While recapping the horror show that was Pedro Martinez’ latest start, a gruesome display in last night’s 13-1 loss at Turner Field, the New York Times’ Ben Shpigel examines the Mets’ playoff rotation options. Looks like everyone not named Heilman or Lima has a shot at starting.
Willie Randolph had already prepared Tom Glavine and Orlando Hernández for the possibility of starting Game 1, but he must decide almost immediately. Since he is scheduled to pitch Thursday, Hernández would be in line to pitch Game 1 either Tuesday or Wednesday.
Asking Glavine to pitch Game 1 would require him to miss Saturday™s scheduled start, and he would need to change his routine. Steve Trachsel will almost certainly get a postseason start and John Maine, once in danger of not making the playoff roster, is a near-lock now, too.
Unfortunately for them, the Mets are no longer operating in a vacuum where MartÃnez is their greatest and sole concern. His disintegration Wednesday coincided with the team™s freefall, a miserable stretch of 10 losses in 13 games that has dropped their September record to 11-15. For the Mets to avoid not having a winning month for the first time this season, they must win their final four games. Right now, that seems impossible, even with playing the final three at last-place Washington.
Since I’ve taken no small pleasure in their recent woes, I’d be remiss in not mentioning the other NL club heading for the finish line with even less momentum than the Mets might’ve saved their season last night, thanks to some late heroics from Albert Pujols. The results at Nuevo Busch, however, didn’t provide Tuesday’s most tension-filled moments (outside of the CSTB birthday bash), said honor going to the Phillies’ marathon win at RFK, a conclusion seemingly witnessed by a few thousand Philadelphia fans and hardly anyone else.