Results tagged ‘ Ruben Tejada ’
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
Follow me on Twitter @AnthonyDiComo.
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
Follow me on Twitter @AnthonyDiComo.
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
Follow me on Twitter @AnthonyDiComo.
Pirates 7, Mets 3: Three Up, Three Down
In honor of Arrested Development’s return to the small screen, let’s call this show Arrested Momentum.
Three Up:
1. 3B David Wright: Leadoff hits in the fourth and sixth innings; it’s not Wright’s fault that the offense stalled behind him.
2. LHP Robert Carson: Solid work by Carson to record four outs, one of them on a nifty pickoff move to first. Carson hasn’t really pitched in many big spots this year, but on Friday he gave the Mets some must-needed work.
3. C Anthony Recker: Nice job by Recker to rap out two hits, including a home run, in a rare start behind the plate. With as little playing time as Recker has received, hitting even a little bit is difficult to do.
Three Down:
1. RHP Shaun Marcum: Marcum became the first pitcher in franchise history to fail to complete five innings in each of his first three starts with the team. That about says it all.
2. SS Ruben Tejada: Tejada avoided another 0-for-4 with his eighth-inning single, but furthered a second-inning rally by double-clutching a routine ground ball. Not the shortstop’s best stretch of the season.
3. 2B Justin Turner: Turner’s run as a do-everything utlityman took a hiatus Friday, when he cracked the starting lineup for a second straight day but finished 0-for-4.
Three Up, Three Down Season Standings:
+7
C John Buck
+5
3B David Wright
+4
RHP Matt Harvey
+3
Justin Turner
+2
RHP LaTroy Hawkins, LHP Scott Rice, OF Mike Baxter
+1
RHP Jeremy Hefner, LHP Jon Niese, OF Marlon Byrd, RHP Bobby Parnell, OF Juan Lagares, LHP Robert Carson
-1
RHP Scott Atchison, RHP Brandon Lyon, C Anthony Recker, SS Ruben Tejada
-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
Follow me on Twitter @AnthonyDiComo.
Mets 3, Pirates 2: Three Up, Three Down
Meet Mike Baxter. He’s the walk-off singles guy.
Three Up:
1. OF Mike Baxter: If the Mets need a home run in the later innings, they call on Jordany Valdespin. If they need a single, they call on Baxter, who continues to be one of the more valuable left-handed pinch-hitters in baseball.
2. OF Juan Lagares: That catch in center field saved the game. Lagares is receiving regular playing time almost exclusively because of his defensive reputation, and he justified it in the ninth inning Thursday.
3. RHP Brandon Lyon: He may have given up the tying run, but he entered with the bases loaded and no outs and allowed nothing more than that. That makes him one of the most valuable players of this game.
Three Down:
1. 2B Daniel Murphy: Four at-bats, four ground balls to first base This is one streaky hitter, who is having miserable start to the month of May.
2. SS Ruben Tejada: An 0-for-4 from Tejada meant the Mets absorbed an 0-for-8 from the first two batters in their lineup. That’s typically a recipe for a loss, though the Mets managed to recover.
3. RHP Bobby Parnell: Sure he earned the win with a scoreless inning. He also gave up a leadoff hit and a rocket fly ball to center, which probably should have cost the Mets the game. It was actually one of his worst-pitched innings of the season, which says more about Parnell’s year than anything else. He’s been terrific.
Three Up, Three Down Season Standings:
+7
C John Buck
+4
3B David Wright, RHP Matt Harvey, IF Justin Turner
+2
RHP LaTroy Hawkins, LHP Scott Rice, OF Mike Baxter
+1
RHP Jeremy Hefner, LHP Jon Niese, OF Marlon Byrd, RHP Bobby Parnell, OF Juan Lagares
-1
RHP Scott Atchison, RHP Brandon Lyon
-2
RHP Greg Burke, LHP Aaron Laffey, C Anthony Recker, RHP Dillon Gee, RHP Shaun Marcum, OF Lucas Duda, 2B Daniel Murphy
-3
OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis
-4
LHP Josh Edgin
-7
1B Ike Davis
Follow me on Twitter @AnthonyDiComo.
