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Bannister gets call as Mets face Nats
New York Mets (4-1) at Washington (2-4), Tuesday, 1:05 p.m. ET
By Marty Noble / MLB.com
Pedro Martinez isn't scheduled to pitch until Wednesday night, but that doesn't mean the Mets aren't primed for some confrontations on Tuesday afternoon. Martinez hit three Nationals' batters on Thursday at Shea, but there were three other Nationals batters hit in that series. And the Mets anticipate some form of retaliation.
Brian Bannister, the Tuesday afternoon starter, was responsible for two of the six hit batsmen, but it was clear that cool weather Wednesday night at Shea denied him command of the pitches that hit Alfonso Soriano and Jose Guillen. Still, the Nationals left town bruised, smarting and making noise.
The Mets would prefer the competition to be limited baseball, not beanball, but as Cliff Floyd said Thursday, "We made our bed, and now we have to deal with it. We hit their big guys."
The Mets won seven of 10 games they played in Washington last season. And there were some tight pitches thrown then, too.
Pitchers like RFK; hitters don't. The ball generally doesn't carry well there, though Carlos Delgado and David Wright hit three and two home runs, respectively, there last season. The Mets' running game can also serve them well in that spacious park.
Pitching matchup
NYM: RHP Brian Bannister (0-0, 4.50 ERA)
The rookie has to put up with all the pomp and uncertainty of an opponent's home opener. Pitchers like to know exactly when they're supposed to go to work.
VS
WASH: RHP Ramon Ortiz (0-1, 10.80 ERA)
Ortiz is apt to give up the long ball, even in RFK. He has allowed an average of 35 home runs per 200 innings since the beginning of the 2002 season.
Player to watch
And don't be surprised if it's Carlos Delgado who takes Ortiz deep. The home run the Mets cleanup hitter crushed against Ortiz on Thursday night at Shea was the fifth he has hit in just 30 career at-bats against the Nationals starter. Delgado also has four doubles, three singles and six walks against Ortiz.
On the Internet
MLB.TV
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On television
• SNY
On radio
• WFAN 660 AM, WADO 1280 AM (Español)
Up next
• Wednesday: Mets (Pedro Martinez, 1-0, 6.00 ERA) at Nationals (Tony Armas, 0-1, 3.60 ERA) 7:05 p.m. ET
• Thursday: Mets (Victor Zambrano, 7-12, 4.17 ERA) at Nationals (Livan Hernandez (0-1, 4.50 ERA) 1:05 p.m. ET
• Friday: Brewers (TBA) at Mets (Tom Glavine, 1-0, 2.25 ERA) 7:10 p.m. ET