IGT 04/12 - Mets at Marlins

[Guest Kong76]

USA Today -- It's approaching 10 months since Johan Santana last lost a start. He's never lost one to the Florida Marlins.

One day before the New York spotlight will be on Queens for the first regular-season game at Citi Field, the Mets' ace will try to shine against the Marlins on Sunday afternoon when his team looks for the series win.

Santana, though, will have to outpitch Florida right-hander Josh Johnson, who has never lost to the Mets.

Santana (1-0, 1.59 ERA) takes the mound for the second time this season following a 2-1 win over Cincinnati on Monday, when he allowed just one run and three hits over 5 2-3 innings. Unlike last season, when the Mets' bullpen blew five of Santana's nine leads in the ninth inning, first-year Mets relievers Sean Green, J.J. Putz and Francisco Rodriquez threw 3 1-3 innings of scoreless relief.

''They deserve all the credit,'' Santana said. ''It's great for us, and it was big for getting the comfort level up.''

Santana, though, deserves plenty of credit. The veteran lefty, who led the majors with a 2.53 ERA in 2008, is 10-0 with a 2.07 ERA in his last 18 starts and has not lost since June 28.

He is 5-0 with a 1.83 ERA in five career starts against the Marlins, including 3-0 with a 1.96 ERA in three starts in 2008, highlighted by a three-hitter on Sept. 27 in a 2-0 win pitching on three days' rest.

''How many did he pitch? How many did he throw?'' Mets manager Jerry Manuel said of Santana's 117-pitch effort against the Marlins. ''Wow, wow, wow, wow. I think if I had to describe that one, I would say that was gangsta. That was real gangsta.''

While Santana continues to put up gaudy numbers and even more gutsy efforts for the Mets (3-2), Johnson is quietly establishing himself as one of the game's best young pitchers.

Since Tommy John surgery in Aug. 2007 sidelined him for a year, the Marlins' 25-year-old is 8-1 with a 3.35 ERA.

In his first start of 2009, Johnson (1-0, 0.00 ERA) struck out eight in seven shutout innings in Florida's 8-3 victory over Washington on Tuesday.

Johnson, who signed a one-year, $1.4 million contract with the Marlins in the offseason, is 4-0 with a 1.76 ERA lifetime against the Mets, whom he beat twice in 2008.

On Sunday, Johnson will face a Mets club that tagged Florida pitching for 15 hits in Saturday's 8-4 win. The Marlins (4-1) were the major league's last undefeated team.

''We had to come down to reality at one time or another,'' second baseman Dan Uggla said.

Mets second baseman Luis Castillo broke out of his early season slump with a 4-for-4 effort versus his former team.

''I don't want to think so much, and that's what I've been doing,'' said Castillo, batting .366 lifetime against the Marlins, whom he played for from 1996-2005. ''I get frustrated sometimes, but I know what kind of player I am.''

Carlos Delgado went 3-for-4 and drove in two runs, moving within three RBIs of 1,500. Delgado, though, is 0-for-11 lifetime versus Johnson.

Emilio Bonifacio had his fifth straight multihit game Saturday with a 3-for-5 effort. He is batting .583.

Bonifacio is hitless in five career at-bats against Santana.

[Guest Kong76]

Reyes ss
Murphy lf
Wright 3b
Delgado 1b
Beltran cf
Church rf
Castro c
Castillo 2b
Santana p

Bonifacio 3b
Maybin cf
Ramirez ss
Helms 1b
Uggla 2b
Hermida lf
Ross rf
Paulino c
Johnson p

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Already looks like one of those days.

[Guest GYC]

WHY DO OUTFIELDERS USE ONLY ONE HAND WHEN THEY CATCH IT?!

It was pounded into my head playing little league that you always use two
hands, no matter how routine.

I fucking love Murphy at the plate and hate him in the outfield.

Now it's 2-0 when it should be 0-0 and the inning over.

[Guest themetfairy]

Egad! That was a horrible error by Murphy!

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

What the Fielding Bible doesn't tell you.

Jesus.

[Guest Kong76]

Feeling bad for Murphy, this one doesn't look like it's gonna yield to many
more runs soon. Maybe Santana can get a surprise dinger and help his cause.

[Guest themetfairy]

Kevin Burkhart says that the theme of the offseason was losing weight. I can get into that.

Ramon Castro apparently dropped 15 pounds by doing a lot of cardio after the season.

Castillo breaks up the no-no - thank goodness!

[Guest Kong76]

Ain't gonna do it freakin' bunting.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Kong76 wrote: Feeling bad for Murphy...

I'm feeling hate for Murphy. Is that wrong?

Like I said, looked like one of those days from the start.

[Guest Kong76]

Murph's gonna have his young buck growing pains.

[Guest Kong76]

And sometimes ya just need a little luck. Wright singles, Delgado hits to
2B for an easy DP and they can't even get one.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

One three-run homer, please.

[Guest OlerudOwned]

Kids ain't alright in the field.

[Guest Kong76]

And sometimes luck don't last as Beltran hits into DP for Delgado.

[Guest OlerudOwned]

God damn.

[Guest Kong76]

I think Doc Gooden needs to speak the fairy's personal trainer, pronto.

[Guest Kong76]

I guess this is officially one of those collective head up ass games they waste
while the best pitcher in baseball does his part?

[Guest themetfairy]

What the fuck is the security guard doing trying to field a ball in play? Sheesh!

[Guest themetfairy]

Kong76 wrote: I think Doc Gooden needs to speak the fairy's personal trainer, pronto.

I do my own training, thankyouverymuch!

[Guest Kong76]

This is shaping up to be over in like two hours.

[Guest themetfairy]

Sure - Murphy can make the tough catch. Just not the routine one....

[Guest themetfairy]

Delgado keeps hope alive with a 2-out, 2-strike double.

[Guest Kong76]

"It ain't over until it's over."

[Guest themetfairy]

Los Dos Carlos make it a 1-run game!

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Will they rise from the dead?

[Guest Kong76]

Not today.

[Guest themetfairy]

No, unfortunately. No Easter resurrection for us.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Today's Goat Horns go to Johan Santana. Because he's today's losing pitcher.

[Guest themetfairy]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Today's Goat Horns go to Johan Santana. Because he's today's losing pitcher.

SC on that?

If there's a goat, it's Murphy. That error was fugly and costly.