Stream of Consciousness

Thank you, Bob Melvin, for giving Jeff DaVanon his start by resting Shawn Green, 2-14 with 5 BB’s lately. DaVanon went 0-4 with a K, but he deserved a chance at Pittsburgh starter Victor Santos, against whom he was 3-3 before this. I just didn’t want to see it happen at the expense of Eric Byrnes, who got a day off on May 19th.

Byrnesie is cooling off. That happens to everyone over the course of a long season. The issue is that a) it doesn’t develop into a long-term slump, and b) he doesn’t get forgotten on the bench IF he goes cold for a while. Some guys get to work out their problems in the game, others get benched. Byrnes has been one of the others for years. That has to stop.

It’s been mentioned several times lately that Byrnes hit only .237 in April, but has been on fire in May (at least until the last three days). Might the difference be the fact that in April, he didn’t get a chance to bat in the same lineup hole two days in a row and was benched a lot in the middle of the month, even when he did well the day before? In May, he’s been the everyday CF, batting 2nd regularly. That is probably not the ideal place for him, more on that in July, but at least it IS a regular place, and a regular place with someone behind him who can hit.

Byrnesie managed to maintain his hitting streak tonight, but barely, with a swinging bunt in the 7th. He’s 3 for his last 15. He’s batting .321, but that means he’s lost 15 points off his batting over the last few days. What I have been seeing is too much insistence on pulling the ball; early uppercut is creeping back in, and I saw a lunge tonight. His best swing was his last one in the 8th. He missed for strike 3, but it was one of the types of strong level swings I like to see from him. This time the pitcher won the confrontation. It be’s that way sometimes. Next time it could be Double No. 15.

Thank you, Pittsburgh, for the three errors, one of which scored a run while Byrnesie was batting in the eighth. The two D’Back homers were enough to win, but I never like to see a team depend on the longball.

The D’Backs are now 7 games over .500.

They got finished in time for me to see Carlos Beltran hit the walk-off that gave the Mets a 9-8  16-inning victory. Let’s Go Mets, at least until Byrnesie and the D’Backs get to town.

K.R.