Split gets Mets halfway home

I said before the four-game series against the Yankees that Mets fans would sign for a split, and a split is what we got in more ways than one. Each team took two, and the second two games looked nothing like the first two, with pitchers' duels on the heels of slugfests.

No coincidence that the Mets took game four to earn the split on the day that Ryan Church returned from the DL. Church had two hits in the game and will be a welcome addition to the lineup now that the second half of the season is here.

The Mets are 40-41 at the midway point, but thanks to the Phillies losing eight of their last 10, the Mets are only three games out of first in the East. As far as the wild card goes, St. Louis is the front runner with the Mets, Dodgers, Marlins and Brewers also in the mix. Do you believe strongly that any of those teams is significantly better than the Mets? Didn't think so. Flaws abound.

Great to see Ollie Perez turn in another Yankee-killing performance, even better to hear that he and Dan Warthen may have figured out how to get the best from him on a more consistent basis. Seems that Rick Peterson didn't allow Perez to pitch from the center of the rubber and had him step a certain way to start his windup. Warthen, who seems much more flexible in terms of pitching mechanics -- basically, do what works for you -- let Perez make some changes, and the result was impeccable, and the only time this season Perez didn't walk a man.

The Mets are still not hitting with runners in scoring position -- the Mets had 12 hits Sunday and only scored three runs -- so that's a problem. But at least Carlos Delgado is showing signs of being a fairly productive player again.

The Mets can make a statement by taking three games from the Cardinals in St. Louis. Tony Armas will pitch game two.

A lot from a little

A win is a win, and after dropping two straight games at home to a team that is 22 games BELOW .500, we'll take it.

On the surface, the 8-2 win over the Mariners looked like a strong effort from the Mets' offense. But then you notice that the Mets were actually outhit, 6-5, and that six of the eight runs were scored on three home runs -- two by the well-rested David Wright and the other by Jose Reyes. All of the runs came home in the first three innings, which means the Mets' offense returned to its natural state of hibernation the rest of the way.

Good thing John Maine was on the hill. One of the more frustrating things about this Mets team is the fact that they have such a solid 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation with Santana and Maine, so you'd think their fortunes would be better. Maine went six and allowed two runs on five hits with two walks, and the bullpen -- Heilman, Smith and Sanchez -- pitched three scoreless, allowing three baserunners.

A day off today, and then the madness begins with the two-stadium, day-night doubleheader Friday. I think most Mets fans would sign off on a split in a millisecond.

In other news, Brian Runge apparently apologized to Jerry Manuel, who it turns out is pals with father Paul Runge. The apology was certainly necessary -- Runge instigated the fracas by bumping Manuel prior to tossing him, which is what prompted Beltran to react the way he did (that, and a horrible strike call).

And ex-Yankee Shawn Chacon looks like he'll be available after a throw-down with Astros GM Ed Wade in the clubhouse. Now there's some fire in the belly.

The good and bad news: It's a long season

Just when you thought the Mets had something going, just when it looked like the rest of the season would mean something, they lose two terrible games to the Seattle Mariners, one of the worst teams in the league. The difference between Seattle and the Mets? Seattle fired their manager AND their GM. Food for thought, Omar.

We got the bad Ollie again, which didn't help, but once again the offense -- playing without David Wright, who had a much-needed day off -- was pathetic. These are the Mariners. Their pitching is horrible, and yet the Mets make them look like the 1970 Orioles. R.A. Dickey? Are you serious?

The only highlight was seeing some fire from Jerry Manuel and Carlos Beltran. As was noted on the broadcast, Brian Runge, like his father, isn't shy about showing up a player, and of course he took center stage after a terrible strike call on Beltran. He also bumped Manuel, and it was good to see how no one really pulled Beltran off Runge once he had been ejected -- they let him make his points.

Other than that, a brutal, brutal game. The only consolation is that everyone else in the NL East lost, too.

Manuel has promised changes. Surprising to see Claudio Vargas designated, although he did allow four runs last night. Hard to see how Perez' spot in the rotation is shaky if Vargas isn't part of the equation -- unless El Duque is ready to rise from the grave.

