• Thu. Mar 28th, 2024

The New York Mets came into the season with a sense of optimism. They were finally going to have Johan Santana back on the mound. What better way to get their ace on the mound then to have him pitch on Opening Day? It would be his first game back since having shoulder surgery in Septemer of 2010. It was a beautiful day out at Citi Field, from the weather to the opening ceremonies that included a wonderful tribute to the late Gary Carter. After all the festivities were over, it was time to play ball.

Johan Santana pitched brilliantly throwing 5 innings of shut-out ball. He gave up 2 hits and struck out 5. He got into a little trouble in the 5th inning when the bases were loaded for Michael Bourn. Bourn’s at-bat went to a full count before Santana got him to hit a comebacker to end the inning. At the turn of the 6th inning, manager Terry Collins turned to the bullpen. First out of the bullpen was Ramon Ramirez. He pitched 1 1/3 innings and gave up no runs.

In the bottom of the 6th, the Mets offense tacked on a run, when David Wright singled home Andres Torres. Wright went 2-3 at the plate. His RBI proved to be the only run of the game. In the 7th inning, Tim Byrdak came in with a man on 3rd and only 1 out. Byrdak got out of the inning by striking out the next two batters, leaving the runner stranded at 3rd. Both Jon Rauch and closer Frank Francisco threw shut-out innings to end the ball game.

The Mets won 1-0 on the strength of their pitching. It was a great day for the Mets and their fans, as they were sent home happy. The only downfall of the game came when Mets center fielder Andres Torres injured his calf. It was the same calf that sidelined him in Spring training. There is a chance that he can end up on the disabled list. On a positive note, the Mets continue to win on Opening Day. They have the best record at 33-18.

Next Game: NYM(1-0) vs ATL (0-1). Pitching Probables: R.A. Dickey will make his season debut for the Mets against Jair Jurrjens. First Pitch is set for Saturday at 1:10 pm.

Anthony Rivera; Pure Sports NY

By Vernon McKenzie

Graduate of New Institute Of Technology with a BA in Communications with a focus on Television Radio. Owner and Executive Producer of PureSportsNY

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