Some positive developments for the Mets Saturday. Shaun Marcum got his throwing in, working his way up to 71 pitches. He only lasted four innings, but it’s not like anybody was counting. Then Terry Collins experimented a little and brought Robert Carson in for the fifth, which isn’t where you’d expect to see him, but roles are still undefined, so it didn’t really matter. The Phillies brought their A-club with them and Carson was kind of roughed up. Still, it was good experience for him. Terry stretched out LaTroy Hawkins for two innings, which was interesting to see. Scott Rice got two innings, two.
The manager also experimented by using the same lineup two days in a row, something you don’t usually get from him this time of year. Some of the fellas didn’t look too sharp. Mike Baxter, for example, had trouble with a fly ball to right, which may be something to think about once the season starts. It doesn’t look like they know quite what to do with Collin Cowgill yet, but figuring it all out is what this time of year is for. Ruben Tejada made both a great play and a bad play. Maybe if he’d reported sooner, it would have been a great play and a routine play, but who knows? There was some hijinks with Ike Davis’s glove when he couldn’t get a ball out and turn a double play — probably the result of a prank, since the next thing you saw was Justin Turner trying to fix it. (That guy’s hilarious).
The Mets didn’t hit much against the four pitchers the Phillies used. Since they weren’t exactly big names, I’d be concerned if this was already April, but since the Mets are just getting the feel of things, losing 9-4 [1] wasn’t the big story. They’re taking pitches, they’re working counts, they’re learning Terry’s system and no doubt Sandy Alderson will have a crack 25-man roster in place come Opening Day.
Can’t wait for that to happen.