Sweep!

Game 3: Mets 10, Cardinals 1
3-0 for the season

That turned out even better than expected, huh? Maine threw well, and we got good production from the outfield again, bringing in half of the 12 total Mets hits for the game. The pitching staff looked good throughout the series-- I'm looking forward to no longer hearing about the "trouble" with our pitchers very soon. Though it's true that very little that happens this early in the season means anything for the long term, this was an auspicious start in every way, a command performance from a team showing they can beat you seven different ways.

I called my cousin M in the middle of the 7th inning, and he answered the phone "Isn't this great?" His daughter, 10 days old, has never seen the Mets lose, and we heartily hope that the baby's streak continues.

It's going to be freezing cold at Shea on Monday, and I couldn't care less. Live baseball in only three days!

Slugging Pitchers

Game 2: Mets 4, Cardinals 1
2-0 for the season

I saw very little of last night's game, since it was played during seder. My favorite Cardinals fan was at the seder, and claims that he'll still be happy if the Cards go 0-162 on the season, because the '06 pennant will still be there in St. Louis. He's being hyperbolic, but I know what he means. When we were asked to talk about the things that have changed since pesach last year, I graciously mentioned that his team won a world championship in the time since last passover. Then I closed my eyes and hoped we'd beat his team again in last night's game.

Clearly, I have a closer connection to the fates of baseball than my favorite Cards fan does. At least so far this season, I do, because the Mets beat St. Louis again in their second game. Though I'll obviously be elated if we sweep, I think even taking 2 of 3 from the World Champions is an auspicious start to the season.

We got our first game update just as the matzoh ball soup was coming out-- JW's boyfriend was getting text updates on his phone, and let us know that the Mets scored a run in the first inning. We listened to the fourth inning in the car on the way to my parents' place, where we were disappointed to find that Howie Rose wasn't calling the game; apparently he'd been at the Rangers game, which doesn't seem to me a decent excuse for missing calling the ballgame, but it's obviously not up to me.

As expected, the game was on the TV with the sound muted when we got to my folks, so I did see El Duque drive in two runs. Glavin had a hit on Sunday night that started a scoring rally, and last night the pitcher got himself two RBIs. If our pitchers keep hitting like this, it should be a very fun season; but if our pitchers (especially the relievers) continue to perform this way on the mound, we'll stop hearing about our fragile pitching staff soon. Reyes was also on fire, doing what he does best-- getting on base by any means he can muster, and scoring a lot when he does.

My dad is concerned about hitting from the outfield, and perhaps he's drawing on the performance during spring training that I completely ignored. But this pessimism strikes me as being like his pessimism about the prospects for all of last year's season in April/May '06, when my sister was the one who was so clear eyed about how well the Mets would eventually do that my dad admitted at the end of the season that she'd been more right than he about how the season would go. In Game 1, all three outfielders hit-- Beltran and Alou each had one hit, and Green hit two. Last night, Beltran hit again and Endy hit when he replaced Green in right field. So the outfield, while obviously not as productive as the infield, doesn't seem to be doing badly to me.

Maybe my dad is just reticent to be too excited about our chances so early in the season, and that's probably a smart position.

Only five more days until Opening Day at Shea.

Opening Night in St. Louis

Game 1: Mets 6, Cardinals 1
1-0 for the season

at the top of the 4th, I called my dad and told him that what I used to think was seasonal affective disorder might actually have been the effect of a lack of baseball on my brain. it was just so good to see them, and to see them play so well. it was so good to see HoJo in a Mets uniform, coaching first base. it was so good to see the Joses (Valentin and Reyes) turn gorgeous double plays. In the end, the infield had four double plays, and made Glavin look better than he'd been (though he'd been pretty good).

there were a number of great plays, from Beltran throwing Eckstein out at the plate to Alou making a good first impression with a fantastic diving catch in left field to the aforementioned 4-6-3 double plays. there was also some good hitting, with the veterans acting like veterans (LoDuca had 3 RBIs, Delgado had 2, and Beltran had 1-- but even Shawn Green hit) and the kids finally settling in by the later innings, with both Reyes and Wright gaining their first hits of the season in the latter part of the game.

I love watching Jose Reyes play. in the top of the 9th, he was robbed of a stolen base by a move that's still considered controversial; he was picked off when the pitcher faked to 3rd with his foot still on the rubber, then threw to first. I agree with those who think this is a balk, because a balk is defined as a move intended to deceive the runner, which that move most surely is designed to do. either way, it was a little too predictable that Jose was going to be running on that play, but I think the pick-off was really a balk anyway.

it's worth mentioning that last season, the team (which is essentially the same team that started last season-- two different outfielders, but otherwise the same) did not play well in April. they weren't as crisp last year at this time, particularly in the field, as they were last night. it's hard not to feel like this bodes well for how they'll play together all season. there is something magical about watching a team with good chemistry play together-- it really looks like they're having fun playing the game with one another, and is a real pleasure to watch.

random thoughts:

• David Newhan, who scored the 6th Mets run in the 9th inning, has quite the schnoz.
• the play-by-play guy on ESPN was awful. he messed up at least three times that I caught (including opening an inning by saying "We're here at Shea Stadium..." and never correcting himself), and was very careful to accent the last syllable of the last name of each of the Latino players ("Valen-tin," "Bel-tran") in the most affected of ways. I'm really looking forward to the first broadcast on SNY on Wednesday night.
• I'm considering scoring games I watch at home. is that insane?

My dad affirmed the idea that seasonal depression is really a lack of baseball, and mentioned that's why he's such a fan of mlb.com-- it allows him to listen to games all through the winter. "In January, I can listen to Vin Scully call games," he told me. "I've got one where the Mets score three runs in the first inning that I listened to a lot this year."

and here I thought that watching the '86 Mets win the World Series over and over and over on ESPN Classics was excessive. now I know it's merely a hereditary predilection.

no game tonight, which is just as well since it's the first night of Passover. a zeizen pesach to Shawn Green and everyone else who's celebrating!