PHOENIX – With Rickey Henderson on the DL, the Mets decided to recall left-handed reliever Rigo Beltran from Norfolk because of the fear of a depleted middle-relief corps.
After Friday night’s game, in which starter Orel Hershiser only lasted 41/3 innings, Bobby Valentine was asked if the game had any bearing on the decision to call up a pitcher instead of another outfielder.
“Probably a little,” Valentine said before yesterday’s 4-2 win over the Diamondbacks.
Also, part of the thinking was that it could get worse for the pitchers with what’s coming up in the near future. Including yesterday’s game with the hot-hitting Diamondbacks, the Mets were facing a series of five road games in which they may need a lot of arms.
Tomorrow, the squad travels to Denver, where a starting pitcher is often lucky to get off the mound alive, let alone without giving up six or seven runs.
Beltran arrived in Phoenix at 10 a.m. Pacific time yesterday, in time to pitch in yesterday’s game if needed. He was with the team from April 12 to May 3, appearing in seven games and accumulating a 3.37 ERA over 102/3 innings.
Henderson was placed on the DL Friday retroactive to Monday, May 3, because his strained and swollen right knee just wasn’t healing fast enough. Henderson hurt the knee going after a ball in the outfield Sunday. He took batting practice again yesterday, but still has trouble running. *Bobby Bonilla was left out of the starting lineup for yesterday’s game, but Valentine said the right fielder’s injured left knee was not any worse. He just wanted to give Bonilla a day of rest after a night game.
Matt Franco hit seventh in Bonilla’s place and played left field, while Roger Cedeno moved to right. Bonilla looked much better Friday than he had in a long while, hitting the ball very hard a couple of times and collecting one hit to raise is average slightly to .156. *Orel Hershiser’s nine-run debacle marked the fourth time he has given up at least nine runs in one start. The most recent time was against the Orioles in 1996 when he was pitching for Cleveland. Twice he has allowed 10 runs … John Olerud went 0-for-3 Friday night and was hitless in his previous three games, but a walked in the first inning meant he had reached base in all of the Mets’ 29 games … On Friday night, Tony Womack became the first player in the Diamondbacks’ brief history to hit two triples in a game … Edgardo Alfonzo went 4-for-4 with a three-run home run and is hitting .500 over the previous seven games (14-for-28).
Mike Piazza had a vicious double to right-center Friday that was classic Piazza. He also put on a massive display of power in BP. He looks ready for one of his trademark three- or four-week streaks.
