Loading ...It has come to this for the Mets. Brandon Knight has been called upon to pull the Mets out of their funk. It has been three straight losses, so you can’t really call it a collapse. But, it has also been four losses in five games, so you tell me.
The bullpen crashed and burned Sunday, Pedro Martinez showed heart alone wasn’t enough Monday, and Monday and Tuesday the offense went into hibernation mode. Each of the past four losses carries a reminder from how they collapsed last September.
The Mets are asking a lot from Knight tonight. This has to be a game where the offense tees off, but there’s been no signs of that lately.
Posted under New York Mets
This post was written by NYMR Archive on September 17, 2008
Brandon Knight was a great point guard for Pitt several years ago. Too bad its not the same guy. That Brandon Knight was all heart and fire. This guy better be of the same mold. Still want to know why these pansied starters can’t go on 3 days rest one time like the wife beater Brett Myers just did. Leadership thy name does not exist on the NY Mets.
They can’t go on 3 days rest because they had a double header on Saturday with no off day until the rest of the year.
The Phillies… sure they had a double header on Sunday but they also had an off day on Monday and have one next week Thursday as well.
Different situations.
With that said the bats better come out swingin with Mr. Knight on the mound.
You have this wrong Benny. On 3 days rest Santana would have pitched tonight Benny. Niese would pitch tomorrow and then the rest would be on four days as normal. Either Santana didn’t step or Minaya wouldn’t risk the move for his big pay check guy. Either way, Nobody steps up on this team. Myers pitched on 3 days rest Sunday before their off day, so they wouldn’t have to pitch a bum like Knight. This is a joke like Lawrence last year.
hey kids, who’s ready for another fun-filled night in metville?
Why is Nats’ TV color commentator Don Sutton wearing the butt-ugliest off-white vest and play-by-play guy Bob Carpenter wearing an equally hideous green polo shirt?
Got those geeks on mute and Howie Rose on audio on mlb.com.
Gil: Tonight we’re trying the mets PJ’s because apparently the sippy cup wasnt worth a damn !
Gil: Can’t you get the road feeds now. I now have choice of both.
JOSE! JOSE-JOSE-JOSE! JOSE! JOSE!
There we go Jose…..
Well, that sure was unexpected. He did a good job at getting into a hitter’s count. Nobody knows what Knight will give them tonight, so the offense has to come up big.-JD
By the way, nearly two weeks into the blog, we set a record last night in comments. Thanks all.-JD
obviously it didn’t come in quite as big a spot, but perhaps that lead off home run, like dykstra’s in game 3 of the ‘86 series, will be the spark the mets need to get out from behind the proverbial 8 ball.
Harry: Do you have the feed option on mlb.tv or on Extra Innings? Only place I have a choice is mlb radio.
Good for you Delcos. The post numbers are pretty darn impressive for a new site.
wow, delgado is a strong man.
Mr. Delgado has returned!
Domo arigato, Mr. Delgado!
Wow talk about all or nothing 2 bombs and 2 K’s
Gil: Last week they modified MLB to give road and home for TV as well as radio. I think its for the 800 and 1.2 feeds only and not yet the 400. I’ve had the MLB.TV feed for 2 years so I can watch when I’m away. Not talking baseball seems to have brought good luck 2 HRs, of course only 2 runs. I think they need at least 10 tonight.
David: The PJs are working so far, brother.
Phillies 1, Braves O, top 1.
Why’d Beltran wait until two strikes in the count to run? Go earlier and give someone a chance to knock you in from scoring position.
Harry: Thanks for the tip. I may just do that this weekend, as I can’t stand the homering Braves announcers.
Its now 2-0 Phils. Honestly im more inclined to scoreboard watch the brewers.
this first inning from knight will go a long way towards determining whether or not he’ll have any kind of shot in keeping the mets in the game.
Wow. Howie just decsribed Brandon Knight’s 6.43 ERA as “chunky.”
Never have I heard an ERA described like that.
Damn, does Wayne Hagin have to over-emphasize EVERY syllable he utters?
well, i suppose that was promising.
Alex: at this point we have to take anything positive.
4-0 Philly
That’s why I can’t stand the Braves.
Beat up on us, yet they roll the %$# over against the rest of the league.
that was an atrocious call
Who’s the first base ump, Ed Hochuli?
