MET NOTES
PHILADELPHIA – Cliff Floyd was the Mets’ new No. 2 hitter last night against the Phillies.
Floyd, who hit a team-best 34 homers last year, is a surprising player to put in that spot. But he has been having a terrible season in the six-hole and five-spot.
“I just think that it’s something to just get me going hopefully,” he said yesterday.
Floyd, though, ended up going 0-for-3 in the Mets’ rain-shortened, five-inning 2-0 loss last night, though he was robbed of an infield hit on a bad call leading off the third inning. His average is at .186.
Floyd had not batted second in nearly eight years. The last occasion was Sept. 2, 1998, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Last night was his 49th game in the two-spot, according to Elias.
Floyd said yesterday that being in his last season before free agency isn’t the reason behind the slump.
“No, I might not even play,” he said. “I don’t know what the hell is going on. I don’t know. You never know. Playing like this, you think I can get a job? If you were a GM, would you sign me? I don’t know what the hell will happen, but I ain’t worried about it.”
The Mets’ usual number-two hitter has been catcher Paul Lo Duca, but he did not play last night. Kazuo Matsui, Chris Woodward and Anderson Hernandez had all batted second this year as well. Floyd had hit only fifth or sixth.
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Willie Randolph said Brian Bannister (strained right hamstring) will not pitch in a simulated game today and instead will do it tomorrow.
“I think they’re going to push him back to Saturday,” Randolph said. “They’re not quite ready, from what I heard, to put him on the mound.”
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Billy Wagner‘s total line for the Philadelphia series? Not even one batter. Wagner did not pitch at all in the three-game set.
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Randolph on whether Jose Lima will get another start after tonight: “It depends on how it goes [tonight].”
Lima, though, seemed pretty optimistic about how he’d pitch, saying: “Tomorrow’s going to be a good game for me, brother.”