Well Deserved

Nelson Figueroa is getting his opportunity and is taking advantage. Of course, performing well in meaningless games for a 35-year old journeyman is nothing to get excited about, but it's nice to see someone continue to work at it and get rewarded. Jerry must have read my post last week about letting them pitch 'till they drop: who thought Figgy was coming back for that eight inning, already having thrown well over 100 pitches?

The Mets actually got Milton Bradley out today, a popout in the 3rd inning.

11 hits in the fourth inning, but only one the rest of the way- that's the way the offense has been lately. Score a run a game or explode for an 18 hit game.

Wind or no wind, Luis Castillo is shaky on those popups. Bad memories.

Work In Progress

All right, kid. Bases loaded, two out. Tie game in the fifth inning. You're past 100 pitches and running on fumes. Let's see what you're made of. Swing and miss strike one. Swing and a miss strike two. Looking good. Finish him off.

Grand slam. On an 0-2 pitch.

Such is the growing pains we are experiencing with Bobby Parnell. That makes at least 8 runs allowed in two of the last three starts. Yikes. The ERA has skyrocketed to 5.80.

At least we got to see the debut of Lance Broadway. Exciting stuff. Gotta show something for that Ramon Castro trade. Between Brian Schneider's .188 average (boosted with a 2-for-4 performance) and Omir Santos' .300 OBP I miss big Ramon, no matter how much time he missed due to injury.

Boneheaded move by Fernando Tatis for even thinking about scoring on that bases loaded hit by Schneider in the 4th. To make matters worse later in that inning, Jerry has Parnell sac bunting with runners on the corners and one out. Are you that afraid of the double play?

Aaron Heilman needs to lay off the burgers and fries, either that or those socks make him look Heath Bell-like. We don't miss you.

8th Inning Help Wanted

OK, maybe that's not fair to Brian Stokes, who has been very consistent all season and really has had only a couple of stinkers, today included. However, you have to think Elmer Dessens (Elmer Dessens!) is knocking on the door to take over the 8th when the Mets have a lead. After all, he probably has been in more high-leverage situations, being the closer in Buffalo. Eh, the Bison's record stinks, maybe there were not that many high-pressure situations for him.

How about Pat Misch? Seven innings of one-run ball. Ollie, so far we don't miss you. It could be a while if we ever do.

I thought the Mets were coming back for sure in the 9th when Omir Santos led off with a walk. If Santos is walking, you know things are going your way. Unfortunately, Carlos Marmol, Chicago's Wild Thing, found the strike zone and quickly dispatched the Mets after that.

Funny Game

Annibal Sanchez can throw a no-hitter, get rocked by this group of Mets, and Tim Redding can go seven innings. Everyone in the lineup had at least two hits, except for Redding. What can you say, things were clicking on all cylinders for a day. Maybe the Mets like it when the temperature is in the 90s and humidity is pushing 100%.

The more I follow games at work, the more I love this live look-in feature of the mlb.com scoreboard. With all the afternoon games yesterday I noticed that they always cut in for the top of the 9th, which does not always make much sense, especially when the visiting team is ahead. They will go live for the close games at the end though, which is good, as I was entertained watching the Dodgers almost lose another one to the Rockies, but Jonathan Broxton was dealing, clocking 102 m.p.h on the gun.

The Ace?

With a pitching performance like that he is not, but when the rest of your rotation consists of Tim Redding, Bobby Parnell, Nelson Figueroa, and Pat Misch/Lance Broadway, he is. And there we were back in March complaining and speculating who was going to win the 5th starter job as if it mattered.

The Mets have lost five in row. Better get used to it if you're still watching games in the next month.

Just Pitch 'Em 'Till They Drop

Nelson Figueroa had a pitch limit of about 80. I wonder if anybody bothered to ask him how he was feeling after the 5th inning and giving up only four hits and one earned run. I'm sure he could have gone out there. Why hold him back? A Parnell or a Niese I can understand. But Figgy? Just let him pitch.

