Young Mike Pelfrey helps blank the Nats

The Mets have been waiting since they drafted Pelfrey 9th overall in 2005 to come around and be a consistent starter in the Majors. It seems as if their wait may be over as the 25 year old blanked the Nats on 5 hits through 7 innings tonight. Washington could not get anything going offensively as a combination of bad baseball decisions and untimely hitting left them scoreless in Shea.
While the loss itself is disheartening, there is one good thing can be taken from this game. The players that beat the Nats weren’t the result of the 100 million dollar payroll of the Mets, in fact the prime producers in this game for New York were Wright, Reyes, and Pelfrey…all home grown talent. Why should this make the Nats feel good? Because it proves that it can work, it proves that the Nats efforts in solidifying their farm system over the last 3 years can finally pay off after some patience. It may not be this year or the next, but the promise is there.


Stupid Baseball:

Milledge answered the booing crowd in his return to Shea with a double to left. With one out he attempted to steal third on Schneider, who has one of the best arms in baseball. The result wasn’t exactly positive; he was gunned down at third. While that is a bad thing in its own right, what really is confusing is why he would steal while already in scoring position and the number three and four hitters due up. There was only one out, a base hit from either Zimmerman or Johnson would have scored him, getting thrown out at third gives him a 0% chance to score.

In the top of the third there was a chance for redemption. Lastings Milledge walked with one out to load the bases for the heart of the Nats order. Zimmerman came to the plate and on the first pitch popped the ball up to the infield allowing no runners to advance. When the bases are loaded with only one out the only really negative things you can do is either strike out or pop out. The basic rule is that with runners in scoring position you only swing at the first pitch if it is one you know you can handle; and by handle I mean…do anything but pop up to the infield. If Zimmerman had drove the ball to the outfield Guzman could have tagged up, even a hard ground ball could have scored the runner with the infield in double play position. Johnson struck out the next at bat, leaving the bases stranded.

The Nats stranded 18 baserunners tonight.

The Batting Order:

No one except Milledge or Guzman are really hitting very well right now. With that said Acta’s use of Guzman in the leadoff spot is confusing me. Acta is a fan of Moneyball, he knows how to get the most out of his low market team and understand the importance of things like when to stay away from small ball, on base percentage, and the importance of good defense. Guzman however while hitting a great .333 on the season is only getting on base .335 percent of the time. That’s not just a poor on base percentage but also an alarmingly low walk rate for any player much less a leadoff. Why not switch Lastings and Christian in the order? Lastings is getting on base 20 points higher then Christian, and Christians ability to put the ball in play makes him the ideal number 2 hitter to smack in Milledge.

Wright and Reyes:


Well I wrote in the preview that a lot of the Mets success would lie in the legs of Jose Reyes. He proved he was healthy, going 4 for 5, only a homer shy of the cycle. Wright had himself a day too, 3 for 4 with two doubles and a bomb, 5 RBI’s. This just shows the example of the types of premium players the Nats will need to become an elite team in the league. Can Milledge and Zimmerman fill those shoes? It’s possible, but keep in mind they’re only a year younger then the dynamic duo from NYC.


Side Note:

Paul Lo Duca did not get the start tonight, probably a result of the injured hand from Sunday. For whatever the reason he did not get a chance to face the hostile crowd in Shea. In his stead started Johnny Estrada who mets announcers Ron Darling and Keith Hernandez had a field day with while making fun of his weight.

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Mets vs. Nats, an intertwined series preview

The Nationals will travel up north to take on the strong New York Mets club after finally stopping their losing skid at home on Sunday. The Mets (5-6) and the Nats (4-9) are two teams struggling to find their identies early in the season. Both teams suffered injuries at the end of Spring Training, and both teams are now just finally getting healthy. What will make this series interesting is two things; first both teams are coming off of disappointing starts to the season and desperate to beat up on the other team to make up for lost ground, and second is the amount of personnel that have belonged to both teams in the last several years.

Mixed Loyalties or Deep Grudges?

Former Mets on the Nationals:
-Manny Acta as third base coach
-Paul Lo Duca
-Johnny Estrada (Kinda)
-Lastings Milledge

Former Nationals on the Mets
-Brian Schneider
-Marlon Anderson
-Ryan Church
-Endy Chavez
Reach: Pedro Martinez and Mousis Alou used to be Expos

Relationships:
-Omar Minaya was a terrible general manager for the Expoes before he became an ok general manager for the Mets.
-Ryan Zimmerman and David Wright played on the same summer team together in Highschool

Series History:
The Mets lead the series as the Nationals are 23-32 against their neighbors to the north since coming to Washington. The Nats however have won three in a row against the Mets including a crushing series sweep over them last September which contributed to the Mets losing the division and missing out of the playoffs. While Washington themselves has not been much of a power in the NL East since moving to D.C, their contributions to disrupting the powers at be has earned them the nickname through much of the league as, “Those Pesky Nats.”

Probable Starters:
Game 1: Odalis Perez (0-2, 4.91 ERA) vs. Mike Pelfrey (1-0, 3.60 ERA)
Game 2: Matt Chico (0-2, 3.72ERA) vs. John Maine (0-1, 4.50 ERA)
Game 3: John Lannan (0-2, 6.75 ERA) vs. Nelson Figeuroa (1-0, 4.50 ERA)

What to look for:
Jose Reyes, arguably the Mets best all around player and starting shortstop, has been sidelined the last several games due to a hamstring injury. Reyes is a player who relies on his speed and explosiveness to make great plays in the field and on the base path. Much of the success of the Mets against the Nats this week will determine on the health of his left hammy.

Lastings Milledge will be going up against the New York City crowd for the first time as an enemy and not the future of the franchise. In general while Mets fans liked Milledge, his lack of ability to fit in and become the phenom for the blue and orange that so many wanted has left them bitter. On top of this the young Milledge has not made it better for himself by actively speaking out about his time in the Big Apple. They way Lastings is able to handle this crowd will not only show if he has gained a level of maturity since the trade, but also his ability to play against a hostile crowd.

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