PORT ST. LUCIE — Mets lefty Johan Santana found himself answering questions about how he pitched yesterday and not just about how his shoulder felt.
“We’re starting to reach the stage now where I think he’s shown us all that he’s healthy,” manager Terry Collins said after Santana’s 65-pitch performance in a 9-0 loss to the Tigers yesterday.
But the manager has been teased by the ace before.
“We can certainly be broken-hearted in two weeks, I don’t know,” Collins said. “Just all indications point that he’s healthy. Now let’s work on the finer points.”
There are plenty of those to tend to, since Santana was unable to finish hitters off like he has been in the past, giving up five runs — four earned — four hits and two walks in 2 2/3 innings at Digital Domain Park.
He had trouble with his landing foot on the soft mound and the last pitch he threw was lined up the middle by Delmon Young for a two-run single.
“It was a tough day,” Santana said. “I wasn’t consistent throwing my fastball for strikes.”
He also wasn’t helped by some shoddy fielding behind him, but with David Wright and Ruben Tejada still out with injuries, that wasn’t exactly unexpected.
Santana said he will take this result as long as his shoulder continues to feel good.
“I was able to throw some fastballs with more intensity this time,” said Santana, who hit 91 mph on the radar gun on multiple occasions for the first time this spring, though he insisted he isn’t concerned about velocity yet.
“Even though this time was only 2 2/3 innings, it was 60 pitches,” Santana said. “And that’s an improvement for me. It makes me feel really good that I’m able to throw now over 50, 60 pitches with no problem. … It’s all about how I feel.”
Though he went as long as four innings in an instructional league start late last year, Santana said he’s much further along now.
“If I compare that to today, it’s not even close,” Santana said. “I felt much better than I felt last year.”
His command isn’t yet where he wants it to be, proven by his failure to retire several batters after getting ahead 0-2.
“That’s not what you want to see,” Santana said. “You want to finish it off so you don’t waste pitches.”
The old Santana didn’t have those issues, and he still is trying to get back to that point.
“Maybe I was trying to be too perfect,” said Santana, though he blamed some of it on his discomfort on the mound.
“I was landing on my heel instead of landing flat,” Santana said. “All of a sudden, the ball cut. … Little details like that make a big difference.”
He is expected to go over 70 pitches in his next start next week and Collins would like to see more of the same.
“Everything was encouraging,” the manager said. “That was the most he’s thrown in who knows how long? After 45 he started to get the ball up a little bit and his command just wasn’t there … but when he starts to compete, all the other things kick in.”
When asked if he this was starting to feel like a normal spring training to him, Santana said: “I’m getting back to it, but I still have a little way to go.”