Boom goes the dynamite

Carlos Beltran had been showing signs of becoming the player who would carry the Mets down the stretch, and then Friday night he put up a billboard.

Beltran's two-out grand slam in the top of the ninth erased a 2-1 Marlins lead and put the Mets up by three. Of course, the win was far from secure, as Luis Ayala struggled after getting the first two outs and finally closed it with two runs in, the tying run on third and the winning run on second.

Hey, a win's a win.

Beltran knocked in all five runs for the Mets, who got six innings from Ollie Perez, who walked five and allowed three hits. The Mets put runners on base against Florida starter Chris Volstad but couldn't get them home, and then had a wonderful opportunity in the seventh with the bases loaded and one out.

Luis Castillo grounded into a force at home, and David Wright struck out to end the inning. Both players got redemption in the ninth when Castillo got a two-out single to start the rally. Wright singled, Kevin Gregg hit Carlos Delgado in the shin, and then Beltran blasted the first pitch he saw, a hanging slider, deep over the wall in right. Mayhem ensued.

Oh, yes, the Phillies lost in Chicago, and likely watched as Beltran gave the Mets the win. That puts the Mets two games up in the NL East standings, with Mike Pelfrey facing Ricky "I can't believe I have 13 wins" Nolasco on Saturday.

Devastating loss? Not really

Charlie Manuel has got some 'splainin' to do...

Keith Hernandez hit it on the head when he noted that 30 years ago, your closer always came into the game when it was on the line, with men on base, whatever inning it was. Now, they're so groomed to pitching only the ninth and starting the inning that they look like scared 12-year-olds in the Little League World Series when they're asked to deviate at all from their comfort zone.

Charlie Manuel knows this. He also knows that Carlos Delgado is swinging the bat like a bad mother and that he flat-out owns the aged Rudy Seanez. Maybe because Seanez needed just one more out and had just struck out David Wright, or maybe he just wanted to avoid forcing Lidge to make the four-out save, he kept Seanez in to face Delgado.

Thanks, Chuck.

Delgado, of course, knocked his second homer of the game over the short porch in left to tie the score, and then the Mets proceeded to beat up on Lidge. An infield single by Carlos Beltran, a ridiculously easy stolen base, and an intentional walk to the still-rusty Ryan Church put Daniel Murphy up in a huge spot.

Here's why I blog and don't get paid big bucks to manage: I wondered if Endy Chavez should have bat for Murphy, figuring he'd come in for defense anyway, and was a more seasoned hitter against Lidge, especially with Murphy in an 0-for-16 skid. But Jerry Manuel gives his players a chance, and Murphy delivered big-time. Then Brian Schneider dinked a clutch double down the line and the Mets had a three-run lead.

I cringed when Gary Cohen, as the bottom of the eighth commenced, commented that if the Mets won the division, the Phillies would look back on this game and Charlie Manuel's decisions as crucial. Talk about putting the cart before the horse! With the Mets' bullpen? The Mets still needed six outs and only had a three-run cushion! You're talking about the division title? Shut your mouth.

Of course, Mets relievers got six straight outs after being given the lead, two by Pedro Feliciano, one by Joe Smith and three in the ninth by Luis Ayala. Wright made a fantastic play on a grounder by Shane Victorino, and anyone out there still criticizing Wright's defense just isn't paying attention. He stays at third for the forseeable future. Please.

Johan Santana pitched well, but not great, getting out of jams in the fifth and sixth. Give Brian Stokes credit for a scoreless seventh.

So the Mets get a well-deserved off day before visiting Florida while the Phils head straight to Chicago for four against the Cubbies. Have a nice flight, Rollins.

Just get the split, please

"People are going to have to get people out."

That was Jerry Manuel's postgame assessment of Tuesday night's awful loss to the Phillies. It's bad enough you blow a 7-0 lead after four innings, but to allow the Phils to win in walk-off fashion and take over first place -- that had better light a fire under these Mets, who slept through the final eight innings offensively.