One person Jerry did let pitch was Sean Green. He said it was a positive sign that he pitched two scoreless innings. Excuse me, but what the hell is positive about a guy throwing 50 pitches in two innings with runners in scoring position each inning?

Gary Sheffield was taken out of the game because of injury. Just give this guy his release already so he can sign with whatever team he wants and still be eligible for the postseason. I would rather watch Nick Evans play left field the rest of the way.

Santana Bites the Dust

Season ending surgery for Johan. Memo to Carlos and Jose: if your problems require surgery, just get it done. Get it done now and just be healthy come March 2010.

J.J. Putz was scheduled to have a rehab start tonight, but was scratched. Heck, shut him down too. Just be healthy for 2010.

Is there anyone else that should be shut down that is not already? Luis Castillo? Frankie Rodriguez? Eh, those guys can keep on playing, not sure I'd be too worried about their inevitable injuries. We can simply go after Orlando Hudson and offer Wags a chance to come back and close, since that's what he wants. Come to think of it, can you imagine K-Rod getting hurt, expected to miss the first few months of 2010, and the Mets sign Wagner to close? Yeah I'm still dreaming about that three-closer bullpen that was not to be.

Wagner, of course, was traded to Boston. I know they've won enough recently, but go Sox. Give us something to cheer about if the LCS and WS goes through the Bronx and Philly.

Curses

Seriously what did it? Was it really demolishing Shea Stadium? How could it be? It was the site of failure in recent seasons. Firing Willie Randolph after a win? Mishandling the health of a human being with his concussion by sticking him on a plane to Colorado? Something, something has cursed this franchise. Somebody please find me a team with more bad luck this season than this bunch in the history of team sports.

Why the agony after another expected loss against the Phillies, where Ryan Howard proved no park can hold him? Soon after the game it was revealed that Jeff Francoeur tore a ligament in his thumb. Several minutes later, Johan, the final major piece (we thought David's injury was the capper, but why stop at the hitters) of this team that was injury free now has to miss his next scheduled start to have his elbow examined. Seriously, this is a joke, right? Because you can't joke around like this.

The topping today was MLB's live look-in feature, a very nice addition I must say, which cut-in to the action for the bottom of the 9th. It's nice to see some of the afternoon action when you're stuck at the office. Problem is they were airing the Philly feed. The sound was muted, as I still had Howie and Wayne on Gameday Audio, but the video was enough to make me sick. Philly fans have taken over Citi Field and they were whooping it up for the final outs and CSN, whatever their network is, was showing you red in the stands between every pitch.

Ranger tickets will be ready for pickup next week for subscribers. We are counting down the days to training camp. This baseball season has to end.

Triple Play

Just when you thought you have seen it all with the 2009 Mets. For all the pain this season was, if you were watching that meaningless ninth inning and saw Eric Bruntlett boot one ball after another, you knew the Mets were coming back in this game. No fightin' Phillies here- it was role reversal. You got excited for that split second the ball rocketed off Jeff Francoeur's bat- then it landed right in Bruntlett's glove. Playing up the middle to cover second because the runners were on the move, the unassisted triple play he turned lasted a couple of seconds. Stunned.

You would think at this point nothing can hurt anymore. You actually laugh at the performance Oliver Perez put in and actually don't mind a decent outing from Pedro Martinez in his return. But that one stung. I don't know what the Mets or Mets fans did to deserve this, but it was something pretty bad.

All About 1969

A nice pregame ceremony celebrating the 40th anniversary of the 1969 Mets championship overshadowed a pretty insignificant game. After the pregame festivities, get a Shack burger, taco, or whatever the hell you want to eat, watch a few innings and go home.

It was Tim Redding vs J.A. Happ. What did you expect was going to happen? What we did not expect was Redding pitching great, five innings of one-hit ball, but his start was cut short because he's been in the bullpen. Would he have been pulled if he did not give up that cheap bloop hit to Utley the second time around in the order? Probably not.

