By Joseph Manniello
“We used to sit out there and just watch the 1986 Mets,” said the 29-year-old right-hander who was signed by Houston July 3, which he referred to as a “blessing in disguise” after Minnesota gave him his release. The Mets “were my team growing up.”But on Aug. 10 the team he once rooted for was in the opposing dugout as Munro took the mound as the starting pitcher for the Astros.This wasn't his first time pitching in New York. Last year he pitched in relief at Shea and, even more memorable, wrote his name in the record books on June 11 at Yankee Stadium.Munro, who pitched 2 2/3 innings, was one of six Houston pitchers who combined to no-hit the Yankees, marking the first time in Major League history that a team used five pitchers in a no-hitter.He said he wasn't nervous about his first-ever start at Shea, and pitching coach Jim Hickey confirmed that notion, saying “he warmed up real, real well, so I don't really think it was that big of an effect on him.””I was excited. I was looking forward to it,” said the former pitcher at Cardozo High School. “It was tough to keep my emotions down, adrenaline down.”In the first and second innings, Munro retired the Mets in order but allowed one run on three singles in the third. Munro walked to the mound for the bottom of the fourth with a 3-1 cushion.That's when his night took a turn for the worse, as he got behind in the count. Four Mets came to the plate and just like that, a two-run advantage became a one-run deficit.”I just couldn't keep the ball down, so I kind of beat myself,” Munro explained afterward.Two doubles and a single tied the score at 3. Munro then quickly jumped ahead of David Wright, 0-and-2, but the rookie third baseman worked the count full before driving one up the middle for an RBI single.It proved to be the winning run, as the Mets defeated the Astros, 7-3, in front of 28,472.”He needs to be a command kind of pitcher,” said Hickey, who became the pitching coach July 14 after Houston revamped its coaching staff after the all-star break. “That's exactly why he got in trouble in the fourth inning. He's not an overpowering guy, not going to blow guys away, so he has to get it done by working ahead in the count, by changing speeds.”Munro was able to leave the fourth with no less damage, inducing a double-play ground ball and another groundout to escape the frame.”He had great stuff tonight,” said Wright, who struck out swinging in his first at-bat against Munro. “You got to give him a lot of credit. We were just very fortunate and lucky to catch a few breaks.”Munro, who threw 80 pitches (49 strikes) in five innings, was pinch-hit for in the top of the sixth. Charged with the loss, his record fell to 2-4 and his ERA rose to 4.24 after allowing four runs (three earned) while striking out two and walking none over five innings.”Before that (the fourth inning) and the inning after that (Munro pitched a perfect fifth),” said Hickey, who coached Munro in Triple-A in 2002 and 2003. “He got the ball down and mixed things up a little bit and had a lot of success.”Prior to Tuesday's loss, Munro, who is considered the fourth/fifth starter in the rotation, had been solid in his last three appearances, posting a 1-1 record with a 3.31 ERA.Munro reserved 25 tickets for family and said some friends came out to see him as well, but that was overshadowed by his night's work: “Five innings, four runs,” was how he summed it up.”Either way, it's not good. But I'm glad my family probably enjoyed it and friends got to see me pitch,” he said. “But I'm kind of past that.”Reach contributing writer Joseph Manniello by e-mail at timesledger@aol.com.
