Ike on slow start: “I don’t like letting the team down”
Ike Davis is frustrated again. Here are some of the first baseman’s comments after today’s loss:
On another slow start: “I feel that I have a lot of time to make up ground. Obviously it’s frustrating. I’m frustrated. I don’t like letting the team down like I have, but that’s the way it goes sometimes.”
On strikeout totals: “I don’t like striking out. If I was faster, I’d be upset. But if I hit a slow ground ball, I’m not going to beat it out. But I want to make contact more, because if I make contact more it’s probably going to mean I’m going to hit more balls on the barrel, and I’ll have more doubles and home runs. But I think last year I struck out a lot in the beginning. The strikeouts will go down too.”
On breaking out: “I guarantee in one of these next couple months that I’m actually going to help the team win a lot of games, and be the guy that if someone else isn’t hitting so well, I’ll be the guy to lean on. I have confidence in myself, but it is frustrating. There’s nothing else really I can say. It’s not like I’m not working. Obviously if you weren’t working right now, you don’t deserve to be here. It’s going to get better.”
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Dodgers 3, Mets 2: Three Up, Three Down
One step forward, one step back. One step forward, one step back.
Three Up:
1. RHP Jeremy Hefner: A nice rebound for a starting pitcher who sorely needed it. The Mets would have done well to take better advantage of Hefner’s day, but can at least hope it’s the start of better things to come.
2. SS Ruben Tejada: If defense can slump, Tejada is currently on fire with the glove. But his greatest contribution Thursday may have come on the bases, where he deftly scrambled to third on a wild pitch in the third, allowing David Wright to hit a game-tying sacrifice fly.
3. 2B Daniel Murphy: Murphy continues to show a knack for fortitude when it counts, singling to further a rally in the sixth inning and walking to advance another rally in the eighth. You’d still like to see more power from Murphy, but he’s a good bat to have with the game on the line.
Three Down:
1. 3B David Wright: If nothing else, Wright has to advance the lead runner to third base with two men on and no outs in the eighth. He did not, and the Mets did not score. The rest, as Howie says, is in the books.
2. LHP Scott Rice: Rice had been playing with fire with free passes all season, but it was actually a leadoff double to a right-handed hitter that did him in Thursday. The Dodgers played ABC baseball from there, moving Nick Punto over on a groundout and scoring him on a single.
3. C Anthony Recker: Recker’s job is extremely difficult, coming off the bench to play no more than once a week. Still, he failed to put the ball in play twice in three at-bats Thursday, which — rust or not — won’t earn him any additional playing time.
Three Up, Three Down Season Standings:
+8
C John Buck
+4
2B Daniel Murphy
+3
RHP Matt Harvey
+2
INF Justin Turner, RHP LaTroy Hawkins, OF Marlon Byrd
+1
LHP Jon Niese, OF Collin Cowgill, LHP Robert Carson, LHP Scott Rice
-1
RHP Jeurys Familia, RHP Dillon Gee, RHP Brandon Lyon, OF Lucas Duda, C Anthony Recker
-2
RHP Greg Burke, LHP Aaron Laffey, OF Jordany Valdespin
-3
OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis
-5
LHP Josh Edgin
-6
1B Ike Davis
Follow me on Twitter @AnthonyDiComo.
Mets 7, Dodgers 3: Three Up, Three Down
JV1 FTW.
Three Up:
1. OF Jordany Valdespin: Say what you will about Valdespin’s shortcomings; he’s one fun player to watch. Valdespin’s walk-off grand slam was just the sixth in team history and the Mets’ first in 22 years, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
2. PH Mike Baxter: David Wright may have come up with the game-tying hit, but Baxter’s leadoff hit and hustle were the reasons why Wright was in that spot in the first place. He’s an ideal bat off the bench for the Mets.
3. OF Lucas Duda: It’s weird to see Duda ever have a non-Three True Outcomes plate appearance, but my scorebook insists that he singled and doubled in his first two at-bats. A return to normalcy came in the sixth, when Duda walked.
Three Down:
1. 1B Ike Davis: His single was nice, his walk was big, and he lined into a tough-luck out in his second at-bat. But Davis is still striking out far too much when it counts, including a big whiff with runners on the corners and two outs in the fifth.
2. 2B Daniel Murphy: Not a bad game for Murphy, but he receives the “Down” for popping out with one out and the potential tying run on third base in the ninth. Wright later came through, but Murphy needs to get that run home.
3. RHP Matt Harvey: I’m not putting Harvey here because I think his performance was bad. I’m putting him here because he does. That’s the beauty of this guy — he wants to be great, and isn’t satisfied with merely adequate. Same goes for us here at Three Up, Three Down.
