Schwei's Mets Notebook: The Midway Point, Murphy's 700th And More
By John Schweibacher
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The New York Mets reached the statistical midway point of the 2014 season with their 81st game played Saturday, posting a 37-44 record through 81 games.
Last season, the Mets were 35-46 through 81 games. 2013 and 2014 mark the first time since a five-year stretch from 1992 through 1996 that the Mets failed to post at least 40 wins through 81 games in consecutive seasons.
Eric Campbell went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a run scored and a run batted in filling in at third base for David Wright in the Mets' 5-3 win Saturday.
The last Mets starting third baseman other than Wright to have a game with at least three hits -- two of them doubles -- a run scored and one run driven in was Ty Wigginton back on September 27, 2003 in a 9-3 Mets victory against the Marlins in Florida. Wright has had 11 such games in his major-league career.
Josh Harrison knocked in the winning run with a two-out double in the 11th inning in the Pirates' 3-1 win over the Mets Friday night in Pittsburgh. It was the Pirates' seventh walk-off win of the season, the most for any major-league team. It was also the eighth walk-off loss for the Mets this season, also the most for any major-league team.
Here are the eight Mets losses in the bottom of the ninth or extra innings so far this season:
• 6/27/14: 3-2 (11) at Pittsburgh, (Josh Harrison double in 11th)
• 6/7/14: 5-4 at San Francisco, (Michael Morse single in 9th)
• 6/3/14: 2-1 at Chicago, (Nate Schierholtz single in 9th)
• 5/30/14: 6-5 (14) at Philadelphia, Reid Brignac single in 14th)
• 5/7/14: 1-0 at Miami, (Marcell Ozuna sac fly in 9th)
• 5/5/14: 4-3 at Miami, (Casey McGehee single in 9th)
• 5/3/14: 11-10 at Colorado, (Charlie Culberson 2run HR in 9th)
• 4/11/14: 5-4 (11) at LA Angels, (Hank Conger HBP in 11th)
The loss was the fourth 11-inning defeat for the Mets at Pittsburgh in club history. Only seven times in club history have the Mets lost on the road to the Pirates in more than 11 innings:
• 8/3/75: 5-4 (15), Duffy Dyer solo home run in 15th
• 9/20/87: 9-8 (14), Andy Van Slyke sac fly in 14th
• 8/17/67: 6-5 (14), Manny Mota single in 14th
• 5/26/94: 11-10 (13), Lance Parrish single in 13th
• 5/16/79: 4-3 (13), Mike Easler solo home run in 13th
• 8/4/92: 3-2 (12), Alex Cole single in 12th
• 8/12/77: 6-5 (12), Duffy Dyer single in 12th
Daniel Murphy recently surpassed the 700 games played mark in his major-league career. Only two players in club history have appeared in more game than Murphy without ever playing a postseason game for the Mets.
Here is the list of players who appeared in at least 600 regular-season games for the Mets, but did not play in a postseason game for the club:
• Todd Hundley: 829
• John Stearns: 809
• Daniel Murphy: 709*
• Dave Kingman: 664
• George Foster: 655
• Hubie Brooks: 654
• Doug Flynn: 639
• Jim Hickman: 624
• Joel Youngblood: 610
(*- through game of 6/29)
Chris Young had his first two-homer game for the Mets, going deep twice in the Mets' 10-1 win over one of his former clubs, the Oakland A's, last Tuesday night.
Young became the fifth player to have a multi-homer game for both the Mets and the Oakland A's. Young joins Mike Jorgensen, Claudell Washington, Dave Kingman and Rickey Henderson.
Schwei's Runs, Hits and Errors:
Runs: Stealing a Win -- The Mets tied a season-high with five stolen bases in their win Saturday. It was the 27th time in team history the Mets had five or more stolen bases in a game. The club record for steals in a game is six, accomplished five times.
Hits: Josh Edgin -- The Mets' reliever has retired all 20 first batters faced in 2014, a franchise record to start a season. The lefty also set down the first batter he faced in each of the last four appearances he made for the Mets in 2013.
Errors: Unlucky 13 -- The Mets lost to the Pirates, 5-2, Sunday despite having 13 hits. It was the 13th time in club history the Mets scored two runs or less with 13 or more hits and did not win the game.
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