Felix the King, Johan the Jester

Yes, David Wright made an error with two outs to load the bases in the second inning. That's bad. But when the next batter is an American League pitcher who doesn't normally bat, and your pitcher is named Johan Santana, then the result should be 1-2-3 strikes you're out.

But what happened in Monday's game against the struggling Mariners is a testimony to the kind of bizarre season the Mets continue to have. Santana throws a high fastball out of the strike zone, the kind of pitch that Felix should have either fouled off, popped up or flailed at wildly. Hernandez shuts his eyes and hacks at it, and hits a grand slam.

Santana's line looked pretty good in the end -- seven hits and two walks over seven innings with only one earned run -- but obviously, there was a different story to tell.

Great job by Carlos Beltran to scratch out the only run, stealing home on a wild pitch and knocking out Felix in the process. But typical of the Mets' offense this season, they could not manage anything against the bullpen, and Seattle's pen is particularly bad. That was the hallmark of the Mets when they were playing well -- once they got into the opponent's bullpen, you knew they could do some damage.

Now, the Mets are one of only a couple of teams who haven't come back from a three-run deficit. That pretty much says it all.

Gangstas coming home winners

The Mets have won two straight series on the road and three of Jerry Manuel's five games as manager. They're finally back to .500, and guess what? The Phillies have lost seven of eight and are now tied with the Marlins for first place and only 3 1/2 games ahead of the Mets, who are only two back in the loss column with three games in hand.

Optimistic Mets fans have said all along that there's plenty of season left, and sure enough, the Mets are still in the hunt despite a tumultuous first 12 weeks. Mike Pelfrey pitched well again Sunday, winning his second straight - he hasn't lost since May 26. Carlos Beltran (who made a sliding catch to end Sunday' game that was millimeters from being a trap) made the Rockies pay for a two-out walk to David Wright by blasting a two-run homer in the third, and combined with Reyes' first inning triple and RBI single by Wright, that's all Big Pelf needed.

Pedro got hammered in the fifth inning Saturday and that's a concern, but generally the starters have pitched well, and the bullpen is settling down. More innings by the starters and more defined bullpen roles as per Manuel should help quite a bit.

Up next - the Mariners, who have already fired their GM and manager and make the Mets look stable. That series will be followed by the Yankees, with the two-stadium, day-night doubleheader Friday, beginning at 2 p.m. in the Bronx followed by an 8 p.m. tilt at Shea, with the next two games also in Flushing.

The projected pitching rotation: SEA - Monday, Santana; Tuesday, Perez; Wednesday, Maine.
NYY - Friday, Pedro and Pelfrey (not sure who gets which game); Saturday, Santana; Sunday, Perez

What we've been waiting for

A late-inning comeback? A ninth-inning hit with a runner in scoring position? A home run in extra innings? Billy Wagner slamming the door in the tenth?

Hey, that was special.

The first win of the Jerry Manuel era was something we've seen almost none of this season. Too often we've seen the other team take the lead and the Mets fail to step up. OK, so they waited for the last possible minute to step up, but they did it, and ended up beating the Angels two out of three.

Amazingly, Wright came into the game batting 1-for-20 in the ninth inning, but his single with two outs drove in Jose Reyes, who was on his best behavior. Reyes had three hits and scored three runs. The RBI was Wright's 54th of the season.

Damion Easley, starting at second base, blasted his second homer of the season in the top of the tenth, and Wagner pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the frame for the save.

The Angels scored three in the bottom of the fifth to take a 4-3 lead and it could have been worse for Ollie Perez. The Angels got two singles and walk to load the bases with none out, and then Vlad Guerrero singled in two as Manuel let Perez try to work his way out of the jam. Torii Hunter singed in the go-ahead run, and a fly out later, the Mets got fortunate. Wright made a nice play to throw out Guerrero at the plate, and then Castro picked off a wandering Hunter at second, with Wright making the final tag of the rundown.

Manuel himself pricked up some ears when he joked that if Reyes pulled a tantrum again, he'd knife him. "You know next time you do that I’m gonna get my blade out and cut you. Right out there on the field. I’m a gangsta now, you wanna get gangsta on me, I’m gonna have to get you now, you do that again, I’m gonna get you, right out there on the field."

So we've gone from "Yes, Joe, it's toasted" to straight up gangsta style. Can we get Lastings Milledge back?

