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Mets aiming for win in Manuel era at Anaheim

Wed 18th, June 2008

(Sports Network) - The Jerry Manuel era didn't start off the way the New York Mets were hoping. The embattled club will try again to give its new manager a victory when it plays the rubber match of a three-game interleague series with the American League West-leading Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim tonight.

Manuel began this season as the New York's bench coach but was named interim manager shortly after the team's 9-6 win over the Angels on Monday. Mets general manager Omar Minaya then fired skipper Willie Randolph in the early- morning hours, a move that had been speculated for quite some time.

Randolph compiled a 302-253 overall record in three-plus seasons at the helm and guided the Mets to a National League East title in 2006. However, New York -- dubbed by many to be the preseason favorites in the NL -- was a disappointing 34-35 under his watch this year and currently sits 6 1/2 games behind first-place Philadelphia in the division standings.

Also factoring into Randolph's dismissal was the Mets' historic late-season collapse last September. New York blew a seven-game lead with 17 to play and wound up being edged out by the Phillies for last year's NL East crown.

The sudden change failed to pay immediate dividends, as the Mets were shut down by Angels ace John Lackey in last night's 6-1 defeat.

Lackey (4-1) yielded only a first-inning run and scattered six hits while fanning seven over 7 2/3 strong frames. The right-hander got offensive support from Torii Hunter, who finished 2-for-3 with two runs batted in.

Vladimir Guerrero, Casey Kotchman and Gary Matthews Jr. also collected a pair of hits for Anaheim, while Jeff Mathis hit a solo home run in the win.

Mets ace Johan Santana (7-5) was tagged for five runs -- four earned -- on eight hits over six innings of work to suffer the loss.

New York shortstop Jose Reyes left last night's contest in the first inning after limping to first base on a leadoff single. The speedy switch-hitter was diagnosed with a stiff left hamstring, but is considered probable to play tonight.

Oliver Perez makes his first start under the Manuel regime tonight, with the erratic lefty seeking to maintain his strong recent form.

After being shelled for six runs and five hits in just one-third of an inning during a 10-2 loss at San Francisco on June 2, Perez has rebounded with back- to-back quality outings. He tossed 5 1/3 frames of one-run ball in a no- decision at San Diego on June 7, then limited Texas to one run and three hits over seven innings to notch a win on Friday. Perez also matched a season best by striking out eight Rangers.

The Mexico native's lone career start against the Angels came during the 2004 season, when Perez was a member of the Pirates. In that game, which was held at Pittsburgh's PNC Park, he allowed two runs and fanned eight in a seven- inning no-decision.

Jon Garland gets the mound assignment for Anaheim tonight and will be attempting to regroup from a subpar showing his last time out.

Against Atlanta on Friday, Garland was tagged for five runs and 12 hits over 5 2/3 innings in his club's 5-2 loss. It was the lanky right-hander's first defeat since April 28.

Garland had gone seven straight starts (3-0) without a loss prior to Friday's setback and posted a 2.89 earned run average over that stretch.

This will be the nine-year veteran's first career matchup against the Mets.

The Angels took two of three meetings from the Mets during the last time these two teams squared off, back in 2005 in Flushing. New York, though, took two of three from the Angels in its last visit to Anaheim back in 2003.

Where the players come to play and STAY.