Sometimes I think things will turn around once a season starts. That’s not the case this year. The Mets have problems. Many problems. They are playing with practically a Triple-A team. We’re constantly losing, have an under .500 record, and see absolutely no solution for the near nor distant future. Therefore I find it difficult to write about heart-wrenching losses, undesirable moves,  and poor play. But then again I’m a Mets fan so I’m used to it! About the only thing I’ve seen the Mets do is try to upgrade their defense in the outfield by signing Rick Ankiel, who was released by the Houston Astros. But what does that do for our offense? I’ll tell you what—nothing!

Mets fans want to see action. Wright told fans in the offseason (after signing his big contract) that he liked where this team was going and the outlook for the future. I would really like to know where he was looking because I certainly don’t see any bright outlook as of right now. This season is basically a bust. I’ll still watch games and hope for wins and cheer on players and bask in the amazingness that is Matt Harvey, but I have no grandeur ideas of making the playoffs. I love baseball and that’s why I watch, but it would nice to see some improvements. 

1. We need to bring up Zack Wheeler. Enough with this “he’s not ready” stuff that the Mets are spouting. He needs to be put in a Major League Baseball setting so he can grow just like Harvey did. And let’s face it, our pitching hasn’t exactly been up to par. 

2. Ike Davis needs to go. I love the guy. And when’s he on, HE’S ON! But when he’s not, it’s like he couldn’t hit a grapefruit being thrown from 2 feet away while he has a tennis racket instead of a bat. He is a great person, but the Mets cannot wait around forever for him to get going. Yes, he had a great second half last year. But the Mets are in no position to have a part time player. We need to make smart decisions. We need to build this team up, not tear it down. Collins even put Davis in the four hole behind Wright and in front of Duda to try and get some offense going, but it hasn’t been working obviously!

3. Someone else needs to be traded so that we can get some outfield help. There are no words for our outfield. We need defensive players that also bring an offensive presence. I know it’s a lot to ask, but you cannot play and expect to be competitive when you only have a quarter of a team. 

NEXT UP:: Mets set to take on the St. Louis Cardinals tonight at 7:05PM with Jeremy Hefner on the mound and the newest Met Rick Ankiel starting. Hefner is looking for his first win of the season. He hasn’t been phenomenal like Harvey, but Hefner has suffered from some bad luck and lack of run support. Hopefully, the Mets can change that tonight. LGM!!

The odds were very much in his favor last night. Harvey looked sharp and rested and definitely had some zip on his pitches. His fastball was in the mid-90s. I even saw some top out at 97 MPH and he was throwing his slider for strikes. You could see that he wanted it and that it could happen. He pitched the first inning with a nose bleed and took a perfect game into the 7th inning. Things were looking pretty good for Harvey until Alex Rios came to the plate and hit a ball deep into the infield pocket at shortshop in the 7th. Tejada tried to make a jump and throw play on it, but just wasn’t quick enough, even with Davis’ long stretch at first base. Tejada rarely ever makes that play. So that ended Harvey’s bid for a perfect game, and it was up to the Mets to at least get him a win. But they couldn’t get that done either. 

Even though Harvey one-hit the White Sox, the Mets were unable to score and secure him a win. The game went to 10 innings, where the Mets were able to scrounge up one run as Mike Baxter singled in Davis, the Mets only show of offense on the night. Bobby Parnell got the win instead, making it the 2nd 10-inning one-hitter in Mets history.

This was Harvey’s third try at winning his 5th game. I guess the upside is that he didn’t get a loss. Harvey did pitch one of the best games of his career going nine innings, allowing one hit, and striking out a career high 12 batters. After yesterday’s game, Matt Harvey became the first pitcher in 100 years with at least 125 strikeouts and 25 or fewer ER allowed in first 17 career starts. Dwight Gooden, who has been following Harvey’s up and coming success, tweeted yesterday–“Matt “THE REAL DEAL” Harvey…Enough said!” Can you believe that? Doc Gooden is constantly singing Harvey’s praises and that has to be an amazing sign! He was even tweeting #MATTHARVEYKCOUNT! That must be such an honor for Harvey!

This season Harvey has been putting himself in a great position among very elite names. I know it’s a small sample size, but watching him, no one can say that he is not special. I just can’t wait to see what he has in store for us game after game. His games are a must-watch!

“It’s baseball. Things like that happen…The guys made all the plays. John Buck called an amazing game. I think I shook him off three times, like I have all year. I jumped on his back and I was fortunate enough that I was able to execute each pitch.“– Harvey on his outing

NEXT UP:: Mets close out their series tonight, weather permitting, with the Chicago White Sox as they send Jeremy Hefner to the mound against Jake Peavy. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10PM on SNY. LGM!! 

