Longtime readers will know my oft-stated distaste of the Mets’ organization’s preference for guys who were good on another team three or more years – but who now stink – over giving guys from their own organization a shot. And it’s true whether it was dumpster diving for starting pitchers or recycling old first basemen [...]
In 2023, the Braves won 104 games. No rational person can claim that they weren’t a fantastic regular-season team. And yet they had three separate times when they lost four straight games. From 4/19-4/23 and again on 7/15-7/19 and once more on 9/15-9/18, the Braves lost four straight games. Of course, it helped when they [...]
It’s hard to decide which one was more brutal – the Mets fielding in the 10th inning or their hitting throughout the game. Either way, they lost their fourth straight, with a 5-0 setback to the Tigers Monday night at Citi Field. Mets got the first two batters on in the first inning, followed by [...]
N.C. State exploded for 55 points in the second half to turn a 6-point halftime deficit into a 76-64 win over the Duke Blue Devils and a trip to the Final Four. It will be State’s first trip to the Final Four since 1983, when they won it all. The one thing that State hadn’t [...]
The Mets’ offense was nowhere to be found for the second time in three games, as the Brewers complete the sweep with a 4-1 win Sunday afternoon at Citi Field. Tylor Megill got the start but was not especially sharp, as he consistently ran deep counts and dealt with baserunners all game. He needed 78 [...]
When Kodai Senga went down, it was natural to have Jose Quintana take the ball for the Mets on Opening Day. Not only was Quintana a veteran who pitched well when healthy last year, he was the only one of the remaining four initial pitchers in the rotation who played for the Mets in 2023. [...]
Luis Severino single-handedly tried to prove that Spring Training stats don’t matter, as he allowed 6 ER in 5 IP, putting the Mets in a big hole early. The Mets rallied late with the home run ball but came out on the short side of a 7-6 score Saturday afternoon against the Brewers at Citi [...]
While still hungover – figuratively – from N.C. State’s third NCAA win and eighth-straight victory, it dawned on me that today is the fifth Saturday of the month and no one was scheduled to write an article today. For me, these early-season articles are the toughest ones to write. What has happened that isn’t already [...]
No one gave N.C. State a chance in its Sweet 16 matchup with No. 2 Marquette. The Big East club, the story went, just had too much going for it. They shot better, had more weapons and would force too many turnovers for the No. 11 Wolfpack to handle. Well, time to come up with [...]
It was too much Freddy Peralta, as he combined with three relievers to one-hit the Mets for the first time ever on Opening Day, leading the Brewers to a 3-1 win Friday afternoon at Citi Field. The Mets jumped on top early, as Starling Marte hit a homer to give the Mets a 1-0 lead. [...]
After finally reaching my goal of having more predictions right than wrong in 2022 – it was back to reality with the picks last year. While fewer than half right, there were six correct predictions, which is a solid score, given the self-imposed mandate to not make safe picks. But no one wants to read [...]
Here in the Piedmont we’re at the time of year where it rains every day, which on one hand stinks because rain makes me depressed but on the other hand it washes away the pollen, so it’s not without its uses. It’s just too bad that the rain extends further north and has washed out [...]