Meanwhile, Willie confronted Manuel about a meeting the latter had with Tony Bernazard on the field last week at Shea. We know Willie and Tony hated each other, but Willie wasn't undermined by Manuel to Bernazard. That damage was done long ago. And you can't prevent the two from having a conversation, right on the field, no less.

Word to your mother.

Santana does Manuel no favors

The Mets really could have used a win in the first game of the Jerry Manuel regime, but unfortunately, Johan Santana didn't have it. And once the Angels had scored four runs, you knew it was over. Tatis at third? Reyes gone in the first? Easley at short? C'mon!

The real news of the day were the press conferences with Omar and Manuel, the former an exercise in tap dancing in the guise of honesty and the other a refreshing introduction of a guy who's already been here a couple of years.

Minaya did his best to take ownership of the firing, insisting it was his call alone, but we think he doth protest too much. If he made the decision Monday night after a win (the team's third in four games), why would he need to tell Willie "right away" to avoid the news leaking out? If Omar was the sole decision maker, who else would know to leak it?

Evidence suggests he was either told straight out to fire Willie or it was strongly suggested to him by ownership, most likely Jeff Wilpon, who is getting absolutely hammered in the press now. He has become the James Dolan to Fred's Chuck Dolan. Sad, but true.

If Jeff indeed coerced/forced Omar into the move, then of course other lackeys would know about it, which is why it was being reported as early as Saturday.

In any case, the Mets are taking a beating over it, and rightly so, but the silver lining is the move could actually be a good thing. Manuel's presser showed the new boss to be straightforward and candid while making it clear that baseball matters stay in the clubhouse and aren't to be bandied about in the press, which should make his players happy. In all, I got a very good vibe from Manuel, who made it clear that he wants to be the permanent manager.

Manuel was tested immediately when Reyes got hurt in the first at-bat of the game. Reyes, wanting to stay in the game, behaved badly on being removed, throwing his helmet and shunning Manuel. I believe Gary Cohen called it 'petulant.' But Cohen noted later -- after Reyes was seen in the dugout smiling and more or less hugging Manuel -- that if Manuel could make his point, take Reyes out, and have the shortstop understand the reasoning and apologize for showing him up -- then that's a huge positive, even though the team lost.

Can't imagine the same scenario playing out with Willie.

Like we said, a disgrace

It's bad enough when your favorite team frustrates you by performing below expectations on the field, as the Mets have for the past year. But when management shows that it has no idea how to run an organization -- as evidenced by the Willie Randolph firing -- I really have to question why I am investing so much time and energy in a team that has proven, again, that it is second-class all the way.

Let's recap: Two weeks ago, according to GM Omar Minaya, Willie had the "full support" of both Minaya and ownership. This past weekend, after a couple of blown saves by Billy Wagner (clearly Willie's fault), that "full support" was gone and Willie was simply the "manager today."

You could see it in Minaya's eyes when he made that inane comment while surrounded by reporters. What he was really saying was, "We're waiting for the team to lose a few more games so we will have an excuse to fire him." But Willie and the Mets didn't cooperate. They won 2 of 3 against the Rangers, then flew out to California with no day off and beat the Angels, 9-6, who have the third-best record in baseball.

Buster Olney's blog is a must-read on this. He notes that the Mets -- which he describes as a circus -- could have fired Willie on Memorial Day weekend but hesitated because it was a holiday. And they couldn't fire him on Father's Day. They could have done it during the rainout Saturday. But, no, they fly them out, watch them win - and then fire them.

If the decision had been made -- as the press reports said -- then they should have fired him immediately. Instead, they let Willie twist in the wind. And the leaks, according to Olney, really undermined Willie, especially with his own players. The front office is a travesty of a mockery of a sham.

Now, it's not Willie's problem any more. It's Omar's. Willie was Omar's shield. Now he has no one to blame but himself. All Rick Peterson did was help turn John Maine and Ollie Perez into 15-game winners. Is this retroactive payback for not fixing Victor Zambrano? And what did Tom Nieto do to deserve this?

Jerry Manuel is the new manager, retaining some thread of constancy, along with hitting coach Howard Johnson. Ken Oberkfell, the manager at Triple-A New Orleans, and Dan Warthen, pitching coach for the Zephyrs, will join the major league staff -- presumably, Oberkfell will be the bench coach -- along with Luis Aguayo, a Mets field coordinator.

