After a woeful start to the week in Chicago, things started to look up for the Mets relief corps over the weekend in Los Angeles, thanks in large part to deep outings from aces Johan Santana and R.A. Dickey. But it all came unraveled on the arm of Miguel Batista on Sunday night as late inning woes cost New York a four-game sweep in Tinseltown.
Mets relievers pitched a total of 13.2 innings last week, allowing nine runs. All of those runs were unearned, which is a pretty amazing feat in and of itself. But that won’t stop yours truly from taking the pen to task! So without further adieu, this week’s Daily Stache Mets Bullpen Power Rankings:
1. Bobby Parnell
Season: 38 G, 33 IP, 3.00 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 14 R, 11 ER, 33 H, 8 BB, 31 K, 15 Holds, 3 Blown Saves, 1 Save
Last Week: 2 G, 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, 1 Save
Previous Rank: 1
Bobby holds down the fort in the top spot of this week’s power rankings, becoming the first pitcher to be ranked at the top two weeks in a row since we started doing the rankings. Bobby was flawless in his only two outings this week — a save opportunity in LA on Thursday night and a non save-opp to finish off Johan Santana’s shutout on Saturday. Parnell has now thrown 6.1 scoreless innings over his last seven outings and allowed just one baserunner over that span.
2. Tim Byrdak
Season: 40 G, 20.2 IP, 3.05 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 7 ER, 10 H, 10 BB, 23 K, 14 Holds
Last Week: 2 G, 1.1 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 Hold
Previous Rank: 2
Like Parnell, Byrdak stays in the same spot due to another solid week. In two outings, Byrdak recorded four outs while allowing just one man to reach base — an intentional walk. With the Mets trailing 4-3 last Tuesday in Chicago and one on with one out, Byrdak relieved Jeremy Hefner and got two outs to keep the Mets in the game, though they eventually lost. Two days later in LA he relieved Chris Young in a similar situation. After getting Tony Gwynn Jr. to fly out, Byrdak walked Jerry Hairston intentionally to get to lefty Dee Gordon, who he struck out looking to end the threat.
3. Jeremy Hefner
Season (Bullpen Only): 7 G, 13.1 IP, 2.70 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 4 ER, 11 H, 1 BB, 7 K
Last Week: 3 G, 3.1 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 0 BB, 1 K
Previous Rank: 3
Hef continued to impress with a few more short relief opportunities this week, making it through three appearances unscathed. He pitched 1.1 scoreless innings in Chicago on Tuesday, entering a one-run game in the sixth. The high leverage usage was proof that Terry Collins is starting to gain some faith in Hefner as a one-inning arm. His other two outings, however, were mop-up duty. He came back Friday night to pitch a scoreless ninth to preserve R.A. Dickey’s shutout and pitched the eighth on Sunday after the Mets spotted LA a 8-3 lead.
4. Jon Rauch
Season: 35 G, 30.0 IP, 4.20 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 19 R, 14 ER, 29 H, 1 BB, 20 K, 7 Holds, 3 Blown Saves
Last Week: 2 G, 1.1 IP, 4 R, 0 ER, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 Hold
Previous Rank: 4
Outside of maybe the winless Cliff Lee, there may not be a pitcher who has found more hard luck this season than Jon Rauch. Rauch was victimized by his defense again last Monday in Chicago as, he faced five batters and recorded just one out. It started with a three-base error on David Wright and continued — after a strikeout — on a three-base error by Lucas Duda. Then a grounder hit right at Ronny Cedeno went right off his glove. Rauch’s outing ended with a walk to the next hitter, but when all was said and done in the inning, he’d recorded four outs, gotten credit for just one and was instead charged with four unearned runs. Rauch did bounce back with a scoreless eighth inning on Thursday in LA, perhaps a sign that his luck may be turning?
5. Ramon Ramirez
Season: 23 G, 29.1 IP, 4.30 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 17 R, 14 ER, 32 H, 12 BB, 27 K, 2 Blown Saves, 1 Hold
Last Week: 3 G 3.0 IP, 2 R, 0 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 2 K
Previous Rank: 8
Ramirez started off his week in a precarious position, relieving Rauch with two on and one out in the seventh at Wrigley Field. Ramon allowed just one hit and go two outs, but both inherited runners scored on his watch, pushing a 4-1 Cubs lead to 6-1. He has now allowed eight of 15 inherited runners to score this year. RamRam did bounce back by tossing two shutout innings in mop-up duty of Wednesday’s 17-1 win. But his only other high leverage spot came on Sunday, when he entered a 4-3 game in the seventh and allowed two of the three batters he faced to reach base on a hit and a walk. Both scored, though they were unearned runs thanks to some shoddy defense.
6. Justin Hampson
Season: 3 G, 1.1 IP, 0.00 ERA, 3.00 WHIP, 2 R, 0 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 1 K
This Week: 3 G, 1.1 IP, 2 R, 0 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 1 K
Previous Rank: N/A
Hampson hadn’t pitched in the big leagues since 2008 before the Mets called him up and gave him a few opportunities this week, but the lefty specialist didn’t fare well in those spots. He made his Mets debut in the eighth of a 6-1 game against the Cubs on Monday and got through it scoreless with just one hit allowed. His second outing wasn’t as successful. He started the eighth in a 4-3 game and got lefty Luis Valbuena, but right Darwin Barney and lefty Steve Clevenger got hits, ending Hampson’s day. Barney would come around to score an unearned insurance run in the Cubs 5-3 win.
Sunday didn’t turn out much better as Hampson faced one batter, Bobby Abreu, who he walked. Abreu also scored, though the run was unearned. To be fair, Hampson did face five lefties and got three of them out, which is more than you can say of his chances vs. righties, who were 2-for-3 off him. But Hampson probably isn’t a long-term answer for the Mets in the pen.
7. Miguel Batista
Season (Bullpen Only): 20 G, 20.2 IP, 4.19 ERA, 1.60 WHIP, 9 ER, 16 H, 15 BB, 17 K
Last Week: 2 G, 1.1 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 3 K
Previous Rank: 5
Last and least is the man most of us want gone by now, Miguel Batista. Batista has pitched himself mostly out of late innings roles with an outright refusal to throw strikes of late. In his two appearances last week, Batista threw 32 pitches: 17 strikes and 15 balls. He got four men out, and three reached base. He inherited five runners and four of them scored. Basically, it could’ve been worse, but not by much. That’s why Batista is at the bottom and needs to be the farthest thing from Terry Collins’ mind during a close game.
