And this team is going to add Manny?

The Marlins are one of the fundamentally worst teams in baseball, and yet they are winners because they hit home runs and can score runs late. And now they may end up dealing Jeremy Hermida for Manny Ramirez. Yeesh. This team isn't going away anytime soon.

Mike Pelfrey was off his game and gave the Marlins a 5-1 lead, but what can you say about Gary Cohen? The guy predicted Damon Easley's three-run homer, noting moments before that Easley knew to hit it down the left field line, which he did, cutting the gap to 5-4.

Of course, there was a late Florida homer, a two-run shot by Dan Uggla off Joe Smith, that upped the lead to three, made more maddening by the Mets' rallying in the ninth and scoring a run that would have tied the score had it not been for that last blast.

It's trade deadline day and while the Mets wait on Ryan Church with folded hands and crossed fingers, and ponder whether to acquire another reliever, the Marlins may be adding the most dangerous hitter in baseball. The Yankees have certainly been active. Maybe Luis Castillo and El Duque will finally make it back. There's the spark we're looking for!

Guillen denies wanting out

Now, Jose Guillen is denying that he wants out of Kansas City, so who knows what's up with the mercurial outfielder.

If you look at his stats for the season, he has some pop and can drive in runs (14 HR, 69 RBI and 29 doubles through July 29) but he's batting .259 and his on-base percentage is an abysmal .287, 40 points lower than his career average. He also doesn't walk -- just 11 passes compared to 77 strikeouts.

He does have a plus arm in the outfield, and we know he can be a lightning rod. But there's no denying he would provide insurance in case Ryan Church does not come back 100 percent, and the Mets wouldn't have to gamble that Fernando Tatis can keep playing like he has the rest of the way. Guillen is a legitimate bat.

As far as his salary and if he fits into the future, understand that with his hamstring issues, Fernando Martinez hasn't exactly been blazing a trail to the majors and the Mets seem happy to take it slow. So the grand plan of opening Citi Field with F-Mart in the OF probably won't happen unless he absolutely lights it up in spring training next year.

So figuring Martinez starts 2009 in AAA, that gives you another year of Guillen, Beltran and Church in your outfield, which would be solid.

What KC would want back for him is anyone's guess, but we know the top prospects are untouchable.

In any case, it's interesting to talk about other possibilities other than Raul Ibanez.

That's why your sluggers don't bunt

As tempting as the overshift was to Carlos Delgado, it's a good thing he couldn't get a bunt down on the first pitch of his eighth-inning at-bat.

With no outs and David Wright on first, Delgado squared to bunt against the shift but the ball was high and tight. Sure enough, with the count 2-2, Delgado blasted a two-run homer to right (landing in a section of Mets fans - there were plenty of them at Dolphins Stadium) to give the Mets a 4-1 lead and the win.

We've seen Carlos Beltran bunt runners over and it is maddening. Middle-of-the-order hitters are there to drive in runs, not move runners around. Hopefully, Beltran took notes last night.

Nick Evans, getting the start in left field, had two hits and scored the first two Mets runs. Doesn't he look like Dave Magadan?

Ollie Perez threw six strong innings for the win, allowing five hits and three walks with five strikeouts. Aaron Heilman came up huge in relief with two scoreless innings, allowing one hit while walking two. With Duaner Sanchez having issues recently, you wonder if Heilman has worked his way back into the eighth-inning mix. Billy Wagner struck out two in the ninth for his 27th save of the season.

Meanwhile, the results of John Maine's MRI showed that he has a mild strain of the rotator cuff and he will likely skip his turn in the rotation and see how it goes. Gary Cohen announced the news ominously during an at-bat. "We have the results of John Maine's MRI," he said, pausing to describe the action on the field while Mets fans held their collective breath at home.

It's all about the drama, Gary.

Guillen an option for Mets OF?

File this under "things that make you go hmmmmm."

(Did I just reference C&C Music Factory? Oh, yeah.)

According to ESPN deportes, Royals outfielder Jose Guillen is extremely unhappy in Kansas City and is not even on speaking terms with manager Trey Hillman, and he wants out. Right. Now.

He is reportedly even willing to defer his 2009 and 2010 salary if it helps him get out of Dodge. He signed a three-year, $36 million deal in the offseason and is upset that the Royals have not made more of an effort to build a team that could contend within that window.

So there is your right-handed left fielder, Mets fans. Sure, Guillen can be volatile, but he plays hard and the Mets clubhouse isn't exactly filled with dynamite. And with Ryan Church still a huge question mark -- despite what Tatis is doing -- Guillen could be a nice addition down the stretch who may not cost the Mets much considering the state of the Royals and their clubhouse.

Like I said, Hmmmmmmm.

