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IGT 5/3 - Pirates at Mets

KC May 03 2006 05:58 PM

(05/03/2006 Ticker or something) Pedro Martinez tries to win his first six starts of the season for the first time since 1997 when he takes the mound for the New York Mets Wednesday in the opener of a two-game series with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Martinez (5-0, 2.94 ERA) has helped the Mets (17-9) to the top of the National League East with five stellar performances. The right-hander pitched seven innings last Friday, allowing two runs and striking out five in a 5-2 win over the Atlanta Braves. He is holding hitters to a .165 batting average. ''The guy still knows how to pitch,'' Braves third baseman Chipper Jones said. ''He's not throwing 96 (mph) like used to, but he's sinking it, he's cutting it, he's changing speeds on us.'' The right-hander can win his first six outings of the season for the first time since opening 1997 8-0 with the Montreal Expos en route to his first Cy Young Award. He is trying to become the first Met to accomplish the feat since Frank Viola won seven consecutive to start the 1990 season. Martinez is 9-3 with a 2.78 ERA in 17 games - 13 starts - against the Pirates. Martinez has utilized the retooled Mets bullpen in each of the games, as Duaner Sanchez has entered in relief in three of the starts for his Dominican Republic compatriot. The right-handed reliever, acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers in the offseason, is on a streak of his own. Sanchez has thrown 17 scoreless innings through his first 12 appearances this season. He has thrown two perfect innings in his last two games and has a .127 opponent batting average overall. ''You can't say more,'' Mets catcher Paul Lo Duca said. ''Sanchy, you can talk about a lot of guys on this team, but to me, he's our MVP. He's been unbelievable.'' The former Pirate has become the link to closer Billy Wagner, who signed with the Mets in the offseason as a free agent from the Philadelphia Phillies. Wagner has converted seven of nine save attempts, four of them coming in relief of Sanchez. The Pirates (8-20) will counter with 24-year-old Ian Snell (1-2, 5.79), who is looking to build on his most impressive outing of the season. ''We're more focused on Ian Snell going out and pitching a game,'' Pirates manager Jim Tracy said of the matchup against Martinez, ''and pitching his game -- very similar to the one he pitched in his previous outing. That's what he has control over.'' The promising right-hander went seven innings, giving up one run - none earned - in a 3-1 win over the Phillies on Friday. Snell looks to take momentum from the Pittsburgh's 8-0 win over the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday, as they seek consecutive wins for just the third time this season. Jeromy Burnitz went 1-for-5 with a two-run homer on Tuesday. He is struggling at the plate recently, however, with a .150 batting average in his last 11 games.

TheOldMole May 03 2006 06:11 PM

Hey Larry...do you still know how to hit?

Willets Point May 03 2006 06:16 PM

Oh good it wasn't me who started the IGT so the Mets have a chance.

Gwreck May 03 2006 06:39 PM

Pittsburgh Chris Duffy CF Jack Wilson SS Freddy Sanchez 3B Jason Bay LF Jeromy Burnitz RF Jose Hernandez 1B Ronny Paulino C Jose Castillo 2B Ian Snell P Mets Reyes SS Matsui 2B Beltran CF Delgado 1B Wright 3B Floyd LF Castro C Chavez RF Pedro P

Hillbilly May 03 2006 07:17 PM

Pedro gives up a HR in the first. 0-1.

Gwreck May 03 2006 07:45 PM

Pedro sets down 7 in a row after the homer. 5 Ks.

TheOldMole May 03 2006 07:53 PM

Rick Peterson, in a dugout interview, describes Billy Wagner as a future Hall of Famer. Thoughts?

TheOldMole May 03 2006 07:53 PM

Wright a chance to break his slump with two men on.

ScarletKnight41 May 03 2006 07:53 PM

I think that Rick Peterson is building up his closer's cahnfidence with statements like that.

TheOldMole May 03 2006 07:54 PM

Omar is always looking for ways to improve the team. You'll be pleased to hear.

ScarletKnight41 May 03 2006 07:54 PM

And he believes that you can't fall asleep while pitching.

TheOldMole May 03 2006 07:55 PM

Goliath strikes out David.

TheOldMole May 03 2006 07:55 PM

Omar spends a lot of time on the Internet.

ScarletKnight41 May 03 2006 07:56 PM

Omar Minaya = CPF Lurker?

TheOldMole May 03 2006 08:04 PM

I guess it's time for me to let you all in on my little secret. I am Omar Minaya. ...or maybe Charlotte Simmons.

