[7.19.27] – Mets 5, Cubs 0 – Valdes (4-5) in his second game back from the DL throws a complete game shutout, allowing four hits, four walks and strikes out five. Scalfaro (27) hits a 3-run shot in the 8th and has four total RBIs. Short (11) has three hits and scores three times.
[7.20.27] – Mets 9, Cubs 5 – The Mets complete the sweep and Gardner loses a chance at 11 wins by allowing the Cubs to put five on the board in the top of the 7th and take a 5-4 lead. The Mets had built that lead by hitting solo home runs in the 3rd 4th and 5th innings from Smith (31), Finley (18) & Pruitt (9), in that order.
In the bottom of the 7th the Mets hit two more solo home runs, Caraballo (15) and Gonzalez (7), who is still trying to get back to the Mendoza line. He's been across it four times this season, each time sliding back under. The Mets add three more in the bottom of the 8th and LeBlanc (6-1) scoops up another cheap win by throwing four pitches. Monje (4) gets a two inning save, striking out three.
The Mets (60-42) have won 10 of 11 and extend their lead in the NL East to six games over the Braves (who are 2-10 in last 12 and just lost their number two starter for 13 months) and 7 over the Phillies (who are 3-12 in their last 15).
[7.21.27] – Mets 9, Giants 4 – Williamson (7-4) picks up win 205 for his career and Benes flips Pruitt and Short in the lineup. Yes, the Mets now have a 42-year old short stop leading off who has stolen a total of three bases in five years.
Smith (32) gets four hits, scores three times and drives in two with his homer. Finley (19) also homers and drives in a pair. Every Mets starter had a hit and six different guys had RBIs. The winning streak reaches five games.
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| a random picture of the Pyramids |
After successful surgery in March he was just beginning his rehab assignment when he realized there was still pain. More tests revealed a rare degenerate muscle disease and he will no longer be able to pitch.
The youngster looked like he was going to be the next big pitching star in the NL. He had excellent stuff, movement and great control. [Stuff, Movement and Control are the three major stats for all pitchers on a scale of 1-100. When he suffered his injury Mahoney was 100/86/98.]
He was first drafted in the second round by the Pirates in 2019 in June and then in the 9th round later during the 2019 Expansion Draft by the Venezuela Lobos.
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| Mike 'Egyptian' Mahoney stats |
[7.22.27] – Giants 4, Mets 3 (18 innings) – The winning streak comes to an end in the bottom of the 18th inning after one of the most remarkable relief pitching performances ever.
Marquez 8ip 7h 3er 3bb 8k 1hr left on the losing side only to see the Mets tie it in the top of the 9th on a long sac fly from Gonzalez.
In extras, the Mets had their chances, first and third with one out and Scalfaro at bat in the 10th, bases-loaded and two outs for Wyatt in the 13th and single runners in three other innings, they would strand 17 in the game.
The Giants wished for runners in extras, after a single to open the 11th, the Giants wouldn't get another runner until the 17th inning. Monje 7.2ip 2h 8k was unreal. After allowing a single to open the 11th, he struck out the next batter, then induced an inning ending double play. He set down the next 17 Giants in order. The hit in the 18th was from the guy who grounded into the double play, he had gone through the line up twice. He then got the first out of the 18th and left to a standing ovation from the Giants crowd, well the ones remaining. Six pitches later the Giants gave another ovation, this time to Soshu 'Mosquito' Fujii as he circled the bases after a home run off Spence (3-1) who really shit the bed on this one. Fujii, a third baseman, was the number 1 prospect of this season and would be odds on favorite to win Rookie of the Year if the Giants hadn't given him 70 abs the season before. It's his 22hr of the season.
Smith goes 0-7 in a game for the first time in his career, Caraballo has four hits and Scalfaro (28) homered way back in the second.
Atlanta Braves 2b Jack West scores his
1000th run. The 32yo won the MVP in 2021, has made three All-Star trips, won a GG and two WS rings (2019,20) all in Atlanta. He was drafted as the 23rd pick in the 2013 draft. Oft
injured, he hasn't played more than 145 games in a season since 2021.
Those injuries might keep him from 3000 hits. The 331 lifetime hitter
only has 1760 hits in his first 11 seasons, but has missed almost 3
full seasons worth of games due to injuries. He has won two batting
titles, 365 in 2018 and 358 in 2021, his MVP season.Two weeks from now he tears a back muscle and won't be ready until the start of next season, missing the preseason.
[7.23.27] – Mets 8, Giants 2 – Valdes (5-5) goes 6.2 for the win and also drives in a pair with a double in the fourth. Smith (33) and Scalfaro (29) go back-to-back in the first and the Mets are up 3-0 before the Giants bat. Short gets five hits and scores three times.
