Results tagged ‘ Marlon Byrd ’
Reds 4, Mets 3: Three Up, Three Down
Still no offense. Still no offense.
Three Up:
1. OF Marlon Byrd: Byrd’s three-run homer off Johnny Cueto was the only offensive spark for the Mets, who continue to struggle consistently at the plate.
2. OF Rick Ankiel: In the lineup due to his success against Cueto, Ankiel reached base in each of his first two at-bats. That might be enough for the Mets to try him out in the two hole again.
3. RHP Greg Burke: This is more a makeup call for last weekend in Chicago, where Burke continued to establish himself as a consistent performer. He has not allowed a run since returning from Triple-A Las Vegas.
Three Down:
1. 1B Ike Davis: Another 0-for-3 with two strikeouts, plus an obstruction call at first base. Even at the nadir of his slump last season, Davis never struggled on defense to the extent he is now.
2. 2B Daniel Murphy: All hot streaks must come to an end; Murphy’s came crashing down with an 0-for-4 performance, including a key strikeout in the seventh inning with the tying run in scoring position.
3. SS Ruben Tejada: Tejada looks absolutely lost offensively, and he’s not enough of a difference-maker on defense to make up for it. At what point do the Mets consider giving Justin Turner some starts at short?
Three Up, Three Down Season Standings:
+6
RHP Matt Harvey, 3B David Wright
+5
OF Marlon Byrd
+4
C John Buck
+3
INF Justin Turner, 2B Daniel Murphy
+2
RHP LaTroy Hawkins, OF Mike Baxter, OF Juan Lagares
+1
LHP Scott Rice, LHP Jon Niese, LHP Robert Carson, RHP Jeremy Hefner, OF Rick Ankiel, RHP Greg Burke
-1
OF Lucas Duda, RHP Collin McHugh
-2
LHP Aaron Laffey, RHP Brandon Lyon, RHP Scott Atchison, RHP Shaun Marcum, OF Jordany Valdespin, C Anthony Recker, SS Ruben Tejada
-3
OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis
-4
LHP Josh Edgin, RHP Dillon Gee
-12
1B Ike Davis
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Mets win two of three in Chicago: Three Up, Three Down
A delayed reaction to this weekend’s series in Chicago:
Friday: Mets 3, Cubs 2
Three Up: RHP Matt Harvey, 3B David Wright, OF Marlon Byrd
Three Down: LHP Scott Rice, SS Ruben Tejada, C John Buck
Saturday: Cubs 8, Mets 2
Three Up: 2B Daniel Murphy, OF Rick Ankiel, LHP Robert Carson
Three Down: RHP Jeremy Hefner, 1B Ike Davis, RHP Collin McHugh
Sunday: Mets 4, Cubs 3
Three Up: OF Juan Lagares, 2B Daniel Murphy, LHP Scott Rice
Three Down: RHP Dillon Gee, 2B Justin Turner, C Anthony Recker
Three Up, Three Down Season Standings:
+6
RHP Matt Harvey, 3B David Wright
+4
OF Marlon Byrd, C John Buck, 2B Daniel Murphy
+3
INF Justin Turner
+2
RHP LaTroy Hawkins, OF Mike Baxter, OF Juan Lagares
+1
LHP Scott Rice, LHP Jon Niese, LHP Robert Carson, RHP Jeremy Hefner
-1
OF Lucas Duda, SS Ruben Tejada, RHP Collin McHugh
-2
LHP Aaron Laffey, RHP Brandon Lyon, RHP Scott Atchison, RHP Shaun Marcum, OF Jordany Valdespin, C Anthony Recker
-3
OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis
-4
LHP Josh Edgin, RHP Dillon Gee
-11
1B Ike Davis
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Cardinals 10, Mets 4: Three Up, Three Down
How deep does this rabbit hole go?
