Mets' Hopes for Pete Smith Crash as Padre Momentum Builds

The New York Mets had been on a impressive pitching streak, but their starter Pete Smith's recent outing has put a damper on their hopes. In the span of 10 games, the Mets' starters had a impressive 6-1 record with a 1.45 earned run average, but Smith's performance against the San Diego Padres on July 17 was a stark contrast. Smith allowed a career-high 12 hits and 7 runs in less than 5 innings, leading to a 10-1 Padres victory.

Key Takeaways:

• Pete Smith, the Mets' starter, suffered a career-high 12 hits and 7 runs in less than 5 innings against the San Diego Padres, marking the first time he's lost since July 4.
• Smith's struggles are attributed to a "dead arm," which he says is due to chronic tendinitis that he has learned to live with throughout his career.
• Mets' manager Dallas Green is considering shutting Smith down to let him work through his arm problems, but Smith is hesitant to take his troubles to the disabled list.
• Despite the Padres' season-high 19 hits, Joey Hamilton's pitching performance was the main factor in San Diego's victory, as he pitched eight innings and allowed only four hits.
• The Mets' pitching staff, including relievers Mauro Gozzo, Eric Gunderson, and Mike Maddux, absorbed the backlash of Smith's poor performance.
• The Padres' Tony Gwynn had a sizzling performance, collecting three hits, including a double, and three runs batted in.
• Smith's struggles have disrupted the Mets' pitching staff and team, with Green saying, "You keep hoping he's going to snap out and pitch good for you, but what it eventually does is it disrupts your pitching staff and it disrupts your team."
• Kelly's absence due to tendinitis has led him to adopt a harder-to-pitch philosophy, making him more dependent on doctors to tell him whether he's sound.

Statistics:

• Pete Smith's current record is 5-9 with a 5.84 earned run average.
• The Mets' starters' record from July 4 to July 16 was 6-1 with a 1.45 earned run average.
• The Padres' season-high 19 hits was a major factor in their victory.
• Joey Hamilton's pitching performance gave the Padres a boost, as he allowed only four hits in eight innings.
• Tony Gwynn's three hits and three runs batted in contributed to the Padres' winning performance.

Sources:

• "Mets' Smith Suspects a Dead Arm" by Michelle Agins (The New York Times)
• "Padres' Momentum Builds as Mets' Hopes Crash" (Associated Press)