MLB Playoff Picture 2010- World Series

by Mike Trovato


After six months of play, just two teams remain in the quest for greatness. The Texas Rangers and the San Francisco Giants were favored by no one coming into the playoffs, but both needed just six games to knock off the 2009 pennant winners from their respective leagues.

Tonight, the Rangers and Giants will play Game One of the 2010 World Series, and within the next ten days, only one will be left standing as Champions of Major League Baseball.

Texas Rangers

Texas handled the reigning World Champion New York Yankees on all fronts, out-pitching and outhitting the most productive lineup in baseball during the regular season. Slugging center fielder and MVP candidate Josh Hamilton hit .350 with a 1.000 slugging percentage, belting 4 homers and 7 RBI against New York to take the ALCS MVP honors. The Rangers clubbed 14 doubles against Yankee pitching, en route to a collective .304 average for the ALCS. A stellar performance by Colby Lewis the Game 6 clinched Texas' first World Series berth in franchise history. Lewis shut the Yankees down, whiffing 7 and allowing just 7 base runners through 8 innings of one-run ball. More importantly, the Rangers advanced without needing to throw Cliff Lee in a Game 7, meaning Ron Washington will throw his ace in Game 1 of the Fall Classic.

San Francisco Giants

In the NLCS, San Francisco's offense held its own against a Philadelphia Phillies rotation that was expected to silence the Giants' bats. Instead, it was the Phillies bats that were held in check by Giants pitching, managing just 3 home runs and a mere .214 team average against the young arms of Lincecum, Cain, Sanchez and Bumgarner. Though the Giants didn't hit all that well either, they received a boost from one of their mid-season acquisitions, outfielder Cody Ross. Ross accounted for 3 of the Giants' 4 home runs in the series, but two of them powered San Francisco past Phils ace Roy Halladay in Game 1. The 4-3 victory became the trademark for Bochy's squad, as three of their four victories came in one-run fashion, sealed up by flame-throwing closer Brian Wilson.

Analysis

Obviously, the way teams match up are a huge factor in how interesting a series can be. Some series are a matchup of two dominant offensive teams, other times a pitcher's duel seems eminent. But the stark contrasts in the way these two teams match up is what makes the 2010 World Series even more intriguing.

The Giants have not faced an offense as potent as that of the Texas Rangers all season long, playoffs or otherwise. Texas produced 787 runs and hit .276 as a team during the season, and is averaging nearly 5.4 runs per game this postseason, including 38 runs against the Yankees. On the other hand, the Rangers have not faced a pitching staff as dominant as the Giants pitching staff. San Francisco owned a 3.36 team ERA, the lowest in baseball this season, and only the Atlanta Braves had a lower ERA than San Francisco's 2.37 throughout the postseason.

Offensively, the Giants have remained consistent with their regular season output, and actually tallied a lower team average than they did during the season. For that reason, San Francisco may have less to fall back on, as their pitching is by far their main strength. Yet, that was the case in the NLCS, against a better pitching staff than Texas, yet they still managed a win against Roy Halladay.

What may prove to be a deciding factor is the Rangers pitching. Texas has overachieved against what is supposed to be "elite" competition during the playoffs, with ERAs and opponent batting averages significantly lower than what they were during the course of the regular season. The Rangers bullpen was strong as well, as their relievers held a solid 2.25 ERA against the Yankees. That said, Texas may be able to rely on their pitching to get them through, should their hitting falter. Another interesting foot note is that Texas will have to field Vladimir Guerrero while playing by National League rules at AT&T Park. Interestingly enough, the pitching matchups may offset the defensive drop-off, as the Rangers will throw Lee and C.J. Wilson, two lefties, in Games 1 and 2.

Prediction

Texas by far has the better hitting and is much better on the base paths than the Giants are. Although, so were the Giants' last opponents, and things turned out alright for them so far. The starters between Lee and Lincecum's projected starts can go either way, though I do like Cain, but it can't be ignored that the Giants have not faced a well-rested Cliff Lee. Despite his regular season numbers, Lee is a bona fide force on the mound in playoff baseball, with a career 7-0 postseason record and 1.26 ERA, including two World Series victories in 2009. It would be very difficult to see the Giants having much success should they have to face Lee three times, in the event of a Game 7, though I don't think it will go that far.

