Had Jerry Manuel been Metsmerized?

What other explanation would there be for allowing a starter pitch deep into the seventh inning?  How else could one explain a 3-0 start to the season’s toughest nine-game road stretch.

Jerry had to be reading this blog, using it to develop new strategies for using his starting staff and bullpen.

He sent John Maine out for the seventh inning despite being 107 pitches deep into the series opener in San Francisco.  It was still the right move even when Bobby Parnell finally stubbed his toe.  The promising Parnell surrendered two runs, no more thanks to a nice defensive play from David Wright, and the teams were tied 4-4 headed into the ninth.

The Mets hung around against Tim Lincecum Friday night and hung so close that they stormed back from down 6-3 when David Wright crushed a bases-clearing, three-run double in the seventh inning.

It was Manuel’s bullpen management, surprisingly, that allowed the Mets to remain within striking distance after Livan Hernandez surrendered five over five.

Manuel allowed a different reliever to own each inning thereafter.  With each pitcher performing adequately, the manager refrained from removing any of them mid-frame (we’ve seen that before; last Monday night against Atlanta?).

The Mets manager handled Johan Santana superbly and the offense did its part to carry the ace to a 9-6 victory.  Manuel let Santana pitch through trouble in the seventh and the lefty left in favor of a pinch hitter in the eight with the Mets clinging to a 9-6 lead.

Manuel managed well and it showed.  Three Mets victories to start what many were billing a killer trip.

Sunday?  Well, that’s a different story.

John Maine did his job and then some.

One of the Mets’ biggest questions coming into the season after surgery cut his 2008 short, the righty deserves high marks for his season debut.  Sure it was only five innings, but Maine walked just one, struck out five, and ultimately gave the Mets a chance to win the ball game.  Not bad for a guy with a suspect shoulder. 

Had manager Jerry Manuel not felt the need for a pinch hitter with the Mets threatening in the top of the sixth, Maine could have tossed another frame with his pitch count standing at 83, 54 of which were strikes. 

A stark contrast to the $36 Million Man who pitched last night.  As Ollie showed last night, the Mets rotation remains its biggest question mark.  Mike Pelfrey still needs to prove he can consistently win at the MLB level and Livan Hernandez is aging.  That makes Maine’s status even more important to the Mets’ main question.