HE WAS CLEARLY OUT AT FIRST!!!
I’m going to the game tomorrow. Looks like I’ll have no trouble finding a seat!
Gil: Isn’t chunky better than sucky?-JD
Harry: You might even get into the dugout.-JD
Yeah, I guess “chunky” is a polite way of saying “sucky.”
chunky, sucky, i don’t care what his era for the season is as long as his era for tonight’s game is low.
nice to see the other team hit a rope and make an out. 2 outs is even better.
That run shouldn’t have counted.
Milledge was out at first.
Dugout seats eh? I’d have to turn that down. They might ask me to come in and relieve.
Gil: Too bad it doesn’t work that way. … Knight got lucky with the Nats’ bad baserunning. Those last two balls were ripped.-JD
Over-enunciating Wayne hagin just relayed an important stat about Brandon Knight: lefties in the minors were hitting over .400 against him this year.
Harry: Could you do any worse?-JD
Gil: Hitting .400 in the minors should translate to what in the majors?-JD
Well Gil, We agree about Hagin. I listened to him Saturday because they had the Phils on my Fox game and he is hard to listen to. Poor Annie, she listens to him almost every night.
This has big inning written all over it.
Gotta take advantage.
Way to go, Murph!
And nice defense Lasto!
OK, I know you’re all happy, but shouldn’t MIlledge have played that better?-JD
I think I would be thought of as the world’s slowest throwing knuckle ball pitcher. But the results would be better. They’d be laughing too hard to swing.
i’m sorry, no disrespect to nick evans, but murphy should be playing everyday from here on.
I am so glad Murphy couldn’t play all those games because we had to go with the veterans NOT!
Alex: No doubt about it.-JD
Just hit a fly ball.-JD
I knew what the Mets were getting into with Hagin. I did some on-air work for an Albuquerque all-sports radio station in the mid-’90s and we were a Rockies affiliate station, so I had more than my fill of Wayne Hagin.
He sounded too polished then and still does today. Phony as a $3 bill.
JD –
I know Manuel laughed at the suggestion of Murphy getting any time at 2B, but can you please ask him if he’ll now consider giving Murphy a shot to start against a Lefty?
YES!
sweet.
Exactly what they needed. The offense had to wake up. They still need more.-JD
We better pile it on.
Remember our bullpen.
Gil: I am … that was the motivation for that last comment.-JD
ive been begging for murphy for days glad to see him in there and producing, Nice inning for the mets key here would be Knight coming in and getting a nice 1-2-3 inning.
Somebody give Murphy a rabbits foot. 3 leftfielders have gone out with season ending injuries this year.
hey john can you get rid of the Read More feature.. it’s really annoying
Fernando Tatis, WFAN says, has a “class A” separation of his shoulder, which means no surgery. He’ll be able to resume baseball activities in 2-3 weeks, making it a longshot that he’s be able to be art of any possible post-season.
A third of the way through. Good outing so far by Knight. The runs help, but a few more wouldn’t hurt.-JD
He would have caught that ball had Wright hit it.-JD
stop the presses, willie harris didn’t catch a tough ball off a met bat
Finally!
Something that Willie Harris couldn’t catch!
JD, dont worry. the stars are aligned. Harris missed one.
he probably would have caught it if the mets weren’t already up 5 runs.
You see JD, I guess Willie didnt believe he could catch that one !
make it 6
Does anybody but me, the old guy, remember the Four Corners offense Carolina used to play?-JD
JD,
I prefer the Arkansas 40 minutes of hell.
a little before my time, though i certainly know what it is…unfortunately we don’t have anything similar for the mets to employ
alex: Just adding on and keep the other guys from scoring. It works, it really does.-JD
of course keeping the other guys from scoring works a lot better when they don’t get the chance to touch the ball…
alex: Nothing gets by me, right?-JD
indeed
self created trouble for Knight.
uh-oh
Time to get Knight outta the game.
This is enough.
Three walks and two hits in one inning?
Knight’s command is leaving him. … Good base running, He would have been dead at the plate.-JD
I can’t believe Manuel is leaving him in.
This may come back and bite us in the ass.
phew.
