The Unhappy Recap: Bucs 13, Mets 1

Nine unearned runs. An appearance by Bad Ollie. One hit against Tom "ERA Over 7" Gorzellany and just one more against two guys I didn't even know were in the league.

I didn't see the game, as I was at work, and when I checked online it was already 7-0. Back to work!

Not the game you want to go out on with a road trip to Arizona looming, but hopefully the plane trip west will give the team a chance to get past this debacle and refocus.

Good news: Moises Alou could be back by the weekend as his ankle isn't fractured. Bad news: Ramon Castro left an extended spring training game with an injured leg; he isn't coming back anytime soon. More good news: Brian Schneider is out of the hospital and should be back in a couple of days.

The Happy Recap: Mets 5, Bucs 4

That's a tough blown save for Billy Wagner - it's as much on Duaner Sanchez and Jose Reyes as it is on Wagner, who did little more than allow a bloop single (the wild pitch would have meant nothing had Reyes not made his throwing error).

But a win is a win, and this was the Mets' third in a row, albeit an ugly one. Somehow, Reyes reached base six times on three hits and three walks and still only scored once. Not a lot of clutch hitting in this one, other than Reyes' triple and Wright's game-winner in the 11th inning into the rightfield corner. The Mets were 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position. Ryan Church continues to look like he's stepped up to the next level, hitting a two-run homer.

Give the Pirates credit for battling Johan Santana as much as they did, forcing him out before the end of the sixth on 114 pitches. Santana allowed only two hits, but both were solo homers. He's allowed five homers at Shea this season. He also walked three and struck out seven.

Bullpen management isn't Willie's strong point, and I wondered what he was thinking bringing in Aaron Heilman in the seventh with the Mets up two. Pedro Feliciano threw three strikes to end the sixth, but god forbid he be allowed to face righthanded hitters! Can't he at least start the seventh? The bullpen, which burned out last season, is being used at an even greater pace this season. That's bad news.

The Happy Recap: Mets 6, Braves 3

So the Mets took two of three from the Braves at home, beating John Smoltz and Tim Hudson in the process, and Carlos Delgado hit two home runs Sunday to bust out of his slump. Can Mets fans actually relax and enjoy baseball again?

Delgado made a point of not coming out of the dugout for a curtain call after his second solo homer of the day, a monster shot off the scoreboard, but it's just not something he does that often. The fans' reaction was typical - they booed him in the pregame introductions because of his awful slump, and cheered like crazy when he hit two dingers.

I'm not about to tell fans what to do, but I don't boo the home team. At all. I'll curse, complain, yell, moan, and curse some more, but booing is saved for the opposition. Booing doesn't help a player's confidence, and when they're slumping, their confidence needs all the help it can get.

Hopefully, Delgado is getting his confidence back. And if Moises Alou ever returns, the Mets lineup should start scoring runs more consistently. Although Alou may have a fractured ankle now. Are you kidding me?

Raul Casanova hit a two-run bomb, and he's looked very good spelling Brian Schneider, who has an infected thumb. Ramon Castro is playing again in extended spring training and could be back soon, and Pedro Martinez may actually be back on the hill in three weeks.

Thankfully, the Mets were able to win without having to bring Duaner Sanchez in for the third straight game, although Willie had him warming up in the eighth when Pedro Feliciano set down the side in order. Joe Smith, Scott Schoeneweis and Feliciano pitched scoreless relief prior to Billy Wagner's sixth save, although Wagner finally allowed a hit in his 10th inning of work.

A fair job by Nelson Figueroa, who was great for five innings before faltering in the sixth. He picked up his second win and at least gives the Mets a chance every fifth day.

So the Mets are 13-11 with three games against the Pirates at Shea starting Monday, with Johan going. Three days ago, you'd have thought the team was headed for 42-120 because of its "listless" play. Everyone, please... chillax.

The Unhappy Recap: Cubs 7, Mets 1

John Maine pitched well enough to win, but the Mets hit poor enough to lose against Carlos Zambrano and the Cubs. While Zambrano (the good one) shut the Mets down, the Mets imploded in the eighth after Jose Reyes made an error to start the frame, with Aaron "Two-Run" Heilman pitching.