Sorry for the absence, but I was away and now I’m back and ready for some more baseball. I was having some definite withdrawals, even though I was distracted by the Nets and their awful season-ending playoff run. But nevermind that! The Mets head into Chicago tonight at 7:10PM on SNY for a short two-game series with the White Sox.

Matt Harvey will be trying for that 5-0 once again as he goes up against the White Sox and Hector Santiago, the 6 foot, 210 pound lefty (1-1, 2.29 ERA). It’s been a week since that 121-pitch outing in that 15 inning debacle in Miami. Some people may be worried about our star pitcher throwing so many pitches and then having so much rest, but he is too much of an athlete and has already made it known that he is in no way sore, rusty, or any other adjective that would suggest he is not ready for his start tonight.

“I don’t get sore at all…I know if I worked too hard, the next day might be different. But I was fine all week. My bullpen was great. I’m looking forward to Tuesday.” — Harvey’s response on Sunday to media

Harvey was not happy at all with his last outing, especially with his pitch count, where he couldn’t get out of the sixth inning. But Matt is always hard on himself and I’m sure he’ll be able to set things up nicely for the Mets tonight. He just needs to work at a nice pace and try to keep his pitch count low. Even though he thinks he can throw 120-130 pitches every time, Matt needs to keep it as low as possible and stay in the best shape possible. This is his first full season in the Majors, even though he seems like a seasoned veteran. So I hope he realizes when he can push himself and when he needs to calm things down.

Tonight will also be somewhat a homecoming for White Sox manager, Robin Ventura. I remember watching him play when I was younger, especially in the ’99 and 2000 postseasons and it’s great that he has found himself a spot as a manager. Good luck to him!

Jon Niese was taken out of the game in the 3rd inning after being plunked in his right leg by a comebacker from Mark Ellis, who later played a huge role in this Mets loss. Thankfully, we can all breathe a sigh of relief because x-rays came back negative and Niese shouldn’t miss any time, enduring only a bruise. He wasn’t pitching very well before the injury, so maybe it was a good thing he got pulled. Niese allowed six baserunners and threw 54 pitches to get a mere seven outs. He even walked the bases loaded in the 2nd. This is what he had to say about his performance:

“Obviously, it wasn’t my best stuff…In the second inning, I was trying to be way too perfect instead of just being aggressive and pounding the zone. I was trying to make too good of pitches and fell behind guys and obviously walked three guys. It’s something I’m going to try to get better at.”

With our rotation still intact, we turn to the elephant in the room- our bullpen. They have had troubles since the season began, but as games pass, it becomes ever more evident that the bullpen is not cutting it. The bullpen ERA is now at a league high 5.22. Their troubles, and Ellis’ two homers, contributed greatly to the Mets 7-2 loss last night.

The bullpen has been called upon for long stretches early in the season and I understand a couple bad outings, but they just cannot seem to keep runs off the board. It’s not just one guy getting the brunt of the work, it’s everyone! Yes, we’ve had some short outings from starting pitchers, but again, it is their job to pick up the pieces and help us win the game. They should be the stoppers, not the reasons for our losses. Robert Carson and Scott Atchison kept the Dodgers in check last night after Niese’s injury, but the rest of the bullpen could not, especially Brandon Lyon and Josh Edgin. The bullpen needs to be addressed. There is no way we can go all season like this. Terry Collins attributes Edgin’s inconsistency to overuse. Maybe he’s not ready for the workload, who knows!

Here are some recap videos from last night:

Wright’s RBI single in the 3rd here

Collins’ post-game reaction here

Niese gets hit here

FIRST BIG LEAGUE HIT: With Kirk Nieuwenhuis lacking offensive production, the Mets decided to send him to the Minors and bring up Juan Lagares from Vegas. Collins noted that some people regard him as a better outfielder than Matt den Dekker and that Lagares would be getting regular playing time in center field. It’s good to see a young player get a chance to show what he’s got. I like seeing the team build up players from within the organization. Lagares picked up his first hit last night (a single to left) after coming in as a defensive replacement in the 5th. Check out his first Big League hit here! Good luck to Lagares and I hope this works out for everyone!

NEXT UP:: Yet again we call on Mr. Harvey to get us a win! Matt will be taking on Ted Lilly and the Dodgers at 7:10PM on SNY, hoping to move to 5-0 on the season. Good Luck Matt! LGM! Head to twitter and show some support for Matt with #BelieveinHarvey!

