Hey everyone! Katie Strang here for blogging tonight. Sorry I was absent for last night's blog, but I was busy staking out Willie's house...one of the less-glamorous aspects of the job:) For all you concerned, Willie DID seem very sad to not be manager anymore, but he was also super-upbeat, joking around with reporters and staying pretty positive. Honestly, given the situation, he couldn't have been nicer or more accommodating...kudos to him for handling everything with so much class. They say some coaches/managers are easier to deal with during times with adversity or while things are looking pretty bleak, and if that's the case, Willie falls into that category. He said he watched "bits and pieces" of last night's game, since "those are still his guys," and he plans to watch periodically, although he said he won't be pulling up a chair every night. Ok, enough of this never-ending saga...time for the rubber game against the Angels.
Go ahead and leave your comments, just keep them family-friendly....!
Top 1st
Reyes leads off with a single, then attempts the steal to second. An errant throw allows him to advance to third, and just like that, the Mets are in scoring position with no outs. Wright drives in a one-hopper RBI single to score Reyes and put the Mets on the board.
1-0 NY
Bottom 1st
One away and Perez gives up a walk on his second batter Willis. Perez retires the next two to keep a one-run lead.
1-0 NY
Top 2nd
Two quick outs, and Chavez singles to center. Not much good as Castro follows up with a fly out.
1-0 NY
Bottom 2nd
Again, Perez gives up a walk but holds the Angels to no hits, no runs.
1-0 NY
Top 3rd
Reyes leads off with a triple off the fence. Anderson's sac fly scores him for the second time tonight. Two-run lead for the Mets.
2-0 NY
Bottom 3rd
One away and Perez gives up his first hit of the night with a line to right from Figgins. Then, he retires the next two to keep the Angels scoreless.
2-0 NY
Top 4th
Delgado leads off with a solo homer to center. Two batters later and Easley takes a walk. Chavez' sac bunt moves Easley into scoring position, Two outs and Castro walks. Reyes grounds into the force for the third out to leave two men on.
3-0 NY
Bottom 4th
One out and Perez gives up back-to-back base hits, as Hunter singles on a line to center and Matthews grounds to third. Two outs and Mathis singles to score Hunter and cut the Mets' lead to two.
3-1 NY
Top 5th
Anderson leads off with a base hit to right past 2B Kendrick, then gets caught stealing second as Wright goes down swinging. Beltran reaches base on a walk but Delgado lines out for the third out.
3-1 NY
Bottom 5th
Figgins places one in center for a lead-off single. Another walk by Perez puts two men on. Kendrick grounds one to third to load the bases. Guerrero's two-run single to left center ties the ball game. Angels continue a big inning with another run as Hunter's RBI scores Kendrick to take the lead. One out and Wright makes a good tag for the double play before the Angels build on their lead again.
4-3 LA
Top 6th
Two down, and Chavez doubles after a 12-pitch battle, but tying run is stranded as Castro goes down swinging.
4-3 LA
Bottom 6th
Perez earns his first K of the night as he retires Mathis. Aybar singles on a line to right, but Figgins grounds into the DP.
4-3 LA
Top 7th
Wright gets his first hit of the day with a two-out single, but Beltran goes down looking to send it to the stretch.
4-3 NY
Bottom 7th
Smith in to replace Perez. He strikes out the first two swinging and Guerrero rips a single to right. Hunter grounds out for the third to head to the eighth.
4-3 NY
Top 8th
Easley flies to right for a two-out double, but he's left stranded by Chavez' ground out.
4-3 NY
Bottom 8th
Three up, three down for the Angels and now the Mets have the chance to rally.
4-3 NY
Top 9th
Reyes singles with one out to put the tying run on. Tatis goes down swinging for the second out. Wright to bat and Reyes moves to second on a wild pitch. Wright comes up clutch with a two-out RBI single to tie the game.
4-4
Bottom 9th
1-2-3 for Sanchez to send it to extra innings.
4-4
Top 10th
Easley homers on a solo shot to left to give the Mets the lead.
5-4 NY
Bottom 10th
Wagner in for the save. Wright makes a beautiful bare-handed bullet to first for out number 1. 1-2-3 for Wagner and Manuel gets his first win as a manager.
5-4 NY
Comments (3)
I have always subscribed to the mantra the players control 90+%
of the final results. That is why I have been writing on these blogs since last September that this team needs to be blown up and totally rebuilt. Every piece of logic says that 48 hours is way to short of sample to start questioning a belief built over decades of watching sports but I have to say Mr. Manual has forthrightly addressed many concerns I have had for a year now. Of course an issue of most important of course that everybody is writing about is dealing with Rayes and it got addressed in the first at bat with immediate very short term results. What was really impressive was is while giving respects to Willie he reversed Willie and the entire organizations denial policy of lets turn the page attitude towered the collapse. This lack of denial was evident in tonight’s postgame remarks that the previous nights game was a result not "just execution" but the team being in a cloud. In his pregame remarks he talked about focus in late innings and we all saw what happened. Two days that in the long run might mean nothing but WOW
I have always subscribed to the mantra the players control 90+%
of the final results. That is why I have been writing on these blogs since last September that this team needs to be blown up and totally rebuilt. Every piece of logic says that 48 hours is way to short of sample to start questioning a belief built over decades of watching sports but I have to say Mr. Manual has forthrightly addressed many concerns I have had for a year now. Of course an issue of most important of course that everybody is writing about is dealing with Rayes and it got addressed in the first at bat with immediate very short term results. What was really impressive was is while giving respects to Willie he reversed Willie and the entire organizations denial policy of lets turn the page attitude towered the collapse. This lack of denial was evident in tonight’s postgame remarks that the previous nights game was a result not "just execution" but the team being in a cloud. In his pregame remarks he talked about focus in late innings and we all saw what happened. Two days that in the long run might mean nothing but WOW
I am also a Major Windbag at Islander1955@aol.com....In Duplicate form. I also have total recall of all things........IMAGINARY. T.R. Rules.