Mets Offense Wakes Up Against Reds
METS 9
REDS 7
The Mets knocked around Red ace Aaron Harang for five runs on eight hits in a mere three innings of work. It was the most aggressive the Mets have played offensively in more than two months.
With the Mets up 1-0 heading into the bottom of the third inning, the offense exploded. Luis Castillo and David Wright got things going with back-to-back singles to set the table for Gary Sheffield. Sheffield then lined a single to center to drive in both Castillo and Wright to make it 3-0 Mets.
Dan Murphy showed signs of coming out of his two and a half months long slump when he doubled to drive in Sheffield to make it 4-0. Murphy went 2 for 5 with two RBI on the day. Murphy is hitting .333 (4 for 12) in his last three games.
In the bottom of the fourth, it appeared the Mets were putting this baby away; Sheffield singled to center to drive in Castillo, and Murphy drove in Sheffield with a line drive to right field to make it 7-0.
But the Reds came back.
In the fifth inning, Mike Pefrey ran into big trouble. He walked Ramon Hernandez, balked, and then walked Edwin Encarnacion. Adam Rosales drilled a ground rule double to right center to plate Hernandez, cutting the deficit to 7-1. Chirs Dickerson followed that with an RBI single to center, and Willy Taveras drove in Rosales to make it 7-3 Mets.
Pelfrey eventually settled down, pitching two shutout innings to complete his afternoon.
Offensively, the Mets were not finished tacking on runs. Brian Schneider smacked a solo home run off the overhang in right to give the Mets an 8-3 lead. It was the first home run for the Mets in almost two weeks. Seconds later, Fernando Tatis hit his fourth homer of the year to make it 9-3. A lead that appeared insurmountable. (Emphasis on appeared).
The Mets bullpen did what the Mets bullpen does best; it started to blow the Mets huge lead.
Sean Green started the eighth inning with a bang. He gave up singles to Taveras and Johnny Gomes, and then surrendered an RBI single to Brandon Phillips to cut the lead to 9-4. Green was pulled for Pedro Feliciano, and the results were not any better.
Lance Nix was the first batter Felicano faced, and the outfielder lined a single off Feliciano to load the bases. Feliciano was pulled immediately in favor of Bobby Parnell. Parnell gave up a single to Hernandez to drive in Gomes, making it 9-5. Jerry Hairston followed with an RBI ground out to cut the Mets lead to 9-6.
In the ninth, Francisco Rodriguez struggled once again to get through another inning. He walked Paul Janis and gave up a single to Ryan Hangin before inducing Phillips into a fielder's choice to drive home Janis, cutting the lead to two. With runners on the corners, K-Rod got Nix to strike out swinging to end the game. Box Score.
The Mets head into the All Star Break breathing, to say the very least. After a nightmarish June and Fourth of July weekend, the Mets might finally be getting things together. They stand at 42-45, 6.5 games behind Philadelphia. The Mets will have their work cut out for them for the rest of the season.
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