MET NOTES
PITTSBURGH - Art Howe wanted an insurance policy for Jae Seo last night, but it turned out he didn't need to collect.
Righty Jason Middlebrook was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk before last night's 7-2 victory over the Pirates as infielder Joe McEwing was optioned to Norfolk.
After Wednesday night's 6-3 loss, Howe asked for long relief protection in case Seo was shelled early. That upped the staff to 12 members and sent McEwing, a hard-working, versatile player, packing.
"He's a popular player with everybody," Howe said of McEwing. "The fact of the matter is we were going with 10 pitchers. We just couldn't jeopardize the situation."
With the game in hand, Middlebrook worked the ninth and allowed a run on two hits.
Mike Stanton is still unavailable with a high right calf muscle strain, and probably won't be back until this weekend at the earliest. David Weathers and Jaime Cerda both pitched Wednesday - Cerda for the second straight game and Weathers for the third time in four games.
"The bullpen is short," said McEwing, 1-for-6 with four strikeouts. "I have flexibility with my options. It was a situation that had to be done."
PITTSBURGH - Art Howe wanted an insurance policy for Jae Seo last night, but it turned out he didn't need to collect.
Righty Jason Middlebrook was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk before last night's 7-2 victory over the Pirates as infielder Joe McEwing was optioned to Norfolk.
After Wednesday night's 6-3 loss, Howe asked for long relief protection in case Seo was shelled early. That upped the staff to 12 members and sent McEwing, a hard-working, versatile player, packing.
"He's a popular player with everybody," Howe said of McEwing. "The fact of the matter is we were going with 10 pitchers. We just couldn't jeopardize the situation."
With the game in hand, Middlebrook worked the ninth and allowed a run on two hits.
Mike Stanton is still unavailable with a high right calf muscle strain, and probably won't be back until this weekend at the earliest. David Weathers and Jaime Cerda both pitched Wednesday - Cerda for the second straight game and Weathers for the third time in four games.
"The bullpen is short," said McEwing, 1-for-6 with four strikeouts. "I have flexibility with my options. It was a situation that had to be done."
