They don’t call Pedro Astacio “The Mule” for nothing. He received the nickname early in his career in L.A. because of his ability to carry the load.
Despite the Mets’ 6-5 loss to the Marlins yesterday, Astacio showed why. Without his best stuff, he allowed 10 hits but just one run over the first six innings as the Marlins stranded 11 runners on base. In the seventh, he gave up two hits and was relieved by David Weathers.
Astacio also came through with his bat. In the Mets’ four-run second, he cracked a run-scoring double over Cliff Floyd’s head in right.
Later, Astacio nearly was embarrassed. When Timo Perez doubled down the right-field line with two out, Astacio chose to walk the final few steps to the plate as Perez beat the throw to second. If Perez had been called out, Astacio’s run would not have counted.
Afterward in the dugout, coach Juan Lopez pulled Astacio aside and explained the situation.
*
Vance Wilson played well in place of Mike Piazza yesterday. In the second, Wilson put down a perfect sacrifice, which resulted in two more runs. In the fifth, after Rey Ordonez threw poorly to first base, but Wilson prevented the ball from going in the Mets’ dugout with a feet-first slide. In the sixth, Wilson threw out Homer Bush trying to steal third on a failed hit-and-run.
In the eighth, Piazza, representing the potential tying run, pinch-hit for Wilson. Marlins manager Jeff Torborg brought in right-hander Vladimir Nunez, who got Piazza to ground out to third to end the inning.
Bobby Valentine went with a starting outfield of Perez in left, Jay Payton in center and Jeromy Burnitz in right. In the second yesterday, Burnitz fouled a ball off his right thigh. He walked around gingerly and was attended to by a trainer. He remained in the game and singled to right in the four-run second.