Takahashi pitches 1-2-3 ninth as Mets win, 3-1
HOUSTON - Life after K-Rod began for the Mets last night as Hisanori Takahashi pitched a perfect ninth inning for his first major-league save in a 3-1 win over the Astros at Minute Maid Park.
"Before the game, we had a little meeting with Warthen, and he told me that somebody will take responsibility for the ninth," Takahashi said through his interpreter. "So in this game, it was me. Maybe tomorrow, maybe not."
No maybes about it. After the game, manager Jerry Manuel said Takahashi, 35, a former Japanese League starter with an 89-mph fastball and 73-mph changeup, would replace Francisco Rodriguez as the team's closer.
"I cannot pitch like high-90s," Takahashi said. "But I can still pitch like high-80s."
Takahashi, who punctuated his save with a fist pump after the final out and received the ball as a souvenir, entered the game after the Mets snapped a 1-1 tie with a two-run top of the ninth. David Wright scored on a wild pitch by Astros closer Matt Lindstrom (2-4) for the tiebreaking run. Jeff Francoeur followed with an RBI triple.
Rodriguez will miss the rest of the season after an MRI Monday showed a torn ligament in his right thumb. The injury occurred during the incident Wednesday in which Rodriguez was arrested after allegedly assaulting his fiancee's father at Citi Field.
Pedro Feliciano (3-6), who got Jason Castro to fly to deep center with the bases loaded to end the eighth, was the winning pitcher.
Carlos Beltran, who homered in the fourth inning for the Mets' first run, ran down Castro's drive in left-center, possibly saving three runs.
"It was a good day for me," said Beltran, who went 2-for-3 and is batting .232. Wright had three hits as the Mets' 3-4-5 hitters (including Francoeur) had six hits in 10 at-bats.
The Astros tied it in the sixth against Jonathon Niese when Jason Michaels singled and scored on a double by Chris Johnson. Niese went seven innings and allowed seven hits and no walks and struck out five.
