MET NOTES
PHILADELPHIA — The collision was gigantic.
The Phillies’ Kevin Sefcik used the 90 feet running down the third-base line to turn into Ronnie Lott eyeing a receiver over the middle.
And Met catcher Mike Piazza paid the price.
When Doug Glanville’s flyball to center went up with one out in the sixth inning, Piazza knew what was coming.
As the 5-foot-10, 180-pound Sefcik tagged up and barreled toward the plate, Piazza waited for Jon Nunnally’s perfect strike from center — and braced for the hard-charging Phillie.
But Piazza caught the ball and the ferocious hit to record the out to end the inning.
“It was a good play all around,” said manager Bobby Valentine, who added that Piazza got banged on the chin.
Piazza stayed in the game.
Teams are going to bunt at neophyte Met first baseman Todd Zeile, and the Phillies did last night.
Zeile committed his third error of the season as a Paul Byrd bunt went through his legs in the second inning.
“It felt weird as it must’ve looked,” Zeile said.
Al Leiter, who missed his last start with a strained groin, threw 35 practice pitches yesterday, reported “no problem,” and pronounced himself set to pitch Friday in Pittsburgh.
The Met lefty said he would not have missed his scheduled start against the Dodgers on Saturday if it were later in the season. However, he didn’t want to deal with a nagging problem, as he did with the Blue Jays in 1995, when he finished 11-11 with a 3.64 ERA.
This injury also affected Leiter in his home-opening win against the Padres.
Leiter said he may use a new type of cup so as not to re-aggravate the injury.
Darryl Hamilton, the 35-year-old outfielder on the 15-day DL, received some good news yesterday. The MRI on his left foot was negative.
The Mets aren’t sure if Hamilton will be back as soon as the 15 days are up. But it would make sense for him to return then — because his condition is unlikely to improve much more with time.
“He has a complex problem that there is no easy solution to,” trainer Fred Hina said.
Hamilton’s left big toe, on which he had surgery in the offseason, causes him to run differently, and led to a sprained foot. Last year, the toe caused Hamilton to need surgery on his left knee because of how he compensated.
Yesterday Hamilton saw two specialists to try to figure what to do to alleviate the discomfort.
Meanwhile, the Mets will try to figure out a way for Hamilton to play — be it with new shoes or some sort of brace. Right now, Hamilton is wearing an air cast.