10 Thoughts On Milwaukee Brewers at New York Mets (Game 12)

Boxscore

Watching Game 11 (the 1-0 win over the Brewers) finally made me realize that it’s a new year. Watching Putz and K-Rod put away a 1-0 with no drama and no roller coaster was amazing. I’d forgotten what that could be like.

1) Nelson Figureoa vs. Jeff Suppan has the chance to be the polar opposite of the two-hour gem that was Johan Santana vs. Josh Johnson. The 60 pitches in the first inning seem to indicate that this will be the case. I’m going to assume we’re not signing up for a 7-inning bridge to Putz/K-Rod.

2) So, has anyone noticed that it’s Carlos Delgado’s walk year? I think he has. Not getting off to a voluntary slow start this year to get his manager fired. Should I not say that? Oh well.

3) I never watch spring training games. The players don’t take them seriously so I see no reason why I should. I’m saying that because I’ve never seen this Santos catcher play. But, hearing about how good he was in the Spring coupled with a double and gunning down a base-stealer yesterday — he’s fun to watch so far.

4) This stadium seems like it’s going to be the polar opposite of that other part over in the Bronx. In practice, every pop fly to right field in Yankee Stadium is flying over the fence. In this stadium, players have to hit it a ton just to fly out to deep right.

5) I was about to make a huge deal about the fans at the game not knowing what’s going on and how this is what you get when you have douchebags who go to games not knowing when it’s OK to touch a ball in the field of play and how, no matter what we may think of the city, that stuff never happens in Fenway Park. And this is the second time I’ve seen a fan who interfered with a ball in the field of play not ejected by be Citi Field security. Really? This is the thing we’re going to be lackluster about?

6) Watching Jeff Suppan own this team is now officially frustrating. What is it about him that terrifies the Mets to their very soul? His stunning mediocrity? Ugh.

7) The one guy who didn’t get the memo? Omir Santos. 2/3 with a double and a triple? Plus a terrible-luck bullet to Bill Hall in what could have been a game-tying RBI but was instead an unassisted double play ball.

8) I go back and forth on whether stolen bases are worth it. But I’m curious as to why they’ve either shut Jose Reyes down from stealing bases or whether he’s just not feeling it so far this year. The bottom of the 7th with 1-out with Murphy seemed like an obvious spot for Reyes to swipe a base and it seems like it wasn’t even in the playbook. My Mancrush eventually popped a cheap bloop over the shortstop so it was mostly moot, but I wonder what’s going on there. Even in the bottom of the 9th, you’d think they’d give Reyes a bit of a chance to take 2nd during Murphy’s at-bat to take the double play out of order, but they had him swinging early and he popped out to shortstop.

9) In a move that’s sure to be 2nd-guessed on the radio tomorrow, Manuel did abandon the sac-bunt with Fernando Tatis up and men on 1st and 2nd with no outs. Didn’t work out. Then Santos lined a bullet at Bill Hall for an unassisted double play to end the inning. Things didn’t go according to plan there.

10) Note to Luis Castillo — the bunt-hit doesn’t surprise infielders when it becomes your go-to play.

Final Thoughts: Not going to make too big a deal about this loss. Quality start from the guy who’s going to be the spot-starter/longman after the Angels almost certainly re-claim Darren O’Day. This gets filed under the “Jeff Suppan inexplicably owns the Mets” file. And they took the series. Really, they could even let Pelfrey skip another start because the rotation spot will come up again against the Nationals. Weird little road trip next week as the Mets go to St. Louis and come right back home for another six-game homestand that starts their first real run through the division. They may as well give Pelfrey the rest here an save him for the Braves.