On the Mets beat

Update - 7:28 p.m. - Aaron Heilman pitches an easy ninth and the Mets are 1-0.

I don't know if this will become a tradition or not, but here are my three stars of the game, NHL-style.

1) Johan Santana -- He was one bad pitch away from a flawless first start. He threw seven impressive innings, striking out eight. Not sure what more you could want.

2) David Wright -- Mets never looked back after his bases-clearing double in the fourth inning. Finished 2-for-4 with a walk.

3) Willie Randolph -- I liked the way he used his bullpen and managed the game. He didn't waste Heilman in the eighth inning; he bunted for an insurance run that put the game out of reach in the top of the ninth.

Update - 7:17 p.m. - Players can make analysts look pretty smart too. After Ron Darling calmly argued in favor of Jose Reyes bunting Marlon Anderson over to tack on an insurance run -- "sometimes when you're playing for one run, it turns into a big inning" -- Randolph did exactly that, and the Mets got a gift run when Anderson scored on a wild pitch and a throwing error. Mets lead 7-2 with Aaron Heilman coming in to pitch the ninth.

Update - 7:04 p.m. - - Aaron Heilman, who hasn't always seen eye-to-eye with Mets management regarding the way he is used, seemed to be a little confused about not being brought into the game with runners on second and third with two outs. Instead, Willie Randolph tapped Jorge Sosa, who struck out Josh Willingham on a full count to end the inning. It's amazing how good performances can make a manager look smart.

We had our first Scott Schoenweis sighting. Schoeneweis had some groan-inducing moments last year, but he did his job tonight. He came in with one out and runners on first and second after Matt Wise allowed a single and an infield hit and got lefthander Mike Jacobs to ground out to third.

Gary Cohen is usually dead-on with his commentary, but early in the inning he questioned Randolph's decision to use Wise to start the bottom of the eighth inning. I had no problem with the move. Why waste Heilman -- who you know you're going to need sixty-plus times this year -- in a four-run game? You've got to give others a chance to prove they can get outs. Maybe Wise will be a valuable contributor this year -- maybe he won't -- but you're never going to have a good sense of his mettle by pitching him only in blowout games.

Update - 6:50 - - The Mets go quietly in the top of the eighth and it remains 6-2. Maybe I'm ignorant, but who the heck is Giuseppe Franco? Someone needs to tell him that Gary Busey is no longer a celebrity -- the best word to describe him is 'spectacle.' We need to get to the bottom of this, because you know we're going to see this commercial thousands of times this year.

Update - 6:42 - Santana's pitches darted all over the strike zone -- I mean that in a good way. He threw fastballs, changeups and sliders and moved them all over the plate. The Marlins hitters looked as confused in the bottom of the seventh as they did in the first. It seems that as long as Santana has good drop on his changeup, no one's going to touch him. After 100 pitches, he's probably done for the day. Here's his pitching line: seven innings, three hits, two runs (both earned), two walks, eight strikeouts, one home run, 100 pitches, 68 strikes.

Update - 6:31 - Another Mets season first: The first trademark opposite-field double for David Wright, who is now 2-for-3 with 3 RBIs. He followed it up with a silly, and telegraphed, attempted steal of third. He seems to get suckered in by Ricky Nolasco's pickoff attemps at second, which dared Wright to run.

Update - 6:25 - I think Santana got mad after allowing a couple of baserunners in the last inning. He struck out the last two in the fifth and the first two in the sixth, then got Josh Willingham to bounce out to short on one pitch. 88 pitches for Santana and it's 6-2 Mets through six.

Update - 6:17 - Johan Santana flew out to lead off the inning... should be interesting to see how Willie Randolph handles him from here on out. He's thrown 76 pitches through five innings so far. Mets still lead 6-2 after Jose Reyes is caught stealing at second to end the inning. If you're scoring at home, Reyes is 0 for 1 in stolen base attempts this year.

Update - 6:10 - More trouble for Johan Santana this inning. First and second with one out but he gets out of it with strikeouts of Jason Wood and Hanley Ramirez. The strikeout is a great weapon to have, and Mets fans should see a lot of them. Nothing like be able to get outs without the ball being put in play. Between Santana, Pedro Martinez and John Maine, they have three pitchers who should be able to rack up the backward K's this year.

