The New York Mets (Redux) - Page 17

Kanadesaga · 03-13-2008, 02:17 AM

Perez returns to form vs. Orioles
Versatile Pagan comes off bench to hit two-run homer
By Marty Noble / MLB.com
03/12/2008 3:42 PM ET

METS 6, ORIOLES 2
at Port St. Lucie, Fla.
Wednesday, March 12

Orioles at the plate: Jay Gibbons doubled and scored on a single by Aubrey Huff in the first inning. A leadoff double by highly touted rookie center fielder Adam Jones and a single by Oscar Salazar produced a run in the seventh.

Mets at the plate: Angel Pagan was excluded from the starting lineup on Wednesday, a rarity in this Mets camp of injured outfielders. But he did pinch-hit against the Orioles and took advantage of his one at-bat. He hit a pinch-hit two-run home run in the seventh inning off Ryan Bukvich to give the Mets a 4-2 lead.

Jose Reyes produced one of "those" days -- sort of. He tripled in the first inning and scored almost immediately on an opposite-field single to left by Fernando Martinez. The Mets' second run was an indirect result of Reyes' skill. He hit a hot ground ball to shortstop, with Robinson Cancel at second base. Shortstop Luis Hernandez handled the ball cleanly, but his rushed throw was low and bounced past first baseman Huff for an error, which allowed Cancel to score.

Orioles on the mound: Baltimore starter Jeremy Guthrie pitched four innings, allowing three hits, no walks and striking out four.

Mets on the mound: Oliver Perez, making his third exhibition game start, was quite effective in his four innings. He allowed a run in the first inning and one single in his final three frames. He struck out one and walked none. Billy Wagner pitched the fifth and got a swing and a miss on his new changeup. Aaron Heilman pitched a scoreless sixth before Duaner Sanchez allowed a run in the seventh. Reliever Joe Smith got three outs in a scoreless eighth, throwing nine pitches, eight for strikes.

Grapefruit League records: Orioles 6-6-2, Mets 9-4-1.

Up next for the Orioles: Baltimore plays Minnesota in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Thursday at 1:05 p.m. ET. Right-hander Jon Leicester is to be the Orioles' starter, and he'll be followed by Chad Bradford. Right-hander Nick Blackburn will start for the Twins.

Up next for the Mets: In his three big league camps, Mike Pelfrey has started on the road twice -- last year and this spring in Lakeland, Fla., against the Tigers. He'll get to broaden his horizons on Thursday, when he pitches in Jupiter, Fla., against the Cardinals at 1:05 p.m. ET. He is to be followed by Matt Wise, Pedro Feliciano and Jorge Sosa. The Cardinals listed former Mets closer Braden Looper as their starter, but no other pitchers.

Kanadesaga · 03-13-2008, 03:27 PM

Pelfrey limits damage in loss to Cards
Mets righty allows one earned run, adds single and run scored
By Matthew Leach / MLB.com
03/13/2008 4:34 PM ET

CARDINALS 6, METS 5 (10 innings)
at Jupiter, Fla.
Thursday, March 13

Mets at the plate: Olmedo Saenz's two-out RBI single in the ninth inning gave the Mets the lead. Jose Reyes singled twice and scored both times. Endy Chavez had a single and a two-run double, and Carlos Beltran singled in a run and walked. Starter Mike Pelfrey singled and scored.

Cardinals at the plate: Rico Washington hit an RBI single in the 10th inning, driving in Skip Schumaker, who walked. Schumaker stayed hot with two more singles, continuing to thrive in the leadoff spot. Yadier Molina singled and doubled, and D'Angelo Jimenez smacked an RBI pinch-hit double to score Molina. Albert Pujols singled, doubled and drove in a run.

Mets on the mound: Pelfrey wasn't spectacular, but he kept the damage to a minimum. He lasted 4 2/3 innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits. He struck out one and walked two. Pedro Feliciano allowed an unearned run in the seventh, betrayed by Robinson Cancel's drop of Troy Glaus' two-out popup.

Cardinals on the mound: Braden Looper was knocked around a little bit, allowing four runs on seven hits in four innings. He struck out two and walked two. Jason Isringhausen breezed through 1 1/3 perfect innings. Chris Perez struck out two in a scoreless eighth inning before Jason Motte gave up a run in the ninth, but pitched a scoreless 10th and earned the win.

Grapefruit League records: Mets 9-6; Cardinals 6-9.

Up next for the Mets: The Mets return to Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter on Friday, this time to oppose the Marlins at 1:05 p.m. ET. John Maine, whose fastball impressed teammates and scouts in his most recent start, is to make his fourth exhibition start. After pitching four innings -- he allowed no hits -- against the Astros on Sunday, Maine is in position to pitch five innings Friday. Scott Schoeneweis is to follow him. Ricky Nolasco was the only Marlins pitcher listed for Friday.

Up next for the Cardinals: Past meets future for the Cardinals when they head north to Vero Beach, Fla., on Friday. It will be the club's final visit to venerable Dodgertown, with a first-pitch time of 12:05 p.m. CT at Holman Stadium. Taking the mound for the visiting Redbirds, however, is one of the organization's most promising prospects. Right-hander Clayton Mortensen, a 2007 draftee, will make his second Grapefruit League start.

