The 'Ropolitans

I had tickets tonight, pretty glad I didn't go.

The Mets got trounced by the Nationals in the first game of a four game series, taking game one by a score of 10-4. Notch this up as another frustrating loss for the New York Mets. And cue the Willie Randolph haters..now!

Nelson Figueroa made the start for the Mets, and tallied only one scoreless inning out of five. Figueroa allowed one run in the second, third, and fourth. He then let up three in the fifth inning. Of the six runs he allowed, four were earned.

He struggled with the control, allowing five hits and walking five. Figueroa struck out four while on the bump. Figueroa walked in a run in the third.

He was just not very effective, at all. Usually he feeds off the energy at Shea, but it seemed pretty dead tonight. He needs a big crowd behind him. I hate to say it, but Figueroa's magic may be running out.

Jorge Sosa stunk, again. Sosa's line: 1 IP, 4 hits, 4 earned runs, 2 BB, 1 K.

Cut him. Now.

Duaner Sanchez pitched a scoreless and hitless inning, striking out one. Joe Smith and Billy Wagner both looked excellent as they both struck out the side in their respective innings.

Beautiful. I love Joe Smith. Let me make it easy, Mets. Cut Sosa, keep Smith. It's not too hard.

The Mets pounded out 12 hits, but only managed four runs. Odalis Perez threw 6 1-3 innings, scattering 11 hits and only allowing four runs.

The team got on the board early, scoring one in each of the first three innings. Carlos Beltran picked up an RBI single in the first, driving in David Wright. In the second, Damion Easley crushed a solo home run to deep center field to lead off the inning. Easley picked up another RBI, driving in Moises Alou from second with a single to right. Alou, who doubled earlier in the inning, had a nice headfirst slide to beat the tag at home.

And from there, they were held in check until the seventh inning. I thought this was going to be one of those crazy blowouts where they can't help but score, but I couldn't have been more wrong. They looked flat. Perez wasn't excellent, there was no need for them to shut down like that. And for the love of everything holy, don't blame Willie.

Wright went yard with no one on base in the seventh.

Yay.

Game Ball: Easley.