Last year, shortstop Rey Ordonez was the Invisible Man as the Mets stormed to the NL pennant. This season, Desi Relaford’s scorching bat and his own nagging back are nudging the Ordonez from the starting lineup.
Relaford has played short in four of the last 10 games as his average remains in the stratosphere and Ordonez recovers from a stiff back. A .230 career hitter, Relaford is hitting .358 after going 2 for 3 with three runs scored last night.
“In hitting, when you’re out there everyday and you’re seeing more pitches, you get a little more into a groove and feel more comfortable,” said Relaford, who is 4 for his last 10.
As he talked to a large press contingent after the 8-0 win over the Dodgers, Mets GM Steve Phillips high-fived him. Bobby Valentine, meanwhile, jokingly deferred when asked if Relaford would be in the lineup again today.
“You’ll have to talk to the guys,” Valentine said, referring to coaches Bobby Floyd and John Stearns, who are subbing for the Mets skipper as he attends his son’s graduation.
Relaford, who made 31 errors last year with the Padres and Phillies, is still a long-term question mark defensively. He was acquired off waivers from San Diego in October and made the team after a hot spring.
Relaford singled to right in the second inning, swiped second and scored on Darren Bragg’s RBI single up the middle for the Mets’ first run.
In his next at-bat, he crunched a double to right-center that bounced at the track and scored Tsuyoshi Shinjo to put the Mets up 3-0. He came around on Timo Perez’s single for a 5-0 lead.
“I’ve always felt pretty good against [Dodgers starter] Kevin Brown,” he said. “The numbers aren’t impressive, but when you’re hitting it’s all about a feeling. I’ve had some good at-bats against him. I just kept the same approach.”
Last year Ordonez hit .188 in 45 games before suffering a broken left arm on May 29 and missing the remainder of the season. His situation is tenuous because back problems are often day-to-day situations.
Ordonez is considered a far superior defensive shortstop to Relaford, who was working on his fielding four hours before gametime with Floyd, the Mets’ infield coach.
On Thursday night, Relaford made two errors, but his pitching cameo in the ninth was the eye-opener. He retired the Padres in order and threw a 91-mile-per-hour fastball.
“The only thing you’re sure about is he’s the best hitting pitcher in the league,” joked Valentine, who said he’d pitch Relaford again in the right situtaion. “I’m sure he’s a pretty good player.”
