>> rob: this may be 2 down but [inaudible]. last time he was leading off the inning with a walk. >> rob: this is when you are looking for two outextra base hit. 2 out extra base hit. low and the count is 2-1. >> rob: everybody is blowing in their hands now. >> bob: way high. way gone. way foul. wow. >> rob: that's a souvenir over there. inside half, 4th ball change up, stays up. adam dunn deposits that sucker way out of here. >> bob: that could have bounced on to the the street -- bounced on to the street. >> rob: if you come to a ball game here, you could drop your car off and have it serviced and picked up by the 7th inning stretch. willy is going. dunn is going to walk again. >> bob: 2 to dunn in the game. it will be up to willingham to make that hurt. >> rob: because they have first pitch at 10 minutes after the hour we have a second segment before the ball game and rob will visit with the hammer. >> rob: great man from alabama. >> bob: struck out swinging first time up. adam dunn has now walked 6 times in just about 3-1/2 ball games this year. slider that went outside. >> rob: pelfrey approaching 50 pitches for the game here in the third inning. hope they have the heaters on in the bullpen tonight. they have haven't done anything about the visiting bullpen where the nationals have to watch the game on tv when they are warping up. >> bob: they reconfigured it. >> rob: when you were warming up you can't see the field. >> bob: out to center. 2-1 washington. i'm just one guy, but when i fill out the census i'm helping to build a better school for pete and jen. i'm improving our roads for mr. grippo's carpool. i'm making healthcare better for - breathe risa, breathe! my census answers help our voices to be heard in washington, so we get our fair share of funding!! the census is 10 questions in 10 minutes. fill it out, mail it back and help make your town better. we can't move forward until you mail it back. 2010 census. >> rob: 3ing 30 pitches in the first inning is not a goodthi. wong is out there waiting in the wings. strauss burg who is going to make his first start. he has excellent stuff. strauss burg last we heard is going to go on sunday. >> bob: last time i checked, media credentials, a lot of people want to catch that live. they have done some ren ovations there. renovations there. >> bob: cora, wright and day. in the third inning. by the way biian curwillby in altuna to cover that. biian2 balls in, strike. we got a lot to tell you about. nasen sports.com, we may choose your question to have an on air question. >> bob: you cannot watch alex koro. >> rob: no, once again, playing with off speed stuff and it byrnes -- and it burns you. you can go to masn sport.com and cat with our writer who has a live chat going each night. we are very interactive and we love you to be involved in our tell cast and the website. divudwright walked his first time up. -- david wright walked his first time up. >> rob: we got here late last night. pulled in around 12:30 maybe. don't take your wife for a new york tripe. >> bob: at least she didn't make you buy a man purse. >> rob: when the secret service was checking her out, opening day with the president, they ripped her louie vuitton bag. >> bob: you could send the invoice to 1600 pennsylvania avenue. >> rob: no, they will fix it for free. i would hope so. >> rob: she doesn't cost me a lot of money. >> bob: david wright late with that one. >> rob: that looked like it got pudged. doesn't feel too good. this is football weather, reminds me of october on the east coast. see this hard pitch there, hard sinker. looked like it hit him in the mask and the leg. >> bob: that will stagger you. >> rob: that's why you love your catcher. >> bob: runner went and stopped. david freese pulled off a breaking ball and struck out. mock has his first k of the game. >> rob: great curve ball there. he does have a great breaking ball. pulls it with the wind and david wright doesn't look good on that swing. if you throw 93-mile per hour sinkers, you don't need the change up. >> bob: jason bay, singled hard off the glove of zimmerman first time up. nothing happening in florida yet. dodgers and marlins scoreless in the third. phillies are underway at houston. guess what? 2 men on with nobody out. >> rob: jason bay from canada. >> bob: jason bay signed a 4 year 66 million dollars contract with the mets. >> rob: sinker looks like it rose. >> bob: he went to the all-star game last year but 36 homers 1119 rbis. -- 119 rbis. >> bob: he's 31 years of age from british culumeyeah. 1-2 to jason. breaking ball and all he could do is walk away. >> rob: i flinched and i am up in the press box. >> bob: strikes out david wright ask & the 1-2 pitch. you saw him flitch. watch the front side open up. you can't pull the trigger on a good breaking ball like that. he knows, i am done, i am going back to the dugout. here is mike jacobs. >> rob: that's a good pitch, right on the edge. >> bob: we have seen fewer off speed pitches now. >> rob: you know, he has great stuff. i think it's going to take rodriguez to get it out of him. settle down. get a couple of big punch outs here and get back in the dugout. >> bob: i like it when a catcher stairs down his pitcher. >> rob: i like it -- nuvario in tampa, really woke up one of his young pitchers. they got in a fight in texas. and from that point on garsa had nothing but respect for his catchers. and that led to his best season. you have to respect the catcher but then you have to lessen to him. he's the best judge of your stuff more so than the pitching coach, more than anybody else. your catcher knows your stuff. >> bob: rodriguez knows by the feel of the ball, what's going on with yourstuff. >> rob: he knows what he's talking about. if you are not going to lis on to rodriguez, you won't listen to anybody. >> bob: change up on 3-0, now he has to face francoeur again. 2 walks in the inning. who is the first switch-hitter to win the national rbi title? at&t trivia tonight. is this a mets related question? carlos beltran? >> rob: hitter. hitter. beltran had 116 rbis here in 2006. 112 each of the two years after that. >> rob: eddie murray played here, he might be the one. bobby hill padilla played here. let's go with eddie murray. >> bob: okay. no where in my notes does it say beltran led the league. one of the guys in the dugout through the ball into the stand and a kid hit it and it went back into the dugout. >> rob: the girl last year who got the ball from her daddy and she launched it to the lower deck. she almost hit a orios scot. >> bob: he was on every tv show in america next few days. >> rob: you never want to go down and in to a righty or lefty and that's why. pulling the hand. we like it when our guys do it. like you said, he was a local hid from atlanta. lot of pressure put on him. park view high school retired his number 12. there is a broken bat. desmond charges. on to kennedy and the third inning is over. long night for the pitchers so far. 2-1 game and a long way to go. . >> bob: here is our game summary. 2 out 2 run desmond triple to drive in a 2 runs. -- drive in 2 runs. don't love watching our young stud shortstop diving in to third like that. >> rob: that back is not moving. this isn't right. david wright and s short and stocky and he may fall on you. these babies are hard and anchored in the ground and that's how niger busted his hand last year. pelfrey not having a picnic either. >> rob: he's up to 52. what did you say mock is averaging 23 pitches an inning? >> bob: yeah. >> rob: 12-14 is excellent. 