TERRIBLE DAY FOR THE METS

The Mets lost both of their games to the Marlins today – 7-0 in their “B” game this morning and 5-1 in their afternoon game at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter.For a full recap and box score of the afternoon game, click here.In the “B” game, Anderson Hernandez committed an error which contributed to R.A. Dickey allowing four runs, two earned, in their loss to the Marlins this morning.However, Nelson Figueroa continued his string of fine pitching this Spring with another scoreless inning of relief.Johan Santana started the afternoon game for the Mets and pitch a solid four innings of shutout ball, allowing three hits and striking out four.However, the afternoon did not go well for John Maine, who followed Santana to start the fifth inning, as he lasted just 2/3 of an inning and allowed all five runs to the Marlins.Maine also walked three but despite the poor performance, Maine says he shoulder feels ok.…i think the one of keys early on for everyone on this team is that they establish their health and get in game shape now…if the results are still bad towards the end of March, ill be concerned, but right now, i just want to see these guys get out there, and play, and continue to play…Kiko Calero made his Spring debut, and worked out of a jam in the seventh for a scoreless frame.The Mets were 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position, as the lone RBI came from Mike Hessman with two outs in the ninth, when he doubled in Josh Thole, who walked with two outs and nobody on.

SANTANA PROVES HE'S HEALTHY, BUT ALSO PROVES HES NOT ON TOP OF HIS GAME

he early signs for Johan Santana were not very good Tuesday, but as Mets fans may recall, Santana is a lot more reliable in September than in March. In his first game appearance since last August, Santana allowed four runs and six hits over one and two-thirds innings against Houston, and required 47 pitches to do it. But Santana, who had surgery in September, was not exactly morose over the day’s events. “Mentally, you feel good because that’s one of the big steps you have to make, to finally get into a real game and see how your arm reacts to that surgery,” he said. “Over all, it felt pretty good.” After striking out the leadoff hitter Michael Bourn with a changeup, Santana gave up a home run to the second Astros batter, Kazuo Matsui. By the time the sixth batter had come to the plate, a reliever was already warming up in the Mets’ bullpen. Santana made it out of the first inning, but he could not finish the second because his pitch count was rising quickly. “They made me work today,” he said of the Astros, who won, 8-4. “They were swinging right away. But I felt good because I was able to throw all my pitches. I was a little bit off with my mechanics, releasing the ball, but that’s part of spring training. That’s what we’re here for.” The most significant aspect of the outing was that Santana said he felt fine physically and reported no problems with his surgically cleaned left elbow. Last year, he was unable to fully extend his arm when he pitched because of bone chips in his elbow, but he said he had no issues with that Tuesday and was able to throw his slider, which he had stopped doing in 2009. The last time Santana had this surgical procedure was after the 2003 season; the next year, he won the American League Cy Young Award with the Minnesota Twins. And as for his record when it counts, Santana is 47-14 with a 2.54 earned run average in August, September and October over his career, which is why no one was too worried about what happened here on Tuesday. “I don’t concern myself with Johan because of the history,” Manager Jerry Manuel said. The problems Santana had came with his mechanics, he said, and that is not uncommon during a pitcher’s first outing of spring training. As a result, his fastball command was not as crisp as it will surely be later in the spring. It was an inside fastball that Matsui — who homered on the first major league pitch he saw as a Met in 2004 — clobbered for a home run over the left-field wall. Of the 12 batters Santana faced, nine reached base or knocked in a run. “I’m a work in progress right now,” he said.

SANTOS FEVER ACROSS BASEBALL

Omir Santos hit an in-the-park grand slam and while I many feel he's more suited to be a back-up, I feel in love with him last year. The opinions:
Mine: Santos provided the Mets with the moment of the year last season in Boston, and was great behind the plate, as the Mets won more games, per capata, with him catching, than any other fellow.
Ed Ryan says: "...it still needs to be asked why he was catching Ollie today. I thought the concept of acquiring two new catchers was to focus on defense and handling the staff, when ever anyone bashes the BA's of Barajas or Blanco the answer immediately is in regard to non-offensive assets. So why in the first outing of spring training, for the most fragile pitcher, is the guy they worked so hard to replace, catching. I have nothing against Omir but they basically blamed him for all the teams pitching woes so how is he catching Ollie today. No, these games have no meaning but wouldn't you think they would want Barajas or Blanco working with him, building a relationship and getting him off to a fast start."
Matt Pignataro reports BREAKING NEWS on his twitter that According to sources, #Rangers and #Orioles both "very interested" in #Mets Omir Santos.