Heilman hit the next batter, and then Fukudome fouled off five pitches before singling to load the bases. Heilman got the next two batters on a strikeout and popup before allowing a TWO-RUN single to Ronny Cedeno. Jorge Sosa came in and allowed a three-run homer to Felix Pie, another slugger. So the bullpen continues its erratic pace, unhittable one night and flammable the next.

Can't blame the loss at all on Maine, who gets saddled with it. Maine threw six innings and allowed five hits and two walks with six strikeouts. Brian Schneider remained out of the lineup for the second game with a bruised forearm.

Mets take 2 of 3 in Philly

I'm down in D-Wright's old stomping grounds in Virginia, and there are plenty of Mets fans down here. Maybe it's because of Wright, and maybe it's because the Tides for years were the Mets' AAA club, but it's nice to have a feeling of home.

Sure, a sweep of the Phillies, on the road no less, would have been terrific, but the win streak was stopped at five and the Mets had to settle for two out of three. Mike Pelfrey may have learned a lesson: While relying on the fastball may work some of the time, against a good-hitting team like the Phillies, you have to mix it up a little.

The Mets rallied to score four in the sixth on a triple by Reyes, a single by Castillo, a double by the red-hot Wright and a two-run single by Beltran, who had a chance to tie the game again in the ninth but his two-out grounder up the middle with two on was snared by Bruntlett. Pedro Feliz hit the game-winner, a solo homer in the seventh off Feliciano.

Nice work by Oliver Perez pitching almost six scoreless inning Saturday in a 4-2 win, the Mets' fifth straight. Reyes hit a two-run homer and scored another run as his resurgence continued. But the highlight of the weekend was Johan Santana out-pitching Cole Hamels and striking out 10 for his second win of the season. Wright had four hits and fell a homer short of the cycle.

There were no brawls between the 2 teams in the series but plenty of fights in the stands. That's fine. Like we've always said - bring it on.

The Happy Recap: Mets 3, Nationals 2

We can't confirm what Damion Easley may or may not have said to Joel Hanrahan once he led off the 14th inning with a single, but if it was anything like what Reggie Dunlop said to goaltender Tommie Hanrahan in Slapshot, it certainly worked.

Easley moved to second on a wild pitch, went to third on Hanrahan's botched pickoff attempt, then scored on another wild pitch to give the Mets the 3-2 win in extras. It gave the Mets a three-game sweep of the Nationals heading into the weekend set in Philly, which kicks off Friday night with a showdown between Johan Santana and Cole Hamels.

Nelson Figueroa pitched terrific again, throwing seven innings and allowing just three hits and two walks while striking out seven. He also made an incredible catch on a line drive against John Lannan, who was lights-out himself. Lannan, from Long Beach, allowed three hits and no walks while striking out 11 in six innings, at one point retiring 16 in a row.

More great relief work by the bullpen, with Jorge Sosa throwing the last two scoreless innings for the win. Heilman, Wagner, Sanchez, Felciano and Smith threw five scoreless, and combined allowed a hit and two walks.

The Happy Recap: Mets 5, Nationals 2

Jose is Jose again, John Maine got his first win of the season, and the bullpen looked terrific. Sure, it's the Nationals, but considering how the Mets fared against the likes of Washington and Florida in September, they know not to take anyone lightly (we hope).

Here's what I said in my Feb. 23 post regarding Reyes toning down his act in the face of misguided media and fan criticism:

"So Reyes will play with less exuberance. And if he gets off to a slow start, the media will hammer him and say, "He's not the same Reyes." And we'll wonder why."

Thankfully, Carlos Beltran stepped in and told Jose to just be himself. Matthew Cerrone over at Metsblog makes a great point about the different kinds of leadership. Beltran clearly has a voice and a presence in the clubhouse and his advice to Reyes was savvy. It sure looked like it's paid dividends, with his monster game Tuesday and then Wednesday's home run. Hopefully, the steals will follow.

Nice rally in the fifth: homer, single, single, homer, with Beltran hitting the three-run shot after singles by Church and Wright. Church also homered in the second and is now hitting .350 against lefties this season. So far, he has looked legit.

Not Maine's best effort, and he was frustrated with the four walks himself, but still a solid effort with 6 2/3 innings. Joe Smith looks like he's figured things out again and was great in the seventh and eighth innings, and Billy Wagner was perfect in the ninth. If Smith can get back on track, with Sanchez -- that bullpen is pretty good.

The Happy Recap: Mets 6, Nationals 0

No boos in this game, huh?