That inning could have been a whole lot worse. I wonder if Manuel will send him out for one more. If he does, he’ll have a short leash.-JD
Well knight fully created his own trouble there but good that he got out of it. I just cant stand 2 out nobody on walks especially with a 6 run lead.
Do you give Knight another inning?-JD
JD,
Id give him a batter or two but as you say very short leash.
he starts, and manuel goes out by out. if anyone reaches base you pull him (unless maybe he gets the first two outs — then he gets one more batter).
Mets need to get a runner or two on, even if they don’t score, to give Knight a chance to catch his breath.-JD
one caveat…if the mets offense somehow manages to score another 3-4 runs this inning, then knight gets a longer leash.
alex: Agreed.-JD
Figures on a night the mets are actually winning. The brewers are up 3-0 and the phils 4-0 such is life.
Get Knight outta there, please.
knight’s lost 5mph off his fastball according to the sny gun.
no way he should pitch to guzman
This is starting to look a lot like a situation in a game one year ago today.
Jerry needs to get Knight out of this game ASAP.
JERRY, GET HIM OUTTA THERE!!!
This is unreal.
One longball and these guys are back in the game. No way he should be pitching to the No. 3 hitter here.
What is Manuel waiting for, the three-run homer or the grand slam?-JD
Knight was incredibly lucky Zimmerman didn’t put that 1-1 helicopter he threw him into the bleachers.
Manuel may end up very sorry for giving Knight this inning which I’m guessing few of us would’ve given him.
he is walking a tight rope
Great, Knight struck out Zimmerman and got Milledge.
I’d still go get him right now.
He’s getting away with hangers.
I love to be proven wrong.
however i agree with everyone else lets quite while we’re ahead
Well, thank the Lords of Kobol Knight escaped trouble.
But that has to be his last inning.
I’ll give hive props for five good innings, but now we know how he may work best — in short spurts, in relief.
Maybe he’s the longman out of the ‘pen we need — I’d take my chances with him over Heilman in a relief role.
Gil: the way the pen’s been pitching Knight may be competing for a closers role…
i think if we were told before the game that knight would give us 5 innings and give up 2 runs, everyone would take it in a second.
but hopefully they don’t push their luck.
wow thats the most productive AB we’ve gotten from a 2B in over a week…
Alex: Definitely Agree Knight most definitely did his job in the spot start
hey, look at that someone who knows how to go 1st to 3rd on a hit and run.
was everyone just holding their breath/comments to see if we could make it through an inning without a reliever giving up a run?
This is starting to take on a 2007 feel, with Rincon now wild pitching and giving up hits.
wow. that may have been the dumbest thing i’ve seen all year.
Oh my GOD!!!
Did the Nationals just make the worst baserunning mistake I’ve EVER seen in my life???!!!!
Goonzalez shouldn’t be allowed to set foot again on a baseball field.
What a bonehead play!
thank goodness for assanine nats baserunning
must score more runs…
Not over yet.-JD
Here we go again.
i repeat, must score more runs…
We’re going to lose this game.
I can feel it.
don’t worry, don’t worry, everything is going to be fine…aaron heilman is warming up in the bullpen.
Heilman and Schoeneweis warming up now?
We’re toast.
Hey JD, something occurred to me today….why are they holding Niese until Monday? Wouldn’t it make more sense for him to go Friday, and then the following Wednesday (allowing that the final three days of the season go Pedro-Pelfrey-Santana)? Otherwise, you’ve got a rookie or fill-in starter going the final Saturday of the season. Just doesn’t seem to make sense…
NOTE: I started typing that last post before Dukes hit the HR. Bloom seems to be off the rose of Mr. Stokes. How bout some Parnell in the 8th tonight??
You can’t win with a Little League bullpen.
makes sense if you think pedro is less likely to give you a quality start than niese.
games like tonight are the reason i cut the offesne some slack when they struggle. Its ridiculous that this is even a game.
I love Niese, but I’ll take a diminished Pedro with his experience in a psuedo playoff game. He can give you a QS just on guile, and if they start hitting that could be enough. Can’t put a rookie in a game like that.
Oh my god!!
My wife did it again!!!
