The Mets 10-Game Report: Volume 6

Greetings, my friends, and welcome to the 6th official installment of the Mets 10-Game Report.  And, remember: always use two hands when trying to catch that pop-up!  

Previous Results:

Volume 1: Games 1-10: Record: 5-5

Volume 2: Games 11-20: Record: 4-6

Volume 3: Games 21-30: Record: 8-2

Volume 4: Games 31-40: Record: 4-6

Volume 5: Games 41-50: Record: 7-3

And the latest:

Volume 6:

Games 51-60

Record: 4-6

@ PIT L 3-1

@ PIT postponed

@ PIT L 11-6

@ WAS W 3-1

@ WAS L 7-1

@ WAS W 7-0

vs PHI W 6-5

vs PHI L 5-4

vs PHI L 6-3

@ NYY L 9-8

@ NYY W 6-2

Runs Scored: 45

Runs Allowed: 49

Team BA: 100/355 = .281 (not bad for an injury laden lineup!)

Team BA w/RISP: 24/97 = .247 

Team BA w/RISP & 2 outs: 7/43 = .162 (The Mets have been so bad with this for the past two years.  It is very frustrating.)

HRs: 7 (The power drought continues.)

HRs Allowed: 15 (This is way too high, though about half of them came in the last three games.)

Team ERA: 90.2IP, 44ER = 4.39

Starter ERA: 58.2IP, 37ER = 5.72 (This is by far the worst the starters have performed all season.  Johan has uncharacteristically been giving up a lot of runs, and Pelf had that one god-awful start in Pittsburgh.)

Bullpen ERA: 32IP, 7ER = 1.96 (But the bullpen continues to rake.  Mark my words - when the Mets get healthy again, they will rock and roll mainly because of this bullpen.)

Errors: 9 (Two hands, Luis!  TWO HANDS!!!!!!)

GIDP: 6

Fielding DP: 11

SB: 10 (The Mets continue to run all over opposing pitchers, which is great.)

Volume 6 MVPs

Starter: None of the starters were good enough this volume, but this has to go to Santana for getting a big W against the Phillies.

Reliever: K-Rod notched a huge save in a 1-run game against the Phillies, and would have had another huge one the other night IF LUIS CASTILLO HAD USED TWO HANDS!!!

Hitter: David Wright is on fire.  The man, or as I like to call him - The Best Third Baseman in New York - is hitting .514 in the month of June with an OPS of 1.357, and all this after hitting .371 in May.  The man is on another planet.  

Volume 6 Whiskey With No Ice Specials:

Starter: Tim Redding lasted only 3.2 innings and gave up 8 earned runs in Pittsburgh.  Yuck!

Reliever: Switzer was called up to get left-handed hitters out, and promptly gave up a 3 run homer to Hideki Matsui.  But everyone else in that bullpen (EVEN SEAN GREEN!) has been great.  

Hitter: TWO HANDS, LUIS!  TWO HANDS!!!!!!

Summary Analysis:  Well, a pattern is starting to develop here.  Volume 1 aside, the Mets have been bad, great, bad, very good, and then bad.  They have to stay away from these 4-6 type results, and try to keep their bad stretches at 5-5.  

In any case, what sums up this volume?  As is usually the case in baseball, it all ultimately comes down to starting pitching.  And the Mets didn't get it this volume.  Too many duds in Pittsburgh, plus a dud from Maine in Washington, plus a mediocre start by Livan friday night = 4-6.  Of course, the Mets had their chances to turn this into a 6-4, or even 7-3.  In fact, this should have been a 5-5 result at least, but Luis Castillo did his best do prevent that (I don't want to talk about it anymore).  

But you know what, folks?  The Mets are battling.  They really are.  I mean, look at this lineup, people.  Just look at it.  Look at all that has happened with these ridiculous injuries this year.  And yet the Mets are still right there in the thick of things, fighting blow for blow with Philly, beating the Red Sox, beating the Yankees, keeping themselves above .500, keeping themselves within striking distance of the Phillies.  