Mike Pelfrey showed off the stuff that prompted the Mets to draft him in the first place, Jose Reyes had four hits and a shot at the cycle, David Wright drove in five of the six runs and to cap it all off, Duaner Sanchez made his triumphant return to throw a scoreless ninth inning. Can't ask for much more than that.

Start with Pelfrey, who stuck with the fastball for the most part and controlled the game from the start, pitching seven shutout innings while allowing just five hits and two walks with four strikeouts. He loaded the bases in the third with one out and the middle of the Washington order coming up, but he got Ryan Zimmerman to pop up and then struck out Nick Johnson. Nice.

Here's a guy who's only 24 years old, is 6-7 and throws in the mid-90s with plenty of potential to be solid starter - we may want to hold on to him. Wright put it best after the game: "I think everybody in here knows Pelfrey has it in him. He's beginning to get that swagger."

Speaking of swagger, Reyes -- who was told by Willie to 'take it easy' in his first game back from minor hamstring troubles -- had a monster game, with two singles a double and a triple off the left field wall. Wright was equally dangerous, with three hits, including a double and his fourth homer of the season.

Aaron Heilman allowed a hit and a walk in the eighth, but the real drama came in the ninth when Sanchez trotted in from right field. He arrived to loud cheers from the remaining fans, and allowed a single and struck out a batter to end the game. Sanchez is a tremendous addition to the bullpen, it's almost immeasurable. It gives Willie two options in the setup role with Heilman, and pushes everyone else back an inning, strengthening the pen overall.

Paul LoDuca did not play, and Lastings Milledge had a double and that's it. He'll hit a homer at some point in this series.

Unfortunately, there was tragedy at Shea as a man fell to his death off an escalator after the game. Initial reports are conflicting, one saying he fell two stories with another claiming he fell four stories. While family members -- the man was reportedly at the game with two daughters while his pregnant wife was home -- say he was holding the handrail when the stopped escalator 'suddenly jerked,' other witnesses reportedly told police that he was 'surfing' on the rail before he fell.

Sanchez is back; links aplenty

Duaner Sanchez has finally thrown on back-to-back days, and he's thankfully been promoted to the big club in time for the Nationals series. The news was welcomed with much rejoicing and feasting by Mets fans, who have grown wary of Aaron "Two-Run" Heilman's eighth-inning appearances.

We'll see how effective Sanchez is, but he looked great in the spring and is certainly geared up for his first MLB action since the fabled taxi accident in July 2006. At least Willie has the option now of Heilman or Sanchez in the seventh and eighth innings, with Pedro Feliciano, Joe Smith and Scott Schoeneweis playing the situational roles in the sixth and seventh innings, which allows Jorge Sosa to be a true long man and not used every day (assuming Willie can break himself of his habit).

The Nationals series marks the return of Paul LoDuca and Lastings Milledge to Shea Stadium. We're convinced that L-Millz will absolutely KILL the Mets this season, and expect a home run from him Tuesday night, and wouldn't be surprised to see him and LoDuca execute a complicated handshake in front of the Washington dugout.

A for good measure (courtesy of Kings of Flushing), the BEST EVER photo of Milledge. He really IS gangsta.

Nice story on Angel Pagan in the Lower Hudson Journal. The 26-year-old looks to be coming into his own, and Moises Alou can take his sweet time coming back. Pagan looks like a ballplayer and does everything well and is becoming a fan favorite. He and Ryan Church have been the highlights of a sluggish start.

Speaking of taking their sweet time, looks like Pedro won't be back until late May or early June, according to the New York Post. What a shock. Hamstrings are tricky, and with Pedro you can multiply it by 10. That's good news for Nelson Figueroa and maybe Claudio Vargas, who will be relied upon to fill the fifth spot for the next 6 weeks. Just get healthy Pedro. It's a walk year, remember?

Funny how when we first learned that a construction worker buried a Red Sox jersey in the foundation of the new Yankee Stadium, the Yankees' first public comments feigned indifference. But you KNEW they'd dig that thing up, and they did, making a big public show of it.

Now, if you were a Red Sox fan working at the new stadium and wanted to plant something to trigger a curse, would you tell anyone? Here's what I think: The guy who planted the Ortiz jersey was smart enough to plant something else -- maybe a Manny Ramirez jersey -- in a different location. So he lets slip about the Ortiz shirt, Yankees brass goes crazy and digs the thing up, thinking the curse foiled -- when there's another item quietly sitting in the concrete 10 yards away, cursing the pinstripes for time immemorial.