Rangers defeat Giants, 4 games to 2

MLB Playoff Picture 2010- National League Championship Series

by Mike Trovato

San Francisco Giants (92-7) vs. Philadelphia Phillies (97-65)

def. ATL 3-1 in NLDS def. CIN 3-0 in NLDS

San Francisco Giants
Offensively, the Giants weren't something to write home about against the Braves in the NLDS. Despite 3 RBI apiece from mid-season acquisitions Cody Ross and Pat Burrell, only Rookie of the Year candidate Buster Posey appeared totally locked in at the plate, going 6-for-16 (.375), the only Giant to hit above .300 for the series. As a small consolation, San Francisco did have the highest NL slugging percentage in round one. a less-than-stellar .295. But then again, no National League team has hit a lick in this year's playoffs, and in a series dominated by pitching, the Giants 11 runs in four games was still enough to knock off Bobby Cox's Atlanta Braves.

Yet, despite the best collective pitching performance by any team in the postseason, the Giants young guns have been overshadowed amidst all the talk about no hitters and whatnot. So here's some recognition: The San Francisco Giants starting pitching is the best in the 2010 playoffs thus far; their miniscule 0.93 ERA and 11.17 strikeouts per inning ratio rank first among all playoff teams through one round of competition.

Still, no one seems to be talking very much about them, at least not in terms of them being a serious contender. Tim Lincecum's 14 strikeouts in his complete game two-hit shutout was about as good a performance as you will see, no-no's aside. At least that got some chatter; Matt Cain and Jonathan Sanchez truly got a raw deal. Cain threw 6.2 scoreless innings in Game 3 on the heels of Sanchez' gem. Sanchez fanned 11 in 7.1 innings in Game 2, and he too allowed just two hits, though he did allow one whole run to score.

Say what you want about "H20," but here's one better- Lincecum, Cain and Sanchez abbreviated is LCS, granted, Madison Bumgarner doesn't fit into any acronyms... Joking aside, yes, give credit where it is due to H20, as it is an incredible 1-2-3 tandem. However, one through four, no team has it better right now than San Francisco. Consider that with an average age of the four starters being a peach fuzzy 24.5 years, the Giants have a legitimate, stone cold quartet of starting pitching capable of unbelievable things in the future, and the future could very well be right now.


Philadelphia Phillies
Three is a significant number when it comes to cliches about luck like, "third time's a charm" or three-leaf clovers. For the Philadelphia Phillies, good things seem to come in threes. Presently, the Phils are relying their three top-notch starting pitchers to get them to their third consecutive World Series. In their case, however, luck may not even be necessary.

Roy Halladay has gotten himself acquainted with life in the playoffs quite nicely, although as good as he is, I think he walks one two many batters... Honestly though, what more can you say about a postseason no hitter? Now, I don't consider myself an expert on things of this nature, but come the 7th inning, there was no question about it, it was going to happen. It wasn't one of those "hush hush," let's not jinx this kind of deals. It was unjinxable. Halladay didn't just silence the Reds' bats, he killed more bats than PETA would allow in the literal sense. It was masterful, the single-handed most mechanically methodical manhandlings of a lineup I have ever seen. When all was said and done, Hallday's no hitter essentially marked the only one-game series in playoff history.

What Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels did from that point on was merely a formality. Hamels was brilliant, though his sweep-clinching complete game shutout paled in comparison to the aforementioned Halladay. Oswalt in the middle wasn't great, but he didn't really need to be. The series, for all intents and purposes, ended in Game 1.

Analysis
This may be one of the most intriguing series there could be to pick for, and here's why. Offensively, the difference between the Giants and the Phillies is significant; the Phillies are vastly superior to San Francisco at the plate. However, the progression of pitching matchups is so phenomenal that it's mind-boggling: Lincecum vs. Halladay; Sanchez vs. Oswalt; Hamels vs. Cain. When it comes down to it, this has the potential to be one of the lowest scoring Championship Series of all-time.

With such tight matchups through Game 3, two things come to the forefront becoming exponentially more critical, the Game 4 starters and the bullpens. The Giants clearest edge lies in Game 4, as they are expected to throw Madison Bumgarner against Joe Blanton. While that would likely change if one team is up 3-0, I don't anticipate that being the case.

