About time

Sept. 3 -- BREAKING: HAMELS TO START SUNDAY (UPDATED) | 5:10 PM

BY SCOTT LAUBER

WASHINGTON -- Cole Hamels will start Sunday night against the Mets -- and Johan Santana.

More in a bit.

(Updated, 5:23 p.m.): Here's what Hamels said moments ago ... "I understood the situation. I think this is the time that really matters. I know [pitching every] five days is what I just did five days ago. That's what I've been able to do all year, and that's what I'll do this time. The main guy, when it's the playoffs or the division championship or the big division rivalry, that's what I want to be. It's time to step up to the plate, and I know that I'm ready for it."

Upon hearing that he actually has pitched better this season when he has four days between starts (8-2, 2.47 ERA) than five (4-5, 4.14), Hamels wasn't surprised: "Mentally, your body is ready. When you get that extra day, sometimes you feel off."

This from pitching coach Rich Dubee: "All year, we were pretty much protecting him. This is September. We've got what, 24 games? How long can he go? We're hoping nine innings."

By the way, Dubee said Kyle Kendrick, who would've started Sunday, will be available out of the bullpen this weekend. A decision on whether Kendrick will make his next start hasn't been made.

Much more in tomorrow's News Journal.

Bring on Your Ace

I have decided to come out of my mini siesta to discuss an issue which has been bothering me in all this NL East race chatter. I am sitting there reading all of these who's gonna come out on top of the NL east talk and the topic of position by position breakdown always seems to be somebody's proof that a so-so team will win out. Now in almost every article I have read, it states that Cole Hamels is as as good as, Shea's own, two time cy young winner Johan Santana. Now the argument for Hamels seems evident. He is first in the NL in IP(150.2) and 2nd in the NL in Complete Games (2), Strikeouts (133), and Whip (1.01). While Johan is 9th,8th,and 10th, with no complete games in those categories this season. So clearly he is having a better year statistically then Johan. While it is noteworthy to point out however, that Santana's ERA is slightly lower then Hamels with a 3.10 compared to a 3.15.
With that being said, Hamels is clearly the Philth's ace, no doubt about it. So it seems quite obvious that you put your ace out there against the your division rivals. Yet, the Phillthies seem to keep Hamels away from any big pressure game, especially against the Mets. The Philths could have easily arranged the pitching rotation coming out the all star break to have Hamels, their supposed ace, to face the Mets in a showdown for the NL East but instead chose to throw out guys with ERA's of 4.96, 5.84, and 3.90. I guess nobody told told Charlie Manuel, that you generally want to put your ace out there when it counts.
Hamels will have faced the Mets one time out of the first thirteen games that the Mets and the philths have faced off this season. In that one game, way back on April 18, Hammels went 7 inning gave up 5 runs, 4 of those earned, had 3 walks, and 4 strikeouts, good enough for his second loss of the season. The Mets of course had Johan on the mound that day (big games mean big pitchers) who gave up just three runs in a Mets 6-4 win. After that early spring game Hamels has been MIA from facing the Mets this season.
Let's take this a step further. IN 2007, Hammels faced the Mets 3 times out of 18 games. The latest of those being in June. In those three games he managed to pick up two losses and a no-desicion. He allowed 5 home runs in those three starts while walking 9 guys. He struckout 17 Mets while allowing 8 Earned Runs. Hardly numbers to gloat about for an ace against his teams rival. You have to go all the way back to his rookie season, to find a game that Hamels beat the Mets.
Overall, Cole is 1-3 in 5 games started vs the Mets in his Career. He's faced the Braves 8 times and the Marlins 7 times over that same time while neither team has really competed for the top of the NL East. So do I think its a coincidence that Hamels is not pitching against the Mets this series. NO way. THe PHillies are scared. There so called ace is nothing but another young lefty against the Mets, and they know it. So it just happens to be that he started the game before the series. Maybe Hamels should win one big game in his life (he lost his only playoff start) before sport writers scratch him off heck put him even in the same league as Johan Santana. But I would say a nice place to start would be having him, I dont know, pitch against the Mets?

Filthy

Sorry that I haven't posted... its finals for me it sucks but we won 4 straight so why not...

Its really discusting.  The Phillies arent good.  David Wright is amazing.  One homer short of the cycle. It seems like each night the Mets take the field its usually Wright or Reyes one hit short of a cycle... I am loving baseball right now.  Tonight Johan looked great 10 Ks ??? Are you kidding me? 7 innings of great baseball for Santana.  Johan (2-2) completely blew out the second best lefty in baseball, Cole Hamels.  Hamels let up eight hits on 4 earned runs in 7 innings, Cole got torn apart in Citizens bank... A big help went to Davey who went 4-4 with 2 RBIs and a BB. Santana left in the eighth after letting up two consec. base hits the heilman let up a jack to the right field seats ... then the bullpen strengthened and held it up for the remainder of the game.

Big win... Lets continue this series strong

Why I went to sleep smiling, Nice.

