MET NOTES
ATLANTA – Willie Randolph put it best about today’s pitching duel.
“A classic match-up,” the Mets manager said. “Two of the all-time great pitchers.”
Those would be Pedro Martinez and John Smoltz, who will hook up in today’s matinee series finale.
Martinez and Smoltz have been in the majors for a combined 30 years, but this will be only the second time they’ve ever started against each other (though they have pitched in the same game six times). Their previous duel came on July 25, 1994, when Martinez – then an Expo – got the win with six innings of four-run ball. Smoltz got a no-decision.
Smoltz, who was rocked for six earned runs in 12/3 innings in his first outing of the season against Florida, declined multiple interview requests yesterday. Martinez also adhered to his policy of not talking on the day before he starts, saying only, “I don’t have anything to say. I execute, then I talk.”
Smoltz’s good friend and former teammate, Tom Glavine, expects Smoltz to be ready to rebound. Said Glavine on Friday, “He’s going to be determined to get things on track and to kind of get whatever nay-sayers there are off his back.”
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Despite his team’s struggling offense – the Mets had tallied just a run apiece in their two previous games heading into last night – Randolph declined to make lineup changes.
“It’s too early to make any changes,” he said. “To start making changes shows a sign of panic for me.”
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Before yesterday’s Yankees-Orioles game, Joe Torre spoke about the early-season struggles of his former bench coach (Randolph), noting that he thought it was important for the Mets to start well this season.
“You have to make sure you have that good feeling, but it is tough to have the good feeling when you haven’t won a game yet,” Torre said. “Knowing his personality, he probably is tongue-in-cheek with the players about the pressure being on them. It’s tough.
“I thought it was important for him to get off to a good start, just for his own comfort,” Torre added. “That first game got away and they just seemed to be scrambling ever since.”
-Additional reporting by Andrew Marchand