And on his deathbed 50 years from now, that construction worker can happily let everyone know that there's another jersey buried somewhere beneath the clubhouse, and that's why the Yankees haven't won in 59 years.

For more fun with the new Yankee Stadium, see what ESPN thinks is also buried there.

The Unhappy Weekend Recap

As frustrating as it was to watch the Mets hit into five double plays and leave the bases loaded time and again after amassing 14 hits and eight walks -- you score seven runs, you should win. You're up 6-2 early, you should win. But we saw the Bad Ollie Sunday and it allowed the Brewers to take 2 of 3 from the Mets at Shea, killing any good will after the Mets won the Phillies series.

The eighth inning was the clincher. No outs and runners on the corners when Castillo grounds to first. Brady Clark breaks on contact despite the fact that the Mets are down two, Fielder steps on first and throws Clark out at the plate. Then, to make matters worse, Guillermo Mota of all people comes in, walks Wright and Beltran only to get our hopes up, and then Delgado pops out to end the inning.

Clutch is something that the Mets have not been this season, unless you're Angel Pagan or Ryan Church. Wright, Beltran and Delgado - the middle of the order - have all started slowly, especially with runners on. Wright did hit his 100th career homer, though. Yay.

Saturday saw a less-than-Johanish effort from Santana and the Mets lost, 5-3. Ben Sheets was perfect for six innings after the Mets took a 2-0 lead in the first. Santana, who gave up the most homers in the AL last season, allowed three dingers to Hall, Weeks and Gabe Kapler, who is playing much better than Gabe Kaplan.

Jose Reyes missed both game with a hamstring strain but says he should be back on the field Tuesday - we'll see.

The two losses deflated the Mets, who were riding high after taking two from the Phillies and after Nelson Figueroa earned his first win as a Met Friday night. The Brooklyn-born-and-raised Mets fan, who was drafted by the Mets in 1995 out of Brandeis, had a thrilling homecoming, pitching a perfect game for 4 2/3 innings before allowing a walk and a double. Figueroa ended up pitching six innings. Joe Smith, Aaron "Two-Run" Heilman and Wagner each tossed a hitless inning to complete the two-hitter.

Figueroa's performance gives the Mets some comfort at the bottom of the rotation, but the mistakes and the poor clutch hitting have hurt this team more than anything else, and the fans are letting them feel it with boos.

Here's the deal -- you want to boo Heilman after losing the lead, get hoarse doing it. But don't boo a guy COMING IN to the game like fans did Thursday night for Scott Schoeneweis. Shea is becoming an ugly place to play for the home team, and it shouldn't be, especially in its final season.

The Happy Recap: Mets 4, Phillies 3

You see? You win two out of three against the Phillies and all is right with the world. Almost.

Jose Reyes had two hits and sparked the winning rally with a two-out double in the 12th, scoring on yet another clutch hit by Angel Pagan. The play at the plate was close, sure, thanks to a strong throw by Werth, but if anything the tag came simultaneously with Reyes touching home plate.

Anyway, in the 12th inning of a getaway game, you know the umpire wants to end it. Chew on that, Charlie Manuel.

The good: Pagan looks like a steal, Ryan Church continues to impress, and the bullpen -- with one glaring exception -- was terrific. Even Scott Schoeneweis, who got a key double-play grounder, got some love from the crowd, leaving to cheers.

The bad: Aaron "Two-Run" Heilman, so named because he seems to allow two runs whenever he enters a game. He also keeps giving up bombs like the one Ryan Howard hit toward Citi Field. He blew a victory for John Maine, who was cruising through five innings before running into trouble in the sixth.

Duaner Sanchez can't get here soon enough.

Jorge Sosa got the win after throwing one pitch for the final out in the top of the 12th. Carlos Beltran and David Wright struggled at the plate. Wright's clump continues, and Beltran came up empty in two situations with runners on.

Up next, the Brewers and, apparently, a lot of rain. Bring your ponchos.

The Happy Recap: Mets 8, Phillies 2

It was nice to settle down and watch everything go wrong for the Phillies for a change, wasn't it?

