MET NOTES
ST. LOUIS – Mike Piazza’s bad big right toe was healthy enough so the catcher could start Game 2 last night.
“He felt better this morning,” Bobby Valentine said before last night’s game agains the Cardinals.
Piazza, though, did walk with a limp after Wednesday night’s game. He hurt the toe in the ninth inning, but the injury was not considered to be serious.
Edgar Renteria grounded to Kurt Abbott at short and Abbott threw off line to Todd Zeile. After Zeile picked up the errant throw, he fired a little off line to Piazza at the plate. Ray Lankford came around from second and apparently clipped Piazza.
Game 1 was a breakout one for Piazza as he supplied his first RBI of this postseason by knocking an RBI double into the left field corner in the opening inning of the Mets’ 6-2 win.
Co-owner Fred Wilpon greeted Valentine with a big hug last night. Wilpon maintained his stance he wants to wait until after the offseason to negotiate with both Valentine and GM Steve Phillips.
This will allow Valentine and Phillips to field other offers, though, if they get them. After this post-season, there figure to be suitors.
Valentine moved Zeile to the cleanup spot last night against the lefty Rick Ankiel. Valentine thought Zeile’s insurance solo homer on Monday could pay dividends.
“Todd’s homer was a big lift to the team,” Valentine said.
Mets’ string of scoreless innings, which ended at 26 when the Cardinals scored in the ninth on Thursday, is tied for the third longest among post-season scoreless innings streaks. The best ever were the Orioles of ’68, who went 33 innings without giving up a run.
Valentine was hoping he would be able to cancel the team’s workout today, because he didn’t see the point of having his players show up for a workout after arriving in Flushing at 4 this morning.
Valentine pointed out his players would have to come out for the workout scheduled for 3 p.m. and then would get stuck in traffic. Valentine if he could he would just have some players show up for the workout.
Although the players would probably prefer to have the night off, both young and old agreed that it wouldn’t be that crucial.
“It’s not going to make a difference,” rookie Jay Payton said.
John Franco, the oldest member of the squad at 40, added “It doesn’t matter.”
Everything about Edgardo Alfonzo seems to be underrated even his leadership skills.
“He exhibits the things that people can follow, like most leaders do,” Valentine said. “When he speaks people listen.”
When he hits people also tend to go around the bases. Alfonzo came into last night leading the Mets in post-season RBIs with six. His average was .286 in 21 at-bats.