Three Up:
1. 2B Daniel Murphy: The Mets officially have a nominee for Streakiest Hitter in Baseball. Since snapping last week’s 0-for-17 skid at the plate, Murphy has gone 6-for-9 with two doubles, two RBI and two runs scored.
2. OF Marlon Byrd: Something clicked for Byrd after he jammed his shoulder into the right-field wall attempting to catch a foul ball in the fifth. An inning later, he hit a two-run home run, one of Byrd’s two extra-base hits on the night.
3. RHP Greg Burke: Good for Burke, who has now given the Mets 2 1/3 scoreless innings since returning from Triple-A Las Vegas. Another inning or two, and this may take the form of real progress for the submariner.
Three Down:
1. RHP Dillon Gee: After giving up another six runs in four innings, Gee sounded like a pitcher who was completely out of answers. He’ll need to find some before his next start, or risk losing his grip on a rotation spot.
2. LHP Robert Carson: Like Gee, Carson has displayed an utter inability to get batters out with any sort of consistency. There’s certainly talent here, but Carson needs to figure out how to tap it if he wants to stay at this level.
3. 1B Ike Davis: Another forgettable day for Davis, who finished 0-for-4 at the plate and committed a (at the time) critical throwing error to spark a first-inning Cardinals rally. Considering how badly he has slumped offensively, Davis needs to be perfect on defense.
Three Up, Three Down Season Standings:
+6
C John Buck
+5
3B David Wright, RHP Matt Harvey
+4
IF Justin Turner
+3
OF Mike Baxter, OF Marlon Byrd
+2
RHP LaTroy Hawkins, RHP Jeremy Hefner
+1
OF Juan Lagares, LHP Scott Rice
-1
C Anthony Recker, OF Jordany Valdespin, OF Lucas Duda, OF Rick Ankiel
-2
LHP Aaron Laffey, RHP Brandon Lyon, RHP Scott Atchison
-3
OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis, RHP Shaun Marcum, RHP Dillon Gee
-4
LHP Josh Edgin
-9
1B Ike Davis
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Pirates 11, Mets 2: Three Up, Three Down
What’s wrong with Jon Niese? The Mets would surely like to know.
Three Up:
1. OF Marlon Byrd: One of Byrd’s two hits (the RBI knock) may have been a cheapie, but there wasn’t much else to like about this offense on a dreary Saturday afternoon at Citi. At this point, the Mets will take their hits any way they can get them.
2. 1B Justin Turner: Cracking the starting lineup for a third consecutive game, Turner rebounded from Friday’s 0-for-4 to reach base twice. He continues to be a productive and versatile bat for the Mets.
3. SS Ruben Tejada: Another nice offensive rebound for Tejada, who finally gave the Mets a bit of production atop their batting order. His hustle to stretch a single into a double in a nine-run game did not go unnoticed.
Three Down:
1. LHP Jon Niese: Something is significantly wrong here, and it’s not clear if it’s physical, mechanical or something different. Niese has now given up 16 runs, 15 hits and nine walks over his last two starts, spanning 8 1/3 innings.
2. C John Buck: Not only was Buck helpless to stop Niese’s bleeding from behind the plate, he also finished 0-for-4 with the bat yet again. The Mets have received virtually no offensive production from their everyday catcher since mid-April.
3. 2B Jordany Valdespin: Valdespin’s right forearm will probably be sore tomorrow, after taking a Bryan Morris fastball off it. Most around baseball will say he got what he deserved, one day after showboating his homer in a five-run game.
Three Up, Three Down Season Standings:
+6
C John Buck
+5
3B David Wright
+4
RHP Matt Harvey, IF Justin Turner
+2
RHP LaTroy Hawkins, LHP Scott Rice, OF Mike Baxter, OF Marlon Byrd
+1
RHP Jeremy Hefner, RHP Bobby Parnell, OF Juan Lagares, LHP Robert Carson
-1
RHP Scott Atchison, RHP Brandon Lyon, C Anthony Recker, OF Jordany Valdespin
-2
RHP Greg Burke, LHP Aaron Laffey, RHP Dillon Gee, OF Lucas Duda, 2B Daniel Murphy
-3
OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis, RHP Shaun Marcum
-4
LHP Josh Edgin
-7
1B Ike Davis
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Braves 9, Mets 4: Three Up, Three Down
In rainy Atlanta, the Mets saw their momentum washed away.