Maybe a change was needed. Maybe people actually losing their jobs will spark some change, which may have already been happening. Maybe Oberkfell eventually becomes the manager, and he is pretty well-respected, as is Warthen. Maybe some good will come of all this.

But how it was handled was embarrassing. But this is the Mets, so it was not surprising.

The funny thing is that the Mets once again showed that they are more concerned with their image than anything else, yet STILL manage to handle the situation in the worst possible way, even from an image standpoint. "Yeah, let's fly the manager and coaches out to California and can them at 3 a.m. after a win so that it doesn't make the papers." Classy. And so what if it's not in the papers? Like TV and radio and the Internet are going to miss it?

Lots of speculation as to who is really calling the shots here. Fred Wilpon insisted Tuesday morning that this was Omar's call all the way, but it has been reported that Jeff Wilpon has not been a big Willie fan. Neither is Tony Bernazard, Omar's bag man. Several precincts are laying the blame for the leaks on Jeff Wilpon, which more or less forced Omar to make the move when he did.

I'm really looking forward to Omar explaining why Willie was fired and why it was handled this way. Watching him talk his way through that will be like watching a goat try and escape the embrace of a python -- the more it struggles, the worse it gets.

OK, then -- let's put it on Omar. He has the remainder of this season to figure out how to get a new righthanded power hitter to replace Alou in the outfield, get someone to spell Delgado at first base and shore up a leaky bullpen, without trading the few decent prospects -- like Jon Niese or Fernando Martinez -- the Mets have.

Good luck, Omar. You're really, REALLY going to need it.

The Willie Watch is a disgrace

I've been critical of Willie Randolph in this space before, questioning many of his decisions, particularly concerning his bullpen management, and noting that his effect on the club is probably neutral. And I've said that give the way the Mets have played over the last calendar year, that I wouldn't be surprised or disappointed if he was fired.

That said, it's become pretty clear that the Mets problems would likely not be solved by a change in manager and that the issues are almost all connected to personnel who are either underperforming (Delgado), altogether absent (Alou, El Duque), injured (Church) or who shouldn't be here in the first place (third catchers).

I'd love to sit here and talk about how the Mets won two of three from the Rangers before heading west to face the Angels Monday, but the Willie mess has dominated the back pages again, and it's an absolute joke.

It's tough enough to root for a team when it is losing or performing under everyone's expectations. It makes it worse when management -- and ownership -- makes the situation worse by proving to be at the very least clueless and at worst incompetent.

Buster Olney gets right to the point in his blog: If the Mets are evaluating their manager on an instance-by-instance basis of a single game in June, then they have gone insane. And Omar Minaya comes across more and more like a man interested only in protecting his own ass. Just last week he declared that Willie had his support and ownership's support. Suddenly, after a couple of blown saves by the closer and two wins against Texas, he's "the manager for today?"

I would LOVE to see Minaya step to the podium and be a man and say, "Willie is the manager for the rest of the season. And if you want to talk about accountability, we are ALL accountable. Me, Willie, the Wilpons, the coaches and the players. But we are not changing managers. End of story. He's here for the season and it's up to the players to get their act together and up to me to do what I can to make this team better."

Of course, that would put the pressure on Omar. Then again, so would firing Willie because Omar would be left holding the bag.

If Jeff Wilpon is leaking things to certain members of the media, shame on him. I'd rather have Hank Steinbrenner, who at least has the balls to speak his mind.

Instead, Willie makes the flight west with nothing but uncertaintly surrounding him, the players have to deal with the nonsense some more, and Omar looks worse by the day. Let's go, Mets!

If you want to fire him, FIRE HIM ALREADY! Omar met with Willie for an hour after Sunday's game and he's still the manager. So keep him already and make it clear!

The more this goes on, the more of a laughingstock this team becomes.

As far as the weekend action, great job by Pedro, and Maine didn't pitch terribly. One could quibble with Willie pulling him in the seventh with one out, but he'd thrown 105 pitches and allowed two baserunners already and Ramon Vazquez - a lefty who had already homered and singled off Maine - was coming up. Blame Pedro Feliciano for coming up small.

