Mets 7 – Marlins 3
MIAMI – Orlando Hernandez’ performance was so-so. He wasn’t overpowering or impeccable.
But El Duque now has victories for both New York teams.
Hernandez, the high-socked, high-kicker, made his first start for the Mets yesterday against the Marlins. And although Hernandez was no more than decent overall, the former Yankee got the victory in the Mets’ 7-3 triumph.
Hernandez went five innings, allowing three runs on five hits, walking three and striking out seven. The three runs came on one swing – Jeremy Hermida’s three-run homer in the second inning – but El Duque also had some tough situations turn out favorably.
In the third, he gave up a leadoff double to Hanley Ramirez, but Paul Lo Duca threw Ramirez out stealing. In the fourth, Hernandez gave up a one-out single to Josh Willingham, but picked him off first. He gave up two more singles before getting pinch hitter Wes Helms on a line-out to end the inning.
“I think [there were] a lot of fans of the Mets here, a lot of Cuban people in the stadium and a lot of family in the stadium, so a little pressure for me today,” Hernandez said. “But I’m happy with my job.”
Hernandez showed pretty good velocity – he reached 92 mph in the fourth inning – and said his health was fine.
He had a high pitch count (101) and a lot of baserunners (eight) but pitching coach Rick Peterson wasn’t disturbed by that.
“That’s uncharacteristic of him. Very uncharacteristic, I think,” Peterson said. “But I think what it clearly demonstrates is how well he grinds. He made big pitches when he had to make big pitches when he wasn’t on his ‘A’ game.”
Lo Duca was impressed by El Duque’s seven strikeouts.
“I’ve never faced him, but you don’t see the ball too well off him,” Lo Duca said. “He’s got that leg kick and he hides the ball really well, and he throws you that sweeping slider and it’s tough. You’ve got to sit on one or the other, so you’ve got to try to outguess him. But when he’s throwing strikes, he’s tough.”
The Mets scored four runs in the first inning on four hits, a Marlins error on what should have been a double-play ball, a Marlins misplay on an infield hit and a sacrifice fly.
The inning began with a single from Jose Reyes (three hits) and an error by Ramirez at shortstop on Lo Duca’s grounder. Carlos Beltran (three hits) then bunted along the third base line, a questionable move strategically, but a perfectly-executed play. Beltran’s bunt stayed fair, and he beat it out for a hit to load the bases.
“Man on first, man on second, nobody out. Carlos [Delgado] is behind [me]. I feel the third baseman was playing a little bit close to the bag, so I feel it was a good time for me to drop a bunt and I did it for a base hit,” Beltran said. “And if it doesn’t work, at least I get the guys over and Delgado can get them in.”
Delgado’s RBI groundout made it 1-0. David Wright and Cliff Floyd followed with RBI singles and Jose Valentin capped the inning with a sac fly.
After El Duque allowed Hermida’s three-run homer, the Mets added a run in the third. In the fourth, Beltran slammed a two-run homer, his 14th in 148 at-bats this season, an average of one every 10.6 at-bats.