Ask Edgardo Alfonzo about any of the injuries that hampered him last season and he looks like a CEO who just learned that Arthur Andersen had called regarding an accounting error.
The proud Mets third baseman has never been one to use injuries, and the accompanying pain, as an excuse for sub-par play. He just grits his teeth and plays on whenever possible.
These days it’s easy for Fonzie to play. He’s injury-free, pain-free and once again showing why he’s one of the game’s better five-tool infielders.
Alfonzo went 2-for-4 in the first game of a doubleheader with the Diamondbacks yesterday, including a two-run homer that gave the Mets a 5-4 lead in the eighth, and also turned in a dazzling defensive play in the fifth.
The Mets, however, lost 8-5 when Craig Counsell homered off Armando Benitez in the ninth to send the game to extra innings and Erubiel Durazo blasted a three-run shot off Scott Strickland in the 10th.
Alfonzo tied the game 1-1 in the fourth with a solid single to left that drove in Timo Perez, who had opened the inning with a double down the right-field line. Until then, Arizona starter Brian Anderson had quieted the Mets’ bats.
It was Alfonzo’s 522nd RBI, moving him past Cleon Jones and into fourth place on the Mets’ career RBI list. For Alfonzo, it was his 40th RBI of the season, nine fewer than he had all of last season when a torn muscle in his lower back limited Fonzie to 124 games and his batting average dropped to a career-low .243.
This season a healthy Alfonzo went into yesterday’s game hitting .322 with nine homers and 39 RBIs. No wonder the Mets played it safe last weekend when he complained of some minor stiffness in his left shoulder.
The Mets did not play Alfonzo last Sunday, knowing they had a day off the following day. When he reported to Shea on Tuesday, he immediately popped his head into manager Bobby Valentine’s office.
“Fonzie gave me a big thumbs up,” said Valentine.
Alfonzo got a double thumbs up for his dazzling defensive play in the fifth. With the score tied 1-1, Chad Moeller opened the frame with a double to right-center, bringing up Anderson.
Anderson squared to bunt at the first pitch, so the Mets brought in their infield. Anderson then swung away and hit a broken bat line-drive to third. Alfonzo dove to make the catch, scrambled to his knees and fired to Rey Ordonez at second to double up Moeller.
After the Diamondbacks had taken a 4-3 lead in the seventh, Alfonzo stepped into the box with no outs. Joe McEwing was at first, pinch running for Mo Vaughn, who had led off the eighth as a pinch-hitter for John Valentin by drawing a walk off Mike Myers.
With his submarine delivery, Myers is one of the toughest lefty relievers in the game, but Alfonzo drove a 1-1 pitch over the wall in left-center. His 375-foot shot gave Alfonzo 524 ribbies and gave the Mets a 5-4 lead.