She called Beltran’s homer!!
nice
i guess beltran brought his heart to the park tonight. nice answer to snoop doggy dukes
David: Bad call on Dukes. Snoop is a mellow pimp. Dukes has more of a 50 Cent build, look and violent past.
i know gil but the name flowed so nicely…
Can the Mets’ pen get six outs before they give up five runs? It’s almost like the HR Derby at the All-Star Game.-JD
David: True dat!
Both Phillies and Brewers are winning. Heilman in the game. Time to send the kids to bed.-JD
Here we go.
GET HEILMAN THE %$#$ OUT OF THIS &*^%$#% GAME!!!!!
You can’t start trusting Heilman now. Lord…
Jay L: By using the word, “Lord,” are you praying?-JD
WHERE THE ^%$% WERE THOSE LAST TWO PITCHES???
Boone swung at ball four.-JD
Aaron Heilman is the biggest A-Hole on this team. He epitomizes what’s wrong with this pen…this is probably one of this last few outings in a Mets uniform, and I hope the door hits him on his way out…
C’mon, Jerry. Time to get him out. It’s only going to get worse.-JD
HEILMAN IS A WASTE OF SPACE.
I NEVER WANT TO SEE HIM PITCH AGAIN.
HE ABSOLUTELY SUCKS!!!!!!!
maybe heilman should try pitching with his left arm? couldn’t be any worse, right?
oh wait, here comes schoenweis…i suppose that about as close as we have to the left handed version of heilman.
id rather see a dying crippled monke pitch than heilman
anyhow this just further proves my point about shutting up about the offense
David: Lefty or righty?-JD
The left-handed Heilman. How the hell does this loser have a 3.08 ERA?
fantastic play by church
Wow!
Ryan Church just saved a run.
Great play.
If they get out of this inning unscathed or with minimal damage, then it’s all good, but who the hell is going to pitch the 9th? Is he really going to trust Smith?
it seems the mets defense is the best thing the mets bullpen has to offer.
He hit the hell out of that ball. Lucky for Smith it was straight away. That didn’t look good at the start.-JD
WOW Beltran makes that ridiculous play look easy.
I’d leave Smith in to pitch the 9th. He threw only one pitch for a very loud out. But I’d leave him in.
OK … who do you want for the ninth? Let’s hear it.-JD
What the hell is WRONG WITH THESE GUYS?? Seriously…that was an awful pitch there and they got lucky that the park was big enough to hold it. I mean…these guys, on talent alone, do not SUCK this much. It’s almost as if they try to throw meatballs!
K-rod
JD – It’s pitching to the big part of the yard. Precisely why you don’t walk people… even if a guy makes solid contact, you can still get an out.
I dont know who i want in the 9th but im guessing youll see Ayala
Murphy has got to be in the lineup every day
You know what pisses me off about the whole Heilman thing? Every couple of weeks all season, Jerry (or Willie before him) would bring him into an important game and thing “well i’ll just go fishing and see if he’s fixed”. Why? So he can look like a genius by catching lightning in a bottle at the right time. And then he can take credit by saying “I never stopped believing in Heilman, I was always behind him”. It’s crap. He’s not a reliever and he never should have been one. His problem has always been that he is incapable of being perfect at times, and all successful relievers must be perfect to be successful. Heilman can’t do it. If he was a starter, at least he can give up some hits and runs and stil have his outing be considered a success. If he goes somewhere else and has any kind of success as a starter, someone in the mets front office needs to be fired. I hope they are right that he can’t handle being a starter pitching 100+ innings, but it wouldn’t shock me if they are wrong.
Murphy is a PLAYER.
D-Wright’s gotta step up here.
What the *&^% is wrong with David Wright?
Jay L.: It wouldn’t shock me, either. He had some success as a starter, but went to the pen with him when they put Bannister in the rotation in 2006. They never gave him another chance and that was a mistake. I don’t think Heilman will win the Cy Young elsewhere, but I think he’ll become a viable starter if given the chance.-JD
I don’t want to hear Wright is tired. How many days off have they had lately???
I ask again: What the &^%$ is wrong with David Wright??!!
Damn, David!
Don’t take yourt piss-poor at-bats out on the field with you. Make the ^%$#$%^ play and stop your (*&^&%^$ pouting, (*&^&^%$%$#$!!!!!