METS DOMINATING SPRING TRAINING

The Mets (6–2) defeated the Marlins (3–2) by the score of 11–2 in Jupiter, Fla., today.

For a full boxscore, read SNY.TV.

• John Maine struck out four of the eight batters he faced, allowing one run and two hits, while throwing 21 of 39 pitches for strikes.
• Chris Carter hit two ninth-inning home runs.
• The Mets have scored 91 runs in eight games this spring.
• Jenrry Mejia pitched three scoreless innings in relief, striking out one and allowing two hits. He got Hanley Ramirez to pup out. He tried to field a ball with his bare hand, which prompted a visit from the trainer, but he remained in the game. He threw 27 of 33 pitches for strikes.
• Ike Davis was 2 for 3 with two RBI, he also made an error in the field.
• Rod Barajas hit his first home run with the Mets.

To read quotes from Maine regarding his outing, read Adam Rubin’s blog for the Daily News.

The Mets play the Astros tomorrow at 1 pm in Tradition, with the game airing live on SNY. (MetsBlog.com)

METS DESTROY NATS FOR 4TH W

By Bill Ladson / MLB.com

03/06/10 4:22 PM EST

Box >

METS 14, NATIONALS 6
at Viera, Fla.
Saturday, March 6

Mets at the plate: Outfielder Fernando Martinez went 4-for-4 with two home runs and three runs scored. Mike Jacobs, who is trying to win a job as a bench player, hit a solo home run in the top of the seventh inning. Shortstop Ruben Tejada had two hits and drove in two runs.

Nationals at the plate: Eric Bruntlett highlighted the scoring with a three-run homer off right-hander Mike Pelfrey in the second inning. Cristian Guzman played in his first game of the spring and went 2-for-4 with one run and an RBI.

Mets on the mound: Pelfrey made his first start of the spring and allowed three earned runs in three innings. His best frame was in the third, when he retired the side in order.

Nationals on the mound: Left-hander John Lannan had a rough first inning, giving up two runs. However, Lannan regrouped and retired the side in order in his next frame. Southpaw Shawn Estes and right-hander Tyler Walker made their Nationals debuts and combined to give up seven runs in two innings. Aaron Thompson was one Washington hurler who pitched well as he pitched two shutout innings and struck out one.

Worth noting: Nationals left fielder Willie Harris made two great catches in the first inning. With the bases loaded, Mike Hessman hit a fly ball to deep left field. Harris ran and made a nice running catch near the wall, but Martinez scored on the play. After Ike Davis singled to make it a 2-0 game, Harris robbed Henry Blanco of a three-run homer by catching the ball over the left-center-field wall.

Grapefruit League records: Mets 4-2; Nationals 0-4.