But credit Feliciano and Sanchez and Wagner for preserving a two-run lead to get Pedro Martinez the win in Sunday's second game. Six innings, six hits, a walk and four Ks was a nice performance for the home crowd -- thank God Robinson Cancel broke his nine-year MLB hitless streak with the bases-loaded pinch hit in the seventh. Now, thanks, Robinson, and go back to the minors.

Welcome to the Mets, Trot Nixon. It's the show that never ends.

Somehow we saw this coming

You hated to see Johan Santana leave the game, but you knew he had to. After seven brilliant shutout innings -- allowing just three hits and three walks with 10 strikeouts -- and 116 pitches,
the Mets had to hand the game over to the bullpen.

All you need to know about the Mets' pen this season can be answered with a question -- how confident were you that the bullpen could close out the game? Not very, I know.

It looked good when the Mets added two in the seventh to go up 4-0, but then it fell apart. Duaner Sanchez must have fallen pretty far in Willie's book after his terrible outing Tuesday because he didn't come in -- at all -- in the eighth inning. Instead, it was Joe Smith, who allowed a walk, a single and a two-run triple that halved the lead.

And then we know what happened with Wagner. Walk, infield single, double, walk, fielder's choice on a grounder that, had it been hit a little harder, could have been an inning-ending double play. But with the Mets' luck lately, of course that doesn't happen.

More damning than the bullpen woes, however, is the inability of the offense to put the game away. After the two runs scored with none out in the seventh, the Mets had the bases loaded and one out with the middle of the order up. But Wright fouled out and Beltran flied out. A hit by either one would have put the game away.

In the eighth, first and second with NOBODY OUT. Castro strikes out, and two flyouts later another opportunity is lost. Then in the ninth, Reyes leads off with an infield single, is bunted to second, but Arizona's defense came up big. Wright was robbed of a potential game-winning double by Augie Freakin' Ojeda, and then Easley was stymied by a diving stop by shortstop Stephen Drew. Again, terrible luck.

Heilman allowed a double in the 10th and then a bunt and a sac fly later -- see how simple! -- Arizona had the lead, and the Mets went quietly in the bottom of the frame, the game ending on a double play.

ESPN reported that Willie is now 'day to day' but the funny thing is that the Mets' most recent travails really have nothing to do with him. It has everything to do with poor execution and rotten luck, and a roster that has huge holes with Alou always hurt and Church out with the concussion.

Moves need to be made, Omar. And this time we're not talking about the manager's office.

Demons, begone!

The best part about Mark Reynolds' three-run, game-tying home run off Billy Wagner in the top of the ninth inning Wednesday night was the sight of the ball flying into the picnic bleachers past the DiamondVision screen, upon which was a summary of Reynolds' three previous at-bats:

STRIKEOUT
STRIKEOUT
STRIKEOUT

As Reynolds circled the bases, I pondered why Wagner threw a slider in that spot when Reynolds clearly had trouble with the fastball, and recalled that whenever Wagner gives up a bomb, it almost always seems to be on a bad slider, which when it doesn't slide, is really just a slow, fat fastball.

But then I got to thinking: With all the talk about the Mets' lack of heart, or talent, or leadership, or managerial acumen, or whatever it is you think the team is missing, perhaps what the club needed the most was an exorcism. The mojo or karma surrounding this team is approaching Poltergeist levels. On April 15 a guy died falling off an escalator, and the Mets' luck this season has been downright miserable.

Maybe the team needs that dwarf lady to come in and declare, "This house is clean." Perhaps we need to lob the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch into the clubhouse to blow any evil spirits into tiny bits, so that the Mets may feast upon the lambs and sloths and carp and anchovies and orangutans and breakfast cereals and fruit bats.

And then, after battling into the 13th inning, after David Wright fouled out to first and then pounded the dugout bench in frustration, with Luis Castillo on first base, Carlos Beltran blasted a two-run, walk-off homer to right to win the game.

Beltran, who bats cleanup but only has seven homers all season. Beltran, who gets criticized for not showing enough fire when it was he who has carried the Mets for significant stretches the last two seasons. It was fitting that Beltran provided the winning blast, and that Delgado and Reyes and Wright were there at the plate to dance on it, although to be honest the team looked too exhausted to celebrate too much.

