Tough To Watch: Phillies 6, Mets 2

I'm about to pack for our trip to Chicago so tonight's recap is another of the bullet-list variety.

• Four starts is probably still too soon to rule on the Bobby Parnell starter experiment. There are still hypotheses to test, theses to write, peer review sessions to attend. Still, it's not looking good right now.
• Parnell threw first-pitch strikes to just nine of 25 batters he faced. Not surprising, then, that he allowed five runs on four hits and three walks in five innings. Two of the four hits were Ryan Howard homeruns, so I guess were it not for those things might've turned out much better.
• If it wasn't already clear that throwing first-pitch strikes was important, allow Baseball-Reference.com's league splits to elucidate that point:
  • Batters after 1-0 count: .278/.395/.459
  • Batters after 0-1 count: .233/.276/.357
• The good news is that Parnell registered 11 swinging strikes, or 10.7% of his pitches, which is very good for a starter.
• The Mets only had seven baserunners all game on six hits and an error. Two of those runners were erased: Pagan was thrown out stealing and Cory Sullivan was doubled off on Anderson Hernandez's liner in the fifth.
• Billy Wagner made his second relief appearance since returning from surgery. He struck out two more batters, though his control was a bit spottier than last time.
• Yes, it has come to this: a Ken Takahashi sighting.

The Mets head to Florida to begin a three-game series with the Marlins on Tuesday. Nelson Figueroa gets the start against Sean West, 7:10pm start time.

Haiku by Howard Megdal

Howard's two homers
mean little; Johan's elbow
is all that matters

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
* The Good Phight Gamethread

Win Probability Added

Big winners: Gary Sheffield, +5.7% WPA, Daniel Murphy, +4.0% WPA
Big losers: Bobby Parnell, -27.2% WPA, Anderson Hernandez, -9.8% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Murphy double in seventh, +6.9% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: Howard three-run homerun in first, -18.3% WPA
Total pitcher WPA: -22.2% WPA
Total batter WPA: -27.8% WPA
GWRBI!: Ryan Howard

Game Thread Roll Call

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