Mets Walk-Offs And Minutiae

* Mets walk-off loss #380 was their 9th of the season, the most they've had in a season since 2005 (9) *It's the second time that Josh Willingham has beaten the Mets in walk-off fashion. He hit a walk-off home run against the Mets on August 1, 2006 * This was the 16th time the Mets have lost by walk-off walk, including postseason. It was the Mets first walk-off loss via walk since Dennis Cook walked pinch-hitter Dave Magadan, in a 5-4 10-inning loss to the Padres on August 21, 2000. The last time a non pinch-hitter drew a walk-off walk against the Mets was, well, ya know... * Only once in Mets history have they had a pitcher finish a game, allowing no hits, and four walks, including a walk-off walk. That would be Bob Rauch, against the Expos, July 2, 1972. He walked four batters in the ninth inning, including walk-offer Ron Fairly in a 4-3 Expos win. Honorable mention to Scott Schoeneweis for his three-walk, one hit batsman walk-off loss against the Padres on June 5. * Perhaps ...

Russell: "We like to look at the show as if it were an EKG. You have your highs and your lows and it goes up and down." George: "The show will be like a heart attack!" Jerry: "Just a huge massive coronary." Jerry and George pitching their sitcom pilot in Seinfeld, Season 4, Episode 4, "The Ticket" These are your Mets. I think Seinfeld would have appreciated this script. ------ Game-winning, late-inning grand slams are in Mets history are rare. Here's a brief history. * This marked the third time that the Mets won a game, with the game-winning hit being a grand slam in the top of the 9th. Mets Win In Top of 9th Winning Hit is Grand Slam 2008- Carlos Beltran (at Marlins) 1999- Edgardo Alfonzo (NLDS Game 1) 1988- Kevin McReynolds (at Cubs...same day as Gary Carter's 300th HR) * The Mets have had two extra-inning road wins in which the game-winning hit was a grand slam Mets Win On Road In Extra Innings Winning Hit is Grand Slam 2000- Benny Ag...

To me, the name Murphy represents quality, whether we're talking about Johnny, Bob, Brown, or Tim (the best playground baseball player I knew as a kid). I have always felt a special association with Dale Murphy, and have been a supporter for his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Maybe someday I'll be able to say something similarly kind about Daniel Murphy. The first baseball regular season for which I have strong memories is 1982 (I recollect the 1981 World Series a little bit) and the first superstar with whom I became familiar was Braves outfielder Dale Murphy. Dale Murphy was the type of player who scared the bejesus out of you- part Ryan Howard, part Pat Burrell, part Chase Utley, part Jimmy Rollins. His stats seem rather pedestrian in an era in which greater offensive numbers are easier to come by (thanks to joke ballparks like Minute Maid and Citizens Bank). It's funny, I was listening to a game from 1984 in which Bob Murphy marveled at Ryne Sandberg's ap...

* Walk-off loss #379 was the Mets 8th walk-off loss of the season, their second against the Phillies. * It was the 3rd-longest walk-off loss by innings in Mets-Phillies history. The two longer ones were the 15-inning game on August 11, 1994 (the final game of the season, thanks to a work stoppage) and the 14-inning game of April 12, 1986, which inspired the reference in the Seinfeld episode, guest starring Keith Hernandez. The Phillies had never had a 13-inning walk-off win against the Mets prior to this game. * It's the third walk-off loss of the season in which Pedro Martinez was the starting pitcher. * If Brian Schneider had been able to handle Damion Easley's relay throw in the ninth inning, it would have been a conclusion similar to that of Game 2 of a Mets-Phillies doubleheader on September 26, 1975, in which the Mets won by throwing Tim McCarver out as the tying run at home plate, on Felix Millan's relay of Rusty Staub's throw. * In the oddest statistical quirk i...

Before Mike Pelfrey, the last Met to throw consecutive complete games was Rick Reed in 2001. The last Met with consecutive complete game wins was Bret Saberhagen in 1995. * The last Met to throw 3 straight complete games was David Cone in 1990. The last Met with 3+ straight complete game WINS was Dwight Gooden in 1988. He had 4 in a row. * The Mets record for consecutive complete games is 8, set by Tom Seaver (1969) and Jerry Koosman (1976) * The Mets record for consecutive starts WITHOUT throwing a complete game is held by Bobby (righthanded) Jones, a 73-game stretch from 1997 to 2000. Oliver Perez's current 60-game streak ranks third, trailing Jones and Jae Seo (61, 2003-2005). * Mike Pelfrey ranks tied for 49th in Mets history with 18 wins. Among those he's tied with: Armando Benitez, Orlando Hernandez, and Masato Yoshii. * Mike Pelfrey now ranks tied for 57th all-time in career complete games by a Mets pitcher, with 2. He's tied with, among others, Anthony Young and Joh...

The status of the beleagured bullpen leads me to believe that the Mets will have Al Reyes on the roster sooner rather than later. There are two things that are intriguing about this move from our perspective. For one, how everything comes full circle for Al Reyes. In 1994, Reyes was the star closer with 35 saves for the Eastern League's Harrisburg Senators, who faced the Binghamton Mets for the league title. In Game 3 of the championship round (Bill Pulsipher had no-hit the Senators in Game 2 to tie the series, 1-1), Reyes entered with a 4-2 lead. The Mets staged the most dramatic of comebacks. Rey Ordonez's one-out single was followed by a game-tying home run from Edgardo Alfonzo. That was followed by a walk-off home run by Brian Jacobs, giving the Mets a 5-4 victory. They would win Game 4 to take the championship, 3-1. ( Thanks to Binghamton play-by-play voice Rob Ford for details) . The other intriguing thing that would come with Al Reyes presence is that it would give the M...