A day after so much wailing and gnashing of teeth, the Mets went out and won a baseball game, against the Phillies, no less. Sure, Kyle Kendrick helped out by walking the ballpark, and the Phils made four errors -- two in one inning by Jimmy Rollins' replacement -- but the Mets capitalized on the opportunities, and most of all, got a decent pitching performance from Mike Pelfrey.

It wasn't the cleanest five innings ever thrown, but he held the Phils to two runs and gave the Mets a chance to win, which is you what you want from your fifth starter. Check that, FOURTH starter, now that El Duque is El Done. He'll be in a boot for the next few weeks and if he ever comes back, it would be a shock.

That means Nelson Figueroa becomes your fifth starter, unless the Mets pick up Claudio Vargas, as has been rumored ad nauseum.

The Mets scored six runs in the third, when Eric Bruntlett made his two errors, and Angel Pagan doubled in two runs. The over-used Jorge Sosa pitched two hitless innings of relief, and there was a Pedro Feliciano sighting.

The win snapped the nine-game losing streak against the Phillies, and if the Mets can win the series Thursday night with John Maine going against Adam Eaton, perhaps we can all settle down, please? I will be there in the flesh, and am looking forward to a series win.

The Unhappy Recap: Phillies 5, Mets 2

It's still early... it's still early... it's still early...

If you read the blog comments and the message boards after Tuesday's home-opening loss to the Phillies, you'd think the average Mets fan was one Aaron Heilman walk from jumping off a crane at Citi Field. Panic is setting in among many of the faithful, but here's hoping the majority retain their sanity, at least for a few more games.

Here's why the Mets lost: They couldn't get hits off 45-year-old Jamie Moyer, although they did hit several balls to the warning track. And when Scott Schoeneweis induced what could have been an inning-ending double play grounder to first (after loading the bases on two one-out singles and hitting Chase Utley), Carlos Delgado hit Utley in the back, allowing two runs to score.

If Delgado makes that play, the Mets get out of the inning up, 2-0. But it was one of those days when nothing seemed to go right, and the way the Mets have played the Phillies the last nine games, that's the norm. Brian Schneider had two passes balls, and while the first didn't lead to a Philly run, it contributed to the quick exit of Oliver Perez, who walked two with a balk before Joe Smith came into the game.

Could Willie have left Perez in there? Sure, but at the time it seemed understandable given Perez's history of melting down fast. We would have liked to have seen Willie allow Perez a chance to get out of it. Could Willie have had Endy Chavez bunt Schneider to second with no outs in the seventh? Sure, but as Keith Hernandez said, a tie against a good hitting team like the Phillies doesn't mean much. So you can't second-guess that one.

Why was Schoeneweis still in there after allowing singles to Rollins and Victorino? He's paid to get lefties out, and that's what was up next in Utley and Howard. He hit Utley, but Utley was hit three times on the day because he stands so damn close to the plate.

Plus, we later learned that Pedro Feliciano didn't arrive until the seventh inning because his flight from Puerto Rico was canceled. He was home for a 'family emergency' but said everyone was OK; after what his baby daughter went through last season, we can only hope everyone's healthy, and you can't knock him for arriving late. Of course, we didn't know that during the game and wondered why the hell Willie didn't bring him in.

Are we concerned that the Mets are 0-for-9 in their last nine games against the Phillies? Yes, but we're more concerned with the fact that Luis Castillo's knees still hurt and the Mets let Ruben Gotay go. I guess Damion Easley can play second base for a while. And El Duque had another MRI on his foot. When it rains, it pours.

Mike Pelfrey, it's time to step it up. And if you're worried that Pelfrey won't be able to make the leap this season, think again. According to the New York Times, there's an astrologer in Queens who says Jupiter is Pelfrey's first house, and that's a good thing.

Meanwhile, the Mets admitted they were Rickrolled, and while they played the Rick Astley song in the eighth inning -- it got 5 million write-in votes online -- they say they'll determine the song by fan reaction over the next few games.

Like we said, there's only one choice: The Curly Shuffle. Get on board!

Don't let us be Rickrolled on Opening Day!

The home opener should be a time of joy and hope. Instead, the Mets' home opener today -- the final opener for Shea Satdium -- could end up being one of shame.

