Archive for the ‘Chan Ho Park’ Category

Livan has been pretty steady so far for the Mets.

BY MICHAEL GANCI
EDITOR

For those of you who are asking yourselves who John Candy is…shame on you. He was the star of many movies, and he was one funny individual. The movie in which I am referencing with the title is the classic, “Rookie of the Year,” in which he states, “The Cubs have their longest winning streak of the season…two!” That is certainly the feeling that I have in regards to the Mets, who narrowly escaped with a 4-3 victory over Atlanta to sweep the Braves in their short two-game series.

The defense was a bit sloppy today, as Luis Castillo and Carlos Delgado both botched routine plays. Delgado’s was more important though, as it eventually led to Chipper Jones getting an at-bat with a chance to win the game. Luckily, history didn’t repeat itself, and Chipper flew out to Ryan Church to end the ballgame. I felt a few gray hairs grow in as the game ended.

Ramon Castro had a big game, and that is something to be talked about. His average is slowly approaching .300, and it is becoming clear that he is the better candidate to get more playing time than Omir Santos. Castro seemed to be ticked off when Jerry Manuel pinch hit for him a couple of days back with the bases loaded, and he has taken the best possible action. He took his frustrations out on the baseball. That’s how you get back into the manager’s good graces, and Castro seems to have done just that.

Carlos Beltran continues to be the hottest hitter in the game, and he had a couple more hits tonight to drive his average up and above .400. He is just seeing the ball so well right now, and he is showing some glimpses of 2004 in the playoffs with the Astros. If Beltran continues this pace, the Mets will certainly be alright, and they will probably have the National League’s MVP.

Bobby Parnell continues to impress me. He battled through adversity tonight, and he succeeded while facing some pressure situations. This Mets’ bullpen is solidifying. Now…if the starting rotation is more consistent, maybe we can band a few wins together. Nice job by Livan tonight, who pitched 6.1 innings of one-run ball. Tomorrow, the Mets will once again get the chance to tangle with the Phillies.

Johan Santana gets to duel with Chan Ho Park in what should certainly be a mismatch. The fans will be booing loudly as the Phillies make their first trip to Citifield in 2009.

Pelfrey will look to improve to 3-0 on the season.

BY MICHAEL GANCI
EDITOR

Today, the Mets will start a series of epic proportions against their biggest rival, the Philadelphia Phillies. The Mets will be going into the bandbox of a stadium and there will be no smiles unless the Mets come out on top. In order to do so, they are going to need big performances from their big-time players, including Jose Reyes and David Wright, both of whom are in big slumps at the moment.

Wright needs to go with the pitch and take the bat straight to the baseball. If he continues to have a loop in his swing, he will remain as the league leader in strikeouts, but we all know he is capable of better. For Reyes, he needs to be patient, but also know when to swing the bat. When he takes the first strike, he needs to be ready to wallop, because he could get a meaty pitch, and in the small ball park in Philly, that could be one even Reyes could send for a home run.

Another guy that they are going to need is Mike Pelfrey, who is coming off of a strong outing his last time out. Although Pelfrey’s ERA is uncomfortably high at 6.32, his record is 2-0, and he will be looking to keep the Phillies in the ballpark tonight. With Pelfrey being a groundball pitcher, he would seem like the perfect candidate to succeed, but he is going to be facing a potent lineup. It’s not easy to find an automatic out in it.

Another guy who will be pivotal in this game is Pedro Feliciano. With the likes of Raul Ibanez, Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard likely to be in the lineup for Philadelphia, Felciano could be brought in for a crucial late-inning matchup. He has fared well against the Phillies in the past, and the Mets are going to need him to continue that trend.

This series is as big as they come for an early in the year matchup. The Mets are going to need all the cards on the table, and maybe they will finally start playing with some heart.

Carlos Delgado has three hits in five career at-bats against Park.

BY MICHAEL GANCI
EDITOR

It’s time to rejoice. The Phillies have made a big mistake, and the Mets stand to capitalize on it. Instead of other options like Kyle Kendrick or J.A. Happ, the PHillies have named journeyman righty Chan Ho Park as the fifth starter of their rotation. Mets players will be licking their lips, because the combination of Park in the bandbox that is Philadelphia will make for a lot of happy hitters for the Mets.

Carlos Beltran has faced Park before, and he has batted .286, while hitting one homer against him in just 14 at-bats. In just five at-bats, David Wright has two hits. the bets Met has only had five at-bats against him. Carlos Delgado has three hits against Park, two of which are doubles and one that was a big fly, to go along with a blistering .750 OBP. These players will be licking their chops when they get to face the former Dodger in Philly.

The Phillies are definitely going to be wondering if they made the right decision when Park has a 6.00 ERA in May.