Speaking of the injuries, I think we can go all the way back to the start of the San Francisco series in mid-May.  Since then the Mets have been without Delgado and Reyes, and there have been more too along the way.  The Mets are 14-13 since then.  Now, that's not anything to dance about, of course.  But it is over .500, and a hell of a lot better than 10-17, which it could EASILY be right now.  And also - think about the fact that after 60 games last year, the Mets were 30-30, and something like 7 games behind the Phillies.  Things are rough right now for sure, and this team has its flaws, among them being all these ridiculous injuries.  

But they are battling.  They are fighting.  Cast in point: yesterday's win against the Yankees.  This is something the Mets have specialized in over the last year and a half or so - coming back strong after a demoralizing loss.  We saw it so many times last year, and we saw it again yesterday.  I don't even want to talk about that loss on friday.  I just don't.  I just can't.  (TWO HANDS, LUIS!  TWO HANDS!!!!!!).  And then they came back the next day and decisively flat-out beat the Yankees in their home bandbox (that "stadium" is a joke).  

Of course, now we have to really brace ourselves, because the schedule really does not let up until the all-star break.  Next up for Volume 7 is the rubber game against the Yanks, 3 games at Baltimore, 3 games against the Rays at home, and then another set against the Cardinals at home.  I'd probably sign up right now for 5-5, although I think the Mets can win all of these series.  

Here we go.  Remember: Ya Gotta Believe.  

Around the NL East:

Phillies: 4-6, 7-3, 5-5, 7-3, 7-3, 5-5

Braves: 5-5, 5-5, 4-6, 6-4, 5-5, 5-5

Marlins: 9-1, 3-7, 4-6, 3-7, 4-6, 6-4

Basically, the Phillies are one 10-game stretch better than the Mets so far this season.  The Braves are nothing but a .500 team.  I mean, look at those numbers.  Nothing says "we are a .500 team" more than all those 5-5's.  The Marlins have finally posted a winning 10-game stretch.  Horray!  Good for you, fishies.  

And in the American League, the Red Sox currently own the Yankees.  

You Have Got To Be F&^%$*) Kidding Me

And now for a conversation between myself and my angry twin (which one is really me is up for debate):

Myself: Did that really happen?

Angry Twin: Yes, it f%$#*&g happened. Are you blind?

Myself: Yes.

Angry Twin: I thought so.

Myself: So, what does this mean?

Angry Twin: It means that Luis Castillo is a fat POS who never should have been signed nor brought back to play again this year. It means that he is the biggest loser in baseball and also that this Mets team (a team that cannot touch third base or catch routine pop ups with the game on the line) will never win anything because they are, fundamentally, a bunch of choke artist losers with no backbone.

Myself: It has been rough for this team, and that was indeed a ridonkulous play. But it's a little early in the season to be talking like that, no? I mean the Mets are 4 in the loss column behind the Phillies, with 103 games left to play. Are you really ready to throw in the towel?

Angry Twin: The Mets have suffered some excruciating losses over the past 2 or 3 years, but I think this takes the cake. And this was the kind of loss that may just linger and ruin the entire season. This could be the start of a spiraling out of control toward 10 games under .500.

Myself: I remember that being said at least 7 times last year.

Angry Twin: At least those losses involved, oh - I dunno - ACTUAL HITS BY THE OPPOSITION THAT WON THE GAMES! This, an error on a routine pop up by a loser on a team of losers, is by far in a class of its own. And it spells the end of a season. Mark my words.

Myself: But it's almost too surreal to even take seriously. I've been asking myself: would I have been more or less upset if A-Rod had hit a homerun? And I honestly don't know the answer. At least with this I can say: "You know what, the Mets won that game. K-Rod got the final out. Luis Castillo does not exist." The fact that he didn't catch that ball almost makes me laugh. I just can't take it seriously. And I've seen what this Mets team has done after crap like this. Usually, they win after crap like this. Oh, and we're still injured as all hell.