Utley's next hit was anything but a cheap bloop. It was still more like a Citizen's Park special, as he once again manages to hit one over the wall in right field. Not quite the Utley's corner special, but a bridge shot it was not. And it was off Pat Misch, fresh up from Buffalo, pulling a Jon Switzer. Apparently any lefty other than Feliciano that the Mets throw at these guys get hammered.

Ah, Philadelphia. So classy, they even replay fights in the stands on their broadcast. Nice job, jerkoffs. I actually just might root for the Yankees if these two meet in the World Series. Perish the thought.

Same Start, Different Result

I'm watching this game from the Promenade last night and I got this feeling of deja vu. I flip back in the scorebook of games I attended this season to look at 6/10. Mike Pelfrey vs Cole Hamels- yep. Mets knocking around Hamels at a rate of two hits per inning, knocking him out after five- yep. 4-1 lead- yep. Blown save in the late innings- NO.

Pelfrey got hit by Hamels and it seemed to ignite the Mets. The team needs more of the response Pelfrey displayed. Just a little passion. You don't have to charge the mound. Just make sure the other team knows you're ticked off. Jerry went nuts too, arguing another pathetic call by an umpire this season. You gotta love it.

The Mets held on, and it was good that they did, considering how many Phillies fans were in the ballpark. There was even a strong "Let's Go Phillies" chant early on that had to be drowned out by boos. It helped the atmosphere though, big time. This was the most life Citi Field had all season and the Mets are pretty much out of it.

Jayson Werth has a smug look for his face shot that appears on the big screen for his at-bats. Jayson, it's ok to crack a smile. We'll settle for you going 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts.

I'm done with Anderson Hernandez. Unfortunately it's either him or Wilson Valdez the rest of the season. Joy.

We have now learned that the out-of-town scoreboard does not support anyone that scores 20. The Yankee 16-7 lead over Boston, suddenly was cut down to a 10-7 lead, then Boston had an 11-10 lead. WTF? The game was removed from the scoreboard shortly thereafter to prevent any further confusion. Of course, anyone who had been taking a peek at the scoreboard throughout the game knew exactly what happened. A 20-spot? It could be a long winter for Yankee haters in New York.

One Step Forward, One Back

The Mets made a shocking, although proper move in releasing Livan Hernandez to make room for Billy Wagner. Apparently Livan was not very happy about it. Look at your performance over the past couple of months.

Then there is the story of Gary Sheffield. Apparently the Mets had a taker, but they pulled him back. So Sheff requests an extension of all things, gets denied, cries about it and decides to have a seat on the bench. That's the Sheff we all knew and feared when he was signed back in the spring. Sheff, go follow Livan out of town please. You sure fooled us being the good soldier all season.

Nice to see Billy Wagner back. Although SNY showed the replay when they returned from break, it was a poor job by them going to commercial just as he was coming out of the bullpen. You can't make up for that ad space somewhere else in the broadcast? Speaking of ads, why is it we have to hear that "your family is safe and secure" insurance spot MULTIPLE times in one half inning on the radio broadcast.

Wags looked vintage and put K-Rod, who pitched the next inning, to shame. A run was not given up, but oh those walks. Watching the 8th inning really made you had to wonder what if- what if Putz, K-Rod and Wagner were all healthy and the Mets were in contention? Hmm, let's see lefties coming up in the 7th? Call Wags. A few righties instead? Call J.J. and we'll have the other one pitch the 8th. As it is, hopefully Wagner gets enough chances to prove his worth to a contender in the next few days and we can get as much as we can for him.

Oh yeah, the Mets lost the game.

Right Back at Ya

Eight runs in an inning? The Braves had an answer with an 8-run inning of their own the next night. Jeff Francoeur got three hits? Ryan Church had an answer of his own with a three-hit game the next night.

