The New York Mets (46-37) rallied from a 7-1 deficit, responding to the Cincinnati Reds six-run fifth inning with five runs of their own, but the rally fell short as the Reds held off the Mets 8-6.
Mets manager Jerry Manuel was thrown out of the game in the fifth inning, after the umpiring crew reversed a call. With the scored tied at one, the bases loaded and a 2-2 count on Scott Rolen, Mets pitcher Mike Pelfrey threw an inside pitch that was originally ruled strike three by homeplate umpire Jerry Meals, who ruled Rolen tipped the pitch.
After the umpires convened, they changed the ruling to a hit-by-pitch, causing Rod Barajas to explode. Manuel intervened, argued and thrown out.
The Mets are now 28-13 at Citi Field. The Atlanta Braves lost to the Philadelphia Phillies, 3-1. The Phillies are now four games behind the Braves, while the Mets remain two game out in the National League East.
Cincinnati Reds @ New York Mets … recap and boxscore
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Post Game Notes:
Mike Pelfrey (10-3, 3.39) could not get through the fifth inning, allowing seven runs, nine hits and a home run in his start.
Raul Valdes returned to the Mets today and he recorded the final out of the fifth inning. Fernando Nieve, who hasn’t appeared since last Monday in San Juan against the Florida Marlins, pitched three innings in relief, surrending a home run to Joey Votto (his second of the game). Nieve also struck out the side in the seventh inning.
Pedro Feliciano made his 48th appearance of the season, pitching a scoreless inning in the ninth.
David Wright has 11 multi-hit games in his last 14 starts. Wright added two more hits with a triple and two runs.
Angel Pagan went 2-for-5, hitting his fifth home run of the season off Travis Wood in the fifth inning.
Alex Cora went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI.
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Post Game Quotes:
Crew chief Dale Scott (on umpires call):
“The easy call would have been to keep it the same, but we’re not looking for the easy call, we’re looking to get it right. In this case, it was the correct call — not the popular call, but the correct one.”
Mike Pelfrey (on his performance):
“For the first time in over a year, I let my emotions get the best of me,” Pelfrey said. “It wasn’t very good on my part.”
“He was somewhat frustrated. He thought a previous pitch was a strike and I think after that point, he kind of lost it there.”
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