ATLANTA – It’s the Brewers who are running out of days, not the Mets, who despite their 4-2 loss here last night and the Phillies’ win in Florida, still have a three-game cushion in the loss column for the wild card with eight games remaining.
But if, following the 2007 disaster, a mere playoff spot is not all that will satisfy the Mets and their minions, there is still the matter of Pedro Martinez pushing time.
And that’s not merely referencing his soon-to-be-37 years and his status without a contract for 2009. Martinez, scorched last night for his 19th, 20th and 21st first-inning runs in 19 starts this season, has been unable to pitch into a seventh inning in his last five outings. During that stretch, he has given up 24 runs. He has one regular-season turn remaining to convince himself, not really the Mets, that he can be effective during the postseason.
Behind Johan Santana, Oliver Perez and Mike Pelfrey the team has the option of call-up Jonathan Niese as a fourth postseason starter. Save the suicidal move to throw Santana, in whom the Mets have $115 million invested over the next five years, on short rest, Martinez is in the postseason rotation, if there is a postseason rotation.
“Gotta go with the hot hand, so anything I can do to help the team,” Pedro said.
Hot hands are in short supply. So, never mind two 2008 Martinez shutdowns, one with a hamstring for two months and the other with a shoulder for two weeks. Never mind the trauma of the death of his father and the adjustments Martinez still has to be making as he no longer reaches even 90 mph. If Pedro can pull it together, the smartest pitcher the Mets have will be the best option they have after Perez and Pelfrey.
“I’ve had a really rough year, not only physically and number-wise, but also mentally,” said Martinez. “I lost my dad and I don’t want to use that as an excuse, but it’s really hard to just play baseball and be like I’m used to being.
“Eighty-eight, 89, 91 is good enough to get anybody out. Coming off surgery [costing him most of 2007], I didn’t pitch the first half of this season, then had to pitch on four days rest.”
Last night Martinez not only settled in, but doubled in two runs to cut the deficit to 3-2. Despite nearing his highest pitch count in three years, despite a leadoff walk to Brandon Jones to start the sixth, Pedro convinced manager Jerry Manuel that there was something left.
When Josh Anderson singled in Jones for an insurance run, the horse was out, the barn door unsecured after all.
“He hit a good pitch,” said Martinez. “If my arm responds the way it responded today, without a doubt I should be able to do something.
“Pitching on the eighth day the last time didn’t work for me. Today I had a better change-up, curveball and I think better command. I threw 116 pitches and felt good. That’s good news.
“If I am healthy next year, I will give it a try again. I’ll go home and clear my mind to come back and dedicate myself to come back for a full year to baseball and see what happens.”
Meanwhile, he has to soldier on with that muddled mind, figure out how to be three-quarters of the dominant pitcher he used to be. Such would be plenty to help the Mets next week against the Cubs and the week after that for maybe one last Pedro postseason hurrah.
“It depends on how they want to use me in the near future,” said Pedro.
But do the Mets really have a choice?