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The Mets and Brewers locked into a great pitchers’ duel Saturday afternoon which the Mets won 1-0, but the Fox network apparently didn’t want me to see it.
I’ll get to my traditional Saturday Fox rant in a moment, but first some game comments that will be void of most pictures, descriptions and accounts because I am still waiting for my written consent.
Mets starter Johan Santana pitched seven shutout innings, giving up five hits and no walks while striking out seven. His season ERA is now 0.46! Wow!
Milwaukee’s Yovani Gallardo also pitched a gem, holding the Mets scoreless for six innings while yielding five hits and two walks. He, too, struck out seven.
The Mets finally got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the seventh after reliever Carlos Villanueva walked Ramon Castro. Pinch runner Omir Santos was able to reach third when Alex Cora reached base on an error, and Jose Reyes knocked Santos home on a fielder’s choice.
Luis Castillo followed with a single, but David Wright ground into a double play to leave us with just a one-run lead.
That would have spelled trouble in 2008, but this is 2009. J.J. Putz threw a perfect top of the eighth, and after the Mets went down 1-2-3 in the bottom half of the inning, Francisco Rodriguez got the save.
Now for my Fox rant.
Once again, fans who pay $200 for the ability to follow their out-of-market team get screwed on Saturdays so Fox can hold on to exclusive rights to games that start between 1:10 p.m. and 7 p.m.
With MLB Extra Innings, we’re told we’ll be “able to follow your favorite team from opening day to October no matter where you live.” OK, favorite team: Mets; I live in the Upper Midwest and last time I checked the calendar, there are many Saturdays that fall between opening day and October.
What did my local Fox affiliate show during this great game? An episode of “Scrubs,” an episode of “My Wife and Kids,” an hour’s worth of “TMZ” entertainment news and “This Week In Baseball.” By the time the first pitch was thrown for the Cubs-Cardinals game, K-Rod had already retired a batter in the ninth.
