Results tagged “johansantana”

• Marlins 2, Mets 1: Remember when the Marlins helped spoil the Mets' seasons in 2007 and 2008? Now the Mets can do the same to their National League East rival, but not if they hit as they did Tuesday. They got seven hits -- six singles -- against Sean West and the Marlins bullpen. Nelson Figueroa did well in filling in for Johan Santana -- out for the year with bone chips in his elbow -- but it wasn't enough. Gary Sheffield also left this game with lower back cramps. Oh, and J.J. Putz is done for the year also. What else can go wrong?
• Rangers 10, Yankees 9: With the Yankees cruising atop the American League East, the team can worry about how many days Joba Chamberlain gets between starts. Well, maybe they should consider fewer. Working on 10 days' rest, Chamberlain allowed seven runs on nine hits and took the loss. He also blew a 4-0 first-inning lead. The Yankees did almost come back from a 10-5 deficit in the ninth, but it was not to be. He'll start on normal rest against Chicago on Sunday.
Continue reading "Last Night's Action: Waking Up the Marlins"

As if Mets fans needed more bad news: Ace pitcher Johan Santana will needs "minor arthroscopic surgery to clean up bone chips in his left elbow and will miss the remainder of the season," according to MLB.com. Apparently Santana has had some discomfort since spring training—"Though the Mets at one point scheduled an MRI on the elbow, they never proceeded with that test." The Mets expect him to be back in spring training next year; GM Omar Minaya said, "We would all love to see Johan Santana here in September. But I think it's a decision that's a wise decision. We want to see Johan Santana here for the long haul." In a blog post earlier today, before the Mets announced Santana was sitting out for the rest of the season, the Post's Joel Sherman questioned, "The Mets can't play dumb here. Jerry Manuel said that he knew Santana had not been throwing bullpen sessions between starts since sometime before the All-Star break... So, again, how do the Mets let Santana keep pitching in these meaningless games? Where is the logic? Where are the adults?"

Phillies 6, Mets 2: Well, at least watching the Mets lose to Philadelphia during the final six weeks of the season is a less painful this year with the team barely having any healthy legs to stand up on, let alone collapse onto. Ryan Howard smacked a three-run home run to left in the top of the first off of Bobby Parnell and the Phillies would never look back in this afternoon's finale of the four-game series at Citi Field. Today's loss puts the Mets 16 1/2 games behind the World Series champs and somehow the news just keeps getting worse. Johan Santana has been scratched from tomorrow's start in Florida with a sore elbow and might be shut down for the season. Billy Wagner made his second appearance today since returning from Tommy John surgery, pitching a scoreless 8th for the Mets. Word is that complications have arisen with the Red Sox' attempt to bring him to Boston off waivers—Wagner wants the Red Sox to agree that they will not pick up his option for next year nor offer him arbitration, leaving him the possibility to sign somewhere where he could end his career as a closer.

Livan Hernandez, who stopped masquerading as a Major League pitcher about seven weeks ago lost his roster spot to Billy Wagner. Then the Mets went out and lost, 3-2, to the Braves. Remember when Mets fans hung effigies of Chipper Jones from the stands at Shea Stadium, and everyone hated the rivals from Atlanta? Not so much anymore. Johan Santana struck out only two in seven innings, allowed nine hits and three runs and took the loss. Wagner got in the game and pitched a scoreless inning with two strikeouts. If he clears waivers, the Mets will likely trade him. Even if he doesn't, the Mets may be able to work something out.

• Giants 5 Mets 4 (10 Innings): The loss hurts, but the more important question is how is David Wright? Wright was hit in the head by a pitch from Matt Cain in the third inning and had to leave the game. He walked on his own power into an ambulance for further testing. That incident overshadowed the rest of the game. Johan Santana tried for revenge, throwing behind Pablo Sandoval in the seventh before yielding a home run. He then drilled Bengie Molina before Jerry Manuel took him out of the game. The Mets scored three in the eighth to tie the game, but Molina got his revenge in the 10th with a solo shot to provide the winning run.

• Yankees 5 Red Sox 2 When things are going right, they really go right. Joe Girardi bypassed Phil Hughes in the eighth, despite holding a 1-0 lead and the Red Sox scored two runs to take a 2-1 lead. No matter, the Yankees jumped back on top thanks to back-to-back homers from Damon and Teixeira, the sixth time they have done that this season, and added two more runs to take a three-run lead into the ninth. Girardi didn’t fool around from there, bringing Mariano Rivera in for the ninth. Rivera didn’t look good, but he got the save and the Yankees swept the Red Sox to take a 6-1/2 game lead in the AL East.

