Willie Randolph labeled Tom Glavine a winner and one of his “big boys.” Pitching coach Rick Peterson called the veteran left-hander a “mental giant,” comparing his artistry to watching a chess master at work. Perhaps they should just call him what he has been this season – the winningest pitcher in baseball.
Glavine wasn’t at his best yesterday at sweaty Shea Stadium, but he was good enough when he needed to be in a 9-4 Mets victory over the Orioles. Glavine pitched into the seventh inning to win his eighth straight decision, and his 10-2 record tied him for the most wins in the majors.
“He should go to the AllStar Game,” Randolph said.
“Tom’s the ultimate competitor. . . . You can tell he’s been a winner. He knows how to get it done.”
The lefty gave up four runs in his six-plus innings, not walking a single Oriole while striking out six. None of those Ks was more important than fanning rookie Ed Rogers with a 78-mph full-count changeup low and away to end the sixth inning with two runners on base and the Mets clinging to a 4-3 lead.
“Guys like he and Pedro [Martinez] . . . have the ability to make the big pitches that decide a game when they have to,” said Peterson. “It’s a chess game: That what makes it so much fun.”
Glavine has won the most games in the NL since the last All-Star break because he started working the ball down and in to complement his trademark changeup low and away. At first, hitters took the strikes because they weren’t expecting them; when they starting swinging, Glavine had them where he wanted them.
Perhaps the 40-year-old has found the Fountain of Youth in Flushing, because the grand old man has been far more grand than old. He’s 8-0 with a 3.83 ERA since April 24, with only 41-year-old Kenny Rogers matching his win total this season.
“I’ve tried to change my game, make you erase the scouting report that exists on me. It’s been a big help, made me a better pitcher,” Glavine said. “That’s what this game is about. If you’re not willing to adjust to what the game’s telling you, it’s going to be tough.
“You think about this game as a young man’s game; you don’t expect guys like us to do the things we’re doing. It says a lot about [older pitchers], their work ethic. It’s a great thing for baseball and a great message for younger guys that if you do the things you have to, you can play for a long time.”