(Game 1)
Braves- 3
Mets- 2
It always sucks to lose to the Braves. It doesn't matter that the rivalry has recently died down due to their decline. It fact, it makes me angrier because even though their season was over long ago, you know they're just dying to play spoiler! And they did today, in heartbreaking fashion.
After the disappointing rain out, a single admission doubleheader on Saturday! Sounds great. There have been so many double headers this season. This one, Phillies, Rangers back in June, Reds in May, Yankees, etc. The weather this season hasn't been the best or the kindest. The rain out forced the Mets hand and now they have to play 17 games in 16 days. Tall order with a banged up rotation and bullpen. Okay, the bullpen isn't banged up. They're just bad.
So the Shea Faithful crew and I get to the game relatively early. We pick up our tickets at Stubhub and make it into the stadium in time to get the promotion giveaway, a Mets Military cap sponsered by JEEP! I hate those sponsors! No more! Give us a hat or a tin without it being an advertisement. I still love them and try to collect as many as I can, especially since all of these giveaways have the final season at Shea logo. Exclusive!
So we had pretty good upper deck tickets. Section 24, Row A, which is always a good thing.
And here they are, your 2008 New York Mets!
So the game starts, which is a beautiful thing after going to a rain out the night before. It just gets you extra pumped. Everyone is already pumped that Johan is pitching! But he wasn't sharp today. He didn't have his ace stuff. But you want to know why he's an ace? Because he can take an outing like this, where he doesn't have a lot going for him, and STILL get the big outs and shut down the opposition. This is why he's one of the best pitchers I've ever seen in a Mets uniform. Check that. I'm ready to say he is the best starter I've seen in a Mets uniform. Too young for Seavor, obviously along with Gooden. My only comparisons I suppose are guys like Hampton, Leiter,Reed, Armando Reynoso, Masato Yohsii, etc.
In the first, Santana allows two base hits. One to the always pesky Kelly Johnson. I would laugh and say he has a girl's name but I don't have a leg to stand on with that one. The other was to McCann, but got the three outs. Two of them on hard hit balls into the outfield. And no Chipper this game! Yes!
The game would stay scoreless until the bottom of the fourth. Beltran started it with an infield single (how many of those has he gotten this year? As long as you get on base) Delgado, MVP, hits a single and the Mets are in business! Bobby "I'll never retire" Cox decided to intentionally walk Tatis, to pitch to Easley. He makes them pay with an RBI single! But then Scheinder grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. A run did score, but it really killed the momentum. Santana grounded out. So a decent inning that could've been a lot better. Looks like the Cox move sort of paid off. I know Tatis would've done something against Hampton in that spot. 2-0 Mets.
It would stay this way for a very long time. But let's discuss the missed scoring opportunity the Mets had in the 6th because although we all felt very comfortable with a two run lead most of the game, I knew this was a crucial and rough turning point. Beltran started the promising inning again. This time with a walk. Domi ama gato Mr. Delgado, then hits a double. Second and third and no outs. No way we're going to blow this chance. Hampton intentionally walks Tatis AGAIN. But don't worry. Too Easley was up. He came through in the 4th so he'll surely do it again. Nope. Like Scheider did in the 4th to kill the big inning, Damion hits into a double pay. Santana strikes out. No ones! What?! What is this, the Willie Randolph days!? Shit!
I felt the balloon just deflate. How many times have we seen this? Sure, we're cruising with a small lead and nice pitching performance but then the missed chances rear its ugly head! We always pay for those! I mean, with the bullpen we have, you know that it's imperative that the offense gets every run they possibly can.They didn't do it today, which is why they failed.
Going into the 8th, Santana had allowed 7 hits while striking out 4. Not the most dominant line but where it mattered most, he produced a giant goose egg. 0 runs. Manuel is a smart man. He knows he can't trust that pen and if he could get anything more out of starters late in games, he's shown that he will try and get it. That's why everyone was happy with Manuel's decision to let Johan start the 8th. But he gave up back to back singles and that was it. That was when everyone understood that we may not win this one. Then the Scho, Stokes offer little relief as the Braves hit two more singles, and tie the game at 2.
