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.