metmagic
07-13-2002, 09:34 AM
Fireworks Show Is Too Late
Mets light up scoreboard, but pitching's a dud
By ROGER RUBIN
Daily News Sports Writer
Phillies 9
Mets 8
The light towers at Shea went dark after the final out of last night's game, and the night sky filled with the glimmering lights of an impressive fireworks display. If only there had been a few more rockets launched by the Mets when it counted, the night would have been perfect.
Instead, the celebratory display was the best thing to take away from a night of frustration.
The Mets did not come to life until the late innings against the Phillies. By then, their pitching had put them in too big a hole on the way to a 9-8 loss in front of 49,424.
In Thursday night's win, an eight-run, eight-inning outburst marked the evening. Last night, the Mets scored seven over the last four innings. The awakening brought them back from an 8-1 deficit in the sixth, but couldn't carry them to the win.
"It's definitely frustrating when it ends up a one-run game," said reliever Bobby Jones, who allowed three runs in two innings as part of a miserable bullpen effort. "It's especially bad if you didn't do your job."
Starter Jeff D'Amico started things off badly by allowing five runs over five innings before leaving with the score 5-1. Jones was next, allowing the deficit to grow to 8-2. And Grant Roberts allowed a solo home run to Scott Rolen in the eighth, his one inning of work. That made the score 9-4; it proved to be the decisive blow when the Mets scored one in the eighth and tacked on three in the ninth.
D'Amico (4-8) has gone eight starts without a victory.
"Jeff didn't have his curve," Bobby Valentine said. "He just wasn't pitching the way he needed to to get people out.
"And Jones could really do better than that."
Though the loss dropped Valentine's club back under .500 and cost them a chance to pull into a third-place tie with the Marlins in the NL East, most Mets took some solace in the fact that they had 14 hits.
"I feel fortunate we're getting some offense," said Mike Piazza, who had two hits and two RBI. "But we had opportunities to get back in the game earlier and we didn't do it."
And that was the story. The Mets produced eight runs and 14 hits — impressive by their standards — and were still forced to look back on the chances that were wasted.
Mo Vaughn struck the first blow with a 409-foot solo homer to center in the sixth that cut the deficit to 5-2. In the seventh, Piazza's two-run single made it 8-4, but with two on and two out, Vaughn looked at a called third strike that ended the inning.
And of course there was the ninth. The Mets trailed 9-5 and jumped all over Phillies closer Jose Mesa. John Valentin walked, Roberto Alomar singled and Timo Perez walked to load the bases for Piazza, setting up the most important at-bat of the game.
He grounded into a 5-4-3 double play that brought in one run. "I wanted to do more with that," Piazza said.
Joe McEwing — mired in a 1-for-40 skid — followed with a run-scoring single to make it 9-7. Edgardo Alfonzo reached on an infield hit and then Jay Payton lashed a base hit to center to score McEwing.
The game ended when Roger Cedeño grounded into a forceout at second.
Afterward, as the stadium was filled with the explosive sounds of the fireworks, Valentine tried to view a frustrating night as something to build on.
"It was another good offensive performance and we kept battling," he said. "We need to take that into the game (today). We are swinging the bat well in our first two games after the break. I hope that carries in."
Mets light up scoreboard, but pitching's a dud
By ROGER RUBIN
Daily News Sports Writer
Phillies 9
Mets 8
The light towers at Shea went dark after the final out of last night's game, and the night sky filled with the glimmering lights of an impressive fireworks display. If only there had been a few more rockets launched by the Mets when it counted, the night would have been perfect.
Instead, the celebratory display was the best thing to take away from a night of frustration.
The Mets did not come to life until the late innings against the Phillies. By then, their pitching had put them in too big a hole on the way to a 9-8 loss in front of 49,424.
In Thursday night's win, an eight-run, eight-inning outburst marked the evening. Last night, the Mets scored seven over the last four innings. The awakening brought them back from an 8-1 deficit in the sixth, but couldn't carry them to the win.
"It's definitely frustrating when it ends up a one-run game," said reliever Bobby Jones, who allowed three runs in two innings as part of a miserable bullpen effort. "It's especially bad if you didn't do your job."
Starter Jeff D'Amico started things off badly by allowing five runs over five innings before leaving with the score 5-1. Jones was next, allowing the deficit to grow to 8-2. And Grant Roberts allowed a solo home run to Scott Rolen in the eighth, his one inning of work. That made the score 9-4; it proved to be the decisive blow when the Mets scored one in the eighth and tacked on three in the ninth.
D'Amico (4-8) has gone eight starts without a victory.
"Jeff didn't have his curve," Bobby Valentine said. "He just wasn't pitching the way he needed to to get people out.
"And Jones could really do better than that."
Though the loss dropped Valentine's club back under .500 and cost them a chance to pull into a third-place tie with the Marlins in the NL East, most Mets took some solace in the fact that they had 14 hits.
"I feel fortunate we're getting some offense," said Mike Piazza, who had two hits and two RBI. "But we had opportunities to get back in the game earlier and we didn't do it."
And that was the story. The Mets produced eight runs and 14 hits — impressive by their standards — and were still forced to look back on the chances that were wasted.
Mo Vaughn struck the first blow with a 409-foot solo homer to center in the sixth that cut the deficit to 5-2. In the seventh, Piazza's two-run single made it 8-4, but with two on and two out, Vaughn looked at a called third strike that ended the inning.
And of course there was the ninth. The Mets trailed 9-5 and jumped all over Phillies closer Jose Mesa. John Valentin walked, Roberto Alomar singled and Timo Perez walked to load the bases for Piazza, setting up the most important at-bat of the game.
He grounded into a 5-4-3 double play that brought in one run. "I wanted to do more with that," Piazza said.
Joe McEwing — mired in a 1-for-40 skid — followed with a run-scoring single to make it 9-7. Edgardo Alfonzo reached on an infield hit and then Jay Payton lashed a base hit to center to score McEwing.
The game ended when Roger Cedeño grounded into a forceout at second.
Afterward, as the stadium was filled with the explosive sounds of the fireworks, Valentine tried to view a frustrating night as something to build on.
"It was another good offensive performance and we kept battling," he said. "We need to take that into the game (today). We are swinging the bat well in our first two games after the break. I hope that carries in."