ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Nearly two weeks after the fact, the Mets sense that Johan Santana’s hangover has subsided.
Call it the curse of throwing a no-hitter. Santana experienced it firsthand last Friday, when the Yankees torched him for six runs in his initial start since no-hitting the Cardinals seven days earlier.
Santana will take the mound today against the Rays far enough removed from the hoopla of the first no-hitter in Mets history that the team is expecting business as usual from its ace lefty.
“I admire anybody that throws a no-hitter and is able to throw well the next time out,” pitching coach Dan Warthen said before the Mets’ 9-1 victory over the Rays last night. “Because outside of good stuff, preparation and focus is the No. 1 thing for any pitcher and Johan didn’t have five minutes to himself. As much as he tried to prepare [for the Yankees] I don’t think he was mentally focused the way Johan generally is.”
Santana’s start at Yankee Stadium included four home runs allowed over five innings in the Mets’ 9-1 loss. Manager Terry Collins later shouldered the blame, saying his decision to start Santana on six days’ rest after throwing 134 pitches in the no-hitter was a major factor.
But Santana, who today will take the ball on five days’ rest, does not agree that extra rest had an effect on his performance.
Santana said his stuff was fine against the Yankees, but location was the issue.
“That’s what we’ve been working on,” Santana said. “We’ve been working on my pitches to make sure my changeup is there. That’s one of the things I have to work on, to make sure my changeup stays down and not up, and that’s what happened.
* Collins was named to the NL manager Tony La Russa’s coaching staff for the All-Star Game on July 10 in Kansas City.
La Russa said the job Collins has done keeping the Mets competitive, despite the team’s injuries over the last two seasons, caught his attention.
“I just think you need to recognize when somebody is handling a ballclub, and day in day out there’s no difference in how [the Mets] compete,” La Russa said.
* Ike Davis finished 2-for-3 with an RBI last night and is 6-for-10 with five RBIs and four walks in his last four games. He raised his average to .181 — its highest point since May 1.