NewsMets need Santana to step up vs. Phils
New York (39-41) at Philadelphia (41-37), 1:35 p.m. ET
By Marty Noble / MLB.com
07/04/09 10:25 PM ET
PHILADELPHIA -- With Johan Santana scheduled to pitch Sunday, the Mets are very much within their rights to think the best is yet to come -- at least as that phrasing applies to their series against the Philliies. And after the least effective month of his career, statistically speaking, the Mets have the right to expect a quality performance from their primary starting pitcher. The law of averages says Santana's due.But he was due last week when he opposed the Brewers, too, and his 16th start blew up in his face. He pitched poorly, and the Mets' defense -- Santana contributed an error -- was poor, too.
So what can be expected of Santana in the demanding setting he faces Sunday. Another loss to the Phillies would put the Mets' record three games under .500 for the first time since April 12 and four games behind Philadelphia. And another loss would tarnish his standing in the clubhouse as "the guy who keeps us going."
Santana appreciates that identity, one Ryan Church gave him last summer. "And," Santana said, "you know I like challenges."
This would qualify as one.
At least he enters this one with some resume. Santana has a 4-0 record and a 2.95 ERA in eight career starts against the Phillies. He has faced them twice this season, his last start coming June 9, when he allowed five runs on four homers in eight innings in a 6-5 Mets win.
Moreover, he is approaching his time of year. He made 16 starts after June 30 last season and was unbeaten with nine victories.
"It just doesn't happen, you have to make it happen," Santana said Saturday. "I know what I have to do to get there."
Pitching matchup
NYM: LHP Johan Santana (9-6, 3.34 ERA)
Santana surrendered five earned runs on nine hits in his most recent start against the Brewers on Tuesday, losing for the third time in four starts. He left the game in the seventh inning after giving up a long leadoff home run to Prince Fielder. Santana has faced the Phillies twice this season. Since winning his last three starts of May, Santana has averaged six innings per start and produced a 6.19 ERA in six starts. He has lost four of the six. Ryan Howard has hit three home runs in 20 career at-bats against Santana.
PHI: RHP Joe Blanton (4-4, 5.08 ERA)
Blanton allowed eight hits and three runs in five innings Tuesday against the Braves at Turner Field. He didn't pitch that poorly, but he threw 93 pitches. He had been pitching well before Tuesday, producing a 3.45 ERA in his preceding seven starts. Blanton made his first start for the Phillies against the Mets last July and hasn't faced the Mets since then. He allowed five earned runs in six innings in a no-decision. His ERA is 6.05 in seven starts (41 2/3 innings) at Citizens Bank Park this season. He has won once, lost twice and surrendered 11 home runs in those games. Luis Castillo is his primary nemesis among the Mets. Castillo has seven hits in 14 career at-bats against Blanton.
Tidbits
Alex Cora had merely five hits in 39 at-bats before his three hits in four at-bats Saturday. Castillo and David Wright have, respectively, two hits in 16 at-bats and five in 38. ... Pat Misch has allowed one run in seven appearances, totaling 8 1/3 innings. But he usually has pitched with the Mets trailing. ... The Mets have lost four straight to the Phillies for the first time since July 1, 2007, to April 8, 2008. ... Fernando Martinez is likely to have his aching right knee examined via MRI on Monday. He injured the leg during the last homestand in an area that had bothered him previously.
This date in Mets history -- July 5: A Mets game in Atlanta that began on July 4, 1985, ended in victory in the wee hours of July 5. After two rain delays -- lasting 90 and 41 minutes -- and six hours, 10 minutes of baseball, the Mets finally prevailed, beating the Braves, 16-13, in 19 innings. The game ended at 3:55 a.m. ET, later than any game in history. As promised, a fireworks display followed, prompting residents within earshot of Fulton County Stadium to think the city was under attack.
Rick Aguilera, who was to start the July 5 game, returned to the team hotel at a reasonable hour to get his rest, awoke at 3 a.m. ET, saw images of his teammates playing on his television, assumed a replay of the game was being televised and went back to sleep. The Mets had taken a 10-8 lead in the 13th inning, but the Braves tied the score. Five innings later, a sacrifice fly by Lenny Dykstra drove in an unearned run. The Mets were one out away from winning when reliever Rick Camp, a .060 career hitter with an 0-2 count at that point, hit his only career home run, off Tom Gorman, to tie the score again and prompt a wonderfully spontaneous reaction from Mets left fielder Danny Heep.
As the home run sailed over his head, Heep pivoted to watch its flight and put his hand on his head in exasperation, as if he were preventing the top from flying off. No pitcher had hit a home run so late in a game.
Camp's joy was short-lived, though. He surrendered five runs in the 19th. Ray Knight drove in the first with a double. Heep had a two-run single. Wally Backman's run scoring single was the Mets' 28th hit. The last out was made by Keith Hernandez who, seven innings earlier, had completed a cycle. The Braves scored two unearned runs against Ron Darling -- he was pitching in relief for the first time -- in the 19th and had two runners on base when Camp struck out for the final out.
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• WFAN 660, WADO 1280 (Español) Up next
• Monday: Off-day
• Tuesday: Mets (Mike Pelfrey, 6-3, 4.26) vs. Dodgers (Clayton Kershaw, 5-5, 3.49), 7:10 p.m. ET
• Wednesday: Mets (Oliver Perez, 1-2, 9.97) vs. Dodgers (Hiroki Kuroda, 3-4, 3.91), 7:10 p.m. ET
Marty Noble is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