Three Up, Three Down Season Standings:
+8
C John Buck
+3
RHP Matt Harvey, 2B Daniel Murphy
+2
INF Justin Turner, LHP Scott Rice, RHP LaTroy Hawkins, OF Marlon Byrd
+1
LHP Jon Niese, 3B David Wright, OF Collin Cowgill, LHP Robert Carson
-1
RHP Jeurys Familia, RHP Dillon Gee, RHP Jeremy Hefner, RHP Brandon Lyon, SS Ruben Tejada, OF Lucas Duda
-2
RHP Greg Burke, LHP Aaron Laffey, OF Jordany Valdespin
-3
OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis
-5
LHP Josh Edgin
-6
1B Ike Davis
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Dodgers 7, Mets 2: Three Up, Three Down
Mark Ellis = nemesis.
Three Up:
1. 2B Daniel Murphy: Hit machine Murphy did it again with the bat, coming through with a big RBI single off Clayton Kershaw in the third inning. He also did it with the glove, making a nice backhand stab and jump-throw to rob Andre Ethier of a hit in the fourth.
2. SS Ruben Tejada: Maybe Terry Collins was right when he chalked up Tejada’s defensive struggles to the cold weather earlier this season. Tejada has impressed defensively so far this homestand, making two more outstanding plays Tuesday.
3. LHP Robert Carson: Jokes aside, the seven-pitch walk he drew off Kershaw in the third inning put New York’s offense in motion. He also did just fine on the mound, stretching out to 2 1/3 innings before allowing a homer to the final man he faced.
Three Down:
1. RHP Brandon Lyon: He’s been great this season, so consider this a blip. But Lyon could not escape a jam of his own making in the seventh inning, serving up the game-winning three-run homer to Ellis.
2. LHP Josh Edgin: This has been some forgettable run for Edgin, and there’s a decent chance it could earn him a ticket back to the minors. Dating back to April 16, Edgin has recorded eight outs, given up nine hits and allowed nine runs.
3. OF Marlon Byrd: Over his last six games, Byrd is 4-for-20 with nine strikeouts and no walks. Four of those outs and two of the strikeouts came Tuesday against the Dodgers.
Three Up, Three Down Season Standings:
+8
C John Buck
+4
RHP Matt Harvey, 2B Daniel Murphy
+2
INF Justin Turner, LHP Scott Rice, RHP LaTroy Hawkins, OF Marlon Byrd
+1
LHP Jon Niese, 3B David Wright, OF Collin Cowgill, LHP Robert Carson
-1
RHP Jeurys Familia, RHP Dillon Gee, OF Mike Baxter, RHP Jeremy Hefner, RHP Brandon Lyon, SS Ruben Tejada
-2
RHP Greg Burke, LHP Aaron Laffey, OF Lucas Duda
-3
OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis, OF Jordany Valdespin
-5
1B Ike Davis, LHP Josh Edgin
Follow me on Twitter @AnthonyDiComo.
Mets 2, Nationals 0: Three Up, Three Down
Taking two of three from the Nationals seems a fine way for the Mets to start this nine-game homestand.
Three Up:
1. C John Buck: Once again, Buck came through when no one else could, hitting a booming home run into the second deck in left-center and also making a fine throw on defense. He and Matt Harvey have been the club’s clear April MVPs.
2. LHP Scott Rice: Begrudge him for creating the eighth-inning jam if you will, but Rice continues generating outs when he needs them most. His double play ball on a 3-0 fastball to Jayson Werth was the biggest pitch of Sunday’s game.
3. RHP LaTroy Hawkins: What a pitch by Hawkins to escape the sixth-inning drama that Dillon Gee created. Ninety-two miles per hour on the black sounds about right.
Three Down:
1. OF Lucas Duda: Three strikeouts looking, the last two of them on 3-2 fastballs. Duda may need to take a tip from SNY’s Keith Hernandez and be a little more aggressive in those counts.
2. OF Jordany Valdespin: Another tough “Down” for Valdespin, but he has cooled considerably following a hot start. Valdespin is now in an 0-for-8 mini-slump.
3. 1B Ike Davis: Davis did single Sunday, but the Mets are not paying him to single. Only one strikeout from Davis, but the power hitting needs to start surfacing.
Three Up, Three Down Season Standings:
+8
C John Buck
+4
RHP Matt Harvey
+3
OF Marlon Byrd, 2B Daniel Murphy
+2
INF Justin Turner, LHP Scott Rice, RHP LaTroy Hawkins
+1
LHP Jon Niese, 3B David Wright, OF Collin Cowgill
-1
RHP Jeurys Familia, RHP Dillon Gee, OF Mike Baxter, RHP Jeremy Hefner
-2
RHP Greg Burke, SS Ruben Tejada, LHP Aaron Laffey, OF Lucas Duda
-3
OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis, OF Jordany Valdespin
-4
LHP Josh Edgin
-5
1B Ike Davis
Follow me on Twitter @AnthonyDiComo.
