Nationals Defeated Mets 5-3 as Livan Hernandez Earns Victory in Washington Wednesday

It amazes me how Livan Hernandez has the Mets’ number and continues to win over them. You’d think that the Mets would be primed to go against a former New York Met but it doesn’t seem to be that way. Hernandez gave up only 2 earned runs, 4 hits (HR), with 3 walks and 2 strikeouts in 6.1 innings. The Mets brought up R.A. Dickey who got his first start and certainly pitched well enough to win; assuming the Mets could generate some run production for him. Dickey was solid giving up 2 earned runs in 6.0 innings. It was the bullpen that took the game on the chin and Raul Valdes in particular who was tagged with the loss. Fernando Nieve, who leads Major League Baseball in appearances this season, was also ineffective. Oliver Perez even made an appearance and got the last out in the bottom of the 8th inning, after giving up a walk to the first batter faced naturally. Perez simply sucks, period. There was a bunch of baloney surrounding what exactly the Met organization said or did not say to Perez regarding a trip to their minor league team in Buffalo. Keeping him in the bullpen just wastes a roster spot. Angel Pagan had a terrific game with an inside-the-park home run in the 4th inning and also got the first out of a triple play. That was the first time in 55 years that a player hit a homer and started a triple play. I wonder where Pagan will play when and if Carlos Beltran returns. Fernando Tatis hit a solo home run in the top of the 9th inning but it was too little too late. David Wright (aka K-Rite) was given the night off.