Displaying items by tag: Daniel Murphy

The big question is: "Why DID the Mets lose the World Series?" The truth is that the tone was set on the very first pitch thrown by Matt Harvey.

The Royals' Alcides Escobar lofted a long fly ball to left centerfield. Yoenis Cespedes, who had made so many spectacular defensive plays since coming over to the Mets, took his eye off the ball for a split second, could not regroup in time, and had the ball glance off his glove, and then, to make matters worse, kicked it away from both he and leftfielder Michael Conforto. What should have been a fly ball out to the warning track was a bad error...ridiculously ruled an inside-the-park home run.

While ONE play never TRULY determines the outcome of a series, unless it is a "walk-off" occurence in the final inning of the last possible game, it can set an example for how things will essentially go. And it did.

As Bob Newhart once said, "Stop It!" Just stop it! I have watched a number of sports reports on a number of different networks...listened to a number of radio talk shows on a number of different stations...and monitored a number of different social media outlets...and I am fed up with the "what have you done for me lately" people who have now put the monicker of "Goat" on Daniel Murphy. Yes...Murphy muffed a slow roller for an error in a crucial part of the game. But does anyone for a second believe that that error was the downfall of the Mets in Game 4? Come on!

The fact is that Tyler Clippard has not been effective for about a month. Regardless of "the formula" for getting to Jeurys Familia in the ninth inning, just like players have to make adjustments, so too must the managerial staff. Terry Collins, very deserving of his Manager of the Year Award, has made some ill-fated decisions during the series and leaving Clippard in after he walked the first batter was one of them, if not putting him in the game at all with the slimmest of one-run leads.

The Mets put the final nail in the coffin of the Chicago Cubs, completing the sweep and sending them into the 2015 World Series. And they simply repeated the same process they utilized each and every game before - one of their young starters (this time it was Steven Matz) overmatched the Cubs hitters, Jeurys Familia put the finishing touches on in the ninth, and I am getting tired (not really) of saying this...Daniel Murphy hit a home run.

The Mets starters simply did not give the Cubs a chance to breathe. The Chicago hitters were able to put a chink in the armor here and there, but the Cubs never led at any time during the four game series. The Mets staff just completely overpowered the power hitters of the Chicago lineup.

I'm beginning to get the feeling I'm watching a rerun. Yeah, yeah, yeah...Daniel Murphy hit another home run. And Jacob deGrom gutted out another victory. And Jeurys Familia was lights out again for another save. Maybe this is the reason that computers have "Control C" so that it makes things a bit easier. It seems like the Mets have a "Control C" of their own as they continue to get a great performance from one of their young starters and Familia has just been so dominant to finish things off. Murphy? Whatever he is eating, or drinking, I've got to get some of it. He is simply RED HOT, LOCKED IN and...if I were him...I would be hoping that this season would NEVER end.

With the 5-2 win in Game 3, the Mets have the Cubs on the brink and are but one game away from getting to the World Series.

Oh geez...he did it again! Daniel Murphy just has to be feeling it. Anyone who has ever played the game of baseball knows what it is to feel "locked in." And he is definitely locked in during this post season as he once again hit a home run, this time a three-run first inning bomb off Cubs ace Jake Arrieta. What is so impressive about Murphy's run is WHO his victims are - Clayton Kershaw (2), Zack Greinke, Jon Lester, and now Arrieta, who along with Greinke are the leading candidates to win this year's Cy Young Award.

And after Matt Harvey dominated the Cubs in Game 1, Noah Syndergaard duplicated the feat and just overpowered Chicago in Game 2. Another brilliant game by one of the Mets young guns...and Jacob deGrom is ready to take his turn in Game 3 on Tuesday in Chicago.

After all of the rhetoric about limitations and late arrivals, Matt Harvey made his pitch to be the ace of the staff as he was on top of his game and had great command to lead the Mets to a Game 1 victory over the Cubs. Harvey was very impressive...he had all of his pitches working...and he pitched into the eighth inning throwing only 97 pitches before yielding to Jeurys Familia with two outs.

Daniel Murphy continued his red-hot post season by hitting another home run to give the Mets the early lead in the first inning off southpaw Jon Lester. Murphy is NOT a home run hitter...he hit a career-high 14 during the regular season. But what makes his post-season run so impressive is WHO he has hit the home runs off of - Clayton Kershaw (2), Zack Greinke, and Lester. He is just "locked in." And he made a stellar play in the field to end the game. Murphy is doing what Carlos Beltran did in the 2004 season when he was "on loan" to Houston for the post season. It earned Beltran a huge free agent contract.

Daniel Murphy, who so often has caught the wrath of Mets fans for some of his...well...bonehead plays...almost singlehandedly got the Mets to the National League Championship Series. Murphy accounted for all three Mets runs against Zack Greinke including a go ahead home run...his third of the series and the difference in the game. But the play that was really the difference maker was stealing third base after advancing to second on a walk to Lucas Duda...taking advantage of a vacated third base because of the over-shift during the Duda at bat. That allowed Murphy to score the tying run when Travis d'Arnaud hit a fly ball to right field.

Jacob deGrom definitely took the mound without his "best" stuff...but he gutted it out and made the pitches when he needed to most. He yielded two early runs but then shut the Dodgers down even though he struggled in five of his six innings.

Noah Syndergaard made his first relief appearance and was lights out...just blowing the Dodgers away...even though he allowed a two-out walk in the seventh inning. It was a great move by Terry Collins and he could have used him for a second inning to pitch the eighth. But Collins chose to bring in Jeurys Familia to get a six-out save. The move worked, but it showed that there is NO confidence in any member of the bullpen other than Familia. It could prove to be a problem as the Mets advance to the next round as the Cubs have a power-packed and potent lineup that could shorten the game for the Mets starters.

You know things are getting serious when benches start clearing during a baseball game. It's not everyday you see a basebrawl but then the Phillies have Larry Bowa in their dugout so you can just about bet something is bound to happen. I am just surprised there was no incident the night before when the Mets were hacking their way to hitting a team-record eight home runs...especially with Bowa in the opposing dugout.

Last week Jose Reyes made headlines saying that he would love to finish his career with the New York Mets. This coming while he was with his third team since leaving the Mets, having been traded for the face of the Colorado Rockies franchise, Troy Tulowitski, just a couple of weeks ago at the trade deadline.