Nationals 7, Mets 6: Three Up, Three Down
The Mets are now 7-1 when Jon Niese and Matt Harvey pitch, and 1-7 with everyone else.
Three Up:
1. C John Buck: He may have stopped hitting home runs every single game, but Buck’s base hits have still been big. His RBI double in the seventh inning Saturday temporarily tied the game for the Mets.
2. SS Justin Turner: Turner has started five games this season. He is 10-for-22 with two doubles and three RBI in those games.
3. OF Collin Cowgill: It’s been a tough couple of week for Cowgill, who has not done much since his Opening Day grand slam. That two-run single to put the Mets on the board against Gio Gonzalez must have felt good.
Three Down:
1. RHP Jeremy Hefner: You can live with hits against Hefner, but he is not the type of pitcher who can get away with three walks in four innings. That’s the one thing that needs to change.
2. LHP Aaron Laffey: When Laffey entered the game in the fifth inning, it seemed conceivable that the Mets might try to get two or three innings out of the lefty. Instead, they received two outs (and three runs).
3. 1B Ike Davis: Another 0-for-4, including three strikeouts, has some wondering whether Lucas Duda might be the better fit higher in the lineup.
Three Up, Three Down Season Standings:
+7
C John Buck
+4
RHP Matt Harvey
+3
OF Marlon Byrd, 2B Daniel Murphy
+2
INF Justin Turner
+1
LHP Jon Niese, LHP Scott Rice, RHP LaTroy Hawkins, 3B David Wright, OF Collin Cowgill
-1
RHP Jeurys Familia, RHP Dillon Gee, OF Mike Baxter, OF Lucas Duda, RHP Jeremy Hefner
-2
RHP Greg Burke, SS Ruben Tejada, OF Jordany Valdespin, LHP Aaron Laffey
-3
OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis
-4
LHP Josh Edgin, 1B Ike Davis
Follow me on Twitter @AnthonyDiComo.
Mets 7, Nationals 1: Three Up, Three Down
“Harvey’s better,” say the fans at Citi Field. At least on this night, he certainly was.
Three Up:
1. RHP Matt Harvey: Geeked up from the start, Harvey hit 98 miles per hour on the stadium radar gun, also mixing in his slider and changeup with ease. There’s no question that through four starts, he has been the most dominant pitcher in baseball.
2. 1B Ike Davis: Davis received a smattering of boos after striking out swinging in each of his first two at-bats. All he did after that was hit two home runs, quite literally turning the boos into cheers.
3. OF Lucas Duda: Not to be outdone by Davis, Duda contributed his own two-homer game, nearly adding a third on his shot to the warning track in the third. Duda ranks second in the Majors with a 1.234 OPS.
Three Down:
1. 2B Daniel Murphy: Murphy’s errant flip on a potential double-play ball in the seventh inning not only caused a minor injury to Ruben Tejada, but also created a bases-loaded, no-outs jam for Harvey. It’s a play that Murphy knows he needs to make.
2. SS Ruben Tejada: Tejada was the only Mets regular who did not reach base against Stephen Strasburg, finishing 0-for-4 and hitting the ball in the air three times. Keeping the ball out of the air was a point of emphasis for him in spring training.
3. OF Jordany Valdespin: This is a tough-luck “Down” for Valdespin, who finished 0-for-4 but did reach on an error and score a run. Valdespin’s outfield routes were not perfect today, but he did not make any egregious mistakes.
Three Up, Three Down Season Standings:
+6
C John Buck
+4
RHP Matt Harvey
+3
OF Marlon Byrd, 2B Daniel Murphy
+1
LHP Jon Niese, INF Justin Turner, LHP Scott Rice, RHP LaTroy Hawkins, 3B David Wright
-1
RHP Jeurys Familia, LHP Aaron Laffey, RHP Dillon Gee, OF Mike Baxter, OF Lucas Duda
-2
RHP Greg Burke, SS Ruben Tejada, OF Jordany Valdespin
-3
OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis, 1B Ike Davis
-4
LHP Josh Edgin
Follow me on Twitter @AnthonyDiComo.