The Mets (62-43) and have a 7 game lead on the Braves and 8 on the Phillies. Over the past 15 games the Mets have gone 12-3, while the Braves have gone 3-12 and the Phillies 4-11.
[7.24.27] – Phillies 10, Mets 5 – The fourth inning rain delay disrupted Fulton and he got wild when he returned in the fifth, an inning he failed to get through, although he didn't allow a run. The Mets add three in the bottom of the 6th to go up 4-0. After LeBlanc threw 1.2 hitless innings, Sheppard (2-2) and fails to get any of the five hitter he faces out. Alvarez faces two batters and both of them score on a home run. Fisher comes in and loads the bases with a walk, then walks home a run. He is able to get the final two outs, but the Phillies now lead 8-4.
[7.25.27] – Mets 10, Phillies 5 – Gardner (11-7) doesn't pitch great, but the offense picks it up and scores 10 in the first four innings. Four each in the first and fourth and two in the third. Smith (34) has three hits and scores three times, Finley (20) drives home four. Every starter gets a hit and seven of them score.
[7.26.27] – Phillies 5, Mets 4 – Williamson (7-5) lets a 4-0 lead slip away by letting Mark Schmidt hit a bases clearing double to put the Phillies up 5-4. Some wonder why Benes would have let him pitch to Schmidt in the first place. Pruitt (10) led off the game with a home run.
The Mets (64-45) still lead the Braves by 6 games and Phillies by 7.
The Pittsburgh Pirates defeat the Chicago Cubs 21-8. They put up 10 before Cubs get a chance to bat and hit three first inning home runs. Pirates star Edgar 'Preacher' Lopez hits a pair of 3-run home runs to drive in six.
[7.27.27] – Mets 3, Lobos 2 (10 innings) – Pinch hitter Mario Palacios creates the winning run himself. He walks to open the 10th, advances to second on sac fly to shallow left, steals third and then scores on a single through a drawn in infield. Rushton (1-5) got the win by pitching the 9th and 10th. With a ground out in the first Smith became the first person in either league to 100 RBI on the season, he also leads the NL in home runs (34) and is 4th in the batting chase at 351, 14 points behind the leader.
Pittsburgh Pirates 1b Antonio Feliciano drives in his 1000th run. The 2019 AL ROY he was traded from Cleveland to Pittsburgh in 2021 and has had the misfortune of being in the NL since that time. First base is the deepest position in the NL, starting with NY Mets Ralph Smith (the best player in the game), and he hasn't made the All Star team once since moving to the NL, but was an All-Star twice in his two full seasons in the AL.
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| Antonio Feliciano stats |
[7.28.27] – Mets 9, Lobos 6 – Valdes (6-5) pitches well enough for the win and the Mets offense again strikes early. Up 8-2 after four innings, Dickerson (2) has three hits and Scalfaro (30) drives in three.
The Mets get a scare in the bottom of the ninth when Rushton is forced to leave the game with arm issues. Monje (5) comes in for the save and will be the closer while Rushton is on the shelf. Early word says its dead arm syndrome and he'll be out about 3 weeks.
[7.29.27] – Mets 5, Lobos 4 – Fulton pitches 7 good innings, but Sheppard (3-2) blows the save. He is rewarded with the win when Pruitt (11,12) hits his second home run of the day, a solo shot in the 9th inning. Monje (6) strikes out two for the save.
The Mets (66-45) have an 8 game lead on the Braves and 9 on the Phillies, they have the best NL record by 2 games over the Brewers and one game over the AL leader, the Puerto Rico Eagle.
[7.30.27] – The Mets trade 26 year old right fielder Yukinaga Yamada (AAA) who had two cups of coffee with the Mets in 2024 & 2025 to the Houston Astros. An outstanding bunter, baserunner and an above average right fielder with very good speed. And a 19yo catching prospect Chan-seok Kim (A), a brilliant defensive catcher, but there are concerns about his bat at the major league level.
In return, the Mets get sp Choong-suk Ham (AAA), at 25 years old he's 13-4 2.60era 131.2ip in Round Rock AAA this season.
[7.31.27] Mets 3, Astros 2 – Gardner (12-7) goes 8 innings for the win and Monje (7) gets the save. Smith (35) has three hits including a home run. Former Mets second baseman Romeu Foreiro (21) got a standing ovation when he circled the bases on his home run. The 32yo Brazilian was the starter on the 2022 WS team and is still loved in NY.
He is having a career season and is all ready at career high in homers, 21, and his 75 RBIs ties his career high back in 2023 in NY and there's still 2 months in the season. He also made his first All-Star team this year.
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| Romeu Foreiro stats - oddly, my second Brazilian second baseman |
As the month came to a close, no team was hotter than the Mets, 17-4 in the last 21. They began the month tied with the Braves in first and the Phillies a game back. They end the month 8 in front of the Braves and 10 in front of the Phillies, who seem to be fading.
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