By BART HUBBUCH
June 18, 2008
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Jerry Manuel's debut started ominously last night and got worse from there.
Manuel and the Mets lost Jose Reyes to a tight left hamstring just four pitches into the game, then watched ace Johan Santana look mortal in a 6-1 interleague loss to the Angels.
Reyes led off the first inning with a single, then came up limping at first base and was pulled by Manuel as a precaution. The decision didn't go over well with Reyes, who flung his helmet along the front of the dugout as he exited.
"Really, the behavior is pretty much unacceptable," Manuel said of Reyes' tantrum. "But the attitude is something that can help us win ballgames."
Reyes, who is expected back in the lineup tonight, apologized to Manuel in the next inning and said he understood his new manager's thinking.
"I want to play, but Jerry was just trying to take care of me," Reyes said. "He made the right decision, because it's a long season and I need to stay healthy the whole season."
But thanks to Santana's uncharacteristic woes and three errors that led to two Angel runs, the Mets' first game of the post-Willie Randolph era went straight downhill from there.
The Mets' $137.5 million left-hander allowed three runs on three hits (including two doubles) and a costly fielding miscue by first baseman Carlos Delgado in the first to put Manuel's club in a quick 3-1 hole.
They would stay there the rest of the night at Angel Stadium thanks to the same problem -- anemic offense -- that helped get Randolph fired.
With David Wright serving as the DH and getting his first day off from third base all season, the Mets banged out two hits and a run in the first off L.A. starter John Lackey. They would muster just four hits after that while falling to 34-36.
"We looked very tired," Manuel said. "They looked as tired as I was. Hopefully, now that the cloud has lifted, we can get back to playing baseball. We've got a good team."
At least the Mets had an excuse for their failings on this night: Lackey went in with a 1.83 ERA in six starts this season. He was every bit as dominant as his numbers last night, striking out seven and walking just one in 7 2/3 innings to improve to 4-1.
While Lackey was holding up his end of the expected pitching duel, Santana did anything but. Lasting just six innings for the second time in his past three starts, Santana gave up eight hits and walked two in falling to 7-5.
In sharp contrast, Lackey cruised after the first inning and exited to a raucous standing ovation in the eighth. He retired the side in order in four of the next seven frames.
"It felt pretty good [managing again], but I didn't like the way we played," Manuel said. "We played poor baseball defensively and didn't hit, although that guy [Lackey] had good stuff. That was a tough matchup for us."
bhubbuch@nypost.com
