LAKELAND, Fla. – Talking matter-of-factly, John Maine asked some reporters what they’d be writing yesterday afternoon. But then he answered his own question.
“Who’s the story of the day?” Maine wondered before adding a moment later, “Pelfrey.”
Indeed. Although Maine was very strong over a four-inning start against the Tigers, Mike Pelfrey continues to excite the people inside and around the Mets. The 2005 first-round pick, like Maine, allowed one run over four frames during the Mets’ 2-0 defeat to Detroit in Tigertown.
Actually, Maine looked a bit sharper, surrendering only three hits after a rocky start, while Pelfrey allowed six. Nevertheless, Maine has already shown what he can do in the majors, especially in a high-pressure situation. In Game 6 of the 2006 NLCS, Maine didn’t allow a run in 51/3 innings, helping the Mets to a 4-2 victory over the Cardinals.
Pelfrey, meanwhile, is trying to make 2007 his breakout season. And his teammates and manager are highly impressed at what the 23-year-old has shown in his bid to win the fifth starter’s job.
“Every time he goes out, he gets better,” Willie Randolph said. “His bullpens, his work on the sides, have been superb. I’m really pleased with the way he’s going about his business.
“And I think he’s starting to feel he kind of belongs here. I’m looking forward to his next outing.”
The Wichita State graduate knew when he came in to relieve in the fifth inning that he couldn’t locate his nasty, 93 mph sinking fastball. Instead, he kept the Tigers off balance with change-ups and sliders. It’s likely he wouldn’t have felt comfortable executing that game plan a year ago, but catcher Mike DiFelice raved about his command of secondary pitches – especially the change-up.
“It was damn good today,” DiFelice said. “I think there was probably three or four of them where he threw them and I was like, ‘What?’ He didn’t get a swing. That shows me that those guys were just fooled. They didn’t even know what to do.”
Pelfrey stranded five men and continuously worked out of two-out jams, although Marcus Thames touched him for a two-out solo homer before his outing ended in the eighth.
Pelfrey (2-1 with a 5.48 ERA in four 2006 starts with the Mets) has a legitimate shot of making the team, though he’ll probably be starting in Triple A if he can’t crack the rotation. GM Omar Minaya told The Post yesterday that as of right now, the Mets view Pelfrey strictly as a starter – but Minaya reserves the right to change his mind.
“I’m just trying to go out and do the best I can,” Pelfrey said. “Hopefully my performance is good enough. I’ve said all along, even though last year I didn’t have the best results, I left there knowing, ‘Hey, I can pitch at this level.’ ”
As for Maine, his outing started poorly. The second pitch he threw ended up over the fence in left-center, a wind-aided homer by Curtis Granderson. Two pitches later, he allowed a single deep down the right-field line to Pudge Rodriguez.
Maine, though, was scintillating after that, allowing nothing but a bunt single. He continued to look stellar in his bid for a starting job. He faced seven projected Detroit starters in the lineup, but Gary Sheffield had the day off.
Maine walked one and whiffed four. He allowed a run in Grapefruit League action for the first time, after two scoreless innings on March 4 against Baltimore and three zeroes against the Tigers on March 9.
“There’s still people going for the same spot I am,” Maine said. “So until the last week of spring training or until I hear something, I’m just in the same boat as anyone else.”