I pity those who were there for this one. Thank goodness I wasn't there as I would've gone nuts scoring this game. Anderson Hernandez started at short, moved to second, back to short, then finally back at second. Wilson Valdez was all over the place. It was spring training.

Did we warn you about Bobby Parnell's performance against the Giants last week? It was the Giants. OK, so they ended up whipping us the last game, but come on, Benji Molina is their cleanup hitter. It can only get better for Parnell after this one.

Hit Parade

I could not believe what I was watching in that fourth inning last night. The Mets pounded out 10 hits- 7 singles and 3 doubles- en route to scoring 8 runs in turning a 4-0 deficit into an 8-4 lead. Ollie Perez once again was the beneficiary, giving up 4 runs in 5 innings, albeit those four runs were produced from two swings of the bat. He only walked one batter! You still can't depend on him.

Still want Derek Lowe? I know a lot of people still do, but I think the Mets made the right move at the time. He's going to be Livan in the fourth year of that contract, the one that eventually made him choose Atlanta over New York.

Jeff Francoeur is just one percentage point away from that .300 on-base percentage.

Do you still think Jerry was simply tough on Ryan Church earlier in the season?

Forget Billy Wagner, can we get something in return for Elmer Dessens?

Only for Die Hards

Livan is pretty lucky these games don't matter much anymore. He got zero reaction as he was pulled from the game last night. The crowd does not care. They were busy doing the wave in the late innings before they all left en masse in the 8th.

It takes great patience to stick around in game like last night. Got a seat upgrade for last night's stellar affair thanks to a friend who could not attend, and sitting in left-center you really appreciate that new video board in the right field corner. Indeed, that would be something I would complain about had those been my seats. So at least you could say it was sort of a good time. Although that's tough to say when you look at the product on the field.

I hope Alex Cora is back next season. For him to continue playing on two bad thumbs since back in May- that's all about the team right there. The Mets need more guys like that.

Last Men Standing

David Wright hit the disabled list. A fitting end to a movie with a sad ending where the bad guys manage to kill all the heroes with the final blow coming in painful fashion.

However, there were still some characters alive and active, albeit not the stars with names like Reyes, Delgado, Beltran and Wright. Not including our catcher, they were the remaining starting three from opening day and they all came through this afternoon. Luis Castillo hit a 420 foot homerun- more on that in a sec. Jeff Francoeur (not on our opening day roster but you get the point) with the leadoff single in the 9th. And Daniel Murphy, who finally comes through vs. a lefty to win the game. That's all we have left.

Castillo was hell bent on hitting a homerun today. Did you see the swing and miss in the first inning? He wanted to hit one in the left field landing section. To those unfamiliar with Citi Field, the left field landing section is the second deck in left field, a poor choice of a name, considering that only a couple balls have gone in there all season. He didn't do it in the first, but sure did in the fifth to give the Mets a 2-1 lead. I think Castillo should permanently bat right-handed. Would you take .300 and and OBP of .380 with 1 HR or a .270/.350 with a much higher slugging percentage? The guy's got power from that right side and is a completely different hitter who can drive the ball with authority.

This is a small but noticeable thing: why does Anderson Hernandez not dive for that ball in the hole that gave the Giants the 1-0 lead? If he stops it, the run does not score. It's says a lot and shows you why a team like the Nationals would be fine with handing him back to the Mets.

Is there anyone else who by the third inning thought that Mike Pelfrey was going to throw nine no-hit innings, but the Mets were going to lose 1-0 in 10?

Some more Citi Field notes from a hot Sunday: Please get rid of that Jon Stewart "Let's Go Mets" clip. Also just when I thought I'd have a nice relaxing lunch in the shade of the bullpen plaza I see that it was blocked off for some private party. I hope this is not an every game occurrence.

