Tuesday, May 17, 2005

Mets 9 - Reds 2

You see what happens, Larry? This is what happens, Larry! This is what happens when you...

Sorry. A little unchecked aggression, directed at the team that swept the Mets in their season-opening series.

This was the beating the Reds clearly deserved, but managed to escape on their own field. Every Mets starter, including Kris Benson, hit safely. Floyd hit his 11th home run off of Paul Wilson (his 10th surrendered), Wright doubled twice, and even Lil' Matsui went 2-3 with a two-bagger.

It may be unseemly to kick a team while it's down (14-24), but the mound at Great American really should be cordoned off like the crime scene it is. Ostensibly their best starting pitchers, neither Wilson nor Eric Milton have allowed fewer than - wait for it - seven earned runs per nine innings.

It's not early April anymore. Maverick and Goose have already combined to throw 100 innings; innings which could fairly be described as a bonanza for opposing hitters, who have mashed Wilson for a 1003 OPS (Milton: 954). Don't look if you're squeamish.

What's really sad is that the Reds have more offensive talent than they can use, much of it concentrated in their hulking, underappreciated beast. How can a team afford to bench Wily Mo Pena, but not feature a single quality starter?

Game 2 tonight. Ramon Ortiz (6.75 ERA) vs. Zambrano (5.75 ERA)

To Reds fans, Victor Zambrano must look really good right about now. Think about that. If they hadn't set the Mets back three games, I'd almost feel sorry for them.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'd like to take a big (expletive) swing at you, Sarge.

Just you wait, Doyle (if that's even your real name). Just wait until Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy, comes off the DL, and Sabes's knee heals up, and they can move Dibble back to the pen and save Norm Charlton for lefty-lefty situations. If all the pieces fall into place, and Treadway can hit his weight the second half, and they can get the same production out of Eric Davis down the stretch, and Danny Jackson and Tom Browning can keep their collective ERA under the GDP, you'll be singing a different tune about the Red Stockings.

Anonymous said...

Mike,

Your facts are perhaps just a bit off. Dibble has never started a game for the Reds. Also, I believe Sabes' back bothers him more than his knee.

-Patches