g a r y w o n g . o r g

It’s my first ever live blog of a Fox baseball broadcast - I just hope I can survive the experience. Dick Stockton and Eric Karros are working this game and while they’re pretty bleh, at least we didn’t get Joe Buck and Tim McCarver.

The Mets (22-24) come into this game absolutely reeling as they’ve lost their last five games, the most recent loss the most devastating one in the streak. Carrying a 1-run lead into the bottom of the ninth, Billy Wagner gives up a game-tying home run to Matt Holliday. Matt Holliday would later deliver the game-winning hit in the bottom of the 13th off of Aaron Heilman. The ways the Mets keep losing all these games boggles the mind. Sadly, this mirrors, to a great degree, the tragic collapse of September 2007. Winning today and tomorrow might not even be enough to save Willie Randolph’s job as it’s being reported that Omar Minaya has joined the team in Denver and that can’t be a good sign for his status going forward. The Mets trot out Claudio Vargas and will pray they get a quality start out of him because they’ve overburdened their bullpen over the last five games. The Rockies (19-29) will start Jeff Francis who hopes to build off his first win of the season.

Mets Starting Lineup

Reyes, SS
Castillo, 2B
Wright, 3B
Beltran, CF
Tatis, RF
Delgado, 1B
Castro, C
Evans, LF
Vargas, P

Rockies Starting Lineup

Podsednik, CF
Herrera, J, 2B
Holliday, LF
Helton, 1B
Stewart, 3B
Smith, Seth, RF
Iannetta, C
Quintanilla, SS
Francis, P

Start of 1st Inning

3:56pm: The first pitch of the game is sponsored? Holy crap, what is this - a radio broadcast?

3:56pm: Reyes bluffs bunt on the first pitch, which is a ball.

3:57pm: Sharp single up the middle for Reyes and the Mets are in business.

3:58pm: How many pitches to Castillo before Reyes runs for second?

3:59pm: Home plate umpire Chad Fairchild has a fairly large strike zone.

4:01pm: good at-bat for Castillo as he works a 1-2 count into a walk. First and second with nobody out for the Mets with Wright coming to the plate.

4:02pm: Both runners go on the pitch and Rockies catcher Iannetta never got a good enough handle on the ball to make a throw. Second and third, nobody out and the Mets better get at least one run this inning.

4:03pm: Wright draws a walk and the bases are loaded for Beltran.

4:04pm: Beltran drives the ball to deep left-center and he clears the bases. Mets lead 3-0 and Beltran’s on second with no outs.

4:07pm: Fernando Tatis hits a single through the hole and into left. Beltran advances to third and the Mets have runners on the corner and still nobody out.

4:09pm: Eric Karros explains how the Mets can’t win five in a row today or tomorrow. This is some of the most inane analysis I’ve ever heard in a broadcast that didn’t have Joe Morgan on it.

4:10pm: Delgado strikes out swinging for the first out.

4:11pm: Base hit to right for Castro and the Mets take a 4-0 lead. Runners on first and second with one out.

4:11pm: Nick Evans comes to the plate for his first major league at-bat.

4:11pm: And he gets his first major league hit - an opposite-field double that drives in Tatis. The Mets now lead 5-0 and runners are on second and third, still one out.

4:12pm: Vargas hits a scorching line drive but it’s right to the second baseman for the second out. The runners don’t have happy feet so they don’t get doubled off.

4:15pm: Reyes grounds out to first for the third out. Good start for the Mets and now they need Vargas to throw up some zeroes on the mound.

4:18pm: Podesednik hits a fly ball to left and Nick Evans has his first put-out in the majors.

4:20pm: Nice pick on the short-hop by Reyes, who throws to first for the second out.

4:21pm: Holliday crushes a home run to left and he is absolutely killing the Mets in this series. The Mets lead is cut to 5-1.

4:24pm: Delgado briefly bobbles the ground ball off Helton but recovers in time to flip to Vargas for the third out.

End of 1st Inning - Mets 5, Rockies 1

Start of 2nd Inning

4:27pm: Castillo does what he’s not supposed to do and hits the ball into the air for an easy foul pop-up out.

4:29pm: Wright hits a deep fly ball to the right that just seemed to carry for a solo home run. The Mets now lead 6-1.

4:30pm: Sure, Dick, the Mets would love the that they make two trips to Coors this year if it weren’t for the fact they don’t play well there.