Uggla, Ugly

It's remarkable (I won't use the word amazing, as it is taken) that the Florida Marlins are in the NL East race at all. The pitching is unimpressive, and while the fish can certainly score runs, their baseball fundamentals are so bad you'd think they were managed by Willie Randolph.

What, too soon?

So losing to the Marlins in their warehouse of a ballpark is made triply frustrating by the knowledge that this is not just some upstart, ragtag bunch of scrappers but the team snapping at the heels of the Mets and Phillies, who must wonder when this annoying kid is going to go away.

Instead, the Marlins came back from a 2-0 hole to tie the game and chase an injured John Maine, then overcame a 3-2 deficit with five runs in the eighth inning off Joe Smith and Scott Schoeneweis. Funny that Duaner Sanchez finally got it together to pitch a scoreless seventh, only to be followed by Smith and Schoneneweis, whose turn it must have been to implode.

Fernando Tatis tripled and drove in two of the three Mets runs and Damion Easley knocked in the third. The top five men in the order combined to go 4-for-20, with Jose Reyes taking the 0-for-5. Somewhere, Ricky Nolasco earned a Cy Young vote.

Meanwhile, we hold our collective breath that John Maine's shoulder tightness is as benign as Billy Wagner's, and that he won't miss a start. But Maine, who pitched well his last time out, hasn't looked right for about a month now, looking uncomfortable, so there is ample reason for concern. Whither El Duque? Playing canasta with Moises Alou and Luis Castillo.

By the way, another reason to be wary of this series -- the umpiring crew features C.B. Bucknor and Country Joe West. Always good times.

UPDATE: Interesting piece in the Times about Tatis and how he was motivated to return to the majors by building a church in his hometown of San Pedro de Macoris.

Completely dominant

OK, so Johan Santana can throw a complete game after all.

A day after the Mets lost deep into the night in 14 innings, exhausting their bullpen in the process, Santana took it all the way and gave his relievers a break -- not that they had done him any good recently. Santana's complete-game six hitter (one walk, five strikeouts) kept the Mets in sole possession of first place and maintained their current streak of hotness. The Mets have won 11 of their last 13 at Shea and 15 of 19 overall.

Santana had plenty of run support this time, getting two hits himself (including a bizarre single deep down the RF line where it looked like he forgot he wasn't taking batting practice after the ball stayed fair) and driving in a run. Ramon Castro and David Wright homered and everyone in the lineup got a hit. Jose Reyes, Endy Chavez and Wright, the top three in the order, went a combined 7-for-15 and the Mets finished with 17 hits.

What can you say about Fernando Tatis? The guy was basically exiled from major league baseball and now that he has had his second chance, he ain't letting go. It's because of players like him that the Mets are contending again. He hit the game-tying homer in the ninth Saturday and hit a two-run homer in the sixth, followed two batters later by Castro's two-run blast that gave the Mets a 7-0 lead.

And then there is Carlos Beltran. I hope Joe Benigno and Mike Francesca and Chris Russo were watching this game. How anyone who pays attention cannot see that Beltran is not just a good centerfielder but a fantastic one is beyond me. The stats back it up, watching him every day confirms it. And then he tosses in a highlight-reel catch like he did Sunday, bringing a homer back into the ballpark. Amazing.

As hot as the Mets have been, the Phillies and the Marlins haven't gone anywhere, and you hope the team isn't peaking too soon. But I'd rather worry about that than be where we were two months ago, which was trying to stomach tremendous disappointment. Instead, baseball is fun again.

Rollin,' rollin,' rollin'

Last season, the Mets had a better record on the road than they did at home, which in itself was an indictment of how bad the karma was surrounding the club. Now, it's a totally different story.

The Mets improved to 31-19 at Shea with a 7-2 win over the Cardinals that saw another outstanding pitching performance by Mike Pelfrey. I was at the game and was happy to see Big Pelf pitch in person. For a guy who was called a bust by many a couple of months ago, Pelfrey looks like he has an almost unlimited ceiling. The confidence is flowing and he's a top-three pitcher now, not someone filling the fifth spot.

Jose Reyes came up huge again in a big spot, cranking a two-run triple with two outs after Adam Kennedy botched a potential double play grounder. Carlos Delgado also continues to rake, launching a two-run homer to right. And the Mets may have found themselves a new second baseman as Argenis Reyes launched a homer to right; he is hitting .333 and we know he can field.

With Damion Easley hitting the way he has, perhaps Luis Castillo can take his time on the DL, maybe play bridge with Moises Alou.

Duaner Sanchez is a concern and that's why you keep hearing about the Mets looking for bullpen help. He loaded the bases with none out in the ninth, and while we shouldn't have been sweating out a six-run lead, there we were. Pedro Feliciano allowed one run home but he and Aaron Heilman were able to close it out.