Yes, Luis Ayala should have been able to retire Eric frickin Bruntlett to end the game, but he has little closer experience. (I bet you miss Billy Wagner don't you?) And to be honest, the lost 7-0 lead doesn't bother me that much since it that was the score fairly early in the game and once the Phillies posted five in the fifth, especially in that park, it was anyone's ballgame.

But of course the media will make a big deal of the blown 7-0 lead, as if that was the score in the eighth.

What bothers me more is the lack of offense after the fifth. Nothing. Nada. Sure, they slapped Jamie Moyer around, but then the bats took the night off. Meanwhile, the Phillies rallied to win. Awful. It stings.

But that's one of the reasons the Mets got Johan Santana, and if he can win Wednesday night, the Mets will be back in first, status quo. This is a stopper game, and we'll see if Santana can do the stopping and if his lineup can remember how to hit a ball.

Pelfrey, Delgado del-got-it

Winning teams have players that can carry the club when times get tough. With the closer and No. 2 starter gone and a bullpen that's as dependable as an out-of-work brother-in-law, the Mets, thankfully, have players like Mike Pelfrey and Carlos Delgado stepping up.

Delgado hit twin three-run jacks -- one to left and one to center -- while Pelfrey posted his second consecutive complete game, a near-shutout in the Mets' 9-1 win over Houston Monday night. The victory split the four-game series and kept the Mets a half-game ahead of the Phillies, who completed a sweep of Los Angeles. Thanks, Dodgers!

The Mets and Phils play a two-game series in Philly Tuesday and Wednesday, with Pedro and Santana throwing for the good guys. Jaime Moyer pitches for Philly on Tuesday, so expect few runs by the Mets. In fact, bet the mortgage. They can't hit the guy. He throws 50 miles an hour, but he is wily!

Pelfrey allowed just six hits, walked none and struck out six, and now has 13 wins, not bad for a guy who could best be described as "maybe the fifth starter" in spring training. Now he's the horse. Saddle up and ride!

Pelfrey is the first Met to throw consecutive complete games since Bret Saberhagen in 1995. David Cone was the last Met to throw three straight complete games, turning the trick in 1990. The Mets are 14-3 in Pelfrey's last 17 starts.

Incredible. Mike Pelfrey.

Meanwhile, Delgado is on track to finish the year with 30-plus homers, 100-plus RBI and hit about .260. I have a hard time kicking a guy like that to the curb.

Those damned Astros

The Astros? Really? How do the Astros come in and win two of the first three games against a team that had been humming along rather nicely?

Some would say, "That's baseball." We say, "That's the Mets." Inconsistency, thy name is Mets.

It's not just that the bullpen failed again Sunday -- in fact, only two guys failed: Aaron Heilman and Pedro Feliciano. Joe Smith, Scott Schoeneweis and Luis Ayala pitched 2 1/3 scoreless before Feliciano blew up in the 10th. No, the offense was equally culpable on Saturday and Sunday, going long stretches without scoring, mostly against a Houston bullpen that shouldn't strike fear into anyone.

Of course, Carlos Beltran homers twice in Sunday's loss. To Joe Benigno, surely that's worse than going 0-for-4.

Ollie Perez allowed four runs but didn't pitch badly, allowing four hits and a walk with eight strikeouts.

Will David Newhan be haunting the sleep of the Mets and their fans this winter?

Meanwhile, John Maine may be done for the year with a bone spur in his shoulder. Awesome. Jonathan Niese, it's your turn to follow in the footsteps of Daniel Murphy and Nick Evans. Or will we see more from Tony Armas or Claudio Vargas?

Oh, yes, the Phillies rallied to win in the 11th and trail by just a half game with two games in Philly looming Tuesday and Wednesday.

One game to get redemption against these damn Astros Monday night at Shea, Pelfrey against Moehler.

Sweeping away the Braves

It's too bad the Braves are so bad this season, because sweeping them just isn't the same.

