METS ARE 12-4 SINCE GAME ONE TOYKO TILT IN 2000
2015: METS 3 NATIONALS 1
HERO OR VILLAIN?
HERO: KILLER B’S
Big Sexy Bartolo Colon got the starting nod for the opener and did not disappoint. He went six strong innings fanning eight Gnats yielding just three hits and one earned run. Southpaw Jerry Blevins recorded the first out in the bottom of the ninth and the then 37 year old Buddy Carlyle recorded his first career save when closer Jenrry Mejia couldn’t answer the bell. The opening series win vs the Nationals in 2015 helped shed the memories of recent D.C. dominance over the Metropolitans.
2014: METS 7 NATIONALS 9 (10 Innings)
HERO OR VILLAIN?
VILLAIN: KILLER B (Bullpen)
Bobby Parnell blew the save in the ninth to force extra innings spoiling what would have been a great afternoon opener at Citi. The bullpen would falter again in the tenth with Famila and John Lannon combining to give up four runs.
2013: METS 11 PADRES 2
HERO OR VILLAIN?
HERO: COLIN COWGILL
Cowgill’s seventh inning grand slam broke the game open and led the Mets to an opening day victory. The Mets 13 hit barrage backed Jon Niese’s only career game one start for the orange and blue.
2012: METS 1 BRAVES 0
HERO OR VILLAIN?
HERO: JOHAN SANTANA
In true Mets fashion, Santana was not awarded a win for a great performance going five innings giving up no runs and two hits k’ing five. His season, and likely his career, would later be cut short due to a capsule injury after overextending himself when recording the first and only no hitter in franchise history.
2011: METS 2 MARLINS 6
HERO OR VILLAIN?
VILLAIN: FUTURE MET JOHN BUCK
Past future former present backstop John Buck knocked a fourth inning three run home run off Mike ‘the Mouthpiece’ Pelfrey. Big Pelf spit the bit and took the loss in the beginning a forgettable season for all involved.
2010: METS 7 MARLINS 1
HERO OR VILLAIN?
HERO: DAVID WRIGHT
David’s first inning two run home run would be all the Mets needed that day to get the W. In a highly anticipated pitchers dual between Johan Santana and Josh Johnson, the masterful Santana edged his counterpart and gets an honorable mention HERO nod.
2009: METS 2 REDS 1
HERO OR VILLAIN?
HERO: DANIEL MURPHY
Murphy would drive in the Mets lone runs of the day, one on a solo homer. He backed another stellar Johan game 1 start. Worth Noting? A week later the Mets opened Citi Field. Mike Pelfrey (permanent villain) got the start and the loss. His first pitch-the first pitch in Citi Field History- was a fastball that was deposited into the right field corner by Jody Gerut of the Padres. That is how the story would go for the Mets in flushing for the following 5 years.
2008: METS 7 MARLINS 2
HERO OR VILLAIN?
VILLAIN: LUIS CASTILLO
Sure, the Mets got a nice win. Sure, David Wright had two hits and three RBI. Sure, Johan Santana got the W k’ing eight batters through seven three hit innings. However, Castillo is the villain of the millennium for me. He hit .245 in 2008, which was the first year of a four year- 25 million dollar deal that the Mets signed him to after the 2007 season. Thankfully, he would only make it through three of those years. His stint was highlighted by the dropped pop up at Yankee Stadium pictured above and his stance to not attended a Veteran hospital in Washington with the rest of the club because he would be too “traumatized”. Oh Luis, who really traumatized who in this relationship?
2007: METS 6 CARDINALS 1
HERO OR VILLAIN?
HERO: PAUL LO DUCA
The Duke, who in my opinion was one of the most underrated Mets of all time, recorded three of the club’s twelve hits and three RBI. He also caught starter Tom Glavine’s six innings of one run ball. Lo Duca would hit .272 in 2007 after an outstanding .318 in 2006. The argument can be made that the Mets have not had a prototypical or even sufficient #2 hitter since his departure.
