metmagic
04-16-2002, 04:50 PM
of course our hitters deserve a ton of praise, but let's not forget our awesome bullpen yesterday!!:biggrin: they never gave up!!!
:2guns: :2guns: :2guns:
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Bullpen carries the load for Mets
By Kevin T. Czerwinski / MLB.com
NEW YORK -- Scott Strickland sat on the leather sofa in the Mets clubhouse, the clock approaching midnight. He was sipping a soda, not particularly interested in the pandemonium that was breaking out around him.
When asked about the role of the bullpen in New York's 7-6 victory over Atlanta, Strickland just laughed. The questions, he felt, should be directed to the hitters. After all, they were the ones that sent home the 28,843 fans at Shea Stadium happy. They were the reason New York had come back from a five-run deficit before winning on Edgardo Alfonzo's run-scoring single in the 12th inning. They were the ones who were generating the excitement in the clubhouse.
"Go give the hitters credit, they are something else," said Strickland, who was the beneficiary of Alfonzo's hit, earning his first win as a Met.
Without the bullpen Monday night, though, what the hitters did wouldn't have mattered much. Five New York relievers -- Grant Roberts [two innings], Kane Davis [one inning], David Weathers [one inning], Armando Benitez [two innings] and Strickland [one inning] -- were magnificent in shutting down the Braves after they had grabbed a 6-1 lead off starter Shawn Estes. The pen pitched two-hit ball over seven innings, striking out six and not walking a batter.
When pressed, Strickland leaned forward, took another gulp of root beer and relented. Maybe he and his brethren did deserve some credit.
"I guess it was kind of like everyone feeding off everyone," said Strickland, who pitched for the third consecutive day. "I feed off it and Benitez feeds off it and Stormy [Weathers] feeds off it. I guess it really is a team game. It was an all-around team win."
Roberts got the pen's sterling effort started, coming on to start the sixth inning. He gave up a leadoff double to Rafael Furcal, who went to third on a passed ball. But that was where the threat ended. Roberts fanned five of the next six batters he faced, pitching with the ferocity the New York brass has come to expect from the young fireballer.
He has yet to yield a run this season, striking out nine in 6 2/3 innings over five games.
"After that first batter I think I was bearing down a little more," Roberts said. "I was trying not to let them get any other runs across. You have to pitch good to get out of there without giving up a run. It got us going tonight. I think we're starting to know our roles a little better. Everyone just pitched great."
Davis and Weathers followed with scoreless innings. Weathers, whose ERA dropped to 0.79 in 11 1/3 innings [eight games], was coming off a 49-pitch, three-inning effort on Saturday but showed no signs of wear. The workhorse induced three quick pop-ups to put the game in Armando Benitez's hands.
Benitez showed no signs of giving in either. He put in a rare two-inning stint, allowing a hit but otherwise dominating. By the time Strickland tossed the 12th, the riddle that was the New York pen had become impossible for the Braves to solve.
Chipper Jones and Gary Sheffield went 0-for-12, including taking the collar in six at-bats against the pen.
"Anytime you can keep those two guys down in the lineup, you've done pretty good," Strickland said. "You can get down real quick against them. You have to contain the two big guns and keep things to a minimum. They are going to get their hits, that's why they hit .330 every year. But if you can contain them in extra innings, you have a chance to win."
And that was the difference between the New York and Atlanta pens. The Mets were crisp. The Braves were not. Five Atlanta relievers allowed seven hits and three walks, dancing out of trouble in the eighth and 10th innings before stumbling in the 12th. Whether either effort will have a residual effect for the remainder of the series remains to be seen. But New York manager Bobby Valentine certainly believed his pen provided the kind of spark that can carry a club.
"I think we came together a little tonight," Valentine said. "We kept battling back and we had a great job by the pen. I can't say enough about the entire crew. Grant Roberts throws great, Armando goes two innings and Strickland gets the win. Beautiful."
The clock in the clubhouse inched closer to a new day and Strickland rose, walking to his locker. He's been with the team a little more than a week and has already proven that he belongs.
"I think I'll go celebrate my first Met win," Strickland said. "I'm going to go have another root beer."
He deserved it. Alfonzo will grab the headlines for his game-winning hit. But it was Strickland, Roberts and Co. that made it possible for Alfonzo to be a hero in the first place.
