Mets dominate early ESPN schedule
Cardinals starter Kyle Lohse and Mets outfielder Jeff Francoeur collide at home. Credit: David Pokress
Orel Hershiser's regular-season debut alongside Jon Miller and Joe Morgan Sunday night won't be seen in the two cities that care most about the game: New York and Boston.
That is because the ESPN2 telecast is not a national exclusive the way most Sunday night games are, so YES and NESN will carry it with their local TV crews.
The good news for ESPN is that because the game is not an exclusive it will not count against its yearly limit of five games per team - including the ratings-friendly Yankees and Red Sox.
Yankees-Red Sox May 9 is set for ESPN and there will be much more of both teams when the schedule evolves beyond the two months released so far.
The Yankees-Mets game May 23 also is on the slate, as are Mets games against the Cardinals April 18, Braves April 25 and Phillies May 2.
That will leave ESPN with only one Sunday night Mets game over the season's final four months, but as many as three involving the Yankees and four for the Red Sox.
