May 7, 2009, Philadelphia Phillies-New York Mets early story, game story and notes for Metro (NY) Newspaper

US – Thursday, May 7

Delgado scored the Mets’ lone run on their second and final hit of the game.

Photo: GETTY IMAGES

Game at a glance Mets 1, Phillies 0

Three things we saw last night at Citi Field:

1 Jo the man: Before the game, Jerry Manuel said the seven days rest Johan Santana had between his April 29 no-decision against Florida and last night’s start against the Phillies might be “a little much.” He was right. Santana looked well rested in seven innings. The former Cy Young winner gave up just two hits and struck out 10. He improved to 4-1 on the year and lowered his already microscopic ERA to an NL-leading 0.91.

2 No ‘O’: The Mets’ bats couldn’t match Santana’s power. Facing the immortal Chan Ho Park, the Mets did not record a hit until Daniel Murphy’s two-out double in the fifth. David Wright’s second-inning caught stealing of second did not help the cause. The Mets did not break through until the seventh, when Fernando Tatis’ two-out single combined with Pedro Feliz’s throwing error scored Carlos Delgado. It turned out to be just enough for the win.

3 ’Pen holds up: Jerry Manuel made the decision to go to the bullpen after Delgado scored. Pedro Feliciano replaced Santana in the eighth. Facing one of the elite offenses in the game, Feliciano was able to sandwich groundouts by Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley around a Shane Victorino double, who later moved to third on a wild pitch. Feliciano focused in, battled with Ryan Howard and got the big lefty to strike out swinging.

DENIS GORMAN

Emotions running low for rivals

MLB.

The Phillies played it cool before their first series at Citi Field last night. And they should.

The Phils have only won 19 of the 36 games against the Mets in the last two years but 11 of those victories came in the second half, costing the Mets a shot at the postseason.

Surprisingly, though, the Mets chose to play it cool, too. Apparently a chance to remove the tag as the Phils’ doormat doesn’t fire up manager Jerry Manuel. Or, maybe he just hides it well.

“I don’t feel the need to address the rivalry,” Manuel said before the game. “We hope that there is discomfort with one another. Once the game starts, that’s the level that baseball should be played at every night. I think that’s good for baseball. It keeps me from having to talk.”

Don’t expect the world champs to start the chatter. Talking about the Mets is hardly a motivational tool nowadays for the Phils.

“We know what we have and what we need to do,” Philadelphia outfielder Shane Victorino said. “You worry about the Phillies. You don’t really worry about what’s going on with the Mets.”

DENIS GORMAN

US – Thursday, May 7

Santana slashes Phillies

MLB.

Johan Santana had been off for a good week before his start last night against the NL East rival Philadelphia Phillies. The rest was cause for concern, as was the fact in his previous five starts the Mets had provided him with just 11 runs.

“Seven days for a guy who was on a roll might be a little much,” said Mets manager Jerry Manuel. “If he throws a no-hitter, he’ll get seven days the next time. If he gets beat up, we’ll bring him back (today)."

Looks like the rest did the left-hander some good. Santana struck out 10 in seven innings without allowing a run in the Mets’ 1-0 win to get back to .500 at 13-13.

Through six starts this season, Santana (4-1) has an 0.91 ERA with 54 strikeouts. Only David Cone (0.76) in 1988 and Hall-of-Famer Nolan Ryan (0.77) in 1971 had better ERAs after six games in franchise history.

“I felt pretty good,” Santana said in what has to be a contender for understatement of the season. “We did everything the way it was supposed to be done and took advantage of the mistakes that they made.

“Every game is a challenge. The teams that I face are pretty good. I’m just trying to do my job.”

Santana went to work immediately. In the first, he sandwiched Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard strikeouts around a Shane Victorino pop out to Alex Cora, who started in place of Luis Castillo. He struck out the side in the second and fourth.

The only real trouble that Santana faced came in the third. After inducing Carlos Ruiz into a 5-3 putout to start the inning, Santana walked pitcher Chan Ho Park and allowed a single to Rollins. Park and Rollins advanced on a Victorino groundout but were stranded following Chase Utley’s grounder.

As has been the case dating back to last season, the Mets bats were not providing support for their ace. In fact, they came up with just two hits on the night -- one less than the Phils. Chan Ho Park struck out five for Philadelphia and gave up just one hit in six innings.

“I thought Chan Ho had good stuff tonight, much better stuff than he had over in Philadelphia. I thought he was real, real good tonight. We weren’t able to get anything done,” Manuel said.

The Mets broke the scoreless deadlock in the seventh in auspicious fashion. Delgado led off the frame with a walk off of reliever Scott Eyre, who replaced Park. After consecutive flyouts by Davi Wright and Daniel Murphy, Fernando Tatis was called on to pinch hit for Reed. On a 1-1 pitch, Tatis hit a broken bat grounder to Feliz, who charged and made a bare-handed throw that was wide of Ryan Howard and went into short right field. While Howard and Jayson Werth gave chase, both Delgado and Tatis were running. It looked as if Werth double-pumped, as if not sure where to throw, and the hesitation allowed Delgado to slide under Ruiz’s tag ttempt at home while Tatis ended up at third.

“I wasn’t sure because I was running away from the ball, but when I turned by shortstop I was able to pick it up and then I saw (third base coach) Razor (Shines) and he kept sending us,” said Delgado.

Having thrown 101 pitches and the top of the Phillies order coming up, Manuel replaced Santana with Pedro Feliciano. Feliciano was able to get Rollins and Utley to ground out—he did allow a one-out double to Victorino—before striking out Howard to end the inning. Francisco Rodriguez came on in the ninth and sat down the side, giving the Mets their fourth win in five games.

METS NOTES: After the game, Omar Minaya announced that Oliver Perez has been placed on the disabled list with patella tendonitis in his right knee. Jon Niese has been called up from AA Binghamton and will start tonight against the Pirates.

Minaya said Perez had been on the Mets’ medical report “for a week.” The erratic lefthander claimed that he told the Mets about his knee pain at the end of spring training.

Niese made three starts with the Mets last year, going 1-1 with a no decision and 7.07 ERA. The win came on September 13 against Atlanta. He threw eight shutout innings, striking out seven while scattering six hits and walking two in what was a 5-0 win.

Denis Gorman

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