Frayed Knot

Torres, pulled for a PH (Niese), is in line for the win - but four innings still to go and, remember, we only have one more hit before today's quota is filled.

I wonder if the fact that this is the only game going on now is why the two replays have been decided so quickly; all eyes on the one TV set. If so maybe one solution to these delays is simply more eyeballs in use.

Half of today's trivia question has already been answered as Granderson & den Dekker have the first two Met hits. Now we just need to know who will get the other two?

If nothing else, those fans who complain about the lack of a set lineup have very little to squawk about these days. Curtis Granderson, rf Daniel Murphy, 2b David Wright, 3b Lucas Duda, 1b Travis d'Arnaud, c Matt den Dekker, lf Juan Lagares, cf Wilmer Flores, ss Carlos Torres, rhp Arismendy Alcantara, cf Javier Baez, 2b Anthony Rizzo, 1b Starlin Castro, ss Luis Valbuena, 3b Justin Ruggiano, rf Welington Castillo, c Matt Szczur, lf Kyle Hendricks, rhp

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Me, I really despise the latest wild-card innovation. A one-game playoff is fine for teams that end with the same record, but the two wild card teams could be separated by five or six games in the standings. To resolve that difference with just one game seems totally wrong to me. I know the argument is that it makes finishing in first place more of a reward, and that's true, but I don't like how it can potentially allow a third-place team to take such a great leap forward. I'd be much better with it if it was a best-of-three series rather than a best-of-one. (Those three games can even be played in two days. One game on Monday and a day/night doubleheader on Tuesday.) Well, my point here in praising it was strictly in the vein of the topic at hand: that if one has a problem with MLB's playoffs due, at least in part, to too many WCs moving on past season-long superior teams then the Double-WC system, with it's play-in game and the probable hole in the pitching rotation that would follow the survivor of it, should help calm your qualms. That said, I DO like it better for many of the reasons Vic stated.

It wasn't the first thing I thought of either. It was just when I caught up with it on cable last week (I had originally seen it maybe a year ago) I had a kind of "hey, wait a minute" moment. "It starts pretty slowly" --- It did, although there were still some sly little chuckles in there. The magazine rack he passes at one point with some issue headlined with a THE BEST OF HUMANITY banner up top and a picture of Christ and Oprah underneath was one of several LOL moments.

- I was pretty sure I already had a handle on the differences between a 16 & a 162 game season, but thanks for the primer anyway. - If the NFL playoffs are better for you despite the fact that the best teams not only don't always survive the post-season but sometimes aren't even there* then, by all means, enjoy. * even with a system that allows >1/3 of them in and is all but certain to expand even further, probably as soon as next season - I stand by my original statement (which was the only thing I set out to discuss on this topic) that is, with the exception of the NBA (although not for reasons of that game being "truer"), the luck/randomness/whateveryouwannacallit of MLB's playoff system is no more likely to produce a non-best winner than those of the other major team sports (about the same, I figure, as the NFL and MUCH LESS likely than hockey). Plus I think the newly-installed double-WC system has put back at least some of the advantage to the division winners that was taken away when the WC was first concocted. - As always, your mileage may vary.

