It sounds like it will be Perez to start with Darren ready at the first sign of trouble. All hands are on deck for tomorrow..
It's not like this is one game in a 162 game schedule. I know Wagner is typically effective, but maybe the Cards just hit him well.
I can't take these announcers. Did you guys hear McCarver? He was saying how Wagner was "making it easier" on the Cardinals by throwing sliders, because sliders are slower than fastballs. I agree that Wagner threw too many sliders, but what kind of moronic comment is that? By that logic, pitchers should just throw every pitch as hard as they can.
Reporter: Willie, who is starting tomorrow and why? Willie: Oliver Perez, and because I like him. That's priceless Yisman: These announcers are dreadful, they had 3 mistakes in the 1st inning. I can't listen to McCarver and Buck, it's awful.
A reporter just asked Willie why trachsel was up in the bullpen. His answer: "Peterson told me that he was just getting some extra throwing in." What he was thinking: "Are you kidding me? There's no way I'm letting that clown within 100 feet of the mound for the rest of this postseason."
A random thought: if Perez steps up tomorrow, the Duaner Sanchez taxi accident could end up being one of the biggest breaks of the season!
i don't like the perez decision. this kid on 3 days rest is a recipe for disaster. i know oliver hasn't "started" in 2 years but i mean, the guy pitched 6 innings the other day. with basically all of the bullpen available tomorrow i'd rather go with the guy least likely to give up a bunch of runs. and yes, i'm campaigning for darren freakin oliver to start game 7 of the nlcs. it sure has been a strange year, hasn't it mets fans?
You know what, at this point I think we need to throw all logic out the window. Willie likes Perez - and that's good enough for me!
there really is no option other then Oliver. maybe the plan is to give perez/oliver once through the order each and hope that gets you through 6 in decent shape.
Willie is smart enough to know that when you are 95% likely to use two pitchers in a game it's better to let the starter start and the reliever relieve. Think of it this way: if Willie started Oliver and relieved with Perez and the Mets lost the game you'd be all over him for starting a reliever in such an important game and then having a starter come in to relieve, likely with men on base... It may look like relievers just do the same things starters do but for fewer innings, however that could not be further from the truth.
Truth be told, I don't want Perez starting or relieving tomorrow. I agree with you that if the plan is to use both there's no reason for Perez not to start though. Even if Oliver can only go 4 or so as a starter, the bullpen is actually pretty rested. Willie doesn't appear to trust Bradford or Feliciano other then "matchup" pitchers at this point, even though they've been effective most of the year pitching complete innings. There's no reason that they both couldn't go an inning tomorrow, and 2 innings from Heilman. Any of these options are far preferrable to me then a few innings of Oliver Perez.
John Maine was the hero tonight, pitched like a man on a mission in the most important game of the season!