Angry Twin: Right, blame the injuries. You know Wright and Beltran are carrying the team right now. They are playing their asses off, and the problem is that through it all - the Mets are still losing. What happens when they inevitably go cold again? The Mets have been wasting solid performances from them since mid-2007. I mean, tonight - the story should have been: "Wright shows NY who the most clutch third baseman in town is." But, no. The Mets can't have it that way. They have to find a way to lose. And instead the story is that POS at second base who deserves to be fired from all of baseball.

Myself: Castillo has actually been valuable up until that awful play. He has been having a good year. Who else is going to play second right now?

Angry Twin: When Reyes comes back, Cora plays second. Castillo goes to St. Lucie.

Myself: Well, I don't have much of a problem with that. Yeah, people who defend Luis Castillo are stupid. I agree.

Angry Twin: People who defend Aaron Heilman are stupid too.

Myself: Hey, Heilman had great stuff. He just had a terrible head.

Angry Twin: Well, in any case... I'm telling you right now - this season is over. This loss is here to stay, and it perfectly symbolizes what the New York Mets are: a bunch of f^%$#@g choke artists with no heart, guts, balls, or anything else that a team needs to be able to win. They should all be ashamed of themselves and, for the good of the sport, should quit altogether.

Myself: Incorrect. This was one, ridiculous game, out of 162. They are 4 losses behind the Phillies, with 103 games left to play. The Mets will not fold. In fact, they will now turn in on, win the next two games from the Yankees, and then go on a run of like 9-3 or 10-2 over their next 12. It's hard, but Ya Gotta Believe.

Angry Twin: Well, I sure hope you are right.

Myself: Me too.

The Mets 10-Game Report: Volume 5

Greetings, Mets fans, baseball fans, and internet junkies alike, and welcome to the 5th installment of the Mets 10-Game Report.  

Previous results:

Volume 1: Games 1-10: Record: 5-5

Volume 2: Games 11-20: Record: 4-6

Volume 3: Games 21-30: Record: 8-2

Volume 4: Games 31-40: Record: 4-6

And the latest:

Games 41-50

Record: 7-3

@ BOS W 5-3

@ BOS W 3-2

@ BOS L 12-5

vs WAS W 5-2

vs WAS W 6-1

vs WAS W 7-4

vs FLA W 2-1

vs FLA L 7-3

vs FLA W 3-2

@ PIT L 8-5

Runs Scored: 44

Runs Allowed: 40

Team BA: 80/322 = .248

Team BA with RISP: 29/87 = .333

Team BA with RISP & 2 outs: 12/45 = .266

HR's: 7

HR's allowed: 6

Team ERA: 90IP, 39ER = 3.90

Starter ERA: 63IP, 26ER = 3.71

Bullpen ERA: 26IP, 13ER = 4.50

Team BAA: 71/343 = .206

Errors: 6

GIDP: 7

Fielding DP: 10

SB: 9

Volume 5 MVPs:

Starter: Every starter outside of Redding has been great, but I'm going to give this one to Mike Pelfrey, who sported a 1.90 ERA in Volume 5 - including a very well pitched game at Fenway Park.  

Reliever: Bobby Parnell gets a slight edge over K-Rod for this volume only because he always seems to have the added pressure of having to clean up a mess left by Putz.  

Hitter: Omir Santos went yard on Jonathan Papelbon with 2 outs and 1 on with his team down by a run in the 9th.  He launched the 97 mph high cheddar offered by Papelbon over the Monster.  That feat alone gets him this award, but that's not the only good thing he did in this volume.  He came up clutch in several other situations as well.  He's starting to remind me of Paul LoDuca a bit with his plate presence, only he has much more pop in that bat.  

Volume 5 "Please serve me another shot of whiskey please":

Starter: Tim Redding's ERA is slowly approaching Ron Darling's IQ.  The biggest problem I see with Redding is that he is always pitching in hitter's counts.  It's hard to get good result when you find yourself at 2-0, 2-1, or 3-1 seemingly every batter.  

