GaryMrMets
09-05-2005, 08:19 PM
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http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/story/343476p-293292c.html
Trach looks
to repeat
MIAMI - Steve Trachsel took a no-hit bid into the sixth and tossed eight scoreless innings against the Giants 10 days ago, in his first start since March back surgery. The Mets could use an encore performance this afternoon, when Trachsel returns to the mound to face John Thomson in the series opener against the Braves.
Trachsel threw a 90-pitch simulated game Thursday to prepare, but admittedly is curious how he will be affected by the inactivity.
"As far as being sharp, that would probably be the biggest thing," Trachsel said.
The series continues with headline matchups of Pedro Martinez vs. John Smoltz - a repeat of the sixth game of the season, when the Mets finally won after starting 0-5 - and Tom Glavine vs. Tim Hudson.
Willie Randolph hasn't committed to a rotation beyond Atlanta, and has indicated Trachsel's performance could dictate the plan for the ensuing four-game series at St. Louis.
http://www.nydailynews.com/images/editors/notebook.gif
FRESH FACES: Anderson Hernandez is expected to join the Mets after Triple-A Norfolk's postseason ends. The slick-fielding second baseman, obtained for Vance Wilson, hit .319 with nine homers, 54 RBI and 35 steals through 526 minor-league at-bats, though he's also struck out 102 times while taking only 36 walks. Danny Graves is expected to rejoin the Mets today from Norfolk.
QUIET BIRTHDAY: Mike Piazza turned 37 yesterday, but he didn't get to celebrate by lightly swinging a bat as he had hoped. Piazza, sporting a gothic-style chrome ring - a gift from wife Alicia Rickter - said he's getting more upbeat about returning this season from a fractured bone at the base of his left hand. Piazza figures hitting will come sooner than catching because of the location of the injury, so he could be reintroduced as a pinch-hitter.
WHERE'S THE FUNK? Randolph reiterated that he had no regrets replacing Juan Padilla with Shingo Takatsu to face Miguel Cabrera with the bases loaded Saturday. Randolph only regretted Takatsu throwing a 2-1 fastball that Cabrera laced for a double, rather than his quirky, sidearm slider. "I would have loved for him to throw the funk," the manager said. "He didn't throw the funk. Padilla could have thrown a fastball." - Rubin
Originally published on September 5, 2005
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/story/343475p-293291c.html
Seo keeps working
and winning
BY ADAM RUBIN
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
MIAMI - Jae Seo had so much success upon returning from Triple-A Norfolk, he had grown tired from it.
So the righthander got extra massages the past week to loosen his arm, then got back on track yesterday against the Marlins in a game the Mets needed to avoid being swept. Seo held Florida to one run and five hits during a seven-inning, 110-pitch performance in the Mets' 7-1 win.
Last week against the Phillies, Seo's fastball velocity dipped three or four mph, making his changeup that much more hittable and allowing Philadelphia to pound out four runs and 10 hits in five innings. But Seo quickly hit 90 mph yesterday on the Dolphins Stadium gun, allaying concerns that dipping velocity, which dogged him in past stints with the Mets, would be a continued concern.
"He did have a little more arm speed," Willie Randolph said.
"I pitched over 100 pitches in four games straight," Seo said through an interpreter. "That's why my arm was tired."
Seo (7-1), who figured to be a stopgap between Kaz Ishii and Steve Trachsel when he rejoined the Mets Aug.6, has pitched at least seven innings in five of six starts since returning. He arrived from a three-month stint with the Tides a more complete pitcher, having picked up two-seam and cut fastballs in the minors.
He has won his last six decisions, surpassing a five-game winning streak by Pedro Martinez from May 2-June 7 for the longest on the Mets this season. No other Met has won more than three straight decisions.
Seo also had a 20-1/3-inning scoreless streak this season, just shy of the NL-best 24 straight scoreless innings by Roger Clemens and Dontrelle Willis. The second-longest streak on the Mets belongs to reliever Roberto Hernandez, who had 16 straight scoreless innings from May 22-July 15.
"We needed a big win from him," Randolph said.
Originally published on September 5, 2005
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/story/343474p-293288c.html
Jae & Mets get last word
Avoid Fish sweep, now 2 1/2 back
BY ADAM RUBIN
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
MIAMI - Philadelphia lost. Houston did, too.
And somehow - despite occupying last place in the NL East - the Mets moved back within 2-1/2 games of the wild-card lead while snapping a four-game losing streak with a 7-1 win yesterday against the Marlins.
"That's why you don't panic," Willie Randolph said. "That's why you don't overreact."
Behind another solid outing from Jae Seo and clutch hitting that included five two-out RBI, the Mets avoided their first three-game sweep at Dolphins Stadium in nine years. The Mets returned to within 7-1/2 games of first-place Atlanta entering a three-games series at Turner Field. They have a 20-48 road record against the Braves (1-5 this season) since the stadium opened after the 1996 Summer Olympics, though no one seemed to care.
"It's a new team, a new year," Randolph said.
Said Cliff Floyd: "This team has a lot of confidence. We believe in ourselves."
