WILLIE’S GAMBLE WINS BIG
MIAMI – A surprise move by Willie Randolph in his first important bullpen move of the year worked out in the Mets’ favor yesterday.
With the tying run on deck in a 6-2 game, Randolph had Jorge Sosa face the Marlins’ hot-hitting Josh Willingham in a situation that seemed ideal for set-up man Aaron Heilman.
Even Heilman appeared to be caught off guard, but the gamble paid off when Sosa caught Willingham swinging on a 3-2 pitch in the dirt to remove the last bit of drama in the Mets’ eventual 7-2 Opening Day win.
Randolph said Heilman would have pitched the eighth in a closer game, but Sosa appreciated the show of confidence.
“It was great,” Sosa said. “It gave me an idea of what they think about me.”
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The Mets led the majors in steals last season, but their aggression worked against them yesterday. Marlins catcher Matt Treanor threw out two of the Mets’ three would-be base stealers, nabbing Jose Reyes at second in the sixth inning and David Wright at third in the seventh.
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Luis Castillo, who is coming back from offseason knee surgery, cost the Mets a run in the first inning when he inexplicably held up at third with two outs on a bloop double by Carlos Beltran. “Luis is still not quite 100 percent,” Randolph said. “He was just being safe.”
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Pedro Martinez makes his season debut tonight in one of his favorite places – Dolphin Stadium. Martinez, who will be faced by right-hander Rick VandenHurk, is 5-2 with a 1.89 ERA all-time in 10 starts in the Marlins’ ballpark. The game will also be a virtual home start for Pedro, who lives part of the year in Miami.
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Even with gorgeous weather and a hefty boost from transplanted Mets fans, the Marlins drew just 38,308 for Opening Day. . . . Longtime Marlin Jeff Conine, who retired after finishing last season with the Mets, threw out the first pitch. . . . Veteran infielder Jose Valentin won’t need surgery right away to address the disk pain in his neck, GM Omar Minaya said.
