NICE CLEAN WIN

Mets 3, Nationals 1 (NYM: 6-1; WAS: 2-7)

Thankfully, no one got hurt. I was very worried about that. The Mets and the Nationals played a very close, very competitive, very good ballgame on Wednesday, with nary a threatening pitch thrown by either side. Tony Armas went up and in against Pedro Martinez* in Pedro's first at-bat, but neither one was what you would consider a brushback pitch.

Pedro* looked great. If he just needed that one regular season start as a tune-up, it worked. He's now 2-0, and if he pitches like he did Wednesday night, he's on the fast track to the Cy Young Award. He threw just 28 pitches through 4 innings. And he was hitting his spots. He looked like his old self.

The Mets' bats did just enough - Carlos Delgado had an RBI double, Carlos Beltran* had an RBI sac fly, and Cliff Floyd scorched an infield hit that scored a run. Beltran* was 2-for-3. His batting average is up to .292. Anderson Hernandez had another hit - this one on a well-placed bunt down the third base line. And the bullpen turned in another good outing - Pedro* went 7, then Aaron Heilman pitched the 8th, allowing Billy Wagner to get his second save of the season.

The Mets kind of own the Nationals lately. They play very well against them. The Mets go for the sweep on Thursday afternoon.

IMPRESSIVE STREAKS: One came to an end Wednesday night, the other could still continue. Future Hall of Famer David Wright went without an RBI in Washington, so he only went the first six games of the season with at least one RBI. That was a Mets record. And I touched on this last year - but this streak gets more and more impressive every time the Angels play the Rangers. Vladimir Guerrero has a hit in every game he's played against Texas - 37 straight. They're playing Wednesday night after I write this - but the Rangers won't hold him to 0 hits. It's pretty much a guarantee.

THE KID'S KIDS: The St. Lucie Mets are now 5-2, either tied for first or a half-game back in their division, pending the result of the Brevard County game. The Mets lost 2-0 to the Cubs on Wednesday night, but Tuesday night the New York Mets' first-round draft pick of a year ago, Mike Pelfrey, got the win.

OTHER MINOR LEAGUE NEWS: Our boy Boof Bonser is now 1-1, giving up 2 runs on 3 hits in six innings at Pawtucket Tuesday night. Rochester lost, 2-0. I wish I realized he was going to pitch in Pawtucket - that might have been worth the trip for me.

BEAT THE STREAK: My new pick is Ichiro, just because. Tomorrow is the day I can start picking players through my vacation. I'll start taking this a little more seriously when I get back from California. Jose Reyes was my pick Wednesday night, and he had a hit.