The Mets did exactly what they needed to do today, as they pummeled the Nationals by the score of 7-0. They immediately produced out of the box, and they were assisted by a couple of shotty plays by the Nationals’ defense. Livan Hernandez was excellent in his seven shutout innings, and the Mets tacked on.
This was certainly the statement that they needed to make with the Phillies coming into town on Tuesday.
Daniel Murphy impressed me at the plate today, and it has been a while since he was able to do that. He had two opposite-field singles, one of which drove in a run. He also had a hard lineout, so it is nice to see Murph going the other way to try to bring his swing back.
Like Keith Hernandez said, it is all about the old approach for Murphy. He needs to be patient and let the ball come to him.
Fernando Martinez gave us a glimpse of the future today. In the first inning, he drove in the first run of the game with a 400 foot fly ball off of the center field wall. He also hit the ball hard a couple more times, but he had nothing to show for it.
I love that the Mets are letting the kid play. Later in the game, Nick Johnson made a throwing error that was a result of F-Mart’s speed. He would later score on a Beltran double.
And how about Ryan Church not missing a beat in his return?
He looked solid at the plate and in the field today, and he made a comment yesterday that made me smile. All he asked was that the Mets let him run wild, and it certainly looks like they are going to do that.
That will probably be at the expense of Gary Sheffield and Martinez, although the Mets should occasionally rest the 40-year old Sheff to keep him fresh.
Tomorrow, the Mets can take a deep breath and prepare for what’s going to be a grueling six games ahead. First, the Phillies come into town for a three-game set and then the Mets head to the Bronx to face the cross-town Yankees. It should be an exciting week, and I am going to be bold and predict 4-2.
Good news: There will be a Ganci at every game of the Philly series. My father will be there for the opener with a friend. Then, I will be attending Cole Hamels vs. Mike Pelfrey and Jamie Moyer vs. Tim Redding. The series finale will be with my father, and the second game will be with Matt Falkenbury.
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