Reliever: There is clearly something wrong with J.J. Putz, who has allowed five hits, three walks and six runs with the last 29 pitches he has thrown.  

Hitter: I can't think of one hitter who truly deserves to be the goat for this volume.  Wait, actually, this must go to Fernando Martinez for not running out that pop fly in his second major league game of his life.  

Summary Analysis: Fingers, hips, calves, hamstrings, groins, and stomach viruses + the New York Mets = strange lineups.  But the Mets have been doing a whole lot of winning with these strange lineups featuring the likes of Ramon Martinez and Wilson Valdez at shortstop, Jeremy Reed and Angel Pagan manning center field, and even the occasional Fernando Tatis playing third base!  The no-names - from Martinez, Valdez, Santos, Reed, Pagan, and now Mr. F-Mart - have all held their own fairly well.  A lot of people have been saying: "Hey!  You take out the overpaid stars, and finally this team has grit again!"  I think there is some truth to that sentiment.  But, trust me, you want Jose Reyes back, and you want a healthy Carlos Delgado back too.  

But the Mets have shown that when you're whole team is on the DL, you can still win with solid starting pitching, lockdown relief, and timely hitting.  The stats don't need to be gaudy.  Look at the BA numbers.  The Mets hit only .248 this volume, but they hit .333 with RISP.  That's the difference maker.  We have also been seeing lots of effective small ball run by Jerry Manuel, which is great to see.  That's something the Mets should be doing more regardless of who is in the lineup.  

The Mets have also beat up on the bad teams - mostly the Nationals in this case.  The Phillies are 10-2 against the Nats this year.  The Mets are 5-1.  You have to put the cellar dwellers away to be a legitimate first place team, and the Mets have done that so far.  

Overall this was a very positive stretch of 10 games.  The Mets took 2 out of 3 the hard way in a very hard ball-park for a visiting team to succeed in against the Red Sox.  Then they had a sweet 5-1 homestand, capping off a wonderful month of May - finishing 19-9.  Of course, we ended on a downer here with the Mets blowing a 5-0 lead against the Pirates, thanks mainly to the ineptitude of J.J. Putz.  The Mets need to figure out what is wrong with this guy, and fast.  We can't have him going all 2008 on this team this year.  This is 2009, and Aaron Heilman was traded to the Cubs.  Scott Schowenweiss, too, is gone.  If Putz keeps this up, he needs to go join Mr. Heilman and Mr. Schowenweiss.  

The story remains the same for this team, for the most part: the starting pitching is very good, the bullpen (minus Putz) is lockdown.  The offense tends to have a hard time being clutch, but that's why we have Omir Santos!  Sometimes a starter will get shelled around, but this is rare and tends to happen only once every 5 days.  Sometimes Putz will come in like he did last night and lose a game.  Sometimes it might be Sean Green!  But these are the rarities.  Overall - the fundamentals of this team are solid, and they are starting to acquire some attitude.  

Forget about this most recent game in Pittsburgh.  They will shake that off and continue to roll, I believe.  This team is actually exciting for a change.  Believe, fellas, Believe.  

Next up for the Mets now in Volume 6: 3 more @ Pittsburgh, then 3 @ Washington, then 3 vs. the Phillies, and then into the first Subway Series for the new NY ballparks we go!

Around the NL East:

Phillies: 4-6, 7-3, 5-5, 7-3, 6-3

Braves: 5-5, 5-5, 4-6, 6-4, 5-5

Marlins: 9-1, 3-7, 4-6, 3-7, 4-6, 1-1

The Phillies are playing good baseball.  One thing that is so frustrating about them, as someone who hates their guts, is the fact that the always win these games in which they give up tons of runs.  They play well offensively, obviously.  Of course, they also play in Citizens Bank Park and have played the Nationals 12 times.  Take away those 12 games against the Nats, and Phils are only 1 game over .500.  The Braves are 25-25.  Nothing says .500 better than that.  The Marlins are now trying to avoid their FIFTH volume in a row in which they play sub-.500 baseball.  Their pitching outside of Johnson and Volstad (who the Mets can't hit!) is questionable, their offense is still too streaky and one-dimensional, and they still can't play defense.  