4:31pm: After hooking a ball foul by just a few feet, Beltran hits a weak grounder for the second out.

4:33pm: On a 3-2 count, Tatis swings at ball four and the inning is over.

4:36pm: Line shot by Stewart but right to Beltran for the first out.

4:38pm: Short hop to Castillo, who looked as though he wasn’t sure if he caught it on the line. Some hesitation but then throws over to first and there’s two gone in the inning.

4:40pm: Karros just remarked that Claudio Vargas was standing next to Willie Randolph. Too bad he’s on the mound right now.

4:41pm: Iannetta drives the ball pretty far but it’s just an out on the warning track.

End of 2nd Inning - Mets 6, Rockies 1

Start of 3rd Inning

4:44pm: Seeing the shift, Degado tries to bunt down the third-base line. No dice.

4:45pm: Delgado just has not looked good facing Jeff Francis and he goes down swinging for the second time tonight.

4:45pm: According to Mets pitching coach Rick Peterson, it appears Pedro Martinez is making a start on Wednesday.

4:46pm: Castro goes down swinging and Francis may finally have things working.

4:47pm: Apparently not as Evans hits his second opposite-field double of the game.

4:48pm: Iannetta almost catches Evans straying too far away from second.

4:49pm: That’s a sobering statistic - only the Padres and Nationals have a lower slugging percentage than the Mets.

4:51pm: On the seventh pitch of the at-bat, Vargas strikes out swinging.

4:55pm: Quintanilla flies out to left and there’s one away.

4:56pm: Francis barely misses hitting the ball out of the park but it’s hit so hard, he can only get a single.

4:58pm: Podsednik hits the ball to Delgado who touches the bag for the second out and throws to second to try to get Francis for the double play. Francis beats the throw and the Rockies have a runner in scoring position with two gone.

4:59pm: Herera bloops a single to right and Francis scores from second. The Mets lead is cut to 6-2.

5:01pm: Holliday grounds to Reyes who flips to Castillo for the force.

End of 3rd Inning - Mets 6, Rockies 2

Start of 4th Inning

5:05pm: Reyes skies it to center but there’s plenty of room out there to make the catch.

5:06pm: Seth Smith makes a great catch on Castillo’s tailing liner.

5:07pm: Wright is hit on the foot by the first pitch and the Mets have a runner on first with two outs.

5:08pm: Wright goes on first move and steals second without a throw.

5:08pm: Beltran strikes out on three pitches and Francis is racking up the strikeouts.

5:12pm: Helton draws a leadoff walk off Vargas.

5:15pm: Stewart swings and misses and he’s the first out in the Rockie fourth.

5:17pm: Foul tip into Castro’s glove and Vargas has his second strikeout of the game, this time getting Smith.

5:19pm: Called third strike on Iannetta and Vargas strikes out the side after the leadoff walk.

End of 4th Inning - Mets 6, Rockies 2

Start of 5th Inning

5:22pm: Tatis strikes out on ball in the dirt. Iannetta throws to first to complete the put-out.

5:23pm: Very cool - the Rockies played the ‘Law & Order’ sound when the throw to first was made.

5:23pm: Delgado pops out to first for the second out and he has looked just dreadful at the plate today.

5:24pm: Castro draws a walk on four pitches.

5:25pm: I cannot stand Karros - now he’s talking about how this isn’t a two-inning game but a nine-inning game. I know he’s just making a point about the Mets mailing in their at-bats with the lead but he’s making it in an annoying way

5:27pm: Evans grounds out to end the inning.

5:30pm: Quintanilla leads off the inning with a line single to center.

5:31pm: The hit means Francis gets to stay in the game as he’ll likely be bunting here.

5:31pm: Perfect sacrifice bunt by Francis and the Rockies have a runner on second with one out.

5:32pm: Podsednik flies out to right but it’s deep enough for Quintanilla to tag and advance to third on. The Rockies have a runner on third but now there are two down.

5:34pm: The Mets at 4.5 games back, are now closer to last (2.5 games) than they are to first.

5:35pm: Herrerra lines out to left and the Rockies are set aside without scoring.

End of 5th Inning - Mets 6, Rockies 2

Start of 6th Inning

5:38pm: Vargas strikes out and that’s eight strikeouts for Francis today.

5:40pm: Reyes lines out to second for the second out.

5:41pm: Castillo pops out to short right field and the Mets go down in order. They’ve failed to knock out Francis and they’ve had chances to do it. I’m a little worried that they may have been lulled to sleep.