Let me count the ways:

1- Godson (Davey) had five RBI's, including his 4th Homerun on the season. He now has 15 RBI's in 12 games, nice.

2- I was going be content with just seeing him not get hurt and on the field again, but Reyes had four hits, including almost achieving a natural cycle, nice.

3- Mike "mouthpiece" Pelfrey pitched 7 scoreless innings. Lets go Big Pelf. After starting last season 0-7 before being sent down. He is 2-0 this season with a 1.50 ERA, nice.

4- L-Millz after belting a double in the first, really struggled the rest of the game. It just seemed that he was trying to pull everything. Hmm is that why we got rid of him, nice.

5- Beltran, after grounding into an inning ending double play earlier in the game, redeemed himself with a solid RBI single in the seventh.

6- And most importantly. Duaner Sanchez made his return last night, pitching a scoreless ninth inning. And what do you think he said after the game about the standing ovation he received when jogging out from the bullpen, " Everything was perfect,...That was really NICE."

100

I went to my first game of this season on Sunday and although the result was not what I was looking for, Im glad baseball is back. The Mets won just one game the Brew Crew, with Nelson Figeruoa getting the 4-2 W on Friday Night. Baseball tonight noted that Figeruoa is the only player in Major league history to have all five vowels in his last name. Saturday was not one Mets fans want to remember. Santana pitched poorly and was booed as he left the mound. Now while im not against booing anyone who wears a jersey and gets paid millions to do his job, but still Johan in his first game at shea, CMON METS Fans, really?

Now onto Sunday. My gameball goes to David Wright, who hit his 100th career HR. Im just glad i was there to see it. In typical David fashion he showed his tremendous power to opposite field. In a game where the Mets scored 7 runs, the pitching and sloppy play really killed them. Brady Clark made a costly base running blunder in the 8th. The Mets grounded into four double plays. Ollie couldnt hold a 6-2 lead. Sosa gave up a couple in relief. All runs the Mets couldnt afford. Lets put this Brewers series behind us and prepare for the Nats boys. L-MILlz is coming back to town, and you know hes going to come to play.

Willie learned about specialists this game..I was impressed

The Philth is cleaned out, Now let's grab a Brew

After losing opening day and having everyone this side of the East River in an uproar over this team's future, the Mets came out and took the final two games from the Philths (suck) to bring the team back to .500 on the season, and hopefully, well never go under that again. So now the Mets sit 1 and 1/2 games behind the Marlins (no joke). And This is why April is the best time of the year (excluding October and maybe September of course). Teams are full hope. I mean, the Orioles lead the AL East, the Royals lead the AL central, and the baseball gods continue to enjoy themselves as the new season begins to unfold. Now you know these teams cant last, they dont have lineups, they dont have bullpens, they dont have rotations(minus the Royals, whose big 3 most teams would trade for), but for now they have a swagger and thats all you need to win a few games.

Swagger is an interesting word. The Mets had it all of 2006, and even for most of 2007. But many began to question, whether the Mets had lost that with the epic collapse of last season. I'm saying right here, right now, a series win over the Philths(suck) will get that swagger back. The Mets won in walk off fashion on Thurs night, as out hottest hitter, Angel(straight from heaven) Pagan saved Heilman's ass coming through with a monstrous game ending single. Is it just me (and Rob) but has Angel Pagan, been the reason we have won 4 games this season. It just seems like to me whenever there are men on, he's coming through. He began the season with RBI's in the first four games of the season only the 5th Met ever to do that. He's so hot Mets fans are starting to question what Willie will do (most likely the wrong decision) when Mosies come back. Now I'm not going that far, but he's 24 and he looks great right now, and the Mets are winning games, So I'm happy.

The State of the Bullpen is one which we can surely start blaming Willie for.
Will Met fans please stop booing Schoenweiss. Willie is the one who sets him up for failure. He shouldnt be facing right handed batters in tight games, It's Willies fault if he is. Now it two consecutive tight spots, he induced inning ending double plays, Good job scott, you Duke shitbag. Heilman, looks dreadful right now. He's not hitting his spots. Leaving meaty pitches over the heart of the plate, simple not performing like a lock down eighth inning pitcher. Duaner, please come back already. Wagner and Smith have been solid so far this season. And good job to Muniz for pitching two scoreless innings this far.

We need to start hitting. But for now 4-4, aint that bad. Time to battle the Brew Crew.

Things Willie needs to learn:
1- The Wheel Play
2- Left handed and Right handed specialists
3- Squeeze Bunts

Jordan Schafer loves HGH

Jordan Schafer, the braves higly touted centerfield prospect "destined" to roam CF for years replacing Andruw Jones, has been suspended for 50 games in violation of the minor league HGH drug policy. After leading the minor league's last season with 176 hits, this future bravo is tainted. Now the braves are stuck with Kotsay playign CF. Schafer was only batting .091 for the Braves Double-A team. I guess the future isnt now.