The Mets got the series win verse the Nationals, which is a really great confident booster coming off that horrible road trip. Here are some things I found during the final two games–

*John Buck just refuses to back down this season and continues to show his offensive prowess with an RBI double in the 7th on Saturday and yet another home run on Sunday. But more than his offense, he has been calling great games from behind the plate.

*Aaron Laffey was not ready to be a part of this rotation and that’s why he got sent down. After Jeremy Hefner, following 4 innings of work, was pulled on Saturday Laffey could not keep the lead. He had plenty of chances to show he could be a part of the team, but couldn’t take advantage.

*Josh Edgin needs to figure out what’s going on. He seems to keep giving up runs and that’s not what we need from our bullpen. Maybe he’s just going through a rough patch, but he needs to find his way out of it. 

*Ike Davis cannot get it going. He looks completely bewildered at the plate and it’s such a shame because he has the power that would really make a difference in our offense. He went through this last year, but how can we have a player that only shows up half the season? I really hope Davis can figure it out SOON!

*Dillon Gee made a nice comeback on Sunday, showing us some vintage Gee. It was a really great sign to see him pitch like his old self. If he can get it going and be consistent and Marcum could make a great comeback as well, we would have a solid 4-man rotation. Here’s to hoping! 

*It makes me extremely happy to watch Mike Baxter play. On Sunday, Baxter took advantage of Bryce Harper‘s lackadaisical play on his hit, turning a single into a double. He is always hustling and working hard to make plays, just like last year when he made the catch to preserve Johan’s no-hitter. It great to see a player like him on our team!

INJURY UPDATE:: Shaun Marcum should be making his Mets/season debut on Saturday! He tossed five scoreless in Port St. Lucie on Monday during an extended Spring Training game. He should be ready to face the Phillies on Saturday and since the Mets sent down Laffey, they need that 5th starter. 

NEXT UP:: Mets start their series against the Los Angeles Dodgers as Jon Niese takes on Clayton Kershaw tonight at 7:10PM on SNY. LGM!

Hoping to end their three game losing streak, the Mets sent Matt Harvey to the mound to face off against Stephen Strasburg and the Nats.  In a matchup that is guaranteed to take place many more times, Harvey showed that his dreams of being the best pitcher in baseball are very attainable in the Mets 7-1 victory.

Harvey pitched seven innings of one run ball, striking out seven, further enhancing his already amazing numbers on the season. You could tell as soon as Harvey hit that mound that this was not just another game. Although he’s known for his intensity, Harvey was at another level last night. Terry Collins described Harvey as being a little grouchy and on edge when coming to the field before the game. I can’t say it enough, Harvey is exactly what baseball is about- competitiveness, dedication, and a must-win attitude. However, I would like to see Harvey crack a smile after the game and enjoy his wins. He told the media he was already preparing for his next game and that he could have done better in his start! Come on, Harvey! You’re the man! Enjoy it!

Perhaps the best part of Harvey’s performance last night was watching him kick it into another gear when he got into trouble in the 7th after a Daniel Murphy error on a double play ball. That error put him in a bases loaded, no outs jam in a 3-run game. But Harvey showed he knows how to handle himself even when things go bad. With a strikeout, foul out, and ground out, Harvey masterfully sent the Nats back to their dugout and ended his night with a roar from the Citi Field crowd that I haven’t heard in a very long time. 

Besides Harvey’s dominant performance, the Mets offense showed up to play last night including two players who have been very quiet this season- Ike Davis and Lucas Duda. Both players ended the night with 2 homers a piece. After Duda’s first home run, Mets fans in the crowd starting cheering, “Harvey’s better!” (Haha I love Mets fans). Davis also faced some boos in his first two strikeouts of the game, but fans forgave him when he hit his home runs! And John Buck, who’s been a bit subdued over the past week, reclaimed his first place position for NL RBIs (20) last night in the first inning with a run scoring single. 

Check out these recap videos from last night:

= Harvey’s start here

=Davis’ first homer here and second homer here

=Duda’s solo shot in the 6th here and his second solo shot here

=Buck’s run-scoring single in the 1st here

=Collins’ post-game conference here

INJURY REPORT:: Travis d’Arnaud will not require surgery to fix the broken bone in his foot (thankfully!). He’ll be taking at least 8 weeks to recover. 

NEXT UP:: Jeremy Hefner and the New York Mets will be taking on Gio Gonzalez and the Washington Nationals at 3:05PM on FOX. LGM!

