Burn It Down: Padres 6, Mets 5

by Eric Simon on Apr 16, 2009 11:14 PM EDT

Game Result

SB Nation Coverage

* Boxscore
* Amazin' Avenue Gamethread
* Gaslamp Ball Gamethread

Recap

It looked like Heath Bell threw five or six balls to Carlos Delgado at the end there, but I guess they were pretty close.
John Maine was the story tonight, as he followed up his promising start against the Marlins last week with a dreadful suckfest tonight. To be fair, he really just had that one bad inning in the third, and all of the damage was done on walks and singles. Whether that's something he can hang his hat on remains to be seen, but coughing up a five-spot after your team gave you the lead a couple of innings earlier is pretty brutal.
I'm actually a little surprised the Mets are only 4-5 at this point. I feel like I've watched enough terrible baseball this season for them to be 0-9, so I guess it's some consolation that they're only a game under .500.
David Wright has a hit in every game and a .415 on-base percentage but he also has 13 strikeouts and has generally looked overmatched at the plate. Nothing to be concerned about long-term, but it's pretty frustrating to watch in the short-term.
Jose Reyes is killing this team right now. He has been replacement-equivalent to this point, and when you're getting zero production from the player with the most plate appearances you're going to have a tough time getting rallies going.
Hey, the bullpen was great tonight, so there's that.

Swag contest results can be found here and the next game's swag form already available. You can read more about the swag contest here.

Win Probability Added

Big winners: Gary Sheffield, +7.0% WPA, Carlos Delgado, +5.2% WPA
Big losers: John Maine, -38.2% WPA, Jose Reyes, -18.0% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Delgado homerun in first, +15.9% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: Headley bases loaded single in third, -19.2% WPA
Total pitcher WPA: -27.5% WPA
Total batter WPA: -22.5% WPA
GWRBI!: Chase Headley

Game Thread Roll Call

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

Num	Name	# of Posts
1	zmanmetfan	142
2	Gina	62
3	DevonEdwards	52
4	itsmetsforme	49
5	Major	40
6	Prince	36
7	JADDENHOPKINS	36
8	Endys Game	35
9	cjmulrain	30
10	wrightHOF	28

Tweet Comment 7 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

Reyes and Wright

They have been frusterating, but slow starts are nothing new to either of him. Reyes got off to slow starts in both of his two best years.

by Mark Himmelstein on Apr 16, 2009 11:24 PM EDT reply actions

just saw the highlights for the first time

home plate ump can suck my balls for ringing up Carlos D to end the game.

by HotChipWillBreakYourLegs on Apr 17, 2009 12:35 AM EDT reply actions

Can also be 7-2

It’s been pretty close. San Diego and Florida have been hot. Just a rough start, but nothing scaring me. The starting pitching has plenty of room to settle in, Maine and Perez have the talent. I’m not worried.

The 2009 NY Mets: WE GOT K-ROD! OMG, Putz, too! Sign Lowe! Lowe's a Brave. Sign Manny! Tim Redding, WTF? Sign Manny! Sheets or Perez? SHEETS! Perez?? Oh, Sheets is hurt -- good job, Minaya! WTF?! SIGN MANNY!

by ZaBlanc on Apr 17, 2009 1:56 AM EDT reply actions

i agree

they’re last four losses have all been one-run losses. and their other loss was by two runs. the mets have been in these games, and a few breaks here and there could easily have this team at 7-2.

but still, something seems off about this team. perhaps it’s that, besides johan, the starting pitching is completely unpredictable. that can’t make the team (or the fans) very confident.

by englishgrey on Apr 17, 2009 9:30 AM EDT up reply actions

Something does seem off

But it’s early enough where whatever that is can get worked out and the team can get back on track. That’s how I’m gonna think about it anyway.

'Oh yes, I know all about that duty-of-a-citizen stuff. It doesn't go. There are exceptions to every rule, and this was one of them. When a man risks his liberty to come and root at a ball-game, you've got to hand it to him. He isn't a crook. He's a fan.'

by Catsmeat Potter-Pirbright on Apr 17, 2009 9:44 AM EDT up reply actions

true, it's early and it's a long season

but i think the last two septembers have shown that the mets aren’t that great at working out the intangible things that are bothering them…but any further discussion will start getting into “knowing how to win/the magic of grititude” territory, so i’m gonna leave it at that.

by englishgrey on Apr 17, 2009 10:30 AM EDT up reply actions

people forget

that from the time Willie was fired until early September, the Mets played incredible baseball last year. Ultimately, they were done in by the bullpen more than anything else. The last 2 weeks they reverted to early season/late 2007 form, but for the most part they had their intangibles working just fine.

by cjmulrain on Apr 17, 2009 10:36 AM EDT up reply actions