Another Dagger, But We Continue to Fight

On the day the Mets see All-Star center fielder Carlos Beltran go on the DL, they find a way to win vs. the NL Central Leading Cardinals. With injuries to slugger Carlos Delgado, Shortstop Jose Reyes & Pitchers John Maine, Oliver Perez & JJ Putz, the Mets are only 1.5 games back of the Phillies in the NL east. They have proved to the rest of the league that they will not give up because they lost their star players.

This has been possible because players have stepped up in a big way to help this team out. A good example is tonight’s starting pitcher Tim Redding. He came to the Mets from the Nationals with the plan of him being the #5 starter. Since Maine went on the DL, he has been great, not letting up more than 4 earned runs and has 12 strikeouts to 5 walks. A big surprise is Starter Fernando Nieve, who in 2 starts vs. the Yankees and Rays has 2 wins and has only given up 3 earned runs in 12.2 IP. Manager Jerry Manuel has been so pleased with Nieve, who was cut earlier in the year by the Astros, that he has guaranteed him a spot to pitch again even when his regular starters come back from the DL.

Two other contributors to the Mets success is the combination of Alex Cora and Luis Castillo. Cora, who has been a back up for most of his career, has made the most filling in for Jose Reyes. Batter 2nd most games, he leads the team in productive outs with an 83%. Even though it’s an out, 83 out of 100 times it will be productive. With the injuries to the heavy hitters, it’s good to know that somebody like Cora can move the runners up a spot on base so that batters like David Wright and his NL leading .349 BA can drive them in.

Besides dropping the ball at Yankee Stadium, Castillo has found his second wind for his career. Last offseason people were calling for him to be traded or to sign other 2nd baseman’s, but Castillo didn’t let that get to him. He came to spring training in the best shape we’ve seen from him and has played better than most thought he would do. He has stayed healthy and raised his BA and OBP from last year. And not to be left out, he has held down 2nd base like a castle guard, nothing gets through him.

You would think that this team will lay down and die, but Jerry Manuel’s Mets have lived to see the NL East lead right on their finger tips. And they cannot give up because the Phillies won’t give them the crown, we need to go in and take it, then once we get it we need to run away with it like the world is out to get us.