• Yankees 5 Toronto 3: The Yankees got to Roy Halladay thanks to some shaky defense by the Blue Jays. New York scored twice in the first, the second run coming when Halladay dropped the third out at first base. They padded their lead in the eighth with back-to-back solo shots from Johnny Damon and Mark Teixeira, but Phil Hughes and Mariano gave those runs right back to make it 4-3 heading into the ninth. Hideki Matsui started the top of the ninth with a solo shot and Rivera worked around a couple of base runners in the bottom of the inning to earn his 31st save.

• Mets 7 Colorado 0: The Mets blew things open with a five-run second and Johan Santana took it from there. Santana had eight K’s and only allowed four hits as he pitched seven shutout innings before turning it over to the bullpen. David Wright and Angel Berroa both had two RBI’s to lead New York’s offense.
• Colorado 4 Mets 2: They couldn’t complete the sweep, but the Mets showed some heart against Colorado. Jon Niese pitched well enough and Fernando Tatis combined a great catch with a home run, but they still fell a bit short. It snapped their winning streak at five, but they may have found their offensive stride during that streak.
• Chicago 3 Yankees 2: Nick Swisher saved the Yankees with a two-out home run in the top of the ninth to tie the game, but it was only a temporary reprieve. Phil Hughes got into trouble in the bottom of the ninth and Phil Coke couldn’t handle a bullet off the bat of Dewayne Wise that proved to be the game winner. The loss and the Boston win leaves the Yankees 2-1/2 games in front of the AL East.

Yankees 2, Detroit 1: CC Sabathia was able to pitch out of any jams he had gotten himself into yesterday afternoon, using double plays and a one-out infield fly in order to keep the Tigers scoreless for the seven innings he threw. Tiger ace Justin Verlander appeared to be outpitching Sabathia until the Yankees came up in the seventh. There A-Rod landed a short home run into the right field seats and Robinson Cano scored what ended up being the winning run on a Melky Cabrera infield single. The Yankees go for the sweep this afternoon in The Bronx.

• Yankees 10 Blue Jays 8: Alfredo Aceves doesn’t have the best stuff, but he knows how to pitch and that is why he is becoming a very important part of the Yankees’ pitching staff. A day after a 12 inning game, New York needed a good outing from Joba Chamberlain that they didn't get. Joba was rocked giving up eight runs in three-plus innings. But, the Yankees’ bullpen held the game at 8-4 Toronto and the bats brought them back. Hideki Matsui hit a three-run homer to make it 8-7 and Derek Jeter put them up for good with a two-run blast. Aceves pitched four innings, allowing only one baserunner while striking out five and he earned his first save. Philadelphia 2 Mets 0: It was a lost weekend in Philly for the Mets. New York turned to its ace, Johan Santana to try and salvage a win in the series. Santana pitched very well, allowing only three hits, but two of them were solo homers. The problem was that once again the Mets’ offense was overmatched and they could only manage four hits against Joe Blanton. Now they have a day off before hosting the NL-best Dodgers starting on Tuesday.

      

• Yankees 11, Braves 7: Derek Lowe didn't pitch quite as well for the Braves as he did for the Red Sox in Game 7 of the 2004 American League Championship Series. The Yankees got to him for eight runs in three innings. Andy Pettitte wasn't much better, allowing six runs in 3 2/3. But the bullpen work of Alfredo Aceves and Phil Coke helped the Yankees stop the bleeding and take the rubber game of this three-game series. Johnny Damon had four RBIs, as did Alex Rodriguez, who hit a homer as well.

• Tampa Bay 3 Mets 1: Johan Santana was good, James Shields was better. Shields shut the Mets down, allowing only one run over seven innings and the Rays came from behind to beat New York in a tidy game. Neither offense was good, but Tampa was more efficient, taking advantage of two solo homers and back-to-back doubles to get the win. Both teams had to suffer through a lengthy rain delay, but the game itself took only 2:24.

