Am I Missing Something?

There was way too much talk from Bobby Ojeda on the post game, as well as the Met players and coaches, about how good Santana looked yesterday; about how refreshing it was to see such a strong rebound after the meltdown in Philadelphia. And while Santana did pitch seven and two thirds- an achievement that has become an accomplishment in itself- four runs and eight hits over those innings is not something I can get so excited about. Certainly not from Santana.

What is even more troubling to me is that, once again, Santana was given multiple run leads that he could not hold. And this is against the Giants at Citi- not exactly the same thing as facing the Phils in their whiffle ball field of a stadium. And what made the situation most disturbing is how happy Santana seemed to be with his performance, crediting his new delivery as a way to avoid tipping his pitches.

Is this what our expectations have become of Johan? And, more importantly, is this what Johan's expectations have become of himself? There was a time where a 1-0 lead seemed insurmountable against Santana. And it would not make any difference if opposing batters knew what was coming every time up; in fact, he had that "you know what's coming, try and hit it" aura about him. But that was the past. Today, we hear accolades over performances that would be considered "solid outings" for a number two starter against a high caliber offense. That, coupled with excuses over why he is getting roughed up so much, is more reason for concern than excitement over another Santana "gutsy performance."