MILWAUKEE — Johan Santana put aside the Phillies-Mets rivalry for one night and said he was happy to see Roy Halladay complete a perfect game against the Marlins.
Santana said last night that he ducked into the Mets’ clubhouse to watch on TV as Halladay recorded the final two outs of his perfecto.
“To see that, I’m happy for him, because it’s not an easy thing to do,” Santana said after last night’s 8-6 loss to the Brewers at Miller Park. “As a rival you don’t want to see that, but as a pitcher it’s always good to see somebody making history.
“[Halladay] is a horse. He’s been doing well.”
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Hisanori Takahashi is already a starting pitcher in Mets manager Jerry Manuel‘s long-term vision. Where does that leave R.A. Dickey?
The Mets may have a better idea after watching the knuckleballer face the Brewers today.
Dickey has exceeded expectations over his first two starts with the Mets, pitching six shutout innings against the Phillies on Tuesday after allowing two runs over six innings at Washington the previous week.
Before last night’s game, Manuel admitted it has been a challenge trying to get a read on Dickey. For now, the manager will continue to base his evaluations on results.
“I wouldn’t know if he was throwing [bad] unless they hit the ball all over the park,” Manuel said. “But for R.A., the point is he has to throw strikes. If he doesn’t throw strikes with it he could be in trouble.”
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Jon Niese threw a 35-pitch bullpen session yesterday and is scheduled to start tomorrow for Triple-A Buffalo. That could put Niese in position to rejoin the Mets’ rotation next weekend at Citi Field against the Marlins.
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As part of the Brewers’ annual Negro League tribute, the Mets last night wore uniforms to honor the New York Cubans, who played in the Negro Leagues from 1935-36 and 1939-50. The Brewers wore the uniforms of the Milwaukee Bears, who played during the 1923 season.
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The Mets played a seventh straight errorless game — a season high.