By MARK HALE
June 13, 2008
Johan Santana scripted a scoreless and nearly flawless performance at Shea, firing seven shutout innings of three-hit brilliance against the Diamondbacks. But he not only received a no-decision, he didn't even get to celebrate a Mets triumph.
Instead, Santana watched Billy Wagner blow another save - and the ace lefty's victory - in a 5-4, 10-inning loss.
Santana had perhaps the finest turn of his 14-start Mets tenure, delivering his first scoreless outing and matching his season-high with 10 strikeouts.
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How nasty was Santana? He struck out five straight from the last batter of the first inning to the first one of the third. He also put just seven men on base total in a 116-pitch masterpiece that was all for naught.
"His changeup was unbelievable today," catcher Ramon Castro said.
Added Jose Reyes, "I feel sorry for the guy."
Santana wasn't in the dugout for Wagner's ninth-inning crime, missing the closer's third straight meltdown. Instead, Santana was icing his arm and receiving treatment in the clubhouse. But he was watching on TV.
And he never believed his win was all-but-official.
"I'm watching the whole thing," the $137.5 million star said. "But it's not over until it's over."
In his last start in San Diego, Santana was hit on his left shoulder by a pitch, but he insisted it was fine, crediting the Mets' trainers. He actually was then drilled while pitching, not hitting, as Arizona's Chris Young smacked a shot off his right Achilles tendon in the third inning. But it wasn't a problem. Santana stayed in.
"It's fine," he said afterward.
Not like his team.
"The thing is we can't get anything together. And that's what's tough," Santana said. "We get the pitching, we don't get runs. We get the runs, we don't get the pitching. . . . Sooner or later it's going to change and I hope it's the sooner the better 'cause we need it."
