LOW FIVE

Braves 6, Mets 3 (ATL 4-1; NYM 0-5; 4 GB)

Two things I can't believe I'm saying after the first week of the season:
1) The Mets are 0-5, off to their worst start since 1964.
2) Cliff Floyd has been playing some outstanding baseball this past week.

The record speaks for itself. I'll speak for Floyd. He says he's feeling better than he has in five years. He looks it. Friday night he made an outstanding running catch in the left-center field gap that saved the game from being broken open. Last night he made two throws to the plate (granted, they were three-hoppers) that nailed Chipper Jones (in the first inning), and Adam LaRoche (in the sixth inning), again, keeping the Mets in the game. He's also swinging the bat really well. Too bad, though, he couldn't climb the wall and rob Brian Jordan of a grand slam....more on that in a minute.

I really thought things were starting to break the Mets' way after Floyd threw out Jones. Chipper could have been safe (I think he slid around the tag)...but the Mets got the call. That momentum was lost in the top of the second - after future Hall of Famer David Wright reached on an error, and Doug Mientkiewicz singled him to third, the Mets went down 1-2-3. Then in the bottom of the second, Brian Jordan hit a grand slam off Aaron Heilman. Just like that, it was 4-0, Braves.

THE GREATEST BALLPLAYER WHO EVER LIVED, Jose Reyes, homered in the fifth, and the Mets actually got the go-ahead run to the plate, but Kevin Gryboski, relieving starter Horacio Ramirez, got Wright to pop out to end the inning with Atlanta up, 4-2.

In the bottom of the fifth, after Heilman looked like he settled in, retiring nine in a row, he gave up a solo homer to Chipper Jones, and the game was just about over.

I'm seeing some signs that some players are getting disheartened. Carlos Beltran hit a liner in the seventh, with a runner on, that was knocked down by the second baseman. He didn't even run it out, and there was a play at first that wasn't even close because Beltran gave up on it so early. No excuse for that...actually, 119 million reasons why there should be no excuse.

I'm getting a little disheartened too - especially since Braden Looper gave up a run in his one inning of work - he needs to get some confidence soon, or else he's going to be ineffective all year.

Another interesting piece - it seems that Willie Randolph is hitting David Wright sixth against lefties, Doug Mientkiewicz sixth against righties. I didn't realize that when the season started.

Here's another positive comment about something non-Mets. Though I don't necessarily like the broadcasters (particularly the addition of Ron Gant), TBS has some added features I like this year. The first thing I noticed was a lead measuring graphic when a runner is on first base. Using the third base camera angle where you usually see the pitcher, runner, and first baseman, TBS now has a graphic marking 9 feet off the bag, and shows whether the lead is a big one or a small one. TBS also has a cable cam, a la FOX and ESPN in football, which shows some different-looking overhead shots. The baseball version of cable cam is limited because of the fair territory, but this has some potential. The shots I saw last night weren't "great", as the broadcaster called them, but they were unique. I wouldn't be surprised if other stations started using these two features in their productions in the near future.

Also, kudos to the producer/director at TBS for this: In the second inning, Brian Jordan steps to the plate with the bases loaded, and the broadcaster says, "The last time Jordan faced the Mets as a member of the Braves, September 29, 2001, here's what happened....Grand Slam off John Franco." Then, the next pitch, was Jordan's grand slam. That's the type of stuff I'm looking for in a baseball game...which is why I was diappointed no one at ESPN last Monday commented on Kaz Matsui starting off two seasons in a row with a home run (a feat I learned was matched by Darryl Strawberry in 1987 and 1988, I think).

I've been meaning to touch base on a couple of former Mets. Franco has pitched in two games for the Astros, pitching two-thirds of an inning, giving up 0 runs. Armando Benitez is now closing games for the Giants - he has two saves. And Scott Kazmir is the number two starter for Tampa Bay - he pitched five innings in his first start, giving up 1 run, 3 hits, and striking out 2.

Pedro Martinez looks to get the Mets into the win column today against John Smoltz.