Don't bring in Schoeneweis. You can't keep burning through relievers. Walk McCann, and have Ayala take care of Francoeur.

Walking the bases loaded is a terrible idea. Just awful when you are down one run.

Throw a strike, donkey.

Well, this is the inning. If the Mets are going to do anything, I think it has to be here.

We have Reyes, Evans and Wright. If they go in order, we still have Beltran, Delgado, Tatis.

Blah, are the Mets going to fail 8-2 against the Braves?

Pinchrun for Evans.

Ok, Beltran. A blast here would be really, really nice.

Nice play by Kotchman

Ohman is coming in to face Delgado. With the bases loaded suckiness of the Mets, they aren't scoring.

Phils win.

Right, Russlan. THis has K written all over it. We should have tried to get Ohman at the deadline.

I would have taken that fly ball staying in play.

Please, SF. Please, SF.

3-42 with the bases loaded.

CARLOS DELGADO! WITH THEM LOADED!

Delgado!!!!!!!!!

4-43!

Need to add at least one more run.

<333 Carlos Delgado <333

What are the chances Easley GIDP here? 99%?

Carlos! But I second Russlan, we definitely do need at least one more.

You people should all listen to me more often. :-)

Easley!!!!!!!

I picked the perfect time to watch the game.

EASLEY!

WPA gives Delgado .357 on the double. Interestingly, we already had 56% WE even before that hit. I guess Fangraphs doesn't adjust if it's the Mets who have the bases loaded.

Bighead!

I don't think I'd pull Heilman here.

There's an 8th inning bullpen blowup at Shea... and it's NOT THE METS!

Castro!!!!!!

I had no idea Tavarez was on the Braves.

OMG, Gameday finally has a picture for Our Heinous, and he DOES look like a vampire!

Damn, nice play.

Escobar is outstanding defensively.

Another hit would make this less interesting.

Good AB, 9 pitches, line drive

I would've liked it to become less interesting

I don't like that SS is facing three righties in a row.

Oh no.

Prediction: SS makes this interesting.

Heilman should have pitched this inning.

I fully expect an XBH from CHipper.

I think Chipper has a .600 OBP against the Mets. That's not a joke.

Anything less than a homer by Chipper is a win.

How did that happen?

Ballgame!

Happy recap!

You didn't really think he'd get three righties out in a row, did you?

Allow me to say that the bozos they have on the postgame press commentary are really INCREDIBLY annoying bozos.

Some guys named Mark and Jonas.

Boy, did I pick a great time to go to the gym -- or a lousy time, depending on the way you look at it!

Now, that's an 8th inning rally, eh boys?!?

Carlos II with the huge hit; Easley making 'em pay for walking Tatis. Love it.

The other thing you have to like -- sort of -- is how Ollie Perez battled (conjuring up the spirit of Art Howe here . . . .) through a tough outing to give the Mets' starters yet another in a string of at least reasonable outings. Lord, they've been outstanding since that Houston series. When was the last time we've seen Perez struggle that badly with his command and yet still keep the Mets in the game into the 7th? You have to admire that effort.

That was, in its way, a big win. With Jurrjens going tomorrow, the Braves have a pretty decent chance to win that one -- and I'd hate to have them take the first two of this series at Shea. All in all, a very nice one to get. Very nice indeed.

Walking the bases loaded is a terrible idea. Just awful when you are down one run.

Well, it certainly rose up to bite the Braves in the ass in the bottom of the 8th (walking Tatis to get to Easley). But consider:

McCann is a much, much better hitter than Francoeur. If you are going to give one of them a chance to beat you and perhaps put the game out of reach, I'd rather hand it to Francoeur. Besides Chipper, there's only one guy in that line-up I don't want to beat me, and that's McCann. The Mets gave McCann that shot, and they gave it to him with the platoon edge.

The biggest problem w/ walking the bases loaded is that you force your pitcher to throw strikes to the next guy, which hands him (the batter) the advantage. I would argue that in the specific case of Francoeur, that advantage is nullified, because regardless of the situation, you never have to throw him strikes.

As it turned out, Ayala handled McCann. So we got the best of both worlds; we didn't burn through relievers (who might have been needed had the game gone long), and we didn't let McCann drive in the extra runs. But I think the worst choice would have been to perpetuate the season-long pattern of running relievers in and out of there, by burning Ayalya to get just one hitter and then using Schoeneweis for just McCann.