• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Dodgers-Mets Series Begins Today

Posted on: Wednesday, 4 October 2006, 09:00 CDT

NEW YORK - The Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Mets begin their National League division series in New York today, with the identity of the Mets' starter still a question mark after Orlando Hernandez injured his calf yesterday. Also on tap today are the second games in the A's-Twins and Tigers-Yankees series. The Cardinals-Padres series has the day off.

Yesterday, the Yankees, A's and Cardinals got off to 1-0 series leads.

El Duque felt discomfort in his right leg while he was jogging in the outfield Tuesday as the Mets tuned up for their first-round series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 40-year-old right-hander was pulled off the field and went for an MRI exam.

"Obviously, we're up in the air on who's our starter tomorrow," Mets manager Willie Randolph said. "We have some options, obviously, but we'll wait and see how he feels first and then we'll make a decision."

Those options are limited, however. Martinez, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, is out until next summer because of calf and shoulder injuries.

Tom Glavine, slated to start Game 2, pitched Saturday in Washington. So if the Mets want to bump him up, the 40-year-old lefty would be working on only three days' rest.

Steve Trachsel, who went 15-8 with a 4.97 ERA this year, skipped his scheduled outing last weekend to attend to a family matter on the West Coast. He was due back in New York on Tuesday evening, but Randolph said the right-hander probably wasn't an option to pitch Wednesday afternoon in Game 1 on such short notice.

Randolph didn't even think Trachsel had been throwing while he was away from the team.

That left rookie right-hander John Maine as a possibility. Maine was 6-5 with a 3.60 ERA in 16 games this season, including 15 starts.

But he obviously lacks the October experience the Mets were counting on with Hernandez, acquired from Arizona in May. El Duque is 9-3 with a 2.55 ERA in 19 career postseason games, including 14 starts, mostly with the Yankees. He also owns four World Series rings, and his teams are 12-3 in postseason series.

Hernandez's MRI showed an injury to his calf, the Mets said - but they wouldn't provide further details.

In yesterday's games:

- Derek Jeter tied the postseason record for hits, going 5-for-5 with a home run to lead Yankees over the Tigers 8-4 Tuesday night in its postseason opener. Bobby Abreu had a two-run double and Jason Giambi hit a two-run homer in the third as New York's big boppers staked winner Chien-Ming Wang to a 5-0 lead. The five-run burst started, however, with something small - Johnny Damon's slow roller for a single.

- San Diego Padres ace Jake Peavy tempted Albert Pujols with one pitch too many and the slugger, who has a shot at a second straight NL MVP award, responded with a two-run homer that launched the Cardinals to a 5-1 victory in the opening game of the division series on Tuesday. While Peavy struggled - he left to a mixture of boos and light applause in the sixth - St. Louis ace Chris Carpenter, the reigning NL Cy Young winner, held the Padres' suspect offense to one run and five hits in 6 1-3 innings. He struck out seven and walked one.

- Barry Zito threw eight shutout innings, besting Johan Santana behind two big home runs by Frank Thomas and sending the Athletics to a 3-2 victory over the Twins on Tuesday in Game 1 of the American League division series. Thomas went 3-for-4 with two homers, the last one a ninth-inning shot off Jesse Crain. Zito gave up four hits, one run and three walks while striking out one.

Source: Associated Press/AP Online

More News in this Category