8 IN A ROW. HOW SWEET IT ISBARAJAS AND NIESE HELP METS DESTROY PHILLIES
No matter what managers say, games played in April and those contested in September are not comparable; they are equal only in matters mathematical -- all of which is not to suggest games played in the first month are without consequence. The Mets defeated the Phillies on Friday night -- in the waning hours of April, by the way -- and their 9-1 victory was quite consequential to them, and perhaps to the Phillies as well. When the Mets had produced a 9-1 homestand against the Cubs, Braves and Dodgers, they did so against teams that hardly were at their best. And their eighth straight victory Friday night came against a team that hardly distinguished itself in its just-completed nine-game road trip. But the Phillies are the Nationals League champions, and, to the Mets, the Phillies are the Phillies. Beating them was something of a statement, steamrolling them underscored the statement, and shutting them down in their tiny ballpark, as Jon Niese and his relief did, amplified whatever it was the Mets said. Niese's seven-inning start and two home runs by Rod Barajas, and one each by David Wright and Jeff Francoeur buried, the second-place Phillies and -- now this is not all that important -- pushed them 1 1/2 games behind the first-place Mets. In his first career appearance against the Phillies, Niese gained his first victory in his fifth start of the season, limiting them to four singles, three in the second inning, and one walk. Jenrry Mejia and Manny Acosta succeeded him to shut the door. The Mets scored three times in the second inning when Wright hit his fourth home run, with one runner on base, and Francoeur hit his fourth. Both came against losing pitcher Kyle Kendrick (0-1), who had been a problems for the Mets in past seasons. Barajas hit his fourth in the fifth, Kendrick's final inning, and as the first batter to face Brad Lidge this season, he hit his fifth in the ninth. The four home runs are a Mets high for the season, but they fell well short of the Citizens Bank Park record, seven, established April 19, 2005, by the Mets. The Mets also had a two-run triple, by Angel Pagan, and three doubles before their first single, by Jose Reyes, their 30th batter, in seventh. Pagan also singled, in the ninth. It was his third hit and the Mets' 10th.
No matter what managers say, games played in April and those contested in September are not comparable; they are equal only in matters mathematical -- all of which is not to suggest games played in the first month are without consequence. The Mets defeated the Phillies on Friday night -- in the waning hours of April, by the way -- and their 9-1 victory was quite consequential to them, and perhaps to the Phillies as well. When the Mets had produced a 9-1 homestand against the Cubs, Braves and Dodgers, they did so against teams that hardly were at their best. And their eighth straight victory Friday night came against a team that hardly distinguished itself in its just-completed nine-game road trip. But the Phillies are the Nationals League champions, and, to the Mets, the Phillies are the Phillies. Beating them was something of a statement, steamrolling them underscored the statement, and shutting them down in their tiny ballpark, as Jon Niese and his relief did, amplified whatever it was the Mets said. Niese's seven-inning start and two home runs by Rod Barajas, and one each by David Wright and Jeff Francoeur buried, the second-place Phillies and -- now this is not all that important -- pushed them 1 1/2 games behind the first-place Mets. In his first career appearance against the Phillies, Niese gained his first victory in his fifth start of the season, limiting them to four singles, three in the second inning, and one walk. Jenrry Mejia and Manny Acosta succeeded him to shut the door. The Mets scored three times in the second inning when Wright hit his fourth home run, with one runner on base, and Francoeur hit his fourth. Both came against losing pitcher Kyle Kendrick (0-1), who had been a problems for the Mets in past seasons. Barajas hit his fourth in the fifth, Kendrick's final inning, and as the first batter to face Brad Lidge this season, he hit his fifth in the ninth. The four home runs are a Mets high for the season, but they fell well short of the Citizens Bank Park record, seven, established April 19, 2005, by the Mets. The Mets also had a two-run triple, by Angel Pagan, and three doubles before their first single, by Jose Reyes, their 30th batter, in seventh. Pagan also singled, in the ninth. It was his third hit and the Mets' 10th.
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