Ramon Castro

e in that spot (Jerry used him too early), but even with Sheff out of the equation, Fernando Tatis, Ramon Castro, and Castillo were available. 

All three of them were better options than Ramon Martinez! C'mon now, you've got to be kidding me leaving that jackass up there!

Continue reading "Jerry Manuel Must Be Fired. Now!!!"

always a little extra motivated against the Mets.

3)  With one out in the top of the eighth, Ramon Castro singled to left, but was removed for pinch runner Ramon Martinez, a September call-up, who then committed the cardinal sin of pinch running:  a baserunning error.  When your one job on a given night is to run the bases properly, you had better not mess up.  Credit Jerry Manuel with a great call, because Robinson Cancel executed a picture perfect hit-and-run, stroking a ground single through the hole on the right side of the infield.  Martinez, who had been running on the play, inexplicably hesitated and then stopped at second.  Had he made it to third with one out, the Mets would have had a chance to score the tying run with Jose Reyes up next.  Reyes bounced back to the pitcher, who threw high to second, and Cancel would have been safe had he slid, but instead he tip-toed into the bag and was forced out.  Those two baserunning errors severely limited the Mets' chances to tie the game in that inning.

Continue reading "Mets In First Place...For The Wild Card?"

red Brian Schneider their everyday catcher, but he has since moved into a lefty-righty platoon with Ramon Castro.  Luis Castillo was projected as the starting second baseman, but now Damion Easley and Argenis Reyes are platooning at the position.  Although Moises Alou wasn't healthy enough to start the season with the Mets, designs were for him to play left field every day.  But now rookies Daniel Murphy and Nick Evans are in a lefty-righty platoon.  And while Ryan Church was unable to play right field, Fernando Tatis impressed Jerry Manuel so much that he has been moved into a platoon now that Church has returned; Tatis got the start on Sunday against the lefty Randy Wolf.

Continue reading "Feliciano Blows Up In 10th"

came up with a bases-loaded hit of his own, singling into left center to score two more runs.  Ramon Castro topped the five-run inning off with an RBI double down the line in left, and the Mets completed the comeback from a 3-2 eighth inning deficit.

Continue reading "Delgado, Easley Spark Comeback Against Braves"

t on the DL over the weekend and Billy Wagner joined them today with a strained left forearm.  Ramon Castro is still shaken up from the bizzare home plate collision on Saturday, and is listed as day-to-day with a sore ankle.  Rather than make any external moves, the Mets have turned to their farm system for help.  Although for the time being Jerry Manuel says he will use a bullpen by committee in the ninth inning, Eddie Kunz, the heir apparent to Billy Wagner, is on the major league squad and may get some looks in the closer role over the next two weeks while Wagner is out.  Daniel Murphy, who was a third baseman in the minors but requested some work at second base and the outfield--a smart move, considering David Wright isn't going anywhere anytime soon--is getting the start in left field tonight agains the Padres.  The Mets really love the way he hits, so he could be a fixture at the major league level for the remainder of the season and perhaps into the future.  And rumor has it that the Mets are considering calling up Jon Niese to make a few starts in Maine's stead.

Continue reading "Mets Look to Bounce Back at Home"

m with the bases loaded in the ninth to blow the save, as both runners crashed into one another and Ramon Castro all at once at the plate.  Then, in the tenth, Heilman put the first two runners on base before handing the ball over to Pedro Feliciano.  Feliciano actually did not pitch poorly, striking out the first batter he faced and then allowing the game-ending sacrifice fly on a weakly hit liner by Darin Erstad.  Fernando Tatis made an excellent catch on Erstad’s sinking flare, but was unable to throw Lance Berkman out at the plate.

Continue reading "Shaky Pen Gets Mets Swept By 'Stros"

der.  If he then would have to bring a catcher in anyway, it would have made more sense to use Ramon Castro, who is a much better hitter than Evans, as the pinch hitter.  It ended up working out somewhat, as Evans walked.  Argenis Reyes pinch-hit for Feliciano and bunted Evans to second, where he was stranded.  Presumably Manuel was worried that if Castro singled or walked, then there is no speed on the bases, but I would still take my chances with Castro's ability to hit the ball out of the park.

Continue reading "Mets Fried By Fish, Maine Leaves Early"

k racked up 17 hits and belted three more homers, including another from Tatis, a two-run shot from Ramon Castro and a solo bomb from David Wright.  Santana chimed in with two hits of his own, and his first RBI as a Met, and the team cruised to the victory to conclude a 4-2 homestand against two contending teams in the Phillies and Cardinals.  The bullpen got a much-needed break, so they'll be fresh when the Mets open a three-game series in Florida Monday night against the Marlins.  John Maine and Ricky Nolasco are the scheduled starters.

Continue reading "Santana Goes the Distance, Mets Stay Hot"

s television broadcaster Gary Cohen puts it) such as Fernando Tatis, Endy Chavez, Damion Easley and Ramon Castro, have been igniting the Mets' offense for the past three weeks.  But two new players with anything but household names were just as instrumental to the Mets' success in Cincy as anyone getting paid upwards of $12 million per year:  Argenis Reyes and Robinson Cancel.

Continue reading "Makeshift Mets Back In First, But ..."

offensive surge has been the performance of role players such as Tatis, Damion Easley, Endy Chavez, Ramon Castro and Brian Schneider.  Naturally David Wright has been solid too, hitting .344 this month with six RBI, and hopefully Beltran's big game last night will break him out of his recent funk.

Continue reading "Pelfrey and the Mets Finally Make It Easy"