TheOldMole May 03 2006 08:04 PM

7 K's for Pedro. In the rain.

TheOldMole May 03 2006 08:05 PM

7 K's for Pedro. In the rain.

Gwreck May 03 2006 08:07 PM

TheOldMole wrote: 7 K's for Pedro. In the rain. "Water is a blessing...so I got wet." -- Pedro Martinez

TheOldMole May 03 2006 08:09 PM

2 out and 2 on ... again. This time it's up to Kaz. Let's see if he can deliver.

TheOldMole May 03 2006 08:10 PM

Nope.

Gwreck May 03 2006 08:12 PM

Reyes not looking good, twice making big outs with 2 men on. 7 stranded through 4 innings. :(

Hillbilly May 03 2006 08:46 PM

Endy drives in Cliff with his thrid hit of the night. His BA most be pushing .300 now.

TheOldMole May 03 2006 08:48 PM

Pedro out of a waterlogged game, in the lead.

Centerfield May 03 2006 08:49 PM

Go Jose!!! Why pull Pedro after only 77 pitches?

TheOldMole May 03 2006 08:49 PM

And Reyes looks good on that one.

GYC May 03 2006 08:50 PM

Honestly... fuck Willie.

TheOldMole May 03 2006 08:50 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on May 03 2006 08:51 PM

I'm just as glad to see Pedro out of the mud. And they gambled on a big rally and won. So it turns out Willie's a genius. And if they stop the game after this inning and there'a a long rain delay, Pedro's gone anyway.

OlerudOwned May 03 2006 08:51 PM

Big time hit, concidering Pedro just got wasted so Valentin could bat.

Hillbilly May 03 2006 08:51 PM

I was watching Reyes and he didn't die, but rather pulled off a run scoring 3 bagger!

GYC May 03 2006 08:52 PM

TheOldMole wrote: I'm just as glad to see Pedro out of the mud. And they gambled on a big rally and won. Yeah, thank God they pulled Pedro after 6 innings/77 pitches while only allowing 3 hits and 1 run while striking out 9 after our bullpen has been used a bit the last few games. Worst. Idea. Ever.

Centerfield May 03 2006 09:02 PM

Gary Cohen making a run for worst idea of the year by talking about bringing back Pedro on 3 days' rest to face the Braves Sunday.

Johnny Dickshot May 03 2006 09:29 PM

EN-dy CHA-vez clap-clap, clap-clap-clap

Rotblatt May 03 2006 09:34 PM

I was initially pissed about pulling Pedro too, but it's fucking miserable out there. I kind of almost don't blame Willie. Plus, maybe we'll start Petey on short rest on Sunday against Atlanta and skip Maine's start? That'd make it all worthwhile. Matsui with a nice drag bunt in the bottom of the sixth. He completely fooled the defense and would have had an easy ribbie bunt single but he stumbled out of the box in the mud. The firstbaseman came off the bag but the ump called Matsui out. Heads-up play. Cliff with a nice, long run to track down a foul ball by McLouth in the top of the eighth. Good game.

cooby May 03 2006 09:37 PM

The Pirates announcers interviewed a couple in the stands who are traveling to every single ball park this season in their RV (they are on their seventh). That has got to cost some money. Though I suppose they don't need to stay in a hotel Also they commented that Sports Illustrated (?) did a survey among 470 major league ball players and the top three over rated players as voted by their peers are Jeter Beltran Arod

Rotblatt May 03 2006 09:42 PM

Centerfield wrote: Gary Cohen making a run for worst idea of the year by talking about bringing back Pedro on 3 days' rest to face the Braves Sunday. I don't think it's such a bad idea. He'd get an extra day off with the off day on Monday, and I'd rather have Petey face Atlanta than the Phillies. Now, Petey's struggled on short rest in the past, but he only threw 77 here. I guess we'll see what happens. Wags walks the lead off man.

GYC May 03 2006 09:43 PM

Come on, Looper. Don't do this.

Johnny Dickshot May 03 2006 09:45 PM

Big whiff for the 2nd out.

Johnny Dickshot May 03 2006 09:46 PM

Is Tike Redman coming up?

Johnny Dickshot May 03 2006 09:48 PM

Motherfucker.

GYC May 03 2006 09:48 PM

....damnit.

cooby May 03 2006 09:49 PM

To be specific, the Pirates just tied it.

GYC May 03 2006 09:49 PM

TAKE HIM OUT ALREADY

Rotblatt May 03 2006 09:52 PM

ugly. We had better win this fucking game.

Gwreck May 03 2006 09:58 PM

Bonus baseball, here we come. Strange move by Jim Tracy, putting the new pitcher batting 9th with the pitcher's spot due up 1st in the top of the 10th.

