Mets’ bullpen good for now but acid test awaits
Posted: Wednesday, September 03, 2008 6:14 PM
Here’s the important numbers concerning the Mets and the much-maligned struggles of their bullpen. New York went 6-2 on its eight-game road trip that concluded today with a 9-2 three-game sweep of the Brewers.
For the Mets it was a road trip that could have allowed the Phillies to leap them in the National League East standings. And the Mets -- without injured closer Billy Wagner -- with their win today have posted a 17-5 stretch since Wagner went down.
No doubt the Mets are piecing together enough quality relief help from a quantity of arms to compensate for the loss of Wagner. But there’s little doubt that the Mets won’t win the World Series going forward in this manner. For now, they have survived. And it says here the reason is offense, namely Carlos Delgado, who has been on a terrific post All-Star break tear. He’s produced a ton of clutch hits in this crucial stretch for the Mets.
Regular readers to this blog know how much I value closers as well as the significant impact I place on the emotional devastation of blown leads.
There have been enough of those blown leads in the Mets’ season to sink most teams but this group of Amazin’s -- especially since Jerry Manuel became manager -- has displayed a resiliency that last year’s Mets lacked.
On this most recent road trip the Mets scored 45 runs in eight games -- not Murderers’ Row but enough to give the bullpen some cushion to work with. The Mets are second in the NL in runs scored, fourth since the All-Star break. Again, they are not blasting teams out of the park but they are scoring enough to support their pitching staff.
Legit question: How many more games can the Mets win like their victory on Tuesday night in Milwaukee when their bullpen shut down a powerful offensive team like the Brewers for seven innings?
Answer: Not many, but the Mets may not need many more to seize the division. The Phillies get their last shot at the Mets this weekend, three games at Shea Stadium. Then the Mets play 12 straight against the Nationals (7-3 in their last 10) and the fading Braves -- an opportunity for the Mets to reverse last September’s fortunes.
But for October, though, they need a sturdy Wagner to have a shot at achieving postseason glory.
FIVE MORE SWINGS:
1. Mets manager Jerry Manuel made an astounding comment last week regarding complete games from Mike Pelfrey. I paraphrase but Manuel’s words were that in a pennant race, sacrifices must be made. A young arm may be pushed hard. Blasphemous words in some corners but points to Manuel for candor.
2. Check out the San Francisco Chronicle site and look up a terrific two-part series on pitch counts by Bruce Jenkins. A fitting time as Tim Lincecum (and shouldn’t he get serious Cy Young consideration?) as he approaches 200 innings in his first full season.
3. I thought I was seeing things when I was scanning boxes on my way to the U.S. Open and I saw Dustin Pedroia batting fourth for the Red Sox! FOURTH! He had nine hits and six RBI in his first four games as the team’s clean-up hitter. Terry Francona, a very secure manager, admits that he didn’t believe Pedroia could play in the bigs when the organization suggested he get a big-league look. A great story to see Pedroia overcome long odds to the point where he could actually make real good in the spot vacated by Manny Ramirez.
4. There’s nothing legitimate about this but the fact that Colorado has a chance to repeat its remarkable September 2007 run to the playoffs is astounding. The Rockies are eight games below .500 but only five games back of the stumbling D’Backs. And the Rockies play the D’Backs in six of their last nine games.
5. A word on the CC Sabathia (was it a no-hitter?) mess: Most voices seem to believe Sabathia was robbed. Meanwhile, the voice of Leonard Koppett rings in my head. The only sportswriter to be honored by the Basketball and Baseball Hall of Fame, Koppett, who passed away several years ago, was an immensely valuable teacher during my 22 years in broadcasting baseball. And official scoring was one of Leonard’s specialties. He always reminded me that the RULE scorers were obliged to follow was “ordinary effort.” If a play required more than ordinary effort from a fielder, then the play must be scored a hit. Again, this was a RULE, not an option. Now we can debate the validity of the rule, but it’s hard to debate that Sabathia’s play required more than ordinary effort.
Opinions are wonderful, but in this case, there was a rule that had to be followed.
