Game 38 Open Thread: New York Mets vs. Washington Nationals
One night after a roster shakeup and a come-from-behind victory, the Mets will look to keep moving in the right direction. Claudio Vargas, who was called up from AAA New Orleans yesterday, will make his Mets debut tonight looking to prove that he is a better option at the back end of the rotation than Nelson Figueroa (who was designated for assignment to make room for Vargas).
Vargas was released by the Milwaukee Brewers at the end of spring training, and the Mets signed him to a minor-league contract about a month ago. In three minor league starts, the 29-year-old righty has struck out 17 batters while issuing just one walk in 16 innings. Over the course of five seasons with the Expos, Nationals, Diamondbacks, and Brewers, Vargas has generally been around the league average with his strikeout and walk rates, but his flyball tendencies have caused him to give up too many home runs (1.58 HR/9). Of course, Shea Stadium does a pretty good job of masking the negative effects of being a flyball pitcher, so pitching in a favorable home park should alleviate Vargas’s home-run problem to a certain extent. Looking at his pitch-type data on Fangraphs, we can see that Vargas throws his 90-91 MPH fastball about two-thirds of the time, his 81 MPH slider around 22% of the time, and his 81-82 MPH changeup the remaining 11% of the time.
Tim Redding has been a solid pitcher for the Nationals this year, although he had a poor outing his last time on the mound (six runs - five earned - in 5 1/3 innings against the Marlins). Redding appears to be using his slider more often this year, and that change in approach may help explain how he has held hitters to such a low batting average in his first eight starts of 2008 (of course, any time a pitcher has a .238 BABIP, good luck has probably played a role as well).
On a personal note, I’m rooting for a quick game tonight because tomorrow will be an extremely busy day for me. I am taking one of my actuarial exams tomorrow morning (Life Contingencies - fun, right?) and graduating from NYU tomorrow evening. I’d like to be able to get a good night’s sleep before such a hectic day, and it’s always easier to do that when the Mets put it in the books before 10 PM.
Let’s Go Mets!
Links
MLB Gameday
Baseball-Reference Game Preview
Fangraphs Live Scoreboard
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29 Responses to “Game 38 Open Thread: New York Mets vs. Washington Nationals”
May 14th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
Good luck to you Jessica, and good luck to the Metsies tonight!!!
May 14th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
Nice job by Vargas to strand the leadoff double, especially given his tendency to struggle early in games (while I was putting together the game thread, I came across his career numbers split by inning, and he’s allowed a 938 OPS in the first inning).
May 14th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
So far so good for Claudio. He looks pretty comfortable out there and seems to be throwing as if theres no pressure…. good to see
May 14th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
And Keith has spent an entire inning talking about underwear. Someone at SNY is pulling their hair out right now.
May 14th, 2008 at 4:17 pm
Oy. Beltran smoked that, and it ends up being a line-drive DP.
May 14th, 2008 at 4:36 pm
Ooh, a run!
May 14th, 2008 at 4:49 pm
Ugh, a run.
May 14th, 2008 at 5:18 pm
Like I have been saying for years. Aaron heilman is the biggest choker in NY history. I hate the bastard. And willie Randolph is a moron for putting him in the game and keeping him in the game. Why the hell is this guy still a met… He cannot and will not ever be consistent enough to be the real deal. please get rid of this choker!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I HATE AARON I SUCK BIG MONKEY BALLS HEILMAN. AND I HATE WILLIE FOR PUTTING IN A TIE GAME!
May 14th, 2008 at 5:19 pm
IF AARON HEILMAN GIVES UP ANOTHER HIT WITH RUNNERS AT 2 AND 3RD, WILLIE SHOULD BE FIRED AND AARON HEILMAN SHOULD BE CUT.
May 14th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
ARE YOU FRICKIN KIDDING ME?! GET THIS CHOKER OUT OF THE FRICKIN GAME!!!! I HATE AARON HEILMAN. I HAVE BEEN SAYING THIS FOR 3 YEARS. AARON HEILMAN SUCKS. HE WILL NEVER, EVER, EVER, EVER, EVER GET BETTER. IF THEY CAN CUT JORGE SOSA, PLEASE CUT THIS LOSER. HES A COMPLETE LOSER, SCUMBAG! OTHER METS PLAYERS HATE THE GUY AND HAVE NO RESPECT FOR HIM!
WILLIE ARE YOU FRICKIN STUPID! THIS IS ALL WILLIES FAULT! WHY THE HELL WAS HE PUT IN THAT SITUATION!!!!
