Mets 6 – Marlins 3
When Art Howe signaled for Armando Benitez last night at Shea, it wasn’t so much a call to the bullpen.
It was a call for redemption.
Just three days earlier, Benitez had been summoned to protect a one-run lead against the Yankees. The closer proceeded to pitch tentatively, walking four hitters, including Jorge Posada to tie the game.
Benitez hadn’t pitched since. But on Tuesday, Benitez approached Howe and said, “If anything comes up, give me the ball. I’m ready.”
“I wanted to be in the game,” Benitez said last night.
So after David Weathers loaded the bases with Marlins with nobody out in the eighth inning, Howe decided to take Benitez up on his offer. The Mets were up three runs at the time, but there was literally no margin for error.
“Do your thing,” catcher Vance Wilson told Benitez as they conferred on the mound amid a cascade of boos. “Let’s pick Dave up.”
Benitez did better than that. In saving the Mets’ 6-3 win, he delivered one of his most dynamic performances ever.
First Benitez got Derrek Lee to wave at an 89-mph slider. Then he blew away Alex Gonzalez with pure 95-mph heat. Finally he capped it by inducing Miguel Cabrera to lift a harmless fly ball to right.
As he strolled off the mound, head held high this time, Benitez pumped his first repeatedly and received several pats on the back from his teammates. Upon reaching the dugout, Benitez was vocally embraced by the roaring crowd, the first row of fans practically spilling over the embankment.
Redemption offered and redemption earned.
“I don’t try to prove anything,” Benitez insisted, although he acknowledged the applause felt good. “When you make a mistake, you try to fix it.”
“That’s the Armando we know,” said starter and winner Steve Trachsel (7 IP, 3 ER). “I can’t think of a tougher way to start – especially after the other day – but he was just filthy.”
Indeed he was. Three days after not being able to find the strike zone, Benitez was infinitely more aggressive last night. Of his 23 pitches, 17 were strikes.
“Every day I come to the ballpark, it’s a new day,” Benitez said. “A new game.”
Benitez wasn’t alone. After a rough start, Trachsel settled down to pitch seven effective innings. And Jeromy Burnitz delivered two hits and a solo homer. But the other real star was the previously-slumping Jose Reyes, who contributed two hits and three RBIs – including the game-winning two-run single in the sixth after Marlins starter Mark Redman intentionally walked Tsuyoshi Shinjo to face Reyes.