10 is hall of fame. about what you want to average. >> bob: kennedy hooks one again. jacobs has it for the first out. now comes that dangerous combination of rodriguez and desmond. >> rob: i like it, you got a guy that is a life time 700 hitter and then you got a good power hitter shortstop. a knowledgeable baseball fan explaining the game to a mets fan it appears. >> bob: rodriguez is 5-10. that has a chance to fall and he's 6-11. they keep coming for rodriguez. >> rob: francoeur has a canon in right field. this guy can flat out pitch. boom. >> bob: desmond looking to drive the ball again. the great thing about what the nationals are doing with him to get him these at bats. he's not a guy that has to hit and whether it's second, eight, wherever he is put, all he has to do is show us what you can do. just get some experience. this is what we talked about, you want a good solid team together. you keep drafting talented young amples. >> bob: absolutely. >> rob: resignredunn, get him an expension. -- resign dunn, get him an extension. he's ahead. he will get the call, 2-2. >> rob: mock and pelfrey good pitchers. pelfrey is going to throw a sinker. away from desmond. >> bob: you see that ball close to the box. you don't have a problem with the umpire calling that a strike. >> rob: no. umpires are complaining saying the games are too long, the yankees and red soxes are taking too many pitches. red sox yankees disgrace. i don't hear one fan explain about the length of the game. aren't you supposed to take pitches? if you get a few of those calls, guys will swing more. >> bob: rodriguez running. great jump. you are trying to stay out of the double play here because the pitcher is on deck, and you don't want him leading offnixt inning. >> rob: 38 years old, doing a great job but desmond hitting behind him doing a good job too. >> bob: some guys close their eyes, they would think it's mid- march. 54 at game time. running around. pops it up and it is in the seats. it's blowing harder in from left field now. >> bob: that makes francoeur's home run more impressive. blazed it right through the wind. >> rob: look at that. one-on-one out top of the 4th. nationals lead the met 2-1. with the runner going. great at bat by desmond. 2 on, 1 out and now mock can bump the runners ahead. for pelfrey, his fourth walk. weave a question -- we have a question, are batters or pitchers effected more by wind? pitchers, definitely. i always felt it was an advantage. i loved the cold wind in san francisco. 10:00 at night, when i would come in, they didn't want a piece of me. the wind is blowing in, that's the best time to be a pitcher, it's hard to hit home runs, especially at this ballpark. >> bob: mock took a strike. now he's in trouble. if you don't get that first strike in play. now he's hoping he will strikeout. this reminds me of april evens at the old ballpark. jim was blown off the mound there one night when texas played toronto. >> rob: got to lay off that one. >> bob: ball 1. nationals trying to play some fundamental baseball today. possibly add to that lead here. mock will get it done if it stays fair and it doesn't. tough break. it made a left turn and the runners have to go back. >> rob: with first and second and the top of the order, you didn't want him to hit into a double play. you are hoping he can get it down. nice try. but now you have morgan coming up, top of thered order -- top of the order. >> rob: howard johnson could be your switch-hitting rbi guy. >> bob: didn't he have 130 rbis once? >> rob: could be. well, howard johnson. brilliant. you were rattling off the coaching staff so i forgot. he was a tough out. he had had one of the greatest lines of all time, in 85, when doc went 2-3, after the last game of the year he hollered, doc, if you hadn't lost those 3 games we would have won this thing. great character. played 3rd base, outfield, he could really hit. 1-1 to morgan. tailing fast ball just misses. niger hit the ball off and into the bear hand of pelfrey. >> rob: darling and keith hernandez, 24-24 was that record, by the way. never leftf the facts get in the way of a good story. >> bob: i knew i was close. that was howard johnson. that's the humor that is present in major league club houses. you just lost the pen and the the season is over, what are you going to do about it. >> rob: morgan ripped it, right side. with a very good play. >> bob: alex doing what his older brother did, nats leave a couple of runs. still leading. anncr vo: ...call emergency services... anncr vo: ...collect accident information. anncr vo: or just watch some fun videos. anncr vo: it's so easy, a caveman can do it. caveman: unbelievable... caveman: where's my coat? it was suede with the fringe. vo: download the glovebox app free at geico.com. we have highlights for you. mock had runners on every inning so far. these are the final outs he has been able to accomplish. keep it a 1 run ball game. second inning popped out. third inning, francoeur with a home run and gets him to ground out, 6-4. to end the threat in the third inning. geico highlights of mock. hopefully we get a 1, 2, 3 inning. >> bob: that would be sweet. pelfrey had a 1, 2, 3 inning at the top of the first and struggled since then. >> rob: bottom 3. led off by barajas. >> bob: breaking ball stays up and in. >> rob: mock came with matt chico in 2006. and now we have all of them. can't get them out of here. trade them and get them back. mike did a great job in rebuilding the arizona minor league organization, they were named the organization of the year several years ago thanks to his good scouting and signing. >> bob: ball well hit to left. the game is tied on barajass first home run of the year and 93ered of his career. -- ninety-third of his career. >> rob: barajass drops the bat. you see the uppercut swing and he crushes it into a driving wind. game is all tied up. 91 on the fast ball. tejada is next. >> bob: tejada, 0-4 for the mets. signed at 16. he is the youngest player to make the opening day roster since tim foal y at the age of 20 back in 1971. nearly 40 years ago. >> rob: how old was doc when he came up? >> bob: i don't know. >> rob: he could have been 20 years and 8 months and not been on that least. seems to me he was 20 years of age. >> bob: 2-1 to tejada. breaking ball in there. keyword in that is position player. i talked to davey johnson, he told me when he saw doc at 17, i am taking that kid everywhere i go. 2 years later when he was a manager, he said, i am taking him to the major leagues with him. you saw him throw nothing but strikes at 19 years old. >> bob: doc was 19 and won 17 games. >> rob: that kid was good. >> bob: amazing. another guy you can't walk. 4 walks by garrett mock. who is now in the mid-70s in his pitch count. he retired 9 batters tonight. >> rob: garrett is working harder than he has to. i don't understand the necessity to pitch around these guys that don't have power when you are in a ballpark, the lighter hitting guys, you got a 20-year-old kid and you are messing around with him. especially under these conditions. perfect pitching conditions for a power guy. >> rob: he knows this kid has good stuff. >> bob: santana is working on sunday. lannan goes tomorrow. he has done well against the mets. you would love to be on a 1ing streak by sunday. as a pitcher, you don't want to beat yourself. you want a game plan, but you don't want to get caught up in i threw 4 or 5 pitches, have confidence and -- thissen, you throw low 90 sinkers, wind is blowing in, rarely do you need a sinking ball or breaker tonight. you shouldn't be walking that 20-year-old. >> bob: tejada stole 45 bases in minor leagues. 