BTW: I’m glad he’s sticking with Smith.-JD
Oh and John, if you see Gary Cohen around the ballpark, tell him the “Team Tightrope” comments are no longer cute.
Wow – thanks David!!!
You leave a run on 3rd base and start a Nats rally! MVP!!!
Honestly, if he was truly doing his job, he should have around 140 RBIs at this point with the number of opportunities he’s had.
BTW: I should have said, I’m glad he sent Smith out for the ninth. Pulling him at the right time. I don’t know if it is just me, but I think Jerry has had a slow hook at times.-JD
Who is the next righty to come in?
Has anyone out there ever seen a more unreliable bullpen than this?
Damn Omar Minaya’s “hope for the best” philosophy that has given us a crap bullpen full of *&*&^%^ stiffs, an old broken down left fielder, an old broken down No. 2 starter, and an old broken down second baseman.
Pedro just needs to throw strikes. Tying run is not up yet
Jay L.: Has to be Ayala.-JD
I know what you’re thinking. He doesn’t make that play if Willie was still manager.-JD
You know, it should be noted that its not like the mets have completely neglected the bullpen in their planning. Two of their last three top draft picks were relief pitchers (and Joe Smith may be their best right now)
not to nitpick, but there was really no reason to look the runner on 3rd back there, right? that runner is meaningless
Tying run at the plate. Naturally. What was the Mets’ biggest lead tonight, again?-JD
ive never seen a bullpen before with this much of an inability to get opposite sides of the plate out.
Jay L.: It’s beyond puzzling. The pen needs a compete overhaul.-JD
I think the outcome of this game will determine their 2008 fate. Simply put, they can’t have any morale left to see a game like this get blown
Great.
Pedro gives it up and the &^%^$%^ mlb radio feed is gone.
JD – Why wasn’t the pen overhauled after last year??? Heilman, Showenweis, Feliciano, and Sosa had no business being in the organization come spring training. I mean really…
If this guy goes deep I’m going to throw my laptop across the room.-JD
With a bullpen this crappy why do they even bother? These guys couldn’t even get little leaguers out they suck so much. I mean honestly…on paper they have talent, so why the hell do they CHOKE SO BAD???? And BTW…Im blaming Smith and that choker Feliciano but it’s the ultimate choker, David Wright’s fault that this inning got started
You know, the guys in the pressbox must hate the way the bullpen causes them to constantly rewrite their game stories.
Jay L.: It should have been. You knew Heilman, Schoeneweis and Feliciano were coming back. Sosa was a mistake. Their thinking was with Santana and the expected development of Maine and Perez that it would pitch less innings and be better that way.-JD
Whew! Any reflections on the night?-JD
JD: I was thinking the same thought.
My laptop is relieved.
I’m taking my own poll tonight…who thinks Manuel should sit D Wright for that horrific game he played here tonight?I think the last time he hit a sac fly was in high school…
Mine too. You had to figure they can’t blow them all.-JD
I liked Knight tonight. And, I was impressed that Manuel had the faith to give him the extra inning. … On the down side, there’s still the pen questions and I don’t see Heilman getting fixed by the end of the season.-JD
Chili: No way he’ll sit Wright. Not after a win.-JD
it’s never easy. you just get the feeling that it’s gonna be like this pretty much every single game from here on in.
but a win is a win, so i’ll take it.
I can’t believe the Mets used eight pitchers tonight.-JD
JD – same thing happened last September…D Wright gets nervous because he apparently can’t hack a pennant race and thus gets tentative on his throws to 1B…..I am sick of it…are these guys pros or not?
Chili: Their payroll says they are. Wright hasn’t played well lately, that much is true. But, they aren’t close to being where they are now without him. You might be a little too harsh on him.-JD
Chili: But, you’re right. That was a horrible throw.-JD
Maybe so, but it seems like he gets way to nervous in big spots for a professional baseball player. One of my biggest pet peeves is he and the rest of the Mets (for that matter) never seem to be able to hit a freakin’ sacrifice fly….don’t they teach that in PSL?
My thoughts:
1. Reyes, Beltran, and Delgado showed they were ready to man up. Wright showed he’s a choker with the pressure on.
2. This pen sucks and is beyond any hope. You almost want to ask yourself what the point of all this is when they’re going thru all this hassle only for the pen to do the inevitable.