The Mets had this brilliant idea for letting fans vote online for their eighth-inning sing-along song. The good folks over at Fark.com started a campaign to have people write in votes for Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up," a tune so dastardly catchy that it's become a web sensation. Getting someone to link to a clip of the video (often set with a loud volume and an inability shut it off without hitting CTRL-ALT-DELETE) is called "Rickrolling."

(The damn song is in my head right now. Aaaaarrrgghhh!)

So, of course, the Mets got Rickrolled. Whether it will be selected as the winning song remains to be seen, but hopefully the team will recognize what's happened and deny Astley the honor. If they don't, and that song is picked, the team will flat-out be the laughingstock of the league, if not all of professional sports.

Of course, the Mets could have just taken our advice and selected "The Curly Shuffle," a Mets classic by any measure. There's still hope.

And, oh by the way, it's OPENING DAY! Against the PHILLIES! Lots of talk about how many brawls there will be between the two teams this season. I've said it before and I will say it again and again: BRING IT ON.

The Unhappy Recap: Braves 3, Mets 1

Anyone who thinks the Braves 'want it more' because they took two games this weekend, or are already wringing their hands and gnashing their teeth because the Mets dropped two in Atlanta, need to consider going to a quiet place for a while, maybe take up yoga, and come back once the first-week-of-the-season jitters have passed.

Saturday's loss was on John Maine, who looked nothing like his dominant spring training self. OK, it happens. He had extra rest and was less than sharp, and Jorge Sosa buried any chance of a comeback by serving up a grand slam.

Sunday was a classic pitcher's duel between two of the best in Santana and Smoltz, and unfortunately Johan gave up one run. The Mets couldn't hit Smoltz and looked bad at the plate in both games, missing opportunities on Saturday and then getting nothing going Sunday.

And if not for a couple of inches, maybe Ryan Church catches that ball at the wall. Again, it happens.

A day off Monday and then the Philles for three games with Perez, the much-anticipated 2008 debut of Mike Pelfrey and then Maine on Thursday on regular rest. After dropping two in Atlanta, think the Mets will be geared up for the Phils?

Bring back The Curly Shuffle

The Mets are asking fans to vote for an eighth-inning sing-a-long song. Here are the choices:

“Brown Eyed Girl" -- Van Morrison
“Build Me Up Buttercup” -- The Foundations
“I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll’’ -- Joan Jett and The Blackhearts
“I'm a Believer” -- The Monkees
“Land of 1,000 Dances” -- Wilson Pickett
“Livin’ On A Prayer” -- Bon Jovi
“Movin’ Out” -- Billy Joel
“Sweet Caroline” -- Neil Diamond
“Theme from ‘Friends’ (I'll Be There for You)” -- The Rembrandts
“Waitin' On A Sunny Day” -- Bruce Springsteen

Here are my thoughts: Lame, lame, lame, lame, lame, lame, lame, lame, lame, lame.

There is only one possible choice: The Curly Shuffle, by the Jump'n The Saddle Band.

Craig Carton put it out there on his morning show with Boomer Esiason this morning, and while I'm not a huge Carton fan I agree with him 100 percent. It's an oldie but a goodie, a song with strong ties to the Mets glory days and the 1986 World Series championship season. It's fun. Everyone can yell "HEY, MOE! HEY, MOE!" What's not to love?

So when you vote online, write in "The Curly Shuffle" and spare us all from the possibility of "Sweet Caroline" or, God help us, the theme from "Friends."

The Happy Recap: Mets 13, Marlins 0

2008 record: 2-1 (second place)

Ollie, Ollie, Ollie .... OY! OY! OY! Now there's a chant we'd like to hear at Shea Stadium (and hopefully Citi Field).

Oliver Perez looked great Wednesday night, throwing six shutout inning against the hapless Marlins in a very lopsided win for the Mets on a day they learned that Pedro was headed for the 15-day DL, and would likely be out 4-6 weeks. It was the perfect tonic for a fan base that was reeling from the previous 24 hours.

Perez had the slider goin' on and was in total control, which is the Good Ollie, the one we love. He only allowed five hits and one walk and struck out eight. Outstanding.

He got plenty of run support as the Mets hammered Andrew Miller and later, Lee Gardner. Ryan Church and David Wright each had three hits, three RBI and a homer, and Wright's was an absolute bomb. Carlos Beltran had three doubles and should have had a home run, too, but it was reversed by the clueless umpiring crew, who had it right the first time. I'd like to know what evidence they had that compelled them to reverse the call -- which is rare -- when the video showed that the ball clanged off the railing, which is not in play.

