No need for closer as Mets' Santana shuts out Rockies

Johan Santana rendered closer Francisco Rodriguez obsolete. But only for a day.

The Mets ace pitched a shutout against Colorado Thursday afternoon - a day after the team's $37-million closer was arrested and charged with third-degree assault for allegedly punching his fiancee's father in Citi Field's family lounge.

While Rodriguez was awaiting his arraignment in Queens Criminal Court, Santana was leading the Mets to victory. He scattered four hits, struck out 10 and walked two as they beat the Rockies, 4-0, in the rubber game, marking the first series win for the Mets (57-57) since July 27-29 against St. Louis.

"Right before the game I told Jerry [Manuel] I was ready for 10 innings," said Santana, who improved to 5-1 with a 1.88 ERA over his last nine starts.

Santana threw 115 pitches (79 for strikes) and improved to 10-6. He also extended his scoreless streak to 161/3 innings, the second-longest active streak in the NL. "Oh my God, his changeup was unbelievable today as well as his fastball," Angel Pagan said. "He makes our job a lot easier in the outfield. It's fun to watch him pitch."

Santana credited rookie catcher Josh Thole's ability to mix up pitches - "I think that was the difference in the game" - and the Mets' aggressiveness at the plate.

With the Mets up 2-0 in the seventh, second baseman Ruben Tejada walked with one out, then Santana followed with a base hit up the middle on a hit-and-run play. The gamble paid off, as Tejada advanced to third and scored on a single by Jose Reyes. Santana scored the final run of the game on Fernando Martinez's sacrifice fly.

The Mets, who put up two first-inning runs against Rockies starter Jason Hammel, said they felt no added pressure to win in light of the Rodriguez incident.

"Once you walk through this clubhouse, you should be able to forget about what's going on and put that aside and really focus on the task at hand," said David Wright, who was given a day off. "And that's one of the reasons why coming here is like a sanctuary."

And Rodriguez, who was placed on the restricted list for two days without pay, has the full support of his teammates.

"He's part of what we are and definitely want to get him back as soon as possible," Santana said. "I'm here to play baseball; to pitch and go out on the field and perform. I'm not here to talk about what's going on off the field or out of this clubhouse. I think it's a personal matter and I was focused on the game."

Coincidentally, it was Santana, who, despite his own legal issues, was a calming force for the Mets, who trail Atlanta by nine games in the NL East.

A civil suit was filed Tuesday against the pitcher, claiming he sexually assaulted a Florida woman on a golf course. According to TMZ, Santana's attorneys offered a seven-figure settlement package to the accuser, but it was rejected.

Santana would not address the report, saying, "Well, I'm done with that. I'm not commenting on that," before abruptly walking away.