Well after some snow outs, you would think the Mets would be refreshed and ready to go. Even if they were, they still couldn’t get any wins. Maybe the delays have caused a “loss in momentum” as Terry Collins liked to put it. The Mets have lost their last 3 games.

*Their bullpen faced a lot of work on Tuesday in their doubleheader against the Rockies. Dillon Gee raked in another loss in the two hour delayed afternoon game as the Mets fell 4-8. (Side Note: Sandy Alderson was out there shoveling snow before the game to make sure the Mets got on the field.) Gee went 4 2/3 innings and gave up 5 runs on 7 hits. He just couldn’t seem to keep the lead when it was handed to him. Murphy and Tejada‘s defensive blundlers didn’t help too much either. On a positive note, David Wright finally got his first homer of the season in the 1st inning, a 2- run blast off Nicasio. And then his second of the season, a solo shot in the 5th, all in the frigid weather of Coors Field. On a night when gripping the bat must have been a constant struggle, Wright went 3-4 and further boasted his already successful numbers at Coors Field. Check out his first one here and the second one here!)

*The Mets also fell to the Rockies in their second game on Tuesday in 10 innings, 8-9. The Mets put up some great offensive numbers early and should have won the game, but Ruben Tejada made a costly throwing error in the 8th inning allowing the two tying runs to score. Now Tejada has been giving us a great offensive addition this season in that 8 hole, but his defense has suffered. I have no idea what’s going on with him, but I would rather him work on his fielding right now. Aaron Laffey only went 4 innings with the Mets hoping to pitch him again on Sunday on short rest. The bullpen was unable to seal the deal despite a 6-run lead. Burke took the loss on Jordan Pacheco‘s walk-off single in the 10th. This is where the postponed games really hurt us. As of Tuesday, Collins was unsure about our rotation this weekend and going forward.

*Their Wednesday game was once again postponed. The Mets are scheduled to make this game up on June 27th. 

*The Mets pulled in their 3rd straight loss and Jon Niese was handed his first loss of the season as the team fell to the Rockies yesterday, 11-3. Despite Wright’s RBIs and a sensational catch, spin, throw from Tejada to get a much needed out in the 3rd inning, the bullpen got crushed. To say the least, this was a road trip the Mets would like to forget immediately. I’m hoping they can get back on track tonight since they’re back home and in nicer weather, but they’re facing some pretty difficult teams coming up- the Nationals, Phillies, and Dodgers. It’s not going to be easy, but if they want to remain competitive, they need to get wins. They need to be resilient and not fall into a dark hole of constant loses and bad play. This will be a big test for the team.

INJURY REPORT: I actually screamed out loud when ESPN app sounded off and my alert read: “Mets top prospect Travis d’Arnaud breaks ankle.” He was sent to New York and will be examined by staff doctors to determine whether he will need surgery. This is awful and will most likely delay his progress this season, never mind his call-up. Let’s just hope he won’t need surgery and that he can recover as quickly as possible. All I have to say is, I’m extremely thankful that John Buck has been playing so well. Here’s to a speedy recovery for Travis. Send him some well wishes on Twitter- @travisdarnaud!!

And Shaun Marcum says his rehab is going well, but he may need an extra start to get to the place he wants to be. He had 41 pitch outing in Florida yesterday, striking out five in four perfect innings, but Collins said he was supposed 65-70 and then work up to 90 in his next start. Things are moving slow, but I guess any news is good news at this point. We just need Marcum back in the rotation- healthy and effective. 

NEXT UP:: Looking to end their losing streak, the Mets send their young phenom, Matt Harvey (3-0), to the mound to match up against the Nationals and their own young phenom, Stephen Strasburg (1-2). If the Mets are searching for a winning recipe, Harvey is just the ingredient they need. Tune in to SNY tonight at 7:10PM to see if Harvey can get something cooking for the Mets. LGM!

The Mets game tonight against the Colorado Rockies was postponed due to snow, but they will be making it up tomorrow in a double header. The first game will take place at 3:10PM followed by the regularly scheduled 8:40PM game. 

***I also want to take this time to send my thoughts and prayers to all those involved in the bombings at the Boston Marathon early this afternoon. It’s sad to see such a senseless act occur, taking innocent lives and injuring hundreds of others. I just can’t understand, but send those prayers out to all those in Boston. The whole country supports you in this time of need! #PrayersforBoston*** 

With the Twins game tonight postponed due to snow, the Mets head to Colorado to start their three game series against the Rockies tomorrow night. The Mets hope to keep their winning streak and their offense going tomorrow night. 

