Mets(courtesy of mlb.com)
Santana strides to the Busch Stadium mound — for the first time, never before having pitched in the shadow of the Arch — with the Mets in serious need of a stopper.
Santana has had more experience than he would have wanted pitching his team out of a hole. And he has been very good at it. Even in his injury-curtailed 2009 season, five of his wins followed Mets defeats.
Offensively challenged in the early going, Jerry Manuel’s club is ready for the kind of lift the stylish Venezuelan can provide.
Santana may be a stranger to Busch Stadium, but not to its resident prince. Pujols is a .500 hitter against him, with two of his six hits going for home runs. It’s nothing personal for Pujols, who mauls any pitcher wearing a Mets uniform. In only nine games against them last season, he drove in 14 runs and smacked four homers while batting .469.
Which is what made the 0-for-4 collar he wore Friday night so unusual.
Manuel appears to be relenting on the idea of eventually lowering Jose Reyes from the leadoff spot into the three-hole. “I’m going to reserve that a little bit until he feels comfortable, until he feels good about it,” the manager said.
Lineup
Reyes, SS
Castillo, 2B
Wright, 3B
Bay, LF
Francoeur, RF
Tatis, 1B
Barajas, C
Pagan, CF
Santana, P
Cardinals(courtesy of mlb.com)
The Cards are 4-0 in opening games of series this season. … The battery of Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina will receive their Gold Gloves Awards prior to Saturday’s game, and the hardware show will continue on Sunday, when Pujols will receive both his 2009 NL MVP and Silver Slugger Awards.
But that was only one of the odd sidelights to a game in which Oliver Perez shined brightly next to Chris Carpenter, yet the Mets lost.
That is all the encouragement needed by Jaime Garcia, as the young left-hander takes on Santana — two career wins to 123.
The 23-year-old from Reynosa, Mexico, pitched his way into the Cardinals’ rotation by turning the inch he was given into a mile.
“We knew he was talented, [but] we thought that physically, it might be a lot to ask to start him at the Major League level,” recalled St. Louis manager Tony La Russa. “It might be safer if he was in Triple-A with a little less attention and you could take care of him more. That’s how we started. And then after two or three [Spring Training] starts, and even in the workouts, he was throwing the ball more effectively. He was throwing the ball better than anybody from the first time he threw a bullpen to now.”
Lineup
Schumaker, 2B
Ludwick, RF
Pujols, 1B
Holliday, LF
Molina, C
Freese, 3B
Lopez, SS
Rasmus, CF
Garcia, P
PLAY BALL
68 comments
metsfan4decades
4/17/2010-4:12pm at 4:12 pm (UTC -4)
Uh, Let’s Go Mets?
asod75
4/17/2010-4:19pm at 4:19 pm (UTC -4)
Sigh, LGM!
asod75
4/17/2010-4:24pm at 4:24 pm (UTC -4)
Another J-Bay K….
stickguy
4/17/2010-4:31pm at 4:31 pm (UTC -4)
still with pagan in the 8 hole?
At least jacobs and GM aren’t playinng.
I do think that swapping castillo and pagan would make the kune up work better. But maybe that is just me.
asod75
4/17/2010-4:44pm at 4:44 pm (UTC -4)
No I agree. I think once Reyes gets going, it would give the Mets two really speedy guys with extra-base pop at the top of the order. Let Luis work his walks and clear the pitcher.
asod75
4/17/2010-4:45pm at 4:45 pm (UTC -4)
So tired of Tatis….
asod75
4/17/2010-5:03pm at 5:03 pm (UTC -4)
Johan at 54 pitches through two innings. Cards fouling a ton of pitches away.
metsfan4decades
4/17/2010-5:26pm at 5:26 pm (UTC -4)
Another pitching duel. Where is our offense???? M.I.A. – again.
asod75
4/17/2010-5:35pm at 5:35 pm (UTC -4)
I can take being bested by Chris Carpenter. But Jaime Garcia? Give me a break.
