Game Thread: John "Cool Hand" Lannan and the Washington Nationals at New York's "Hated Mets" - 2008 Game 40 of 162.

by Patrick Reddington on May 13, 2008 9:45 AM EDT

Washington Nationals at New York Mets, May 13, 2008 7:10 PM EDT

On the Hill...

Two of John "Cool Hand" Lannan's thirteen Major League starts have come against New York, though he's yet to beat the Mets, going (0-1) over 11.2 IP, including a start here at Shea on 4/17 in which Lannan lasted 6.0 innings and gave up just 3 hits and 1 run with 0 walks and 11 K's in a game that saw Jon Rauch blow a save opportunity and Joel Hanrahan eventually...take the loss in a 3-2, 14-inning, viewer-endurance test. So far in '08, Lannan's (3-3) with a 3.40 ERA.

The New York Mets counter with John Maine, who, in '08 is (4-2) with a 3.00 ERA in 7 starts and 42.0 innings, and is (4-2) with a 4.84 ERA in 8 career starts against the Nationals. Maine last faced Washington on 4/16, earning a win for 6.2 innings pitched over which Maine surrendered 5 hits, 2 ER's and 1 HR. Maine's won four of his last five starts, allowing just 2 runs over six innings in the one loss, and though his ERA is higher (4.44 - 3.73) on the road than at home, in his five-year MLB career, Maine's (14-8) in 29 starts and 31 appearances whilst traveling...

The Bats, The Bats...

The Nationals hit double-digits in runs for the third time this season (11 against Philly, and 10 twice against the Mets), thanks mainly to Elijah Dukes' vocal bench support, but also thanks to...

Nick Johnson - 1 for 3, .239 AVG, 3 runs, 1 RBI, 2 walks.

Lastings Milledge - 1 for 4, .252 AVG, 1 2B, 1 walks, 2 RBI's.

Oliver Perez - 3 for 3, .312 AVG, 2 RBI's.

Nationals' #'s Against John Maine...

Ronnie Belliard - 9 for 13, .692 AVG, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI's.

Nick Johnson - 2 for 9, .222 AVG, 1 HR, 1 RBI.

Austin Kearns - 4 for 12, .333 AVG, 1 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI's.

Lannan Should Look Out For...

Luis Castillo - 2 for 5, .400 AVG, 1 HR, 2 RBI's.

Jose Reyes - 4 for 6, .667 AVG, 1 2B.

THURSDAY'S STARTER?...Updating the Continuing Story...

Washington Times writer Mark Zuckerman weighed in with a post entitled, "Ballgame Tonight?" at "Chatter: A Nats Blog", in which Mr. Zuckerman writes that the Nationals still:

"...need a starter for Thursday's game after shipping Mike O'Connor yesterday. Candidates include Matt Chico (currently in the bullpen), Jason Bergmann (whose next turn at Columbus lines up for Wednesday and could easily be bumped back a day) and if you believe Manny Acta, Jordan Zimmerman, who has been at Class AA Harrisburg for less than two weeks. Stay tuned."

A Federalbaseball.com MYSTERY... Federalbaseball.com will be going on assignment, this week, and no it's not to Shea Stadium, unless someone comes through with free tickets? No? Well, the assignment, which shall remain a mystery for now, is baseball-related, and should prove interesting for federalbaseball.com readers...A hint?...How about three...

Orange, NJ?...One of three to be the first to do something?...Jimmy Nelson?

7:10 pm EST again tonight at Shea Stadium for the second of four in New York for the Nationals. Last night's win broke a three game losing streak for DC. "Cool Hand" Lannan says, "...Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand." (ed. note - "John Lannan does not say this.")

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Random Mets' Fan Quotes...

“I’m tired of Rick Peterson…and his jacket.”
“As a life-long Mets’ fan, the last couple years, we’ve needed some ‘couch time.’”

by Patrick Reddington on May 13, 2008 2:01 PM EDT reply actions

Have you heard about the clapping kerfuffle?

Apparently N.Fig thought that the Dukes-led cheering for Lasto was “unprofessional.” He had a paragraph-long quote in the NYT harping about it. Oddly, he didn’t mention anything his lousy pitching and all the walks and hit batters and giving up a pair of hits to Perez. There was a short quote from Dukes to the effect of, “Aw, we were just having fun.” Milledge has a slightly longer quote to the effect of, “You don’t like it? Screw you, killjoy! Besides, we were just having fun.”

Crush Mets whiners! (CLAP, CLAP, CLAPCLAPCLAP)
Crush Mets whiners! (CLAP, CLAP, CLAPCLAPCLAP)

by Doghouse on May 13, 2008 3:03 PM EDT reply actions

You mean this quote...

- from MLB.com’s Marty Noble’s article, Highlights aplenty, but no win in end>

“They were cheering in the dugout like a bunch of softball girls,” he said. “I am a professional, I take great offense to that. ... They won tonight, but in the long run, look who they are, a last-place team. ... They should show a little more class and act a little more professional.” And then the kicker: “That’s why they are who they are.”

...and that’s why the Mets are who they are, Nelson!!

by Patrick Reddington on May 13, 2008 3:45 PM EDT reply actions

Didn't the Mets learn last season, when Reyes' dancing po'd a Marlins team with nothing to play for in the final game of the season, to hammer NY out of the postseason?

by Patrick Reddington on May 13, 2008 3:47 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah, what Nelson said.........

.... softball girls…............................. I don’t think so. Maybe T-ballers.

by ottomanrx on May 13, 2008 5:36 PM EDT reply actions

Less bitching, more pitching...

...is my fave comment on this from Amazin’ Avenue. Meanwhile, Sosa and N.Fig both DFAed. Nats not only chase ‘em from the game, but from the bigs!

Crush Mets whiners! (CLAP, CLAP, CLAPCLAPCLAP)
Crush Mets whiners! (CLAP, CLAP, CLAPCLAPCLAP)

They could have at least held Sosa through the end of our series. I mean, c’mon, we may end up starting Chico and we still have Luis Ayala. Of course, if we get both Good Lannan and Good Maine tonight, it could be a more contemplative game.

by Doghouse on May 13, 2008 6:04 PM EDT up reply actions

I was fantastic at t-ball. Until they started using the curve-t.

by Patrick Reddington on May 13, 2008 7:08 PM EDT up reply actions

i LOVE the fact Figueroa was DFA'd today

he was who we thought he was. good for the Mets discarding a lippy, lousy pitching crybaby, who obviously got rattled by some clapping from the opposing dugout.

by Dave at Bottomfeeder Baseball on May 13, 2008 6:48 PM EDT reply actions