Mets and Reds

Post #1 » by **Manhattan Project** » Mon Apr 6, 2009 3:03 am

Pitching matchup
NYM: LHP Johan Santana (16-7, 2.53 ERA in 2008)
Santana has a 1-0 record in four appearances (three starts) against the Reds. His lone victory came at Shea Stadium on May 10, 2008, in a game the Mets won, 12-6. He had a no-decision in his other start against them last July 17. Santana pitched merely four innings, his shortest workday in 34 starts, in Great American Ball Park. He surrendered 16 hits, three of them home runs, and eight runs in 10 innings. His 6.75 ERA against the Reds (17 1/3 innings) is higher than his ERA against any other opponent by nearly two runs.

Santana has started merely three Opening Day games, losing to the Blue Jays in Toronto in 2006, beating the Orioles in 2007 and beating the Marlins in Miami in his Mets debut last season. He allowed five baserunners and two runs in seven innings of what became a 7-2 Mets victory.

Santana's performances in his first games -- whether or not they were Opening Day games -- haven't been consistent with his other work. In the four seasons in which he has been a full-time starter, he has a 2-1 record and a 6.10 ERA in his season debuts. Santana pitched merely 20 2/3 innings in the four games. Each was staged in a dome or a park with a retractable roof -- two in the Metrodome in Minneapolis, and one each in Safeco Field in Seattle and Rogers Centre in Toronto.

CIN: RHP Aaron Harang (6-17, 4.78 ERA in 2008)
The first of three right-handed starters the Mets will see in the season-opening series, Harang has a 2-1 record in four career starts against them, that despite a 5.85 ERA produced in merely 20 innings. He hasn't opposed the Mets since 2007, when he split two decisions. Harang has started on Opening Day the last three years, winning once and losing twice. He has a 28-28 record in 85 starts at Great American Ball Park.

Wright has five hits in seven career at-bats against Harang, and Luis Castillo has three walks and six hits in 12 plate appearances against the Reds starter.

Tidbits
The Mets have opened their two most recent seasons on the road, beating the Cardinals and Marlins. And now, for the second time in 48 years, they are to open on the road for a third straight season. They did so in 1999, 2000 and 2001. But there's a hitch. They opened in Florida, losing, in '99. And they defeated the Braves in Atlanta in their first game in '01. And in '00, it was a road opener of a different kind. The Mets were the visiting team, the Cubs were the home team and the game was played in Tokyo.

The team opened at Shea Stadium in three consecutive seasons three times -- 1965-67, 1971-73 and 1989-91.

Reyes will bat leadoff on Opening Day for the fifth straight year. No other Mets player has done so. Wright and Carlos Beltran are the only other current Mets to start on Opening Day in five consecutive seasons, but they have batted in different slots.

Wright is the first Mets player to start at third base in five straight Opening Day games since Howard Johnson started in six straight from 1985-90. Johnson started at shortstop in '91 and center field in '92.

Before Beltran, not since 1982-85, when Mookie Wilson started, had a Mets center fielder started in four straight Opening Day games.

Castillo is the sixth Opening Day second baseman in seven seasons -- Roberto Alomar, Ricky Gutierrez, Kaz Matsui, Anderson Hernandez and Jose Valentin preceded Castillo, who has started the last two. Church is the sixth Opening Day right fielder in seven years, preceded by Jeromy Burnitz, Karim Garcia, Eric Valent, Xavier Nady and Shawn Green.

krustytheclown · Post #2 » by **krustytheclown** » Mon Apr 6, 2009 6:38 pm

6 runners stranded already. fail

Post #3 » by **Manhattan Project** » Mon Apr 6, 2009 6:56 pm

A blast from Murphy gives the Mets the 1-0 lead in the top of the fifth.

EchelonNYK · Post #4 » by **EchelonNYK** » Mon Apr 6, 2009 7:00 pm

Epic fail by the Reds outfielders.

cold5 · Post #5 » by **cold5** » Mon Apr 6, 2009 7:03 pm

echelon was asking for Jay Bruce to throw out David Wright at the plate.

EchelonNYK · Post #6 » by **EchelonNYK** » Mon Apr 6, 2009 7:04 pm

cold5 wrote:echelon was asking for Jay Bruce to throw out David Wright at the plate.

No, the pop up before that.

krustytheclown · Post #7 » by **krustytheclown** » Mon Apr 6, 2009 7:20 pm

lol@ this little midget pitcher :lol:

Knicksfan1 · Post #8 » by **Knicksfan1** » Mon Apr 6, 2009 7:43 pm

Sac Fly, Santana out... why?

Knicksfan1 · Post #9 » by **Knicksfan1** » Mon Apr 6, 2009 8:18 pm

Putz is sick

krustytheclown · Post #10 » by **krustytheclown** » Mon Apr 6, 2009 8:41 pm

atleast there wont be 29 blown saves this yr

Knicksfan1 · Post #11 » by **Knicksfan1** » Mon Apr 6, 2009 8:43 pm

We got a helluva great bullpen 1-0

blueNorange · Post #12 » by **blueNorange** » Mon Apr 6, 2009 9:00 pm

mets won a 1 run ballgame??

diaf heilman, schoenewies, sanchez, and smith

nyknicks09 · Post #13 » by **nyknicks09** » Mon Apr 6, 2009 10:03 pm

Great game by the Mets bullpen. If this was last year's bullpen, Santana would have gotten a no decision on this one. One thing that surprised me was when Jerry Manuel took Santana out early instead of letting him finish the inning but it ended being a good decision which showed that Green can really help this team from the bullpen aside from J.J. Putz and K-Rod. I'm glad we got the win cause these are the games that really count at the end of the season but if our bullpen continues playing like this, we can win the division before season ends and give the pitchers some rest for the postseason.

Mets 2009.............

blueNorange · Post #14 » by **blueNorange** » Mon Apr 6, 2009 10:18 pm

breaking news ... schoeneweis gives up a homerun to a lefty to blow the lead, he's in mid season form!

DocZaius · Post #15 » by **DocZaius** » Mon Apr 6, 2009 11:33 pm

Put it in the muhfuggin books.

Post #16 » by **TMU** » Tue Apr 7, 2009 12:42 am

The umpire was ridiculous. There were several occasions where Santana was called for balls when he threw in the pitching zone whereas Harang was called for strikes when he was all over the place.

Oh well, glad it didn't change the outcome of the game.

Post #17 » by **Manhattan Project** » Tue Apr 7, 2009 1:38 am

How did K-Rod look?

blueNorange · Post #18 » by **blueNorange** » Tue Apr 7, 2009 2:12 am

Manhattan Project wrote:How did K-Rod look?

the changeup that struck out a red that ended the game should be illegal.

and you remember around 2004 and 2005 FOX used to have an animated talking fastball that'd tell you what a pitch does?? well yeah, frankie's slider is exactly like that, the thing takes a sharp left turn right at the last minute.

krustytheclown · Post #19 » by **krustytheclown** » Tue Apr 7, 2009 2:27 am

trade david wright he sucks and cant hit anymore

Post #20 » by **Manhattan Project** » Tue Apr 7, 2009 2:32 am

blueNorange wrote:
Manhattan Project wrote:How did K-Rod look?

the changeup that struck out a red that ended the game should be illegal.

and you remember around 2004 and 2005 FOX used to have an animated talking fastball that'd tell you what a pitch does?? well yeah, frankie's slider is exactly like that, the thing takes a sharp left turn right at the last minute.

For one day it seems like we all love K-Rod...