We did not stick around for Merengue Night, but I was able to brush up on my Spanish, which was nice.

Two out of three is pretty damn good

Talk about a reversal of fortune.

Carlos Delgado, who many fans, talk show hosts and writers wanted flushed out of Flushing, is playing like the Delgado of old.

Oliver Perez, whose inconsistency drove fans nuts, is pitching like an ace -- consistently.

The Mets are 9-4 against the Phillies, who beat New York 12 out of 18 last season.

Jimmy Rollins, lauded last season for doing such a terrific job as the Phillies' captain, needed to be disciplined for the second time this season and publicly disagreed with his manager's decision, a sign that the Phillies -- not the Mets -- are the most dysfunctional team in the East.

And, oh yes, the Mets are 21-12 under Jerry Manuel and are alone in first place after taking two of three from Philly, winning Thursday's afternoon tilt dramatically, 3-1.

Hard to believe that this is the same team that was so low under Willie Randolph, and maybe it was just a matter of the talent finally reaching its level, but the Mets are finally playing the way everyone hoped -- even expected -- them to, and they're doing it without their starting corner outfielders (or even Angel Pagan, who was supposed to spell Moises Alou).

It's a pleasure watching baseball again. Instead of waiting for the other shoe to drop, we look forward to seeing the Mets put the hammer down with a lead or rally back from behind. Guys are having fun again -- David Wright could have flattened a charging rhino with the fist pump he released after scoring on Delgado's double.

And can we lay off Jose Reyes, please? His home run trip wasn't a fraction as aggregious as anything Barry Bonds or Gary Sheffield or Manny Ramirez have ever done. And it absolutely amazes and disturbs me how Mets fans -- not the media, from whom we expect ridiculous spasms of outrage -- get on Reyes for every little thing.

Don't you remember 1986? Everyone hated the Mets. The curtain calls, Gary Carter, the high-fives, the perceived arrogance -- I want other teams to hate the Mets because it means the Mets are getting under their skin. And if the team plays better that way, all the better.

And that doesn't mean I condone showing up the other team. But almost nothing Reyes has done in particular or the Mets have done in general have been in that vein. So lay off and just enjoy the winning vibe, already.

Delgado's game-winning double was a fantastic piece of hitting. Too bad Perez didn't get the win, but hitting Howard after intentionally walking Burrell was a killer. Nice to see Heilman able to come into a huge spot and succeed, and good to see Manuel have the guts to call on him, which only bodes well for the stretch run. And Wagner was Wagner, again.

It doesn't get any easier this weekend with the Cards in town. I'll be at the game Friday night with my man Vince, in from Seattle with Rosie. The two Queens natives and die hard Mets fans wanted to see Shea one last time, and get an up-close look at Citi Field in progress.

And to see the Mets put a hurting on the Cards and Tony LaRussa, who we do not like.

Now that's more like it

The starter goes deep, one of your stars goes yard and your closer actually closes it. The Mets followed that script more or less to a 'T' and bounced back with a 6-3 win over the Phillies Wednesday night at a considerably more skittish Shea Stadium.

Given what had transpired the night before, who could blame the fans for being on edge, and when the Mets only managed two runs in the first despite Brett Myers' inability to throw a strike, you got a little nervous. Then Maine allowed back-to-back jacks to Victorino and Jenkins in the second and the frustration started bubbling up.

But Maine settled down from there and ended up going seven innings, allowing six hits and two walks with five K's. He got the win thanks to Jose Reyes, who blasted a three-run homer off his personal whipping boy, Ryan Madson.

Schoeneweis and Smith managed to get through the eighth and Billy Wagner made a triumphant return to the hill, tossing a 1-2-3 ninth for his 25th save of the season.

A great bounce-back win for the Mets, although they left a TON of runners on base and probably should have blown the Phillies out. But after Tuesday's absolute debacle, they'll take it and run.

SIDENOTES: Regarding the hoo-hah surrounding Santana not pitching the ninth inning, here's my take. Yes, I would have liked to have seen Manuel put Santana out there to start the ninth. Yes, I would have liked to have seen Santana ask for the ball. But Santana doesn't throw many complete games. Yes, he will give you six, seven, eight strong innings but the complete games are rare and, like almost every other starter in MLB, can't go much more than 100 pitches.

It reminds me of the line from Don Henley: "Those days are gone forever, I should just let 'em go." Starters don't go nine anymore. They're not trained to do so. It's not the 1970s. It sucks, but that's the way it is.

That said, the bullpen - Wagner or no Wagner - should be able to close out the ninth up by three runs. Case closed.

Also, condolences to Pedro Martinez, whose father passed away after a battle with brain cancer. He will return to the team after a Thursday funeral in the Dominican Republic.