Story of the Season

David Wright gets nailed in the head. After weeks of waiting for it to happen, the final member of "the core" goes down. Early in the season, the Mets didn't get angry enough to retaliate when they had the chance. This time they do- do you really think Matt Cain was trying to hit David Wright on an 0-2 pitch? First Johan misses fat Pablo, Shawn Estes-style (another Giants-Mets connection). Pablo answers with a homerun. The next batter, fat Benji, gets hit. He goes on to hit the game-winning homerun in the 10th. Oh, and the Yankees keep on winning. What does that have to do with it? Absolutely nothing, but you get the point- this is one of the low points in the history of being a Met fan.

I also would like to apologize for my last post:

Bengie Molina's not hitting homeruns here and his groundballs are automatic outs as long as an infielder manages to stop it from going into the outfield.

Sorry. Did someone pass this post to the elder Molina? Jeez, hasn't Yadier done enough damage to us in the past couple of years? I take it back, please, do any of you guys want to play for us next year? We could really use a catcher.

Let's Not Get Too Excited

These were the Giants we're talking about, an offense that's worse than that of our depleted Mets. However, the start by Bobby Parnell last night was very encouraging. A pitch limit of around 80 and he still manages to go six? That's efficient, but it helps with a free swinging team who's only threat is a guy by the name of Pablo. Bengie Molina's not hitting homeruns here and his groundballs are automatic outs as long as an infielder manages to stop it from going into the outfield.

Very impressed by the improvements at Citi Field last night. The giant screens in the right field corner and the Promenade food court were now working. Here's to being able to eat there an watch the game. Not too be too picky, but another one in the bullpen plaza would be the icing on the cake.

Although I am not a Promenade row 1 ticket holder you have to feel good for them now that they are starting to lower those LED ribbon boards, which previously obstruct your view if you sit comfortably in your seat. Only left field is done, but they'll get to the rest.

How can we forget about the presence of the championship banners on the big wall in the outfield? There is so much space there you would think this would have been a no brainer in the initial design. I guess they were saving the space for advertising but thought better of it.

Finally, I have to get to games earlier so I can finish eating before the first pitch. The Omir Santos grand slam, David Wright's first opposite field homer of the season, and Angel Pagan's leadoff shot last night, all homeruns missed. I guess it's nice that the Mets like to jump on the board early.

Game? What Game?

You know things are bad when at the 1pm hour you get all the reports of what the Mets lineup is going to be for their afternoon game, continue on at your job, get to your car at around 6pm, turn on the radio to listen to some sports talk and be surprised that you are listening to Wayne Hagin calling the 7th inning at Arizona- I completely forgot about this one.

The Mets won and Ollie pitched like crap once again. Yet, he gets the win, so he will get a pass from Mets brass.

I did manage to record the game but only got through an inning. What I did see was Oejaka or whatever his name is make yet another amazing play. What I also saw was Gary Sheffield typically hitting a groundball that he had to hustle to beat out in his first at bat back from a hamstring injury. I'm surprised he didn't tear the thing.

The boxscore shows Cory Sullivan sparking things from the leadoff spot and hitting a Jose Reyes-like two triples. Before we get too excited let's not forget how we were going ga-ga over Angel Pagan just a couple of weeks ago and now he finds himself on the bench.

If David Wright had to be pulled from this one because of that apparent leg injury that would've been icing on the cake. Carlos Delgado injures himself while he's still injured. You can't make this stuff up.

Five Months Too Late

As per Adam Rubin, the Mets are wearing throwbacks this weekend and there were be some additions to Citi Field. Championship Banners that be viewed from the field? What a concept!

As for the "throwbacks"- proceeds going to charity my foot. The Mets are getting a cut somewhere and are doing anything they can to get some additional revenue. If you want to wear throwback jerseys, bring back the home look from the 60s. Cream color, Blue and Orange with pinstripes, no black. I love Mr. Met, but he does not belong on the team jersey, even if it's a small patch. Come to think, is there any team out there that features their mascot on the jersey? I could think of one hideous example from the 1995-96 NHL season.