May 14th, 2008 at 5:25 pm
Going to Heilman instead of Smith when Vargas was pulled is something Willie should get a lot of questions about after the game.
May 14th, 2008 at 5:28 pm
WILLIE IS A COMPLETE IDIOT JESSICA. THE FACT THAT HEILMAN IS STILL A MET 2 YEARS LATER STILL BOGGLES MY MIND. THE METS WOULD BE A BETTER TEAM TOMORROW IF THEY GET RID OF THOSE 2 MORONS. FIRE WILLIE RANDOLPH CUZ HES AN IDIOT AND TRADE AARON HEILMAN FOR A BAG OF PEANUTS. IF NOT RELEASE HIS WORTHLESS BUTT!
May 14th, 2008 at 5:32 pm
Wow, I finally get home and can tune in and what do I see? Another Heilman collapse. Miami Mike having an impressive conniption fit. Can’t you just picture Mike banging out those caps for more those two posts while pulling his hair out? Hey man, I feel your pain. I tell ya, if it weren’t for Jessica graduating from NYU tomorrow this evening would be pretty much of a loss all around.
But in the grand scheme of things, Jessica graduating more than makes up for all of this other Aaron Heilman foolishness. Congratulations Ms. Bader!!!! Well done!!!!!
May 14th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
GUYSER,
I Was Screaming at the TV the minute Heilman came into the game. I knew it was bad news. The fact is the guy is flat out cursed! And willie is a complete idiot for putting him in a tie game based on his history this year!
And the fact that willie kept him in the game to give up 4 runs is the sheer stupidity that drives me crazy with Willie Randolph. Joe Smith Looking Great only makes willie randolph look like a complete idiot!
If you look back over the past 3 years, I have been calling for a trade, release… Anything to get rid of Heilman. And nobody gets it!!! Heilman is a CHOKER. ALWAYS WILL BE!
May 14th, 2008 at 5:57 pm
Dave Johnson used to be the same way with Doug Sisk. Long after the rest of the National League learned that Sisk’s sinker was hardly ever a strike, Davie stuck with Sisk. It was every bit as maddening as Willie’s loyalty to Heilman.
The good news is that every folly has its end. Let’s just hope that this misplaced confidence doesn’t cost us the post season.
Also, the Marlins are getting killed by the Reds, so we could our blessings when we can.
May 14th, 2008 at 5:58 pm
Will Manny’s failure to double switch come back to haunt him?
May 14th, 2008 at 6:03 pm
Thanks, Guyser.
Would have liked to see them get more runs there, but if Feliciano can hold the Nats where they are, I feel good about the bottom of the 9th.
Funny how Bronson Arroyo got his groove back after facing the Mets. And by funny, I mean “I was there Saturday night, and it was excruciating to watch.”
May 14th, 2008 at 6:04 pm
Watching a relief pitcher bat, on the other hand, is just plain hilarious.
May 14th, 2008 at 6:06 pm
Wouldn’t it be something if Manny saves the game with one double switch involving Willie Harris (who catches a ball that Wily Mo could only have dreamed of) and then blows it by not double switching when bringing in Rauch in the 8th?
May 14th, 2008 at 6:11 pm
OK. Let’s see if we can pull off some kind of comeback.
May 14th, 2008 at 6:13 pm
Um, John Rauch’s MLB Gameday picture makes him look like Dennis Quaid.
May 14th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
So, the Marlins have come back from a six-run deficit in the ninth inning. Lovely.
May 14th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
Looks like Cincy’s bullpen is every bit as inept as ours. They blew their 6-1 lead in the 9th over the Marlins.
May 14th, 2008 at 6:16 pm
Mets are not a comeback kinda team. I cant remember a comeback win recently
May 14th, 2008 at 6:17 pm
There’s always tomorrow. *sigh*
May 14th, 2008 at 6:19 pm
It’s too bad that Vargas gets the loss. That offends my sense of fairness somehow.
May 14th, 2008 at 6:22 pm
Yep Guyser, it’s games like this that illustrate the problems with assigning wins and losses to pitchers. Vargas pitched quite well, but because a reliever allowed an inherited runner to score he gets tagged with a loss.
May 14th, 2008 at 6:27 pm
Well, get some sleep, Jessica — focus on your big day tomorrow. That’s what’s really important.
May 14th, 2008 at 6:31 pm
Im hoping there is a press conference and Willie Randolph is FIRED Tommorow!
Congrats Jessica!!!
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