Opening day running diary!

That's right boys and girls, yesterday was opening day for the Mets, and as such I shirked my duties at work to listen to the game and record the fun. Unless you're a coworker, in which case I worked diligently all afternoon. We pick it up just before opening pitch.

For the record, I’ll be leaving at some point in the later innings, so hopefully I’ll be turning off a Mets blowout victory. Here are your starting lineups, starting with the Marlins:

Coghlan, LF
Maybin, CF
Ramirez, H, SS
Cantu, 3B
Uggla, 2B
Paulino, R, C (there's apparently more than one Paulino!)
Ross, C, RF
Sanchez, G, 1B
Johnson, J, P

Today's starting pitcher for the Marlins, Josh Johnson, has never lost to the Mets in his career.

Cora, SS
Castillo, L, 2B
Wright, 3B
Jacobs, 1B
Bay, LF
Matthews, CF (I KNEW Pagan was too good to start. Fucking Manuel)
Francoeur, RF
Barajas, C
Santana, J, P

The Mets lost their first 8 opening day games. Since then they are 31-9 far and away the most successful opening day team since their inception in 1962. True story.

- Top of the 1st -

1:11 – Started with a strike! Start measuring those fingers for rings! 1-1, fuck it, I give up

1:12 – Well the first batter of the season pops out to third. Howie Rose is explaining to us how Santana had offseason elbow surgery so (a) he sucked last year because his elbow hurt and (b) he might suck this year because he’s coming off surgery.

1:14 – I’m clapping in my office for the strikeout. It’s possible I’m too excited for baseball season. STRUCK HIM OUT!!! WOO!! Maybe I should close my office door. Or do work. Nahhhhhh

1:15 – 1, 2, 3 inning. Hey, 8 more of those and the worst we have is a tie!

- Bottom of the 1st -

1:18 – Alex Cora leads off for the Mets. That’s like all the excitement and fun of Jose Reyes, but the exact opposite. Sweet.

1:19 – Hey, leadoff batter gets nicked by an inside pitch and he gets first base! Let’s hope this isn’t the high point of the season.

1:20 – Well Castillo grounds into a fielder’s choice but beats out the throw to first to avoid the double play. Just two more years and $12 million left on that contract. At least he sucks at defense.

1:22 – HOME RUN DAVID WRIGHT! Hahahahaha. An opposite field line drive. Jebus. They already dowsed that excitement. He did the same thing last year on his way to a career low 10 home runs. 2-0 Mets.

1:23 – Mike Jacobs strikes out. Just kidding. He just took strike one.

1:24 – Mike Jacobs strikes out. I mean it this time. Here comes Jason Bay to strike out. I hate this lineup with Jacobs in it.

1:26 – Two strike single to left field! Sweet, I love this lineup!

1:27 – Gary Matthews Jr pops out to the catcher in foul territory. I forgot he was batting 6th. Ugh. 2-0 Mets after 1.

- Top of the 2nd -

1:31 – Jorge Cantu pops out to the catcher in foul territory. I guess he was impressed with how well it worked out for Matthews.

1:32 – Dan Uggla grounds out to Wright at third. Wright’s defense is a little overrated. His Ultimate Zone Rating (basically his ability to turn balls hit into his area into outs) was a woeful -10.4 (I believe 0.0 is average). He did have two above average seasons in ’08 and ’09 so maybe his power struggles were related to an injury that also hurt him defensively.

1:34 – Matthews tracks down a ball in the gap for the third out. Hey, maybe he’s NOT the worst defensive centerfielder playing? I know, I know, sample size.

- Bottom of the 2nd -

1:37 – Francoeur just saw his 5th pitch of his at bat. That must be a record. Or he’s still asleep. He grounds out to third on pitch 6. Still, that at bat has to be considered a win for him, as far as outs go.

1:40 – Barajas flies out to shallow center. The catchers are terrible offensively this year. Hopefully they are as good defensively as advertised.

1:41 – Santana grounds out to first. Well, we don’t want him tiring himself out running the bases anyway. No that is NOT a defense of the DH. Dick. 2-0 Mets after 2.

- Top of the 3rd -

1:43 – Cora just made a sprawling stop to get Cody Ross leading off the inning. Ross apparently has a calf strain. It sounds like something Reyes would have been able to reach standing. Get well soon Jose!

1:48 – Gaby Sanchez singles up the middle after a lengthy at bat where he fouled off a bunch of pitches. Not what you’re looking for against the #8 hitter.

1:50 – Johnson sacrifices Sanchez to second. Well, at least Santana didn’t walk him. It was a little sketchy there for a minute.

1:52 – Coghlan pops out to Jacobs in foul territory who doesn’t drop the ball or fall down trying to catch it. So he’s better than Mo Vaughn? My mom laughed at that.

- Bottom of the 3rd -

1:56 – Cora grounds out to the pitcher. I think that’s the extent of his power.