Meanwhile, in the league that allows teams to field 10 men, the Yankees really appear to have hit their stride.  The starting pitching is coming together, and the offense has been on fire since the return of A-Rod.  And now Posada is back, and the name Xavier Nady keeps getting thrown around as well.  Look out for that subway series coming up.  It's going to be totally kick@ss.  The Red Sox are going to have to make a decision about Big Papi at some point.  What are the odds of him pulling a 2008 Carlos Delgado?

The Mets 10-Game Report: Volume 4

Hello, boys and girls, and welcome to the 4th installment of the Mets 10-Game Report.  

Previous results:

Volume 1: Games 1-10: Record: 5-5

Volume 2: Games 11-20: Record: 4-6

Volume 3: Games 21-30: Record: 8-2

And the latest:

Games 31-40

Record: 4-6

vs ATL L 8-3

vs ATL W 4-3

vs ATL L 8-7

@ SFO W 7-4

@ SFO W 8-6

@ SFO W 9-6

@ SFO L 2-0

@ LAD L 3-2

@ LAD L 5-3

@ LAD L 2-1

Runs Scored: 44

Runs Allowed: 47

Team BA: 101/355 = .284

Team BA with RISP: 25/96 = .260

Team BA with RISP and 2 outs: 8/42 = .190

HR's: 2  (2?)

HR’s Allowed: 4

Team ERA: 90.1IP, 37ER = 3.69 

Starter ERA: 61IP, 27ER = 3.98

Bullpen ERA: 31IP, 10ER = 2.90

Team BAA: 103/363 = .283

Errors: 12 (gasp!!!)

GIDP: 13

Fielding DP: 11

SB: 17 (nice)


Volume 3 MVP's:
Starter: Mike Pelfrey: he has been very steady over his last few starts, and is very economical with his pitches - which I love.  
Reliever: K-Rod: this guy is a winner.  But we knew that.  
Hitter: David Wright: Wright appears to be in first-half 2006 clutch mode.  Welcome back, David.  

Volume 3 Makers Mark Specials:
Starter: John Maine: he wasn't even that bad, but he got roughed up a bit in his most recent start.  
Reliever: J.J. Putz: this man needs to stop giving up a run every time he comes into a game.
Hitter: Fernando Tatis: he has been very cold at the plate.  

Summary Analysis: Obviously this is a disappointing result.  But I would submit that things are not as bad as they seem.  Sort of.  The Mets started this volume after having won 7 in a row, so we can tolerate that they started off by losing two of three to the Braves (even though they lost those games in typical frustrating Mets fashion).  Then they went to San Francisco and won 3 in a row, and - wow - did they look good doing it.  All of the sudden (and this started shortly before the San Fran series) the Mets began to get those big clutch hits, to rake with runners in scoring position, and they began to score lots of runs late in games.  They looked stellar.  

Then they lost 4 in a row: they lost the last game in San Fran, and then they got swept by the Dodgers.  They were in every one of those games until the very end, and - no - I don't want to talk about Church not touching third base in game 2 against the Dodgers.  If there is any positive to look at over this mediocre 4-6 result, it's that the pitching was still very, very good.  And at the end of the day it's all about pitching.  

The problem was the offense.  On this recent 4 game losing streak, they couldn't get any hits with RISP.  But this time, injuries have played a much bigger role in the offensive struggles.  No Reyes, no Delgado.  Delgado I believe can be made up for - especially with Daniel Murphy manning first base.  And the Mets did alright for a little while with Reyes out of the lineup.  But then - and this really killed them - Alex Cora went down with a thumb injury.  Enter Ramon Martinez.  Mr. Martinez, you have no business being in the major leagues.  In any case, the Mets lineup has been a mess over the last few days because of this.  