Yankees 15 Mets 0: Johan Santana had the worst start of his career, giving up nine earned runs and the Yankees pounded their way to a Subway Series win. While the game ended in a blowout, it was the bottom of the second and the top of the third that proved critical. In their half of the second, the Yankees scored four times, all with two outs to jump out to an early lead. The Mets loaded the bases with no outs in the third, but failed to score when Alex Cora was called out on a bad call, Fernando Martinez struck out and Carlos Beltran hit a liner to short.

• Mets 6, Phillies 5: Who says Citi Field suppresses home runs? Ryan Church, Carlos Beltran and David Wright all went yard as the Mets overcame a shaky start by Johan Santana, who allowed four Philadelphia home runs. Santana, who squandered a 3-0 lead, helped himself with a game-tying double in the sixth, and Alex Cora drove in the go-ahead run. Francisco Rodriguez worked around a Jimmy Rollins single in the ninth to get his 16th save in 16 chances. He then pointed to the sky three times -- once for each out he got? The Mets trail the Phillies by two games in the National League East.

Start with the offense. The loss of Carlos Delgado was huge and it exposed a mediocre squad. Beltran and Wright are having great years, Gary Sheffield has been a nice addition, but everyone else disappointed this year. Jose Reyes was having a bad year before he got hurt. Daniel Murphy looks like a player who played only one game in AAA before coming to the majors. Luis Castillo is Luis Castillo. There are too many dead spots in the lineup. And don’t blame the ballpark, the Mets actually hit better at Citi Field than on the road.

• Yankees 12, Rangers 3: If only A.J. Burnett could face the Rangers every start. He made one-mistake -- a three-run homer to Nelson Cruz -- in seven innings for his second win against Texas in less than a week. Fortunately for Burnett, the Yankees hit two three-run homers (Hideki Matsui and Jorge Posada) to light up the scoreboard in their return home. This game was not without its fireworks. Mark Teixeira got hit twice by Vicente Padilla, and Burnett got warned for throwing up and in on Texas' Elvis Andrus.

• Yankees 9, Rangers 2: A.J. Burnett didn't economize when it came to his pitch count, but he did most other things well. He need 118 pitches to go through six scoreless innings, but he picked up his first win since mid-April. Mark Teixeira, Hideki Matsui (twice) and Robinson Cano all homered in the rubber-game win. Burnett struck out seven and walked four. At least he didn't allow any homers, a bugaboo of his in the past. WIth Boston's loss, the Yankees are tied with the Red Sox in first place, 1 1/2 games ahead of the Blue Jays.
• Mets 7, Nationals 4: Yet another replay in a Mets game, and another goes the Mets' way. Daniel Murphy's double-turned-home-run broke a 3-3 tie in the sixth inning and helped make a winner out of Johan Santana. The Mets ace walked six and struck out 11. Four of those walks came in a three-run fourth inning. Bobby Parnell, Pedro Feliciano, J.J. Putz and Francisco Rodriguez got the final nine outs as the Mets swept the Nationals.
Continue reading "Last Night's Action: Yankees Tie for First"

• Mets 5 Boston 3: Put it in the books, the Mets got back to winning after losing four straight in California. Johan Santana stifled the Red Sox, Bobby Parnell held the lead and Francisco Rodriguez got the save. Five different Mets had RBI's while Gary Sheffield blasted his 3rd homer of the season.
  
  The Mets injury woes also continued, with Carlos Beltran relegated to DH with a sore knee, JJ Putz unavailable with a stiff neck, and Ryan Church who left the game with tightness in his hammy. And of course Jose Reyes sitting out with his injuries.
• Philadelphia 7 Yankees 3: That 10th game just wasn't meant to be. AJ Burnett was lit up for five earned runs and the Yankees' winning streak came to an abrupt halt. Burnett gave up four home runs, including one to Jimmy Rollins on the first pitch of the game.
  
  Chien-Ming Wang, fresh from the DL, relieved Burnett but didn't do much better, allowing 2 runs in 3 innings. BUT, his ERA actually went down to 25.00 from 34.50. Progress!

Atlanta 8 Mets 3: Johan Santana should sue his teammates for lack of support. In seven starts he has allowed a total of eight runs, only four of them earned, yet he is only 4-2 on the season. Monday two errors, one by David Wright and one by Jose Reyes undid him. Wright’s error was somewhat forgivable; it was a tough throw from deep in the infield. Reyes never should have booted the ball he did, simply taking his eye of a routine grounder. Either way, the New York offense couldn’t get its ace off the hook- again.