Three Up:
1. 3B: David Wright: Captain America went deep for the third straight game, but also misplayed B.J. Upton’s single in the third inning on defense. It probably should have been an error.
2. OF Mike Baxter: Let’s give Mike from Whitestone some props for his pinch-hit double in the eighth, sparking what could have been a game-tying rally. Alas, it was not.
3. 1B Justin Turner: Pinch-hitting for Ike Davis, Turner worked a bases-loaded walk to further the rally that Baxter started. Both Mets pinch-hitters came through in this game.
Three Down:
1. LHP Jon Niese: Had the defense not betrayed him, Niese’s line might have looked much better. But the six walks against him were far too many, and Niese admitted that much after the game.
2. OF Lucas Duda: Before this week, Duda’s defense in left field had actually been passable. But he made a big mistake in Miami and another on Sunday, breaking in on a two-run double over his head.
3. OF Marlon Byrd: Byrd came to the plate in the eighth inning as the potential tying run. Eric O’Flaherty then threw him six pitches, five of them out of the strike zone, and Byrd swung at three of them to whiff.
Three Up, Three Down Season Standings:
+8
C John Buck
+5
3B David Wright
+3
RHP Matt Harvey, INF Justin Turner
+2
RHP LaTroy Hawkins, LHP Scott Rice, SS Ruben Tejada
+1
RHP Jeremy Hefner, RHP Bobby Parnell, LHP Jon Niese, OF Marlon Byrd
-1
RHP Scott Atchison, OF Mike Baxter
-2
RHP Greg Burke, LHP Aaron Laffey, C Anthony Recker, RHP Dillon Gee, RHP Shaun Marcum, RHP Brandon Lyon, OF Lucas Duda
-3
OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis
-4
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
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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
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Mets 4, Twins 2: Three Up, Three Down
This Harvey kid is really something, ain’t he?
Three Up:
1. RHP Matt Harvey: In merely his 13th career start, Harvey took a no-hitter into the seventh, finishing with eight innings of one-run ball. In short, he was incredible.
2. DH Justin Turner: Give Turner credit: he makes the most of his opportunities. Three times Turner has appeared in the starting lineup this season, and twice he has recorded three hits.
3. OF Marlon Byrd: Props to Byrd, whose leadoff homer in the fourth inning extended the Mets’ home run streak to 11 consecutive games to start the season. Was not expecting that.
Three Down:
1. RHP Bobby Parnell: Finally, a save opportunity! Though Parnell nailed it down with two strikeouts, he also gave up two hits and a run first. Next time, the margin may be slimmer and he’ll need to be sharper.
2. 1B Ike Davis: Moments after his only hit of the afternoon, Davis was gunned down trying to stretch it into a double. It’s been that kind of early season for him.
3. OF Lucas Duda: Though catcher John Buck went 0-for-4, it’s tough to mark him as a “Down” when he also called Harvey’s gem. Instead it goes to Duda, who went 0-for-2 and was again subbed out on defense.
Three Up, Three Down Season Standings:
+6
C John Buck
+4
2B Daniel Murphy
+3
RHP Matt Harvey
+2
OF Marlon Byrd
+1
OF Jordany Valdespin, LHP Jon Niese, INF Justin Turner
-1
RHP Jeurys Familia, SS Ruben Tejada, LHP Aaron Laffey, 3B David Wright, RHP Bobby Parnell
-2
LHP Josh Edgin, RHP Greg Burke, OF Lucas Duda
-3
OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis
-4
1B Ike Davis
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Mets 4, Marlins 3: Three Up, Three Down
When Marlon Byrd stepped to the plate in the ninth inning Sunday, do you think he knew he was at risk of losing a point in this space for the first time this season? I do too.