Frustration, thy name is Mets

Biggest game of the season and I missed almost all of it, but for good reason. I was at a conference in Atlantic City (Phillies country), and after we wrapped things up Tuesday, my colleagues and I left the Trump Marina (strictly for the tour bus set) and hit the Borgata for dinner and the tables.

I caught Delgado's monster home run that gave the Mets the early lead at the bar of Ombra (a must if you love Italian food) and then enjoyed a two-hour dinner. By the time we left, I saw the Mets were up 5-2 in the ninth with the bases loaded and none out.

I could have stayed and watched at the bar, but I chose Pai Gow, and I'm glad I did. When we cashed in a little after midnight I was up $250, and was agita-free. Until the next morning, at least, when I read all about the bullpen implosion.

Johan Santana needed to stay in that game, and he needed to demand it. That he doesn't should concern any Mets fan. With no Billy Wagner, Duaner Sanchez needed to come up big and did not, and neither did Joe Smith or Feliciano, a remarkable string of failures that stings even more considering it happened against the Phils.

Yes, the Mets have come a long way and they are in the hunt -- but they need to beat the Phillies not only to be on top in the division but to drive a nail in the coffin of the collapse. Otherwise, the Phillies will have the mental edge over a Mets team that still has to prove it can win the big games and beat the better teams.

Ridiculous Pitch Count Leads to Managerial Fiasco in Brutal Loss

Last night's Mets game is being reported as a failure for the Mets to win the game due to the absence of closer Billy Wagner. WRONG!

There's one and only one reason why the Mets lost this game: the irrational acceptance of the most overhyped and completely arbitrarily derived statistic in the history of all sports, the pitch count. (okay, perhaps it's really the "hold" stat). Pitch counts are ridiculous. And to take out perhaps the best pitcher in all of baseball, who was still mowing down the Philly hitters in the eighth inning, just because his pitch count was over 100 is bad managing at best - in fact, it's the exact "by the book" managing that led to Willie Ran-"dolt"s firing to being with.

Here's the basic truth: With Wagner out, a bad Santana is better than a good anybody else in the bullpen. Read that sentence again. A BAD Santana is better than a GOOD anybody else in the bullpen. You gotta win that game against the Phillies with a 3-run ninth inning lead. Johan is a workhorse. If he's throwing 93 miles an hour in the first, and still throwing 93 in the eighth, call me crazy but he can pitch the ninth in my book. I don't want to hear the "we have to watch his pitchcount so he won't get hurt" excuse. The fact of the matter is this: if the pitchcount is such an important number, and all managers and fans have bought into the "taking out the pitcher after 100 pitches" mindset, then why are there more pitchers on the disabled list percentage-wise today than at any point in the history of modern-day baseball?

The answer is simple. The pitch count is made up. That's right, it's just a number someone made up. And if you need proof, consider this: Isn't it convenient that the pitchcount limit is generally thought to be 100 pitches? One hundred's a nice number. Not 120 or 125 or 137 or 96 or 140 or anything like that... hmmm, if I were making up a threshold, 100 is a nice number to pick. That's all it is - completely arbitrary... there's absolutely no basis in science or conditioning that says a pitcher can't go beyond 100 pitches. And I'm pretty sure the human body hasn't changed much since the days when Tom Seaver, Bob Gibson, Steve Carlton, and Jim Palmer were still throwing pitches well into the 10th inning.

And let's continue to think logically about this. There are only two reasons pitchers pitch in middle-relief. One is they're not good enough to start, and the second is they're not good enough to close. So by definition, your bullpen is the worst part of your baseball team. If that's the case - and logically you can clearly see it is - then why is it okay for managers to manage towards the greatest weakness of their teams? I thought the number 1 path to success was to play to your strengths. Instead, the pitch count has made it allowable for every major league manager to manage to their weaknesses, all the while having "the book" to point to in case events such as yesterday happens. After all, you can't blame Jerry Manuel. You're SUPPOSED to take your pitcher out before the ninth, whether he's dominating or not. It's exactly this thinking that's the cause of so many un-needed losses you see in all of baseball today.

Would it surprise you to learn that more runs are scored in the 7th and 8th innings than any other inning? I wonder why that is?.. Perhaps it's because that's when managers blindly turn to their bullpens after their starter has given them the required 6 innings and 100 pitches? And that the general public has actually bought into the concept of managing toward your weaknesses rather than strengths?

Finally, let's consider one more thing. If you're a pitcher, and you're inclined to be hurt for whatever reason (a la Mark Prior, Kerry Wood, Pedro Martinez, etc.), you're going to get hurt anyway, regardless of your pitch count. Look at how the Mets have babied Martinez over the past 3 years pitch count wise, and he STILL get's hurt. So if you're a pitcher, and you're inclined to get hurt, then why not just get the most out of someone when they're healthy instead of putting them on a pitchcount and watching them get hurt regardless.