The Mets rallied back after losing their 3-1 lead, tying the score in the seventh and winning the game in the bottom of the ninth, with Carlos Delgado providing the hit each time. Delgado went 5-for-5 in the game, and while his final two at-bats were hits, the putrid Atlanta defense played a role in each play.

In the seventh, Delgado hit a grounder towards right that was snared by a diving first baseman Martin Prado, making his first career start at the position. But pitcher Will Ohman, brought into the game expressly to pitch to Delgado, was late covering the bag and Prado's toss was behind him. Nick Evans scored on the play, tying the score, 4-4.

In the ninth, David Wright hit a one-out double and Vladimir Nunez intentionally walked Carlos Beltran to face Delgado, who hit a liner to left. Omar Infante lost it in the lights and it deflected off his glove, allowing Wright to head-first slide home with the winning run. Luis Ayala, who pitched the final 1 1/3 innings, got the win.

Pedro Martinez pitched well for seven innings and was lifted after allowing a leadoff hit in the eighth. Although Yunel Escobar homered off Pedro's first pitch of the game, Martinez settled down nicely, allowing seven hits and a walk while striking out six. He allowed three runs in the sixth to give Atlanta a 4-3 lead.

Wright had three hits in the game, including his 25th homer of the season, which gave the Mets a 3-1 lead. Delgado had three RBI and now has 84 on the season. It's possible he can hit 100 RBI, not bad for a guy who many were killing in June.

Delgado has a team option for $12 million next season, and if the Mets decline it they must buy him out for $4 million. So the difference is $8 million for one season. Delgado has certainly played much better and seems more involved and leader-like since Willie Randolph left. Do you pay Delgado for another year at a cost of $8 million, or would the Mets really be pushing their luck? It's an interesting decision and how the team and Delgado does the rest of the way will go a long way in determining the outcome.

Now that the Braves are done, the Mets can get some payback against the Astros, with four games at Shea. Three wins, guys.

Go. Big. Pelf.

Everyone loves a complete game, especially when your bullpen sucks.

Mike Pelfrey has been one of the best pitchers in the National League since the All-Star break and he came up huge Wednesday night against the Braves, throwing a complete-game three-hitter in a 6-3 Mets victory. Pelfrey was aggressive and let his defense work for him, getting 15 outs in the air. He walked three and struck out three for his first complete game in the majors. Pelfrey is 10-2 since May 31.

The Mets jumped on Jair Jurrjens early, scoring five in the first two on a bases-loaded single by Daniel Murphy, who should never have to buy a drink in this town again. An infield single by Fernando Tatis and a throwing error plated two more runs, and then Big Pelf helped his own cause with an RBI single.

David Wright added a solo homer in the fifth, his 24th of the season.

The Mets had two complete games last season -- they have three in their last 23 games. Think the bullpen woes have anything to do with that? Hmmmmmm.

The Mets are 4-7 against the Braves this season and the home team has won every game but one. Remember that four-game sweep in Atlanta in May? Seems like forever. Wonder what Willie is doing these days? (Other than basking in the cheers of Yankees fans).

Wagner out, Perez still on

Billy Wagner is out indefinitely with continued swelling in his left elbow, and you couldn't get worse news. With the bullpen already in a shambles before Wagner, it's now a complete crap shoot heading down the stretch. I can feel the ulcer burning already.

But the Mets didn't let that news get them down and in fact they staged a comeback victory over the Braves at Shea Tuesday night, scoring five in the eighth inning. And they did it with the bases loaded, a rarity lately. Carlos Delgado just missed a home run and settled for a two-run double, and then Damion Easley singled in two more to give the Mets a 6-3 lead. Ramon Castro's RBI double upped the margin to 7-4.

Aaron Heilman got the win in relief, a vulture win if there ever was one. Oliver Perez pitched six innings for the 10th straight start, going 6 1/3 and allowing seven hits while walking five, not exactly stellar but not bad. Luis Ayala bailed Perez out in the seventh with two huge outs, while Heilman and Schoenweis each threw a scoreless frame to close it out.

Nick Evans and Carlos Beltran each had two hits and David Wright drove in his 96th run of the season.