But celebrate they should. Not only did they turn a potentially gut-wrenching loss into a thrilling victory, but they got a tremendous -- and one can only hope a career-altering -- performance from Mike Pelfrey, who pitched like the big, talented pitcher the Mets have expected him to become. He dominated with his fastball and sinker, challenging hitters and striking out eight, a career high.

Pelfrey hit two other career highs in the game for innings pitched (eight-plus) and pitches (112), so no one should have been surprised to see Wagner come in after the leadoff hit in the ninth. Sure, Willie could have left Pelfrey in for another batter, but more likely than not Wagner was coming into this game anyway. Unfortunately for Pelfrey, Wagner seems to be in one of his funks, with two straight blown saves on home runs.

The Mets chased Brandon Webb after five, touching him for three runs early and then literally hitting him hard when Delgado lined a shot off his hip. But of course, after the three runs in the fourth, the Mets could do nothing for eight innings, until Beltran's blast in the 13th.

The 13th inning. Maybe there is something karmic happening here. Wagner wears number 13. And in Florida, Dan Uggla hit a walk-off grand slam to beat the Phillies, allowing the Mets to gain a game on Philly.

There were no ectoplasmic explosions or anything to indicate clearly whether the demons are, in fact, gone. We'll know more today when Johan Santana faces Dan Haren in the afternoon tilt, when both teams will be tired. The Mets' spirits, though, should be uplifted.

Just plain exhausted

As you know, I usually DVR home games so I can watch them uninterrupted after my kids go to sleep. I set the end time to an hour after what it's programmed for, so I don't miss anything in case the game goes into extra innings -- if everything goes well, I can catch up to live before the taping stops.

So I'm watching the game last night, and it was one of those games where everything is going just great. The Mets had a 5-1 lead thanks to an RBI single by red-hot Carlos Delgado, a 2-run single by Moises Alou (who should be kept in a plastic bubble or hyperbaric chamber between games to maintain his health) and a two-run homer by David Wright.

The only blip on the screen early on (other than the thunderstorms on the radar) was John Maine's high pitch count, which forced him out after five innings at 101 pitches thrown. When Orlando Hudson hit a two-run homer in the fifth to make it 5-3, it didn't seem so bad.

Then, suddenly it seemed, the D-Backs had runners on second and third with two outs against Claudio Vargas, and Augie Ojeda pinch hitting. Just when you thought, "Damn, a single ties this game," a single tied the game. Augie. Ojeda.

Then came the lightning and the thunder and the anticipated delay, except by the time the game resumed, it was past 10:30 p.m. (when I set the DVR to stop recording) and when I got to that point in real time it was 11:30 p.m. So I switch to SNY to see that the Mets lost, 9-5, thanks to three home runs allowed by Joe Smith and Duaner Sanchez.

And that was that. I stayed up til almost midnight to see the Mets lose their fifth straight game and fall three games below .500. What a waste.

I was so annoyed, I didn't want to go to bed on that sour note. Luckily, VH1 was airing the 40 Most Softsational Soft-Rock Songs, a two-hour countdown that raised my spirits somewhat (man, that Orleans album cover) even though No.1 on the list was a no-brainer: Christopher Cross' "Sailing."

Had the Mets won, I would have been able to go to bed on time and get some sleep. Instead, I'm sleep deprived today and will likely have a crappy day at work. Thanks, Mets.

Not much to say at all

Willie Randolph is at a loss for words? So am I.

Here's where I'm at with these Mets. I have no expectations any more. Good, bad or otherwise. After all the angst and gnashing of teeth that was WillieGate, and then watching them win three straight series and go 7-3, only to drop FOUR STRAIGHT in San Diego, scoring only three runs TOTAL in the first three games before watching Billy Wagner allow a three-run homer to Tony "Big and Tall" Clark -- I have nothing left.

I can't get too high and I refuse to be brought down. I spent three nights DVRing the games and struggled to stay awake to watch them, only to be let down each time. Then, with Pedro on the mound Sunday afternoon, watched him scuffle through five innings, but at least the Mets had the lead and looked liked they would salvage a win.