Oe- who?

That would be Trent Oeltjen, who is one-upping what Mike Jacobs did to the Diamondbacks back in 2005. Sure, this guy has not hit as many homeruns, but he's doing just about everything else. At least Mark Reynolds isn't hitting any bombs off us like he did in Flushing last week.

The season continues to go down the toilet. Who are we kidding, it already has. 11 game homestand coming up after a get-me-out-of-the-west matinee later this afternoon. Should be good times at Citi.

I'm tired of watching Livan Hernandez throw bp. Give the job to Nelson Figueroa in the meantime. He has deserved a chance, despite that awful start in his return vs these same Diamondbacks. Guess what? The Mets are done with the Snakes the next time Livan's turn is up in the rotation. Give Figgy the few starts he deserves.

Aside from Luis Castillo (who's having a fine Castillo season minus a stumble down some stairs, a dropped popup and some lazy throws to first), the highest on base percentage in last night's lineup was Alex Cora's .325. Pathetic.

Dad or no Dad, No Difference

Mike Pelfrey, fresh off the birth of his first kid, was below average once again, as he has been for seemingly every start the past month. Coming off a nice season he was our #2 going into this season. That about explains the way things have been going for this team. If you can make a case for Livan Hernandez being out second best starter behind Johan this season, especially the way Livan has thrown BP in some games, things are not going to be good.

Who the hell are these guys on the Diamondbacks, fresh off getting swept by the Nationals? One would think that's bad, but it's actually not a surprise. Look out now, but our cushion in the N.L. Least is now down to 12 games. I think people don't realize what the addition of Nyjer Morgan did to the Nats, who were basically playing with Dynasty League Baseball D's and F's in center before acquiring him. They are a better team than the Mets right now, as most teams are. Don't be surprised if they give us a run for the basement before the season ends.

Watching the game on DVR FFwd2 this morning was enough to see how bad things were going. It was not until I read after the fact that the Mets tried to turn a double play with no one covering first! No wonder they kept showing shots of Anderson Hernandez after the play. It was not worth the time to stop and hit play to see what was going on. Is Jerry Manuel bald yet? You lose hair if you're managing the team that was on display lsat night.

Finally, A Petco Win

Not before the Mets lost two more.


Friday:
Up by a score of 2-1 in the 9th, K-Rod arrives in a save situation, promptly walks the leadoff batter and all hell breaks loose. Some questionable balls and missed home plate calls aside, he still gave up the walks and the hits that made this one a 6-2 loss. If you can't throw strikes, you have no excuse.

Oliver Perez actually looked dominant through six, but it started to fall apart in the seventh. Encouraging signs? Maybe. That hesitation in his delivery could be just the thing he needs mentally, sort of like that change he made last season when Peterson was let go.

Why are both Cory Sullivan and Jeremy Reed on this team? They are two of exactly the same type of player. Good defense, a lefty bat, can play all three outfield positions. Move one of them for something.


Saturday:
Ah, this is the type of snoozer you are looking for from a team that's out of it following a crushing defeat. Alex Cora pulls a homerun into Julio Franco territory and that's that.

It was positive to watch Bobby Parnell get the start, but he was throwing way too many pitches, thus reaching his limit for the evening in the third inning. Perhaps he can get a little deeper next week. Nelson Figueroa and Tim Redding were okay, but how screwed up is the staff right now with a short guy starting and two long men pitching in relief? I think we're all done with Sean Green, who had no control on this day once again.

We get a blown call at the plate go in our favor this time, but to no avail. How bad have the umpires been this season?


Sunday:
Johan was just what the doctor ordered. Luis Castillo actually returned to the lineup. Anderson Hernandez had two hits. You know things have to be turning the corner when that happens.

