12

September 9th, 2008
Nationals- 8
Mets- 10

Wow! What a game. If you enjoy offense, then you loved this one. Personally I love offense as long as it's coming from our side only. I enjoy nice 10-1 wins. But as Mets fans know, easy victories have been a rarity this season. It doesn't matter that this Nationals team has the second worst road record in baseball. It doesn't matter that they have Anderson Hernandez leading off. It's going to be a dog fight.

So this morning, the prospects of a game being played were questionable after a thunderstorm hit the city. It was a loud one too. I think I almost pissed my pants at one point. I went on both the Nats and Mets sites to see when they'd be able to make it up in case of a rain out. They both had off the 11th so I was prepared to not goto Shea tonight. But 5pm rolls around and it's dry outside. Gloomy but dry. I get to the stadium around 6:45 and NO ONE is there, which I expected and was fine with because the line for tickets was empty. If you've waited on those lines on any kind of regular basis, you know how much of a pain in the ass it is. Some people are so damn selective, they end up spending 10 minutes before they buy a freaking ticket! Buy a couple and let's go! But I waited for no one tonight. And it's 5 dollar night! I think the cotton candy is more expensive than the actual ticket tonight. That's wild. For some odd reason, all the regular Upper Reserved seats were sold...Right...Are we talking about the same game? That place was a ghost town tonight and they only have non alcohol section tix? Odd but fine because once I got in, I had my choice of seat and sat next to a friend in section 2.

They did this interesting tribute today to breast cancer before first pitch. Much better than the weird internet safety day. Hundreds of fans wearing pink shirts formed the breast cancer ribbon on the field. It was a really cool touch. Here's what it looked like. (I brought the camera)



Following the tribute, the game starts! And here we go...Perez looked relatively strong through the first two innings, only giving up a single to Zimmerman and a walk to Aaron Boone. Why anyone would walk Boone is beyond me but Perez looked decently solid. On the offensive side, the bats had it going on in the 2nd against John Lannan. (No Beatles jokes please.) Delgado started it all with a lead off single. Yes folks, he can now do it all! Soon you'll see him steal bases. Tatis then comes up and hits a double! Second and third no out. I was a little nervous with the bottom of the order coming up that this would be another one of those wasted opportunities moments. Silly me, because Manuel has realized Castillo can't hit. Easley comes up and hits a two run double! 2 nothing. This gonna be an easy one...

Then Perez gives up the lead quickly. I'm talking Tom Glavine giving up the lead quick! First problem. Hernandez, the former Met, the same one that couldn't hit a lick, hits a single. Are you kidding me!? Why should I be surprised though Guzman then hits a towering fly ball deep to left that I prayed to go foul. Like most of my prayers, this one was unanswered. 2 run home run. Game tied! Great...Perez playing down to his competition. We haven't seen this one before...Seriously, I thought he got over this stupid part of his game. These are the Nationals. As my friend Matt texted me during the game, these hitters are 'no names'. Get the job done!

Thankfully the Mets quickly regained the lead with a solo shot by Ryan Church who seems to finally be getting his swing back. What a big lift that is. Manuel, keep batting him second when you can. 3-2 and it was only the beginning! Wright hits a single. Then Beltran comes up big with a double which Wright tried to score on but was thrown out at the plate! Ugh! Here we go again. More missed scoring opportunities. Wrong! Mr. Delgado hits an absolute bomb that hits the scoreboard! This guy is a beast! 5-2 Mets.

Then the wheels come off for Ollie in the fourth. he walks Boone and then the Nats hit single after single after single after single after single. I'm not exaggerating or trying to be funny. 5 straight singles off Perez. Manuel then pulls the plug on Perez who couldn't even get out of the 4th. Very disappointing and scary outing. Nelson Figueroa comes in the game, who has some history against the Nats, calling these a a female softball team earlier in the year. But Milledge gets an rbi single. Then he walks Dukes...You know for a female softball team, they're really giving you some trouble there, Nelson. Luckily Aaron Boone grounds into a 6-4-3 double play. But the damage had been done. 5 runs in one inning. 7-5 Nats. It's happening all over again!