5:46pm: Holliday hits a comebacker to Vargas and it’s an easy first out.

5:48pm: Loud fly ball off Helton’s bat but it stays in the yard.

5:50pm: Stewart pops out to Wright in foul ground and Vargas has given the Mets six solid innings.

End of 6th Inning - Mets 6, Rockies 2

Start of 7th Inning

5:52pm: Alberto Arias comes into the game to relieve Francis.

5:54pm: Wright hits a hard line drive right to Smith in right.

5:56pm: Beltran pops out in foul territory for the second out.

5:57pm: Tatis gets hit on the side by the pitch and he’s awarded first base.

5:59pm: Delgado grounds out to first for the third out.

6:01pm: Looks like Vargas will come out to pitch the seventh inning.

6:02pm: Smith flies out to center for the first out.

6:04pm: Iannetta hits a comebacker to Vargas and there’s two gone.

6:06pm: On the 102nd pitch from Vargas, Quintanilla flies out to left. You’d have to imagine that Vargas is done for the day. This is the start the Mets needed - seven innings, two runs on four hits and one walk while striking out three.

End of 7th Inning - Mets 6, Rockies 2

Start of 8th Inning

6:09pm: Castro hits a one-hop double that goes into the stands and the Mets have a runner on second to start the eighth.

6:09pm: Will Evans be asked to bunt here? He takes a hack on the first pitch so I’ll say no. Then again, it’s Castro running so it wouldn’t really make much sense to bunt, I’d guess.

6:12pm: Evans is having a really good at-bat here.

6:13pm: Evans hits a ball down the right field line for another double to drive in Castro. The Mets now lead 7-2 with a runner on second and nobody out.

6:13pm: Endy Chavez pinch-hits for Vargas, who’s done after seven.

6:14pm: Chavez grounds out to second - productive out as Evans moves to third.

6:14pm: Reyes grounds out to Helton in a drawn-in infield and Reyes fails to drive in the runner from third. Evans is still on third but now there are two outs.

6:15pm: Double down the left field line for Castillo and the Mets lead is now 8-2.

6:18pm: Wright strikes out on the check swing and the Mets are retired in the eighth.

6:20pm: Duaner Sanchez is in the game to relieve Vargas, batting in the eighth spot. Chavez stays in the game at right field and Tatis moves over to left.

6:22pm: Baker goes down looking for the first out.

6:22pm: Podesdnik hits a ground ball right to Delgado who touches first for the unassisted out.

6:24pm: Herrerra flies out to Beltran and Sanchez has himself a quick 1-2-3 inning. That and the double switch would lead me to believe that Randolph might run out Sanchez for a second inning.

End of 8th Inning - Mets 8, Rockies 2

Start of 9th Inning

6:26pm: Josh Newman is in the game, in relief of Arias.

6:27pm: Great play by Helton on the Beltran grounder to save Quintanilla from an error.

6:28pm: The last player to have three extra base hits in his major league debut was Kaz Matsui. The Mets hope Nick Evans has a better career with the team.

6:28pm: Tatis strikes out swinging and there are two away.

6:30pm: Delgado drives the ball to deep right field and it’s gone. The Mets now lead 9-2.

6:31pm: Winning does not cure all ills, Dick. At least not for this Mets team.

6:32pm: Single to center for Castro and he’s on first with two outs.

6:32pm: Damion Easley is in the game, pinch hitting for Sanchez.

6:33pm: Easley hits a grounder that Quintanilla grabs on the outfield grass but can’t get the force at second, pulling Herrera off the bag. The error puts runners on first and second with two outs.

6:36pm: El Duque ain’t coming back, Karros.

6:36pm: Chavez lines to first to end the inning.

6:38pm: Pedro Feliciano is in the game, relieving Sanchez.

6:39pm: Holliday hits a ground ball to Wright who throws over to first for the first out.

6:41pm: I’ll have to disagree with you, Karros - sometimes you have to make a change for the sake of making a change to shake things up.

6:42pm: Helton strikes out swinging and the Rockies are down to their last out.

6:44pm: Stewart walks to prolong the game.

6:45pm: Smith flies out to the left and the ball game is over.

Game Over - Mets 9, Rockies 2

With some timely hitting and a strong start from Claudio Vargas, the Mets snap their five game losing streak. More importantly, they take a little heat off of Willie Randolph.