Mets Open Citi Field A Loser

PADRES 6

METS 5

At least the Mets are consistent.

The Mets opened brand spanking new Citi Field the same way they burned down Shea Stadium in September ... in ignominious defeat. Only the Mets can find a way to start things off on the wrong foot.

After a pregame ceremony that included a first pitch by Tom Seaver to Mike Piazza, a fly over by B-15 jets, and the National Anthem performed by the cast of the recent rendition of "West Side Story, Jody Gerut became the next tough trivia question as he laced a solo home run to the right field corner to give the Padres a 1-0 lead, silencing the crowd of 41,000 plus. The home run was the first in Citi Field history.

Mike Pelfrey just didn't have it for the Mets. He was slapped around all day by the formerly light hitting Padres for eight hits and five runs over five innings. Surpise! It was such an embarrassing night for Pelfrey that he actually fell off the mound when he was trying to deliver a pitch. Someone forgot to tell Pelfrey that he was supposed to let go of the ball and not use his own body like a projectile at opposing hitters.

Anyway, in the top of the second with two out, opposing pitcher Walter Silva singled up the middle. This was followed up by a single for Gerut and a double by David Eckstein to drive in both Gerut and Silva. Later, Brian Giles singled to center to allow Eckstein to score to make it 4-0 Padres.

The Mets did make a comeback. In the fifth, Dan Murphy singled down the right field line to drive in pinch hitter Gary Sheffield. Moments later, David Wright lifted a 1-2 pitch into the left field stands to tie the game at five. The crowd exploded, and the brand new apple in center field popped out of its hole for the first time.

Still, the Mets defense came back to kill them. Luis Rodriguez' fly ball to right was misplayed by Ryan Church, who couldn't get a hold of the baseball, allowing Rodriguez to sprint to third base. Rodriguez would then score on a balk by the struggling Pedro Feliciano to give San Diego a 6-5 lead.

The Mets never answered. Heath Bell, who has been seeking revenge on the Mets for not giving him a chance to be a reliever for them earlier in the decade, shut down the Mets in order in the ninth to earn the first ever save at Citi Field.

The Mets are now 3-4, and are not looking good when Johan Santana is not pitching. It is getting pretty obvious, this early in the season that the Mets are in need of some better starting pitching. Problem is they don't have a solution on this team, or in the minors. BOX SCORE.