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Mets look for fresh start without Randolph

Jun 17, 2008 - 2:41 PM NY Mets (34-35) at LA Angels (42-29), 10:05 pm EDT

ANAHEIM, California (Ticker) -- The New York Mets begin life without Willie Randolph on Tuesday when they continue a three-game interleague series with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

The embattled manager was fired early Tuesday morning following the Mets' 9-6 win over the Angels in the series opener. Bench coach Jerry Manuel, who previously managed the Chicago White Sox, will replace Randolph on an interim basis.

Pitching coach Rick Peterson and first-base coach Tom Nieto have also both been dismissed, with the team promoting Ken Oberkfell, Dan Warthen and Luis Aguayo to fill those vacancies.

Randolph's job security has been unstable since September, when the club suffered arguably the biggest regular-season collapse in baseball history, blowing a seven-game standings lead to the Philadelphia Phillies with 17 contests remaining.

Widely considered a preseason favorite to compete for the National League pennant this season, the Mets are currently in fourth place in the NL East Division, 6 1/2 games behind the first-place Phillies (42-30).

Manuel, who went 500-471 during his six seasons with the white Sox from 1998-2003, has the luxury of sending the staff ace to the mound Tuesday as he begins his second stint as a manager.

Two-time Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana (7-4, 2.85 ERA) returns to the hill after a solid effort in his previous start. The southpaw tossed seven scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts in Thursday's 5-4 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

He'll be opposed by Anaheim ace John Lackey (3-1, 1.83), who is seeking his third straight win after yielding just two runs and four hits with seven strikeouts over 7 1/3 frames during Wednesday's 4-2 triumph over the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Angels have lost five of their last eight contests following a seven-game winning streak.