Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Why Thank You Jim Tracy!

Game 1: Mets 1 Rockies 0

"I had sucked since June 25th...BUT I'm back" Big Pelf VS "I have 17 wins and NOW 3 LOSSES" Ubaldo Jimenez

Jimenez might be having the worst day ever!


So as day 4 of my Vitamin Water strike until the Mets win 2 games in a row is coming to a close it has become apparent after this game that Jim Tracy wants me to drink Vitamin Water again. Big Pelf wants me to drink Vitamin Water again. Takahashi wants me to drink Vitamin Water again. K-Rod wants me to drink Vitamin Water again. David Wright not so much. Could David snap out of this funk? You think out of all people he would want me to buy Vitamin Water! I heard thanks to my strike Vitamin Water stock is plummeting. Okay that's most likely untrue but it would be kind of funny. Well funny to those not owning Vitamin Water stock!

Honestly I really feel the Rockies manager Jim Tracy is the MVP of this game. Although Big Pelf was back to his old amazing 2010 ways, and Takahashi looked like he might be the new permanent 8th inning man and well K-Rod was a champ in the 9th if it wasn't for Tracy's interesting move in the bottom of the 7th I don't know if the Mets could have won this game. I don't know if they would have ever scored a run! Let me explain.

Pelfrey had pitched 7 strong wonderful scoreless innings tonight. His pitch count was a new career high, 122 pitches! He gave up only 4 hits, he struck out 4 Rockies, and yeah he looked like he might be back to the Pelf that should have made the all-star team! The Pelf that was our ace for so much of this season when Santana was struggling. But although Pelf was dynamite it still came down to the bottom of the 7th and Jim Tracy's interesting managerial move. Hot tub time machine time, to the 7th inning!

It all started with a lead off walk! Ubaldo Jimenez in the bottom of the 7th walked Chris Carter on just 4 pitches. Then Frenchy came in to pinch run for The Animal. I must admit as much as I wanted to see Jeff in this game I do love watching Carter run. I just enjoy watching everything Carter does. He's just that unique and well a freak at the plate, on the field and especially in the dugout! He needs his own show like NOW. Then Josh Thole proved to be clutch once again. He doubled! And Gary Cohen got to say my favorite NY LIFE saying in the whole wide world "Josh safe at 2nd base. Safe and secure NY Life." I honestly love when Gary does that. I actually say it with him. I do a pretty dead on impression! But enough about me and Cohen let's get back to Josh and the Metsies! Thole hasn't had that many extra base hits so far this season but this one was huge! Frenchy advanced to third on Josh's double and well it was up to Ruben to score some runs or a run and well lessen the pressure that would be on Beltran who was on the on deck circle. Yep Beltran was going to pinch hit in the pitcher's spot! For some reason I didn't see that coming. I forgot Manuel could pinch hit Carlos. Oh silly me. And oh silly Ruben. On a 3-2 count Ruben Sandwich sadly struck out! And well this is now the Jim Tracy managerial move I just don't get. He had Jimenez intentionally walk Beltran to load the bases with 1 out for Reyes. Doesn't Tracy know Carlos has been struggling and well probably would have been an easy out for Ubaldo! Chances are he would have struck out. I mean he could have had a double but really he's in such a frustrated, no good very bad funk that my money would have been on him being an automatic 2nd out in this inning. In fact this was the second weird Tracy move of the night. Hot tub time machine time again! In the bottom of the 6th with 2 outs and men on 2nd and 3rd Tracy had Jimenez intentionally walk Wright to face Davis with the bases loaded. Doesn't he know Wright just strikes out like it's his job lately? Don't the Rockies read up on the Mets? Well this Jim Tracy move proved to be the right one for Davis struck out but still I didn't get it. However during the 7th inning his interesting move was just stupid! YAY! Reyes with Frenchy on at 3rd and Thole on at 2nd and well Beltran on at 1st didn't ground into an inning ending double play like Tracy had wanted but instead Jose Jose Jose hit a long sac fly and Frenchy scored and yep the Mets took a 1-0 lead over Jimenez and Colorado! Martinez then struck out to end the inning but thanks to well Jim Tracy the Mets looked like maybe oh maybe they could win this one and well beat Jimenez!

Takahashi pitched the top of the 8th and thanks to an amazing diving catch that Martinez made in left the GOOD TAKA pitched a 1,2,3 stress-free 8th inning! And F-Mart had just switched to left field because Frenchy entered the game and well it just seemed everything was working for the Metsies tonight. I like when this happens. And well folks we know these times are few and far between!

Although the Rockies reliever Beimel gave up a 2 out walk to Davis in the bottom of the 8th, Tracy brought in Betancourt to face Francouer and sadly Jeff struck out and the inning was over! Ugh I wanted an insurance run so badly.

But now it was time for K-Rod to get his 25th save and well to not eff up Pelf's almost possible 11th win. Victory was so close! And well K-Rod pitched a drama mama-free top of the 9th! Ok it wasn't completely drama-less. Carlos Gonzalez led off the inning with what looked like a base hit but nope Isaac Benjamin Davis made a great stop, he looked like a magician out there, he spun around, he did 5 cartwheels, ok he didn't do any cartwheels but yeah he showed off that he is a future gold glover and just like that there was 1 out. Then Frankie struck out the dude whose name I love saying TROY TULOWITZKI! And then I got worried. Hawpe was up and well the count was 3-2 and well if anything is consistent about the Mets lately it's their rampant 2 out walks! But nope K-Rod told me "Stop worrying kiddo, you'll drink some Vitamin Water in due time" and Hawpe grounded out to Tejada and the Mets won a game. Pelf finally has win #11. It's a MIRACLE!

Btw Jason Giambi is still available.

Really I don't know what else to say besides I never expected this game to turn out the way it did and well it was splendid! I love to be pleasantly surprised! Could this be the start to well a big run by the Mets? Could they maybe play .700 ball and get themselves closer and closer to looking like a team in the hunt for a playoff spot? I think it's possible. Ask me tomorrow I might be not so delusional and well giddy. But hopefully Niese will be as great as he was in his last start and if the Mets can actually win tomorrow that would mean I could drink a Vitamin Water once again and well live another day as a Mets fan who believes her team is not a dead duck just YET! I love getting to be in my fantasy world for another day. Thanks Jim Tracy for that!

No comments: