Pelfrey showing he's worth getting excited about...

Joe Lapointe, of the New York Times, had a great article about Pelfrey, highlights of which, are below.

“To go out there and lay an egg is hard,” Wagner said. “It stinks. It hurts.”

(Wagner was amazing until this week. Now, after home runs to Tony Clark, and Mark Reynolds, Wagner is no longer an automatic save)

Pelfrey seemed happy enough after Wednesday’s game, having given up one run and five hits while striking out a career-best eight and walking two.

(It was great to see Pelfrey have command of his breaking pitches, and to strike out more than he walked. Pelfrey has shown improvement in his last 3 starts.)

He mixed four-seam fastballs with two-seam fastballs and a few sliders. He worked quickly with poise and control. “I’m disappointed that I didn’t get it,” Pelfrey said. Although Pelfrey (2-6) has not had a decision in his last three starts, he has pitched well in each of those games, with the Mets going 2-1 in that stretch.

“I feel sorry for Pelfrey,” Beltrán said. “But we’re happy to get back and win it.”

The most fun came in the bottom of the eighth when Pelfrey persuaded Randolph to let him bat and stay in the game to start the ninth. “They told me I was done,” Pelfrey said. “I was kind of mad.” So he talked to Randolph about it. “You want this?” Randolph said.“Yeah,” Pelfrey replied. “O.K.,” Randolph said. “You’re on deck.”

(Good for Pelfrey, for not wanting to come out after 8 innings, in an era where starters are looking to see who's warming up in the bullpen, during the sixth inning, or, after a starter has thrown 85-90 pitches.)

Pelfrey got a standing ovation from the announced crowd of 46,503 when he emerged from the dugout with a bat in his hands. They even cheered him again after he struck out.

(Mentally, this start could be a breakthrough for Pelfrey, as his breaking pitches were great, and the crowd was loud, and supportive. When Pelfrey singled, the crowd and his teammates were celebrating, with cameras showing Marlon Anderson cheering, and John Maine (a good friend of Pelfrey's, who tortures Pelfrey about his hitting struggles), with a huge smile across his face.)

But when Pelfrey gave up a single to Stephen Drew to start the ninth and Randolph pulled him for Wagner, it was a move that brought boos from the crowd. “He pitched so great,” Randolph said. “I didn’t want him to lose the game.”

(Sorry, Willie, the fans wanted to see a complete game. Pelfrey could have been given another batter or two, to see if he could get out of his jam.)

After another runner got on base, Reynolds tied the game at 3-3, sending a 96-mile-an-hour pitch from Wagner over the left-field fence . It drew a groan from the fans, who fell relatively silent.

(RELATIVELY SILENT !!! You could hear crickets. It was like a morgue after that home run)

Pelfrey continued the momentum from his previous two starts, both non-decisions, in which the Mets won, 3-2, against Los Angeles when he allowed two runs over seven innings, and a 2-1 defeat in San Diego when he gave up one run over six innings.

Pelfrey is 24 years old and throws hard. At 6-foot-7 and 230 pounds, he looks imposing on the mound. Now, he also is beginning to look that way in the box score.
As Randolph said before the game, “He’s just learning how to pitch.”

(This start may have been the best of Pelfrey's career, as a follow-up to two solid starts. He has his teammates rooting for him, and the crowd was in a frenzy, clearly showing some love for Pelfrey, even chanting his name during his at-bat during the bottom of the eighth inning. Last night, hopefully, was a huge boost of confidence for Pelfrey. With Pedro, El Duque, and Oliver Perez, possibly not on next year's team, the Mets need Pelfrey to join Johan & Maine as a solid nucleus of starters for 2009.)


Alex Delanian & Colin Stephenson, of the Star-Ledger add more insight about Pelfrey's performance, and the reaction from his teammates...

"Letting me go back out for the ninth was a huge confident boost," said Pelfrey, who was a candidate to be sent to the minors after the return of Pedro Martinez. "I could be sent down tomorrow. I have to perform."

(Great job by Pelfrey, who's showing humility, and realizing that, yes, especially with Claudio Vargas pitching well as the # 6 starter, and long man out of the bullpen, combined with a Met fan base, hungry for wins, that Pelfrey is not guaranteed to be in the majors for the rest of the season.)

"I think he's starting to get it," said Billy Wagner, who gave up the three-run homer to Mark Reynolds in the top of the ninth that led to extra innings. "I think he gets the idea of getting ahead and throwing strikes and good things tend to happen when you do that. "Tonight, his whole repertoire and his whole demeanor showed why he was a No. 1 (draft) pick."

(Awesome quote by Wagner, who's there for the media, with feedback, win or lose.)

Added catcher Brian Schneider: "He hit his spots, and now we know what he's capable of doing when he can do that."

(Schneider has been terrific with Pelfrey. Schneider called a brilliant game, and has been a big reason why Pelfrey has been improving.)