By BRIAN COSTELLO
Last updated: 7:42 am
July 24, 2008
Posted: 3:22 am
July 24, 2008
Jerry Manuel yesterday defended his decision to take starter Johan Santana out of Tuesday's game with Philadelphia after eight innings.
Santana departed with a 5-2 lead, having thrown 105 pitches. The bullpen, without closer Billy Wagner, gave up six runs and cost the Mets the victory.
Before last night, Manuel said Santana's body language told him the pitcher thought he was done as he walked off the mound.
"When a pitcher accumulates [a certain number] of pitches and gets the last out, when you watch him come off the field and you get a sense from his reaction that he's finished and has done his job, all that comes into account making the decision," Manuel said.
Santana's former manager with the Twins, Ron Gardenhire, said they always kept Santana's pitch count around 100.
"All the time - somewhere right in there, 100, 105," Gardenhire, at Yankee Stadium yesterday, said. "Any more than that, we find that with all our pitchers, because that's the way it is in the minor leagues now ... we found they stay stronger throughout the course of the year, you get to late August and September and they're still able to throw."
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Wagner was back in action last night, his left shoulder feeling better, but he was annoyed with a published report that characterized him as having second thoughts about not pitching Tuesday when he saw his pen mates get roughed up.
Wagner read the column to reporters around his locker and said he's owed an apology.
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Marlon Anderson started in left field for the third straight game last night. He went 0-for-4.
Additional reporting by Mike Puma.
PHOTO GALLERY: Mets Beat Phillies
