Back on Television, Mets Win Again

In a game that ended almost five hours after it started, the Mets defeated the Cubs in the opener of a three-game series in Chicago. It was the first Mets win in Chicago since April 2002, and, for 2.4 million Time Warner customers in New York and New Jersey, the first opportunity to see the club on a weekday night. Thanks to rain in Chicago, most probably went to sleep before the game’s end.

Doug Mientkiewicz’s sixth home run broke a 4-4 tie in the 8th. Mike DeJean, just one day removed from allowing the winning run in Sunday's 5-4 loss in Milwaukee, won in relief of Aaron Heilman. Mike Piazza had a three-run home run and Kaz Matsui a solo shot for the Mets, who have won four of five on this road trip and six of seven overall. Heilman survived two rain delays totaling an hour and 35 minutes to last five and a third innings. Dae-Sung Koo relieved him and promptly blew the 4-0 lead, allowing two inherited runners to score along with two of his own.

The rest of the Mets bullpen was refreshingly effective. DeJean worked out of a jam in the seventh. Heath Bell, worked hard of late, and Braden Looper each pitched scoreless innings. With the Mets carrying only eleven pitchers, the six members of the bullpen can expect to see a heavier workload behind the inconsistent rotation.

Fox Sports New York and MSG Network, both owned by Cablevision, returned to the television sets of Time Warner customers in time for the first pitch Monday. New York attorney general Eliot Spitzer brokered a deal between Time Warner and Cablevision that will allow Time Warner customers to see the Mets during the week. Weekend games were already available on WPIX (channel 11). The accord ended a 63-day disagreement surrounding the fees Time Warner would pay Cablevision to carry the two networks.

Photo by AP/Nam Y. Huh via ESPN