On the verge of the Mets’ season ending, Bobby Valentine shook up his lineup before Game 5 of the Subway Series last night.
The manager benched right fielder Timo Perez and shortstop Mike Bordick. In their place, Valentine inserted Bubba Trammell in right and Kurt Abbott at short. It was both players’ first post-season start. Benny Agbayani moved to the leadoff spot in place of Perez.
“I think it’s a little risky actually,” Valentine said.
But, with the Mets down 3-1 in the best four-out-of seven, it was called for when you look at the numbers. Bordick, whose benching had nothing to do with his bruised right thumb, was only hitting .121 (4-for-33) in the playoffs. While Perez, who was so instrumental in the first two rounds, owned just two hits in 16 World Series at-bats.
“[We’re] giving Mr. Pettitte a little different look at our lineup,” said Valentine, referring to the Yankees lefty starter Andy Pettitte. “Obviously trying to get at least one more run.”
Entering last night, the Mets’ three Series losses had all come by just one run. Replacing Perez with Trammell was less surprising than Abbott for Bordick. Trammell came into last night 8-for-19 against Pettitte, including a two-run single in Game 1.
Although Bordick has struggled both offensively and defensively since coming to the Mets, he is considered far better with his glove than Abbott. But Bordick was only 6-for-39 (.154) in his career against Pettitte.
Abbott, who had a single and two walks in three plate appearances against Pettitte heading in, was aware of the numbers so he thought there was a chance he would be playing last night.
But Abbott, who has had only 10 at-bats the entire postseason, knew the soldout crowd at Shea might be shocked when they saw “No. 20, SS” on the right center field scoreboard.
“I don’t think there is one person out there that thought Kurt Abbott would be starting a World Series game at shortstop,” Abbott said.
The Mets were trying to become the first team to come back from a 3-1 deficit since 1985. That was also a local rivalry as Kansas City caught St. Louis from behind.
But these are the Yankees the Mets were facing – a Yankee team which entered last night having won 15 of their last 16 World Series games. So the Mets needed to change some things up.
“It’s not frustrating,” Valentine said. “We’re giving everything we have out there, and they’re giving just a little extra. They scored an extra run. We had a lot of hits saved up. Hopefully, over the next three games they’ll all come out.”
Although, it seems as if it would take something miraculous for the Mets to beat the Yankees from behind, the Mets are set up pitching wise.
They had ace Al Leiter going against Pettitte last night and if they could get to a Game 6 tomorrow what a treat of drama that would be at Yankee Stadium with Roger Clemens having to go up against Mike Hampton.
Over the first four games, the pitching has been there for the Mets, except for Armando Benitez’ ninth inning Game 1 meltdown, so it wasn’t as if the Yankees were hammering the Mets.
“I don’t know if it’s any easier,” Valentine said. “Just the fact that we know we could hit a little better than we’ve hit. A lot of times those things come in bunches.”
After Wednesday’s Game 4 loss, Valentine said he didn’t feel the need to have a team meeting to make sure his club knew what was ahead of it.
“They know how proud I am of them,” Valentine said. “They know that I believe in them. We don’t need a team meeting. We’re ready to go. I was just in that clubhouse, and there wasn’t a lot of dispersion in there. They know the work’s cut out for them, and they’ve had their work cut out for them since they put on a uniform. They’re ready to go.”