Montero - 4.5 Edgin - 0.3 Torres - 0.2 Tejada - 1.5 Granderson - 1.0

Last 11 outings for Mejia: 10-2/3 IP, 17 Hits, 3 BB, 15 K. WHiP = 1.78 That he's given up "only" 5 runs during this span (4.22 ERA) is probably fortunate. He's needed to face 5 or 6 batters to complete the inning (or in one case [u:3njn6day]fail to[/u:3njn6day] complete it) a lot more often (8 times) than he has facing just 3 or 4 hitters (3 times). The year-long near .400 BA against him on 1st pitches -- 16 for 42 w/now 3 HRs (including both hits today) plus 2 HBPs -- says that maybe his problem is more approach related than (lack of) stuff and that he needs to think a bit more about what he's doing out there as opposed to, 'well I'll just get ahead in the count with this here fastball' Not that it mattered in the end, but that was a wasted double-switch by Terry today (Nieuwenuis + Torres for MdD + Edgin). He's done this a bunch in the past (although in fairness it seems like fewer this season) but unless you know you're going to need the reliever you're bringing in for a 2nd inning there's just no point in double-switching. I mean, congrats to Torres for getting Rizzo, but was he going to pitch the 9th even if the Mets didn't tie it up in bottom 8th? Maybe so (although I'd argue that if you're going to Mejia tied up I'd go to him down by one as well) but as things turned out all the D-S did was to remove MdD from the game on a day when the bench was short a man (Wright) already and, in effect, pre-announce exactly who (Nieuwenhuis) and when (3rd in that inning) he was going to PH for the pitcher's spot (supposing the first two guys got on and it was s bunt situation?). Collins then wound up burning Young & Flores to PR and then replace Tejada in the field in that very inning, leaving only d'Arnaud on the bench before the 9th inning even started in a game that looked very much like it was headed for extras. In the end he wound up double switching a 2nd time when he brought Flores in and so the pitcher wound up in Tejada's spot (8th) instead of MdD's (6th) but it was still [u:3njn6day]one spot sooner[/u:3njn6day] than it would have been had he left it all alone.

Geez ump, got an early dinner reservation?

MFS62 wrote: Just saw the in-game box score. For a team not hitting, why isn't Wilmer playing? Is he (shudder) hurt? Later DGANG. And, besides, Tejada has two of the hits.

How do you solve a problem like Mejia? How do you take a save and nail it down?

This Szczur guy who's pinch-running for the Cubs reminds me of the fan's sign during an old Twins post-season game: HEY HRBEK, BUY A VOWEL!

Frustrating part about this game is that, despite the lack of hits, they've gotten the leadoff batter on I think five times in the seven innings - but two GiDPs and a bunch of strikeouts killed any momentum before it ever got going.

MFS62 wrote: Frayed Knot wrote: Two wins on back-to-back days with only 4 hits each, and only 1 HR total. The metrics guys must be going bonkers over that one. Nah. They'd just say that it's unusual, but just don't count on it repeating for too long. And on that account I'd agree with them.

Two wins on back-to-back days with only 4 hits each, and only 1 HR total.

Familia went throughout the 8th inning on, what?, like 9 pitches. Seems almost silly to bring in someone else just to clean up the 9th.

Own-age is the new Black.

Don't like this kid, or Rizzo after him, as the tying run. Yeah he'll swing and miss a lot, but if he runs into one ... oe: but he pops it up. Still Rizzo to go tho

Frayed Knot wrote: Ashie62 wrote: Mets 7-1 laugher..... Not laughing. And neither is Niese.

Ashie62 wrote: Mets 7-1 laugher..... Not laughing.

d'Kong76 wrote: Granderson has been kinda suckin' lately. Whole top of the lineup really. Murph's going through his first real slump of the year, and while Davey is getting his singles he's not getting much else.

OK, I really liked this story of a lonely insurance salesman (Steve Carrell) and a quirky girl (Keira Knightly) finding each other in the final weeks prior to the 'no one here's gettin out alive' asteroid hits the earth ... BUT (teensy spoiler alert ahead) ... where exactly is Martin Sheen taking her on that plane? To England? In a plane that size?!?!!

5th straight loss, 5-0 to Tampa That game also brought the TBR up to .500 for the first time this season since being 10-10 and after falling to a low point of 18-games under in early June Rays now just 1 game in back of the Yanx who could conceivably fall from their current 5th WC slot to 7th before this weekend is over, caught and/or passed by TB and Cleveland Tigers, btw, not only fell out of the ALC lead this past week but, as of last night, the 2nd WC slot as well (serves them right for sucking v the Yanx). Seattle makes the playoffs if the season ends today (although I heard it won't).

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Is Matt Reynolds someone we should start getting excited about? From a Q&A in Friday's BA: Q: 2012 2nd rounder Matt Reynolds is hitting .338/.393/.510 in Las Vegas. If you were a betting man, would you wager that he's just another Las Vegas illusion or something more? A (J.J. Cooper): Playing in Las Vegas does make it hard to judge stats. Reynolds� .903 OPS actually ranks sixth among Las Vegas hitters with 100+ ABs. Potentially a utility infielder at the big league level, but until the Mets do something about their hole at shortstop, that makes him a starting candidate in New York.