Who was that guy pitching the ninth for the Mets? I like his stuff, and he can bring it up to the mid-90s- we haven't had a guy like that in the ninth since Billy Wagner last season.

Why Watch?

You know things are bad when you let the lowest scoring team in the league score 8 runs in their cavernous ballpark. The Mets, if they haven't already, have become irrelevant. It was like the perfect storm: the Mets go out West and the Yankees are playing the Red Sox. The Mets might get as much airtime as the Rangers do during the winter in the next few days.

Livan Hernandez continues to be what we expected him to be out of spring training. The occasional decent start with the occasional clunker.

I like the move to put Bobby Parnell in the rotation. Why the hell not at this point? The starting pitching beyond Johan could use any possible contributors they can, especially those with potential. I just about done with Ollie and resigned to the fact that Maine is done, and not just for this season.

Angel Berroa being designated for assignment was a long time coming, and he was not here that long. No wonder Livan was offended when they pinch hit Angel for him back in that Arizona series. Unfortunately Anderson Hernandez will probably not be much better.

David Eckstein is still a pain in the ass.

Camp Day Fun

Too bad that was the last one. The Mets seem inspired to play in front of such vibrant colors representing the various camps in the stands. However, they are still brittle as they are any game this season. Down goes Jon Niese, down goes Gary Sheffield. There's no comment on this right now. It was past ridiculous when Luis Castillo went down the stairs.

David Wright is just not going to charge the mound. At least he could've said something to the pitcher who just missed his head, a retaliation for Pujols getting hit earlier in the game. Maybe it was the presence of so many kids. Doubt it. David is Mr. Nice Guy. He'll make friends with everyone who reaches third base, and against the Mets, that's a lot of players who reach third base.

The DVR will be in full swing this week as the team goes West. It's not worth staying up. Hell, they should be honored I'm recording the rest of the game to watch it the next morning.

David Wright Just Broke His Ankle Getting Out of a Cab

OK, just kidding. But would you be surprised? This season is very similar to the 1992-93 Ranger hockey season, when Brian Leetch did just that. Everything went wrong.

Last night was the lowest of the low. It started with Jose Reyes suffering what was called a major setback as he had to come back to New York and be examined the crack New York Met medical staff. After going back and forth in a pretty entertaining ballgame where they actually knocked around Joel Pineiro (I probably misspelled the name in previous posts, whatever), Luis Castillo out of nowhere slips down the dugout steps and turns his ankle. He's done for the season, I don't care if they're going to call it a cramp later today. After the fall, the rest of the team fell on the field. A 7-4 lead turned into a 12-7 defeat in 10 innings, with the go-ahead run coming in on a Sean Green hit batsman. We might as well trade this guy for Aaron Heilman, the deal would be a wash.

Yadier Molina has not stopped smiling in Flushing since October of 2006. What the hell are the Mets thinking running on this guy?

As for Reyes, this guy needs to determine right now if surgery fixes his problem and if it does, get it done.

We can only hope that next season follows the pattern of the season following the 92-93 Ranger debacle. One in which we will have our own "one more hill to climb, baby" moment if we reach the World Series.

Off to Citi to see what thrills await me on another Camp Day game.

Crack

Nelson Figueroa was getting hammered. The oohs and aahs off every crack of the bat in the first and second inning gave you an idea of what was happening if you were not paying attention to the field. I felt really bad for the guy. Here he was, his final shot, deserving of the start (I don't care what you're hearing on talk radio, his AAA performance says otherwise), friends and family in attendance and he gets shellacked.

Not the kind of game you want to take your old man to, which looked to be over early when it was 6-0 after two. My Dad went to another game with my brother earlier this season. That one was 5-0 after four and ended up an 8-0 loss. Poor guy. Had a good time though.

At least there was some fight in this one as the bullpen kept things in check, highlighted by 3 1/3 scoreless from Tim Redding of all people. The Mets chipped away, but the attitude from the Citi Field faithful spelled defeat from the beginning. It's really sad how many times the scoreboard has to display the "get loud" meter to get the crowd amped up.

