July 10, 2009, Los Angeles Dodgers-New York Mets game story for Metro NY Newspaper
Livan a letdown in series finale
1 No fireworks: The Mets entered Thursday with a league low 50 homers. The Reds aren’t as power-packed in years past, having only hit 77 this season.
2 Fizzling: Fernando Nieve won his first three starts after he was called up on June 6. In Nieve’s last two starts, though, he has been creamed for 17 hits, seven runs — six earned — and seven walks in nine innings. The Mets have lost both games. He takes the hill against Bronson Arroyo (8-8) Friday night.
3 Tough times: Think the Mets are getting blasted? Earlier this week, Cincinnati lost two games by a collective score of 32-2.
MLB.
The good vibes lasted until Rafael Furcal’s leadoff ground rule double.
And with that, it was time for déjà vu at Citi Field.
For yet another night in what very well may be yet another forgettable season, the Mets were outmatched by an opponent. In the series finale against their ancestral forefathers, the Mets were trounced by the Dodgers, 11-2, Thursday night.
“They’re a very good team. Those guys don’t have many holes. When you fall behind quickly, it’s going to be a long night,” David Wright said of the Dodgers (54-31). “You have a room full of guys who have been in some tough times before. It’s a trying time, of course. It’s challenging for us to get this thing turned around, and we’re confident that we can do this.”
Starter Livan Hernandez (5-5) was bludgeoned for eight runs on 11 hits in four innings. Former starter-turned-long reliever Tim Redding gave up three runs on six hits in the final two innings.
In the last six weeks, Jerry Manuel has often pointed to the starting pitching as one of the few constant positives for a team that has constantly specialized in dull baseball. However, in the last 13 games, Mets starters have a 2-10 record with a 6.78 ERA. The last time the Mets (40-44) had starting pitchers earn wins in consecutive games was June 24-25 against the Cardinals.
“We have to think about all options at this point. We can ill afford to say, ‘This is going this way and this is going that way’ and stay with it,” Manuel said of the rotation. “This is a league where you have to perform. When that’s not happening, you have to figure out a way to make it happen.
“Over the break, we’ll decide what the rotation is going to be. We haven’t decided that yet. We’ll just have to take a good look at it and decide which direction we’re going to go.”
For a team whose general manager all but admitted that it will be unlikely that he makes a major trade deadline acquisition, it seems an impossibility for this team to compete for anything but a high draft position if the starting pitching does not improve its performance. Manuel said that in the unlikely event that changes are made to the starting rotation, it will come from within the farm system.
Every Dodger starting position player had a hit in Thursday's game. Manny Ramirez went 2-for-2, drove in two and scored twice. All Ramirez did in his second series following the 50 game suspension was take extended batting practice off of Mets pitching. He finished 5-for-11 with six RBIs, three runs scored, two walks and a homer in the three games. Teammate Matt Kemp was impressive as well, going 8-for-11 in the series.
“They put (balls) in play. They put them in play. They put them in play. It’s tough to overcome,” said Manuel.
Gary Sheffield and Ryan Church drove in the Mets’ only two runs. Randy Wolf (4-3) scattered seven hits and two runs over 6 1/3 for the win.
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posted by Denis P. Gorman at 6:04 PM