1-1. first base umpire said he was swinging, which means bunting. even if the ball hits you, if you swing or make a bunt attempt, it's a strike. >> rob: if that would have hit him underhave been on his hands. he took that in the gut. off the foul tip. bunts it foul and strikes out. >> rob: good job right there with 2 strikes. very difficult to bunt. april nationals will be collecting tooth brushes for the victims in haiti. donate at the community desk. it will bring a smile to those who need it in haiti. top of the order. pagan. lined up to right, lined to second. many managers will turn him loose to get him in scoring position for a couple of light hitting guys. >> rob: there must be a vacuum in the outfield, all the wrappers are gathering in one place, which the wind is really swirling down here. way upstairs. rest of the field is relatively clean except behind desmond and kennedy. >> bob: we are going green here at citi field. >> rob: there you go. i know otour ballpark when there are things on the ground we have ground keepers that go between inning and pick it up. >> bob: mock. 2-0. 2-0 change up to pagan. 3-0. >> rob: i am 1ering why we are watching something that hasn't changed for four inning in a row. this message should have been sent and received after the bottom of the first. 83 pitches. >> bob: he is stubborn. we want to go with those third and fourth pitches against a lineup where he could be blown away. that's 5 walks. and one of them to daved right. one to mike jacobs and the rest to the lightest hitting batters in the lineup. >> rob: 3 and a3-1/3 inning. >> rob: bottom of the 4th inning, 2-2. john lannan tomorrow against oliver please and loben on sunday. after a day off tuesday, 2 more against the fills before the nats come home one week from tonight against the brewers. batista hit hard in his national's debut on opening day. 5 runs on 3 hits and 4 walks. he retired 5 batters. good news is, it's a 2-2 game, mets only have 4 hits so far. coria. >> rob: i think garrett would have learned from last year, outings like nonet. know your opponent, know your job. night like tonight, wind blowing in, not a heavy hitting ball club, and, you know, he just beat himself tonight. >> bob: you can't over think it out there. >> rob: trust your stuff. how many times do we say that, trust your stuff. >> bob: yep. i mentioned it earlier, the man mock beat out, olson, gave up 4 runs, pitched one out into the 7 inning as syracuse won today. >> bob: ground ball. the veteran and the kid team up for another one of those double plays. batista gets one here and the ball game is into the 5th inning, tied at 2. to smoke your ribs low and slow over pecan wood chips for a sweet, smoky flavor. then i triple-baste them till they're fall-off-the-bone tender. this is shiner bock barbecue sauce i'm using. come in now for baby back ribs. choose 1 of 10 freshly prepared entrées plus an appetizer for just $9.99. only at chili's. it's all in the pepperation. >> rob: melts out homers them last year and it's 2-0 in that department in a 2-2 game. belfry through 72 pitches. averaging 18 per inning through four. harris 0-1 with a walk. >> bob: like the swan that thought he was the ugly duckling. both have impressive stuff. this guy was the 9th pick in 2005, pelfrey, great stuff but he's beating himself out there too. he pitched so poorly in spring training he wept from number 2 starter to number 4 starter. >> rob: big strong young man. willie harris derogs one by the mount and here comes cora and they got him. cora with a good run. willie harris retired on a good idea. one of the best defensive players in the league, cora knows he can only bear hand this, great idea of bear handing it. he gets willy. great idea trying to set the table for the middle of the order. that guy can pick it. shortstop, second base, third. zimmerman on the 1st pitch pops it up. pagan comes in. 2 outs. brings up adam dunn who walked twice. pelfrey is heading for his quickest inning since the first. >> rob: reminds me of rigly when the wind is blowing in. great to pitch there when the wind was blowing in. >> bob: there is the pitch. a little outside. throw to first. >> rob: know your surroundings. astrodome in houston. i would throw it as hard as i could, let the hitters hit- foot, it's not going to go anywhere. -- let the hitters hit it, it's not going to go anywhere. >> bob: 84 pitchers, 44 strikes for mock tonight. pelfrey at 80. he might be good for 6 if he could get a quick out here and end the inning. he hasn't gave adam much of anything tonight. 3-1 here. to the left side. a long one for wright. he will get there. mets gone in order for the second time tonight. mr. wright with a very good play. 2-2 as we go bottom of 5. national's magazine is out, on sale at thaballpark at national's park. at the ballpark, at national's park. david wright gets to leadoff after making that outstanding play. batista came in and got the double play ball. wright, 0-1 and a strikeout. wright to zimmerman. and a very good way to start the 5th inning. >> rob: oh, yeah. gobbles it up. >> bob: on 5 pitches, batista has 3 outs. here is jason bay, singled off on the first. struck out in the third. miguel first pitch with pittsburgh back in 92. breaking ball for a strike. it's 9:00 and we are in the 5th inning, right here on masn. orioles having played earlier. nats and mets are tied at 2. >> rob: i thought you were going to say the pitchers have already thrown 300 pitches here at 9:00. jacobs is next. by the way, today night game, tomorrow day game. we will be with you at 1:00 tomorrow. here. first pitch at 1:10. same time on sunday. unusual. nats are about to play 3 connective day games. did he go? yes he did. rodriguez calls the ball. it hit bay. that's what the call is as he goes down to first base. for a minute the umpwas giving the sign but that means it hit him. >> rob: looks like that, then it looked like it caught his unifirm. see how far the bat goes. crosses the plate. strike. i don't think it hit him. he didn't walk. count wasn't that deem. kennedy will get that. francoeur, 1-2 with a homer. >> this is definitely one of the more chillier days today. so the guys are wearing jackets like this that have heat pads and in the dug out they have hot air under the seats. >> rob: a lot like the booth. a lot of hot air blowing around here. >> bob: francoeur leading off to erase half of the nats lead. than barajas homered to tie the game. >> rob: wouldn't be a bad thing to stretch batiste osout here. he's throwing the ball good so far. >> bob: he has a good understanding of how you pitch on a night like this. if you are doing what you should things will happen quickly in a game like this. pelfrey or mock were unable to do that. pelfrey is at 82 pitches in his 5 inning. mets trying to take the lead here. and it's in the air to right. willie harris. coming up in the 6th, willingham to lead things off can kennedy and rodriguez to follow in a 2-2 willingham is 0-2. strikeout, flyball to center. first pitch change up from pelfrey. not a lot on the box score for the mets. only one other hit, rodriguez bloop. oh, yeah. and that one gets by david wright and that gives an extra 90 feet to willingham. if wright knocks it down he's still at first base. appears to be wright's second error of the season. >> rob: they already put a hit on the score board. >> bob: went back on it and the ball took a funny hop. great top spin. double right there. >> rob: it's a terrible night out there, the wind is blowing all over the place. should have plenty more chances this year to make some errors. >> bob: josh willingham checks in with a double. and he's got his first extra base hit of the year. adam kennedy rocks one to left center. willing ham back to tag. pagan throws it well. good base running play by willingham to third base with one out. that's the power kennedy has. on another night that ball is 40 feet further. >> rob: pagan make as great throw. josh looked back to see how quickly he gathered that ball up and he got on his horse a little bit more. >> bob: rod reg says 2-2 together and has his first chance to collect his first rbi as a national. mets bought the infield in. >> rob: he got to play in arlishten a lot of