Mets Game 161: Win Over Marlins
Mets 2 Marlins 0
Jerry Manuel allowed Johan Santana to take the ball on short rest, but with one caveat: no more than 105 pitches.
So when Santana threw 104 pitches in his first eight shutout innings, Manuel had to let him out there to close it out.
Thank goodness he did.
Santana pitched the game of his life in the most important contest of the Mets’ 2008 season, ensuring that Sunday’s season finale would matter. Johan allowed just three hits and three walks, striking out 8, in earning his 16th win and second shutout of the season. He spent 117 pitches in the process.
Jose Reyes gave him the only run he needed in the first frame, after singling, stealing second, going to third on a single by #2 hitter Carlos Beltran, and scoring on a Carlos Delgado sac fly. The Mets scored again in the fourth when Ramon Martinez doubled in Daniel Murphy.
Next Game
The Mets finish their regular season against the Marlins on Sunday at 1:10 pm, weather permitting. Oliver Perez pitches on three days’ rest and a very short leash against Scott Olsen.
Even if the Mets fail to make the playoffs (which is probably more a matter of when), I really hope there’s at least one bright spot remaining, and that is to have Johan win the NL Cy Young. I know he has some stiff competition (Webb, Lincecum, Lidge, Sabathia?) but no one comes close to the 2nd half that Santana put together while trying to help his team make the postseason. If Lidge is ruled out because of his relief status, and Sabathia is ruled out because of his short tenure in the NL, ask yourself this question: Of Johan, Webb, or Lincecum, who would you trust the most in a must-win game to pitch a complete game shutout on short rest and keep your postseason hopes alive? Well, with Webb and Lincecum the answer is debatable, but with Johan it’s not because of Saturday’s performance. That alone should be enough to get the majority of Cy Young votes.
Twenty-game winners are so rare in this day and age, Webb HAS to get it.