrifices this season.

[Edgy MD]

I saw that and I thought "Bunt of the year." It wasn't, of course, but the effect on my psyche was palpable.

I like the TwitterTrump tone of that TotG post. Weak! Low energy!

That was an enjoyable performance but about as unsustainable as the come. Two on and the tying run at the plate in every inning, gimpy (again) C�spedes pulling a homer off the top of the fence, Cabrera jumping and snaring a two-out liner heading for the gap. Nobody lives that right for long.

I've been planning for the transition of Granderson to bench player next year, but if C�spedes and Bruce stay healthy, he seems to be a good chunk of the way there already. With platoons already in place at first and second, Grandy seems reduced to being part of a three-headed centerfield platoon with Ruggiano and De Aza.

[Centerfield]

I can't remember enjoying a game this much. Got on the board early, responded even after St. Louis tied it. Every time they scored we had an answer. Good defense, strong bullpen work, hitting with scoring position, hitting the other way, hitting the other way with men in scoring position. It was like the anti 2016 Mets.

Our ace takes the mound tonight with a chance to pull to 2.5 games with over a month left. After the year we've had, I'll take that.

Wonder if Duda can be ready for the post-season.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

No. No, he won't.

[Centerfield]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: No. No, he won't.

Oh come on. He's only mostly dead.

Lucas Duda�s season could be finished, after a �flare up� in his lower back last week necessitated a shutdown in his rehab from a stress fracture. The Mets first baseman was subsequently examined by Dr. Robert Watkins in Los Angeles and told to rest for another 30 days.

That article was written August 3. 30 days makes September 2. Since I'm realistic, I'll give him Labor Day weekend to BBQ and rest too. That takes us to Sept. 6 when he resumes baseball activities. September 13 he starts rehab games as a DH. By September 20 he's playing full games. Makes his return September 23. Leads us to the post-season. We go 12-0 in October.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Cast your vote!

[Benjamin Grimm]