Not these resilient Mets! They tie it right back up in the 4th. Lannan was taken out for Estrada because Acta loves to manage these games against the Mets like it's game 6 of the World Series! Schneider hits a lead off single. Later, Reyes hits a double. Yes, his bat is coming alive again! Church grounds out but gets the job done as a run scores. Mock comes in and Wright gets an RBI single. Now his bat is coming alive! Clutch hit. Game tied at 7.

The Nats would score again in the 5th, where Brandon Knight initially struggled. But he limited the damage to just 1 one. 8-7 Nats. Yikes again!

The score would remain this way until the 6th. Church got it started with a single. Then came Beltran. Acta of course made another pitching change, because remember, this is a World Series game. He puts in Manning and Beltran says ADIOS! A two run shot into the picnic area. Beltran goes deep at Shea! Always a great thing to see. But as the 06 slogan stated, Buy one Carlos, get one free.' Delgado hits another BOMB that flies into the Mets bullpen. Maybe it's Delgado who thinks the Nats are a female softball team. 10-8 Mets! The fans were DYING for a curtain call but Delgado didn't give one tonight. No biggie though. He's given a couple recently. I could understand him not feeling too comfortable doing it regularly. THis was his 7th multi homer game which leads the majors! What a turnaround! And I predicted it!

That would be the final score. The Mets would need solid outings from Smith, Show, Stokes and Ayala but they all chipped in and shut out the Nats like they should've been the entire game! Mets win!



Here's the scorecard scans. I used this new book that I'm not too fond of plus the pencil got dull. So it's a big incomplete but you get the idea...





And the Phillies lose! That was another stressful situation because the Marlins took a huge early lead that the Phillies nearly erased...but failed!

As far as the scene around the ballpark goes, 50,000 tickets were sold. Probably about half of those holders showed up, the die hards. I met the craziest man I may ever encounter. Anyone that goes to Shea on a regular basis and sits in the Upper Reserved section behind home plate, will often hear a strange yell from an unknown spot after a strikeout. It goes a little like this: Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee....STRUCK HIM OUT!

Yes. My friend and I sat next to the He struck him out guy. The bearded diehard was like a walking scoreboard, holding a custom made scoreboard in one hand and an XM satellite radio in the other, to update us on the Phillies game...and the Red Sox game, and the Yankees game. It got very confusing at one point when he'd shout out scores. My friend asks him how many games he's attended, thinking he'd beat or at least tie his number. He uttered 205 or something to that effect, THIS YEAR. This man travels the northeast, sometimes the country going to every and any game. Minor league, Phillie games, Nats, games, single A games. It was the most bizarre thing I've ever heard. He then says he's been to over 200 games a season since 1985!!! WTF!!!! And has been to over 6,000 games at Shea Stadium lifte time. This man was immortal. To many, he's a nut. To me, a legend. He handed us his notebook which lists all the stadiums he's been to, how many times. I kid you not. I couldn't make this up. And one of the stadiums on the list had been torn down for nearly 50 years, the Polo grounds! Ahh! And he was making plans with a friend to see a Nationals-Padres at DC game over the weekend!? He says,"hey it's baseball. it counts' when the friend scoffs at the idea. Then they plan to go to Philly on Thursday, a Mets off day, to see our rivals play the Brewers. Wow! Suddenly, I don't feel so crazy. But I couldn't help but wonder if I was taking a gander at what my future held. Ha. He had Mets and Yankees season tickets. Don't ask how or why! I couldn't tell you. They should build a statue for this dude.

And that was My Shea Memory for tonight. Very current, I know but I can't top it or share something better with you for now!

Tomorrow's another 5 dollar day! Woo! And big Pelf will go more than 4! I guarantee it. Let's sweep the two game series and get to win 82!

And here's the video of the night! It's Ron Darling counting down the remaining games at Shea with Mr. Met! I won't talk anymore in these videos. Promise.