KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Mike Pelfrey can go ahead and change his initials from M.P. to P.U.
The stench created by Pelfrey this spring has been suffocating, to the point the Mets right-hander seemed to be hallucinating yesterday after allowing eight earned runs in a 9-5 exhibition loss to the Astros.
“I actually thought the ball came out of my hand the best it has all spring,” Pelfrey said, downplaying the fact he allowed 12 base runners over 2 2/3 innings and saw his spring ERA jump to 14.90. “Obviously, I walked way too many guys, and the ball was up a little bit. It came out good. I threw 80 pitches, so I was fine.”
spring training loss to the Astros." title="FINGER-LICKING BAD: Mike Pelfrey licks his fingers in a down moment during his poor outing yesterday in the Mets’ 9-5 spring training loss to the Astros." width="300" height="300" src="/rw/nypost/2012/03/19/sports/web_photos/19.1s058.puma.c--300x300.jpg" />
Reuters
FINGER-LICKING BAD: Mike Pelfrey licks his fingers in a down moment during his poor outing yesterday in the Mets’ 9-5 spring training loss to the Astros.
Manager Terry Collins tried to take a bullet for his pitcher, saying he instructed Pelfrey to concentrate on increasing velocity. Pelfrey had peaked around 87 mph during his previous two starts, and Collins wanted him to raise the heat.
“Here’s a guy who can pitch at 94 or 95 — we’ve got to build up,” Collins said. “I know he’s trying to work on some things, the sinker, and make some pitches, but it’s like a lot of things: If you’re fast and you don’t run fast, you’re not going to be fast, and I don’t want this guy to lose his fastball because he’s trying to make pitches. I wanted today to see some velocity.”
The real velocity came from Carlos Lee’s bat in the second inning. Lee crushed a flat Pelfrey sinker over the left-field fence for a three-run homer, giving the Astros a 7-3 lead. Pelfrey’s final line included eight hits, four walks and four strikeouts.
Pelfrey was a disaster last season, going 7-13 with a 4.74 ERA, but with so few viable alternatives, the Mets tendered him a contract. He is owed $5.68 million for this season, and would seem the most vulnerable to losing his job once Matt Harvey or Jeurys Familia is deemed ready.
In his first exhibition start, Pelfrey allowed four earned runs over 2 2/3 innings against Miami. He followed with four earned runs over 4 ¹/‚ƒ innings against St. Louis.
Then came yesterday’s wreckage.
“Every spring training I’ve had, I don’t know if I’ve had a good one,” Pelfrey said. “So it doesn’t necessarily concern me that much, but at the end of the day, I threw 80 pitches. I feel good.
“In [2010] I remember getting my brains beat in for five or six [exhibition] starts and then the last start I was in Tampa and allowed six innings, one run and started [the season] 9-1, so I’m not too worried about it. I feel good, and the results will come.”
Collins said the fact the Mets didn’t have most of their regular players on the field yesterday allowed him to overlook Pelfrey’s final numbers. But the manager had to dig for positives.
“He was around the plate, but he just couldn’t make a pitch with [the fastball],” Collins said.
Pelfrey said Collins’ mandate to increase velocity might have affected his rhythm.
“To build velocity you have to throw harder,” Pelfrey said. “I yanked a lot of sinkers. That might be a product of trying to throw too hard.
“It’s bad execution. Obviously, I’ve been up a lot, and the ball doesn’t sink when it’s up. I just didn’t execute a whole lot.”
mpuma@nypost.com
Mike Pelfrey, Terry Collins, spring training, Mets
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