Getty Images With Lucas Duda and David Wright doing the heavy lifting for the offense, the Mets beat the Braves 4-2 this afternoon to move to 2-0 on the season.
Wright struck first in the bottom of the first inning, driving a ball to what was once his comfort zone in right-center field. While the Mets moved in the fences at Field during the offseason, this one didn’t need any help. It traveled 430 feet, clearing both the new and old fences.
Duda homered twice on the day for the first multi-homer game of his career. The first one benefited from the new dimensions, but it wasn’t a cheap one, either. It went 410 feet to right-center field. Duda’s second one, a screamer down the right field line, would have been out in any other year. It went 360 feet.
The Braves also got into the action, as Martin Prado stroked a game-tying two-run homer in the top of the fifth which traveled 345 feet to left. That one would have been a home run last year, also. And so, Citi Field hasn’t become a homer-haven overnight, but today showed that the stadium will at least play more fair, which was the intention all along.
Dickey allowed two runs over six innings while Bobby Parnell, Jon Rauch and Frank Francisco combined for three innings of scoreless relief to lock down the victory.
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I know it’s hard to believe that a guy who alienated his entire clubhouse in Atlanta and then made headlines buy putting homophobic slurs on his eyeblack in Toronto did something douchey, but in this case it actually happened. Yunel Escobar, ladies and gents, playing Jedi master to Jordany Valdespin‘s padawan, strutting after a home…
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Logan Morrison began a minor-league rehab assignment last night, going 2-for-5 with two singles at Single-A. Morrison has been on the disabled list all season as he recovers from September knee surgery and he hasn’t played for the Marlins since last July. He’s already behind the initial timetable laid out, but barring more setbacks Morrison…
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People who know a bit about EPL soccer sometimes make comparisons between the big English soccer teams and the big major league baseball teams in order to explain the dynamic of that league to we soccer ignoramuses. Like, I once heard someone say Man U. was like the Yankees. Or maybe Arsenal. And Chelsea was…
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Jim Johnson being nearly flawless in the closer role played a huge part in the Orioles’ unexpected success last season, but suddenly he’s really struggling. Johnson converted 35 straight saves from July 30, 2012 to May 13, 2013, during which time he threw 44 innings with a 0.61 ERA. That streak came to an end…
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Must-click link: cheesecake pictures of early 80s baseball stars
May 21, 2013, 11:02 AM EDT
I guess whether this is truly “must-click” depends on how you roll. But if you like to look at once-young, once-handsome athletes in swimsuits, towels and, in a couple of cases, nothing but strategically-posed thighs — or if you’re not necessarily into that but are secure enough in your masculinity to appreciate how hilarious such…
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AP
Josh Johnson made his first minor-league rehab start yesterday, throwing three innings of one-run ball at Single-A. Johnson, who’s been out since April 21 with a strained triceps, struck out five and walked zero while allowing three hits against the Mets’ affiliate. Johnson had hoped to be back in the Blue Jays’ rotation by now,…
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AP
This is a short article in the Pioneer Press, but two nuggets from it: Justin Morneau is pretty ambivalent about autographs because he knows most of the people trying to get them are memorabilia guys who are going to turn around and sell it; and His autographs are very legible because Harmon Killebrew told him…
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Corey Hart is eligible to come off the disabled list on May 30, but Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports that the Brewers first baseman won’t be ready to return from right knee surgery by then. However, he has progressed enough to take batting practice yesterday and doing some running on the field. There’s still no…
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Aroldis Chapman allegedly ate 18 pastries before Sunday’s game
May 21, 2013, 9:46 AM EDT
I heard someone mention this yesterday but thought they were joking. Andy Martino of the Daily News, however, quotes Phillies broadcaster Rickie Ricardo, who claims that Aroldis Chapman ate 18 cream cheese-guava pastries before Sunday’s game. The game in which he blew the save, giving up a walkoff homer to Freddy Galvis: “Could you imagine cream…
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Some guys have 80 velocity, some guys have 80 movement. Some guys have 80 lack of impulse control: Ryan Mattheus will be placed on the disabled list after breaking his right hand Sunday in San Diego, an injury that didn’t occur during the Nationals’ 13-4 loss to the Padres but afterward when the right-hander punched…
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Barry Bonds: Miguel Cabrera is the best … but not as good as me
May 21, 2013, 8:53 AM EDT
I’m not sure why anyone would find that sentiment, voiced by Barry Bonds to Bob Nightengale, to be controversial. But I imagine they will. Anyway, here were the Home Run King’s exact words about Miguel Cabrera: “He’s definitely the best. It’s not rocket science here. He’s the best. By far. Without a doubt. The absolute best…
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And he did it while batting: Vogelsong was in the middle of easily his best start of the season when he swung at an inside pitch from Craig Stammen. The ball appeared to hit him squarely on the knuckles of his right hand, and Vogelsong was in obvious pain. He left the game and was…
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Dodgers 3, Brewers 1: After the last scene of Don Mattingly’s managerial life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that at many times along the path of his time in Los Angeles, especially at the very lowest and saddest times, there was only one set of footprints. Clayton Kershaw then whispered, “My precious…
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Move over Clay Buchholz. Marlins starter Alex Sanabia went old school on Monday, bypassing the sunscreen and rosin and simply hocking a big ol’ loogie on the baseball after giving up a home run to the Phillies’ Domonic Brown. The video isn’t embeddable yet, but here’s the link to it at MLB.com, as well as…
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Jayson Werth could miss another two weeks with hamstring injury
May 20, 2013, 10:36 PM EDT
AP
The Nationals have Bryce Harper back in the starting lineup tonight against the Giants, but it appears that Jayson Werth‘s absence from a hamstring injury will be a little longer than initially expected. Nationals manager Davey Johnson told Amanda Comak of the Washington Times that he received an “alarming” report on Werth today. No word…
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Braves reliever Eric O’Flaherty to undergo Tommy John surgery
May 20, 2013, 9:45 PM EDT
AP
After Jonny Venters underwent Tommy John surgery last week, another Braves’ reliever is headed for the same fate. According to David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, left-hander Eric O’Flaherty will undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery tomorrow. It doesn’t come as a big surprise, as he was diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his…
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Bryce Harper back in Monday’s lineup after sitting out with sore knee
May 20, 2013, 9:03 PM EDT
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Bryce Harper sat out Saturday and Sunday due to lingering soreness in his left knee caused by his collision with the right field fence at Dodger Stadium last Monday, but Mark Zuckerman of CSNWashington.com reports that he’s back in the starting lineup for tonight’s series opener against the Giants. Harper was all banged up after…
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According to Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News, right-hander Scott Proctor has decided to retire from baseball. Proctor, now 36, hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2011 with the Braves and Yankees. After spending last season with the Doosan Bears of the Korean Baseball Organization, he had an 8.59 ERA and 6/10 K/BB…
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UPDATE: Dodgers GM Ned Colletti says Don Mattingly is “doing fine”
May 20, 2013, 8:00 PM EDT
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UPDATE: Just a quick follow-up from this morning, Dodgers general maanger Ned Colletti told the Associated Press earlier this evening that manager Don Mattingly is “doing fine.” Asked if it was false to say Mattingly would be fired this week, Colletti simply said: “My perspective hasn’t changed. I’m done talking about it.” 8:52 AM ET:…
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Reuters
Alex Rodriguez isn’t as far along as teammate Mark Teixeira, but he continues to make progress from January hip surgery. According to the Associated Press, Rodriguez began his third week of on-field activity today by fielding grounders and taking 25 swings in an indoor batting cage at the Yankees’ minor league complex in Tampa, Florida.…