2006: METS 3 NATIONALS 2
HERO OR VILLAIN?
HERO: XAVIER NADY
Another underrated Met, the X man and his high leg kick went 4-4 with two doubles in the opener. He also hit an important homer in an exciting Subway Series game later that season. He, unfortunately, was traded at the deadline for Roberto Hernandez to bolster the bullpen after Duaner Sanchez’s Miami mishap in a taxicab. The throw in in that deal? Oliver Perez, who would later start game 7 of the NLCS. Lastings Milledge took over the duties unsuccessfully in RF before the August waiver wire addition of Sean “I can’t keep my hat on” Green.
2005: METS 7 REDS 6
HERO OR VILLAIN?
VILLAIN: BRADEN LOOPER
On what was another delightful opening afternoon (until the ninth) the Mets led by two after eight innings. Looper blew the save by failing to record an out, giving up three runs on three hits. Two of those were homers, the first was a towering moon shot by Adam Dunn. The game ended when Looper served up a meatball to Joe”the Joker” Randa making the Reds walk-off winners. The Amazin’s would start that year off 0-5. Joe Randa is still smiling somewhere.
2004: METS 7 BRAVES 2
HERO OR VILLAIN?
HERO: KAZ MATSUI
Though a monumental bust, have to give credit to Kaz here. He told the media post-game that he promised his friends in Japan he would close his eyes and swing at the first pitch he saw in a regular season game in America. The result? A bomb of a home run to straightaway center field. He finished the day 3-3 with 3 RBI. Ironically, he would hit a lead off inside-the-park home run the following year vs the Reds in the opener. Maybe the Mets should have tried to make him play blindfolded?
2003: METS 2 CUBS 15
HERO OR VILLAIN?
VILLAIN: TOM GLAVINE
In his first start as a Met, Glavine may have still thought he was pitching for the Braves? The hall of famer allowed four runs in the first and five overall on eight hits in just 3.2 innings pitched. Honorable mention villain? Mike Bascik and his NINE earned runs he gave up in 2 frames of work. Ouch.
In 2007, Tom Glavine’s Mets career would end the way it started. In the final game of the year, with the Mets in need of a win to force a playoff for the postseason, Glavine gave up SEVEN earned runs while recording just ONE out in the first of an eventual 8-1 loss. His quote post game, “It isn’t the end of the world”. Well Tommy, it was the first of two consecutive final game losses that cost the Mets the playoffs after they were a base hit away from the World Series in ‘06. While it may not be the Book of Revelation, it stung pretty bad.
2002: METS 6 PIRATES 2
HERO OR VILLAIN?
HERO: AL LEITER
Tough game to pick here. Went with Al because he went six innings of shutout ball on what was likely 342 pitches (it was really 108). Edgardo Alfonzo went 3-4 so he gets a mention. What may be even more impressive, is Mo Vaughn going 0-5 with 2 strikeouts. The impressive part? The Mets actually found pants to fit this man.
2001: METS 6 BRAVES 4 (10 INNINGS)
HERO OR VILLAIN?
HERO: ROBIN VENTURA
Love ‘em. Number four was known for hitting grand slams. On this day, after John Franco blew a late lead, Ventura hit twin two run homer runs. The first, off John ‘7 train’ Rocker in the 8th to force extra innings. He hit his 2nd two run homer in the tenth to get the Mets the win.
2000: METS 3 CUBS 5
HERO OR VILLAIN?
VILLAIN: MIKE HAMPTON
In his first start as a Met, and his first start in Tokyo, Japan, Mike Hampton would walk 9 in this contest. Turk Wendell and Dennis Cook would give up some late runs costing them the game. However, all’s well that ends well, as Hampton would be the MVP of the NLCS by pitching a complete game shutout for his second win of the series in Game 5. This propelled the Mets to a World Series appearance vs the Yankees. Run Timo….RUN.