years. toasting in the summer time. >> bob: i worked down there and we would look up at the score board, some nights it would be 199 and atonic down to 104. >> rob: in houston, we were thankful in the mild of the summer, you would sweat with the heat and humidity from the hotel to the cab, you would be soaked. soaken wet and then you get in the cab and you would freeze to death. and the astrodome was so cold, you needed long sleeves. >> bob: broken bat. wright throws a low bullet to jacobs for the second out. >> rob: that's too bad he got jammed there. and now he will take desmond like he did in the second. >> bob: they are talking about what they want to do about even pitching to the number 8 hitter. gauze man has come out. is he going to bat for the pitcher or desmond? guzman to the ondeck circle. he's for the pitcher. desmond still hanging around. jim said today, that guzman is scheduled to play second tomorrow and possibly right field on sunday. >> rob: he's swinging the bat really well right now and with a guy that's -- with a guy that good, he's going to put him in the lineup somewhere. >> bob: desmond 4 rbis right now. the club leader. led the nationals most of spring training. pelfrey about to throw his 9th pitch. about to throw his 90th pitch. holds on too long there. that one tails back in. 2-1 right here. watch the wind blow this back in there. it is howling. off speed pitch, 3-2. >> rob: go back to the question about effecting the pitchers or hitters. the wind is blowing stuff in your face, your eyes. that's the things you like as a pitcher. anything that can affect the pitcher to hope you. >> bob: desmond can't keep up on 3-2. pelfrey could be done for the night. 2-2 game. . >> bob: 2-4-0 mets and nats. and we have the home stretch going on. barajas homered leading off two inning ago. barajas first homer of the year. 3 rbis. >> rob: he hasn't tried to trick anybody yet with anything off speed. how many balls did mock throw with off speed pitches? >> bob: a lot. you are just beating yourself. helping your opponent. when you walk the light hitting hitters, you are helping the opponent. that was takahashi. mets have the more foreign born players in the major leagues with 18. 1-2 to barajas. 20 years old. we told you the braves and units rur tied up. >> bob: barajass homered again. where has this power come from, late in his career. the worst home run team in baseball last year has hit 3 tonight. >> rob: breaking ball that comes back in, wheel house of one barajass. you saw where rodriguez set up. way outside. wanted the breaking ball down, low outside and came up and in and barajass jumped all over it. >> bob: tejada goes up packing. and hairsis coming to get it. stays with it to make a very fine play. >> rob: watch where he sets up, way outside. i want it down, outside. watch where the pitch ends up before it t leaves the ballpark. up and in in the hitting zone. not where you want to do it. >> bob: he had the t rolling along well. matthews is going to hit for the pitcher down. matthews traded here by the angals with money for stokes on january 22nd. last couple of years it's been tough to get playing time in that crowded outfield of theirs. had. >> gary had great power numbers a few years ago. angels gave them a lucrattative contract which was difficult to move. he decided to take the money and pay it forward to the mets. mets are getting a good outfielder that is a gold glove player. cora is also a quality player on defense. in this ballpark you need that, especially late in the ball game. this pitching staff, you need good defense. >> bob: matthews is a great example of today's market place, if you have one big year, you can set yourself up for life. the big years got to come on that free agent leer. >> bob: well hit to right center, morgueson after it. he will get there in plenty of time, 2 outs. you got a fast young man out there, that is a deep part of the ballpark. top of the order, angel pagan. jesse english, it's been busy. pitcher due up first for the nationals in the 7th. this will be it for batista. he will have 2 and 2/thirds. 2-2/3s. there was one walk after 6 innings and they ended up with 9 the other night. they lost 2-3 in that series. they had 17 hits and i think they won 7-6. they won by one run. >> rob: that was a strange series. josh johnson didn't throw well in that series. >> bob: for the mets it's an 8 inning game, if you don't get them you are looking at rodriguez. 3-2, batista throws a strike and gets a pop up. good call by willingham. 3-2 mets after 6. >> bob: no team in baseball had fewer home runs than the mets last year. david wright had 10 so they go and hit 3 tonight. >> rob: a guy like barajass went over to a competitive american league east. really our pitchers tonight have run into a couple of problems in their line up and not attacked the little bats. bubatista has done a great job. >> bob: number 9 spot coming up. a lot of baseball yet to be played here. >> rob: they are going to have fun with talk hotchy. there you see it. a lot of guys that come out of japan have a hitch in the delivery. little pause right there. try to throw the hitter off. talk hotchy. one of the free agent signings by the mets. $3.5million for him. big strong mike morse. guys like takahashi, good speed stuff. throws a lot of strikes. they are dependable. good to see mike morse back in action. shaken up with that leg strain the other night. he is 1-4 with a couple of strikeouts. >> bob: pulled a string on that with a change up. >> rob: morse has to be an the defensive. >> rob: takahashi, 202 starts. pitching over there is different. once a week thing, right? >> bob: yeah, once every 6 days. they also play a shorter season over there. a lot of off speed in japan. i remember when gnomeo came ovwith the dodgers, lightening fast balls. right hander, necrevae. gnomeo would look up at the sky, hands over his head, look at the sky like fernando vallen zuwella and then come home. >> bob: 2 quick outs. right side of the infield, knocked the ball down, you still have a good shot to get the fastest of runners out. you got to keep it in front. jacobs did a good job right there and was able to tick it himself. -- able to take it himself. >> bob: willie harris trying to keep the inning alive for ryan zimmerman. >> rob: probably 15,000 or so here tonight. mets usually announce tickets sold. tonight's crowd will be probably 40 or so. they were 41-40 at home last year. quinonely 70 games last year. i am not that eager to see reyes back tomorrow. he has been a torn for the mets the last couple of years. leads the league in triples. stolen base guy and a spark plug for them and they have 5-6 weeks to go to get beltran back. reyes always chatting, alive in the dugout. >> bob: jerry manuel, hard time keeping his players healthy. who can we throw out there this week? >> rob: yeah. >> bob: reyes, beltran. >> rob: and you have the phillies throwing out the same 8 guys. >> bob: picks that and the nationals go quickly. they have had one hit since the 4th inning. day. >> rob: batista did a good job coming in. breaking ball to barajass, other than that he through the ball well. >> bob: great breaking ball by bergmann, new jersey kid, it's 0-2. tried another hook. >> rob: always has fantastic stuff. 0-2, light hitting guy, bury that pitch in the dirt. >> bob: fast ball away that he guides out to the shortstop. desmond takes care of it for the first out. so far so good for desmond at short. he's got caught in between a couple of hops, made two errors. his throwing has been flawless. here is david wright. 