-Mets.com

WIN ONE, LOSE ONE

At Tradition Field, the Mets fell to the Marlins by the score of 4-2. Jon Niese started for the Mets, and pitched pretty well, allowing just a run in 2 2/3 innings and striking out five before reaching his pitch count limit, handing the ball to Jenrry Mejia trailing 1-0 in the third inning. The Mets would take the lead in the bottom of the third, thanks to a heads up base running play by Angel Pagan, when he scored on a David Wright fielders choice and an error by Emilio Bonifacio to prolong the inning, and then Jason Bay doubled off the right field wall to score Wright to make it 2-1. …i have been really down on Pagan and his baseball instincts, but i was thrilled to see him score on that play, using his head and making a good, aggressive play to help the team… Mejia’s outing continued through the fifth inning, and he showed tremendous velocity and very good control of all of his pitches, striking out the first three batters he faced and retiring all seven batters he faced. Mejia went 2 1/3 innings, allowing no hits while striking out four. …although its an early spring game, Mejia looked awesome…he looked poised, confident, and most importantly, he looked like he was having a ball, with a big fist pump at the end of the top of the fourth inning… Ryota Igarashi pitched two innings but allowed a solo home run to Bonifacio in the seventh, which tied the game at two a piece. The Mets had some technical difficulties with the sprinklers before the top of the eighth inning, which delayed the action for a few minutes, but Pedro Feliciano took over for Igarashi and promptly allowed a leadoff double to Jorge Jiminez, then Cameron Maybin moved him over to third on a groundout, but then Feliciano struck out Marlins top prospect Mike Stanton and then got Vinny Rottino to ground out to end the inning. …Feliciano was all over the place today, but he was able to make big pitches when he needed to and got away unscathed… Bobby Parnell came on in the ninth, and with a runner at first and one out, the Marlins executed a perfect hit and run play to put runners at the corners, but Parnell struck out Bonifacio, and after walking Brett Carroll, got Jorge Jiminez to fly out to end the inning. But in the tenth, Parnell immediately found himself in trouble again, allowing a Cameron Maybin leadoff double, and then Mike Stanton connected for a two run home run to put the Marlins on top 4-2. …Parnell was in the upper 90s with his fastball, but like Feliciano, he just didn’t appear too comfortable out there today… The Mets mounted a rally in the bottom of the tenth and pulled within one when Mike Hessman reached on a fielders choice and an error which scored Sean Ratliff, but Ike Davis grounded out to end the game, giving the Marlins the victory. Meanwhile, in Jupiter against the Cardinals, the Mets defeated the Cardinals by the score of 7-3. Fernando Nieve pitched well in his first start of the Spring, going three innings and allowing just a run on three hits with two strikeouts, although he walked two in his outing. The Mets jumped out to an early 3-0 against the Cardinals in the first, thanks to an RBI double by Fernando Tatis, followed by RBI singles from Jeff Francoeur and Fernando Martinez, but Bobby Livingston took over for Nieve in the fourth and allowed two runs thanks to a Colby Rasmus RBI single which scored two for St. Louis to tie the game at three a piece. The Mets went in front in the seventh inning when Shawn Riggans drove in Chris Coste with two outs off of Cardinals reliever Ben Jukich, and then added two more in the ninth inning in support of Nelson Figueroa, who gave the Mets four innings of one hit ball. Fernando Martinez had another nice afternoon, going 2 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored against the Cardinals. (MetsBlog.com)

METS SIGN KIKO CALERO

The Mets have signed veteran reliever Kiko Calero to a minor league deal with an invite to spring training. Calero can earn 850k if he makes the team and an additional 650k through incentives. This is a great signing by the Mets because it adds depth to the reliever pool without any true risk, Calero doesn't cost them a roster spot nor was the contract very big. Despite a 1.67 ERA in 67 appearances Calero struggled to find work because his shoulder is such a risk. In 2008 he tore his rotator cuff but instead of surgery opted to rehab the shoulder and last season he spent sometime on the DL with inflammation in that shoulder. Maybe Escobar and Calero can time their DL time between each other, so that ones pitching effectively while the other takes a rest. While I believe both will spend time on the DL, I also believe both are good signings and will contribute to the team this year.

WRIGHT, CASTILLO DEBUT WITH EXCELLENCE; PITCHERS AND BAY HUGELY DISAPPOINT

View Photo Gallery From Today's Game | The top of the order was in full gear. Gary Matthews Jr. and Luis Castillo combined to go 4-for-4 with five runs scored and two RBIs. David Wright hit a two-run homer on a line drive to right field in the first inning, and Matthews added a solo shot in the fifth. Jason Bay, making his Mets debut, went 0-for-2 with a walk and a strikeout. Ike Davis pounded a ninth-inning grand slam well past the picnic tables in right field.
R.A. Dickey had his knuckleball working early, then it went downhill. He was unable to finish the third inning, and his outing ended with five earned runs allowed on seven hits and two walks in 2 2/3 innings. Tobi Stoner followed up and gave up a run in 2 1/3 frames. Jack Egbert hurled two shutout innings, striking out three and walking two. Sean Green checked in for the eighth, but he was able to get just two outs and exited early. He was charged with two runs.
The wind was estimated to be blowing at about 18 mph at Tradition Field, which made for an interesting sight considering two knuckleballers -- Dickey and Zink -- saw action. But the wind factor was never more evident than in the top of the third, when Ludwick's liner to straightaway center field hooked towards right field and spun Matthews completely around, resulting in a two-run double.
Video of Ike Davis's HR:

REYES IS FINE

JASON BAY TO MAKES METS DEBUT;

GAME 3 LINEUP AN INTERESTING ONE

The Mets will host the Cardinals this afternoon at 1:10 pm Tradition Field. According to David Lennon of Newsday, Jose Reyes has been scratched from today’s lineup because he had a follow up to his physical, as Reyes said “It’s nothing serious.”Ruben Tejada will take Reyes place at shortstop and bat ninth, and Jason Bay will be making his Spring debut this afternoon.

The lineup is as follows:

1. Gary Matthews, Jr. CF
2. Luis Castillo, 2B
3. David Wright, 3B
4. Jason Bay, LF
5. Daniel Murphy, 1B
6. Jeff Francoeur, RF
7. Fernando Tatis, DH
8. Henry Blanco, C
9. Ruben Tejada, SS

HITTING STELLAR, BUT KUTZ A DISAPPOINTMENT

A pair of young Mets turned in strong performances in a 9-5 defeat to the Braves on Wednesday. Pat Misch tossed three scoreless frames, while Fernando Martinez went 2-for-3. Jose Reyes has looked good, Johan Santana is coming off left elbow surgery and Carlos Beltran will miss Opening Day. But, the big story is not a good one.

The words manager Jerry Manuel spoke Wednesday could have come straight from the Mets' initial evaluation of Eddie Kunz, the one written in 2006 when he still was throwing ground balls for Oregon State, a year before the Mets spent their first selection in the First-Year Player Draft on him.

"He's got great stuff. He's a big guy. His ball moves. It's powerful sink," Manuel said.

Baseball scouts notice movement on pitches as college basketball recruiters notice 6-foot-10 high school freshman. In some cases -- Doug Sisk, Rick Aguilera, Mariano Rivera and Jenrry Mejia to name a few -- the movement is as natural as moss on the north side of a tree. It can't be taught any more than height can be taught. And Eddie Kunz has both, natural movement and height.

At 6-foot-6, 260 pounds, he could be some school's power forward. Instead, he throws a power sinker that seldom makes contact with the sweet spots of bats. Kunz makes his living hitting the bottoms of bats.

After two-plus seasons as a professional, the living he makes is less than he and the Mets had envisioned. Kunz, 24 next month, hasn't progressed as quickly as he and the club had hoped. He made his first appearance in a Spring Training game Wednesday. He had an unremarkable performance in the Mets' 9-5 loss to the Braves, turning Disney into something other than the happiest place on earth for him and his manager.

The credo of the 2010 Mets is "pitching and defense," and within the former, the slogan is "throw strikes." On this chilly, breezy afternoon in Central Florida, they accomplished none of the above. They committed four errors, all in a forgettable five-run rally in the seventh inning that turned the game from 5-4 in their favor to the final score. And though four of the five runs were unearned, four earned in the Braves' seven other turns at bat yields a 5.14 ERA.

Moreover, they walked seven batters, three by Kunz, who retired one of the six batters he faced in the sixth inning. He was charged with the four runs that allowed the Braves to tie the score.

Manuel afforded his pitcher some absolution: "He's not the first young pitcher with problems in his first game of the spring."

But since Kunz became a professional, games beyond the season's first have been challenging in the same way, as the movement that should be his ally becomes an enemy. Walks have become too much a constant. He pitched 61 innings in 40 appearances with the Mets' Triple-A Buffalo affiliate last season. He struck out 38 batters, about what would be expected from a ground-ball pitcher. But he also walked 31, a total that would be expected from Nolan Ryan as a high school freshman.

Kunz characterized his problem Wednesday as "not finishing my pitches." It's not the first time he has been undermined by that problem.

"I've been working to keep my hips moving forward," he said. "When I do that, I throw strikes. When I come up short, I don't finish."