• Mets 1 Philadelphia 0: Round 1 goes to New York as they used a stellar start from Santana and an error to win a ballgame. Johan was dominant, continuing his amazing 2009, striking out 10 over seven innings and allowing only five baserunners. But, Chan Ho Park was just as good, matching Santana out for out. But, in the seventh the Mets broke through with an odd rally. Carlos Delgado walked to start the inning, but was left there when Wright and Murphy couldn’t move him. Fernando Tatis hit a slow grounder to third that Pedro Feliz fielded and fired wide of first. With two outs, Delgado was running on the play and he scored all the way from first for the game’s only run. Feliciano and Rodriguez came in and pitched two scoreless to nail down the win. And more good news as the Mets placed Oliver Perez on the DL today.

• Marlins 4, Mets 3: Things looked swell in this one until the eighth inning. Fernando Tatis had put the Mets on top with a solo homer in the sixth that just got out to left field. J.J. Putz and then Francisco Rodriguez would be needed to secure six outs in relief of Johan Santana. But Putz coughed up the lead in the eighth and the Mets dropped the rubber game. Santana has three wins this year in five starts but has a 1.10 ERA -- and that's up from the 0.70 mark it was at the beginning of the day. After an off-day Thursday, the Mets travel to Philadelphia for a critical series starting Friday.
• Yankees 8, Tigers 6: This one turned out much more interesting than the Yankees would have liked, but it still helped the Yankees end a road trip that started with a four-game losing streak on a positive note. Nick Swisher homered twice -- he has three homers in his last two games -- and Joba Chamberlain struck out six and walked three in seven innings of one-run ball. Hideki Matsui also had three RBIs. The Yankees face the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on Thursday.
• Red Bulls 2, Earthquakes 1: The Red Bulls finally won a match on the road. Unfortunately, it was only for a US Open play in game and doesn't count towards their regular season record.

• Indians 22, Yankees 4: That's the most runs allowed by the Yankees at home. Cleveland's MLB 14-run second was the biggest inning against the Yankees in terms of runs and hits (13). Chien-Ming Wang is starting to be a point of concern. He has an ERA of 34.50 through three starts and has gotten a combined seven outs in his last two outings. Mark Teixeira hit a two-run homer to give the Yankees an early lead, but things got ugly quickly. Carl Pavano faces his former team in Sunday's series finale.
• Mets 1, Brewers 0: The only runs Johan Santana has allowed in his last start resulted from an an error from Daniel Murphy. He is sporting a 0.46 ERA, or roughly 1/70 of Wang's. Jose Reyes' RBI on a fielder's choice in the 7th inning gave the Mets their only run.
• Rangers 1, Capitals 0: The Rangers won this game for one reason, and his name is Henrik Lunqvist. He made 35 saves to help make Ryan Callahan's goal stand up. The Rangers lead this series two games to none as they head back to New York. This is an upset brewing.
Continue reading "Last Night's Action: A Record Drubbing"

That left things up to the bullpen and the trio of Green, Putz and K-Rod allowed only one baserunner over the final 3-1/3. Daniel Murphy was the hitting star, getting two RBI’s one on a homer and one on a groundout.

The Mets have squandered a chance at the postseason in consecutive Septembers. The 2007 version capped a massive collapse. The 2008 version capped a generally disappointing and underachieving season.

Both local teams had great off-seasons. The Yankees signed the best hitter and the best pitcher on the free agent market and the Mets turned their bullpen into a formidable weapon. But, pennants aren’t won in winter, they are won on the field in summer and fall and both teams currently have big injury concerns.

New York may be going through its first October without baseball since 1994, but that isn’t stopping the local teams from handing out deals to their GM’s. Yesterday, the Yankees brought back Brian Cashman. Today, the Mets announced that they have extended Omar Minaya’s deal for three years through 2012. Minaya, who was signed through 2009 already, could be with the club though 2014 if two club options are picked up.

That was all Santana needed and the Mets’ victory coupled with the Brewers’ loss puts them into a tie for the wild card. Philadelphia won and they clinched the division, which means it’s the wild card or bust for New York. The Mets play at 1:05 today with the Brewers facing the Cubs at 2:05. If the two teams are still tied at the end of the day they will face each other on Monday at Shea.