Carlos Delgado also had two hits, which was good to see. We also caught a glimpse of new starter Nelson Figueroa.

Back to Pedro -- it could have been worse, I guess. Just chalk it up to bad luck and hope there are more outings like Perez turned in. Johan, Ollie and Maine -- we can live with that. In the meantime, don't hold your breath waiting for Pedro to return, if you believe the analysis provided by ESPN's Stephania Bell.

Finally, just wanted to throw in what a pleasure it is to listen to Gary Cohen, Ron Darling and Keith Hernandez. Best three-man baseball booth ever.

The Unhappy Recap: Marlins 5, Mets 4

2008 record: 1-1 (2nd place, tie)

Oh, the pain.

Less than four innings into his season, having already allowed four runs, Pedro Martinez felt a 'pop' in his left hamstring and hobbled off the field Tuesday night. To add insult to injury, the Mets saw their rally to tie the score after being behind 4-0 go to waste when someone named Robert Andino hit a walk-off homer in the bottom of the tenth.

Matt Wise was the loser, giving up the bomb after striking out the first two hitters in the tenth.

But the story is Pedro's injury. He hadn't pitched well to start, and then he grabbed his left hamstring after making a pitch. The official word was 'strained left hamstring.' An MRI is scheduled for Wednesday and he's currently listed as day-to-day, but a DL stint looms.

Wow, does that suck.

Otherwise, it was a nice comeback for the Mets, who got an RBI single and a sacrifice fly for another run by Angel Pagan. Brian Schneider also knocked in a run, as did Jose Reyes. The relief corps of Sosa, Schoeneweis, Smith and Heilman threw 5 2/3 innings, allowing no runs on five hits.

And so the rollercoaster ride begins. Did we really think it would be easy? Come on, now...

Links: Opening the Vault

Not sure how anyone expects anyone to get any work done with YouTube, and especially now that SI.com has launched the Sports Illustrated Vault, which provides every article ever written for the magazine, for free.

Here's a couple for Mets fans: A story by E.M. Swift during spring training 1985 about Doc Gooden, and the late George Plimpton's story, "The Curious Case of Sidd Finch," the classic April Fool's tale.

In the case of Gooden, it's a sad tale. Here's Swift's lead:

"When he's done, in 15 years or so, we'll say: "He was the best of his time."—JIM FREY, manager, Chicago Cubs"

He goes on to say that other than Gooden's unhittable fastball-curveball combo, the thing everyone loved about him was his composure and control -- and when he lost those, he lost more than just his career.

But maybe there's still hope. Kevin Kernan in the New York Post provided an update on Doc and his son, Dwight Jr., who not long ago were in prison at the same time. Here's hoping there are better days to come.

2008 Mets Season Preview

Yeah, I know, I know. Running a season preview AFTER opening day? How gauche. But listen, after presiding over yet another local sports collapse, this one on ice, going to conferences and having to plan two surprise birthday parties for my wife (yes, she's special) with two kids running around, I've been a little busy.

But that's why the start of the baseball season is so great -- it's a new beginning. And Mets fans, filled with the audacity of hope now that Johan Santana is our ace, have had their expectations skyrocket from not knowing what to expect in 2008 from expecting nothing less than a World Series appearance.

And you know what? There's little reason to expect otherwise.

PITCHING

Why not start with where the Mets' hopes begin and end, on the mound? Johan Santana is to Tom Glavine as Secretariat is to a bottle of glue. Santana strikes people out and dominates. Glavine hits a lot of bats and escapes more than he wins. The value of Santana can probably be calculated by some Bill James mathematical formula, but all the Mets fans care about is that when he is on the mound, our confidence surges like a pack of screaming teens to the Jonas Brothers. Hello, Cy Young.

Behind him is Pedro Martinez, pitching in a walk year after looking pretty damn good when he came back last season. Missing him for most of the year almost certainly had an effect on the team's psyche, not to mention their number of quality starts, and from what we've seen so far, he and Santana could be the best 1-2 in baseball. John Maine could win 20 games -- and we're not the only ones saying it. Oliver Perez may give you one stinker for every two decent starts, but we're interested in seeing if he steps it up another notch. Fifth starter is a crapshoot, at least until Orlando Hernandez gets the job from a disappointing Mike Pelfrey. Then El Duque will get hurt again. A mid-season trade seems inevitable.

