(consumate collector of K’s, Satanta had 11 against Chicago last night)
My Mets-centric brain had the Martinez/Smoltz matchup down for the duel of the day, much as my Gotham-centric skull looks at Randy Johnson as the odds-on favorite for the AL Cy Young Award. Well, to quote the Randoms, let’s get rid of New York and lavish some attention on another marquee pairing, Minnesota’s reigning Cy Young winner Johan Santana versus Chicago’s Mark Buehrle, who hooked up at the Metrodome. Aided by a 2 run homer off the bat of Tori Hunter and great relief work from Jose Rincon and Joe Nathan, Santana ran his record to 2-0, striking out 11 while walking one. The Twins’ superstar was ahead in the count throughout the night and aside from two early manufactured runs, had little trouble with a White Sox lineup that looks very different without Magglio Ordonez, Carlos Lee or Jose Valentin.