The Dodgers beat the Mets on Friday night, 5-0 (you know your team is having a great season when losses really take you by surprise - it was weird seeing the Mets lose this game), and the Phillies beat the Marlins, so the Magic Number remains at :

Just wanted to let you know what my rooting strategy is for the rest of the weekend: The Mets need to win the next two against the Dodgers, and we need to root for the Marlins to beat the Phillies in their next two games. That will put the Magic Number to about 3....but it will also put the Marlins closer to second place - meaning the Mets could clinch in Miami by beating the Marlins early next week, and knocking the Magic Number down multiple numbers. Chances are, though, since the Marlins lost to the Phillies on Friday night, that the clinching will come in Pittsburgh at the end of next week. That's what I'm thinking, at least - the Mets may split the next two with the Dodgers, they'll probably lose one to the Marlins, and the clincher will probably come the first game against Pittsburgh, in Pittsburgh.

THE KID'S KIDS: Wow! I glanced at the score, and saw Dunedin leading St. Lucie 5-4 in the 9th inning, so I was all set to write quickly about St. Lucie having a back-to-the-wall scenario in the Florida State League Finals. But the Mets came through with 3 in the 9th, pulling out a 7-5 win, and taking a 1-0 series lead!

This series is a best-of-5, and minorleaguebaseball.com predicts the Mets in 4. Here are the Mets celebrating their first round win (Gary Carter is the guy on the right - not the guy on the left):