NY Mets see two suicide squeeze plays go their way in 3-1 win over Milwaukee ... - New York Daily News

Kevin Hagen/for New York Daily News

Mets celebrate win over the Brewers, as they execute and defend suicide squeeze.

The suicide squeeze may be the most exciting play in baseball, and in the Mets’ 3-1 victory over the Brewers on Monday night, two of them were attempted. Both turned for the Mets. They stopped one on a strong defensive play by catcher Mike Nickeas in the second inning and scored on a perfectly executed one by Ronny Cedeno in the sixth.

Cedeno got the bunt down to bring in Daniel Murphy from third base, but neither he nor manager Terry Collins was thinking suicide squeeze when Cedeno went to the plate. He feigned a bunt on the first pitch and Collins said: “I thought ‘Cripes, this might set this play up’ and I put the squeeze on. I had the right guy at the plate. I don’t think there’s a better executor of any of the fundamentals of the game than Ronny Cedeno he’s as good as there is.”

“I tried to stay relaxed and get the bunt down,” Cedeno said. “On the squeeze, it’s hard to stay relaxed. You have to get it down and I didn’t want to miss it.”

On the defensive side, Milwaukee’s Taylor Green got a poor jump from third in the second and Nickeas swiftly snared Cesar Izturis’ bunt in front of the plate. It stopped Green and he was thrown out trying to get back to third, with David Wright applying the tag.

MIGHTY MIGUEL
Miguel Batista put most of the Mets’ concerns about their starting rotation in check with seven scoreless innings.

The righthander allowed four hits and a walk and struck out five, afterward conceding that he’s been battling an injury â€" Collins said it was his groin, Batista later said it was his hamstring â€" that had to be wrapped after the first inning. Batista limped noticeably after the fifth, but was able to talk Collins into letting him keep pitching. He said there is no pain â€" just tightness â€" and he doesn’t expect to miss his next start.

Batista’s last win over the Brewers was April 14, 1999, when he was a Montreal Expo. Since joining the Mets last Aug. 26, he is 3-1 with a 3.21 ERA in seven appearances as a starting pitcher.

Collins said he wasn’t looking at Batista as a place-holder until either Jenrry Mejia or Chris Young has completed his four-start minor league rehab stint.

“He was terrific . . . that’s why we put him in the rotation,” said Collins.

Mejia, working his way back from Tommy John surgery, made his second rehab start last night and allowed one run over six innings for Class A St. Lucie. Young, working his way back from shoulder surgery, makes his second start for St. Lucie today.

BAY DAY
Left fielder Jason Bay, out since suffering a fractured rib April 23 diving to make a catch, was cleared by team doctors to begin baseball activities and running. Bay had only been able to ride a stationary bike but said he felt “80%” when he got to the park Monday. He will report to the team complex in Port St. Lucie, Fla., this weekend as he “ramps up” to a minor league rehab assignment. . . . Catcher Rob Johnson has a painful and badly swollen left thumb after getting hit with a foul tip Sunday, but could have played in the event of emergency.