3. You have to really count on each starter to go 7 innings now each time out and that means NO PEDRO the rest of the way.
Chili: For the record, Wright has 10 sacrifice flies on the year.-JD
Wright just had 3 off days last week Chilli. How do you give him a day off?
RMKMets: Sad, but true on your second point. I wouldn’t have been surprised at all had the Nationals tied the game. I thought Zimmerman’s ball was extra bases. If it were, they could still be playing.-JD
Wright is no better than ARod…he hits when the pressure isn’t on…when it’s on he K’s and swings at balls out of the zone, and now he’s even began choking in the field.
When he said that crap last nite I could tell it was a bad sign. Those are the words of a choker in denial. At least admit…”We stink right now” and say “Im ready to man up turn it around.” Instead he gave a cornball speech and backed it up with play that was similar
You can’t rest Wright. Who’s better? You have to hope he hits his way out of this. Delgado and Beltran did tonight.-JD
JD – thanks for the stat…suprising
Jay L – I know, I know but the kid clearly choked tonight with his at-bats and that tentative throw to 1B in the 9th…IMO, that deserves a sit to get his head back in the game…
RMKMets: No denying his comments were weak last night. A simple, “I stunk,” would have done the trick.-JD
JD: The only reason Knight was given that additional chance was because Manuel knows he can’t trust anyone in that pen. I mean seriously…as a whole they have to look at themselves in the mirror and reevaluate things…it’s not a talent thing at all…they just all mentally are weak..
Chili: It is. I was surprised. Sac flies just seem to go unnoticed. He’s rested, so Wright doesn’t need the day. I believe he has to play his way out of this.-JD
Leave Wright alone. He’s 25 years old and oe of the top ten players in baseball. Superman may not wear David Wright pajamas, but he’s got a pair in his closet at his vacation home.
RMKMets: Fair enough. Even giving him the extra inning the Mets used seven relievers. … And, I agree with you. It’s mostly mental.-JD
It shouldn’t take seven pitchers in one night to subdue a last place club like the Nationals.
The real fortunate thing is that we survived an outing by Brandon Knight.
My biggest hope now is that Aaron Heilman gets abducted by aliens.
Gil: Knight showed some stones pitching out of trouble. Heilman, I just don’t know about him anymore. I don’t think there’s time for him to get fixed.-JD
Do you think an abduction is possible…can we call the man in the smoking jacket and pipe from the X Files?
Jay L: I love D-Wright but we’re all very hard on him because he raised the bar high for himself and established expectations.
Leaving aside the strikeout with runners on the corners and one out, he absolutely can’t take that at-bat into the field with him.
He makes that routine play on the Milledge ground ball in the 9th and it’s a much easier inning.
And NO Mets fan wants to hear Wright making myopic, borderline Alfred E. Neumanesque comments about how this time of year, win or lose, is fun and that he knows the team will pull through in the end.
After what we fans went through last year, he should know better than to make such a ridiculous comment.
All we ask of our team is that they be as passionate about winning a championship as we are about them winning one.
On the plus side tonight, Jose Reyes finally earned his money. And, it was more than just the leadoff homer. He’d been silent most of the month. If I’m taking things out of the game, that’s a big one for me.-JD
Gil: Well said.-JD
I hate milquetoast quotes. Put some Tabasco on them.-JD
JD: The way to “fix” Heilman is simple: Don’t run him out there anymore.
Period.
Regular season, post-season, winter, spring, summer or fall.
Then trade him, release him, flush his sorry ass down the toilet, I don’t care.
He has been a liability all year and shows no hope of ever being an asset to this baseball team.
Gil: I think he’s done as a Met. I believe he’ll be traded. And, I think he’ll turn it around somewhere else. … BTW: Ben Sheets left the Milwaukee game with a strained forearm.-JD
I don’t know about Heilman’s ever turning it around somewhere else. I think he maxed out his value in 2006 in that time between Duaner Sanchez’s injury and Game 4 of the 2006 NLCS.
Regardless of what happens this year, the Mets need a totally new pitching staff outside of Johan, Mike Pelfrey and John Maine.
Gil: Your math says they’ll need to add eight or nine guys. But, I do see Smith and Ayala coming back next year.-JD