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Wednesday, September 10, 2008

NL East race: September 10, 2008

MLB.com: Mets hold on against pesky Nats

Their 13-10 victory—achieved despite their bullpen and the efforts of Cristian Guzman—created the Mets’ greatest advantage of the season, one that is half the lead they held with 17 games remaining last season. That lead eventually evaporated, just as an early six-run lead did on Wednesday night.

The Mets nearly squandered a late four-run lead as well. But the four runs they scored in the seventh, when the Nationals kicked the ball around, and the two-run safety-net home run David Wright hit in the eighth were just enough to produce their 22nd victory in 31 games.

MLB.com: Phils fall further back in races with loss

Though not panicking, the Phillies might be pressing after a 7-3 loss Wednesday to Florida sent them further from the postseason.
...
“We can catch that up,” Manuel said. “At the same time, it’s not easy. We’ll just go out there and play, keep fighting and see what happens. You never know. This game’s funny as heck, you never know when you can catch fire and take off. Who knows? Tomorrow, we might come out and beat Milwaukee and take off and start winning and put together a big streak.”

NYM 82-63 [6-2 in SEPT]
PHI 79-67 [4-5 in SEPT] (3.5 GB)

NTNgod Posted: September 10, 2008 at 10:36 PM | 13 comment(s)
Related News: General, NY Mets, Philadelphia, Game Recaps

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1. Russlan wants Pedro to be a Met again Posted: September 10, 2008 at 09:51 PM (#2936952)

The Mets have a golden oppurtunity to improve their playoffs considerably this weekend. While the Phils and Brewers beat up on each other, the Mets will be playing a struggling Braves team.

2. Crispix Attacks is in the best shape of his life. Posted: September 10, 2008 at 10:01 PM (#2937006)

Well, that's the end of that.

3. gay guy in cut-offs riding a stegosaurus (MH#1F) Posted: September 10, 2008 at 10:05 PM (#2937028)

While the Phils and Brewers beat up on each other, the Mets will be playing a struggling Braves team.

The Braves are not "struggling."

A .500 team is "struggling." A team that's four or five games under .500 is "struggling". A team that's 10 games under .500 might, if you wanted to be especially generous in stretching the point, be "struggling". Proper adjectives for the Braves this year include "bad", "lousy", "awful", "sucktastic", or "grateful to the Nats for sparing them the embarrassment of a last-place finish".

4. Russlan wants Pedro to be a Met again Posted: September 10, 2008 at 10:07 PM (#2937042)

Both bullpens have regressed to the mean a little bit and that's been a big boon to the Mets. While it's obviously not over (the Mets blew a lead twice as large in the same number of games last season), I did say before the season that the Mets were going to win the NL East by at least 5 games. Of course, I did give up on that idea three or 4 times during the season.

It'll be interesting to see if I'm right.

BTW, the Nats have a legitimate offense with Dukes in the middle of the lineup.

5. McCoy Posted: September 10, 2008 at 10:09 PM (#2937056)

I'm hoping the Phillies beat up on the Brewers and the Mets lose. I would hope for the Astros to win as well but that would be self-defeating.

6. Raskolnikov Posted: September 10, 2008 at 10:27 PM (#2937147)

Russlan, what is it with your fascination with women-beating baseball players?

7. Russlan wants Pedro to be a Met again Posted: September 10, 2008 at 10:38 PM (#2937215)

Russlan, what is it with your fascination with women-beating baseball players?

I was rooting for Burgos before his troubles became public. My comment in chatter was just to make fun of yours. That may have been tasteless and I apologize for that.

I am not commenting on what I think of Dukes as a human being. I know he's a jerk but I am not going to deny he's a talented baseball player. I hope that doesn't mean you think I am implying that beating women is anything less than reprehensible or that makes Dukes anything less than an ugly human being.

That said, good baseball teams are often comprised of some bad human beings.

8. Lassus Posted: September 10, 2008 at 11:00 PM (#2937375)

Good thing I wasn't in the chatter. ;-)

I was out and every time I walked by a bar the score was different. I finally sat down to watch the Ayala save. Fun fun fun.

This last 17 games is going to be damned fascinating.

9. Raskolnikov Posted: September 10, 2008 at 11:04 PM (#2937401)

My comments were meant as a fun poke, Russlan. No intention to accuse.

10. Doug's Hopkin off the band wagon Posted: September 10, 2008 at 11:21 PM (#2937494)

what is it with your fascination with women-beating baseball players?

My comments were meant as a fun poke, Russlan. No intention to accuse.

Kinda like that "fun poke" to Alyona Ivanovna, eh, Raskolnikov?

11. Biff uses the power of mental thinking Posted: September 10, 2008 at 11:42 PM (#2937518)

This led me to check out the Braves at BB-R. Who is Gregor Blanco, and is he the modern day Eddie Yost/Stanky/Joost?

12. Sam M. Posted: September 11, 2008 at 06:45 AM (#2937590)

Well, that's the end of that.

I'm going to go nuts on the first Mets' fan who buys into that line of bull.

Need I remind you that the Mets went white-hot at the beginning of September last year, too, and built up that neat, big cushion we all remember? They started the month 9-0. That was how they got themselves out to a 7 game lead.

That's the end of that, my ass.

Now, the one HUGE difference this year is that the Mets and Phillies don't have a bunch of games left head-to-head. But still . . . the last two days haven't been the end of anything. They've been big, no doubt. The Marlins have helped out, and the Mets' bats have done exactly what they needed to do against Nationals' pitching: they've gone nuclear.

The next few days help the Mets no matter what happens -- as long as they win against the Braves. If they take care of their business in this series, then even Philly winning against Milwaukee is OK, because it would put the WC into solid play for the Mets should the Phillies somehow go white-hot the rest of the way and steal the division. But the key is, it still requires the Mets to tend to their own affairs.

Starting with Johan tomorrow.

13. bunyon Posted: September 11, 2008 at 06:51 AM (#2937594)

I'd think this is a great test/opportunity for the Mets. A lead with 17 to play, again. If they can hold on this time, it will put last year to bed a bit. You'll never completely live that down, but if you can prove you grew from the experience, you can sleep at night. And it will convince me that 64 was still the worse collapse.

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Wednesday, September 10, 2008

NL East race: September 10, 2008

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