Feliciano came in and got Infante to fly out to left. Unfortunately the ball was hit deep enough to drive in Kotchman on a sac fly. 3-2. He limited to damage by striking out Kelly. It's 3-2.
Here's my problem with the 8th inning of that game. Granted Santana did not look sharp all afternoon. Granted he threw 115 pitches and granted Jerry let Santana start the 8th and he gave up two singles. But when it's runners on 1st and 2nd with no one out, have the guts to leave the guy in for AT LEAST one more hitter. Maybe he gets Kotchman to hit into a double play. Maybe he at least gets one out. You know how hideous this bullpen has been. And why put in Schowenweis?! Leave Johan in. I'm sick of seeing this pen allow hits after hits! Some of them are slow and up the middle. Some are bombs. Either way, I'm sick of it.
Anyway, after Felicano limited the damage, we all thought it'd be okay. That we had two innings to make something happen offensively against a spotty Braves bullpen. Bottom of the 8th, Delgado leads off! Alright! Ohman, lefty specialist, came in to face him. If you remember, Delgado hit a game winning double off him back in August. No such luck this time. Deli hits it hard to left but just got under it. And that was basically all she wrote. The next three Mets batters, in the 8th and 9th struck out followed by ground outs and the Mets lose a very winnable game!
I guess everyone deserves some blame for this lose. The offense didn't put the hammer down when they had the chance, twice. Johan didn't get the big out in the 8th (although he gets the least amount of blame) and the bullpen couldn't save him, shocker! I hate this bullpen. I've never seen a pen operate this way, especially on a good Mets team. Whenever the Mets had success and made the playoffs, bullpen was always a strong point! Wendell, Cook, Bradford, 06 version of Duaner, hell, where's Armando Benitez when you need him!?!
And the Phillies beat the lifeless Brewers so we lose a game. Great! You should have seen the Braves. They revel in the spoiler role because with all the success they had in the regular season for over a decade, they rarely got the job done! So screw you Atlanta Braves.
I'm tired of repeating myself, but there's no other way to say it. You can't afford to lose these winnable home games against bad teams! I didn't feel very confident after this lose with Niese who I think is going to be great one day, going the second game. Luckily there's another game in a half hour.
My Shea Memories- This game reminded me that it's September and that the final game at Shea (regular season) is right around the corner. Sad. I just remembered that as much as going to opening day has become a tradition for myself, so has going to closing day. I've gone to 4 straight last games, beginning in 2004, which brings me to this memory. It was the very last game the Expos played as the Montreal Expos. They were making the move to DC the following year. Matt and I had seats in the picnic area. His sister sometimes got tickets to the area and they catered food on these particular days. This food was awesome. It made Shea food look like dog food. I'm talking great burgers, pasta, desserts, chicken, etc. It was all there and all you can eat. I loved those games. Unfortunately, I didn't go to one of those picnics this year. I don't think I will unless I go the final weekend somehow. Anyway, the game always marked the last game Todd Zeile would play (he was getting ready to retire) and the last game Brooklyn favorite John Franco would pitch in a Mets uniform.
I was sad about that one. Franco was the first baseball autograph I received. He was always very courteous to the fans. I even got a picture with him at his infamous John Franco's Place in Sunset Park this one day where the Mets were there to sign. Good times. That day I got autographs from Mike Piazza, Bobby V, Rick Reed, Al Leiter. Bobby Bonilla was supposed to attend but for some reason was MIA. This was the winter of 1999. I was thrilled to be there.
Back to the game, Todd Zeile hits a home run that game. We almost missed it because we were downstairs trying to win some memorabilia that was being raffled off. We didn't win shit like always and they had some awesome items. Last games are always sad just because you know you won't be back in that stadium for months and that the cold weather is coming.
Here's the video of the day. There were a lot of birds flying around the same spot. Not too exciting sounding but it looked like armageddon, especially with the weather turning dicey.
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