I'm not trying to second-guess Willie, but I do question the eighth inning. Duaner Sanchez has first and second and strikes out Hairston for the second out. Lefty Jody Gerut is up with the pitcher's spot up next. Tony Clark is the only option left for San Diego (other than Barrett, the backup catcher) and you know he's going to bat for the pitcher.

Why not just let Sanchez finish the inning? It's Jody Gerut, not Tony Gwynn. You're up by two. Instead, Gerut gets a hit and now you have a lefty Wagner facing a righty power hitter in Clark. This was Willie managing scared, not trusting his eighth-inning guy to retire a 30-year-old journeyman.

But the Mets have far too many problems. Without Alou and Church the lineup has no depth and is terrible. Carlos Delgado is finally hitting, but Wright and Beltran were a combined .167 for the series, and the team's hitting with runners in scoring positions was (as always, it seems) abysmal.

So now the Mets trail the Phillies by 7 1/2 games and are 2 games under .500. There's no question that if the Mets are going to contend, they're in for a long haul. And while I'd rather see the Phillies hot now and not later, they have the kind of offense that could help them run away with the division, leaving the Mets desperate for a wild card.

Omar Minaya needs to make some changes. Raul Casanova? Abraham Nunez? Alou may be back Tuesday but he can't be counted on. And who knows what the deal is with Church -- he'll end up on the DL after all.

And here come the D-Backs, with Owings, Webb and Haren. At least the Mets will have Santana and Maine in 2 of the games, and Pelfrey's been pitching OK lately.

Even if the Mets win 2 of 3, they'll still be under .500. They have a LONG road ahead. If you're going to stick round for the ride, get comfortable. But don't get your hopes up.

San Diego is German for 'anemic offense'

I'm not sure if Josh Banks is a true star in the making or just another one of these young, inexperienced pitchers that look like the next coming of Bob Gibson when they face the Mets.

Five hits is all the Mets mustered against Banks and the Padres relief corps in a 2-1 loss that ended with Scott Schoeneweis' walk-off hit batsman. Seriously. Schoeneweis, who had been pitching well but has had two straight clunkers, walked two batters and induced a groundout before intentionally walking the bases loaded to face the fearsome Paul McAnulty.

The Mets' five hits all came against Banks, who threw six innings. They went hitless in the final three innings and overall looked pathetic at the plate. Only Jose Reyes showed any life, with two hits and reaching base three times. David Wright singled in Reyes in the sixth with one out, but then Carlos Beltran promptly hit into a double play.

Mike Pelfrey had a decent performance, limiting damage in his six innings, allowing eight hits and three walks on 112 pitches. The Padres, who can't score, outhit the Mets, 12-5. Johan Santana will look to end the nonsense Friday - hopefully the Mets will get him some runs.

Jose, Jose, Jose, Jose! He's back

Actually, Jose Reyes has been back for a while now, having reached base in 35 straight games with an 18-game hitting streak tucked in there, but now the team around him is starting to click as well. The Mets have won seven of their last 10 games and their last three series, taking game three against the Giants Wednesday.

Reyes (three hits) led off with a double and scored on Carlos Beltran's two-run double in the first inning when the Mets grabbed a 3-0 lead. Reyes blasted a two-run homer to deep centerfield in the fourth to give the Mets a 5-1 lead, and the Mets held on for the 5-3 win. Carlos Delgado also had two hits.

John Maine pitched well again, throwing six innings and allowing seven hits and a walk, striking out four for his sixth win of the season. Duaner Sanchez allowed a run in two innings of work and Billy Wagner came on for his 13th save of the year.

Thankfully, the Reds beat the previously red-hot Phillies, and the Mets find themselves 3 1/2 games behind Philly and 2 games behind the Marlins. The Mets are tied with Atlanta, but with Smoltz out for the year expect the Braves to fall short. They'll be tough, but they won't have enough to contend. (I think).

Pedro back to being Pedro

Pedro Martinez did much more than win in his return to the Mets Tuesday night. He restored confidence in a starting rotation that took a hit the night before with the pathetic effort by Ollie Perez. Pedro brought a swagger to the club that has been altogether absent for much of the season, but now that the team is winning again, that injection of Pedro could be the thing the team needs to keep moving forward and win consistently again.

