Nice Win for the Metsies

Tatis Powers Pelfrey and Mets Past Padres

The boys picked up a big win last night against the Padres, to break a four game losing streak and climb back within 2 games of the division leading Phils, who dropped one to the Marlins. Always fun playing against an non-division foe while the two teams ahead of you in the race slug it out with each other.

Fernando Tatis was obviously the offensive hero of the game, hitting his 100th and 101st dingers, a solo shot in the 4th and a 3-run job in the 6th that barely stayed fair down the left field line, and he got a well-deserved curtain call from the Shea faithful after the second bomb. It's difficult to quantify the lift he has brought to this team, every time the big guns go into a slump, Tatis seems to be the guy who's doing what needs to be done to score some runs.

However, as it turned out, the key run came as almost an afterthought in the eighth. With the Mets leading 5-2 and one out, Beltran broke his second bat of the inning and dropped a slow grounder down the first base line. Hustling all the way, as he always does, he barely beat out the pitcher's toss the first, safe with a single. After Tatis flied out, Nick Evans hit a ball into the left-center gap. It was cut off nicely by the Padre's centerfield Jody Gerut, apparently holding Beltran at third.

However, Evans was making a try for second, and almost certainly was in safely, but it looked for all the world as if he distracted the second baseman as Gerut's throw came back to the infield. The ball took a hop past the Padre's infielder in shallow center, and as it rolled towards the infield, Beltran alertly scrambled home. The throw home was rushed and way off, smacking into the pitcher's rubber, allowing Evans to arrive safely at 3rd with an RBI double.

The insurance run, which put the Mets up 6-2 going into the 9th, proved to be key. Aaron Heilman came on to act as interim closer in the absence of Billy Wagner, who was put on the 15-day DL, and promptly issued a walk to the leadoff hitter. Argenis Reyes, brought in for defensive purposes, botched a relatively routine pop-up in shallow center, apparently thinking Beltran was going to grab it streaking in from center. It was ruled a hit, but it certainly should have been caught. The Padre's left fielder Hairston then grounded to third, where David Wright threw to second to get an out, but Reyes was unable to complete the turn. With first and third and one out, Jody Gerut deposited the ball beyond the right field fence, making it a one run game. Heilman departed to boos. Again.

Joe Smith and Scott Schoeneweis then combined to get the final two outs, including a nifty catch by Argenis Reyes on a foul pop-up down the right field line. He bobbled it along the fence, reclaiming it as it popped up out of his glove for the second out, and one fan in particular made a nice play, obviously pulling back as Reyes collected the ball. Many a fan would have taken the opportunity to reach out and pluck the souvenir, but kudos to that guy. No Bartmans in this town.

So, as ugly as it was, a win's a win. Better than a pretty loss. Lost in the late game drama was the performance of Mike Pelfrey, who gave up only two solo shots before exiting in the 7th. Thanks to the insurance run, he picked up his 10th win of the season.