Starting at second base, Kaz Matsui had three hits - as many as Miguel Cairo had in a 46 at-bat stretch until his final plate appearance Saturday. Matsui set the tone with a first-inning triple against A.J. Burnett into the right-center alley; he scored on Carlos Beltran's groundout. He then had two strong fielding plays in the bottom half of the inning, shoveling one throw to Doug Mientkiewicz after ranging to his left, and snaring Luis Castillo's liner to his right.
The Mets (70-66) built a 4-0 lead by the third inning on Victor Diaz's RBI double and Floyd's two-run homer to dead center - a 412-foot shot that gave him his second homer in two days and temporarily tied him with David Wright for the team's RBI lead with 84. Wright grabbed that lead back with a run-scoring double in the fifth that made it 5-1. Burnett (12-9) left after five innings, as Josh Beckett had the previous game, and Wright picked up RBI No. 86 with a ninth-inning single that drove in Matsui, his third run scored.
"If we can both get to 100 (RBI), it would be good," said Wright, wearing an oversized grayish suit that Floyd had bought for him, and which Wright had hesitated to wear for more than a month because the enormous jacket and tie-string pants aren't quite his style.
Seo (7-1), who had allowed four runs and 10 hits in five innings last week against Philadelphia, lifting his ERA a half-run to 1.86, reverted to his stellar form. He limited Florida to one run and five hits in seven innings while improving to 5-0 in six starts since returning from Triple-A Norfolk on Aug.6. The lone run Seo surrendered came on a bounced 1-2 offering with two out in the fourth that eluded Ramon Castro and allowed Juan Encarnacion to score. Seo struck out Mike Lowell with the next pitch.
"I think this was a game that could start us off for the playoffs," Seo said through an interpreter.
Floyd said outsiders may have wondered how the Mets would react to Saturday's disheartening loss, when they blew a two-run lead in the seventh on Miguel Cabrera's three-run double in Shingo Takatsu's Mets debut. But the team's confidence didn't waver in the left fielder's estimation.
As for a playing crisply and winning, Floyd and Randolph had the same take on how desperately yesterday's performance was needed.
"We could have played terrible and won and it would have been nice," Randolph said.
Said Floyd: "We need wins. Ugly wins. Crazy wins."
Originally published on September 5, 2005
http://www.nydailynews.com/ips_rich_content/195-seo_cu.JPG
Jae Seo turns in seven solid innings - throwing 110 pitches - to remain unbeaten since rejoining Mets a month ago.
http://www.nydailynews.com/ips_rich_content/647-floyd_beltran.JPG
Cliff Floyd (l.) follows Carlos Beltran home after Floyd’s 2-run shot in 3rd.
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/story/343476p-293292c.html
Trach looks
to repeat
MIAMI - Steve Trachsel took a no-hit bid into the sixth and tossed eight scoreless innings against the Giants 10 days ago, in his first start since March back surgery. The Mets could use an encore performance this afternoon, when Trachsel returns to the mound to face John Thomson in the series opener against the Braves.
Trachsel threw a 90-pitch simulated game Thursday to prepare, but admittedly is curious how he will be affected by the inactivity.
"As far as being sharp, that would probably be the biggest thing," Trachsel said.
The series continues with headline matchups of Pedro Martinez vs. John Smoltz - a repeat of the sixth game of the season, when the Mets finally won after starting 0-5 - and Tom Glavine vs. Tim Hudson.
Willie Randolph hasn't committed to a rotation beyond Atlanta, and has indicated Trachsel's performance could dictate the plan for the ensuing four-game series at St. Louis.
http://www.nydailynews.com/images/editors/notebook.gif
FRESH FACES: Anderson Hernandez is expected to join the Mets after Triple-A Norfolk's postseason ends. The slick-fielding second baseman, obtained for Vance Wilson, hit .319 with nine homers, 54 RBI and 35 steals through 526 minor-league at-bats, though he's also struck out 102 times while taking only 36 walks. Danny Graves is expected to rejoin the Mets today from Norfolk.
QUIET BIRTHDAY: Mike Piazza turned 37 yesterday, but he didn't get to celebrate by lightly swinging a bat as he had hoped. Piazza, sporting a gothic-style chrome ring - a gift from wife Alicia Rickter - said he's getting more upbeat about returning this season from a fractured bone at the base of his left hand. Piazza figures hitting will come sooner than catching because of the location of the injury, so he could be reintroduced as a pinch-hitter.
WHERE'S THE FUNK? Randolph reiterated that he had no regrets replacing Juan Padilla with Shingo Takatsu to face Miguel Cabrera with the bases loaded Saturday. Randolph only regretted Takatsu throwing a 2-1 fastball that Cabrera laced for a double, rather than his quirky, sidearm slider. "I would have loved for him to throw the funk," the manager said. "He didn't throw the funk. Padilla could have thrown a fastball." - Rubin
Originally published on September 5, 2005
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/story/343475p-293291c.html
Seo keeps working
and winning
BY ADAM RUBIN
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
MIAMI - Jae Seo had so much success upon returning from Triple-A Norfolk, he had grown tired from it.
