Mets Open 2008 Season With 7-2 Win Over Marlins
BY DAN MILLER

Mets Opening Day pitcher Johan Santana defeated the Florida Marlins 7-2 in the Mets' opener in Florida on Monday, March 31. Photo Dan Miller DMD Images

The New York Mets, who will be playing their last home season at Shea Stadium this year, visited Florida to take on the Marlins in the season opener on Monday, March 31, and finished with an Opening Day victory. Johan Santana (93-44 lifetime) pitched the Mets season opener and was victorious in his Mets regular season debut, pitching a gem and defeating the Florida Marlins 7-2.

Santana struck out the first batter he faced and mowed down the first nine players in the Marlins' lineup. With the game scoreless going into the fourth inning, the Mets exploded for six runs, taking a 6-0 lead. The big blow in the rally was a bases-clearing double by Mets All Star third baseman David Wright. Wright also led off the Mets 7th with a double, but was thrown out attempting to steal third base. The Marlins got two runs back in the bottom of the fourth on a two-run homer by Josh Willingham.

Carlos Beltran also added two doubles and rookie Jose Pagan one double and a walk to help lead the Mets attack. The Mets showed their new look- run, run, run. In their three base stealing attempts, they were successful only once on a steal of second base by second baseman Luis Castillo, with David Wright caught stealing third and Jose Reyes caught stealing second base by Florida catcher Matt Treanor on a very close play.

Santana threw seven innings, tossing 100 pitches on 68 strikes, eight strikeouts, two walks and two earned runs.

Things got a little hairy for the Mets after Santana left the game after seven good innings. Willie Randolph went to the bullpen in the eighth, bringing in righthander Joe Smith- who promptly allowed two of the first three batters to reach base. Randolph saw enough and went to the bullpen again, this time bringing in a lefthander, Scott Schoeneweis, to face former Mets first baseman Mike Jacobs. Jacobs hit a ground out to first baseman Carlos Delgado, moving the base runners to second and third.

Randolph called on righthanded Jorge Sosa from the pen to face Josh Willingham. Sosa struck out Willingham on a 3-2 slider to end the Marlins' threat.

The Mets added an insurance run in the ninth inning on an unearned run to lead 7-2. Mets reliever Aaron Heilman came in the ninth and mowed down the Marlins 1-2-3 on two strikeouts and a come-backer to the mound to mop up the first Mets win of the season. Mets pitchers struck out 10 Marlins overall for a stellar pitching performance.

The Mets are now 30-17 in opening day games, a .638 clip, first all-time in Major League Baseball. This was Santana's 2nd win in three Opening Day outings.

After the game, Randolph said of Santana's performance, "He was great! It's a pleasure to watch him work."

Following games in Florida and Atlanta the Mets will come home to Flushing Meadows-Corona Park to open at Shea Stadium on Tuesday, April 8 against the Philadelphia Phillies. This will be the last Opening Day game at Shea Stadium for the Mets. The Mets will begin play in their new ballpark, Citi Field at the beginning of the 2009 MLB season.

David Wright, Carlos Beltran and Jose Reyes are the only Mets players to start four consecutive Opening Day in the Mets' 46-year history. Jose Reyes has batted leadoff on Opening Day in all of these starts, the only player to accomplish this fete in franchise history.