1:58 – Castillo works out a walk. That’s better than last at bat!

1:59 – Castillo steals second! It's a dangerous play because you don’t want to run into outs with Wright up. Until he falls apart, I guess.

2:04 – Wright works out a walk. It was a great at bat. Too bad Jacobs is going to strike out.

2:06 – Jacobs strikes out. Yep, you can’t make this up.

2:10 – Bay strikes out. This is going to happen a lot, especially with Jacobs and Bay back to back. 2-0 Mets after 3.

- Top of the 4th -

2:13 – Santana strikes out Maybin. According to the announcers he is just over-matched by Santana’s change up. I like hearing things like this.

2:15 – Single for Hanley Ramirez. Cora had no chance but Reyes might have, I assume from what I saw on the radio.

2:17 – Ramirez steals second. Damn, I was hoping that wouldn’t happen as much this year with these catchers.

2:21 – Cantu walks. The pitch count is rising…

2:23 – Matthews catches a ball in the gap and then lazily throws it back in allowing both runners to advance. At least he made the catch?

2:24 – Paulino pops out to shallow center. This game might be decided by the bullpens.

- Bottom of the 4th -

2:30 – We join this inning already in progress. Jeff Francoeur just walked. I hope I didn’t die taking a leak. I don’t want to be discovered holding my cock.

2:33 – Barajas popped to shallow center and the ball drops in front of Maybin. We’ll go ahead and call that a lucky hit. Bases loaded, apparently Matthews got on base. Good for you Gary!

2:34 – Santana pops out. Well he’s probably pissed, but at least he didn’t hit into a double play. 1 out.

2:34 – Cora lines into a double play. Bases loaded, nobody out…0 runs. Hey, nice lineup you’ve got there Jerry! 2-0 after four.

- Top of the 5th -

2:37 – Cody Ross pops out to Castillo to lead off the fifth. Keep those at bats short and outs Florida!

2:42 – Sanchez flies out to right. Pitcher coming up. Let’s make this a quick inning Johan!

2:43 – 3 pitch strike out. Nice, quick inning. Maybe he’ll be able to pitch into the 7th?

- Bottom of the 5th -

2:46 – Castillo grounds out to short.

2:47 – Wright lines out sharply to third. He knocked over the thirdbaseman who held onto the ball. That’ll learn you for making David out! Mmmm…making out with David…wait, what?

2:48 – Jacobs is coming up to strike out. I lied, he popped out weakly to second in far and away his most productive at bat of the game. I think I hate the Mike Jacobs era. Get well soon Murph! 2-0 Mets after 5.

- Top of the 6th -

2:50 – Coghlan singles to lead off the 6th.

2:55 – Still a runner on first after a visit from a coworker. What did I miss?

2:56 – Coghlan steals second. Barajas never even got a grip on the ball to throw it. Overall I’m unimpressed with the quality of his base stealing prevention. By the way, there’s 1 out. Er, 2 outs. Ramirez strikes out. Oh, he struck out Maybin, too. 2 outs, runner on second.

2:59 – Double for Cantu to drive in the run. 2-1. Close play at second base where Cantu was called safely. The throw beat the runner and Castillo apparently missed the tag. Hey, only 2 years and $12 million left on that contract!

3:00 – The crowd boos as replays show Cantu was out.

3:03 – Unintentional intentional walk. Uggla didn’t cooperate by swinging at ball four. What a dick. 100 pitches for Santana. I guess no pitching in the 7th.

3:05 – Paulino flies out to center. Santana’s day is probably done. That was harder than it had to be. Thanks, ump.

- Bottom of the 6th -

3:09 – Bay leads off with a triple! Hey, welcome to Citi Field Jason! That would have been a single at Fenway.

3:11 – Matthews walks. First and third, nobody out. I’m guessing they don’t score. The Marlins pull Johnson. That can only help the Mets.

3:15 – Francoeur hits a sacrifice fly to center, Bay scores easily. 3-1 Mets. Hey, they didn’t completely fuck it up!

3:17 – Pickoff attempt gets thrown into the dugout, Matthews gets second. And Barajas follows with a double to straightaway center to score Matthews. Wow, that’s like exactly the opposite of fucking it up! 4-1 Mets.

3:18 – Pagan pinch hits for Santana and drives in Barajas with a single. 5-1 Mets to bring up the top of the order and another pitching change for the Marlins. Wow, it’s like I knew what I was talking about!

And on that note, I have to retire. I’ll listen to a little more of the game, but hopefully it will be over before I get back to it.


The game was over before I could get back to it, but the Mets bullpen turned in 3 scoreless innings after I turned off the game and they won going away 7-1. That officially makes April 5, 2010 the first and (potentially) last day the Mets have a better record than the Yankees. No game Tuesday so I still don't get to find out if the move to DirecTV will result in me being able to actually WATCH the games.