Who will close from here on out is a mystery -- Jerry Manuel will likely see who steps up, assuming someone does. Whither El Duque? Playing canasta with Moises Alou and Luis Castillo again?

Can't win 'em all, especially with this bullpen

You knew this was coming. Despite the six-game winning streak and the way the Mets have handled the lowly Nationals and Pirates, you knew the bullpen would give another one away.

You saw it coming when the Mets couldn't score more than a run in the first despite having second and third with none out. And while John Maine allowed no runs on two hits through five innings, he had another ridiculously high pitch count, which prompted Jerry Manuel to replace Maine with Brian Stokes in the sixth.

Yeesh. Stokes quickly allowed a game-tying home run but got out of the inning. He and Scott Schoeneweis got through the seventh, and then Pedro Feliciano retired the leadoff man in the eighth before allowing a single. Righty Jason Michaels came up, Duaner Sanchez came in, and it was his turn to blow it. Three runs later, the Pirates had a 5-2 win.

With Billy Wagner out and no one stepping up in the pen, every game is a dice roll. There are no bullpen roles. It is a mess.

Enter the Braves, who are really in disarray. The Mets need to hammer Atlanta at Shea, if only to kick them while they're down, which is the sporting thing to do.

That's what we're talking about!

We've said over and over here on MFC that the Mets need to beat the bad teams, and when you looked at the eight-game stretch against the Pirates and Nationals -- the last seven on the road -- you wanted six wins. Minimum.

Well, the Mets got those six wins with a game to spare, winning six straight -- three at Washington and the first three of four at Pittsburgh. The latest victory was a pure gem by Johan Santana, a complete-game, three-hit shutout that allowed the bullpen to kick back and enjoy their cheese fries or RothlisBurgers or whatever it is they eat out there.

Santana was the dominant pitcher Mets fans want to see every time out, which isn't possible. Santana has had an excellent year and should probably have 16 wins by now had he received more run support and better efforts from the pen.

Someone hose down Brian Schneider. He hit his second homer in a week and singled in another, driving in three of the four Mets runs. Carlos Beltran hit a solo homer for the fourth run, his 17th tater of the season. Argenis Reyes also went off with three hits.

Shed a tear for the Anderson Hernandez era, 'cuz it's over. Once he clears waivers, he'll be sent to the Nationals in exchange for Luis Ayala, an old friend of Omar Minaya's from his Expos days. The 30-year-old Ayala is having an awful season, with an ERA approaching 6, but he had a good year last season and has been nothing if not dependable.

Ayala will be added to a mix that is without Billy Wagner, whose bobblehead now adorns my desk. Wagner's forearm stiffness has migrated to his elbow, which cannot be defined as progress. So someone needs to step up. It won't be Eddie Kunz, who was finally given a chance in a 7-1 game Saturday night and almost blew it.

How are you today?

This isn't strictly Mets-related but I wanted to comment on the end of the "Mike and the Mad Dog" radio show.

Like it or not (and I've felt both ways), MATMD was appointment radio for any sports fan in the New York area for 19 years. Whether you hated Mike or Chris or both, or enjoyed their often combative, always interesting style, you listened because you are a sports nut and their show scratched an itch.

When I was a sportswriter I was often on the road in the afternoons, traveling to games, and I listened every day, and always on the drive home from work. Lately, working in an office close to home, the opportunity hasn't been there, and frankly, I didn't feel the need to listen. I'd instinctively turn on the FAN upon starting the car, and from there I'd stay tuned only if I was interested in what they were saying. Many times, I choose the iPod.

So for me, the show did run its course. Francesca in particular has always come across as an arrogant blowhard who certainly knew his stuff and often provided good insight, but his attitude sucked. And it always amazed me how someone like Russo could be paid so much money despite a remarkable inability to pronounce athletes' names, even the ones that weren't terribly difficult.

