Duque Gives His Opponents Bloody El

I apologize for the awful play on words, but can anyone dispute the fact that El Duque DOES give his opponents bloody hell?

Of course you can’t!

El Duque has been "all that and a bag of chips" for the Mets this season, and he has become the unofficial ace of the pitching staff.

Would I be stretching the truth if I said that signing El Duque to a 2-year contract in the off season, was Omar Minaya’s most significant move of the winter?

Last night, Hernandez was like an old master on the mound, weaving his pitches in and around the strike zone, and sending opposing batters back to their dugouts talking to themselves.

Willie Randolph called it "masterful."

Every time Orlando Hernandez takes the mound, the odds that the Mets will win that day actually double. He is that good.

Since July 4th, the Mets have not lost a game when El Duque is on the mound. That is nine straight wins. That is pretty amazing when you consider that the Mets have not won more than four games in a row all season long!

Simply put, Orlando Hernandez is one El of a pitcher!