Beat Down In the Bronx; Scalped At Shea

In my last post, I mentioned how the acquisition of Andy Phillips might spell a platoon situation at First Base with Carlos Delgado. Well in the first game of yesterday's day night double header, Delgado made sure his made his case to keep his job on a permanent basis. I also mentioned how the acquisition of Trot Nixon enabled Damion Easley to move back to the infield, and into a possible platoon situation at Second Base with Luis Castillo. Like Delgado, Castillo too made a case to stay at second base permanently during the first game of the double header.


Delgado set a Mets record with nine RBIs and Castillo scored a career-best five runs in a 15-6 rout."I got lucky," Delgado said. "Every time I came up it seems like they had a lot of guys on base so I got some good pitches to hit and I was able to drive them."

Delgado hit a two-run double off Edwar Ramirez in the fifth inning and his 12th career grand slam in the sixth, a drive against Ross Ohlendorf that landed in one of the last rows of bleachers in right-center. Delgado added a three-run homer in the eighth off LaTroy Hawkins a drive into a corridor beyond the right-field wall.


Delgado's nine RBIs were one better than Dave Kingman's total for the Mets in an 11-0 victory against the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1976. Delgado's 44th multi-homer game gave him 444 home runs for his career, breaking a tie with Kingman for 34th on the major league career list. Delgado, who turned 36 on Wednesday, entered the game with just 11 homers and 35 RBIs this season.

(Taken from espn.com)

He previously hit a home run off the bottom of the left-field foul pole in the second of the Mets' two victories in the Bronx last month, but it was mistakenly ruled a foul ball by umpires. However, there were no such problems with either of his drives Friday, and the Mets are hoping the big game was enough to get the aging slugger back on track.


"When he gets hot, he gets kind of stupid hot where he can put a team on his shoulders and carry them for a week or two at a time," said David Wright, who tied a career high with four hits. "He's got the ability to be one of the best run producers, RBI machines, in the league when he swings the bat the way he's capable of." Said Manager Jerry Manuel: "To have this type of game on this type of stage is very impressive"

Carlos Beltran also had a hand in the route in game 1, as he hit a two-run homer and scored four runs as the Mets completed their first three-game winning streak and series sweep at Yankee Stadium.

Game 2 was a completely different story for the Mets, as Starter Pedro Martinez lasted only 5 and 2/3 innings giving up six hits, and six runs, all of which were earned, while walking five, and striking out four, to balloon his ERA to 7.12 on the season.


"I'm just not doing my job and that's something to worry about. It's time for me for getting better, not getting worse. I've got to make some adjustments," Martinez said. "The health is there. It's not physically; it's got to be mechanically."

Sidney Ponson pitched a gem in his return to the Yankees, silencing Carlos Delgado, who had a huge first game and the rest of the Mets en route to a 9-0 victory. Ponson pitched six scoreless innings while giving up five hits, walking four, and striking out four. He pitched briefly for the Yankees in 2006.

Yankee Second Baseman Robinson Cano homered and drove in three runs. Shortstop Derek Jeter extended his season-high hitting streak to 15 games with an RBI double off the center-field fence.

"You have to be able to respond," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. His team did just that.

Today, for the FOX Baseball Game of the Week in the New York area, Andy Pettite seeks his 9th win of the season for the Yankees, and Johan Santana goes for the Mets seeking his 8th win.