The New York Mets have scored 52 runs in their last four games. They scored 14 runs on Saturday and Tuesday, 16 runs on Wednesday, and a paltry eight runs on Sunday. This stretch is obviously insane, and it was a four-game scoring record for the Mets. Here are ten things that came to my attention while trying to figure out what happened.
1. Jason Bay hit a grand slam
Prior to hitting the grand slam, Jason Bay had hit -1 home runs as a member of the Mets. The home run on Tuesday brought him up to 0.
2. Willie Harris was the DH for two of the four games
You might remember Willie Harris from such years as last year, when he hit .183. He was the designated hitter for the Mets for three of the four games in which they scored eight runs or more. Wilie Harris. Designated hitter. He was 3-for-10 with four runs scored and two RBI.
3. The 1985 Mets scored 14 runs or more five different times between July 4 and August 8
That team finished second in the NL East with 98 wins and missed the playoffs in a pre-Wild Card era. It was also a pretty interesting crew:
4. The Mets caused the ERAs of six pitchers to jump by more than a half-run
David Bush: before 4.72; after 5.45
Rick Porcello: before 4.50; after 5.06
Daniel Schlereth: before 2.96; after 4.91
Phil Coke: before 4.32; after 4.91
Al Alburquerque: before 1.95; after 2.79
David Purcey: before 0.77; after 3.58
The only thing that spared Alexi Ogando and Derek Holland a similar fate was that over half of the runs they allowed were unearned.
5. Ryan Perry's ERA went down after his involvement in the sordid affair
Perry, a reliever for the Tigers, came into Tuesday's game with a 9.95 ERA. He allowed a run, and left with a 9.88 ERA. On Wednesday, he pitched 2-1/3 innings and allowed a run, lowering his ERA to 9.00. Atta boy.
6. Mets' catchers went berserk in the four games
Sat. - Josh Thole: 2-4, BB, 2B, R, 2 RBI
Sun. - Ronny Paulino: 2-4, 2B, 2 R
Tues. - Josh Thole: 2-5, HR, R, RBI
Wed. - Ronny Paulino: 4-6, 2 2B, 4 R, RBI
7. Two of the Mets' best hitters are injured
Well, you knew that, but it's still pretty amazing that the 2011 Mets scored 52 runs in four games without Ike Davis or David Wright. In their place, the Mets started Dan Murphy, Justin Turner, and Lucas Duda, the latter of whom isn't even a real person.
8. The last Mets team to score 14 runs or more three different times in a single season was the 2005 Mets
Players with more than 250 plate appearances on the 2005 Mets: Doug Mientkiewicz, Miguel Cairo, Victor Diaz, Kaz Matsui, Marlon Anderson.
9. The Mets allowed 21 runs over the four games, winning them all
This is the first time the Mets have ever had a four-game winning streak after allowing 20 runs or more in the first four games. Maybe. I looked back to 2007 before my eyes glazed over. But it sure seems like that would be a fact. I do know that the Mariners have allowed 21 runs over their last eight games, and they're 2-6 during that stretch.
(Actually, when the Mets scored 50 runs in four games in 1990 -- the four-game scoring record they broke with this last four-game stretch -- they allowed 29 runs, winning every game.)
10. The Mets are two games over .500 now
After all of the injuries, all of the off-field argle-bargle and foofaraw, the Mets have won more games than they've lost. It's not like they sent a man to the moon, but they're over .500 at the halfway point of the season. That has to feel good.