In-game notes

By Roch Kubatko

Mar 20, 2008 3:33 PM

I’m impressed by the size of the crowd here in Port St. Lucie. I didn’t realize Jon Leicester was so popular.

The other guy, Johan Santana, disposed of the Orioles in nine pitches in the first inning.

Meanwhile, Leicester has been the victim of a bad call and some bad luck.

Mets leadoff hitter Jose Reyes sent a bouncer up the first base line that clearly went foul, but umpire James Hoye ruled it fair – much to the surprise of everybody. Leicester and Aubrey Huff looked at Hoye in disbelief. Reyes stood at second base after his gift double and said, “Wow.”

Seconds later, Scott Moore made a nice play to snare Luis Castillo’s sharp grounder along the third base line, but Huff couldn’t come up with the ball after it skipped on the edge of the grass near the bag. He needs to make that play.

Carlos Beltran grounded a single past Huff to score Reyes with the first run.

Leicester threw a wild pitch and walked Carlos Delgado to load the bases, but Ryan Church bounced into a 6-3 double play.

Leicester

’s pitch count already stands at 22, but he only trails, 1-0. It easily could have been worse.

Hoye’s call was atrocious. If this was a regular-season game, manager Dave Trembley still would be arguing – in the bathroom mirror after being ejected.

C.B. Bucknor is the plate umpire. Just thought I’d mention it.

Some stats to chew on while guessing whether Trembley will choose Jeremy Guthrie or Steve Trachsel as his Opening Day starter: Guthrie has allowed three earned runs and nine hits in nine innings. Trachsel has allowed 10 earned runs and 19 hits in 13 innings, and opponents are batting .339 against him.

I understand the desire for a veteran presence, but that would be a veteran’s present. Guthrie seems like the more deserving pitcher at this point, though Trachsel will eat up innings once the season starts and allow some of the younger guys more time to develop at Triple-A.

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