The Mets patiently wait for Kunz. They know what they saw in 2008, when he saved 27 games for their Double-A Binghamton team. They saw enough then to summon him to the big leagues for an under-fire test after their bullpen had disintegrated. Kunz might have taken the eighth-inning job then had he distinguished himself. But his four appearances (2 2/3 innings) produced a 13.50 ERA that stains his numerical resume.

He allowed a home run by Chase Headley of the Padres in his second game, the first home run he had allowed -- college, Minor League and big leagues -- since 2004. He allowed one in Triple-A after he was demoted. Alarmingly, he allowed eight last season.

"It hasn't come as quick as I would have liked," he said Wednesday. "But I'm learning. I'm getting better. Each year I get more comfortable and more confident."

And each year, the Mets are waiting.(Mets.com)

METS WIN SPRING TRAINING OPENER DESPITE B-LINEUP

The First Spring Training Game for all of baseball was Mets vs. Braves Tuesday, and the Mets got the job done, defeating Atlanta 4-2.
Late-morning rain and resulting wet fields prompted Mets manager Jerry Manuel to remove Luis Castillo, Jose Reyes, David Wright, Jason Bay and Jeff Francoeur from the original lineup. I would criticize him, but for a game that means nothing, I understand that he is not willing to take risks. Willie woulda kept them in though, just saying.
Dessens was removed during the third inning after being struck on the right knee by a McCann liner. Jesus Feliciano, who batted leadoff, had two singles, the Mets' only hits in the first three innings. He drove in the Mets' second run in the fifth with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly.
Ike Davis produced their first extra-base hit, a leadoff double in the fifth against Jesse Chavez. He scored from second base two batters later on a single by left-handed-hitting outfielder Jason Pridie. Ruben Tejada singled in the final run in the three-run fifth. Davis had an opposite-field single against left-hander Mike Dunn in his third at-bat. Russ Adams hit a long home run in the eighth inning. Starter Nelson Figueroa struck out Omar Infante, DH Mitch Jones and Nate McLouth with runners on second and third in the second inning. Bobby Livingston, summoned in relief of Dessens, allowed two walks and struck out four in 2 1/3 innings.

BELTRAN & DELGADO WANTED FOR STEROID INVESTIGATION

Those Mets Report, Breaking News Federal authorities investigating a doctor based in Canada for distributing performance-enhancing drugs want to meet with Mets center fielder Carlos Beltran and the former Mets first baseman Carlos Delgado, according to several people briefed on the matter. The authorities want to speak with the two players because another athlete interviewed by the authorities said that he was referred to Dr. Galea by Beltran and Delgado, the people said. Beltran has been treated by the doctor, Anthony Galea, according to the people, and Dr. Galea has said that he treated Delgado, who is a free agent. Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez said on Monday that he had been contacted by the authorities about meeting with them about his ties to Dr. Galea. Rodriguez could meet with the authorities as early as late Tuesday, according to a person briefed on the matter. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because they did not want to be identified discussing a continuing investigation. Galea, who is based in Toronto, has been charged by Canadian authorities with conspiring to smuggle human growth hormone and other drugs into the United States. In this country, he is being investigated by a small army of federal authorities: the Department of Homeland Security, the F.B.I., the Drug Enforcement Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials and the United States attorney’s office in Buffalo. According to several people briefed on the investigation, it is not just baseball players who have been linked to Galea. The people said that the federal authorities had developed information that several professional football players who were treated by Galea received performance-enhancing drugs from him. Those people, along with the person with knowledge of the Yankees’ inquiries to Rodriguez’s representatives, did not want to be publicly identified because they were discussing matters related to a continuing federal investigation. The investigation of Galea began in September, when one of his assistants was stopped at a border crossing in Buffalo. In the assistant’s car, authorities found H.G.H., other substances and a laptop computer with medical files. The assistant is cooperating with authorities and has told them that Galea provided athletes with performance-enhancing drugs. The Daily News first reported on Tuesday that Beltran had been contacted by the authorities. (NY Times)

METS WANT KIKO CALERO

Those Mets Report, Breaking News Ken Davidoff of Newsday says the Mets are interested in RHP Kiko Calero. However, Davidoff says the Mets are concerned about his injury history, and would only be interested on a minor league deal. In 67 games last year, Calero finished with a stunning 1.95 ERA.