By Brian Bohl
FLUSHING- Bill Hall punished a fastball that didn’t crack the 90-mile-per-hour mark, launching a home run to right-centerfield. Rickie Weeks followed suit one inning later, drilling a fifth-inning solo homer. Gabe Kapler, who was a minor league manager last season, added the game-clinching two-run shot, punishing another fastball as the Brewers posted a victory Saturday afternoon at Shea.
The barrage didn’t come against a reclamation project like Nelson Figueroa, youngster Mike Pelfrey or the still erratic Oliver Perez. All three blasts were against Johan Santana, the 137.5-million-dollar man, ending his home debut in ignominious fashion.
Santana is now 1-2.
His two Cy Yong awards and impressive resume fail to calm edgy Mets’ fans still in recovery from last season’s collapse. The fans even booed the new ace. At this point, the nearly sellout crowds might even jeer the Pope if he visited Queens instead of the Bronx next month.
“If they boo, that’s fine,” Santana said. “That’s the history they’ve got from not being so good, I guess.”
But before lumping Santana in with Scott Schoeneweis, relax -and remember that just because the lefty gives up home runs doesn’t mean he can’t be the game’s best pitcher.
Before coming to the Mets for four prospects in the offseason, Santana had the worst home runs allowed per nine innings during his final campaign with the Twins in 2007.
His propensity for allowing home runs is not a new trend, but it is not something particularly worrisome, either. Despite Saturday’s contest being the eighth game he had surrendered 3 solo home runs, he has still managed a remarkable 94-46 record .
Still, team’s ace did gave up three homers in a single game for the third time since August 24th of last year, according to baseball statistics website Real GM.
Santana posted 70 wins from 2004-2007, the most in Major League Baseball. Switching from the American League to the National League should also lower his ERA, which stood at 3.22 following seven years in Minnesota. Since the NL doesn’t use a designated hitter, there will likely be fewer base runners on when the lower part of the order takes him deep. The Mets possess enough weapons in the lineup to compensate for a few solo home runs. The trick is preventing those crushing drives from coming with two men on or a bases loaded situation.
Seeing Santana fill out the blue-and-white pinstriped home uniform while wearing the signature blue cap should be a welcoming sign for all Mets’ fans. At just 29, the 6-0 southpaw is the only sure thing in a rotation missing veterans Pedro Martinez and Orlando Hernandez with injuries.
His presence should also keep the Flushing faithful off the ledge as ex-Met Brian Bannister surged to a 3-0 start with a .085 ERA for the Royals. Plug those numbers in the current rotation and the Mets hypothetically might be enjoying a better start than 5-6. But the Mets atoned for that front office mistake by bringing in a three-time All-Star in his prime.
“I thought he threw the ball well, for the most part,” manager Willie Randolph said. “We didn’t do the job of overall team defense, which forced him to work a little harder.”
Thanks to the numerous fly balls Saturday, the fans had ample opportunity to look over into left-center field, where Citi Field is being constructed, on track to open in 2009. The dimensions of the new park will be similar to Shea Stadium, which is good news for Santana and the rest of the pitchers.
Park Factor, which compares the rate of stats at home vs. the rate of stats on the road, listed Shea as the second-hardest place for a player to hit a home run last season. The Metrodome, Santana’s home with the Twins, finished one step above his current home stadium.
There shouldn’t be any significant increase in home runs based on conditions, and the generally weaker NL lineups means the Venezuelan native could crack the 20-win mark and put the Mets in the postseason, where they might have a good a chance as any other club to qualify for the World Series.
Before October thoughts are entertained, the Mets might need to score some runs for its ace just in case.
Santana was lights out in his second start but lost to John Smoltz in Atlanta because he received zero run support. He allowed one run in seven innings and still was tagged for the loss. The good news was the game took place at Turner Field, which happened to finish as Park Factor’s best stadium for hitters to go deep.
Despite his early ledger, Santana will be the least of the Mets’ concerns.
So save the boos for more deserving candidates.