metsfan4decades
4/17/2010-5:39pm at 5:39 pm (UTC -4)
It’s always the scrubs and the rookies…
asod75
4/17/2010-5:57pm at 5:57 pm (UTC -4)
Or opposing pitchers in general, as Wright flails away at a breaking ball in the dirt….
asod75
4/17/2010-6:06pm at 6:06 pm (UTC -4)
Nice to see Johan back in form after his rough outing last time out there.
asod75
4/17/2010-6:20pm at 6:20 pm (UTC -4)
Absolutely fantastic job by Johan today. He threw 54 pitches through the first two innings, yet still managed to get through seven. Now let’s get some runs!!!!!!
metsfan4decades
4/17/2010-6:20pm at 6:20 pm (UTC -4)
Santana is the Man.
Too bad the offense hasn’t showed up to play.
asod75
4/17/2010-6:26pm at 6:26 pm (UTC -4)
3-8 here we come, because no one can hit…
asod75
4/17/2010-6:27pm at 6:27 pm (UTC -4)
Cat is useless….
metsfan4decades
4/17/2010-6:28pm at 6:28 pm (UTC -4)
When are they going to start hitting? Anyone?
BP coming in scares me.
asod75
4/17/2010-6:30pm at 6:30 pm (UTC -4)
They hit when they score a few runs early, grab a lead and add on. Close games you can pretty much forget about it…..
asod75
4/17/2010-6:34pm at 6:34 pm (UTC -4)
Walking Ludwick to pitch to Pujols is always a good idea……
asod75
4/17/2010-6:36pm at 6:36 pm (UTC -4)
And back-to-back walks. Here we go…..
asod75
4/17/2010-6:39pm at 6:39 pm (UTC -4)
Whew…way to go Igs. Now, can a run be pushed across the plate, please?
GravediggerHebner
4/17/2010-6:41pm at 6:41 pm (UTC -4)
Interesting Jose Reyes microcosm here. Obviously small samples, but…Earlier with a runner on 2nd and 1 out, a situation he might often face as the 3rd place hitter, he popped weakly to center. Now he’s about to come up leading off in a situation the team desperately needs a runner on, then a run to score. Let’s see if he handles this lead off situation better than he did that “3rd” situation.
GravediggerHebner
4/17/2010-6:43pm at 6:43 pm (UTC -4)
Nope.
asod75
4/17/2010-6:43pm at 6:43 pm (UTC -4)
Jose looks like he could have used at least an additional week of minor-league games…
whataputz
4/17/2010-6:45pm at 6:45 pm (UTC -4)
clearly not ready for the majors a the moment.
asod75
4/17/2010-6:44pm at 6:44 pm (UTC -4)
Why is “Mr. OBP” swinging at the first pitch in the ninth inning of a tie game. I really can’t stand Castillo….
whataputz
4/17/2010-6:44pm at 6:44 pm (UTC -4)
runnnnnnnnnnnnssssssssss! score runs!
whataputz
4/17/2010-6:46pm at 6:46 pm (UTC -4)
essentially this game comes down to how much longer it will take the cards to score.
metsfan4decades
4/17/2010-6:50pm at 6:50 pm (UTC -4)
Why am I finding it hard to disagree with this?
whataputz
4/17/2010-6:54pm at 6:54 pm (UTC -4)
because you’ve watched the mets play?
asod75
4/17/2010-6:46pm at 6:46 pm (UTC -4)
This team sucks…But I watch and root for them every day. Guess that makes me the ultimate sucker…..
Mr North Jersey
4/17/2010-6:56pm at 6:56 pm (UTC -4)
ALL Aboard
http://realdirtymets.com/the-real-dirty-dugout/
metsfan4decades
4/17/2010-7:00pm at 7:00 pm (UTC -4)
When was the last time we saw a nothing-nothing game going into extra innings?