So the righthander got extra massages the past week to loosen his arm, then got back on track yesterday against the Marlins in a game the Mets needed to avoid being swept. Seo held Florida to one run and five hits during a seven-inning, 110-pitch performance in the Mets' 7-1 win.
Last week against the Phillies, Seo's fastball velocity dipped three or four mph, making his changeup that much more hittable and allowing Philadelphia to pound out four runs and 10 hits in five innings. But Seo quickly hit 90 mph yesterday on the Dolphins Stadium gun, allaying concerns that dipping velocity, which dogged him in past stints with the Mets, would be a continued concern.
"He did have a little more arm speed," Willie Randolph said.
"I pitched over 100 pitches in four games straight," Seo said through an interpreter. "That's why my arm was tired."
Seo (7-1), who figured to be a stopgap between Kaz Ishii and Steve Trachsel when he rejoined the Mets Aug.6, has pitched at least seven innings in five of six starts since returning. He arrived from a three-month stint with the Tides a more complete pitcher, having picked up two-seam and cut fastballs in the minors.
He has won his last six decisions, surpassing a five-game winning streak by Pedro Martinez from May 2-June 7 for the longest on the Mets this season. No other Met has won more than three straight decisions.
Seo also had a 20-1/3-inning scoreless streak this season, just shy of the NL-best 24 straight scoreless innings by Roger Clemens and Dontrelle Willis. The second-longest streak on the Mets belongs to reliever Roberto Hernandez, who had 16 straight scoreless innings from May 22-July 15.
"We needed a big win from him," Randolph said.
Originally published on September 5, 2005
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/story/343474p-293288c.html
Jae & Mets get last word
Avoid Fish sweep, now 2 1/2 back
BY ADAM RUBIN
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
MIAMI - Philadelphia lost. Houston did, too.
And somehow - despite occupying last place in the NL East - the Mets moved back within 2-1/2 games of the wild-card lead while snapping a four-game losing streak with a 7-1 win yesterday against the Marlins.
"That's why you don't panic," Willie Randolph said. "That's why you don't overreact."
Behind another solid outing from Jae Seo and clutch hitting that included five two-out RBI, the Mets avoided their first three-game sweep at Dolphins Stadium in nine years. The Mets returned to within 7-1/2 games of first-place Atlanta entering a three-games series at Turner Field. They have a 20-48 road record against the Braves (1-5 this season) since the stadium opened after the 1996 Summer Olympics, though no one seemed to care.
"It's a new team, a new year," Randolph said.
Said Cliff Floyd: "This team has a lot of confidence. We believe in ourselves."
Starting at second base, Kaz Matsui had three hits - as many as Miguel Cairo had in a 46 at-bat stretch until his final plate appearance Saturday. Matsui set the tone with a first-inning triple against A.J. Burnett into the right-center alley; he scored on Carlos Beltran's groundout. He then had two strong fielding plays in the bottom half of the inning, shoveling one throw to Doug Mientkiewicz after ranging to his left, and snaring Luis Castillo's liner to his right.
The Mets (70-66) built a 4-0 lead by the third inning on Victor Diaz's RBI double and Floyd's two-run homer to dead center - a 412-foot shot that gave him his second homer in two days and temporarily tied him with David Wright for the team's RBI lead with 84. Wright grabbed that lead back with a run-scoring double in the fifth that made it 5-1. Burnett (12-9) left after five innings, as Josh Beckett had the previous game, and Wright picked up RBI No. 86 with a ninth-inning single that drove in Matsui, his third run scored.
"If we can both get to 100 (RBI), it would be good," said Wright, wearing an oversized grayish suit that Floyd had bought for him, and which Wright had hesitated to wear for more than a month because the enormous jacket and tie-string pants aren't quite his style.
Seo (7-1), who had allowed four runs and 10 hits in five innings last week against Philadelphia, lifting his ERA a half-run to 1.86, reverted to his stellar form. He limited Florida to one run and five hits in seven innings while improving to 5-0 in six starts since returning from Triple-A Norfolk on Aug.6. The lone run Seo surrendered came on a bounced 1-2 offering with two out in the fourth that eluded Ramon Castro and allowed Juan Encarnacion to score. Seo struck out Mike Lowell with the next pitch.
"I think this was a game that could start us off for the playoffs," Seo said through an interpreter.
Floyd said outsiders may have wondered how the Mets would react to Saturday's disheartening loss, when they blew a two-run lead in the seventh on Miguel Cabrera's three-run double in Shingo Takatsu's Mets debut. But the team's confidence didn't waver in the left fielder's estimation.
As for a playing crisply and winning, Floyd and Randolph had the same take on how desperately yesterday's performance was needed.
"We could have played terrible and won and it would have been nice," Randolph said.
Said Floyd: "We need wins. Ugly wins. Crazy wins."
Originally published on September 5, 2005
http://www.nydailynews.com/ips_rich_content/195-seo_cu.JPG
Jae Seo turns in seven solid innings - throwing 110 pitches - to remain unbeaten since rejoining Mets a month ago.
http://www.nydailynews.com/ips_rich_content/647-floyd_beltran.JPG
Cliff Floyd (l.) follows Carlos Beltran home after Floyd’s 2-run shot in 3rd.