He did in style, of course. Pedro threw six innings and 109 pitches, allowing three runs on seven hits and three walks, with three strikeouts -- two in the sixth inning when he needed them most, to get out of one final jam. He even had two hits and drove in a run as his mates gave hom plenty of run support in the 9-6 victory.

You couldn't have asked for more, and if Pedro is indeed healthy enough to finish the season at a high level, then the Mets have a lot to be excited about.

Willie looked like a genius in giving Castillo the night off in favor of Damion Easley, batting the righty second in the order against lefty Barry (Baked) Zito. Easley had three hits and capped off the Mets' eight-run fifth inning with a bases-loaded, three-run double that put the game out of reach.

Joe Smith and Pedro Feliciano each retired the side in order in the seventh and eighth. Scott Schoeneweis took a hit for the first time in a while, allowing a three-run homer in the ninth, but Wagner came on with one on and one out and two pitches later, got the save with a double-play grounder.

Jose Reyes saw his hitting streak snapped but he did reach twice on errors, extending his team-record, single-season mark for consecutive games reaching base to 34. John Olerud reached base 47 straight games over two seasons.

So Johan, Maine and Pedro has a nice ring to it, and has the added benefit of essentially making Ollie the fourth starter. Any job stability that Perez may have had is fast disappearing, and a few more starts like the last one may earn him a trip to AAA.

Ollie, Ollie, Ollie - Oy, oy, oy!

The one thing the Mets needed after a long flight to San Francisco was a solid start by Oliver Perez, who flew out early and was ostensibly well-rested. Instead, the guy lasted a third of an inning and allowed six runs. He has been absolutely awful at times this season and, like Hillary Clinton, can't be trusted.

Anyone thinking Perez was going to build on his success from last season, when he won 15 games, is fooling themselves. What words would you use to describe Perez? Immature. Inconsistent. Volatile. Unfocused. What words would you NEVER use to describe him? Poised. Mature. Steady. Bulldog.

So this guy, pitching with the pressure of New York and its expectations, coupled with him being in a walk year with Scott Boros telling him every other minute that has HAS to have a big year in order to really cash in -- you expected this guy to handle it and take his game up a notch? It's not happening. Perez is crumbling before our eyes and he shouldn't count on a spot in this rotation, not when Pedro is coming back (and, according to Pedro, El Duque isn't far behind) and Claudio Vargas has pitched so well.

Vargas threw 4 2/3 shutout innings in relief of Ollie and gave the Mets a chance, but the Mets offense blew it by stranding nine runners in the first five innings. When Muniz allowed four runs, that was that.

Jose Reyes extended his hitting streak to 18 games and tied a club record for reaching base in 33 straight games.

So, Pedro goes tonight against Barry Zito. Not a must-win game, but close.

And oh, by the way, Moises Alou says he would have caught that Bartman ball after all.

So this is what winning feels like

Ryan Church was back in the lineup Sunday night, and in a big way.

Cleared by doctors to return to the field after his concussion, Church had three hits -- including a double and his 10th homer of the season -- and now the Mets' turnaround truly feels complete. Johan Santana pitched well, the offense posted a big inning and the bullpen was once again flawless as the Mets won, 6-1, their fifth win in six games to complete a 5-2 homestand and get them a game above .500 as they embark on a West Coast road trip.

Just seeing Church's name in the lineup provided a boost, and then he literally provided a boost in the Mets' five-run third inning. With two outs and Reyes on third, Wright singles off Hiroki Kuroda, who just couldn't get that final out. Carlos Beltran followed with a monster two-run homer, and after Delgado walked, Church launched a blast to right that put the Mets up by five.

Santana allowed a run just two batters into the game, but allowed just four hits the rest of the way, pitching 7 2/3 innings. He walked three and struck out six to improve to 7-3 on the season. The Mets have won 9 of his 12 starts.

Reyes extended his hitting streak to 17 games and has reached base in 32 straight games, one shy of Darryl Strawberry's club record. Wright had three hits and drove in two. Castillo was back and went 0-for-5.

Hopefully, the Mets can continue winning on the road despite being forced to fly to San Francisco without an off day. Ollie Perez goes tonight and will either keep the good vibes going or be Debbie Downer. Then Pedro finally comes back on Tuesday night.