The Sunday Showdown- Pedro Returns to New York
Pedro Martinez has only pitched in 2 games since joining the Phillies but he is already scheduled to pitch in what is probably the most important game of the season in his mind. Sunday at 1 pm, Pedro will take the mound against his former team, the New York Mets.
This is a huge chance for him to make a statement to the Mets and to the rest of the league. There are still many questions surrounding the signing. Was he worth it for the Phillies? Should he be a starter? Does he still have it? So far it’s too early to tell. He looked good but not great in his first start and his second outing was too short to tell. Over the next few games he will have to answer these questions with his pitching.
Because of this, Pedro’s going to be under a microscope for the rest of this season and there are people judging every pitch he makes. The Mets are most likely among the people doubting him. They parted ways with him after a few below average seasons and had to feel at that point that he had nothing left in the tank. Most of their fans and players wouldn’t want to see him win with the Phillies when he couldn’t with the Mets.
Sunday is his chance to show them that he still deserves to be a starting pitcher in this league. If being in a close division title race isn’t enough motivation, proving the Mets wrong and embarrassing them in the process should do the job. According to him, he is happy to be back in New York pitching and is eager to show the Mets and their fans a different Pedro. Let’s hope he follows through.