On the one hand - this is comforting, since we can be confident that once the lineup is back in tact, everything will be fine.  But on the other hand - who knows how long it will be in flux?  Reyes will likely go on the 15 day DL now.  Will we have to watch Ramon Martinez play short stop or second base all this time???

In any case - it's worth noting that after 40 games last year, the Mets had the exact same record as they do now.  They did it a bit differently last year, going 5-5, 6-4, 5-5, 5-5.  I have to say that I feel much, much more confident about the team right here right now than I did after 40 games last year.  The Mets posted a putrid 3-7 in volume 5 last year, so this next 10-game stretch for the Mets right now is very crucial I think.  They have 3 against Boston at Fenway, and then they come home to play the Nats and Fish.  6-4 would be perfectly fine.  

Around the NL East:

Phillies: 4-6, 7-3, 5-5, 5-3

Braves: 5-5, 5-5, 4-6, 6-3

Marlins: 9-1, 3-7, 4-6, 3-7, 0-1

I saw an interesting stat on the Phillies recently.  They are 7-2 against the Nats this year.  Take away those games, and they are one game under .500.  The Braves appear to be playing better, but they are still a .500 team until they prove otherwise.  And the Marlins - well they are quickly making a case for being pulled off the list here.  They just can't seem to get out of their own way.  

In other news, the Yankees look pretty hot right now.  Ah, baseball is so funny and so fickle.  Things change so quickly.  One week, the Yankees are losing everything and look awful and the Mets look like world beaters, and then the very next week things are completely reversed.  This weekend is going to be very, very interesting, and - I hope - a hell of a lot of fun.  Mets @ Red Sox; Phillies @ NYY.  I'll be rooting for the pinstripes for the first time in my life.  

The Mets 10-Game Report: Volume 3

Welcome to Volume 3 of the Mets 10-Game Report.  The Amazins are starting to roll, and are currently in first place in the NL East.  

Previous results:

Volume 1: Games 1-10: Record: 5-5

Volume 2: Games 11-20: Record: 4-6

And the latest:

Games 20-30

Record: 8-2

vs FLA L 4-3

@ PHI W 7-4

@ PHI L 6-5

@ PHI postponed

@ ATL W 6-4

@ ATL W 4-3

vs PHI W 1-0

vs PHI W 7-5

vs PIT W 7-3

vs PIT W 10-1

vs PIT W 8-4

Runs Scored: 58

Runs Allowed: 34

Team BA: 103/340 = .302 (yes)

Team BA with RISP: 30/88 = .340 (yes)

Team BA with RISP and 2 outs: 9/45 = .200 (they still suck at this)

HR's: 12 (see, Citi Field ain't that big)

HR’s Allowed: 8

Team ERA: 72.2IP, 30ER = 3.73 (yes)

Starter ERA: 59IP, 21ER = 3.20 (yes)

Bullpen ERA: 31IP, 9ER = 2.61 (yes)

Team BAA: 77/333 = .231 (nice)

Errors: 10 (woah - too high)

GIDP: 7

Fielding DP: 8 (Big Pelf is a double-play ground-ball inducing machine)

SB: 16 (nice)


Volume 3 MVP's:
Starter: Johan Santana: Is this guy even human?  His ERA is 0.91.
Reliever: K-Rod: 4 saves in a row vs the Braves and the Phillies - nice.  And in that second game against the Braves, he needed to get 5 outs.  
Hitter: Carlos Beltran: He is still locked in and looks as good at the plate as he has ever looked in a Mets uniform.  

Volume 3 Makers Mark Specials:
Starter: Oliver Perez: Disabled list, bullpen, minors, whatever - I'm just glad he is no longer in the rotation.  Hopefully he will work his stuff out and return in shape.  
Reliever: Sean Green: Visions of Aaron Heilman...
Hitter: Ryan Church: His batting average has dropped to the .260s after hitting over .400 through the first 2 weeks of the season.  

