Back Off Track: Braves 5, Mets 3

by Eric Simon on Jul 17, 2009 12:00 AM EDT

The bad news is that the Mets lost again and Oliver Perez walked four batters in six innings. More bad news includes Perez allowing homeruns to Yunel Escobar and Garrett Anderson, who hadn't hit a homerun off of a lefty all season.

The good news is that Perez wasn't a total disaster, and may actually have shown some encouraging signs tonight. His ball rate was still too high (42.6%), but his swinging strike rate was quite good -- 8.9% -- compared to his season rate of 7.7%. He also threw *only* 101 pitches in six innings, which is actually pretty efficient by his standards. Then again, the Braves aren't among the league's most potent offensive juggernauts, so maybe we shouldn't get too excited.

The Mets' offense did what you'd expect they might. The top half collected five of the team's six hits and scored all three of its runs. The bottom half picked up just one hit (plus two walks by Brian Schneider) and drove in two runs, one on a groundout by Jeff Francoeur.

Luis Castillo reached base twice and has actually been far from terrible for a good stretch now. The Mets better extend his contract a few years before he starts getting more expensive.

Mike Pelfrey takes on Jair Jurrjens tomorrow night at the Turn.

Swag Contest

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.

SB Nation Coverage

* Traditional Recap
* Boxscore
* Amazin' Avenue Gamethread
* Talking Chop Gamethread

Win Probability Added

Big winners: Gary Sheffield, +7.9% WPA, Daniel Murphy, +4.2% WPA
Big losers: Bobby Parnell, -22.5% WPA, Jeff Francoeur, -15.5% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Murphy RBI double in fourth, +11.8% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: Diaz double in fourth, -14.6% WPA
Total pitcher WPA: -20.4% WPA
Total batter WPA: -29.6% WPA
GWRBI!: Chipper Jones

Game Thread Roll Call

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

Num	Name	# of Posts
1	Jadden Hopkins	125
2	AnthonyR	70
3	Outside Observer	48
4	Michkin	28
5	lstorie1971	26
6	Pat Andriola	25
7	itsmetsforme	25
8	Syler	21
9	i gave chipper's wife a hot carlos	19
10	Schmidtxc	18

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Comments

I really liked it when Jerry asked Feliciano to pitch to batters nine and one with

The game tied in the seventh inning. Pat Misch is our high leverage lefty!

by All Shook Down on Jul 17, 2009 12:12 AM EDT reply actions

The win graphic

I guess we’re still in the denial phase of the season.

by Zwill on Jul 17, 2009 12:16 AM EDT reply actions

I think

when Ollie makes it to the 6th inning, you call it a win no matter what

by cjmulrain on Jul 17, 2009 12:22 AM EDT up reply actions

Yea

Brain fart on my part.

by Eric Simon on Jul 17, 2009 12:45 AM EDT up reply actions

15 years later and Chipper is still cramming it up our noses

Only a couple more years to go

Everyone is entitled to be stupid, but Jerry abuses the privilege.

by AnthonyR on Jul 17, 2009 12:24 AM EDT reply actions

Whatever on Castillo

Still can’t drive in a run to save his life. There was zero chance he’d get that run in from 2nd. I know this site hates rbis, I get it, but how do you quantify his inability to ever get a run in? His Abs per rbi are always extremely horrible. If he does get a hit with a guy on 2nd, the guy’s not scoring because the outfielders are 8 feet away from the infield.

Also, what happened to Stokes getting some important innings? Parnell throws a couple of good innings and he’s the man again? Good grief. This vent will self destruct.

by David G on Jul 17, 2009 2:40 AM EDT reply actions

Castillo has a .380 on-base percentage

There’s a lot more wrong with the Mets lineup than Luis Castillo.

by All Shook Down on Jul 17, 2009 6:41 AM EDT up reply actions

re Castillo

anyone else see this cool article from fangrpahs? really cool stuff about how castillo is one of the pickiest batters in the majors and how he never misses when he swings. hes basically got pujols like batting eye. however without the power of pujols he’s not able to maximize this skill. also if opposing pithcers know this about him they should just pound him with fastballs down the middle, knowing that there is very little chance he’ll blast one out off the park, and make him earn every trip to 1st by never walking him.

anyway, interesting stuff.

Lets hope that when gut check time comes again the Mets will pass it with flying colors.

by kendynamo on Jul 17, 2009 10:04 AM EDT up reply actions

There have been times where Castillo has drove in our only runs. I even think he had back-to-back rbi games where he had our only RBIs.

He has started in the 8,1,2 holes for most of the year. Who in our lineup this year has gotten on for him to drive in runs??

His on-base percentage is steadily moving up as well as his BA. What more do you want?
He is the least of our worries right now.

by RIPShea on Jul 17, 2009 8:08 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

I want him to drive in a run with a guy on 2nd

How many times has he done it? I’d say less than 10 times this year. He’s an every day player and with a guy on second there’s less than 10 percent chance he will get that run in. That’s like having a pitcher at bat, screw the OBP.

by David G on Jul 17, 2009 12:47 PM EDT up reply actions

Yes, its true

Castillo can’t seem to drive the ball for crap. He’s still the only thing in the lineup this side of David Wright even feigning anything close to an average major league regular. That’s much sadder for the Mets than it is for slappy.

And no, he’s not as bad as a pitcher, since there’s very little chance a pitcher will even give the next guy a chance to drive the run in, at least with the same “outs” situation.

"All energy flows according to the whims of the great magnet

What a fool I was to defy him"

-HST

by Mark Himmelstein on Jul 17, 2009 1:58 PM EDT up reply actions