So since the game was postponed I thought I would talk about the last two games…

*Friday night Jon Niese took the mound in the frigid Minnesota weather. It was 34 degrees at first pitch! I don’t know how they played in that! Niese was not at his best on a very cold night. He struggled in his 5 innings of work. There was a definite lack of control, but it could have been the weather. He still got the win though! It was the first time ever that the Mets won in Minnesota. But unlike Niese, the Mets offense was on its game. Both David Wright and Daniel Murphy had 4 RBIs on the night. Murphy went for 4 for 5– wait, wasn’t he hurt before the season started?! He’s really seeing the ball well right now. And Wright was just a home run shy of hitting for the cycle. It would have been nice for him to accomplish that, but it would have been better to see him hit his first homer of the season. I guess we’ll just have to keep waiting. You know who we don’t have to wait for? JOHN BUCK! He is an absolute wrecking machine right now and he makes it look easy! It’s the 2nd inning, bases loaded, and cue the Buck shot! With his grand slam, Buck had 19 RBIs this season. That is the MLB record by a player in his first ten games with a team and the most in Mets history through the first ten games of a season. Buck’s grand slam also marked his fourth straight game with a homer, making him the first Met since David Wright in June 2007 to do so. I really hope he can keep this up. Check out his monstrous grand slam in the Mets 16-5 win over the Twin here. 

*Yesterday afternoon, Matt Harvey once again dazzled us with his masterful pitching this season, making it through six innings with a no-hitter going. Justin Morneau broke up the possible bid in the seventh with a solo home run. I missed Johan’s no-hitter in June because I was out of the country and yesterday I wasn’t home, so when I looked at my game alerts and saw I almost missed a second no-hitter, I almost died! But if anyone is going to pitch the second no-hitter in Mets history, I would love to see Harvey do it. Harvey still got the win, 4-2, giving up only one run on two hits with 6 strikeouts in 8 innings. (Here’s Harvey’s recap) Mets offense did just enough to break through and get runs. Buck didn’t hit a blast, but Marlon Byrd did hit his first homer as a Met (Here it is!)! The Mets have continued their streak of hitting a home run in every game this season. 

NEXT UP:: Dillon Gee tries to get it together after his shortest outing of his career tomorrow night against Juan Nicasio and the Rockies at Coors Field. First pitch is at 8:40PM on SNY. LGM!!!

The series is now tied after last night’s game. Dillon Gee probably wasn’t expecting to have that kind of outing, but sometimes it just happens. I think people seem to forget that he’s coming back from an injury. Gee pitched only three innings giving up 7 runs on 10 hits, three of those being solo shots all coming in the third inning. It was the shortest outing of his career! He was missing his spots by a mile and could barely get a pitch over. I didn’t see this coming especially after Gee handled the Phillies with an eight pitch first inning. There’s nothing you can really do about this. I’m a little worried about Gee, but he just needs to bounce back in his next start. It’s hard to take especially when Mets starters have boasted an ERA under 2 so far this season. Aaron Laffey had a difficult outing when he pitched, also giving up 10 hits, but he only gave up 3 runs that game. 

Surprisingly, Gee’s troubles came on a night when the Mets offense actually put up some runs against Cliff Lee, including another home run from our offensive monster of a catcher so far, Mr. John Buck. His two-run homer (check it out here) came in the third inning, bringing his National League leading RBIs to 14. If Buck keeps going like this, Travis d’Arnaud may need to share the spotlight once he comes up. This definitely wasn’t expected from Buck! He was supposed to be this strong veteran presence that would help d’Arnaud grow and learn. If Buck consistently provides this offense, the Mets would be cashing in BIG TIME! 

A little bit of surprise last night was Justin Turner getting the start at first base while Ike Davis took a rest. Why not Lucas Duda? Well, he’s our outfielder. Terry Collins said that Duda was too excited when he asked him to play first base during Spring Training, so he didn’t want him to get his hopes up. Duda plays left field. He is not our first baseman. Turner is our backup infielder, so I completely agree with Collins’ decision to put Turner at first. However, I did not agree with Terry’s decision to double switch out Duda for Valdespin after bringing in Burke to take over for Gee. We were already down around 5 runs and Duda is supposed to be one of our power hitters. I think we needed hits more than we needed defensive help at that point. 

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NEXT UP:: Jeremy Hefner(0-1) gets the start in the series finale against Kyle Kendrick(0-1) and the Phillies tonight at 7:05PM on SNY. He pitched really well in his last outing, but didn’t get the win. Hopefully Hefner can get his first win of the season tonight! LGM!