Kanadesaga · 03-14-2008, 08:17 PM

Cancel, Maine lead Mets past Marlins
Catcher 3-for-4 with two RBIs; righty goes five scoreless frames
By Joe Frisaro / MLB.com
03/14/2008 4:09 PM ET

METS 8, MARLINS 2
at Jupiter, Fla.
Friday, March 14

Marlins at the plate: Hanley Ramirez opened the first with a double and moved to third on an error, but he was stranded on the basepaths. John Maine then held the Marlins hitless until Ramirez's single in the third. Jorge Cantu added a single in the fourth and an RBI single in the eighth. Robert Andino also added an eighth-inning RBI hit.

Mets at the plate: Carlos Beltran had a double and single, setting up two big innings. Robinson Cancel had a big day with two singles, a double and two RBIs. His two-base hit triggered a four-run second inning where the Mets batted around. Cancel, Argenis Reyes and Endy Chavez each had RBI singles in the frame, while Anderson Hernandez lifted an RBI sacrifice fly. In the third, the Mets scored three more runs. Beltran and Carlos Delgado each singled, Cancel delivered an RBI single and Hernandez lofted his second sacrifice fly.

Marlins on the mound: Ricky Nolasco, in contention for a rotation spot, had a rough time, giving up six runs and seven hits with two walks and a strikeout in two-plus innings. He threw 54 pitches, 28 for strikes. Prospect Burke Badenhop, a sleeper to win a job in the rotation, threw four scoreless innings of relief, striking out four while yielding three hits. A sinkerball pitcher, Badenhop induced six groundball outs, while rolling up 58 pitches.

Mets on the mound: Maine made his fourth start, and he had a stellar five-scoreless innings outing. Coupled with his last outing, Maine has strung together nine shutout innings. He struck out six and scattered three hits. Maine stretched out to 75 pitches, with 45 for strikes. Lefty reliever Scott Schoeneweis tossed one inning of one-hit ball, with two strikeouts.

Grapefruit League records: Marlins 12-7-1, Mets 10-6-1.

Mets up next: The twin Mets will be playing Saturday when the Cardinals come to Port St. Lucie, Fla. Luis Castillo and Johan Santana, teammates with the Twins as recently as July, are to be on the field together as Mets for the first time. Castillo is to make his first appearance in an exhibition game, and Santana is to make his fourth start in the 1:10 p.m. ET game to be carried on MLB.TV. Adam Wainwright will get the start for the Cardinals.

Marlins up next: Rick VandenHurk, in the hunt for a rotation spot, is 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA in three Grapefruit League games (two starts). He's logged eight innings and surrendered seven hits. The native of the Netherlands gets the start on Saturday against the Orioles in Jupiter at 1:05 p.m. Baltimore will start Steve Trachsel.

Kanadesaga · 03-17-2008, 05:51 AM

Pedro blanks Tigers in spring debut
Martinez scatters four hits, strikes out four in four innings
By Marty Noble / MLB.com
03/16/2008 4:15 PM ET

METS (ss) 7, TIGERS (ss) 4
at Port St. Lucie, Fla.
Sunday, March 16

Tigers at the plate: Carlos Guillen hit a two-run home run against Brian Stokes in the sixth inning. A Baltimore-chop single by Brent Clevlen drove in the tying run, and, after a single by Michael Holliman, a single by Ramon Santiago drove in two runs in the four-run sixth. Magglio Ordonez had a booming double to center field against Pedro Martinez in the second.

Mets at the plate: Jose Reyes tripled and scored, on a groundout by Luis Castillo, in the first inning and drove in a run in the second with a sacrifice fly in the second. Carlos Delgado's opposite-field double to left produced a run in the third. Delgado eventually advanced to third base and, on the final play of the inning, was struck by the splintered bat of Brady Clark. Jake Eigsti's two-run double sparked a three-run game-winning rally in the eighth inning.

Tigers on the mound: Starter Yorman Bazardo allowed one run in each of the first three innings and was removed with one out in the third. Virgil Vasquez replaced him and pitched through the sixth, allowing one run.

Mets on the mound: Martinez, making his first exhibition game start, pitched four scoreless innings, allowing four hits and a walk and striking out four. Matt Wise struck out two in the 1-2-3 fifth, but Stokes allowed six hits and four runs in the sixth.

Up next for the Tigers: Having pitched five innings against the Astros on Wednesday, Kenny Rogers is to start again on Monday at 1:05 p.m. ET when the Tigers play the Reds in Sarasota, Fla. Denny Batista and Todd Jones are to follow the left-handed veteran starter. Right-handed rookie Johnny Cueto, who has a 1.00 ERA and eight strikeouts in nine spring innings, is to start for the Reds with the hope of again enhancing his chances of winning a spot in the rotation.

Up next for the Mets: New York will make a second trip to Viera, Fla., on Monday at 1:05 p.m. to play the Nationals at Space Coast Stadium, a ballpark positioned so that the catchers need sunglasses. The first trip was wasted, as Martinez was rained out. Oliver Perez is to start for the Mets and be followed by Ricardo Rincon and Joe Smith. Left-hander Mike O'Connor goes for the Nationals, followed by Joel Hanrahan, Jon Rauch, Luis Ayala and Chad Cordero.