Completely ridiculous stat created by the Players Association to provide pitchers with a way to end their day early. That's all it is - and it may have cost the Mets the division unless they bounce back with a well played game today. Jerry: STOP COUNTING!!!

Mets gain split - bring on the Phillies

Had the Mets beaten the Phillies just once down the stretch last year, the final-day loss to the Marlins might not have ended the season. Two wins out of seven would have secured a playoff berth, and then who knows?

Well, after a first half full of drama in Flushing, the Mets have the division there for the taking and the Phillies are in town, and what better way to bury the collapse than to stick it to the Phillies here and now, with the two clubs tied for first place. The Phils just lost two of three
to the Marlins -- who are just a half-game out -- and are 5-5 in their last 10, while the Mets are 11-2 over their last 13 games.

Mike Pelfrey gutted it out for seven innings, allowing six hits and a walk, though three of the hits were home runs, unusual for someone who had only given up four coming into the game.

The Mets led 4-1 in the fourth -- Castro hit a two-run homer in the third -- but the Reds put up four in the fourth to take the lead. Carlos Delgado -- who remains red-hot, going 3-for-4 -- tied it up with a single in the seventh, and the Mets had a great chance to go ahead in the eighth when Beltran inexplicably got caught stealing third for the second out.

Terrible.

But the Mets hung in there and got a gift in the 10th when Encarnacion threw away a potential double-play grounder, scoring a run. Then Jose Reyes barely scored on a sac fly to right.

Wagner got his 24th save but after the game complained of lingering shoulder "tightness." He'll have an MRI Monday. Duaner Sancez got the win, his fifth.

Jose Reyes was 4-for-6 with a triple, his 11th of the year and club-record 63rd of his career. He also picked up his 33rd steal.

The Phillies series begins Tuesday night with Johan Santana pitching against Joe Blanton, the Mets' big off-season acquisition versus the Phillies' big in-season pickup.

Needless to say, this game is exactly why the Mets got Santana, and if he does not win, you will hear it from the fans, despite how well Santana has pitched this season.

Hopefully, the Mets will score a few for him.

Better late than never - Make it 10

More adventures in DVRing: I set the DVR to record until 10:30 p.m., figuring 3 1/2 hours was plenty of time to get the game in, and there was a good chance I'd catch up to live TV anyway.

So imagine my disappointment when the recording stopped in the bottom of the eighth inning last night. Wha? Oh, well, after Schoeneweis gave up the three-run double, the prospects looked pretty grim.

Imagine my joy, then, when I quickly discovered the Mets actually won the damn thing, scoring four in the ninth -- on six straight hits -- off Reds closer Francisco Cordero, including a two-run homer by David Wright (who's becoming Mr. Clutch) to tie the game. But it didn't stop there. Beltran, single. Easley, single. Delgado, single, Beltran scores. Tatis, double, Easley scores -- all of this with one out in the top of the ninth.

Enter Sandman, and Wagner tosses the 1-2-3 ninth for the save, the All-Star game just a bad memory.

Make that 10 in a row now for Los Mets Nuevos, who are now tied for first place with the Phillies.

Delgado hit one out of the stadium to give the Mets the early 2-0 lead, but Santana was not on his game. He gave up back-to-back jacks to tie the score, and then allowed a double and a triple for three more runs, all of this in the fourth inning, his last. The five earned runs were the most Santana has allowed this season.

But the Mets battled. A pinch-hit single by Nick Evans and a walk to Schneider set up Wright with two outs in the top of the fifth and he delivered, with a two-run single that cut the gap to one. One inning later, Tatis -- say what you want, the guy is white-hot right now -- somehow lined a two-run homer to the opposite field to put the Mets ahead.

Carlos Muniz and Pedro Feliciano kept the Reds off the board, but Heilman faltered in the seventh after retiring the first two batters. He loaded the bases, Schoeneweis came in, and Javier Valentin made him pay. When the Mets couldn't get anything off David "I was done three years ago" Weathers, it looked bleak.

But these are the New Mets, under New Management, and they look pretty formidable, don't they? Sure, Pedro needed a cortisone shot for his groin and will have his start pushed back, and El Duque's foot still hurts, and Church isn't back yet, but with the whole roster contributing, the team at least is one you can root for again.

And the winning ain't bad, either.

It's a confidence game

Nine wins in a row. Four shutouts in six games. Just four runs and only 20 hits allowed in those six games.

Two-out hits. Three-run homers. Brilliant bullpen work. Guys stepping up off the bench.