Most strikeouts through first 13 starts to a career
This is an interesting list, dating back to 1921. Check it out:
1. Hideo Nomo, 1995 Dodgers: 119 strikeouts, 1.99 ERA
2. Kerry Wood, 1998 Cubs: 118 strikeouts, 3.40 ERA
3. Herb Score, 1955 Indians: 107 strikeouts, 2.94 ERA
4. Jose DeLeon, 1983 Pirates: 106 strikeouts, 2.53 ERA
5. Gary Nolan, 1967 Reds: 97 strikeouts, 2.79 ERA
T-6. Stephen Strasburg, 2010-11 Nationals: 96 strikeouts, 2.71 ERA
T-6. Mark Prior, 2002 Cubs: 96 strikeouts, 3.65 ERA
T-6. Dwight Gooden, 1984 Mets: 96 strikeouts, 2.61 ERA
9. Matt Harvey, 2012-13 Mets: 95 strikeouts, 2.21 ERA
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Rockies 11, Mets 3: Three Up, Three Down
The Mets just hit a new Rocky Mountain low.
Three Up:
1. 3B David Wright: A nice offensive game for Wright, who redirected two balls up the middle for RBI singles. Wright is — and has always been — at his best when he’s hitting to right and center field.
2. 2B Daniel Murphy: Murphy continues to display a lack of range at second base, but that’s excusable as long as his offensive production is high. It was Thursday, when he singled and doubled in four at-bats, scoring twice.
3. SS Ruben Tejada: Good for Tejada. So maligned for his defense all season long, Tejada made a sensational throw to rob Troy Tulowitzki of a hit in the third inning, proving that his defensive prowess still exists.
Three Down:
1. LHP Josh Edgin: Edgin’s inability to record outs is growing into a legitimate problem. He’s struggling against left-handed and right-handed batters alike.
2. RHP Scott Atchison: When a reliever faces three batters and does not record an out, it’s not a good thing. Atchison had been solid all season until Thursday, so perhaps this is merely a blip.
3. OF Jordany Valdespin: Two hits are nice, but Valdespin’s fielding error directly contributed to the Rockies’ third run, which loomed huge at the time. He needs to improve his outfield reads, because right now he is costing the Mets runs on a near-daily basis.
Three Up, Three Down Season Standings:
+6
C John Buck
+4
2B Daniel Murphy
+3
RHP Matt Harvey, OF Marlon Byrd
+1
LHP Jon Niese, INF Justin Turner, LHP Scott Rice, RHP LaTroy Hawkins, 3B David Wright
-1
RHP Jeurys Familia, LHP Aaron Laffey, RHP Dillon Gee, OF Mike Baxter, SS Ruben Tejada, OF Jordany Valdespin
-2
RHP Greg Burke, OF Lucas Duda
-3
OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis
-4
1B Ike Davis, LHP Josh Edgin
Follow me on Twitter @AnthonyDiComo.
Rockies 9, Mets 8: Three Up, Three Down
Fourteen hours after arriving at the ballpark, the Mets have themselves a victory.
Three Up:
1. OF Marlon Byrd: Kudos to Byrd, who now has 10 RBI in 39 at-bats. Compare that to all of last season, when Byrd drove in nine runs in 143 at-bats.
2. RHP Scott Atchison: He’s shown some grit this season, pitching in and out of a jam in the seventh inning with the tying and go-ahead runs on base. Discredit Atchison for loading the bases in the first place if you want; I’ll credit him for striking out perennial All-Star Troy Tulowitzki with the game on the line.
3. RHP Bobby Parnell: Sure, he blew a save and let Carlos Gonzalez steal a key base. He also faced four batters, generated a soft ground ball and struck out the side in a tie game in the ninth. It was a dominating performance from the Mets’ closer.
Three Down:
1. LHP Josh Edgin: With starter Aaron Laffey pitching only four innings, the Mets needed some length out of Edgin. Instead, the lefty specialist faced five batters and allowed four of them to reach base. All four later scored.
2. OF Mike Baxter: Coming on as an injury replacement for Lucas Duda, Baxter almost immediately misplayed Carlos Gonzalez’s fly ball into a rally-extending double. He also finished 0-for-1 at the plate.
3. SS Ruben Tejada: Tejada’s throwing error in the ninth inning resulted in a blown save for Parnell and a tie game in the eighth, after the Mets had led by as many as six runs. Tejada now has six errors in 13 games.
Three Up, Three Down Season Standings:
+6
C John Buck
+3
RHP Matt Harvey, 2B Daniel Murphy, OF Marlon Byrd
+1
LHP Jon Niese, INF Justin Turner, LHP Scott Rice, RHP LaTroy Hawkins, RHP Scott Atchison
-1
RHP Jeurys Familia, LHP Aaron Laffey, RHP Dillon Gee, OF Mike Baxter
-2
RHP Greg Burke, OF Lucas Duda, SS Ruben Tejada
-3
OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis, LHP Josh Edgin
-4
1B Ike Davis
Follow me on Twitter @AnthonyDiComo.
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