Could've Been Worse: Mets 7, Nationals 2

by Eric Simon on Sep 18, 2008 10:51 PM EDT

Johan Santana continued his brilliant season with seven innings of one-run ball, which meant the bullpen only had to hang on for six outs. It still took them three pitchers to do so, but it's another win in the books and, thanks to the Brewers sucking almost as badly as the Braves, the Mets find themselves with a 1.5 game cushion in the Wild Card race. The Mets still trail the Phillies by a half-game in the NL East, but it's a straight game in hand; the two teams are even in the loss column.

Carlos Beltran had another nice game, going 1-for-3 with an RBI-triple and a walk. Everyone was so caught up in rooting for Carlos Delgado up until a week ago or so that they haven't noticed Beltran hitting .373/.467/.784 in September (he hit .303/.365/.541 in August).

Santana hit his fifth double of the season tonight; Brian Schneider has ten. I kid the Schneid-dog, mostly because he's been awful this year. But give credit where it is due: his throwing has been great lately, and he was hitting .313/.361/.469 in September heading into last night's game, and he improved upon that line with a couple of dingers.

The Mets head to Atlanta tomorrow for a three-game series, so hopefully the Bravos will lay down in the dirt they way they did against the Phillies this week.

Big winners: Johan Santana, +17.7% WPA, Brian Schneider, +12.6% WPA
Big losers: David Wright, -5.7% WPA, Carlos Delgado, -3.6% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Schneid-dog homerun in 2nd, +9.9% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: Delgado popout in first, -5.2% WPA
Total pitcher WPA: +19.0%
Total batter WPA: +31.0%
GWRBI: Jose Reyes

Game Thread Roll Call

Nice job by BobbyV_Incognito; his effort in the game thread embiggens us all.

Name	# of Posts
BobbyV_Incognito	61
Catsmeat Potter-Pirbright	55
itsmetsforme	28
JoshNY	17
DoctorK16	17
pingel	14
LOUtheMETSfan	13
gogomets	9
JohnPeterson	6
Prince	6
goth brooks	6
Sky Kalkman	5
MetsfaninVA	5
The Beef	2
anonymous	2
BlackOps	1

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Comments

Good on 'em

More importantly — Eric, my DVD set arrived today. Can’t wait to start watching them after the Mets’ season ends sometime in the end of October. Thanks, tho, it looks cool as hell.

'Catsmeat!' he cried. 'I see it all. It was that chump, Catsmeat.'

by Catsmeat Potter-Pirbright on Sep 18, 2008 11:01 PM EDT reply actions

Right on

Sorry it took so long to get it to ya; my dog ruptured both of his hind ACLs so a lot of my time not spent here or at the real job has been spent tending to him. JoshNY’s swag actually took almost a month, so the lead time for yours wasn’t terrible all things considered.

by Eric Simon on Sep 18, 2008 11:37 PM EDT up reply actions

No complaints/no apologies necessary

Like I said, I’m saving this bad boy for after the playoffs. No sense in watching awesome old games until all the new ones are over.

That said, your dog ruptured BOTH ACLs? Dang I can’t even imagine what that must have been like for him. He wasn’t all laid up like Santa’s Little Helper after Mr. Burns slant-drilled underneath Springfield Elementary, was he? Cos I can’t even really picture a real dog walking around in a little doggie wheelchair.

'Catsmeat!' he cried. 'I see it all. It was that chump, Catsmeat.'

by Catsmeat Potter-Pirbright on Sep 18, 2008 11:45 PM EDT up reply actions

Riley

He tore the first one the day I got back from Geek Day, and then he tore the second one a week later. Apparently, some 50% of dogs who tear one wind up tearing the other. We got him one of these, which has taken him some time to get used to but he’s starting to take to it a bit. We opted out of surgery because it is highly invasive and does nothing for the ligament itself. R&R is where it’s at, and he’s getting a little better every day.

I’ve got pictures of him in the cart I’ll put up at some point. I feel really bad for him because he doesn’t really know what’s going on, but to his credit he has had a great attitude the whole time.

by Eric Simon on Sep 19, 2008 12:29 AM EDT up reply actions

Ouch, man

Sorry to hear it. I’d hate to have a pet go through it but I’m glad he’s dealing as best as I guess he can be expected to deal with it.

'Catsmeat!' he cried. 'I see it all. It was that chump, Catsmeat.'

by Catsmeat Potter-Pirbright on Sep 19, 2008 7:31 AM EDT up reply actions

whoa, sorry about your dog

I love dogs. Most dogs I’ve met are nicer than most humans I’ve met.

But I have been meaning to ask, am I going to see some Swag for coming up with the brilliant Met-lib “Shit for brains? That must be Steve Phillips!”

We've got ourselves a ball club, the Mets of New York town!

by kingcritical on Sep 19, 2008 12:00 AM EDT up reply actions

I can send you something

Shoot me your addy and I’ll see what I can come up with.

by Eric Simon on Sep 19, 2008 12:30 AM EDT up reply actions

Missed most of the game for the movie, "Fracture"

Big mistake.

by LOUtheMETandNATSfan on Sep 18, 2008 11:06 PM EDT reply actions

yeah, touchdown

i was at the game – good stuff. it was also nice seeing shnyder come up to bat after having just gotten over 22% of his season total of home runs in his last 2 at bats.

also by the way, elijah dukes is effing huge. i had outfield seats and at no point in time did i entertain thoughts of heckling him.

by kendynamo on Sep 19, 2008 12:39 AM EDT reply actions

pic

i think for the first time im stumped. cant place the reference. what awesomeness have i missed out on?

by kendynamo on Sep 19, 2008 12:40 AM EDT reply actions

The picture?

It’s from Orgasmo.

Funny…..Funny movie.

"But it's not over yet, everybody thinks it over, but if we can just get the Earth to reverse rotation...this thing can be played again. So there you go, New York Mets......motherf*ckers." - Jon Stewart

by pingel on Sep 19, 2008 1:03 AM EDT up reply actions

oh nice. never seen it but i probably should

and i do know this one

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oECIKVaz5rc&feature=related

by kendynamo on Sep 19, 2008 9:54 AM EDT up reply actions

Eric, you know better...

“The Mets head to Atlanta tomorrow for a three-game series, so hopefully the Bravos will lay down in the dirt they way they did against the Phillies this week.”

That never happens. If there is a purer source of anti-Met malevolence in this world than the Atlanta Braves I have yet to encounter it. No matter how bad they are they find a way to slice us open and feast on our collective entrails.

Jeff Francouer… Frenchy… a bases-loaded 57 hopper last week?!? C’mon You know he sold his soul to the devil for that hit. And somewhere in Atlanta right now he’s devouring some poor bastard’s heart in a desperate to exploit a loophole in the deal a la Angel Heart. Bastards.

"Those who fear disorder more than injustice inevitably produce more of both." -- Rev. William Coffin

by dcrockett17 on Sep 19, 2008 6:44 AM EDT reply actions

It's kind of obvious by now, isn't it?

The Braves play the Mets as if their lives depend upon it, but lay down meekly for the Phils. Hmmm….

by madisonmetsfan on Sep 19, 2008 9:19 AM EDT up reply actions

ATL

Come on down Eric. I’ve an extra for Sunday right behind the Bravos dugout. Tickets are going for well below face-value, so hopefully will get a solid Mets crowd.

Please oh please let this be the year we have the last laugh. In 06 and 07, the Mets came here for their last series and played well. Let’s do it again.

by whynot on Sep 19, 2008 9:14 AM EDT reply actions