Yes, these are the same New York Mets that Willie Randolph commanded through the first 2 1/2 months of the season, but the attitude and the vibe and the results are much, much different. Certainly credit Jerry Manuel for being able to reach the players and take control of what was a terrible situation. Credit Omar Minaya (it was "his call," remember) for pulling the trigger and giving Manuel and Warthen et al a crack at turning things around.

And credit the players for being able to shake off the doldrums and start playing the way we've been expecting them to play all along.

Particularly Mike Pelfrey, who is pitching like an ace. Big Pelf hasn't allowed a run in 16 innings and has thrown back-to-back shutouts, winning six straight starts. He was dominant again Sunday night on ESPN, going eight innings and allowing no walks and seven hits with five strikeouts and 15 ground ball outs (including three double plays - one featuring a terrific turn by Easley).

Again, the Mets grabbed the lead early and gave their starter something to work with, again with a three-run homer, this time by Carlos Beltran. And again, they kept adding to the lead, with a single by Reyes in the second, a sac fly by Evans in the fourth and then a two-run homer by Delgado in the fifth, an absolute bomb.

In a season where so much was negative, there's plenty of positives. Every Mets starter has a winning record. The bullpen is looking better and better. Reyes is the first player in history to have 10 homers, 10 triples, 20 doubles, 40 RBI and 30 steals before the All-Star break (according to ESPN last night).

Sure, Pedro's shoulder barked Saturday (in a one-hitter by committee against the Rockies) but he insists it'll be fine. We'll see. The second half has a much easier travel schedule and, perhaps, the cloud of the collapse has finally blown away. Enjoy the break, and we'll look for two of three in Cincy.

Break out the brooms; Alou gone

So what does a three-game sweep of the Giants really mean? Maybe not much, but considering how the Mets' season has gone, and considering their frustrating inability to put lesser teams away, the sweep -- coming on the heels of three straight wins against the Phillies -- was still very much welcomed and at least shows the doldrums are over.

John Maine just didn't have it, despite allowing just two hits in 4 1/3. He struggled with his pitch count and walked five, the worst being the walk to Barry Zito in the fifth with one out. A walk to Fred Lewis followed, and then Maine got Burriss for what should have been the final out of the inning. But Randy Winn, one of the few somewhat dangerous hitters the Giants have, got up and doubled in two.

But these new Mets are showing more fight than Willie's boys did, and Fernando Tatis is looking like the second coming of Jose Valentin. His two-run homer in the seventh jump-started a four-run rally that saw a key Giants error and an RBI single by Reyes (Jose).

The bullpen, again, was brilliant, with Muniz, Schoeneweis, Sanchez and Wagner allowing just one hit. Wagner needed just five pitches - all strikes - to finish the ninth.

So the red-hot Mets will move on without Moises Alou, who tore a hamstring trying to rehab his calf. He redefines the word 'brittle,' but at his age, can we be surprised? He certainly produced when he was in the lineup, but at this point it's a relief to not have to wonder when he might be back. Of course, Omar needs to bring in a full-time player, especially with Church's status unclear. Sammy Sosa, anyone?

And I'm glad in a way that David Wright isn't in the All-Star game, if only because I'd rather see this team have the rest. But it is an absolute joke that he is not in the game - he's second in the league in RBIs - and Reyes should be in there over Miguel "What's my age again?" Tejada. UPDATE: Wright was named Friday afternoon as the replacement for the injured Alfonso Soriano. Here's hoping he homers in the House that Ruth built.

So we'll take the days off and come back fresh, with sights set on first place.

Unless they get there after the Rockies series. The Good Ollie goes tonight.

Mmmmmm... donuts

It is remarkable that in his six starts prior to Wednesday night's game against the Giants, Johan Santana had an ERA of less than 2.50 and yet the Mets were still 0-6 in those games. But it happens sometimes, when a team just can't put up runs for its best pitcher; we saw it with the Mets a few years back with Al Leiter.

And who knows why it happens. Maybe the hitters are too relaxed thinking they don't need to put up a big number so they end up putting up nothing, or maybe they're pressing to try and get their main guy another win.

So it was nice to see Santana finally get a win, and it was another shutout, the Mets' second straight against a Giants team that's less offensive than Wayne Brady. Santana went five innings and allowed three hits and three walks, and came out after a 45-minute rain delay. Aaron Heilman threw two hitless frames, and Sanchez and Smith closed it out.

For the second straight day, a three-run homer gave the Mets the lead, this one by Ramon Castro to cap a two-out rally started with a double by Carlos Delgado. Tatis battled Jonathan Sanchez and drew a walk, and then Castro went yard. The Mets again tacked on runs late - a nice trend - adding two in the eighth on consecutive singles by Reyes and Reyes.

