New York Yank$$s off-season free agent acquisition A.J Burnett(6-4,3.93) stoned the Mets for 7 innings, allowing only a 1 hit, leading the Yank$$s to a 5-0 win Saturday night at Citi-Field. C Jorge Posada’s 6th inning 3 run homer was the big blow while RF Nick Swisher’s solo shot in the 3rd proved to be the game winner. Mets starter Tim Redding(1-3, 6.35) kept the injury ravaged Mets in the game until the 6th and was dealt the loss.
Burnett was unbelievable with his plus fast ball and curve working all night. With the Mets down 3 of their vaunted “core” star players- SS Jose Reyes, 1B Carlos Delgado and CF Carlos Beltran- they could do little to mount a sustained offensive attack. “We’ll need a break here or there or error, something like that to, you know, amass any type of threat,” Mets manager Jerry Manuel said. 1B Daniel Murphy’s 5th inning drive that Yank$$s LF Melky Cabrera made a nice play on was the hardest hit ball by the Mets all night.
Burnett, who allowed only a single to SS Alex Cora on a 0-1 curveball in the home 6th, struck out 10 and walked 3. His performance was spurned on by fellow free agent purchase CC Sabathia’s strong outing Friday night. “You can say I was inspired, definitely,” Burnett said. “I thought about his game all last night. And I’ve told him a handful of times over the season, ‘I can’t wait to throw behind you, Big Man, I can’t wait.” Amazingly, Cora had gone 0 for 21 in his career vs the Yank$$s right hander. The Mets had no answer for either power arm.”They had great stuff,” Ryan Church said. “That’s why they get paid the money they do.”
Star of the Game: Burnett–Ex-Met farm hand showed why the Yank$$s cut the check. Dominant from pitch one to 108. How dominant was the big righty? He allowed a season low 5 fly balls, while the Mets put only 19% of his curve balls in play. On 2 strike counts, 21 of the next 26 pitches were also strikes!!!
Mets starting Line-up:
1- SS Alex Cora
2- 2B Argenis Reyes
3- 3B David Wright
4- RF Ryan Church
5- LF Gary Sheffield
6- 1B Daniel Murphy
7- CF Jeremy Reed
8- C Brian Schneider
9- Pitcher
Omar!!!!!!: Again, I screamed for this guys job yesterday and our GM of the Mets, Omar Minaya, just allowed a team they will directly compete with(the St. Louis Cardinals) to acquire a player(Mark DeRosa) who could greatly help his team. Apparently, Omar has stopped doing his job or is either blinder than Stevie Wonder. Does he watch the games? This team is starving for offense and when you have quality veteran people like Cora expressing public concern about the morale of a team, things are bad. Get on the phone Omar to either call in your resignation or make a move– TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Game Notes: Manuel monitored Reyes running workout before the game. The superstar SS still has no timetable for a return but don’t expect a return until after the All Star break. “He looked OK. I think he’s making some progress. But I still think they’re being very, very cautious with him and his approach,” Manuel said. “If I get him back soon, it’s like a bonus for us.”… Rookie OF Fernando Martinez pinch hit in the 8th and grounded out… Relievers Brian Stokes, LH Pat Misch and Elmer Dessens combined to pitch 3 2/3rd innings of shut-out ball for the Mets… Mets have been outscored 14-1 and outhit 22-4 in the first two games of the weekend, while being retired in order 1-2-3 14 of the 18 innings
Next Game:
Sunday, Subway series finale vs the Yank$$s at Citi-Field
8:05 pm
Mets RH Livan Hernandez(5-2,4.05) vs. Chien-Ming Wang(0-6,11.20)