The bullpen has many of the same faces as last season, but with the starters pitching more innings, which they should, it shouldn't hit the wall like it did last year. Billy Wagner will save 35-40 games, blow four or five, and make you more nervous with a three-run lead than with a one-run lead, but that's him. The changeup gives him a new wrinkle. Aaron Heilman had great numbers last season but like everyone else had his share of bad outings, but he's solid as a setup guy, especially with the eventual return of Duaner Sanchez.

Regular site visitors know I'm a big Pedro Feliciano fan. He went through some tough times personally in the second half which may have affected him, and Willie Randolph often misused him (as he did with virtually everyone in the pen). Expect Feliciano to be effective again, and Matt Wise looks like a great addition, meaning Scott Schoeneweiss and Joe Smith can do their situational things. Jorge Sosa is a perfect middle inning / long man / spot starter.

Bottom line: Pitching will take the Mets to where they want to go this season.

INFIELD

Two potential MVP candidates on the left side with David Wright and Jose Reyes - what more can you say? Reyes says he's going to tone down the celebrations this season. We don't care what he does as long as he can bounce back from his season-ending slump, which we chalk up to a lesson in maturity. Wright could be the best player in the National League, and his name will be on the back of Mets fans for years to come.

Luis Castillo is getting older and is a little brittle but he's a good fielder and the perfect number two hitter behind Reyes. The big question is Carlos Delgado, who looks to be in great shape despite tepid spring numbers. He had the worst season of his career and he went 24-87-.258, missing 23 games. It's not unreasonable to see a bit of bounce back. If he can hit 25-30 homers, drive in 90-plus and hit closer to his career average of .280, that will go a long way in helping the lineup score runs.

Former steroid user Paul LoDuca is gone, taking "Volare" and "Staying Alive" with him. We liked LoDuca and his fire, and hope that Brian Schneider's defensive abilities are as advertised. We also hope he can at least hit .250. Ramon Castro should get plenty of chances against lefties and could hit 15 homers.

OUTFIELD

Ryan Church has plenty of doubters because of his stats against lefties, but his overall numbers last season were pretty good: In 144 games he hit 15 homers, 43 doubles and drove in 70, batting .272. He's 29 and will get a shot at playing pretty much every day. We're more than willing to give him a chance.

Moises Alou may have gone to high school with Methusaleh (they were in the same home ec class) but when he's healthy, he can hit. Unfortunately, he's not, so this year's spring training surprise, Angel Pagan, will play out in left with Endy Chavez. Carlos Beltran put the bull's eye on his back by calling the Mets the team to beat, but he can handle the heat. For all the criticism he gets, Beltran is a Gold Glove centerfielder who has averaged 37-114-.275 with 20 steals his last two seasons. Let's let him play.

BENCH

Versatile veterans Marlon Anderson and Damion Easley are joined by Chavez, Pagan, Castro (when he returns) and Brady Clark. Decent depth and flexibility. Chavez can play 2 or 3 times a week and no one would mind. Anderson is one of the best pinch hitters around.

MANAGER

We hope to see less of Stubborn Willie -- the one who brought in Guillermo Mota in the face of bad splits and the fact that he just plain sucked -- and more of Sensible Willie, the guy who has learned from his (many) mistakes and is ready to take his team to the next level by managing at a higher level.

Sure, we would have liked to have seen more fire from Willie when things were going down the crapper, but it turns out he didn't do much behind the scenes, either. He says he trusted his guys, and now knows better not to risk letting anything fester. We hope so. Willie is a good manager and a good man, but his job is on the line this season. He knows it, we know it.

PREDICTION

The Phillies will score runs but their starting pitching beyond Cole Hamels is suspect, plus Brad Lidge and Tom Gordon don't exactly inspire confidence. The Braves are everyone's darling again, and they'll also score, but John Smoltz is showing signs of aging, Glavine is toast and Mike Hampton has to show us something in actual regular season games before we say he's back. We worry that Lastings Milledge will kill the Mets this season, but that shouldn't stop the Mets from winning the East with about97 victories.

The NL, like last season is wide open. We like Santana-Pedro-Maine in a playoff series, don't you?

Shea Stadium goes out with bang under the World Series spotlight, and the Mets take the Tigers in six. We'll enjoy the trip there.