As far as relief pitching goes, in limited work the Philly bullpen was technically better, but the sample size for the two 'pens is quite small. Collectively, the Phillies (4 IP) and Giants (9 IP) bullpens amassed just 13 innings, with Charlie Manuel's relievers nibbling at the scraps of 4 innings thrown to them in Game 2. The Giants bullpen has been elite, particularly during the final month of the season, but the caveat here is not to compare the two bullpens to each other, but to the respective lineups they will face. The Philadelphia relievers won't have to face the likes of Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Jayson Werth on the limited occasions they will be needed. In that regard, the Phillies have the edge.

Prediction
If there's one team equipped to match up against such a juggernaut offense in a best of seven series, I'd have to say it's the Giants. Lincecum certainly has the tools to at the very least not split two head-to-head decisions with "Mr. Doctober." With the luxury of Madison Bumgarner in Game 4, the Giants won't need anyone a third time around, and can very well roll with their top 3 for as long as they will take them. Although that could be 9 strong, logic still dictates that inevitably the bullpens will be called upon, and when that time comes, the Phillies offense stacks up better against the Giants than the Giants bats against the Phillies.

It seems too easy to go ahead and pick another Yankees-Phillies World Series showdown, seeing how both teams are the favorites. It seems that all the Phillies need to do is score first, and they can turn on the cruise control from that point on. I know it won't be that simple, and the Giants will put up a fight. But as much as I'd like to pick the upset here, my gut won't allow it, and I can't justify calling the upset just for the sake of calling it. When it's too close to call, you go with the better team. In my heart of hearts, I know that when it comes down to it, the Phillies are the better team.

Phillies defeat Giants, 4 games to 3

MLB Playoff Picture 2010- Division Series (Part 2)

by Mike Trovato

Last but not least...

Atlanta Braves (91-71) vs. San Francisco Giants (92-70)

Atlanta Braves
Overview: Of all the managerial changes we will see this offseason, the most notable will be the replacement of Bobby Cox after 25 seasons in Atlanta. The changing of the guard has already been evident on the field, with Chipper Jones being the last remaining piece of the Braves dynasty of the 90's. Rookie Jason Heyward has been a sparkplug for a Braves offense that has been plagued by injuries all season long. No Braves position player appeared in more than 147 games, contributing to what at best an average offense throughout the season.

The pitching staff has carried Atlanta through the rough offensive patches, ranking seventh in fewest walks allowed (505), sixth in strikeouts (1,241), tied for sixth in opponents batting average (.246), 3rd overall in ERA (3.56), and best in the league in home runs allowed (126). The most dominant stretch of pitching began on April 30th, the day after the Braves had lost their 9th consecutive game. At that point, Atlanta was in last place with a record of 8-14, five games behind the first place Mets. That all changed on the 30th, as Braves began a run of .667 baseball, compiling a 44-22 record through the All-Star break.

Over those 66 games, Atlanta lost just eight games in May, and Braves pitching held its opponents to 3 runs or less in 41 of those contests. By the time of the mid-summer classic, they had propelled themselves into first place, four games up on New York in the standings. Although Cox's squad squandered a seven game lead in the final two months, they managed to cling to the wildcard spot on the season's final day.

Mid-Season Acquisitions: 1B Derrek Lee, IF Alex Gonzalez, OF Rick Ankiel

San Francisco Giants
Overview: All the talk about pitching in the National League has been about the Philadelphia Phillies, But led by the reigning two-time Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum, San Francisco's pitching staff posted a league-best 3.36 ERA, and was the only club to strike out over 1,300 batters (1,331). Over the final month of the season, the Giants pitching has been surreal. In the starting rotation, the combination of Lincecum, Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez and Madison Bumgarner combined for a dazzling 141 innings, allowing just 97 hits and 30 walks while striking out 150 en route to a collective 1.66 ERA and 13-4 record. As for the bullpen, Giants relievers held opponents to a .164 batting average in September, striking out 60 while allowing just 49 batters to reach base.

With Pat Burrell leading a re-vamped Giants outfield, the revival of Aubrey Huff's career and the emergence of rookie catcher Buster Posey, Bruce Bochy's crew climbed its way out of fourth place in the NL West. The Giants bats woke up after the All-Star break, slugging the most home runs (80) in the National League, while the pitching staff got even more stingy. In the second half of the season, the Giants recorded a 3.20 team ERA and saved a Major League best 36 games behind closer Brian Wilson. Burrell was a force replacing Pablo Sandoval in the middle of the lineup, slamming 18 home runs and driving in 51, compiling a .872 OPS in the process.