Mets 1, White Sox 0: Three Up, Three Down
Goodness.
Three Up:
1. RHP Matt Harvey: What additional superlatives can we rain on this guy? You get the feeling it’s really only a matter of time before he does throw a no-hitter. Or seven.
2. OF Mike Baxter: For all the praise we heap on Jordany Valdespin, guess who’s had the better success rate as a pinch hitter, both this year and last. It’s Baxter, and it’s not particularly close.
3. RHP Bobby Parnell: The 10th inning that Parnell pitched came under more stressful conditions than most save situations. Frank Francisco may be back soon, but Parnell more than deserves to remain the closer.
Three Down:
1. OF Lucas Duda: Two more called third strikes on an 0-for-4 night. He’s slashing .184/.310/.306 since April 20, a span of 14 games, and is 2-for-16 so far in May.
2. 3B David Wright: A rare off game for the captain on a day when the Mets very much needed some offense. When the offense struggles, Wright takes the rap.
3. SS Ruben Tejada: That would have been an amazing play had Tejada managed to nail Rios with his jump-throw in the seventh. More to the point: Tejada left two men in scoring position in the second inning, finishing 1-for-4 at the plate.
Three Up, Three Down Season Standings:
+8
C John Buck
+4
3B David Wright, RHP Matt Harvey
+3
INF Justin Turner
+2
RHP LaTroy Hawkins, LHP Scott Rice, RHP Bobby Parnell
+1
RHP Jeremy Hefner, LHP Jon Niese, OF Marlon Byrd, SS Ruben Tejada
-1
RHP Scott Atchison
-2
RHP Greg Burke, LHP Aaron Laffey, C Anthony Recker, RHP Dillon Gee, RHP Shaun Marcum, RHP Brandon Lyon
-3
OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis, OF Lucas Duda
-4
LHP Josh Edgin
-6
1B Ike Davis
Follow me on Twitter @AnthonyDiComo.
Marlins 2, Mets 1: Three Up, Three Down
A nightmare ninth for Anthony Recker, and six consecutive losses for the Mets.
Three Up:
1. RHP Jeremy Hefner: That was not simply a good start, but one of the best of Hefner’s career on a night when the Mets desperately needed to restore some order to their bullpen. What a tough-luck loss for Hefner.
2. OF Lucas Duda: He’s hitting the ball hard and hitting it to the opposite field. Both are excellent signs for the Mets, who must not regret their recent decision to move Duda to cleanup.
3. 2B Daniel Murphy: Murphy’s double to lead off the fifth was one of the few hard-hit balls the Mets mustered all night against Marlins starter Kevin Slowey, directly leading to a run.
Three Down:
1. C Anthony Recker: You really feel for a guy like Recker, who must make the most of his rare opportunities to produce. But Recker’s three mistakes in the ninth inning — his throw to third base, his passed ball and his inability to corral the game-winning wild pitch — hurt the Mets, and he is the first to admit it.
1. OF Mike Baxter: The Mets still have not found an answer at leadoff. Baxter went 0-for-4 in that slot Tuesday, and is batting .143 as a leadoff hitter this season.
2. SS Ruben Tejada: A rare 0-for-4 from Tejada, who had been swinging the bat quite well. This “Down” could have also gone to David Wright, but he receives bonus points for his defensive work and willingness to play through injury.
Three Up, Three Down Season Standings:
+8
C John Buck
+3
RHP Matt Harvey, INF Justin Turner
+2
RHP LaTroy Hawkins, OF Marlon Byrd, LHP Scott Rice, 3B David Wright, LHP Jon Niese, SS Ruben Tejada
+1
RHP Jeremy Hefner, 2B Daniel Murphy
-1
RHP Dillon Gee, RHP Brandon Lyon, RHP Shaun Marcum, RHP Scott Atchison, RHP Bobby Parnell
-2
RHP Greg Burke, LHP Aaron Laffey, OF Jordany Valdespin, OF Mike Baxter, C Anthony Recker
-3
OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis
-4
LHP Josh Edgin
-6
1B Ike Davis
Follow me on Twitter @AnthonyDiComo.
