Nervous Santana dominates

By TIM REYNOLDS, Associated Press

Last update: April 1, 2008 - 12:26 AM

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MIAMI – Johan Santana insisted he was a bit nervous in the moments before his highly anticipated debut with the New York Mets.

He didn’t look it, striking out eight in seven dominant innings as New York opened its season with a 7-2 victory Monday over the Florida Marlins.

“It’s always good to get the first one out of the way,” Santana said. “I wasn’t trying to put anything in my head or anything. Just another game, another Opening Day, different uniform, lot of expectations. But I felt good.”

If only the Mets had been able to use Santana in September, when they blew a seven-game lead in the National League East with 17 games left. The collapse became complete when Florida scored seven times off Tom Glavine in the first inning on the season’s final day.

But Santana — who was traded from the Twins this winter and signed a $137.5 million, six-year contract — dazzled Monday from beginning to end. The two-time Cy Young Award winner struck out Hanley Ramirez to begin the game and Matt Treanor to end his outing and gave up only three hits.

“Off to a good start,” Mets manager Willie Randolph said. “Santana was outstanding today. He was pounding the zone all day.”

Added New York center fielder Carlos Beltran, who had two doubles and scored the Mets’ first run: “Who doesn’t want to have Santana on their ballclub? We feel blessed.”

When the Mets handed the ball to Santana on Monday, it was almost like passing a torch they hoped would rekindle some of that extinguished hope from a year ago. And he did. Santana retired nine in a row to open the game and made his only glaring misstep to Josh Willingham, who crushed a changeup for a two-run homer in the fourth inning.

“We got the home run off him, but that was about it,” Willingham said.

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