Delgado had three hits and has raised his average to .249. He has 16 homers and 50 RBI, which means he's on pace to hit 29 and 89, and considering his second-half batting average over the previous three seasons is .290, he'll end up hitting around .265. Yes, his defense isn't great (to quote Dennis Miller, he has as much range as Larry Storch on F-Troop) but for an aging slugger in the final year of his contract, that ain't bad.

We'll see if the shutout streak can continue this afternoon as John Maine takes the hill against Barry "Thank God the Mets didn't shell out the big bucks for this clown" Zito.

That was easy

Even the most hardened, cynical, frustrated Mets fan had to feel good about Tuesday night's win over the Giants. A 7-0 shutout, 14 hits, a great performance again by Mike Pelfrey, tacking on runs, chasing the opposition's best starter (recently featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated, no less). It doesn't get much more complete than that.

Ron and Keith sounded like two tween girls gushing over Zac Efron in their praise of Pelfrey and his continued resurgence, talking about his increased confidence and how he just looks like a completely different pitcher. And they're right. Pelfrey sometimes seems as if he's been here forever but he's only 24 -- way too soon for the word 'bust' to be thrown around, which was happening earlier this season.

Huge homer by Beltran to give the Mets the early lead, and then it was great to see the runs added on late, on the solo homer by Delgado (who could hit 30 homers this season, all you haters) and then two more in the seventh with another RBI by Beltran. And of course Tatis goes yard.

Would it be greedy to demand a sweep? It's certainly possible given the opponent and the way the Mets are hitting and pitching. A win tonight and they'll break out the brooms Thursday.

Three out of four the hard way

And... exhale.

Whether it was 10-0 or 10-9, a win is a win is a win, and the Mets escaped with a win Monday night in Philly, taking the final three games of the four-game set, moving a game above .500 for the first time in more than a month, and inching within 2 1/2 games of the Phils for first place in the NL East.

But boy, it wasn't easy.

It looked like it would be at the start, with the Mets grabbing a quick 5-0 lead on Adam Eaton, who was 5-0 against the Mets coming into the game. And with Pedro pitching much better than he had been recently, the Mets found themselves with an 8-0 lead after three and a 10-1 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth, when Pat Burrell homered off Pedro. One double later, Pedro was gone, having thrown 5 1/3 solid innings.

The lead was shakier than it looked. Ryan Howard's two-run homer off Tony Armas - disputed by Jerry Manuel, who was ejected - made it 10-5, and then Geoff Jenkins' two-run shot off Aaron Heilman in the eighth cut the gap to 10-7. Enter Billy Wagner, who allowed a double and a walk before striking out Howard and getting the ever dangerous Burrell to fly out. Feliz singled in a run and Beltran's poor throw to third scored the Phillies' ninth run and let Feliz advance to second, but Wagner got Werth to fly out to right to end it.

Wright had two hits, including his 17th homer, and four RBI, giving him 70 on the season -- and he's not an All-Star? Come on. Chavez, Easley and Tatis -- three guys you wouldn't pencil into the starting lineup coming out of spring training -- had three hits each. Reyes and Delgado each had two hits as the Mets piled up 17 in the game.

You've gotta beat the teams you should beat, and the Mets have not done that this season. Now is their chance, with six games at Shea against the Giants and the Rockies before the midsummer classic. Four of out of six -- let's see it!

Fightin' in Philly

Maybe these aren't the same old Mets.

Sure, the offense failed repeatedly with runners in scoring position, and the closer blew a save in gut-wrenching fashion, but the end result was a win -- thanks to a supremely clutch hit -- and it was a win against the Phillies, in Philly, that secured at least a split of the four-game set that ends Monday night.

Wagner's blown save should have killed these Mets, but they showed toughness, especially the bullpen, which was superb. Joe Smith has pitched well all season, but his effort Sunday night was particularly strong, throwing 2 1/3 innings with no room for error. Except for the occasional hiccup, the Mets' bullpen -- with Heilman, Schoeneweis, Sanchez and Feliciano -- has gotten better in recent weeks, and maybe that has something to do with Manuel's more consisteny usage. Who knows? We know the pitchers prefer that approach, and confidence is everything.

Just look at Oliver Perez. Since Warthen gave him the freedom to make adjustments to his delivery, Perez has been not just the Good Ollie but the Great Ollie in his last two starts. He threw seven innings of shutout ball Sunday, allowing just four hits and two walks. If this isn't just a short-term improvement, it is a huge boost for a staff that has also seen more consistency from Mike Pelfrey. Now if only Pedro could get it going...

Carlos Beltran drove in the Mets' first two runs with a solo homer and a single in the ninth that provided a much-needed insurance run. Beltran had three hits, but Wright, Delgado and Easley went a combined 3-for-15 around him. Reyes and Chavez went a combined 5-for-11 so the baserunners were there. Chavez also made a tremendous running catch in right.

