SAN FRANCISCO – Duh!
The Mets can be thankful today that the Giants forgot how to run the bases. Starting pitcher Shawn Estes forgot to slide at second base in the third inning of the Mets’ pulsating 5-4 win and then Estes didn’t have the good sense to fall on the bag after he jammed his left ankle on the bonehead play. Estes’ error in judgment doesn’t match New York Giant Fred Merkle’s 1908 baserunning blunder, but it was a dandy and possibly cost the Giants the chance to tie the game against a dominating Al Leiter.
Then there was Armando Rios, who led off the 10th with a single, was sacrificed to second as the potential tying run and stupidly got thrown out at third on Bill Mueller’s grounder to short. Barry Bonds then struck out looking to end the game.
“I was just being too aggressive,” Rios said, owning up to his goof. “I took a couple hard steps and it was too late to go back to second. I made a mistake.”
With the Mets leading 2-1 in the third, Estes walked on four pitches against Leiter to start the inning. After a strikeout, Mueller bounced a ball deep into the hole at short that had base-hit written all over it.
Estes hustled to second as Mike Bordick flipped to second baseman Edgardo Alfonzo. Estes was going to beat the play, but instead of sliding, he kept running. At the last second he went into somewhat of a sliding position and jammed his left ankle hard into the side of the bag as second base umpire Dan Morrison signaled safe. Estes suffered the consequences of his blunder and immediately began hopping around in pain. He did not have the good sense to collapse on the bag and took four hops toward the infield grass.
Alfonzo applied a “sorry you’re hurting, but thank you very much” tag on Estes and the pitcher was called out. By now you’ve figured out Estes is a left-hander. So instead of having runners on first and second with only one out, there was a runner on first with two outs.
“That took the wind out of the inning,” said manager Dusty Baker.
Bonds then hit a high fly to right that Timo Perez misjudged, but recovered just enough make the catch for the third out.
Estes had to be helped off the field and was not able to continue pitching. X-rays were negative and he may be out for the series. He was not available after the game.
In the second, Estes surrendered a two-out, two-run single to Perez on an 0-1 curve ball, the same pitch Estes used to strike out Perez to lead off the game. The hit by Perez was the Mets first with a runner in scoring position in the series. They had been 0-for-9.
Lefty Kirk Rueter came on to relieve Estes in the fourth and was terrific, pitching 41/3 scoreless innings. Estes, 27, is immensely talented but his emotions tend to get the best of him. This was his second career playoff start, both coming against Leiter and both times he lasted only three innings. That other start came in a 1997 loss to the Marlins.
Estes once again had problems with his control and gave up three walks in the first two innings, including two in the second. All three walks came on four pitches.
“I’m and emotional pitcher, and I plan to be an emotional pitcher tomorrow night and hopefully win,” Estes said on Wednesday. “I’ve been knocked at times because of my emotions, but those are the things that make me tick, and these are the things that make me competitive and motivate me.”
His emotions got the best of him again last night.