Schwei's Mets Notes: Snapping A Skid, Taking On Jeter & More
By John Schweibacher
» More Columns
After riding high in April with a 15-11 mark at the end of the month, the New York Mets have been shot down in May, going 2-8 in their first 10 games since turning the calendar.
The Mets ended their five-game losing streak Sunday, tying the game with three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning and winning it as Ruben Tejada delivered an RBI single in the 11th inning to give the Mets a 5-4 win over the Phillies.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it was the third time in franchise history that the Mets snapped a losing streak of five or more games with a victory in a game in which they trailed by as many as three runs in the ninth inning or later.
The expansion Mets had the club's first victory of this kind in their inaugural season, ending a 13-game losing streak in the second game of a doubleheader against the Pirates at the Polo Grounds on August 21st, 1962, when Marv Throneberry capped a four-run ninth inning with a three-run homer off Roy Face that gave New York a 5-4 win.
The Mets also snapped a five-game losing streak with a 6-4 win over the Pirates at Shea Stadium on May 19th, 1993. Bobby Bonilla won that game with a two-run homer against Blas Minor in the 10th inning after New York had tied the game with three runs in the ninth. Despite the win, Mets manager Jeff Torborg was fired after this game with the team in last place in the NL East with a 13-25 record.
Eric Campbell made his major league debut Saturday night in the Mets' 5-4 loss to the Phillies. Campbell hit a pinch-hit sacrifice fly with the bases loaded to give the Mets a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Campbell is the 14th player in Mets' history to drive in at least one run in his major league debut for the Mets in a home game (13 have done it on the road):
· 5/10/14 Eric Campbell vs. Phi (Sac fly)
· 9/18/13 Juan Centeno vs. SF (RBI single)
· 4/19/10 Ike Davis vs. Chi (RBI single)
· 5/26/09 Fernando Martinez vs. Was (RBI ground out)
· 8/21/05 Mike Jacobs vs. Was (3 run HR)
· 9/11/04 Victor Diaz vs. Phi (2 run double)
· 6/5/00 Jason Tyner vs. Bal (RBI single)
· 5/7/98 Preston Wilson vs. Stl (RBI single)
· 5/7/91 Chris Donnells vs. LA (RBI single)
· 4/19/86 Barry Lyons vs. Phi (RBI ground out)
· 8/26/74 Benny Ayala vs. Hou (solo HR)
· 8/6/72 Lute Barnes vs. Chi (RBI single)
· 4/8/69 Rod Gaspar vs. Mtl (RBI single)
· 9/18/67 Ken Boswell vs. LA (Sac fly & RBI double)
The Mets were swept by the Marlins last week in Miami, getting shut out in the last two games of the series, 3-0 and 1-0.
Henderson Alvarez went the distance last Tuesday night, allowing just three hits in shutting out the Mets, 3-0. It was the seventh complete game shutout by a Marlins pitcher against the Mets:
· 5/6/14 Mets 0 at Marlins 3 Henderson Alvarez 9ip 6h
· 7/3/05 Marlins 3 at Mets 0 Dontrelle Willis 9ip 3h
· 8/31/04 Marlins 5 at Mets 0 Josh Beckett 9ip 6h
· 6/16/03 Mets 0 at Marlins 1 Dontrelle Willis 9ip 1h
· 5/7/00 Mets 0 at Marlins 3 Ryan Dempster 9ip 1h
· 9/22/95 Mets 0 at Marlins 3 Pat Rapp 7 2/3ip* 4h
· 6/14/95 Marlins 4 at Mets 0 Chris Hammond 9ip 7h
(*=rain shortened game).
Two of the Miami wins against the Mets last week came in the bottom of the nonth inning. According to UltimateMets.com, the Marlins have now won 24 times with runs in the bottom of the ninth or in extra innings at home against the Mets since joining the National League in 1993.
Here are the NL teams with the most walkoff wins against the Mets among the teams that have in the league since 1993:
· Marlins 24
· Braves 15
· Phillies 14
· Padres 14
· Dodgers 12
The Mets and Yankees meet this week, playing two games at Yankee Stadium and a pair at Citi Field.
It will be the final time the Mets face Derek Jeter. The Yankees' captain has appeared in 84 of the 94 interleague games played between the Mets and Yankees, hitting .368 (127-for-345) with 13 homers, 43 RBIs and 66 runs scored.
Jeter has started at shortstop 82 times against the Mets. Only five other Yankees have started at short:
· Derek Jeter 82
· Ramiro Pena 4
· Reid Brignac 3
· Jayson Nix 2
· Eduardo Nunez 2
· Rey Sanchez 1
Ten Mets have started at shortstop against the Yankees in their 94 regular season games:
· Jose Reyes 41
· Rey Ordonez 21
· Kaz Matsui 6
· Alex Cora 6
· Ruben Tejada 5
· Omar Quintanilla 5
· Melvin Mora 4
· Luis Lopez 3
· Kurt Abbott 2
· Ronny Cedeno 1
Mike Bordick (four games) and Kurt Abbott (one game) started at shortstop for the Mets in the 2000 World Series, while Derek Jeter played all five games for the Yankees in that season's Fall Classic.
Schwei's Runs, Hits and Errors:
Runs: Jon Niese. Mets lefty has allowed three runs or fewer in 11 straight starts dating back to last September.
Hits: Daniel Murphy. Mets second baseman is hitting .371 (23-for-62) with two homers, seven RBIs and 14 runs scored over his last 15 games.
Errors: Leaving them Loaded. Even with Ruben Tejada's game-winning hit, the Mets are just 5-for-34 (.147) with the bases loaded this season.
You May Also Be Interested In These Stories