0-2 with a walk. utly hit his first homer of the years. phillies lead. astros came home for opening night, 0-3. breaking ball up and in. >> rob: talent down there in houston. >> bob: here's another ball hammered. off the big wall out there. wright was in his home run trot and just now arrived at second base. >> rob: he cannot believe it didn't go out. >> bob: 3-1 pitch here for bergmann. >> rob: he starts trotting. bergmann never turned around to watch the ball, he thought it was gone. jerry is coming out. come on, nobody interfere would that ball. >> bob: there is the mark. in a way this is reminiscent of comare cupark in detroit. where they moved the left field wall in 20 feet. they built that 7 years ago, they wanted a big ballpark and then nobody could hit home runs. watching it. watching it. yeah, i got it. >> rob: want to make sure it goes over the wall before you go in to the trot. still looking out there, thinking. he only hit 10 home runs last year. bergmann falls behind another hitter. 3-1. big mike jacobs next. the mets only have 6 hit but 3 left the yard. the nationals are very much in this game. he slips one by jason bay. 2 outs. bergmann coming back right here a,. it was 88 according to the gun. >> bob: jason bay. nats want english to face jacobs. wheels turning here in the 7th. [ man ] ladies and gentlemen, the 57th president of the united states. ♪ ♪ ♪ [ bell rings ] ♪ [ male announcer ] at&t. the nation's fastest 3g network. four hours before you order them? it's all in the pepperation. for me, pepperation is about getting in early to smoke your ribs low and slow over pecan wood chips for a sweet, smoky flavor. then i triple-baste them till they're fall-off-the-bone tender. this is shiner bock barbecue sauce i'm using. come in now for baby back ribs. choose 1 of 10 freshly prepared entrées plus an appetizer for just $9.99. only at chili's. it's all in the pepperation. >> rob: mets on top 3-2 in the bottom of the 7th. english first major league appearance was scoreless. ask the second one on wednesday against thefullies he gave up a run on a hit. he's going to pitch in 3 of his first 4 games. >> rob: nationals led the major league in untendance. like a 5.6% jump in attendance. nationals have the highest jump. steven strauss burg might have had something to do with that. base hit by the pinch hitter, tutose. the mets lead 4-2. jesse english gets it up in the zone. jim couldn't make the play. wright comes in to score. that's going to be it. the nats making a move trying to keep this ball game close, the mets lead by 2. geico's beey on car insurance for over 70 years. and who doesn't want value for their dollar? been true since the day i made my first dollar. where is that dollar? i got it out to show you... uhh... was it rather old and wrinkly? yeah, you saw it? umm fancy a crisp? geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. >> pitching move, walker trying to keep this close. he made his major league debut in 2002. playing in the minors, he said it's always special to come and pitch here in new york. >> bob: let's see if he can keep this a 2 run game. big fellow, 260 plus. born in san francisco. he was in 32 games for the phillies after playing for the giants before that. they are going up, first pitch swinging and jeff francoeur homered again. >> rob: the mets are pounding the long ball tonight. 30 pitch to give up a home run. tiler trying to get that breaking ball down and away. keeps it up in the zone and francoeur -- >> rob: you know you can go through a whole game and get francoeur out three or four times without throwing a strike. he's driven in three runs. 6-2 new york. >> bob: francoeur shortened up the swing and i think that has a lot to to do with his hitting coach. he's got the power. and make a few adjustments. somebody is going to say, why didn't he listen to us when he tried to get him to do the same thing. >> bob: there you go. fewest home runs since the start of last season. >> rob: the mets last year hit 95 home runs the entire season. last in major league baseball. adam dunn pop up. the mets put a 3 spot on the board. zimmerman, dunn, willingham. lots of discounts on car insurance. can i get in on that? are you a safe driver? yes. discount! do you own a home? yes. discount! are you going to buy online? yes! discount! isn't getting discounts great? yes! there's no discount for agreeing with me. yeah, i got carried away. happens to me all the time. helping you save money -- now, that's progressive. call or click today. it's 6-2 mets. pounding the long ball. we will be with you tomorrow, first pitch at 1:10. it's oliver please for the mets tomorrow. we will get you going at 12:30 sunday. far nan dough takes over here. for new york. good news is, john won't have to look at the phillies tomorrow. 0-7 against them. one of those complete games, a shut out. top of the 8th inning. only one hit tonight, willingham double a couple of inning ago. nats didn't chase him home with one out in the 6th. it's been all mets since there. ryan is 0-3. 4-15 so far. drops one to the outside corner. 82 on the change up. marlins are trailing at home, 4- 1 on their opening night. phillies lead 5-0 at houston. atlanta beaten earlier at san francisco, 13 inning. mets leading here 6-2, top of the 8th. >> bob: 2 hops to the short stop tejada. adam done two walks, pop out. >> rob: he benefit got a nice fast ball there. slow delivery. -- he's got a nice fast ball there. throwing all his pitches for strikes here. >> bob: both of his pitches were strike. not many throw more than two. nice point by you. i had a pitching coach tell me, perfect two pitches and you will do go. if you get three pitches down you will be a big league starter. >> bob: if you can throw them for strikes you will be on the fast track to the major leagues. no swing says hudson. >> rob: thanksthanks. >> bob: that was close. >> bob: he got a call there. take it. 2-2 pitch. >> rob: i know you are a big time golfer, that's a mulligan. he gave us a mulligan. what did you say, 15 people here? what's the paid attendance? >> bob: tight thousand 55. they must be counting tickets this year. national's stats have gone cold. josh walks in now. the only washington hit since the rodriguez hit. they only have two hits since the second. >> rob: there is a running fast ball. way outside. barajas has to reach out and catch it. willingham 1-3 with that double. nationals down to their final four outs. needing base runners right now. >> rob: rob mentioned the wind swirling around, josh looked like he had something blow in to his eye. you made a great point, you got santana on sunday. lannan tomorrow. unbeatable pitcher. tonight would have been a good night to steel a win and tomorrow because because certain that santana is going to throw one of his type of game. willingham is aboard with a walk. >> rob: puts a lot of pressure on lannan. the bullpen is getting into the games early. you don't want to go to your bullpen in the 6th inning. they have moving cora into a more of a pull position. good time for kennedy to hook one down the right field line. i would love to see if willingham can score from first. nats need a couple more hits after that. >> bob: up the middle. two hops. tejada making the play at short. why does chili's start smoking your baby back ribs four hours before you order them? it's all in the pepperation. for me, pepperation is about getting in early to smoke your ribs low and slow over pecan wood chips for a sweet, smoky flavor. then i triple-baste them till they're fall-off-the-bone tender. this is shiner bock barbecue sauce i'm using. come in now for baby back ribs. choose 1 of 10 freshly prepared entrées plus an appetizer for just $9.99. only at chili's. it's all in the pepperation. >> bob: bottom of the 8th. cold and windy. tyler walker gave up a homer and he faces tejada, leading off the bottom of the 8th. tejada has his first major league hit. they are doing a lot of first pitch swinging here with the lead going for the kill. >> rob: you would think a