By BART HUBBUCH
Posted: 3:06 am
August 19, 2008
PITTSBURGH - Luis Ayala might have arrived just in time yesterday, because the Mets will be wary of using reliever Duaner Sanchez in pivotal situations anytime soon.
Ayala joined the Mets after being acquired in a trade with Washington on the same day Sanchez was torched for two runs on three hits without recording an out in the eighth inning of a 5-2 loss to the Pirates.
Sanchez is a worry because he has had two shoulder surgeries since 2006 and his velocity dropped into the mid-80 mph range earlier this month. He also was hit hard for the second appearance in a row.
"It's like there's a freakin' monkey on my back," said Sanchez, who insists he is healthy. "I can't be like this. This is not me. I'm letting my team down. Something's got to happen, and I've got to be the one to do it."
Jerry Manuel admitted his concern about Sanchez.
"I'll have to talk to our people to see if he's healthy before making a true evaluation," he said.
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Johan Santana shared the NL's Player of the Week award with Astros third baseman Ty Wigginton after going 2-0 with a 1.69 ERA, including a complete-game shutout of the Pirates on Sunday. It was the fourth time Santana has won the honor but his first time as a Met.
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Right fielder Ryan Church (post-concussion syndrome) played five innings in right field for Triple-A New Orleans last night. It was Church's first time in the field since beginning his minor-league rehab stint.
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Manuel, who was tossed in the third inning by umpire Joe West for disputing a move toward second by base-runner Argenis Reyes, admitted West made the right call after reviewing it in the clubhouse.
"When I saw the replay, there was a flinch [by Reyes]," Manuel said. "If that's the interpretation, then he was right."
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The Mets made room for Ayala on the roster by sending rookie reliever Eddie Kunz to New Orleans. That amounted to a promotion of sorts for Kunz, a second-round pick in 2007 who had spent all of this season at Double-A Binghamton before his recent call-up.
"We still have high hopes for him," Manuel said.
