In what has become a long battle between two pitchers who have failed to take a convincing lead, Mike Pelfrey and Orlando Hernandez now face their last chance to make a lasting impression.
In one corner you have youth, and in the other corner you have experience. The problem is that Pelfrey’s youth seems a little too raw for a team who has their eyes on a division title, while El Duque’s experience seems to be a little long in the tooth.
Given the fact Mike Pelfrey will most likely end up in New Orleans should he fail to make the rotation, you can’t help rooting for the kid to succeed. On the other hand, El Duque is already on record as saying he will refuse to pitch in relief, so what’s a manager to do?
In his last outing, El Duque looked absolutely horrid in a simulated game in which his fastball was virtually non-existent. Not only was he extremely hittable, but his new delivery was nowhere near deceptive as his old delivery. Hitters could tell what was coming and it seemed like they had oodles of time to wait and pound the ball out of the park.
Pelfrey has shown some flashes but clearly is not ready for a major league gig. In his defense, his confidence and pitch selection has improved a great deal from last years version.
In my opinion, the Mets may ultimately fill that five spot via a trade or signing. I think both will get a shot to prove they belong in the rotation, but by the time June rolls along, don’t be surprised if Omar rolls the dice and makes a move…
Heck, I wouldn’t be surprised if he isn’t already looking for a signal on his Nokia so that he can get the Angels or even the Rays on the phone.
Game time is at 1:05 PM. Mets versus Cubs AKA Pelfrey versus El Duque… It’s the final countdown! Stay tuned…
