Mets 10, Nationals 5 (NYM: 2-1, WAS: 1-2)

It's really late, but so much happened in the Mets game Thursday night that I have to spend some time going through it. First of all, Pedro Martinez* made his season debut...and he's already 1-0 after one start, which wasn't the case a year ago. Pedro* pitched OK. He was a bit wild, and he hit 3 batters (he hit 4 all of last year). Tonight's game (and actually the entire 3-game series against Washington) built a lot of bad blood between the Mets and Nationals. After Pedro* hit hothead Jose Guillen for the second time, in the fifth inning, Guillen started to charge the mound. The umpire held Guillen back, and after the benches and bullpens cleared, Guillen jawed at and threatened Pedro* the entire way to first base. Pedro stared Guillen down the whole way. Neither side's going to forget that. The Nationals retaliated by throwing inside on David Wright, and later plunking Paul LoDuca.

The Mets' offense really came alive in this one. Like in the previous two games, the Mets manufactured their first run - after a Jose Reyes single, a Paul LoDuca hit-and-run single, and a Carlos Beltran* fielder's choice RBI, David Wright had a (another) two-strike single to the opposite field for an RBI. The Mets led 2-0 after one. Pedro* himself broke a 2-2 tie in the 4th with a bases-loaded single, starting a 3-run rally. Reyes followed with a 2-run single. Pedro* allowed the Nationals to tie it, then Carlos Delgado blasted a homer to make it 6-5, and in the 7th, Carlos Beltran* hit a 2-run homer to make it 8-5.

Pedro* went six innings and Duaner Sanchez and Chad Bradford pitched well in relief to shut down the Nats. It was an emotional win for the Mets, and could be just the kind of kick they needed to string together a few wins in a row.

Beltran* made me mad, though. He finally got his first hit of the season, after an 0-for-9 start - the homer, batting right-handed. (Don't forget - he only homers in games Pedro* pitches.) So the crowd, which had been booing him each time he made an out (deservedly so - he's getting paid a LOT of money, and he's swinging at 55-foot curveballs - he looked awful the past few days), cheered Beltran* like crazy, and kept cheering, wanting a curtain call. Beltran* stayed in the dugout. Intentionally. The cameras kept showing Beltran* shaking his head at teammates who were trying to get him out of his dugout. Finally, after a few uncomfortable minutes, Beltran* went out after Julio Franco convinced him he didn't want to piss the fans off further. It's going to be a long contract for Beltran* if he doesn't toughen up a bit and start playing good baseball. The fans will cheer, Carlos, if you start earning your money.

This was my first game on SNY - and Gary Cohen and Keith Hernandez are the best in the business right now. I don't know who could compare - and I watch pretty much every telecast (a list of the best duos will be coming sometime this summer). Hernandez made a great point, saying that Franco is just what the Mets had been missing - a veteran leader who is there to set the younger guys straight. (They're all younger - he's 47.) Franco was also responsible for helping cool down Guillen after he nearly charged the mound.

Speaking of broadcasts...This game was also on ESPN with Chris Berman and Joe Morgan. I watched that for all of about 7 seconds. And I had the Washington telecast, which I didn't even switch on. Credit ESPN, though, for being the first to have the reason for a long delay in the 7th inning - the umpire caught a foul ball off the throat, and SNY wasn't on with that replay until after ESPN had showed it a couple of times.

NEW STADIUM: The Mets unveiled their plans for their new stadium, due to open in 2009. Pretty exciting that the Mets could have one of these facilities soon. It looks great - I'll put up some pictures over the weekend. It has a vestibule area like Ebbets Field used to, and COO Jeff Wilpon said it will have a right field overhang a la Tiger Stadium.

MAIL CALL: Thanks to Justin in New York for the first e-mail of the young season. He has his own "Where Were You" story for Brian Bannister's Major League debut.

"your not alone in jinxing young mister bannister. after he completed the fifth, i decided to send my reporter to shea. needless to say, vidro doubled before 1010 wins newsman al jones got into his car."

BEAT THE STREAK: THE GREATEST BALLPLAYER WHO EVER LIVED, Jose Reyes, singled twice and tripled, giving me a 3-gamer. I picked through the weekend, since I'll be away Saturday: Friday night is CoCo Crisp, then Jason Bay Saturday in Cincy, and Carlos Beltran* when I'm at Shea Sunday (an all-but guaranteed streak-ender).

I've gotta go to bed...the Marlins are in New York over the weekend. Dontrelle Willis versus Tom Glavine will happen on Saturday - Steve Trachsel makes his season debut on Friday...and I will be there for Victor Zambrano on Sunday. Enjoy the weekend.