Mark Reynolds is an absolute freak. This guy mashes balls like he's playing in a slow-pitch softball league.

Joel Pinero faces the Mets tonight. Should be interesting considering his last couple of starts in Flushing, where he has been dominant.

Fading

The Mets are now 7 1/2 behind the Wild Card after waiting 2:28 in a rain delay before falling late in the afternoon. The Diamondbacks have Dan Haren on the mound for the series closer later today. At least we have Nelson Figueroa instead of Tim Redding.

Mike Pelfrey threw 107 pitches in five innings. Jon Garland threw 106 in nine. Can you tell how this game went? Big Pelf has declined this season, and if you are a young pitcher that's not they way it's supposed to be.

Yesterday was one of those days where it would've sucked to be at Shea. Those unfamiliar with Citi Field and who were likely there for the 1pm start time at least had plenty of time to explore. I'm sure those who have gone to many games and live relatively close patiently listened to the FAN for updates before heading out to the ballpark.

Six in a Row! (vs. Righties)

Keep throwing the righties at us, we'll keep scoring runs and hitting eighth inning-tie game-grand slams. Yes, the damage in the eight was in fact done off a lefty. It's amazing though what this lineup, with Daniel Murphy as the cleanup hitter, has produced.

I'm loving the look of this Zavada character. Hope the grand slam he served up doesn't encourage him to shave or get a haircut.

Speaking of shave, I like what some of the Mets are doing with the beards. Hopefully they will be cleancut soon, meaning the team has gone over the .500 mark.

Mark Reynolds hit one that could have landed on the Van Wyck Expressway.

That's all I got, gotta run.

Was That Really Worth It?

The latest I have ever arrived for a game was last night. The sixth inning.

It was pouring after work, so why go to Citi Field and spend cash when you can eat dinner at home. So that's what me and my wife (who was supposed to go with me) did. Thinking there could be a long delay with a start time of 8:30 or worse, 9:00, I told her to stay home despite her cravings for Box Frites. I called a buddy of mine a little after 7:30. See you there in about 45 minutes? Easy enough. He's coming from Astoria, the place where we hear about that steakhouse on the radio all the time, just a short drive over the left field fence.

I'm out the door with the radio and I hear Steve Somers saying they are throwing it back to Howie and Wayne at 7:55. Damn, that grounds crew means business. When I got a radio signal on the 7 train when I transferred at Roosevelt avenue, they were ready for the first pitch. OK, so I miss an inning or so.

At the foot of the train steps I wait as the Mets are due up in their half of the first. Ten minutes later, a phone call, it's my buddy.

"Man, this bus is really bad."
"Oh, you are stuck in traffic somewhere? How close are you?"
"No, I'm still waiting."
"Waiting? Where?"
"In Astoria, on 21st and Astoria Blvd."

My "buddy" managed to go further out, closer to Manahattan, just to wait for a bus that was probably going to crawl after the rain and whatever traffic there was, instead of simply hopping on the N and maybe catching one of the last 7 express trains at Queensboro Plaza.

Despite the encouragement from him to just go in and not wait, I waited. That's what buddies do. Thank goodness for the Mets team store adjacent to the Jackie Robinson Rotunda. Perfect view of SNY broadcast while you wait outside the stadium.

Of course the game flew as I waited. Three solo homeruns and nothing else and before you knew it we finally passed through the turnstiles during the top of the sixth. Even at 9:15 there is still a steady flow of people coming down the steps with every arrival of a 7 train. I wonder just how late people arrive. Anyway, we got a nice field level view of David Wright's solo blast to tie the game.

I thought it would be fitting if we get nine innings in anyway via a 15 inning affair, seeing the way the game was going. But Sean Green threw a wild pitch after inducing a bases loaded double play with no one out in the eight. Oh well. Was it worth it? Yes.