These Steve Trachsel starts take a lot of energy out of me. Honest, they do. It's like watching a Yankees game from start to finish once every five days...and I don't even sit through the entire Trachsel games. I get up and do stuff...for instance, I'm writing my blog right now, and Trachsel isn't even pitching anymore.

I'm just feeling right now that if I waited until the end of the game, I wouldn't post afterwards. I had a busy weekend, I'm feeling a little run down, I actually have things to do Tuesday, a rarity on my summer vacation, so I want to get this out of the way and get some sleep.

The Mets are trailing the Cubs right now, 8-4, so it looks like we'll have to wait another day for win number 60. But keep in mind that the Mets ARE playing the Cubs, who they are capable of scoring 11 runs against in an inning...so perhaps this one's not over yet.

PEDRO*: Finally, Pedro Martinez* appears set to pitch Friday at Atlanta. We'll see....

THE KID'S KIDS: The Mets are 16-13 in the season's second half, three-and-a-half back of Daytona. They're riding a 3-game losing streak right now. Perhaps the boys have their minds on the post-season, and not on the regular season...and some big-time managing is going to be needed by Hall of Famer Gary Carter.

MINOR LEAGUE REPORT: Here's your rare full Mets minor-league report...we just mentioned St. Lucie. A Binghamton pitcher threw a no-hitter against Portland on Sunday. So that covers Binghamton (it was just a 7-inning no-hitter, so I won't even mention the guy's name).

Regarding Edgardo Alfonzo's comeback - he didn't play on Monday, but after an 0-for-3 on Sunday, he's hitting .261. That's not going to be enough.

BEAT THE STREAK: After an all-Ichiro weekend (3 hits), A-Rod got me a hit on Monday. So I have a 4-gamer. It's Jimmy Rollins on Tuesday - a .500 career hitter against his opposing pitcher, Miguel Batista.