ScarletKnight41 May 03 2006 10:08 PM

Ra-Mon!

Edgy DC May 03 2006 10:27 PM

This is a chance to get more than one inning out of Chad Bradford. Duffy is the only lefty in the Bucs' lineup or on their bench.

GYC May 03 2006 10:31 PM

Endy for MVP.

cooby May 03 2006 10:32 PM

How cool was that Endy Chavez catch? I think he's having fun tonight.

Gwreck May 03 2006 10:33 PM

With his hitting to go along with the defense, he's making Jose Valentin look particularly bad. And particularly useless.

Edgy DC May 03 2006 10:37 PM

Probably not the way to look at it.

Gwreck May 03 2006 10:37 PM

Not a lot left in the Pittsburgh 'pen. Gonzalez is the 6th reliever, and he's due up 3rd next inning. Only 1 reliever (Ryan Vogelsong) left.

Gwreck May 03 2006 10:39 PM

Edgy DC wrote: Probably not the way to look at it. Well, that is true. I could see him getting the GW RBI in the 12th, he's due up 4th.

Edgy DC May 03 2006 10:41 PM

Man, oh, man, let's close this one out.

Gwreck May 03 2006 10:42 PM

Mike Gonzalez is a career 1.000 hitter. Yikes.

Edgy DC May 03 2006 10:45 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on May 03 2006 10:45 PM

Give it up for Chad! And, if necessary, try for a third inning (though he'd have to get through Duffy. He's only thrown 20 pitches. Better yet, make it not necessary.

ScarletKnight41 May 03 2006 10:45 PM

.500 now.

Johnny Dickshot May 03 2006 10:46 PM

Yahoo.

Gwreck May 03 2006 10:47 PM

Carlos!

metirish May 03 2006 10:47 PM

I love Delgado.....

ScarletKnight41 May 03 2006 10:47 PM

Delgado says Sayonara!

GYC May 03 2006 10:47 PM

Edgy DC May 03 2006 10:47 PM

Kablammo! Chad Bradford, superhero, and lost member of the Eight Is Enough clan.

Edgy DC May 03 2006 10:49 PM

Carlos Delgado is player of the game? Endy Chavez may have an argument also.

Edgy DC May 03 2006 10:49 PM

And Don Pietro also.

GYC May 03 2006 10:49 PM

I'm going with Chavez.

Edgy DC May 03 2006 10:52 PM

Yeah, I just heard the Shea announcer at the end of the game. I was a little disappointed for Chavez. But why not? Double, game-winning homer, and the pickoff.

TheOldMole May 03 2006 10:53 PM

A walkoff HR is a persuasive argument.

Rotblatt May 03 2006 10:53 PM

I think it's Chavez by a diving catch. Delgado makes me pretty darn happy, though. Good game. Wagner is going to blow a game here and there, and it's nice to see the rest of the pen--and our sluggers--pick him up.

cooby May 03 2006 11:13 PM

I'm going to vote for Endy. Hopefully that'll be okay with Elster, heh

Nymr83 May 03 2006 11:44 PM

I just got back from Shea, what a fuckin game.

Edgy DC May 03 2006 11:55 PM

You live close to the ballpark?

Nymr83 May 03 2006 11:58 PM

Staten Island....we ran out of the stadium the moment the ball cleared the fence and it took 45 minutes to speed home (no traffic at this hour)

cooby May 04 2006 07:35 AM

And you got free tickets to another game!

Elster88 May 04 2006 08:58 AM

Rotblatt wrote: ="Centerfield"]Gary Cohen making a run for worst idea of the year by talking about bringing back Pedro on 3 days' rest to face the Braves Sunday. I don't think it's such a bad idea. He'd get an extra day off with the off day on Monday, and I'd rather have Petey face Atlanta than the Phillies. Now, Petey's struggled on short rest in the past, but he only threw 77 here. I guess we'll see what happens. I agree with CF. Do not f--- around with Pedro. Rotation: Glavine, Traxxx, Bannister, Zambrano, Maine

metirish May 04 2006 09:07 AM

Elster88 May 04 2006 09:09 AM

]I'd rather have Petey face Atlanta than the Phillies. Divison game = division game. Until the Braves make a run at least. The Phillies are a better team than they are showing thus far. On Edit: Actually they've won 4 in a row and are almost .500. One more and they'll be the only non-Met NL East team with a .500 record.

Johnny Dickshot May 04 2006 09:42 AM

I don't think switching around stuff for any one opponent is really necessary especially this early in the season. It's not like the difference between the ATL & Philly O > the diff between Pedro and Maine. But just for fun, I'll post a thread...