Receiving a rare lump of run support and a 5-run lead in the second, the lefty cruised through the game, throwing only 92 pitches to toss his fourth career shutout and sixth complete game.
He walked no one and retired 15 of his last 16 batters, waiting to strike anyone out until bewildering Paul Lo Duca in the ninth. In 157 lifetime starts, Cytana has never gone without at least one K, leading the American League in strikeouts each of the last three seasons.
Aside from his terrifying presence on the hill, Johan also doubled in the fifth for his first career extra-base hit. He came to the plate five times - a rare occurrence for an AL pitcher - and finished 1-for-4 with an unintentional walk and a run scored.
Michael Cuddyer drove in two runs, extending his hitting streak to 10 games and Jeff Cirillo had three hits for the Twins, who knocked 13 around Shea as Sosa lasted only 3.1 innings. He gave up seven runs - five earned - on eight hits for his shortest outing in nine starts.
After a dominating 8-1 victory Monday night, the slumping Mets managed only four singles and never advanced a runner past second base in their 12th loss in 15 games, not to mention the sloppy defense.
Mets third baseman David Wright slammed his glove into the dugout as he exited the field in the fifth, stomping into the tunnel after committing his second error of the game.
Before the game, Bert Blyleven declared he would shave his melon if Johan pitched nine shutout innings of baseball. So the next time we see the future Hall of Famer (Bert, that is) he'll be looking like Mr. Clean.
"I think he's trying to hide right now," Santana smiled. "Believe me, tomorrow it's going to happen... hopefully by game time he'll be bald."[A Fan's View From Section 220]
4 comments:
It's great to see him finally get the run support he deserves.
That game was terrible! We'll take two outa three tonight.
Them's fightin' words.
Bert Belongs!!!
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