* * * * *
:2guns: :2guns: :2guns:
* * * * *
Bullpen carries the load for Mets
By Kevin T. Czerwinski / MLB.com
NEW YORK -- Scott Strickland sat on the leather sofa in the Mets clubhouse, the clock approaching midnight. He was sipping a soda, not particularly interested in the pandemonium that was breaking out around him.
When asked about the role of the bullpen in New York's 7-6 victory over Atlanta, Strickland just laughed. The questions, he felt, should be directed to the hitters. After all, they were the ones that sent home the 28,843 fans at Shea Stadium happy. They were the reason New York had come back from a five-run deficit before winning on Edgardo Alfonzo's run-scoring single in the 12th inning. They were the ones who were generating the excitement in the clubhouse.
"Go give the hitters credit, they are something else," said Strickland, who was the beneficiary of Alfonzo's hit, earning his first win as a Met.
Without the bullpen Monday night, though, what the hitters did wouldn't have mattered much. Five New York relievers -- Grant Roberts [two innings], Kane Davis [one inning], David Weathers [one inning], Armando Benitez [two innings] and Strickland [one inning] -- were magnificent in shutting down the Braves after they had grabbed a 6-1 lead off starter Shawn Estes. The pen pitched two-hit ball over seven innings, striking out six and not walking a batter.
When pressed, Strickland leaned forward, took another gulp of root beer and relented. Maybe he and his brethren did deserve some credit.
"I guess it was kind of like everyone feeding off everyone," said Strickland, who pitched for the third consecutive day. "I feed off it and Benitez feeds off it and Stormy [Weathers] feeds off it. I guess it really is a team game. It was an all-around team win."
Roberts got the pen's sterling effort started, coming on to start the sixth inning. He gave up a leadoff double to Rafael Furcal, who went to third on a passed ball. But that was where the threat ended. Roberts fanned five of the next six batters he faced, pitching with the ferocity the New York brass has come to expect from the young fireballer.
He has yet to yield a run this season, striking out nine in 6 2/3 innings over five games.
"After that first batter I think I was bearing down a little more," Roberts said. "I was trying not to let them get any other runs across. You have to pitch good to get out of there without giving up a run. It got us going tonight. I think we're starting to know our roles a little better. Everyone just pitched great."
Davis and Weathers followed with scoreless innings. Weathers, whose ERA dropped to 0.79 in 11 1/3 innings [eight games], was coming off a 49-pitch, three-inning effort on Saturday but showed no signs of wear. The workhorse induced three quick pop-ups to put the game in Armando Benitez's hands.
Benitez showed no signs of giving in either. He put in a rare two-inning stint, allowing a hit but otherwise dominating. By the time Strickland tossed the 12th, the riddle that was the New York pen had become impossible for the Braves to solve.
Chipper Jones and Gary Sheffield went 0-for-12, including taking the collar in six at-bats against the pen.
"Anytime you can keep those two guys down in the lineup, you've done pretty good," Strickland said. "You can get down real quick against them. You have to contain the two big guns and keep things to a minimum. They are going to get their hits, that's why they hit .330 every year. But if you can contain them in extra innings, you have a chance to win."
And that was the difference between the New York and Atlanta pens. The Mets were crisp. The Braves were not. Five Atlanta relievers allowed seven hits and three walks, dancing out of trouble in the eighth and 10th innings before stumbling in the 12th. Whether either effort will have a residual effect for the remainder of the series remains to be seen. But New York manager Bobby Valentine certainly believed his pen provided the kind of spark that can carry a club.
"I think we came together a little tonight," Valentine said. "We kept battling back and we had a great job by the pen. I can't say enough about the entire crew. Grant Roberts throws great, Armando goes two innings and Strickland gets the win. Beautiful."
The clock in the clubhouse inched closer to a new day and Strickland rose, walking to his locker. He's been with the team a little more than a week and has already proven that he belongs.
"I think I'll go celebrate my first Met win," Strickland said. "I'm going to go have another root beer."
He deserved it. Alfonzo will grab the headlines for his game-winning hit. But it was Strickland, Roberts and Co. that made it possible for Alfonzo to be a hero in the first place.
* * * * *