Major League Baseball is finally getting around to announcing the New York Mets will host the 2013 All-Star game at Citi Field.

MLB scheduled a news conference for Wednesday at City Hall with baseball Commissioner Bud Selig, Mets owner Fred Wilpon and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. A person familiar with the planning, speaking Tuesday on condition of anonymity because the purpose was not announced, said it was to make the All-Star announcement.

Baseball decided at least four years ago that the Mets would host the game at the ballpark, which opened in 2009, but held off an announcement until it reaching agreements with the city and agencies for All-Star services and related events, such as the FanFest.

The Mets last hosted the All-Stars in 1964, the year Shea Stadium opened. The game was last in New York in 2008, the final season of old Yankee Stadium.

Kansas City is host of this year’s game, and the 2014 game is expected to be played at Minneapolis’ Target Field.

Miami and Washington, D.C., appear to be the leading contenders for the two games that follow.

Because the league that wins the All-Star game gets home-field advantage for the World Series, approval of the players’ association may be required for the NL to host in consecutive years.

Ryan Braun had a fresh pink welt on his left triceps, where he was hit one pitch after Rickie Weeks launched a long home run in the seventh inning.

He barely felt it.

Zack Greinke’s seven stellar innings and Travis Ishikawa’s two homers and five RBIs in the Milwaukee Brewers’ 8-0 win over the New York Mets on Tuesday night were quite the pain reliever for the NL MVP.
Read the rest of this entry »

Frank Francisco had an early meeting with his manager, three interview sessions with the same pack of reporters and was booed by the home crowd while protecting a ninth-inning lead.

Life is never bland when you’re a struggling closer in New York.

“I like the challenge,” Francisco said Monday night after saving a 3-1 victory for Miguel Batista and the surprising Mets against the Milwaukee Brewers. “It seems very interesting here. I expect to see you guys when I get on a roll.”
Read the rest of this entry »

Giancarlo Stanton took a lusty swing with his pink bat, then paused a moment to admire his first game-winning grand slam before settling into a home run trot.

“That’s one of those no-doubters,” he said. “It’s good I could stand and watch it.”

Stanton’s two-out slam capped a comeback Sunday by the Miami Marlins, who scored six times in the ninth inning to beat an angry Frank Francisco and the New York Mets 8-4.

The walk-off victory was the second in the three-game series for the Marlins, who have won 10 of their past 12 games, thanks mostly to their rotation.

“We’re where we’re at because of our pitching,” said catcher John Buck, who hit a tying homer in the seventh. “It’s kind of nice to have the bats speak up a bit.”

The Marlins trailed 4-2 when Emilio Bonifacio led off the ninth with his second triple of the game against Francisco (1-3). Buck walked and pinch-hitter Greg Dobbs followed with an RBI single.

Francisco was then replaced, and he walked slowly toward plate umpire Todd Tichenor, hollering angrily. Manager Terry Collins stepped between Tichenor and Francisco, who waved his index finger and then his cap at the ump before finally heading to the dugout.
Read the rest of this entry »

With a cluster of teammates charging toward him to celebrate the Miami Marlins’ latest win, Greg Dobbs made a veteran move and flipped his batting helmet aside.

“That was so my head didn’t get pounded and I’d have concussion syndrome tomorrow,” he said.

Dobbs instead took a playful pummeling from the neck down, and he emerged from the mob scene Friday uninjured and grinning. His two-out single in the ninth inning scored Emilio Bonifacio from second base with the winning run, and the Marlins rallied to end the New York Mets’ five-game winning streak with a 6-5 victory.

The Marlins scored twice in the ninth off Frank Francisco to win for the ninth time in 10 games. They were coming off an 8-1 trip, the best in franchise history.
Read the rest of this entry »

David Wright pulled an RBI single in the first inning, then sent three subsequent hits to the opposite field with a variety of trajectories.

“Groundballs, home runs, bloopers, line drives,” opposing pitcher Ricky Nolasco said.

The net result: Three singles, one homer and three RBIs for Wright to help the New York Mets beat Nolasco and the Miami Marlins 9-3 on Saturday. It was the fourth consecutive multi-hit game for Wright, hiking his NL-leading average to .402.

R.A. Dickey (5-1) pitched six innings and sent the Marlins to only their second loss in the past 11 games.
Read the rest of this entry »

The New York Mets took advantage of every mistake the reeling Philadelphia Phillies made and finished off a surprising sweep.

Ike Davis hit a three-run homer, Andres Torres also connected and the Mets beat the Phillies 10-6 on Wednesday night to complete their first three-game sweep in Philadelphia in six years.

The Mets rallied to win all three against slumping Philadelphia. They trailed after five innings against Roy Halladay on Monday, after six against Joe Blanton on Tuesday and after six against Cliff Lee in the series finale.
Read the rest of this entry »

In their latest comeback win, the New York Mets got some help from the opposition.

Lucas Duda had a tiebreaking, two-out RBI single in the seventh and the New York took advantage of Philadelphia’s defensive blunder, beating the Phillies 7-4 on Tuesday night.

Duda and David Wright had two hits and two RBI each to help the Mets win their fourth straight and get their 10th come-from-behind victory this season.
Read the rest of this entry »

The New York Mets have put catcher Josh Thole on the seven-day disabled list because of a concussion.

The Mets made the move before Tuesday night’s game at Philadelphia and promoted catcher Rob Johnson from Triple-A Buffalo.

Thole was elbowed in the head by Ty Wigginton of the Phillies during a play at the plate in the Mets’ 5-2 win Monday night.

Thole had returned to New York for examination. He was hitting .284 with one homer and seven RBIs.

Johnson spent last year with San Diego. He was hitting .291 with two home runs and seven RBIs at Buffalo.

The Mets also transferred right-hander Pedro Beato to the 60-day disabled list.

Jordany Valdespin promised his mother a hit.

The rookie outdid himself.

Valdespin had a pinch-hit three-run homer off Jonathan Papelbon in the ninth inning for his first major-league hit, leading the New York Mets to a 5-2 victory against the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday night.
Read the rest of this entry »