MONTREAL – Memo to Steve Trachsel – don’t do it.
After giving up 10 runs in his Mets debut, Trachsel said he planned on watching the film. “I’m trying to figure out what happened,” Trachsel said.
Trachsel, who to his credit was a stand-up guy after the Mets lost 10-0 to the Expos yesterday, should spare himself the agony. He threw 91 pitches yesterday in his five innings and tied a career high by giving up 10 runs.
Expos first baseman Lee Stevens also had a career day with six RBIs on two homers and three hits, all off Trachsel.
As has been the trend in his career, Trachsel – who was signed for two years and $7 million as a free agent replacement for Fresno Bobby Jones – didn’t receive any run support. The Expos’ impressive No. 1 starter, Javier Vazquez, threw seven shutout innings. Vazquez struck out nine Mets.
“I don’t think that really mattered today,” Trachsel said.
Of course, he’s right as the Mets were dominated yesterday. They will send Al Leiter to the Olympic Stadium mound today to try to avoid the sweep.
The 2-3 Mets go into today not only a little embarrassed after being whipped 10-0, but also mad. They are upset at Vladimir Guerrero. Guerrero looked displeased when Turk Wendell threw a 2-0 pitch slightly inside in the sixth. Guerrero, with his team up 10-0, then swung at a 3-0 pitch. After knocking the ball to the wall, Guerrero stared at Wendell and Wendell had some words for Guerrero. Wendell continued after the game.
“He is a freakin’ baby,” Wendell said. “He stands so far off the plate the ball is not even close to him. What is he crying about? What is he staring at? If he wants to stare at something, I’ll give him something to stare at.”
Trachsel plans on staring at the film and, when he does, he will see the second 10-run game of his career. The other time was in the middle of his 18-loss ’99 season when he gave up double-digits for the Cubs against the Brewers. Pat Mahomes gave up a 10-spot for the Mets in San Diego on Aug. 22 of last season.
Trachsel is vital to the Mets overtaking the Braves this season. The regular-season race is one of attrition and is usually decided by the depth of pitching. That’s why Atlanta wins every season. In their first two starts, Trachsel and Glendon Rusch have given up 15 earned runs in eight innings. It’s only two starts, and both are talented, so there’s no need to go overboard.
If Trachsel doesn’t heed the friendly advice to avoid the tape, then he will see that the scoring began in the second when Guerrero led off by smacking a high fastball to the left center field wall.
Stevens followed and hit a ball that saw its way through the hole on the right side. Guerrero stopped on third, but Timo Perez couldn’t pick up the ball to show off his accurate arm.
Eyeing the bobble, Guerrero scored. Official scorer Serge Rivest ruled no error and Trachsel received an earned run.
Trachsel didn’t deserve that one, but the rest were all on him. In the fourth Trachsel walked Guerrero and then tried to pick him off at first. Instead he threw the ball down the right field line and Guerrero galloped to third.
Trachsel denied being unnerved, but he gave Stevens a cutter that Stevens mashed into the right field seats to make it 3-0 Expos. It was the one pitch that really stood out to Trachsel.
“It was a cutter that didn’t cut,” Trachsel said.
The Stevens show took off in the fifth. With three RBIs and a home run already in his pocket, Stevens came up with two men on. Trachsel fired a 1-1 splitter and Stevens blasted it for a three-run job to center.
“The second one I thought was a pretty good pitch, a split down,” Trachsel said. “As strong as he is, he was able to muscle it out.”
With Brian Rose having pitched on Friday, the Mets had no long man and so Trachsel stayed on the mound to take one for the team. “I wanted one [inning] more,” Bobby Valentine said.
But Trachsel couldn’t retire any Expos in the sixth and Wendell, Donne Wall and Armando Benitez finished things up. The Expos are going to try and do the same today. The Mets are mad. This isn’t the Braves yet, but it is becoming a rivalry.