Marlins 4, Mets 3: Three Up, Three Down
Free baseball! Lots of it.
Three Up:
1. C John Buck: What more can one say about this guy? He may not be as white-hot as he was over the first two weeks of the season, but his power production has barely slowed. And his handling of the pitching staff may be even more valuable.
2. 3B Justin Turner: Subbing for the injured David Wright, Turner’s 3-for-5 effort ensured their would be no loss of offensive production. He even made a nifty (harrowing?) play on defense to cut down the lead runner in the seventh.
3. SS Ruben Tejada: Another real nice play on defense, and the last of Tejada’s three hits could have (should have?) been the game-winner. This man is playing quite well in all aspects of the game.
Three Down:
1. 2B Daniel Murphy: This is turning into a troublesome slump (1-for-19) for Murphy, who is no longer spraying line drives all over the field. He’s too good a hitter to stay down for long, but it’s been a rough ride over the past few games.
2. RHP Bobby Parnell: You can argue that Parnell’s second blown save, like his first one, was not entirely his fault. But the fact is, Parnell put the leadoff men on base on a rocket double in the ninth and a hit batsman in the 10th. That’s not acceptable.
3. OF Collin Cowgill: In the game for defensive purposes, Cowgill’s misplay of Rob Brantly’s pop fly in the ninth directly led to the game-tying run. Offensively, he remains mired in a season-long slump.
Three Up, Three Down Season Standings:
+8
C John Buck
+3
RHP Matt Harvey, INF Justin Turner, SS Ruben Tejada
+2
RHP LaTroy Hawkins, OF Marlon Byrd, LHP Scott Rice, 3B David Wright, LHP Jon Niese
-1
RHP Dillon Gee, RHP Brandon Lyon, OF Lucas Duda, C Anthony Recker, OF Mike Baxter, RHP Shaun Marcum, RHP Scott Atchison, RHP Bobby Parnell
-2
RHP Greg Burke, LHP Aaron Laffey, OF Jordany Valdespin
-3
OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis
-4
LHP Josh Edgin
-6
1B Ike Davis
Follow me on Twitter @AnthonyDiComo.
Phillies sweep Mets: Three Up, Three Down
A delayed reaction to this weekend’s sweep at the hands of the Phillies. We’ll run through it quickly here to update the standings:
Friday: Phillies 4, Mets 0
Three Up: RHP Jeurys Familia, LHP Josh Edgin, SS Ruben Tejada
Three Down: 2B Daniel Murphy, OF Mike Baxter, C John Buck
Saturday: Phillies 9, Mets 4
Three Up: 3B David Wright, C John Buck, LHP Scott Rice
Three Down: 2B Daniel Murphy, RHP Shaun Marcum, LHP Robert Carson
Sunday: Phillies 5, Mets 1
Three Up: 3B David Wright, LHP Jon Niese, SS Ruben Tejada
Three Down: 2B Daniel Murphy, C John Buck, RHP Scott Atchison
Three Up, Three Down Season Standings:
+7
C John Buck
+3
RHP Matt Harvey
+2
INF Justin Turner, RHP LaTroy Hawkins, OF Marlon Byrd, LHP Scott Rice, 3B David Wright, SS Ruben Tejada, LHP Jon Niese
+1
OF Collin Cowgill, 2B Daniel Murphy
-1
RHP Dillon Gee, RHP Brandon Lyon, OF Lucas Duda, C Anthony Recker, OF Mike Baxter, RHP Shaun Marcum, RHP Scott Atchison
-2
RHP Greg Burke, LHP Aaron Laffey, OF Jordany Valdespin
-3
OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis
-4
LHP Josh Edgin
-6
1B Ike Davis
Follow me on Twitter @AnthonyDiComo.
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.
Anthony DiComo
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