power guy wouldn't mess around with a lot of these hitters and the more comfortable they become, now they are just standing up there and wacking at you. you have to keep pitching inside, keep your game plan even though it's blow out, 6-2. >> bob: another first pitch swing and he flies out. >> rob: you want to set the tone for the next day. you want to move some in, some out. top of the order, pagan now. >> rob: you would hope on a night with wright has a double and bay has a single, you would be able to control the rest of the lineup. the big guns haven't done much but francoeur has done plenty. then barajas, the number 7 hitter, two home runs as well. >> bob: all those long and drawn out pitched innings by our pitchers, our guys are standing out there in the cold for a long time. drag you down a little bit. i liked the way batista was attacking the strike zone, though. hopefully garrett will watch the game back and say i could have improved here. >> bob: change up into right and pagan has his first base hit. >> bob: know your lineup. >> rob: walker has given up hits to three of the 5 batters. and right now they want him to get some outs and save the bullpen for the weekend. cora 0-3 with a walk. you like capps to pitch when you have the lead. >> bob: right. >> rob: those three, the pitchers who haven't aperiod in this one. >> bob: you nailed it earlier, wong expected back in may, strauss burg in july, other guys competing for jobs, i don't think there is going to be a lot of places for guys just going through the motions like the last couple of years. >> rob: nationals have not had a starter go more than 5. 3? hopefully john changes that tomorrow. >> bob: 2 on, 1 out. cora places one for a base hit. tejada around 3rd. throw offline and the mets lead 7-2. location, location recollection location. a lot of these pitches haven't come close to hitting the target. too much of the hitting zone and very comfortable hitters right now ask and they are standing up there taking batting practice. pagan made it to 3rd. wright, 1-2, double and a walk. >> rob: one thing salmon did well yesterday was get ahead of hitters. >> bob: adding up the 17 walks. 17 walks, 9 in the second game, led to four runs. sittal math. try to work ahead. put pressure on the hitter. when he becomes defensive he doesn't swing. fall behind and they get comfortable. >> bob: 3 singles in the inning. pagan at third. cora got the rbi hit. david wright to deep short. desmond, no play. it will be an rbi. but we will see if they score a hit or error. if it's an error it will be desmond's 3rd of the year already. >> rob: there is going be growing pains with desmond. you are standing out there a long time waiting to make some plays. >> instructor: they have given a hit. >> rob: get back on your heels when your pitchers are struggling. hard to play defense when you are not in a groove, guys not throwing a lot of strikes and you are standing around and then a ball gets hit to you. that's just the deal today. there is going to be growing pains. you can have better days than bad days. that's what you are looking for. >> bob: 2 on, one out. 4 hits in the inning. nationals now out hit 12-4. the mets have 8 of those hits in the last three innings. >> rob: the first four games you have played, two first innings, one was 28 pitches with marquis start, and tonight 29 pitches with mock. that has to stop. >> bob: bay waving that bat, he is gone. here is tatis. he looks like he is throwing down there. >> bob: 0-2 on a breaking ball to tatis. mets, a veteran and in some cases aging ball club. barajas 34. beltran 33. bronco 38. castillo 34. cora 34. matthews 35. tates 34. reyes and right beyond their mid' 20s. the mets pick up 2 more and into the 9th inning it's a big new york lead. exec: well, it'. he's a cute little lizard. gecko: ah, gecko, actually - exec: with all due respect, if i was tiny and green and had a british accent i'd have more folks paying attention to me too... i mean - (faux english accent) "save money! pip pip cheerio!" exec 2: british? 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'cause actually, i'm from - anncr: geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. >> rob: top of the 9th, 8-2 mets. coming up, johnny is in the studio tonight. another offensive spark. oliver tomorrow. >> rob: i can't wait to hear what ray has to say. he will say the same thing i will tell you, there are some teams you say, i can't wait to face this lineup where the yankees are going, i am not looking to facing that lineup. you also have offensive teams saying i can't wait to face those pitchers. you don't want the nationals to get the reputation that, you know what, i can't wait to get my self ripe. you want people to hate facing this pitching staff. not be comfortable. ray will say there were lineups when he was playing, he couldn't wait. they would send a limo for players because they couldn't wait for the guy to get to the ballpark. >> bob: desmond and then a pinch hitter and muheyeah. rookie in his 4th year. >> rob: it looked like that was a slider at 93-miles an hour. he won't be 21 till the 11th of october. >> bob: shortstop. tejada, backhand. here is our washington ford dealer's drive of the game. desmond early in the game, jason misses it. he runs, will score. triple and desmond. 16 of his first 26 hits in the major league, extra bases. >> rob: that's awesome. >> bob: 20-year-old on the hill and at shortstop. i don't know if tejada will stay when reyes comes back tomorrow. he needs reps every day. >> bob: desmond rips that ball to wright. 2 outs. tuvarezwill be the pinch hitter for the nats. >> rob: come on, put one in the gap. mets about to even their record at 2-2. nats will fall to 1-3. >> rob: way too many runs were given up from those laws. >> bob: it will go up a couple points tonight. >> bob: in 3 hours and 6 minutes the mets fall behind 2- 0 and beat the nationals 8-2. out hitting washington. we have more coming up. game 1 to new york. . high everybody time for nats xtra. johnny along with ray knight. in the 6th inning it was pretty tight. >> we just don't know enough strikes. in that situation, barajas got a fast ball. it's been one of those years where we are not throwing a lot of stricks. very tough outing for our starter. he through 53% strikes. 44 strikes, 40 balls, that's not going to get it down. >> our defining moment, the ball game was tied 2-2 in the 6. >> another slider for a ball. fouls off. fast ball in, comes back with a cutter. off speed. 87. he was late on the fast ball. to come in tighter, he went away with a slider and a hanger for the home run. he did a good job of relief and was able to turn a double play. >> the mets had 12 hits in this win over the nationals. weight-12-0 for the mets. batista takes the lost. served up a home run ball. rodriguez had a good night. desmond 1-3, couple of rbis. francoeur hit 2 out. barajas gets 2 in this ball game. first two of the season. and the mets take the win by a score of 8-2. the first of three against the nationals at citi field. mock tonight started off good and then he had his problems too. >> i don't think he started off good. he didn't give up runs in the first innings. you are going to see a fast ball, middle of the plate. was carry -- this ballpark only gave up 50 last year. then breaking ball there. nice curve ball to bay. didn't throw it enough for me today. only through 40% of fast balls for strikes. 1-2, throws it down the middle. different, that's what you call backwards pitching. then there is a walk on a 3-2 pitch to tejada. another base-on-balls to pagan. he says my fault, he knows it. i like this kid but you are not going to get away with throwing that many balls. 