Summary Analysis:  This isn't rocket science, folks.  When you pitch well, and when you hit with runners in scoring position, you're going to do a lot of winning.  And that's exactly what the Mets have done in this 3rd Volume of the season - they have won a lot.  8-2.  That's impressive.  It must be noted that the Mets did not notch themselves an 8-2 on the 10-Game Report last year until Volume 13.  

Of course, at the end of the day, it really does come down mainly to pitching.  The Mets struggled in the first two volumes mainly because the starting pitchers other than Santana pitched to a collective ERA of about 6.50.  But over the last 10 games, everyone seems to have gotten themselves in a groove.  Big Pelf, Johnny Maine, and El Duque's brother have all been solid.  And it was  quite nice to see the young Jonathan Niese pitch well against the Pirates on friday night.  Hopefully he will be consistent.  

I made a point of saying in the last two volumes that we haven't even yet gotten to see the Mets bullpen really show their value.  Well we got to see it in Volume 3.  Those wins against the Phillies and Braves? - Yeah, not happening with the 2008 Mets bullpen.  Parnell, Putz, K-Rod.  Wash, rinse, repeat.  When the Mets are ahead after 6 innings, they are going to win most of the time.  No one is perfect of course, and even K-Rod will eventually blow a save or two.  But over the course of a 162 game season, this current Mets bullpen will be the best in the business.  

The offense, though they still can't get those hits with RISP and 2 outs, have nonetheless gotten the hits with RISP and less than 2 outs.  It's about time, and really was only a matter of time, I suppose.  A team with a collective batting average of over .300 is eventually going to bring in those runs.  The lineup is starting to gell.  Reyes seems to have turned the corner away from his early season slump, Castillo continues to be great at the plate, Beltran is just in the zone, Delgado still has his pop, and even David Wright has shown some signs of improvement.  He does still have way too much of a tendency to strike out in big spots.  It's funny with Wright.  No one looks as bad hitting .310 as he does.  But that's the thing - we're all getting on Wright, and rightfully so at times, and the guy his still hitting over .300.  He'll only get better too as the season goes along.  

The Mets have also gotten some very good help at the bottom of the batting order, thanks to the likes of Gary Sheffield, Omir Santos, Fernando Tatis, and Ramon Castro.  Brian Schneider - take your time getting back from the DL.  

Winning cures all ailments, and it's very contagious.  And it's pretty nice, if you're the Mets, to be able to follow up a 7-game winning streak with Johan Santana on the mound to try to make it 8.  What we're seeing now is the starting pitching performing to its potential, which has allowed the offense to relax and simply realize their talent.  And there is tremendous talent in that lineup and on this team.  

We have, of course, seen this team lose in mind-blowing ways, and we have seen them before look awful after a decent stretch of looking great.  But they gave us one encouraging sign here: they whopped the Pirates and swept them out of Citi Field after beating the Braves and the Phillies.  Last year the Mets might have dropped 2 of 3 to a team like the Pirates after looking great against their division rivals.  So there is good reason to think that this team is on the right track.  

For Volume 4, the Mets have a 3-game set at home against the Braves, and then they travel to the west coast to take on the Giants for 4 games, and the Manny-less Dodgers for 3.  

Things are finally looking up for this team.  Let's hope they keep it that way.  

Around the NL East:

Phillies: 4-6, 7-3, 4-5

Braves: 5-5, 5-5, 4-6

Marlins: 9-1, 3-7, 4-6

The Phillies continue to showcase the fact that they have no starting pitching and a one-dimensional offense.  The Braves still can't get their stuff together, and the Marlins continue to struggle after starting off the season 11-1.  The Marlins will rebound I think.  Their starters have taken a beating lately, but they still have a nice rotation and a lot of power in that lineup. 

And in the American League, the Yankees still can't get anyone to sit in those 25oo dollar seats, which now cost only 1200 I hear.  And their ballpark is giving up more homeruns than Citizens Bank Park.  Meanwhile, the Red Sox continue to play the role of "Daddy" to the Yankees, while the Rays continue to play the same role to the Sox.