For a Mets fan, the show was often painful and frustrating, with Mike fawning over the Yankees and Russo digging the Mets (even though he did found the "Crack Committee") while talking way too much about the Giants. The Mets were always second to the Yankees, even on days when the Mets won a big game and the Yankees lost. Terrible.

While they were successful together, I found I enjoyed them better solo, depending on the show. Mike's NFL Now program on Sunday mornings is terrific, but when he's alone on the FAN something is definitely missing. And his television show is awful.

I've always felt -- and plenty of listeners have said the same -- that Russo solo on Saturday mornings was much more enjoyable than his shift with Mike. He's looser, more himself, and doesn't have to deal with Mike's surliness. He always got along better with the callers, and that really came through on Saturdays.

I'm disappointed that Russo will have no sign-off show. I can't believe we won't hear that jingle again. I'm curious to see what Francesca's new show will be like, but it won't be the same, and I can't imagine it being better. I wonder where Russo will end up. It'd be juicy if he ended up on ESPN 1050, but the signal is so terrible out on Long Island, it would just be frustrating to try and tune in.

In any case, Neil Best of Newsday has reason to give everyone a BIG "I told you so." He reported months ago that the duo was on the outs, and got some heat for it. He was right.

As Russo would say, "Good job by Best there."

The sweep we've all been waiting for

It's become the mantra for the Mets as we head down the stretch: Beat the bad teams. And a team like Washington, which is downright awful, should be swept, even on the road.

Well, the Mets finally did it, and swept a pathetic team when it beat the Nationals, 9-3, Thursday night in Washington. And thanks go out once again to the Dodgers, who beat the Phillies to give the Mets sole possession of first place in the NL East. LA swept the Phillies in their four-game set, and Philly has now lost five of their last seven.

Ollie Perez shut out the Nats for six innings before allowing three runs in the seventh to make it 5-3, which made any Mets fan nervous. But the Mets piled on in the ninth, scoring four runs, two on a CLUTCH pinch-hit single by Damion Easley, and then two more when Carlos Delgado reached on a throwing error by second baseman Emilio Bonifacio.

Joe Smith came on to retire the pesky Rafael Belliard to end the Nats' threat in the seventh, but he walked two in the eighth with one out, giving way to Duaner Sanchez, who is starting to get back on the beam. Sanchez got two outs to end the inning, and Aaron Heilman mopped up with a six-run lead.

Brian Schneider hit his third homer of the season and got the faux silent treatment from his teammates in the dugout, and Delgado hit his 26th of the year, a liner over the wall in left. So Delgado, who was all but run out of town before the All-Star break, could end up hitting 30-plus homers and 90-plus RBI, with an average around .265.

Do the Mets keep him next season and pay a premium? Let's worry about that later.

For now, it's off to Pittsburgh for four games against another club playing out the string. Can we win three, please?

The blowout we've been waiting for

You're not only supposed to beat the bad teams, but if you fancy yourself a playoff team you should occasionally pound the daylights of the bad teams. Finally, the Mets did just that by handing a 12-0 beatdown on the Nats Wednesday night.

The victory, combined with the Dodgers' comeback win over the Phillies, pushed the Mets into a first-place tie in the NL East with 42 games left in the season.

You couldn't have asked for a better scenario for John Maine, in his first start off the DL. Handed a big lead early, Maine cruised through five pressure-free innings, allowing just one hit while walking four. No bullpen for him, please!

And the bullpen regulars got a rest as well as Brian Stokes replaced Maine and finished the game for the rare four-inning save, completing the shutout and allowing four hits. Ron Darling liked Stokes and his slider and said in the postgame that he could be counted on "to get big outs."

The offense rolled, scoring eight in the third -- two on bases-loaded walks -- to make it 10-0. And what can you say about Daniel Murphy? Three hits, three RBI, his second homer of the season. How can you not love this kid?

The law firm of Reyes and Reyes had two hits each, Carlos Delgado walked three times, as did Brian Schneider. Even John Maine walked twice. Thanks, Nats!

Now that's using your head

Damion Easley took one off the noggin and the Mets bullpen actually came through and saved a win for Johan Santana. Will wonders never cease?