Three Up:
1. OF Marlon Byrd: Can’t lie to you: Byrd was on the Three Down list before coming up with a game-winning two-run single in the ninth. Was his soft ground ball more a product of opportunity than anything else? Sure. But here at Three Up, Three Down, we reward walk-off hits 100 percent of the time.
2. RHP Greg Burke: The only reason the Mets stayed close all afternoon is because Burke wriggled out of Laffey’s jam in the fifth inning, giving the Mets 1 2/3 key innings of relief. For the first time this season, he aimed for strikeouts instead of ground balls, finding some success in the process.
3. SS Ruben Tejada: Not only did Tejada’s error streak end, but he also reached base twice and stole a critical base with one out in the seventh. Most importantly, he made an aggressive (and fortuitous) dash on the base paths, going first to third on Kirk Nieuwenhuis’ one-out single in the ninth. That was huge.
Three Down:
1. LHP Aaron Laffey: Ten hits in 4 1/3 innings ain’t going to cut it. Laffey’s rope in the rotation can’t be very long, which is bad news for the Mets; with Shaun Marcum out indefinitely, they don’t really have a good in-house alternative.
2. OF Lucas Duda: Two strikeouts and an 0-for-4 were bad enough, but Duda also took an, um, questionable route to Rob Brantly’s double in the seventh. That one did not come back to bite the Mets, but it reminded them that Duda is hardly a natural out there.
3. OF Collin Cowgill: Known primarily for his work against lefty pitching, Cowgill drew a tough assignment leading off against hard-throwing Marlins rookie Jose Fernandez, an electric right-hander. But, again, life ain’t fair.
Three Up, Three Down Season Standings:
+2
LHP Jon Niese, C John Buck
+1
RHP Matt Harvey, RHP Dillon Gee, INF Justin Turner, RHP Jeremy Hefner, 2B Daniel Murphy, OF Mike Baxter, OF Marlon Byrd
-1
RHP LaTroy Hawkins, RHP Jeurys Familia, 3B David Wright, 1B Ike Davis, LHP Josh Edgin, RHP Greg Burke, SS Ruben Tejada, OF Lucas Duda, LHP Aaron Laffey
-2
OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis
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Projecting the Opening Day roster, 2/19
Some reorganization this week given Terry Collins’ recent proclamation that Marlon Byrd is the favorite in right field, and Frank Francisco’s injury. As for the rest of the bullpen, it’s still anyone’s guess at this point. Grapefruit League performances will be telling.
I’ve also reordered the starting rotation to what it should look like the first week of the season.
C : John Buck
1B: Ike Davis
2B: Daniel Murphy
SS: Ruben Tejada
3B: David Wright
OF: Lucas Duda
OF: Kirk Nieuwenhuis
OF: Marlon Byrd
Bench: Collin Cowgill
Bench: Mike Baxter
Bench: Justin Turner
Bench: Brandon Hicks
Bench: Anthony Recker
SP: Johan Santana
SP: Shaun Marcum
SP: Jon Niese
SP: Matt Harvey
SP: Dillon Gee
RP: Bobby Parnell (CL)
RP: Brandon Lyon
RP: Scott Atchison
RP: LaTroy Hawkins
RP: Pedro Feliciano
RP: Josh Edgin
RP: Greg Burke
DL: Frank Francisco
In the running: C Landon Powell, 1B Josh Satin, INF Zach Lutz, INF Brian Bixler, INF/OF Jordany Valdespin, OF Andrew Brown, OF Matt den Dekker, RHP Jenrry Mejia, RHP Jeurys Familia, RHP Jeremy Hefner, RHP Collin McHugh, RHP Elvin Ramirez, RHP Carlos Torres, LHP Aaron Laffey, LHP Robert Carson, LHP Darin Gorski.
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Anthony DiComo
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