Mets baseball blog

Pedro on return: I don't know what to expect

On his way out of the Mets' clubhouse here en route to another rehab workout, Pedro Martinez looked up at the television screen and saw Priest Holmes giving an interview. He laughed to himself, then said, "Another old goat trying to make a comeback."

Entering the final stage of his comeback from rotator cuff surgery, Martinez clearly is in a happy place. He acted like the old Pedro in his two-hour workout at the Mets' minor-league complex yesterday, doing plenty of goofing around. Continue

Mets deal with Twins for Luis Castillo

In the final hours before the trade deadline, the Mets' loyalty to Ruben Gotay was directly proportionate to the asking price for Luis Castillo. As soon as the Twins lowered their demands Monday, Gotay was out as the team's second baseman and Castillo was in. Refusing to part with any top prospects, the Mets will send Double-A catcher Drew Butera and Class A outfielder Dustin Martin to Minnesota for the veteran Castillo.

The Mets announced the trade on Monday evening.Castillo, a three-time Gold Glove winner, once formed a lethal 1-2 punch with the speedy Juan Pierre atop the Marlins' lineup and the Mets are hoping for the same type of attack by hitting him behind Jose Reyes. The No. 2 spot has constantly been in flux with 14 different players hitting there this season. Continue

Castro catching fire

The life of a backup catcher is not a glamorous one. There are few fans clamoring for your autograph, no one gawks as you take batting practice and your baseball jersey certainly doesn't fly off the rack at the team store.

Ramon Castro Bobblehead Day? Don't hold your breath. But whenever Willie Randolph does pencil Castro's name into his lineup, he can almost be assured he'll get a nice return on his investment. Continue

It’s hit or miss lately for Reyes

Jose Reyes lately hasn’t had a gray area. He’s either creating a commotion, in the middle of most Mets rallies, or nowhere to be found in the line score. Yesterday was one of those days you couldn’t miss Reyes. He doubled in his first two at-bats, scoring each time, as part of the Mets’ 5-0 victory over the Nationals that concluded in the fifth inning because of rain. Reyes finished 2-for-3, giving him five multiple-hit games since the previous Sunday at Los Angeles. In Reyes’ other three games over that stretch he went a combined 0-for-13, with the Mets losing twice. Continue

Mets shine early in rain-shortened win

In the evolving lexicon of the dugout, it no longer is identified as a "five and fly," Dock Ellis' phrase for part-time work as a starting pitcher. It had morphed into "five and dive" probably because of rhyme, not reason. No matter, the meaning is unchanged -- pitch long enough to qualify and well enough to have a lead and get out of the way.

John Maine threw one Sunday at Shea -- sort of, the difference being that when he moved out of the way, he was deferring to the weatherman, not a relief pitcher. "Five and dive" it was, in more ways than one. Had the Shea Stadium drainage never been upgraded, conditions would have been ideal for diving. Continue

Amazin's not quite matching 2006 standards

The Mets have appeared to be running in place all season, even if that place is first place, and even if this year's record is only four games worse after 104 games than that of last year's runaway division champions.

"We may not have been as good as we thought we were last year," Billy Wagner said said between games of yesterday's day-night doubleheader split at Shea Stadium against the Nationals, who won the nightcap 6-5 after the Mets took the opener 3-1. "So much of the perception of our team was due to the fact that the Braves and Phillies were both under .500 [most of last year], so there was never any race. Continue

Lo Duca hammy a pain

It was as routine a play as they come, a runner advancing from first to second on a single. When it ended with Paul Lo Duca grabbing the back of his leg, it became the most important play in a long day of baseball for the Mets.

With one out in the sixth inning and the nightcap of yesterday's doubleheader tied at 3, Lo Duca was looking to go from first to third on a sharp Lastings Milledge single to right. He heard the hamstring "pop a little" when he hit the bag and ended up retreating to second. Lo Duca tested it out in front of the training staff before coming out of the game and limping slightly to the dugout. Continue

Mets rally twice, but fall short

In the latter stages of the Mets' third defeat in three days to two of the National League's worst teams, a quick glance down the home bench wouldn't reveal many forlorn faces. It wouldn't, in fact, reveal many faces at all. The Mets emptied their bench in a shorthanded attempt to upend the Nationals, and left Shea Stadium equally as empty -- owners of nothing but a 6-5 loss in the second half of a doubleheader split. "We're short," said manager Willie Randolph. "And we really can't play with fire." Continue

El Duque leads Mets in twin bill opener

Orlando Hernandez continued his dominance at home on Saturday, pitching seven solid innings at Shea Stadium as the Mets topped the Nationals, 3-1, in the first installment of the day's twin bill. El Duque limited Washington to just three hits and one run -- a game-tying homer to right field by Felipe Lopez, his sixth dinger of the season -- while striking out eight batters and walking two.

"I've seen him many, many times, and he never ceases to amaze me," manager Willie Randolph said. "When he's on his game and hitting his spots, throwing his breaking ball, not many guys can do what he does." Continue

Beltran out indefinitely

Turns out "X" really does mark the spot. Carlos Beltran's stomach was covered with several tiny black X's on Friday night, visual markers of where the pain of his strained abdominal muscle was greatest.

Beltran wasn't expecting to play in either half of Saturday's doubleheader against Washington, and didn't rule out sitting out Sunday as well. He rode a stationary bicycle and worked with a medicine ball on Friday, and said he would attempt to do the rotational exercises on Saturday that the strain prevented him from performing the day before. Mets manager Willie Randolph said that with an off-day on Monday, he could be more inclined to sit his slugger until then, effectively giving him a free day of rest. Continue