(T*M*C*)The agony of the 1st defeat! My first game of the season and the bats of my Metropolitans? Shhhhhh! Quiet please! So here I am at Section 530, Row 16 and Seat 1. A part of Citi Field where only the strong survive. The San Diego Padres slip past the New York Mets 2-1. Eric Stults(1-0) sets the tone for how the the Padres would pitch on this day going 5 innings, giving up 0 runs, 3 hits, 2 walks and snatching 7 strikeouts. Hudson Street received a scare in the 9th but quickly recovered to collect save #1. Dillion Gee(0-1) was the hard-luck loser reaching 6 1/3 innings, touched for 1 run, 3 hits, 3 walks and 4 strikeouts.
This Pitching Duel yielded a dearth of offense. For San Diego, Yonder Alonso was 2-4 with 2 Singles. Mark Kotsay 1-2, Single and Run. Everth Cabrera 1-3, Single. Jedd Gyorko 1-4, Double and RBI. John Baker 1-4, Single. For New York, Justin Turner 3-4, Double and 2 Singles. John Buck 2-4, HR, Single, RBI, and R.
Top 1: Gee walks Cabrera who makes it to 2nd on a sac bunt by Venable. No damage done. Bottom 1: Stults gives up a single to Turner and racks up 2 strikeouts. Pitch Count: Gee 14 Stults 27. The Mets miss an opportunity here. Top 2: Gee uses 10 pitches, strikes out 1. 3 up and 3 down. Bottom 2: Stults strikes out 2 then plays with fire. Bailed out by Gee’s groundout. Pitch Count: Gee 24 Stults 49. New York has this pitcher on the ropes and didn’t knock him out. Top 3: Gee uses 11 pitches, strikes out another 1. 3 up and 3 down. Bottom 3: Turner doubles off Stults. Wright walks. Davis bails out Stults by hitting into a DP. Pitch Count: Gee 35 Stults 65. I’m watching this from way up and I’m losing my mind. Stults continues to dodge disaster.
Top 4: After Gee’s 3rd strikeout, Kotsay and Veneable singles. Gyorko doubles home Kotsay. Yonder reaches 3rd. Yonder is caught in a rundown on Amarista’s at-bat. No further damage. San Diego does exactly what you’re supposed to do when a pitch count is elevated. Padres 1 – Mets 0. Bottom 4: Stults is energized, 21 pitches and 2 strikeouts. 3 up and 3 down. Pitch Count: Gee 58 Stults 86. New York continues to throw inning in the toilet. Top 5: Gee strikes out his 4th. Avoids trouble caused by walk and stolen base by Cabrera. Bottom 5: Stults’ 2nd wind continues to blow. 10 pitches and his 7th strikeout. 3 up and 3 down. Pitch Count: Gee 73 Stults 96. Top 6: Gee avoids damage caused by walking Kotsay. Bottom 6: Brad Brach(RP) replaced Eric Stults. Final Pitch Count: Stults 96. Bach creates issues with Turner’s single, wild pitch and walking Davis. Bach strikes out 2 in that blend. Joe Thatcher(RP) comes on for Brad Brach. Thatcher strikes out Duda.
Top 7: After 1 out, Gee hits Maybin. Scott Rice(RP) replaced Dillon Gee. Final Pitch Count: Gee 81. Double Switch: Valdespin replaced Duda. Rice works around singles to Baker and Cabrera. The work of a magician here. Maybin could only advance a base on each hit. Bottom 7: Dale Thayer(RP) replaced Joe Thatcher. Thayer works 2/3 walking 2 as Valdespin steals 2nd. Luke Gregerson(RP) replaced Dale Thayer. Turner comes up 3-3 on the day and 2 runners on. Gregerson defeats Turner, retiring the side. Top 8: Jeurys Familia(RP) replaced Scott Rice. Familia walks Denorfia and Yonder singles. 1st & 3rd, no outs. Wild Pitch during Gyorko’s at-bat, Denorfia scores. Padres 2 – Mets 0. After 1 out, Josh Edgin(RP) replaces Jeurys Familia. Edgin retires side as he surrended an intentional walk. Gregerson used 16 pitches to strike out the side, hits Byrd. Top 9: Brandon Lyon(RP) replaced Josh Edgin. Lyon uses 18 pitches to retire the side. 3 up and 3 down. Bottom 9th: Hudson Street(Closer) replaced Luke Gregerson. Buck homers. Padres 1 – Mets 0. Street retires the next 3 for the save.
Man, I wanted that sweep! Had the pleasure of meeting Miguel and Annie who are diehard-Mets fans as well. That was the consolation. The Mets win the series 2-1, not too shabby. Next up is a 3-game series against the (0-3) Miami Marlins who were swept by the defending NL East Champs, Washington Nationals. Let’s Go Mets! Let’s Go Mets! Let’s Go Mets!(*T*M*C)
Written by Shelby Spencer
The Morning Crap 