Billy Wagner blew another game, his fourth of the season, for the Mets, in which Jose Reyes hit for the cycle, and the Mets overcame a 4-2 deficit to the visiting Cincinnati Reds. Wagner was able to get the first two batters of the Reds out in the ninth, including Ken Griffey Jr., but once again, he seemed to buckle under the pressure. Wagner walked two batters, then gave up an infield single down the third-base line, a ball which David Wright could have possibly let roll foul. Billy quickly got ahead in the count, getting no balls and two strikes on Brandon Phillips, but after a foul ball, Wagner gave up a two-run single to center-field. The Mets were now trailing 6-5, and after retiring John Valentin on strikes, Billy Wagner was loudly bood off the field by the Shea faithful. Wagner has blown four saves this year, one more than his total for the entire season last year with the Phillies. In the bottom of the ninth, Carlos Beltran managed a lead-off walk. Carlos Delgado was up next, and he was able to get the count to 3-1, but he took a pitch over the plate for strike two, and the next pitch he flied out to left field. Im not really sure why Carlos Beltran did not try for second on 3-1 or 3-2, as the Reds had an inexperienced pitcher on the mound, and Beltran has a ton of speed. David Wright followed by hitting into a double play that ended this wild game for the Metropolitans. The Mets look to salvage a split with the Reds tomorrow afternoon at Shea, with Pedro Martinez on the hill for the first-place Mets. On a bright note for the Mets, Jose Reyes hit for the cycle, becoming the ninth player in Mets history to accomplish the feat. The last player to hit for the cycle on the Mets was, oddly enough, Eric Valent, who did it on July 29, 2004, in a 10-1 victory over the Montreal Expos. The 49,758 Met fans in attendance cheered wildly and chanted Jo-se, Jose, Jose, Jose (think of the soccer chant Ole, Ole, Ole) as Reyes stood on first in the ninth, while the scoreboard in right-center field recognized the accomplishment. |