8 times three ball count. he gives up 4 hits. 2 earned runs, struck out three and served up 2 home runs. let's go back to citi field. chance to visit with skipper. bob? jim has been great about this, giving us access to his club. immediately after the game, how tough is it when there is no flow to the game because your guys are tanding around a lot. the nationals spent a lot of time in the field the first 4 innings. >> they just beat us, pitched better than we did. ian gave osshot. key bought to capalize but we left pelfrey settle in. >> i am sure you were thinking the mets don't have a lot of hammers in the lineup. you know, lot of nit-picking and trying to hit the corners. >> you know, we just didn't make pitches. if you leave balls over the plate in a park like this, if the ball is going out, that means guys are just extending their arms, pitchers are not making their pitches, but we are going to get better, what else can you do but keep work ton. we got to do more than we did. >> the bats kind of sputtered. quick turn around tomorrow. does rodriguez get the start. >> we are going to go with pudge again tomorrow. i talked to pudge about his schedule and he is fired up. >> you talked about guzman playing second base tomorrow, possibly right field sunday. >> chris will be there tomorrow at second base. i like the way he plays. kennedy has been getting in terrible luck but we got to keep hip sharp. >> that's the skipper and rob, i don't think there is any mystery to what we saw. you have a young pitcher trying to establish himself. and as i mentioned, these young guys need to pitch with urgency, these jobs may not be available a couple of months from now. >> they went out and hired 15 new scots and mike is now the full time gm, a lot of these guys are living on bowered time. you got to make a reputation for yourself. for some of these guys going through the motions, that's not major league pitching. other goes are going to get shots so, you know, we have seen this before last year, you saw it before, this isn't a 100 loss team, they brought in talented guys. >> we have seen enough change ups tonight. >> thank you, bob. as the nationals fall to the mets 8-2. it will be guzman at second base. and also interesting, there is going to be a short hook for this bullpen. you produce you will produce more with syracuse. >> we went out to dinner and he said -- bob carpenter. the crew went out to dinner and his emphasis was absolute, one thing the pitchers have to do is throw strikes. in all of his career he has not seen a pitching staff that just doesn't come at hitters. we saw that the year before and we are seeing it now, except for mar key, he was off last night in that one inning, and throws a lot of strikes. i don't think there is going be patient this year as far as pitching is concerned. there is too many arms. and you better throw strikes. you can give up a home run on the first pitch as opposed to the 7th pitch. >> desmond committed an error early and drove in the only two runs in the game. welcome back, nats xtra post game show. the mets are 2-2. nationals 1- 3. harris makes a terrific play, diving grab in right field off a low liner from tejada. 8-12-0 for the mets. they lose it by 6. tough strike for this -- tough start for this trip to new york. >> we had an opportunity, desmond swung the bat very well. we will look in the second inning. kennedy lines hard to right. rodriguez single through right and that brings up desmond. 1-1. rips the ball to left field. shows you what kind of pop he has. everybody needs to be patient about his defense. that's going to come. you can improve your game by working hard. >> you see the numbers for the nats, niger 0-24. simmerman, dunn 0-2. 4 hits. they lose it 8-2. it's another rough outing for the nationals bullpen tonight. >> batista gets a ground ball, double play ball, he comes in with pressure. nice sinker. they do that very well. then he ends up throwing a fast ball. 1-2, royalty right down the middle of the plate. you got him ahead of the pitch and throws a fast ball down the middle. he lost -- he still has his snap crackle but still has his pop. francoeur goes down, gets the breaking ball, rakes it out of here. he is a first pitch hitter. walker, not fairing so well tonight. >> there you see the numbers tonight. combined total of 8 works from the national's pitcher. when you were managing how did you get across to guys, you got to throw strikes otherwise you are going to fall behind. if you don't throw strikes early in the count. >> this is what i said, but it's simple. men, you got to throw strikes or you are going to be pitching in aaa. you have to use defense, give them a chance. and don't -- you got to make it happen, throw strikes and get the ball and pitch quickly. garrett works quickly but he had no command of his fast ball tonight. throw his breaking ball for more strikes than his fast ball. >> we are going to have the answer to our pre-game pole. we will have that answer for you and desmond will talk to the media. 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[ woman ] half the calories, all the g. about all the discounts boswe're offering. i've got. i some catchphrases that'llideas make these savings even more memorable. gecko: all right... athat's the stuff which of the national relievers impressed you the most. the answer tyler clipper, 34%. next capps. 21%. >> you know, if you know the game and the majority of people do, it's a matter of producing in situations where you keep the teams close and clipper has done that. walker, 6 people out, 3 strike outs tonight. clipper is going to be a guy that is going to impress you. and he throws strikes. >> does-mind tonight, the two rbis for the nationals, admitting they come to new york with momentum and then they jump to a 2-0 lead. >> anytime you can strike first, it's a good start. early on we were thinking, this is it, we are going to put it together. you know, tomorrow is going to have to be that day. >> how tough was it playing with the wind and cold weather. what was that like? >> it didn't effect me. my third at bat, i kept stepping out, the wind was blowing, behind home plate it swirls around. beside that it didn't effect us that much. >> as far as just put this behind you, is that the key. >> yeah. it's early. i don't think anybody here is panicked. we are -- you know pitch here, hit there, away from winning these games. we got to put the knife in these guys. >> how discouraging is it to see the starters not going 4 or 5 innings. >> not at all. we know what they can do. we know they will put it together. we got to carry the load because there will be times when we are not hitting and they have to carry us. as offense we got to do better. i took pitches that i should have hit. you know? i mean, we got to move on sph& put it together as a team. >> .273 for desmond. he was in the minor leagues, how about scott olson starting for syracuse. >> it won't be long before he's up here. big thing he didn't get his velocity up in spring training. he knows how to pitch. he was a highly coveted left handed pitcher. he came here hurt last year and was hurt later but i remember the game when he went 98 pitches in a game that he was out of and couple weeks later he said he had a problem with his arm. he's the type of man he -- they are going to respect. >> it's a matter of time before he's taking somebody's job. >> he was battling for that last rotation spot. i am sure jim had words of comfort for him. tough situation. >> but you are going to say, you got a big future, you go get strong and we will see you before you know it. olsen is a type of guy that's going to accept that challenge and make sure he's here for good. >> let's take you to houston. filly up 1-0. double here. howard score, 3-0 philadelphia. marlins and dodgers. dodgers take a 2-1 lead. and the other ball game, atlanta and san francisco, infield single, and the giants with a 5-4 final in 13 innings. wins tonight for the giants and big win for the mets today. an opportunity for lannan to get on track after losing on opening day. against perez. not a goodnight for the nationals. 