Mets vs. Padres Game 2 Notes - Couldn't Stay Awake

Bannister was very shaky in the first inning, having to work his way out of trouble yet again. He allowed a single to Barfield and walks to Piazza and Gonzalez, but managed to strike out Greene to end the inning. Keith Hernandez said Bannister was very lucky because Greene swung through a very hittable pitch that was right down the middle. No score after one inning.

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I managed to sit through Bannister's outing - allowing four hits and six walks over 5 innings but remarkably only one run - and then decided to record the rest of the game on TiVo and watch it this morning.

I turned on the TV this morning and had my button on the "TiVo Button" to start watching the game, when I heard the phrase "and the Padres win it in 14 innings, 2-1." SNY was replaying last nights SportsNite and I turned on the TV at the exact moment they were playing the highlights of the game.

Part of me was annoyed that they lost, but I was also relived that I didn't stay up all night to see another nine innings of offensive futilty by the Mets. It's kinda like how in Fever Pitch Jimmy Fallon didn't mind missing the Red Sox game when he thought they got beat.

But how about that bullpen! Oliver, Sanchez, Heilman, Wagner (2 innings), Feliciano and Bradford don't allow a run for eight innings, before Bradford allows a run on two hits before retiring a batter in his third inning of work to take the loss.

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So, when all the rumors were flying around about the Mets possibly acquiring Alfonso Soriano, many of us cried that we didn't want him and didn't need him. We said that his offensive numbers were inflated by playing in a bandbox and if he came to Shea he wouldn't homer as much. Boy, were we wrong! Soriano hit three home runs at RFK yesterday to beat the Braves, 7-3. With Hernandez out for who knows how long, who would we rather have at second? Matsui or Soriano? I admit, I was very much against acquiring Soriano, and I can admit I was wrong. My apologies, Tubby! Meanwhile, the Mets maintain their 3.5 game lead over the Braves, which is the largest lead in baseball right now.

I still am not sold on Matsui - I know it was very cool how hhe got that inside-the-park homer, but honestly the rightfielder Giles misplayed that ball, and Matsui has looked pretty pathetic at the plate otherwise. I still would prefer to see Keppinger up here.

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So, what's up with Beltran? The Mets still won't reveal the results of his MRI, but Willie still sent him up to pinch hit in the seventh inning last night. Does that mean the DL is not in his future? Beltran and Randolph said, after the game, that they themselves still haven't heard what the results of the MRI were. Boy, talk about tight-kept secrets!

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Transplanted Ex-Mets Of The Week:
Kris Benson allowed four runs (three earned) over 5 1/3 innings to earn a victory against the Yankees last night, while on Wednesday, Doug Mientkiewicz's slow roller off a checked swing in the seventh inning was enough to end Javier Vazquez's no-hit bid against the Royals. I'm happy about this because I was hoping the Mets would have acquired Vazquez in the off season and if he had thrown a no hitter I'd have been very upset. Thanks, Minky!

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Pedro goes for win #201 against the Padres tonight at 10:05. Lets Go Mets!