Key Mid-Season Acquisitions: OF Pat Burrell, OF Jose Guillen, OF Cody Ross, RP Chris Ray

Prediction: Offensively, the Braves and Giants are actually pretty similar:

• Stolen Bases: Giants 55; Braves 63
• Strikeouts: Giants 1,099; Braves 1,140
  
• Slugging: Giants. .408; Braves .401
• Neither team had a player reach 90 RBI

Although both teams are similar over the course of the season in pitching stats as well, there are three factors that will separate Atlanta and San Francisco in this series- experience, rest and momentum.

When it comes to pitching, the Braves have experience on their side. Bobby Cox's Game 1 starter Derek Lowe has amassed a career 3.33 ERA in 82 2/3 postseason innings. Atlanta's Game 2 starter Tim Hudson has a 3.97 playoff ERA with 47 2/3 innings under his belt. Then there's Billy Wagner. As good as he has been for Atlanta this season, Wagner has a horrendous postseason line, an ERA over 10.00 in 11 1/3 innings pitched. Of the Giants three projected NLDS starters, none have ever thrown a pitch in baseball's second season.

In the bullpen, each team has five what I call "regular" relief pitchers-that is, relievers with over 50 appearances on the season. In this regard, San Francisco holds the clear edge. Of the Giants five regular relief men (Brian Wilson, Sergio Romo, Jeremy Affeldt, Santiago Casilla and Guillermo Mota), all besides Mota lowered their ERA in the second half of the season. Conversely, Takashi Saito was the only Braves reliever to log a lower ERA post-All-Star break than before it. Every other regular- Johnny Venters, Peter Moylan, Eric O'Flaherty and Wagner- saw their ERA rise as the season wound down. As far as rest is concerned, the Giants bullpen got it down the stretch, pitching just 75 1/3 innings over the final month. Braves relievers racked up 107 2/3 innings, which could leave Atlanta's 'pen out of steam.


The third factor, the one that bodes well for Bruce Bochy's young Giants staff is momentum. Momentum can disrupt a level playing field, and in this regard the Braves have none. Bobby Cox's club compiled an uninspiring 14-16 record over their last 30 games. The Giants on the other hand enjoyed an 18-8 September in which their pitching staff's ERA almost matched their opponents' average against them (1.78 ERA, 1.82 BAA). Being that this series should be a relatively low-scoring affair, that spells a major role for the bullpens, which will be the difference maker in favor of San Francisco.

Giants defeat Braves, 3 games to 1

Catching up

by Mike Trovato

It's been a busy couple of weeks, hence the lack of new posts recently, so I thought I'd catch up and weighing in on a few things. I'll get to the Jets season some time this week, but for how, here's a taste of the Jets, plus some Mets flavor, and a bit of random ranting...


J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS

For those of you that picked the Jets over Giants in the last poll, good call. My predictions were a bit off; the closest thing I picked was the score, and Leon Washington had about 50 more all-purpose yards than I expected. I played it conservative with Mark Sanchez, but in his first action as the official New York Jets starting quarterback, he was even more impressive than I had anticipated.
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/2009/08/26/2009-08-26_jets_make_right_call.html
Sanchez will undoubtedly have his share of rookie road bumps, but from what I've seen and heard, the USC product seems to be as good as advertised. His footwork has gotten high praise, as have his mental awareness and football smarts.

As one WFAN host pointed out, Sanchez spoke after the game about his touchdown pass to Chansi Stuckey, a play that added 6 to the scoreboard but ended with number 6 on the ground, having hung in long enough to release the throw before being drilled. The play itself was a positive, but more impressive were the QB's post game comments. Sanchez explained his thought process as he hit the ground, having the awareness to determine his plan of action based on the crowd's reaction. Despite not being able to see the play unfold, Mark had the presence of mind to know that a loud roar would mean his pass had been intercepted, and that he would need to get to his feet to make a defensive play.

I know it's early, but I'm buying whatever Sanchez is selling. I mean what's not to like? The kid is gutsy and smart, and on top of his physical skill set, he appears to be ahead of the curve when it comes to maturity, regardless of his lack of experience. The fact that he doesn't need to learn these small nuances will help accelerate his development, and hopefully pay immediate dividends in year one of the Sanchez/Rex Ryan era.
http://www.nptelegraph.com/articles/2009/09/06/sports/local_sports/10001738.txt
In other Gang Green headlines, running back Danny Woodhead was among four Jets released Saturday. Woodhead became a significant part of the preseason buzz with his impressive rushing performance against the Eagles, piling up 158 yards on 18 carries.

