First would be that Luis Castillo had four RBI's on two hits from the leadoff spot, including an opposite field double. This seemingly can be attributed to both Castillo's off-season work ethic and Jerry Manuel's 80-pitch hitting drill. Manuel on Castillo per The Daily News:"That was exactly what Louie needed," Manuel said. "He needed to drive in some runs. We were talking about getting him off to a good start. That was very appropriate for us right there. That was big for us. I was happy for him. He's worked hard, and good things are going to happen to him."
Daniel Murphy and Ryan Church also both had two hits, Church's both opposite field doubles. He is also giving Manuel's drill credit for being able to go that way:
"It doesn't matter what the pitch is, what count, we always know there's grass over there - there's hits over there," Church said about the opposite field. "A lot of it has to go back to that drill we were doing. I know I feel it."
The big story here though is Daniel Murphy's outfield assist, something on the boxscore that will go largely unnoticed. We all know that the kid takes his hitting seriously, but it's been his defense that has been of concern. Runs gained in the batters box can often be lost in the field. His assist proves that he's been working on his defense as well this spring, even though everytime we all read about him he seems to be in the batting cage.
There is still plenty of spring left as the team tries to build on the first games positives. The Mets will take on the Marlins at the Tradition Field opener at 1:10 today. Oliver Perez takes the hill for his only Grapefruit League start as he heads out Monday to play for Mexico at the WBC. The game will air live on SNY and will be re-aired at 7:00.
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