ODLB: Mets-Marlins, Innings 4-6

Hopefully you're moving over from the Innings 1-3 coverage but if not and need to catch up, check it out here.

Johan Santana's been everything the Mets expected to this point but he's getting everything he can handle from Mark Hendrickson. On a basketball court, that wouldn't be surprising but we're playing baseball here. Let's see how both men do as they start facing people for the second and third time. For now we're scoreless and heading into the top of the fourth.

TOP FOURTH

Hendrickson falls behind for just about the first time and Beltran makes him pay by ripping a double into left. He didn't let my pregame warnings of his mediocrity get to him so, naturally, he waits until I say a few nice things and then starts to revert to form.

And continues his descent by falling behind Delgado and walking him. The Marlins were just giving Beltran third base if he wanted to steal it.

Now the bottom of the order gets a chance to punish me for my lack of belief in their abilities. Pagan takes that chance by smashing one past Cantu, just fair, for a run-scoring double. 1-0 Mets. Cantu was playing in on the grass to take away the bunt and Pagan made him pay.

And now it is Church's turn. A ripped single scores Delgado to make it 2-0. Hendrickson's struggling with his command, which draws the pitching coach to the mound, but there's no action in the bullpen. They should get someone up.

Schneider rips a liner but it's right at Jacobs, who just misses tagging Church for the double play. That's a killer miss with Santana coming up.

Santana shows bunt until two strikes and then goes down swinging.

Just as I'm saying to my son that Hendrickson looks gassed, Reyes singles to left and plates Pagan for the third run of the inning. My son, who is nine weeks old, drools on himself which is a pretty fair statement of Hendrickson's chances of making it to the fifth inning.

What was a game with a nice pace has become a slog thanks to Hendrickson's loss of control. He walks Castillo and seems to look toward the bullpen with hope between each pitch. They just got someone up so he'll have to face Wright with the bases loaded.

That decision by Fredi Gonzalez works out about as well as expected. Wright doubles into the left field gap and clears the bases. It is 6-0 Mets and we're really in need of some Santana on the mound to keep interest in this game.

Mercifully, Beltran's line drive hangs up long enough for Ross to make the play and end the inning.

BOTTOM FOURTH

Hanley Ramirez draws a walk and breaks up Santana's perfecto. That was a gift from the boy in blue. Santana's strike zone looks like it shrank a centimeter for every Met run.

Uggla corkscrews a fastball to Delgado who tosses to Santana for the out. Santana's real quick off the mound and that's the second nice little play he's made today.

Jacobs skies one to short right for the second out.

And the Met organization's wait for a no-hitter will go on another day as Willingham gets hold of a lackluster changeup and puts it over the teal monster in left. 6-2 Mets. Gonzalez's fanatical devotion to Hendrickson looks even worse right now.

Cantu bails his manager out for the moment, though, by striking out to end the inning.

TOP FIFTH

Hendrickson is still out there for the Marlins although perhaps it is for the lefty-lefty matchup with Delgado only. One would hope. Home plate is completely in the shadows although Hendrickson may not be the man who can take advantage of it. Delgado grounds to Ramirez, who is playing to the right side of second because of the shift.

Hendrickson gets Pagan to flyout to left and it would appear that he's not going anywhere.

And why not? He gets a 1-2-3 inning on a Church lineout to right.

BOTTOM FIFTH

Ross breaks his bat while getting a pop up into the wind gusts but Reyes tracks it down for the first out.

I'm really hoping that SNY doesn't feel they're too high and mighty to show the Marlin Manatee dancers. Chubby men dancing isn't going to make this game any worse.

Castillo ranges into the hole and dives to knock down a Luis Gonzalez grounder but spikes his throw in the general vicinity of the Met dugout. Schneider makes a swell play to keep it out of the dugout and Darling mentions his intangibles for about the umpteenth time. We get it, he's not a good hitter but he's okay at other things.

There's a pinch-hitter for Hendrickson on deck while Misty May's husband takes his hacks. If he and the wife ever switched uniforms it would redefine lose-lose situation. The thought of that horror causes Santana to throw a wild pitch en route to walking Treanor. My apologies for mentioning it Johan.

Jason Wood will be the pinch hitter. Wood is a good story. He topped 44 at-bats in a season for the first time at age 37 last year. He also pitched a 1-2-3 inning against the Braves. He strikes out on four pitches to remind that good stories, unlike good massages, can have unhappy endings.

And Ramirez follows with another strikeout to strand a pair.

TOP SIXTH

Yes! The Manatees! They are everything I hoped they'd be. Large men line dancing with gusto and exposed large bellies. Gary Cohen asks how far we've fallen as a culture, I ask how can a man who talks about baseball for a living be such a sourpuss.

Schneider grounds out off new pitcher Ricky Nolasco.

Santana flares one to right for the second out.

Reyes bounces one through the right side for his second straight hit.

Nolasco's thrown over to first three times which seemed excessive until Treanor guns Reyes out trying to steal second to end the inning. Guess there's something to keeping 'em close.

BOTTOM SIXTH

Santana plays Truman Burbank on Dan Uggla. Good Morning, Good Afternoon and Good Night for strikeout #6. Uggla begins the climb to surpass last year's 167 whiffs.

And number seven in short order as Santana blazes a fastball past Jacobs on a 2-2 count.

Willingham decides he doesn't want to wait around and grounds the first pitch to Reyes at short.

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