The Phils lost to the Mets 1-0 in an entertaining game tonight. It was a shame to see an otherwise great game be decided by a Phillie error, as Pedro Feliz threw a ball away, allowing Carlos Delgado to score from 1st base in the 7th inning. Some random thoughts I had while watching the game:
-There’s only so many times you can say it, but Johan Santana is amazing. He had everything working tonight and was completely unhittable in his seven shutout innings. With him pitching in the very pitcher-friendly Citi Field, he could put up some all-time stats over the next few seasons.
-Chase Utley didn’t have a hit in the game, but you still could see how good he is. Santana threw him a bunch of his ridiculous change-ups on 2-strike counts and Chase didn’t even flinch to swing at them. His plate discipline and pitch recognition are amazing. Watching him duel with Santana is a joy for any baseball fan.
-I liked all the moves that Charlie Manuel made in the game. The Mets announcers questioned the decision to hit for him in the 7th, but I liked it. He really did not look good in the 6th and was lucky to get out of the inning without any giving up any runs. He’s struggled all season, so to get him out of the game with out giving up any runs could boost his confidence going forward, and with a runner in scoring position, the Phils had to take a shot at getting a run in that spot. I also liked that Charlie let Eyre face David Wright, which the Mets announcers also questioned. With two more lefties up behind him, I think it was the right move. Of course, it will be nice when the Phils can go to J.C. Romero in spots like that in a month from now.
-Chad Durbin looks really good again. When he faded down the stretch last season, I thought maybe we were seeing the “real” Chad Durbin, and that his success for most of the season was a mirage. But his curveball looks nasty right now and he has good velocity. His ERA is over 4 because of a minor blowup in Colorado a few weeks ago, but opponents are hitting .173 against him for the season coming into tonight’s game. He could really be the difference between this being a good bullpen and a great one.
-Unfortunately, Frankie Rodriguez also looks really good. There were reports when the Mets signed him that his velocity was down and he wasn’t the same pitcher, but I’m not seeing it. I think there were so many claims about him being over-rated because of the saves record, that people actually started under-rating him. He had some trouble locating his fastball tonight, but his curve and change are so good that it hardly matters. The K-Rod-Putz back-end looks legit for the Mets.
-Jamie Moyer goes for career win #250 tomorrow night against Mike Pelfrey.
