PEDRO A HIT IN RETURN

I know it's two games old by now, after the Mets won the Maine-Cain matchup Wednesday afternoon, but it feels good to have Pedro Martinez* last more than an inning and get a win...and just to know he'll be back out there every five days.

According to all reports (again, I didn't make it out of the top of the first), Pedro* was healthy. He threw 109 pitches, and he even went 2-for-3 at the plate, with an RBI single.

Pedro* went six innings, giving up three runs, three walks, seven hits, and striking out three. And you have to think he'll get better, because it was not ideal Pedro* weather - cool and in the fifties (although that would be October weather if the Mets are lucky enough to be playing then).

Martinez* beat Barry Zito, who dropped to 1-9. Those two players have had a tremendous reversal of fortunes since Zito beat out Martinez* for the Cy Young Award.

In 2006 it was after a trip to the West Coast that the Mets really started to get hot (although I think that was in May, not June). Could this be where the 2008 Mets made their march to the top? They continue through San Diego (PETCO Park - "Where The Mets Go" - copyright johnnymets, 2006) before coming back east to host the suddenly awful Diamondbacks, and then match up with the AL West in interleague play.