Come on boys, get a run here.
metsfan4decades
4/17/2010-7:24pm at 7:24 pm (UTC -4)
Cora – our new defensive 1st baseman. Nice grab.
udontmesswthejohan
4/17/2010-7:31pm at 7:31 pm (UTC -4)
That’s the way you play ball!
asod75
4/17/2010-7:39pm at 7:39 pm (UTC -4)
GMJ and Cat = total wastes of roster spots
asod75
4/17/2010-7:41pm at 7:41 pm (UTC -4)
And the pickoff ends the inning. Pa. The. Tic.
asod75
4/17/2010-7:49pm at 7:49 pm (UTC -4)
On we go to the 12th. Bullpen doing a nice job but I’m reminded of Bob Uecker’s character Harry Doyle in the classic comedy “Major League” with the line. “One hit, that’s all we got, one ***damn hit.” His partner then tells him “You can’t say ***damn on the air.” and Doyle replies “No one’s listening anyway.”
metsfan4decades
4/17/2010-7:50pm at 7:50 pm (UTC -4)
Well, at least the BP is getting it done so far. On to the 12th. Now would be a good time for the offense to make an appearance.
asod75
4/17/2010-7:59pm at 7:59 pm (UTC -4)
Another weak AB by Wright, but the same could be said of many players on both squads today.
asod75
4/17/2010-8:01pm at 8:01 pm (UTC -4)
And the golden sombrero for the $66 million dollar man.
asod75
4/17/2010-8:07pm at 8:07 pm (UTC -4)
Pretty bad 0-2 pitch there to the annoying pest Schumaker…..
asod75
4/17/2010-8:09pm at 8:09 pm (UTC -4)
Could be an entirely new way to lose the game, a catcher’s interference on a pitch taken for a strike.
asod75
4/17/2010-8:13pm at 8:13 pm (UTC -4)
I feel a Francoeur homer coming on, maybe just wishful thinking.
asod75
4/17/2010-8:32pm at 8:32 pm (UTC -4)
Hey Taka, throw strikes!
metsfan4decades
4/17/2010-8:36pm at 8:36 pm (UTC -4)
Torture…..
Let’s do it here in the 14th please.
No matter how this ends, have to hand it to our pitchers today.
asod75
4/17/2010-8:42pm at 8:42 pm (UTC -4)
Jose looks lost at the plate. Chases 2-0 and 3-1 pitches out of the zone. Ugly.
asod75
4/17/2010-8:48pm at 8:48 pm (UTC -4)
Now is the time Bay, now is the time…..
metsfan4decades
4/17/2010-8:50pm at 8:50 pm (UTC -4)
or not. Sigh…..
asod75
4/17/2010-8:51pm at 8:51 pm (UTC -4)
The offense shouldn’t bother carrying bats to the plate….
asod75
4/17/2010-8:54pm at 8:54 pm (UTC -4)
Well, here comes the ending…..
metsfan4decades
4/17/2010-9:08pm at 9:08 pm (UTC -4)
or not. Woo-Hoo!
asod75
4/17/2010-8:57pm at 8:57 pm (UTC -4)
We suck…clap clap clap. We suck…clap clap clap.
asod75
4/17/2010-9:04pm at 9:04 pm (UTC -4)
Unbelievable, can he escape the unthinkable?
asod75
4/17/2010-9:06pm at 9:06 pm (UTC -4)
YESSSSSS!
metsfan4decades
4/17/2010-9:06pm at 9:06 pm (UTC -4)
WOW. Taka is a magician.
metsfan4decades
4/17/2010-9:16pm at 9:16 pm (UTC -4)
Why burn Niese in at bat? Why not leave Taka in?
If this game goes on and on, Niese could have pitched.
I don’t get it.
asod75
4/17/2010-9:23pm at 9:23 pm (UTC -4)
Uh oh. Two out trouble for Mejia
metsfan4decades
4/17/2010-9:26pm at 9:26 pm (UTC -4)
16th. Now would be a good time to start hitting guys.
asod75
4/17/2010-9:34pm at 9:34 pm (UTC -4)
Get the bat off your shoulders, Luis…
metsfan4decades
4/17/2010-9:45pm at 9:45 pm (UTC -4)
I’m hungry…..
metsfan4decades
4/17/2010-10:05pm at 10:05 pm (UTC -4)
If they can’t get a freaking hit off Lopez….
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