Live Game Commentary: Cards at Mets

Here we go again...Don't be afraid to comment and discuss!

Pre-game:
The Johan Santana teasers are awesome. Just throwing that out there. Glad to get Luis Castillo back into the fold before the season starts.

First inning:
Santana comes out and throws 90 on his first pitch. Hit 91 on his last pitch to Skip Schumacher. Honestly, Brian Barton looks like the last guy to major in aerospace engineering, no offense. Jose Reyes gets a ground ball, throws to first base a little low and Carlos Delgado flat out drops it. Here come the Delgado haters. Albert Pujols absolutely rockets a ball down the third base line. Good throw by Angel Pagan, almost beat got Barton at the plate. Raul Casanova looked like he got Pujols at third. I love how Santana pops off the mound when he thinks he gets the strikeout. There he goes, as he sits down the batter up and in. Back to back K's. Sinker, low and away. Beautiful.

Surpise! Reyes didn't get out on the first pitch. Castillo on the other hand swings on his first pitch of spring...and almost beats it out. Showed pretty decent speed getting down to first. Good morning, good afternoon, and goodnight for David Wright. There was that darn curveball again from Adam Wainwright.

Second inning:
Can of corn for Beltran out in center. Brendan Ryan is sporting the high socks. I really wish more players did that. Popped up behind home for Casanova. Tony LaRussa's strategy here, with the batter hitting 8th is to get three hitters ahead of Pujols the 2nd time around the batting order. I think it could work. Wright goes into foul territory and throws a bullet to Delgado to get Wainwright at first. He's been working on that arm, I guess.

I absolutely love Beltran's swing. It's just so sweet and compact. And then he pops up in foul territory. Delgado goes down swinging...again. Angel Pagan lays down a perfect bunt and easily beats it out to first. This guy is good. They are checking on Pagan a lot, which makes me believe other teams think he is a big threat. And they're right. Pagan takes second against one of the best arms in the game in Yadier Molina. Casanova knocks the ball the other way, and Barton could have had it, misses it, boobles it and drops it. Pagan comes around to score, while Casanova only gets to first. Endy Chavez grounds out to first to end the inning.

Third inning:
Kevin Burkhardt is interviewing Fernando Martinez, and Oliver Perez is just standing there with his arm around FMart. You have to love Ollie's personality. Easy ground ball for Reyes for the first out. Santana issues a walk to Schumacher. Santana just made Barton look silly on a changeup. Barton almost spun himself into the ground. Another changeup and Barton knocks in deep into the gap. Easy triple, run scores. Someone said recently that Santana is using his changeup too much and people are going to start to pick up on it. Santana just shook off a changeup, didn't take any other pitches, went back to the changeup and chose that one. The mind games!! Pujols pops up in foul territory to Wright. Fastball, inside and Troy Glaus is down looking. Santana has done a great job of limiting the damage.

Here's Santana's first AB. Nice swing on an 0-1, but grounded out to second. Reyes slaps one to short, 2 away quickly. Castillo, in his second at bat of spring, works the count 3-2 before walking. Good eye for only his second turn at bat. Fielders choice, inning over.

Fourth inning:
Reyes is in midseason form in the field. Amazing diving play taking him onto the OF grass. Spins up and makes the throw. Beltran gets tested in center, having to make a long run and diving for the ball. It got past him, but he doesn't look too shaken or anything. Molina jogs in to second with a double. Santana is not having a good day, Ryan just knocked one off the top of the wall. I don't know why Pagan didn't go up for that, he might have lost it in the sun. 3-1 STL. Wainwright singles, it's now 1st and 3rd. A sac-fly to right brings in the run. This is not Johan's best day. Fielders choice ends the inning. Does Santana get trotted out there for a 5th inning, his pitch count is up in the 60's.

Beltran grounds out the second. Wainwright in ON today. Nice to see Delgado go the other way. That is definitely something he needs to do more this season. Pagan drills one to straight away center. 1-2-3 inning for Wainwright. Pagan has the only hit for the Mets so far.

Fifth inning:
Santana is out there again, working to an 0-2 count on Barton quickly. Now it's 2-2, almost got him to chase a sinker. Got him on the changeup again, and Santana tallies his fourth strikeout of the day. Santana is getting way up in the pitch count, but I guess everyone is OK with it. Pujols chops out to Reyes, two away. Santana ends his day with his 5th strikeout. Probably his best inning right here in the fifth.
Final line: 5 innings, 5 hits, 4 runs (3 earned), 1 walk, 5 K's. 84 pitches.

Casanova making his case to get on the team if one of the catchers can't go take Wainwright deep to right field. He waited on that curveball and made the best of it. 4-2 STL. Marlon Anderson is taking his first cuts in a while, still recovering from the collision with Ryan Church. Anderson goes down looking. Inning over on a Reyes pop-up to left field.

Sixth inning:
Ricardo Rincon takes over on the mound. Gary and Ron are lobbying to get Rincon in the mix for the bullpen spot. He's been great this spring, but I just don't see room for him. A long, fly ball into the gap. I don't think Beltran had a shot at that, healthy or not. Perfect placement. Seems the guys in the booth jinxed Rincon, as he gives up another double. 5-2 STL. Well take Rincon's name out of the hat, or his hat out of the mix, whichever you prefer. A single up the middle and a mishandled ball, 2nd and 3rd, no one out. Oh boy, this is getting out of hand. Grounder to third, tips the back of the bag and skips away and into the bullpen. 7-2 STL. Usually sure-handed Anderson Hernandez got caught in between on a ball, E6. Second and third, one away, looking.

Internet issues. I'll end here for the day. It's currently 8-2 STL, with 2 on and 1 out.

Be back later with a game recap.