Joey's Happy Recap: Angel Slams The Door!

Note: This blog was partially taken from the recap I wrote from tonight's game on MMO. Click here for the original version of that recap. However, Joey decided he wanted to do his own recap since it was Build-A-Bear Night at Citi Field and to him, that's like a National Holiday for bears. Take it away, Joey.


Hi, readers! This is Joey and welcome to my first recap. I attended tonight's Mets game and came home with yet another brother. You can see him in the picture above. That's Billy Bear. The other bear in the picture is Jerry. He was the first bear to end my status as only child. Enough about my family. Let's get to the happy recap of tonight's 9-6 Mets victory!

It seems fitting that on Build-A-Bear Night at Citi Field, the Mets would come out their two-game hibernation. Their 12-hit attack on the Diamondbacks’ pitchers, capped by Angel Pagan’s eighth-inning grand slam, fueled the Mets to a 9-6 victory Saturday night over Arizona.

Pagan picked a perfect time to hit the first home run of his Mets career, as his shot into the left field seats broke a 5-5 tie. Angel had been one of the most consistent hitters on the Mets since becoming an everyday player and was hitting long doubles and triples, so it was only a matter of time before he would launch his first homer.

Personally, I think he should have something edible named after him, like Reggie Jackson had the "Reggie" candy bar named after him centuries ago in the 70's. Perhaps some Angel Food Cake would do the trick. I'd certainly go for that!

Before Pagan’s heroics in the eighth inning, the game had been a back-and-forth affair. Arizona put the first two runs up on the board on a first inning home run into the second deck by Justin Upton and a fourth-inning RBI single by Augie Ojeda. The D-Backs might have scored more if not for a brilliant Houdini act pulled by Oliver Perez in the third inning. Arizona loaded the bases with nobody out when Perez struck out Mark Reynolds and induced an inning-ending double play by Chris Snyder. Daniel Murphy scooped the ball out of the dirt to complete the twin killing after he had practiced the play before the game. On WFAN, Howie Rose and Wayne Hagin reported that Mets coach Sandy Alomar was throwing balls in the dirt to Murphy from second base to teach him how to properly scoop poor throws from the second baseman. What a great day to practice that drill!

The Mets stormed back in the bottom of the fourth inning and Angel Pagan was crucial in that four-run rally as well. Daniel Murphy, Jeff Francoeur and Cory Sullivan all singled to produce the first run of the inning. Alex Cora then tied the game with a groundout to second base. The Mets took their first lead of the game when Brian Schneider hit a long double to center field, scoring Cory Sullivan from third base. After Oliver Perez delivered a line-drive single to right, advancing Schneider to third, Pagan drove in his first run of the game with a sacrifice fly.

I missed Angel's first RBI of the night because I was on a bathroom break. I almost peed my Mets hoodie because this lady saw me and started up a conversation about bears. I thought she was very strange and probably forgot to take her blue and orange pills this morning. She did not seem to care that I really had to go! Bears don't have bladders like non-bears. Once we have to go, there's no holding back!

The D-Backs pulled to within one run on a passed ball by Brian Schneider in the fifth inning, but the lead became two again on Jeff Francoeur’s millionth RBI as a Met. This time, he drove in David Wright on a groundout in the bottom of the fifth.

Oliver Perez was pulled after five workmanlike innings but the Mets could not give him the victory. Bobby Parnell coughed up the lead in the sixth inning, allowing Arizona to tie the game at 5 on an RBI groundout by Gerardo Parra and an RBI single by Justin Upton.

The score remained tied at 5 until the the Angel Pagan Show went back on the air in the eighth inning. The 7-8-9 hitters for the Mets all reached base on a walk and two singles, setting up Pagan’s grand moment.

Speaking of grand moments, what do you think of this picture of me in the field level seats during batting practice? Do you think I should apply to be the Mets' official rally bear? If so, I'd like to request a small helmet because a lot of those batting practice balls were coming very close to where I was sitting!

I’d like to thank Brian Stokes for allowing a run and putting another runner on base. That allowed Francisco Rodriguez to pick up his first save in three weeks, as he got Miguel Montero to pop up to Luis Castillo to end the game. Castillo made sure to catch Frankie’s last pitch of the game with two hands.

With tonight’s victory, the Mets upped their record to 50-53, making Tuesday the earliest possible day they will be shaving. For those not in the know, the Mets have vowed to grow their beards out until they reach the .500 mark. They remained 6½ games out of the wild-card spot.

Build-A-Bear Night proved to be a winning formula for the Mets and their fans. I was fortunate enough to be in attendance at the game and I must say, Angel Pagan definitely made the fur fly at Citi Field. Let’s hope the good vibes spill over into Sunday’s game.

That's my happy recap. I hope you enjoyed it. If I ever feel like writing after a Mets' loss, I will call it "Joey's Crappy Recap". That probably won't happen because usually after every loss, I like to drown my sorrows in cake. One more picture of us at today's game before I bid you adieu! It was taken where third base used to be at Shea Stadium (my place of birth). Memories...Adieu! (Gesundheit!)