And then there's Tatis, who has had three game-winning hits this season. We joked about him when he came up, but give him credit -- he has played hard and has been a very good bench player and spot starter.

So now the Mets have yet another chance to break above .500 and an opportunity to take 3 of 4 from the Phillies as Pedro faces Met-slayer Adam Eaton Monday night. Although you could live with a split, the Mets aren't exactly playing with house money. Taking three in Philly would be a huge statement that the Mets are far from done and are, in fact, poised to start doing some regular damage.

We hope.

The Flushing two-step continues

It may sound tough to do so right now, but Mets fans should be patient with Pedro Martinez. Yes, he 's pitched terribly -- Wednesday night was Pedro's third straight clunker, and in those games he has pitched 15 innings, allowing 22 hits and 17 runs -- but as Keith Hernandez pointed out in the telecast, he seems healthy and he has decent velocity. And we'll assume he's no longer tipping his pitches. He just hasn't figured it all out yet.

After a miserable, four-run first inning, Pedro actually pitched pretty well, allowing no hits over the next 3 2/3 innings until Rick Ankiel -- a mistake hitter if I ever saw one -- popped a solo homer to give the Cards a 5-4 lead. So other than the shaky first and one bad pitch to a dangerous hitter, Pedro could claim some progress. But the Mets need more than that - they need innings and wins.

The Mets had rallied from four down, getting three in the third on a Beltran double and a bases-loaded, two-out single by Damion Easley (three hits). The Mets tied it in the fourth on a triple by Reyes and a sac fly by Chavez. Down by one in the seventh, the Mets scored three to go ahead 7-5, the last run coming on a two-out, pinch-hit single by ex-Cardinal Fernando Tatis.

Aaron Heilman tossed a perfect seventh but hit the first batter of the eighth. Tony LaRussa sent Chris Duncan, a lefty, to pinch hit and Jerry Manuel countered with lefty Pedro Feliciano. No one has defended Feliciano more than me ... OK, maybe his parents .. but he's been tough to defend this season. Sure enough, Duncan swats the first pitch for a game-tying two-run homer.

It got worse, of course. Carlos Muniz came on to pitch the ninth against the heart of the Cardinals order. He retired Pujols and got Ankiel to fly out to the wall in center. But then Troy Glaus, who homered in the first against Pedro, hit a walk-off just out of the reach of Endy Chavez in left, and the heartbreak was complete.

One step forward, one step back. The Mets go for the split Thursday night with Big Pelf on the hill.

Like night and day

Funny how the Mets' fortunes change from one day to the next. On Monday, the team looked as lifeless as Peter Fonda in "Thomas and the Magic Railroad." One night later, they bang out 14 hits and seven runs in St. Louis, with almost everyone contributing to the attack.

OK, so it's not funny. It's incredibly frustrating. Every time the Mets have one of these games, we think, maybe this is the game that will spark the team to winning 15 of 20. Maybe this is the start of the run we've been waiting for. But it hasn't happened yet.

Tony Armas, leading the league in ERA in AAA, was called up for the start and pitched well, allowing four runs on eight hits and a walk in six innings. After a two-run homer by Rick Ankiel in the first and a run-scoring double in the second, Armas settled down and allowed the Mets to stage an actual comeback.

Ramon Castro, who should be starting 2-3 times a week, doubled in two in the third to tie the score, and singled in a run in the Mets' three-run fifth. David Wright homered in the sixth in his three-hit game, and Carlos Delgado also had three hits. Ryan Church added two hits as he looks to be completely healthy again.

The bullpen was outstanding once again, with Heilman, Feliciano and Sanchez holding the fort for Billy Wagner, who set the Cards down in order in the ninth with two strikeouts. Sanchez did take a liner off the leg on what turned into a 1-5-3 out, but he seemed to be OK.

Pedro goes tonight and the Mets could really use a good performance from him. Hopefully, he won't tip his pitches this time.

St. Louis Blues

John Maine didn't have it at all Monday night and the Mets got off to a horrible start on what could be considered a crucial 8-game road trip through St. Louis -- the NL Wild Card leader -- and Philadelphia.

Maine lasted just four innings and never looked comfortable, allowing seven hits and walking three. The Cards scored in each of the first five innings and that was that. Kyle Lohse was on his game, throwing seven strong innings, allowing five hits and two walks with four strikeouts.

Really not much more to say about it -- the Mets looked flat again, as they did so many times with Willie Randolph in the dugout. And now Tony Armas will pitch Tuesday night, followed by Pedro and then Mike Pelfrey. Armas has pitched to a good ERA in New Orleans but has a losing record, so who knows what to expect?