Keep an eye on Brian Schneider's defensive play this year. Mets fans were really upset when Omar Minaya settled on the light-hitting Schneider to replace Paul Lo Duca. For those obsessive fans out there (we know you're reading), keep a tally of how many runs he saves. I bet if you add that number to his RBIs at the end of the year, it will be shockingly close to Lo Duca's RBI total of 54. Schneider made a nice hustling play to keep Luis Gonzalez at first when an errant Luis Castillo throw came close to going into the Marlins dugout.

And speaking of Gonzalez, I don't know if it's just seeing him without his goatee -- or maybe it's those slimming Marlins pinstripes -- but man does the Florida rightfielder look thin. Gonzalez, 40, who hit 57 home runs during the peak of the Steroid Era in 2001, certainly does seem to have lost some bulk. Ah well, maybe it's just a coincidence...

Update - 5:55 - The wind really seems to be wreacking havoc on Marlins centerfielder Cody Ross. For now it shouldn't be too much of a factor, but if this game gets close, Marlins manager Freddy Gonzalez is going to have to think about getting someone else out there. He misjudged a looping shot to left center and had to be bailed out by Willingham. The Mets go quietly in the top of the fifth. Mets 6, Marlins 2.

Update - 5:48 - No sooner did I type the flattering remarks about Santana below than Santana allows a two-run home run over the big teal scoreboard in left field. The pitch, a hanging 78 mph change up, probably could have been hit out by a good high school player. It's 6-2 Mets after four.

After a remarkably bad ball call by umpire Rick Reed on a 1-2 fastball which I'll generously say was on the inside corner, Santana allowed his first baserunner of the game -- a walk to Hanley Ramirez. The next batter, Dan Uggla hits a nubber up the first base line and Santana covers for the out. You have to love Santana's quickness off the mound -- we've already seen it twice today. The first time was on a nice pickup and throw on Cody Ross' grounder to the right side. Santana's changeup has made a couple of batters look silly already. He is going to be murder on young teams with batters who like to swing for the fences.

Update - 5:35 - Mets lead 6-0 heading into the bottom of the fourth. Big inning. Six runs, highlighted by David Wright's three-run double. In fact, the Mets batted around. A six-run lead with Santana on the mound!

Interesting situation. Runners on second and third with no outs and Angel Pagan up. Key moment. Moises Alou is hurt, there was speculation about adding an outfielder during spring training. No worries. Pagan doubled down the third-base line to score Carlos Beltran, who started the top of the fourth with a double to leftfield, with the first run. And one of the new guys - Ryan Church - singled to right to score Carlos Delgado. Pagan, Church and Santana. All is good in the Mets' world.

I understand the strategy by Willie Randolph to have Santana bunt with runners on first and third and one out. Moving Church to second puts runners at second and third with Reyes up. But the whole thing looked bad from the start. Johan, who is supposed to be a decent hitter, ended up striking out. If Johan lays down a good bunt, it's 4-0. Oh, well. The guy is here to pitch - and he's doing great today. Reyes singled to score Pagan, making it 3-0.

Update - 5:10 - It must be nice to be a Met and trot out onto the field knowing Johan Santana is pitching for your team. He continues to look solid. He just got his second strikeout, taking care of counterpart Mark Hendrickson. Nine up, nine down.

Update - 5:03 - Luis Castillo certainly looks good. He walked in the first, then reached on a nice bunt single down the third-base line in the third. He then stole second base. But he didn't score. By the way, Johan flew out to center. No score.

Update - 4:56 - Johan Santana looks very comfortable out there. He's retired the first six Marlins. Johan's batting in the top of the third.

Update - 4:51 - I think the wind is definitely helping Mark Hendrickson. A lot of pop-ups. Angel Pagan and Brian Schneider popped up to the catcher. No score heading to the bottom of the second.

Update - 4:43 - Johan looked sharp, including striking out leadoff hitter Hanley Ramirez. Three up, three down. Still scoreless.

Update - 4:41 - Why didn't Luis Castillo score? What is he doing looking back at the outfielder with two outs? Carlos Beltran was credited with a double on the fly to shallow centerfield. Nice try by Florida's Cody Ross. He had it, but it popped out of his glove, putting Beltran on second and Castillo, who walked, at third base. But Carlos Delgado couldn't get it done, popping up to shortstop Hanley Ramirez. Real windy there. Plenty of adventures in the first inning, including a ball boy stumbling and bumbling on a foul ball by Beltran. Scoreless in the middle of the first. Here comes Johan!

Update - 4:22 - First pitch is almost here. Stay tuned.