The former Division II standout at Chadron State set the all-time rushing NCAA record, and is second to Brian Westbrook in NCAA history in all-purpose yards. It would have been great to see Woodhead stick in New York, but with Thomas Jones, Leon Washington and 2009 third round draft pick Shonn Greene, there just wasn't enough room on the roster for Woodhead.

Only San Francisco's Glen Coffee and New England's BenJarvus Green-Ellis had more rushing yards this preseason, and I can't imagine he'll be out of work for very long. He'll catch on somewhere else, maybe in a place like Cleveland. Hell, with half of the Browns roster space being occupied by ex-Jets, why not one more? Frankly, I hope he doesn't become a Brown. I'd much rather see him add depth to a team like Cincinnati, Kansas City, Houston, Jacksonville, St. Louis, Green Bay, Chicago... pretty much anywhere but Eric Mangini's Browns.


MEET THE METS

The amount of injuries the New York Mets have had this season is utterly absurd, and I've documented this in several posts (feel free to take a glance back at those links on the right side over there and revisit all the fun trips to the DL). Yes it's September, the last month of the season, but who exactly are these guys on the pitching staff?

With Johan Santana recovering from elbow surgery and the rest of the rotation injured as well, Mike Pelfrey, the back end of the 2008 rotation, is now the Mets number 1 starter. After that? Try Redding, Figueroa, Parnell and Misch.

Tim Redding was signed this past offseason as the potential fifth starter, but lost that spot to Livan Hernandez in spring training. Nelson Figueroa has bounced around, having played for four major league teams, as well as professionally in Japan and Mexico. Bobby Parnell was an emerging young arm in the bullpen, having spent time as the 7th inning man as well as filling in for J.J. Putz as Francisco Rodriguez' setup man. Before September began, Pat Misch entered September tied for most starts without a win, ever. Clearly, this group was not the blueprint for success when the Mets were mapping out this season's starting rotation.

Bobby Parnell has had the most trouble, but has shown potential here and there. He has had two scoreless outings in five starts since making the switch from the bullpen. Parnell held the Giants scoreless, striking out 7 with 0 walks and 3 hits in his first start back on August 14th. His next three starts were brutal (12.2 innings, 22 earned runs, 7 BB, 6 K), but he matched his 7 strikeout performance over 7 innings in his last start, another scoreless outing. As for the rest of the crew, the Mets new starters have performed very well over their last few starts, respectively.

In three starts since joining the rotation, Tim Redding has lowered his ERA by 0.83 runs. In his first start since July, he gave up just one hit to the Phillies over 5 strong innings on August 22nd; he subsequently pitched 6 2/3 innings in each of his next two outings, giving up 5 runs while striking out 11 and walking just 3.

Nelson Figueroa struck out a career-high 10 batters over 7 two starts ago in a 4-1 win over Chicago, and followed with 8 more K's against the Cubs back at Citi Field, though he took the loss.
http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/2009/09/04/alg_misch2.jpg
Pat Misch has made 2 outstanding starts, lasting 7 innings in each and allowing 3 earned runs total. Misch recorded his first career victory on September 3rd, avoiding breaking the record for most winless starts to begin a career.

If you take the starts made by Redding, Figueroa and Misch since being forced to leave the bullpen, their numbers are actually pretty impressive: 8 starts, 50.1 IP, 15 ER, 40 K, 14 BB. Let's put this into a bit of a perspective...

• Chris Carpenter (15-3, 2.28 ERA) is a top candidate for this year's NL Cy Young Award.
  
• Tim Lincecum is the reigning NL Cy Young winner.
• C. C. Sabathia won the AL Cy Young in 2007, and leads the American League in wins, along with Justin Verlander.
  

Last 8 starts:
Chris Carpenter: 7-0, 58 IP, 15 ER, 43 K, 12 BB
C.C. Sabathia: 6-1, 57 IP, 19 ER, 64 K, 9 BB
Tim Lincecum: 3-2, 60.2 IP, 14 ER, 65 K, 18 BB
Justin Verlander: 5-2, 58.2 IP, 24 ER, 63 K, 11 BB
Redding/Figueroa/Misch: 3-2, 50.1 IP, 15 ER, 40 K, 14 BB

The most stark contrast lies in the strikeout totals, but otherwise, the Mets trio has less walks and as many wins as Lincecum over his last 8 starts, and less earned runs than Sabathia and Verlander over their previous 8, respectively. While their innings are less, keep in mind that both Redding and Figueroa were limited in the first of their starts as they were making the transition back to starting from the bullpen.