It looked like the same old, same old when Santana allowed a pinch-hit homer to Ryan Langerhans (I know, are you kidding me or what?) that tied the score, 3-3, in the bottom of the seventh. But the Mets loaded the bases against Saul Rivera in the eighth on singles by David Wright and Carlos Beltran and a one-out walk to Fernando Tatis. One batter later, Easley was grazed on the top of his helmet by a Rivera pitch and the Mets took the 4-3 lead, which made Santana the pitcher of record.

Joe Smith pitched a scoreless eighth and Pedro Feliciano came on in the ninth and struck out two to get the save. Hallelujia!

The Mets bullpen had a pregame meeting, led by Scott Schoeneweis, presumably to get their house in order after Jerry Manuel suggested possibly putting a starter in the pen to stop the recent bleeding. Hopefully, it doesn't come to that and the Mets' relievers can pull it together.

Carlos Delgado doubled in the Mets' first two runs and Beltran doubled in the third; he had three hits on the day and if he gets it going in August it would be a huge boost for the offense.

John Maine returns to the rotation Wednesday night against Jason Bergmann.

So much for winnable games

Can someone get three outs against the Pirates?

The Mets bullpen, statistically one of the worst in baseball since the All-Star break and anecdotally one of the worst of all time, allowed six runs on five hits and three walks in six innings, blowing a 5-1 lead and a 5-4 ninth inning advantage in a brutal, brutal loss to the Pirates Monday afternoon at Shea.

Pedro Martinez gave the Mets six solid innings, allowing just three hits while walking four over 99 pitches. He's not going to give you more than that, and the Mets should be thrilled with that kind of effort.

The hitting was there, although the Mets left 10 on base and could have scored more. David Wright had two hits, including a three-run homer, and Jose Reyes, Fernando Tatis and Robinson Cancel also had two hits each.

The missed scoring opportunities notwithstanding, this is all on the bullpen, and I don't expect to hear much criticism of Billy Wagner. You sure miss him when he's gone, don't you?

And this isn't on Omar, either. What else was out there for him to get? The pitchers in the Mets bullpen need to rise to the occasion and they are failing. They are the ones who should be held accountable. They have blown a bunch of wins this season -- just ask Johan -- and while the pen has been fine at times, the inconsistency is maddening. And now they just straight-up suck.

Matt Cerrone at metsblog.com points out that the Mets have blown 20 saves this season, fourth-worst in the NL, and if they had half of those blown saves back they'd lead the division by 8 games. Nine wins have been lost in the eighth inning or later. The Phillies have blown 8 saves, best in the league.

The only consolation is that Philly and Florida both lost Monday, so we can pretend this debacle didn't happen.

Seven games against the Nationals and Pirates. Win six.

You never forget your first time... unfortunately

I took my son to his first Mets game today. Bad timing. We left in the seventh with the Mets down, 8-2, and the rains coming.

Not even the prospect of running the bases in a real stadium -- which was eventually cancelled by the bad weather -- was enough to convince my 6-year-old to stay the whole nine. And who could blame him? The Mets showed little today, but knowing they took 2 of 3 from the Marlins took the edge off.

But hey, we got a Billy Wagner bobblehead.

Mike Pelfrey just didn't have it today and his offense didn't do much to keep the score close. Josh Johnson dominated the Mets for seven innings while the Marlins battered Mets pitching. Mike Jacobs led the way with a homer and a double.

Daniel Murphy, meanwhile, got another hit and is batting .478, and you love how he battles the pitcher every time up and makes him work. He looks like a winner and is quickly becoming a fan favorite.

Pittsburgh is in town for a day Monday, followed by three against Washington and then four more against Pittsburgh -- eight games against eminently beatable teams.

OK, so maybe they are all Wright

Yeah, the bullpen still sucks and Johan Santana must be royally pissed, but thank heavens for David Wright.