4 of their 12 hits went out of the park in citi field in new york. >> that's because we get behind them. >> let's home lannan tomorrow will get the ball over the plate. >> he doesn't walk very many people. 42 out of 71 assignms that he has gone at least 6. he is 12 among -- one of 7 to post back to back 30 starts. he won 9 games the last 2 years. i expect him to win 14 games. he was the number one pitcher in 2008. perez. had a lot of problems last year, had surgery to have scar tissue removed. leads the league in oppositional batting average for left handers. .177 is what opponents hit against him. >> also very good last year, won 4 ball games, lost 10 on the road. good against pagan. david wright is 7-27. >> his whole approach is by throwing balls that appear to be strikes. he has to be in the strike zone. he has a great change up that is so deceptive. he has to throw the ball in the strike zone and have it move out and then you get check swings and balls out of the strike zone. he has a good slider, he throws that pitch 0-0 and comes back and throws it 3-2. he is our most polished pitcher. mar key is as good at throwing strikes. lannan has been the horse of this club and pitched very well in new york. >> you know what i liked about him after the game on monday, no skees. i didn't pitch the way i know i can. i can do better. i will do better. >> he is the one pitcher that everyone would like to have. he's a great 3 or 4 starter. >> great to work with you again. let's do it again tomorrow. we hope you will be here with us tomorrow. thanks for joining us. new york wins game number 18-2. why does chili's start smoking your baby back ribs four hours before you order them? it's all in the pepperation. for me, pepperation is about getting in early to smoke your ribs low and slow over pecan wood chips for a sweet, smoky flavor. then i triple-baste them till they're fall-off-the-bone tender. this is shiner bock barbecue sauce i'm using. come in now for baby back ribs. choose 1 of 10 freshly prepared entrées plus an appetizer for just $9.99. only at chili's. it's all in the pepperation. would you like to spend a little more time on the things worth spending more time on? perhaps take your family on a little recess of its own? are you ready to see how the 9 to 5 on monday is no match for the 9 to 5 on saturday? then you belong at bass pro shops for great deals on great gear. like new redhead clayton shorts for only $14.94. and the bass pro enticer spinning combo is only $49.99. bass pro shops. your adventure starts here. >> time now for the bass pro shops highlight reel. lee westwood. second shot on the par 5, 2nd. westwood, tied for the lead with another englishman, ian poulter. halfway through the tournament. westwood though, that led to an eagle. he's 8 under par. number two, flyers-rangers, brian boucher, bad play. great play. his team lost 4-3 to the rangers. they're tied in the final playoff spot the east. boucher, what a play. that called covering your bum, i believe. giants and braves. aaron rowen, walkoff single, they are 4-0. >> the highlight reel is brought to you by bass pro shops. your adventure starts here. >> nationals and mets, research. zach says yes. oh, mama. jeff francoeur, he hit two. so did rod barajas. two multi home run performances from the mets in one game. guess how many multi home run games they had all last season at home? one, one. there you go. there is some knowledge for you. mets beat the nationals 8-2. hockey, flyers-rangers. rangers, a must win. they're two points for the final spot the east. seimone gagne. one pass. nice pass from daniel briere. flyers down 3-2. later in the period, chris pronger, mike richards, we've got a breakaway. looks like henrik lundquist has it, except he doesn't. 3-3. just over 3 to go in the second. 3-3, marian gaborik the steal, the shot, brian boucher, no. rangers win. these teams are tied for the final playoff spot the east. and they play one another in the season finale in philadelphia on sunday. nice job scheduling department. >> meanwhile former notre dame quarterback jimmy clausen spent part of his friday trying to convince nfl teams he's a worthy first round pick. held his pro day in south bend. he threw for 30 minutes. didn't run though. his right foot continuing to heel from surgery to repair torn ten dons. here's our own todd mcshay. >> jimmy clausen was able to work out for nfl scouts here in south bend. i thought he did a very good job considering he's only 80 to 85% healthy. you can see in some of his throws, his drops and movements that he's not able to get full range of motion with that foot. but he has a follow-up to the combine physical coming up in indianapolis, and that is where we'll find out if he's headed in the right direction physically. if that is the case, which i expect it to be, i think his stock will not be affect bid the toe. then it comes down to the physical on the field and the mental and intangibles that we've talked about. right now i think his stock is unchanged. jimmy clausen in my opinion is a first round prospect. but there are teams that have such a desperate need at quarterback, including the bills at 9, and possibly even seattle and san francisco, those two teams at 13, 14, and 17 overall that there is still a strong chance that clausen comes off the board in the first half of the first round. >> don't forget, the nfl draft goes primetime for round number one. you can see it on espn thursday april 22nd. 13 days from today. 7:30 eastern. and you will get full, extensive, extended, expanded draft coverage here on espnews. starting that night. >> something to watch for. saturday, 3:55 eastern, real madrid, barcelona, you can see it on espn 3.com this match could determine the champion. they're tied with 8 games to go. tommy smith, your thoughts? >> the most skillful darby game of football between barcelona and real madrid. watch for messy. the little magician looks like he has the ball tied to his feet when he gets it. he scored 37 goals in 37 starts this year. when real madrid have the ball, watch for ronaldo. he can change the game with a set piece. and he can also score. that might be the difference, 2-1 to real madrid is the way i'm looking at this beautiful game. >> all right, still ahead on espnews lakers clenching the top record in the west. see how they did it. and full second round coverage from the masters. not one, but two. not one, but two. you get the introducing new pennzoil ultra. a revolutionary synthetic oil that takes clean where it's never been before. nothing keeps your engine closer to factory clean. >> any reason in particular you don't work on harleys? >> yeah, people ask me sometimes why i don't work on harleys. what i generally say is i work on motorcycles, not lifestyles. i'm just not qualified to help them with their lifestyle issues. it's beyond my incompetence. >> what is soulcraft? >> i think -- well, actually the title of the book was a play on a title of a book by george will. it came out 20 years ago. his was statecraft as soulcraft. and i thought it was kind of funny to replace statecraft with shop class.s6 it would mean something like education. the forming of souls. >> what does that mean? >> well, we often think of education in fairly narrow terms as acquiring maybe a narrow set of technical skills. but i think most people would agree education entails education of the affections, disconnected -- actually can be connected to be acquiring of technical skills and that's something i explore in the book. how becoming

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