Obviously, there is no real comparison between the Mets current starters and the league's elite. Given given the futility of the remainder of the season, maybe it's the lower expectations that has lifted some pressure from these men. They likely won't figure into the Mets 2010 blueprints- at least not in the same capacity- it's not entirely out of the question, especially if the Mets choose not to shell out big bucks for some pitching. While it's definitely not the best case, or what any Mets fan really wants, the bottom line is that Redding, Figueroa and Misch have stepped up and filled in admirably under the circumstances.


RANDOM RANTING

Fact: Mike Pelfrey pitched 8 innings of 5-hit ball against the Cubs on Sunday. Despite a pitch count of just 105, Jerry Manuel lifted Pelfrey to give Francisco Rodriguez a chance to pick up a save, as they have been hard to come by. Pelfrey wanted to pitch the 9th, but Manuel wouldn't have it. In a postgame interview, Manuel asserted that he was confident that Big Pelf would have a solid finish to the season...

Rant: Really, Jerry? Are we forgetting that his last two starts? The ones in which he surrendered totals of 11 runs, 17 hits and 10 walks? I guess we are. Sure, this was a solid outing, and let's hope he keeps it up. But seriously, what about it makes you so confident that Pelf's inconsistency is going to vanish overnight? I hope you're right, but let's temper those expectations just a tad, at least until he puts two good starts together.

Fact: Carlos Beltran is expected to return to the Mets on Tuesday. Likewise, the Mets anticipate that John Maine will be activated to pitch this upcoming Sunday.

Rant: Great news. This team is gradually returning back to normalcy. Welcome back, fellas.

http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/002q6tE1n4b5Y/520x.jpg
Fact: The New England Patriots traded Richard Seymour to the Oakland Raiders for a first round draft pick in 2011.

Rant: After gift wrapping Matt Cassel and Mike Vrabel for Kansas City for one, yes, one draft pick... after the retirement of Rodney Harrison this offseason and then Tedy Bruschi this week... Somehow, 29 year-old Pro Bowl Defensive Tackle Richard Seymour managed to become expendable, and traded not even for a pick in 2010, but 2011!! The Patriots have the foresight of Nostradamus, and have their 2011 pick, possibly a current high school senior, already in the bank. Bill Belichick has sold his soul to Satan. There is no other explanation.

Fact: Shawne Merriman was arrested on charges for choking and restraining girlfriend Tila Tequila.

Rant: You stay classy, San Diego (Charger). With all the buzz about the image of the NFL, between Michael Vick's controversial return to the league, Donte Stallworth's DUI manslaughter, and Plaxico Burress' nightclub shenanegans, I'm sure Roger Goodell was hoping for just one more dumb incident like this. Maybe Merriman was mad that Tila didn't want to turn the lights out...

Wright's clutch bat leads Mets to 2-0 start on west coast

by Mike Trovato

I don't know what has gotten into David Wright lately, but whatever it is, I hope it doesn't leave him any time soon.

The way I see it, it can be one of two things. Either David Wright plays his best baseball in weather above 60 degrees, or he is beginning to mature into the leader the New York Mets envisioned him to be. While it never hurts to be playing baseball in beautiful, warm weather, I'm going to go on record in saying that I believe this is the beginning of the next phase of David's promising young career.

Wright has never been a fast starter; statistically, April is by far his worst month in every category related to batting. It is also easy to see the drastic improvement in his play at the plate since May 1st. David has raised his batting average by 61 points from a modest .280 to a boisterous .341, batting a ridiculous .434 (23-for523 in the 14 games he has played thus far this month. He has reached base in half of his plate appearances (.500 May OBP), and his .717 slugging percentage has him up an astonishing 129 points (.390 to .519).

Yet, as important as the numbers are, there is something more to be said for what David Wright is in the midst of accomplishing. Wright has faced a lot of scrutiny in light of the Mets' late-season failures over the past two years. Thrust into the role of "the face of the franchise" player, the three time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger could not seem to escape the critics who deemed him to be a soft player who lacked a killer instinct and competitive edge, despite his solid overall numbers at the end of an 162-game schedule. However, the significance of the past two games cannot be underestimated.

