The Mets and the Phillies traded punches last night, combining for a young record of seven home runs, four coming off Mets starter Johan Santana. The Mets three home runs added a ten percent increase to their total for the season so far, having only hit thirty one before last night.
Johan Santana did not have his best stuff, saying he made a few mistakes that got hit out of the park. Mistakes against Philadelphia’s line up leave the park pretty frequently, regardless of where they’re playing ball. The thing that Santana and the rest of the Mets had last night, that was visibly lacking in the Phillies dugout, was intensity. Santana clearly didn’t want to come out of the game in the 8th inning last night, telling manager Jerry Manuel “I’m a man!” as he walked out to the mound to take the ball from him. I know Santana had just given up a home run to Chase Utley to cut the lead to one run, but I was convinced that he should stay in when I saw the fire in his eyes as Manuel came out. It turned out that Manuel made the right decision, as Bobby Parnell and Pedro Feliciano combined to close out the inning. Parnell gave up a single to the only batter he faced, but Feliciano was great as usual, picking up all three outs on only four pitches.
Frankie Rodriguez came in in the 9th inning and secured his sixteenth save in as many tries. His ERA is an absurd 0.65 on the season. Rodriguez gave up a lead off single to Jimmy Rollins, but did a great job of holding him at first base as he struck out Pedro Feliz to bring up Adult Film Star Matt Stairs. Stairs has been a monster pinch hitting, but Frankie got him to ground into a fielders choice that would have been a double play if Rollins didn’t make one hell of a slide to break it up. Greg Dobbs came up next, looking like he didn’t stand a chance against Rodriguez, and struck out looking on a 95 mph fastball to end the game. It was one of the more exciting games of the season. The team team and the crowd were fired up, and it showed.
The real story of last night was the Mets power surge. David Wright hit a solo home run, his first home run in over one hundred at bats, to give the Mets their first lead of the night. Carlos Beltran followed in the 3rd inning with a two run home run to extend the lead to 3-0. The Phillies answered in the 4th inning with back to back homers, and took the lead in the 6th off a Jimmy Rollins two run shot. The Mets were able to answer immediately, scoring two to take the lead back in the bottom half of the inning.
Fernando Tatis lead off the inning with a double, and moved over the third base on a throwing error by Phil’s catcher Carlos Ruiz. (Keith Hernandez had a great comment after the throwing error regarding Latin American catchers that I can’t find anywhere. If you know what it is please comment) Tatis was running on contact when Ryan Church grounded to first baseman Ryan Church, and beat the tag at home plate. Unfortunately the umpire blew the call leading to the Mets first out of the inning. Omir Santos kept the inning going after the pitching change, singling to right to put runners at first and second with one out. Santos’ hit did two things. It put the tying run in scoring position, and extended Santana’s outing, by keeping a sacrifice situation on the table and not forcing Jerry Manuel to pinch hit. Santana, after failing to get the bunt down on the first two pitches, pulled the old butcher boy play on the third pitch, and smacked a double down the right field line to tie the game. After Luis Castillo popped up for the second out, Alex Cora gave the Mets the lead by drilling a single into center field scoring Santos from third.
Ryan Church added what would be a much needed insurance run in the seventh inning, becoming the first person to hit the new apple in center field for a home run. Off the bat, I didn’t think the ball would leave the park. I’ve seen enough shots hit out to center field in Citi Field that don’t make it out, and I didn’t think this would be different. Apparently the winds were blowing out last night, and the ball cleared the fence. It was Church’s first home run in a while, and the Mets needed it.
Last night was the best game I’ve watched so far this season. Hopefully the rest of the series is as exciting. Cole Hamels will get his first chance to back up his big words at the end of last season, when he called the Mets “choke artists”. I hope the Mike Pelfrey makes him choke on a few inside fastballs in Hamels’ first at bat tonight as the Mets try to cut the Phillies lead to one.
Let’s Go Mets!
