"Pop" Goes the Weaver

Mets Get Jammed Up on Righty Jeff Weaver’s Curve and Lose Game 5 of NLCS
Copyright c 2006 Evan Pritchard

You’d think the Mets could beat the Cardinals with Tom Glavine on the mound versus Jeff Weaver, a righty who was kicked off the Angels earlier this year to make room for his kid brother Jerred. But they couldn’t. Instead they lost a big one 4-2, in a sea of pop-ups and fly balls. They got under it, and all we can do as Mets fans is get over it.

The Mets started off the first in a good way with two singles, and threatened but could not score, ending the frame with two left, with Wright striking out. Glavine gave up a lead off single to Eckstine but made Wilson and Pujols pop out and got Encarnacion to ground back to the pitcher.

In the second, Valentin popped out to center after Green grounded out. Chavez doubled and again the Mets threatened but did not score as Glavine failed to help his own cause at the plate. In the bottom of the inning, the Cards got Roland to first with a single, but after Edmonds struck out, Belliard got into a strike-em-out-throw-em-out double play as LoDuca nabbed Roland trying to steal second.

In the third, Reyes popped out to short, and LoDuca and Beltran flied to center. Weaver was jamming them inside for the most part, and getting them to swing under the ball and make easy outs. Glavine was doing the opposite at least at first, and in the bottom of the inning got three ground balls.

In the top of the fourth there was a bag delay as the field technicians tried to stick the NLCS first base bag stem into its hole to no avail. A regular bag was found and it worked perfectly. That delay rattled Weaver just a bit. Delgado walked then Wright popped to left. Green got a ground rule double to right, as a fan touched the ball, saving a run. But then Valentin doubled near the same spot and drove in two. The next two batters grounded out to end the inning. In the bottom of the fourth, Wilson flied to center, then as Glavine was pitching to his worst critic, Pujols, I sensed that Glavine was thinking about those insulting comments Pujols made about him earlier, and sure enough, Glavine spoon fed him a big fat pitch, and Pujols pounded it to left for a home run. Although the Mets still held the lead, that was the turning point of the game. From there, Glavine was humiliated, and everything got worse.

Encarnacion walked and Edmonds and Belliard both singled to right, scoring Encarnacion. Molina walked to reload the bases, but then Weaver failed to help his own cause as Glavine did earlier. It was 2-2.

Top of the fifth, Reyes again got under it, for a fly to center. LoDuca singled to right, then Beltran got a rare line drive that was caught in right, but Delgado popped to third base to end the inning. In the Cardinal half, Eckstein led off with a single, then Wilson doubled. Glavine was looking uncharacteristically beaten, and Randolph came out to see how he was doing. Badly! He told him to walk Pujols and take his time about it. It was Pujols, so I believe, that had shaken him up, rattled his cage. 16 consecutive scoreless innings, (not that Pujols was impressed) and now this! Encarnation came up with bases loaded, the pond full of Cardinals as it were. He singled to right and scored Eckstein. Bases loaded no outs. Roland struck out and then Pedro Feliciano got Edmonds to blast a ground ball to the deft-fingered Delgado who grabbed it barehanded and threw to the plate for a force play, one of the more inspired moments in the game. What swift reflexes, both mentally and physically! Belliard flied to left to end the inning.

Top of the sixth, the Mets behind 3-2, Wright flied out, Green grounded out, Valentin walked, and Chavez grounded to second, a disappointing inning. Weaver was using more tricks and getting ground balls as well as pop ups. Molina was out, so Duncan, the son of the team pitching coach Dave Duncan, came up to pinch hit for Jeff Weaver and hit a home run to put the Cards ahead 4-2 and the final score. Eckstine and Wilson went out quickly. Weaver had pitched six innings on only 95 pitches, many of them 91 mph.

Top of the seventh, Tucker pinch hit for Glavine facing Josh Kenney, and struck out. Reyes struck out too, and then LoDuca grounded to second. Kenney looked dominant and the Mets looked beat. Bottom of the frame, the Cards got two walks and a wild pitch off of Willie’s secret Ace in the Hole, Roberto Hernandez, who was throwing smoke, at 95 or better, and they threatened but failed to score.

In the eighth, Delgado got a one out single, followed by (at last!) a double from Wright into left, (who likes the movie Braveheart, so we learned on Fox TV) and then Flores was brought in to pitch to Green who flied to center. Wainwright came in to pitch to Valentin and got a strike out. Much ado about not much? Or brilliant strategy by the manager? Mota came in for the bottom of the eighth and got Molina on a ground ball to short, but then Miles, pinch hitting for Wainwright, got a triple. He was stranded when Eckstien popped to second and Wilson grounded to short.

The Mets went down easily in the ninth with two ground outs and then a strikeout by Reyes. Reyes had earned twice the walks in 2006 as ’05, but tonight he was unable to walk at all in five at-bats. One of the main factors in the game had to be the crazy strike zone, which kept changing on every throw. It hurt both pitching staves, but more clearly the Mets. There were pitches called strikes that were way outside or inside the zone. And then again some balls right over the plate that were called balls. I think that shook Glavine up as well as the batters. It was a tough night for people from Queens. The Mets went behind 3 games to 2. In fact, teams that go behind 3-2, win the League Championship Series more often than the opponent.