It is never easy for a team to embark on a 10-game road trip to the opposite coast. In fact, as Gary Cohen pointed out during Thursday night's game on SNY- if I did hear this correctly- the New York Mets had not won the first game of a 10-game west coast road trip since 1988. After dropping two of three to the Braves, the Mets' momentum seemed to be slightly down, making them vulnerable to another rough start to a cross-country trip. Instead, the Mets opened their 4-game series with San Francisco with a 7-4 victory on Thursday, followed by an 8-6 win on Friday.

What makes these two wins so important is the way they were accomplished. In the series opener, the Mets took a 4-2 lead into the 8th inning on a solid pitching performance by John Maine, but found trouble when the Giants managed 2 runs off of Bobby Parnell in the bottom of the 8th, tying the game at 4 apiece. In a display that defied Met critics, the Amazin's did not falter, rallying for three runs in the top of the 9th inning off of Giants closer Brian Wilson.

It was indicative of everything the Mets hadn't done during the first month of the season, and showed undeniable heart, toughness, and fight. The rally started with a one out double by Carlos Beltran, who stole third base for the second consecutive game. Following a walk to Gary Sheffield, David Wright stood in the batters box and delivered a blow that knocked the Giants back, singling to right, scoring Beltran.

What happened next was unexpected, and in its essence, perfect. The double steal by Sheffield and Wright that followed the go-ahead RBI single was unexpected was not just a double steal. It was a statement, a cutthroat maneuver by a team that has found its edge. Rather than ease up, satisfied with a one run lead, the Mets held their foot to the throats of the Giants, threatening to score again. With now two men in scoring position, Ramon Castro delivered the knockout punch two batters later with a single that scored both runners.

Although the rally technically began with Beltran's double, what turned it into a rally was the clutch hit by David Wright. Those who insist on knocking Wright may have seen this as a one-time event, rather than an indicator of something more, but on the next night, David was at it again.Facing Cy Young Award winning phenom Tim Lincecum, Livan Hernandez and the Mets fell behind 5-1 by the second inning of Friday's game. The Giants' ace was rolling through the fifth inning, and despite hitting a rough patch in the 6th, found himself ahead 6-3 in the top of the 7th. Lincecum yielded a leadoff single to Luis Castillo, who stole second before Carlos Beltran reached base on a walk, lifting the 24 year-old from the game. A walk to Gary Sheffield loaded the bases for David Wright, who for the second straight night, provided the spark to ignite another Mets rally.

(click to watch Wright's 3-run double)
With the count 0-1, David scorched a double to left, a hit so hard that it reached the outfield wall, skipping past the speedy Fred Lewis. Castillo, Beltran and Sheffield all scored, tying the game at 6-6. The Mets pulled ahead with more clutch hitting in the 9th inning, again with Wright and Sheffield on the base paths, again with Brian Wilson on the mound. Wilson, attempting to throw Sheff out at third on a grounder by Ryan Church, threw wide of Pablo Sandoval, allowing Sheffield to score and Wright to advance to third. The very next batter Omir Santos hit a sac fly to right, scoring the run from third to give New York an 8-6 lead. Closer Francisco Rodriguez shut the door in the bottom of the 9th to earn his 11th save in 11 chances as a Met.

The two wins on the road are impressive, even more so off coming of the lost series to the Braves. Within the victories themselves are several other huge positive signs. The Mets have won both games without their dynamic shortstop Jose Reyes, who has been bothered by pain in his calf. They've won without Carlos Delgado, who is headed to the DL with an impingement in his hip.

As for what the Mets have had, their starting pitching has been good enough to keep them in games, going hand-in-hand with their new found spell of clutch hitting. And at the forefront stands David Wright. Over the two-game span, Wright is 6-for-8 with 6 RBI and 5 stolen bases, four of which came in a career-high performance on Thursday night, as the Mets also set a franchise record with 7 steals on the game.

David has done it all, and the best sign is that he has done it in the clutch, late in the game. Four of his 6 RBI and 2 of his stolen bases have come in the Mets' two late-inning comebacks. Say what you want, critics, but Wright has stepped up when the Mets need it most, without two of their regular stars to start a tough road trip, and to me that says one thing: David Wright is ready to be the leader of this team, not just in theory, but for real on the field.

Let's go Mets.