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Manager Willie Randolph is heading west with his New York Mets, but whether or not he’ll come back with them is still uncertain.
With Randolph’s future still up in the air, the Mets open a three-game series Monday against the AL West-leading Los Angeles Angels.
Oddsmakers from Sportsbook.com have made Los Angeles -146 money line favorites (MLB Odds) for tonight’s game, the over/under has been set at 8.5 total runs (Matchup). Current public betting information shows that 54% of bets for this game have been placed on Los Angeles -146 (View MLB Bet Percentages).
The Mets (33-35) are coming off a 3-3 homestand, capped by Sunday’s doubleheader split with Texas. New York started the homestand by dropping two of three against Arizona, leading to speculation that Randolph would not remain as manager through the weekend.
Randolph still had the job after his team took two of three against the Rangers, but general manager Omar Minaya refused to even acknowledge that he would be managing the series opener in Anaheim.
"These are our coaches today,” Minaya said. "I think we’re not playing up to our potential. I always leave room to evaluate things.”
Despite a $138 million payroll, the Mets are two games under .500 and 6 1/2 games behind first-place Philadelphia in the NL East. Minaya said he plans to meet the team Monday in California.
"It’s out of my hands,” Randolph said after the doubleheader. "I’m here to do a job and hopefully I’ll be here for a long time. … I don’t know what people around here are thinking. I can’t assume anything. I haven’t heard from anybody.”
Randolph may have bought himself some time on Sunday. After an 8-7 loss in the first game of the doubleheader, the Mets won the nightcap 4-2 behind Pedro Martinez, who went six innings to win his home season debut.
Robinson Cancel, pinch-hitting for Martinez, hit a go-ahead two-run single for his first hit since Sept 21, 1999 for Milwaukee, and Billy Wagner ended a string of three straight blown saves with a perfect ninth.
The Angels (42-28) beat Atlanta 2-0 on Sunday to avoid a three-game home sweep. Casey Kotchman drove in both runs with a fifth-inning homer for Los Angeles, which has scored five or fewer runs in 23 of 24 games.
"It’s nice to get one when we were pressed for some runs,” Kotchman said. "We can’t ask anything more from our pitching staff. They’ve kept games close and given us a chance."
Vladimir Guerrero went 2-for-3 with a double to extend his season-best hitting streak to seven games, but shortstop Maicer Iztruris went 0-for-3 to end his 13-game run.
In Monday’s opener, the Angels will hand the ball to Jered Weaver (6-6, 4.45 ERA), who has won four of his last five starts after a rocky start to the season. He matched his career high by going eight innings on Tuesday, allowing one run in a 6-1 win over Tampa Bay.
"Obviously it’s been a little roller coaster for me, a little different than in past years," the right-hander said. "That’s just guys trying to make adjustments on me and me trying to make adjustments on them."
Weaver has never faced the Mets, who will counter with Mike Pelfrey (2-6, 4.24).
Pelfrey will be trying for his first victory in 11 starts since winning his first two of the season. He failed to end his winless drought on Wednesday despite taking a shutout into the ninth inning of the Mets’ 13-inning, 5-3 win.
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The right-hander ended up yielding one run and striking out a career-high eight in a personal-best eight innings before Wagner blew the save.
Pelfrey, 0-6 since beating Washington at home on April 15, has allowed just four runs over 21 innings in his last three starts. He is facing the Angels for the first time.
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