Wright hit his 21st homer of the season and his first walk-off homer -- the big game-winning hit has been so rare for this team this season -- to give the Mets the win in the series finale against the Padres, who have been a thorn in the side. Wright's two-run blast saved the bacon of Scott Schoeneweis, who allowed the game-tying homer in the top of the ninth to Jody Gerut.

Santana allowed the first two batters of the eighth to reach base, prompting Jerry Manuel to relieve him after 104 pitches. Again, you can't argue with the call, but the bullpen has been so bad lately, the boos were inevitable. Sure enough, Duaner Sanchez hit the only batter he faced. Awful.

Pedro Feliciano got a force at home but allowed a run a batter later. Joe Smith got the inning-ending double play to preserve the lead. Good, bad, good, bad. That's the Mets bullpen.

Carlos Beltran had three hits and Dan Murphy had two more to up his average to .467.

The weekend series against the second-place Marlins (a half-game ahead of the Mets, who are two games back of the Phillies) is HUGE. Enormous. Mammoth. Jabba-like. Shea should be rocking. Let's hope the Mets give their fans something to rock about.

Mets aren't all Wright

Hard to get too upset at David Wright for making mistakes since he's such a good player, but when they happen at a time when the Mets need to get back on the beam, it sucks.

Wright's error in the field gave the Padres a 3-2 lead and another baserunning error -- getting picked off first on a flyout -- only added to the Mets' misery. Pedro Martinez, despite allowing two first-inning solo home runs, actually pitched pretty well for 6 1/3 innings, allowing four hits and three walks with three strikeouts.

Pedro Feliciano got out of the jam in the seventh -- he's looking like the most reliable option in the bullpen -- but Eddie Kunz allowed a solo shot in the eighth.

Dan Murphy had a three-hit game, including a triple, batting second in the order. Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado went a combined 0-for-8 as the lowly Padres improved to 5-1 against the Mets this season. Still waiting for Beltran's bat to get hot.

Beat the bad teams. You have to do it to have a winning season, and so far, the Mets aren't doing that.

Keep the Tums handy

With the news that Billy Wagner is on the DL with a left forearm strain, Mets manager Jerry Manuel said that Aaron Heilman would be the closer. Mmmm... maybe not.

Heilman allowed his ninth homer of the season in Tuesday night's series opener against the Padres, a three-run job that turned a 6-2 lead into a 6-5 nailbiter. Thankfully, Joe Smith and Scott Schoenweis were able to close out the game and end the Mets' four-game losing streak. Mike Pelfrey picked up his 10th win of the season, allowing nine hits in 6 2/3 innings.

The good news is that Fernando Tatis is still playing out of his mind. His three-run homer gave the Mets a 4-2 lead, and then Dan Murphy knocked in a run in the seventh (the kid looks good). The margin grew to 6-2 in the eighth when Nick Evans doubled, scoring Carlos Beltran, who came around on Jody Gerut's throwing error.

The bullpen situation, however, is scary. Who do you trust the most? Pedro Feliciano
threw 1 1/3 perfect innings Tuesday but he has been far from consistent this season. No one has been steady. Looks like Manuel may need to manage with his gut, like Willie did. And we know how that turned out.

Ignorance is bliss

Didn't see Sunday's game at all. Not one pitch. Too much to do around the house and by the time I had a chance to switch on the radio it was 4-0, Houston.

Swept by the Astros to start August. John Maine on the DL. Billy Wagner headed for another MRI, this time for his forearm. More ineptness with runners in scoring position, this time failing TWICE with the bases juiced and one out. Sixteen innings and counting without a run. Robinson Cancel thrown out stealing third with two outs and David Wright at the plate? Robinson Cancel? I know he runs well for a big guy, but come ON, now.

That's a lot of bad news for a Sunday that was otherwise glorious, weather-wise. Oh, almost forgot -- Philly won again.

BTW, Carlos Beltran batting second doesn't seem to have had the effect Jerry Manuel was looking for.

As Bob Seger sang, turn the page. Dan Murphy is up and looks good. Eddie Kunz pitched a scoreless seventh. Plenty of time to get back on track.

