The Mets take a crushing loss, as they are unable to turn hits into runs...
Pitchers:
 Bannister allowed his first run of the spring on a leadoff off double followed by 2 sacrifice flys. Dominated in the second. Strikes out the leadoff batter in the third, making him look stupid. Follows that up by striking out the pitcher Scott Olsen. Finishes the third with a fly out. Bannister dominates the 4th inning. Bannister gives up the second hit of the game in the 5th. A run scores on an error by Anderson Hernandez in the 5th. Bannister finishes the day pitching 5 innings, 2 runs, 1 earned, 2 hits 3 strikeouts, 0 walks. Bannister is well on his way to being a Major League Starter.
LHP Pedro Feliciano come in to start the 6th inning. He retires the leadoff hitter. He faces Jeremy Hermidia (a lefty) and strikes him out. He strikes out Cabrera, but an error is made behind the plate and Feliciano now has to face lefty Mike Jacobs. He retires Jacobs on a ground out.
RHP Jorge Julio comes in to pitch for Feliciano in the 7th. This is his first outing since returning from the WBC. He gets the first batter to pop up. The second batter grounds out to 3rd. Julio hits the next batter (Robert Andino). Strikes out the next batter to end the side. Julio stays in to start the 8th. He walks the first batter of the inning. The next batter sac bunt the runner to 2nd. Julio gets a strikeout against the next batter. Wes Helms drills one through the hole, Milledge plays it, makes an excellent throw to the plate, and Martinez cannot hold on to the ball, one run scores, Wes Helms moves to third. Mike Jacobs drills a HR to right field. Julio finally gets the next batter to retire the side. The Mets are down 5 to 0.
RHP Bartolome Fortunato comes on to pitch the 9th inning. He gets the first batter on a ground out to Hernandez. The second hitter gets a single. The next hitter, hits into a force play. The final hitter for the Marlins pops up to end the side. Fortunato had an excellent palm ball that just fooled the hitters.
Hitters:
Batting Lineup:
SS Jose Valentin
C Paul LoDuca
1B Carlos Delgado
LF Cliff Floyd
3B David Wright
RF Xavier Nady
CF Lastings Milledge
2B Anderson Hernandez
P Brian Bannister
Delgado got the first hit of the game for the Mets, keeps his perfect spring alive. Milledge got a single, but was picked off trying to steal (the pitcher actually balked but the umpires did not notice). Bannister hits a single up the middle in the third inning. For the first time all spring, in the bottom of the 4th inning, a pitcher was able to retire Carlos Delgado. David Wright bloops on a 2 out single in the 4th and is picked off to end the inning. Julio Franco pinch-hits for Feliciano in the 6th and he lines out to right. Delgado walks and Victor Diaz comes in to pinch-run for him. Floyd grounds out to first and advances Diaz. David Wright lines out to right. Nady walks. Milledge grounds out to end the inning. Hernandez singles to lead off the 8th inning. The next hitter grounds into a double play. Tike Redman gets a pinch-hit single. Sandy Martinez continues his horrible day by flying out to end the 8th. Diaz gets plunked to start the bottom of the 9th. Todd Self, who took over at first earlier in the game, bloops one into left field. Endy Chavez hits an infield single. The bases are loaded. Chris Basik, who took over at 3rd earlier, steps up and hits into a force play, no runs score, bases still loaded. Lastings Milledge strikes out. Anderson Hernandez steps up, 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th, bases loaded, and he flys out to left to end the game.
Defense:
David Wright earns himself a spot on the top ten plays on ESPN in the 4th in ning. He dove and stopped a ball then threw out the runner at first. Anderson Hernandez tries to make a spectacular play, and does everything right but he threw the ball too hard and Delgado was unable to react to it, and the ball gets by him, Hernandez is charged with the error. Sandy Martinez comes in for LoDuca in the 6th. Feliciano strikes out Cabrera, and Martinez cannot hold on to the ball, he throws down to first and it takes a funny hop over Delgado, Martinez is charged with an error.
Final: Marlins 5 Mets 0. Bannister takes the loss. |
