GDT 4/3: Hernandez vs Wells; 7:10 pm
Posted: April 3 07, 2:56 pm
Game Info: 8:10 pm EDT Tue Apr 3, 2007
TV: SNY, FSMW
O. Hernández NYM vs. Kip Wells - St. Louis Cardinals
By CHRIS ANTONACCI, STATS Writer
Orlando Hernandez has never pitched in a meaningful game against the St. Louis Cardinals. The New York Mets wish that wasn't the case.
After missing the NL championship series last season because of a torn right calf muscle, Hernandez takes the mound for the Mets Tuesday when they continue their three-game set against the Cardinals.
Hernandez and Pedro Martinez suffered injuries before the playoffs began and Steve Trachsel was also unavailable for the Mets, who lost Game 7 of the NLCS to St. Louis.
The Cardinals, who went on to defeat Detroit in the World Series, will receive their rings before this game.
"There's no question for us as a group that it was a little bit of a disappointment that it wasn't us," Mets left-hander Tom Glavine said. "It could have very easily been us, but it wasn't. Maybe it's the kind of thing that you watch and know that when the season is over for us, that's what we want to be doing."
The Mets are relying on Hernandez to remain healthy after signing the right-hander to a two-year, $12 million deal. Other than Glavine, who pitched six solid innings to outduel Chris Carpenter in the Mets' 6-1 win on Sunday, Hernandez is New York's only other veteran starter.
Hernandez went 9-7 with a 4.09 ERA in 20 starts for the Mets after they acquired him from Arizona for reliever Jorge Julio on May 24. He finished the season 11-11 with a 4.66 ERA in 29 starts overall.
Cardinals right-hander Kip Wells seeks a fresh start after he made a total of nine starts for Pittsburgh and Texas last season. Wells suffered from a blood clot that limited him to seven starts with the Pirates before he was traded to the Rangers on July 31. He made two starts for the Rangers before a sprained left foot ended his season in August.
The Cardinals signed Wells to a one-year deal worth $4 million as part of a rebuilt rotation that lost Jeff Suppan, Jeff Weaver and Jason Marquis. He is 2-3 with a 4.45 ERA in five starts against the Mets.
"I've just got to go out there and do whatever I've got to do to be successful," Wells told the Cardinals' official Web site. "Whether it's a ring ceremony or what have you. I just concentrate on what I can control and what I need to do to be successful. Minimize the things that are out of my control."
The Mets turned four double plays Sunday night, the last of which came on a Scott Rolen grounder with the bases loaded and one out in the eighth inning to preserve a 5-1 lead.
New York thwarted a squeeze bunt to preserve a 2-0 lead in the third inning, and Carlos Beltran threw out David Eckstein at the plate with the score 5-1 in the sixth.
"That's the kind of night they had," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said.
Paul Lo Duca and Carlos Delgado totaled five RBIs to help Glavine earn the 291st win of his career.
Jose Reyes is 4-for-6 and Beltran is .455 (5-for-11) with a homer and three RBIs against Wells. Delgado is 2-for-17 and Lo Duca is 1-for-8 against the Cardinals starter.
Eckstein is hitting .455 (5-for-11) and Adam Kennedy is batting .353 (6-for-17) against Hernandez.
These teams conclude their series on Wednesday as John Maine starts for New York and Braden Looper takes the mound for St. Louis.