If you missed it, here's a great piece in the Times about why the Mets should start having Old-Timers Day again. (Hat tip to my man Vince for sending me the link. Happy birthday, pal.)

Author Brian Biegel says a team spokesman said the Mets did away with Old-Timers Day because it didn't make enough money. Ugh. How great would it be to see Mets Old-Timers like Piazza, Ventura, Alfonzo, Strawberry, Hernandez, Darling, Dykstra, Orosco, Koosman, Seaver, Bruce Boisclair, Doug Flynn, Mazzilli, Swan, et al? It would be awesome.

Sound the alarm

What a f*#@ing disaster.

Blame it on us. Pin the blame on old MFC.com, because in our last post we outlined the Mets "easy" schedule in August and for Houston, we noted that there was "no reason not to win 2."

But apparently there is a reason, and it's called the bullpen. And now the Mets have lost five of six, and sit in third place behind the Phillies and the Marlins, who both won Saturday.

Friday night the game's tied, 3-3, the Mets fail to score with the bases loaded and NONE OUT, and then the Astros hit a grand slam. Nice. Saturday, Johan Santana pitches 6 1/3 innings, allowing only three hits and two walks on 103 pitches. Maybe he was a bit sapped from his previous start, a complete game, but you can't argue with Jerry Manuel's move to remove him with one out and two on. Duaner Sanchez got the fly out, which turned into a double play. Great!

But this pattern of a new reliever blowing it for the Mets is getting scary. This time, it was Billy Wagner's turn. Wagner had been pretty good of late but he was awful Saturday, and the way the tying runs came across the plate would have been comical if it wasn't (literally) so painful. And of course Aaron Heilman gives up two hits in the 10th. Credit Pedro Feliciano for getting a strikeout and a lineout to left, but fault Fernando Tatis for stumbling on the catch, putting him in no position to make the throw home.

Awful, awful, awful loss. And with no John Maine going Sunday, the Mets are looking at opening the month of August with three losses to the f*#@ing Astros.

Sh*t.

Opportunity knocks in August

So Manny is in LA, not Florida. That's good. The Mets made no moves. We're not sure if that's good or not, but judging on what other teams were asking for, there was little Omar Minaya could have done without giving up his top prospects.

So on bended knee we pray that Ryan Church can stay healthy and produce the rest of the way, that Fernando Tatis continues his quest for Comeback Player of the Year honors, and that Carlos Beltran -- who hasn't had a hot streak all year -- takes his turn and catches fire and carries this club down the stretch.

The opportunity is there in August. With the exception of next weekend's home series against the Marlins, every series from Aug 1 through 25 is against a team with a losing record. Talk about time to make hay:

Aug. 1-3 at Houston (no reason not to win 2)
Aug. 5-7 home San Diego (sweep these bastards)
Aug. 8-10 home Florida (need to take 2 here)
Aug. 11 home Pittsburgh (makeup game - win)
Aug 12-14 at Washington (sweep these pathetic losers)
Aug. 15-18 at Pittsburgh (4 games - gotta win three with no Nady or Bay there)
Aug. 19-21 home Atlanta (should take 2 here)
Aug. 22-25 home Houston (4 games, should win three)

So that's 24 games in 25 days and the Mets should go 18-6 MINIMUM.

They finish the month with two games at Philly, a day off and then three at Florida. If they take 3 of 5 -- certainly doable -- that would give the Mets a 21-8 August.

What's killed this team is the inability to beat the losing teams, and that must end in August. The September schedule is considerably tougher: Three at Milwaukee, then an 8-game homestand with three against Philly, two Washington and three Atlanta. Then four at Washington and three at Atlanta (can we take four of those seven games at least?), then home for the final seven games of the season, four against the Cubs and then three against our good friends, the Marlins.

It's all there, black and white, clear as crystal. The Mets need to put the hammer down on lesser clubs in August to set themselves up for the endgame in September. Whether or not a couple of new faces will be there for the fun, that remains to be seen.