Zvon

this is a tuffffffffff one. Brian Cole Alex Escobar Aaron Hielman Jose Reyes Preston Wilson Scott Kazmir Any of them on that list?

Wright singles in another. 2-0 in the 1st. nice start

got a better look at this. And it was pretty much just a ballsy heads up play by Giles. Wright did come in have his back to the play. If casrto did yell, well, thats one of the advantages of a home crowd. They make noise and I could understand him not being heard. Im reading nothing about this in the NY papers--- more about the DP blotched by Matsui when he didnt even make the throw. these excerpts are from CBSsl: ATLANTA -- John Smoltz knew the Atlanta Braves had the hit-and-run on when Marcus Giles took a big lead and broke from second base in the sixth inning. Staying out of a double play was important, so Smoltz figured his teammate would reach third easily when New York pitcher Pedro Martinez fielded Julio Franco's soft grounder. Instead, Smoltz was ecstatic to see Giles keep running and score standing up, the final run in the Braves' 3-1 victory over the Mets on Tuesday night. "That's a huge run for a pitcher," Smoltz said of the game's final run. "When you're battling, that run makes you feel like -- I wish hitters could appreciate what a pitcher feels like because that run's huge. He had it all the way. It was such a great play." With Giles on second and Chipper Jones on first in the sixth, Martinez (13-7) fielded Franco's grounder near the third base line and seemed to forget about Giles, who was running toward third. Giles had already rounded third when Martinez, who had his back turned to the runner, turned to throw out Franco. As soon as the ball left Martinez's hand, Giles scored easily. "Obviously a double play is not in order with the runners going, so as a defender you're thinking, 'Get the runner out,'" Giles said. "When the swinging bunt happened, I had it my mind that I was going home, hoping that Pedro didn't get alerted that I was going." Franco, who was credited with an RBI groundout, is slow enough that Martinez could have held Giles at third and still gotten the 47-year-old Atlanta first baseman out. "That really never happened to me before," Martinez said. "I learned something different. Franco was running, and I knew I had to try to get him. I looked at the replay and the coach never sent (Giles). He just ran like somebody was chasing him." Martinez pitched six innings, allowing five hits and three runs for New York, which has lost six of seven. "I never expected Giles to score like that," Martinez said. "We are facing a smart team. Obviously, they are on top of their game."

now Beltran bunts. Okay, im not gonna bitch about it. He aint hittin. Floyd grounds out and the Mets draw 1st blood. 1-0

and the guy not in thie line up singles and steals second.

Rockin' Doc wrote: Kc, the Braves have been kicking our ass when we field a full nine man starting unit. I don't think we should play them without a shortstop tonight. that would leave a BIG hole in the infield...... just sayin

if it wasnt for what Ive seen from him this season, id kick him in the ass on his way out and call him a soft cryin baby bum. But what he has done this year has changed all that. This is the Floyd i had hoped to see from day one. Seasons past I thought he was just overplaying injuries and more concerned with himself. But the way he has battled thru the bumps and bruises this year, and shown a team attitude that was not apparent in the past, I cant say enough about him. Hes a playah. Funny how in baseball you can do that without a problem. Believe a guys a total bum and then believe he's all that and a bag of chips. but.......wait for it.......DatsAbaseball

I was waiting for the Met highlights on ESPN. I missed the game recap but did catch the play I was confused about earlier. (I really wasnt paying attention during the 2nd half of the game, trying to keep abreast by reading CBSsl while handling some thinks AFK.) Do I got this right? a check swing grounder to Pedro and Giles scores from 2nd? I remember just looking and reading ground out to pitcher, runner scores. Figured the guy was on 3rd. Damn............thats nasty. I didnt understand how that went down at the time. The runners were going, so he wasnt gonna get a conventional 2 there. No play at 3rd, I guess. And Pedros back was to Giles. Could Wright or the bench have yelled 3rd or home? I know it was bang-bang but...... Thats just beyond heads up running by Giles. I mean, that kind of thing just cannot be allowed to happen. Id like to see a more complete look at this play.

Floyd has really impressed me the most. I never expected him to have the season he has had. He's a high maintenance player but he has shown me he can walk the walk and if he can do it thru Sept, Ill pamper him personally. Approaching his mid 30s. Do we get another productive year out of him? Tuff to say. It sure would be nice. Diaz? Comparing those stats to Cliffys aint fair. Floyds had 470 at bats. Diaz 208. Early on when I saw him swaggering around like he thought he was Reggie Jackson (b4 Cameron came back) I didnt like him. He wasnt walking the walk. Im old school: dont talk the talk until you walk the walk. He can hit tho, and maybe he grows into his head. It is time to find out. Id give him a chance next season, but only if Cameron is gone. Beltran: I think he is definatly pressing. He knows his role and takes it seriously. I wish he was having even a little bit better of a season. Or more clutch and timely hits, Ill settle for that. I have to believe that he will pan out and become the player we are payin for next season. I have to,or what else is there? Madness. Cameron? Being that he's a center fielder he's the odd man out. But damn, he has shown me what a great team player he is and its gonna hurt if/when they move him. He really has gone beyond the call of duty and given the Mets his all. If he'll stay and play right again, that makes for some tuff decisions. But he's got market value, (which may have dwindled due to the collision) and Omar may have to use it. I think the reality of it is they are going to build the outfield around Beltran during the next few years, and aside from him, anything can happen.

Edgy DC wrote: My game feed was breaking up, but I think FX was saying that Anderson was on deck with Diaz up, so I'd like to call Randolph out for something he didn't get a chance to do. Mr. Randolph, batting .370 with your pinch hitters isn't helping if we keep gunning for singles when we need homers. They're going to toss it over the plate and play the lines and accept a single. We should be pumping out Jacobs and looking for the big fly there. I agree that we should have seen Jacobs bat in this game at some point.

Spacemans Bong wrote: Because that's where you'll find the Met offense. :evil: really...... i was gonna check the obituaries

lets face it, no matter what you end up doing if you lose the game there gonna toss your name in the mudd.

Edgy DC wrote: Siskie, for all the hate residuals he was still drawing in from his 1985 season had given up no homers in 41 games and 70.2 innings. Which, of course, you've got to do if you're going to be jetting around the country with a 1:1 K:BB ratio. I have half an instinct, as the home team, to try and clear the inning with Niemann first and Sisk in reserve. The pitcher batted second the next inning. They can go to their starters after that, if necessary. I'm not at all sure I'd do that though. If they lose the series with Sisk on the mound, my name is Mudd. lol---it took me like 1/2 hour to type my post above(yep,im a slooooooo typer) But the homer Sisk homer factor might have changed my perspective.

this is tuff but fun to figure. My initial reaction was similar to many here. Niemans a lefty but i dont even consider him in that spot. Id have gotten Sid and Gooden up,(or Sid and Sisk) and if Fernandez was showing his 'stuff', go with Sid. I remember seeing how he used to just stymie betters at times. And mostly with his off speed stuff and wicked curve set up with heat. Your playing at home, and have to play one inning at a time at that point. Id have to think I want a lefty here cause I want those 1st two outs real bad in Bostons half. Thats my priority. One line of thought is go to Fernandez for Evans and Redman, then go to Sisk or Gooden for Hernandez and Owen. Just keep it tied until you can get to your half of the inning again. That could backfire badly tho if the game goes many more innings. With the offensive numbers that the '86 Mets put together, I would not expect them to go into a coma at the plate for too many innings in a row. Beyond Schiraldi and Stanley, Boston pen wasnt the best. Crawford, Sambito, Id a liked my odds facin them at home in extra frames. Sid could surely go 2 in that spot if you want to play it that way too, and get some mileage out of him. Cause if the game goes 14 or more innings, your in trouble. Sisk would have to follow Sid and then Niemann. Then Gooden. Id really want to save Darling and Gooden(not effective or dominating:/emergency:out of the pen) for game 7. Then you have those 2 plus McDowell, Aguilara, and Orosco, (who you would go to before Gooden as well). I dont remember Fernandez giving up many gopher balls (Id like to have those numbers). I remember seein him go on streaks of retireing batter after batter in a row. I would have to work my way backwards at that point, and live one inning at a time. Who had the best 'stuff' at that moment and could keep us alive? If Sid showed his usual 'stuff' warmin up in the pen he would be the best choice.

Johnny Dickshot wrote: That's how we're gonna do this. I wonder if theres cheat codes for real life like there is for vid games.

Frayed Knot wrote: This is just phuking phrustrating. Every one of these recent losses (except the last Pedro start a week ago) is by 1 or 2 runs. A hit here or a hit there ... I agree that this is tuff to got thru. but would you rather be 15 games out and trying to find periferal things to be interested in? I can do that, but id rather be doin this. Not suffering,lol, but hangin on every game. I truly didnt expect to be here in April. And that was WITH the 25 HR and 80 rbi out of Beltran which we aint gettin. Ill deal with the suffering. Ill get past this. Ill bleed blue and orange until my viens are sapped.

KC wrote: It's over. The game, that clinging on to a wild card thing too. maybe, maybe not. baseball is a funny game like that. It dont look good, but... things can happen. I wont roll over until the math says they are dun.

whoops--suddenly its 2 outs for the mets in the 9th. its hard to keep up or even judge the teams performance when you cant watch the game and are at the mercy of a web site feed, but on the whole, the Mets got the pitching they needed here, and not the hitting.

Rotblatt wrote: I'm thinking the Plan includes losing tomorrow against the Braves, then sweeping the Cardinals & Nats. Then, miracle of miracles, we take 2 of 3 against the Braves to put is into a WC tie and get us all giddy as little school girls. We go on to win 2 of 3 against Florida, the Nats & the Phillies and sit with a 3 game lead in the still tight WC race and only one game out of the division title. Each of the next four nights, a different Colorado scrub takes a different Met reliever deep in the ninth to deny us a postseason berth. Ill take all a this. Ill take anything the Mets give me. When it comes to baseball and the Mets my pain is tempered by my solid foundation of great experiences and following them thru the yrs 74 to 84.(and sticking with them-even thru the Midnight Massacre when Seaver was F'd and our offensive hopes rested with Kingman and Foster)After those ten years, everything is relative.

I think my CBS sportline feed is frozen. No change for like 5 minutes. Feels like 5 minutes.

shoot, I have not been able to be here 100%. I am now. Shingo to handle the top of the order, huh?---down by 2 runs with a inning to go. So i guess now is the time to give Takatsu some confidence? Okay...................hope it works.

Frayed Knot wrote: The difference in this game is in grounders, mainly in DPs turned and DPs not turned. oh, he went for 2. Im doing a dozen things and my attentions been divided. that should have been obvious.

Elster88 wrote: I'm shocked that he could get that many losses, the way he has pitched, on a team that is fifth in the league in RS. this is discouraging, to say the least.

i guess thats the only way a guy scores on a ground out to the pitcher, huh? Damn. Phils lost, so Asstros win 2 of those so far

squeeze?