OFF ON THE WRIGHT FOOT

Mets 6, Braves 3 (NYM: 45-44, 7 GB; ATL: 50-39)

In the past couple of days I've been talking about the Mets recapturing some of that old Mets' magic. Thursday night's game against the Atlanta Braves sure felt like some of the games during the post-season runs of 1999 and 2000, and it was definitely a great way to start the second half of the season.

Kris Benson got the start against Horacio Ramirez - and I have yet to hear exactly why he started instead of the scheduled starter, Tom Glavine. Benson pitched great, and Ramirez pitched well, but more on him in a minute. Benson struck out 7, while giving up 3 runs (2 earned) in 7 innings. I missed how the run was unearned - the run scored on an Adam LaRoche homer - but Benson really pitched well. To be honest, I wasn't sure from the start why Benson wasn't pitching the first game out of the break. I'd much rather him than Glavine, especially given Glavine's past performances against Atlanta.

Future Hall of Famer David Wright was the absolute star of this game. He came in 6-for-8 career against Horacio Ramirez. He added two solo bombs (career home runs number 26 and 27) to that total. A gold star goes to Carlos Beltran* - who got his strong second half off to a strong start with a 4-for-4 performance in a big game. I'm starting to believe the Mets WILL make a playoff run. Here's when you know things are going good. Jose Offerman is not good. He's not. He should not be in the majors. But the Mets trailed 3-2, there was a runner on second base, and Offerman pinch hit for Benson. He singles to left - he always gets a pinch hit lately in clutch situations, and he ties the game.

Then Mike Piazza. All-Star Mike Piazza. He comes up after an unintentional walk to Cliff Floyd and a double by Beltran*. With two on and one out, Piazza flashed back to Mets-Braves 1999/2000/2001 and hit an opposite field homer. He crushed it. Piazza hasn't shown opposite field power like this all year. It's too early to say whether or not Piazza is going to turn it around in the second half, but man did that homer look good.

The Mets did it in the field too. In the fifth inning, Floyd went head over heels into the left-field front row seats in foul territory to snare a pop-up. That was a great catch, drawing MVP chants from the crowd. Then in the eighth inning, after an unsuccessful great play by THE GREATEST BALLPLAYER WHO EVER LIVED, Jose Reyes, (trying to get a runner at third where Wright just missed the tag), the Braves tried a squeeze with one out. The ball was popped into the air, Wright made a diving headlong catch, and then was able to walk back to third base to double up the runner.

I know I'm kind of rambling here, but I'm really excited. The Mets pulled off a great win, when they needed to. Maybe this is what it takes to turn things around against the Braves. To top it off, Washington lost to Milwaukee, so the Mets moved to 7 games out of first (they're also now 4-and-a-half out of the wild card). Philadelphia crushed Florida, so Philly stays a half-game in front of the Mets, and the Mets are even with Florida. Things are not good with the Marlins - they designated Al Leiter for assignment. He is probably going to come out of someone's bullpen before the year is out.

Actually, lots of moving and shaking in the NL East. The Nationals traded for Preston Wilson (who promptly hit a homer in his first game with the team) and also got Mike Stanton. I think Washington is going to slide far and fast. The Mets might have to worry about Philadelphia, but, as I've stated before, the Phillies do not scare me. Might as well give the division to the Mets now. I'm excited. Big weekend ahead. Let's Go Mets.

THE KID'S KIDS: In 15 innings, the Nationals beat the Mets, 5-4. Sounds like it was a good one. I wish they'd televise these games - these kids sound like they'd be fun to watch. 13-4 on the season right now.

P.S. - NESN has started showing the Southwest "ding" commercial I wrote about two days ago.

OFF (erman) THEIR GAME

Marlins 7, Mets 3
(FLA: 41-37; NYM: 40-40, 9 GB)

Jose Offerman looks awful at first base. This is what I came away from Saturday's game thinking. Just awful. On a play early in the game, Offerman went to field a throw from across the diamond, and he had the wrong foot on the bag, so he was limiting his stretch. The runner was safe. Then, when the Marlins scored 4 runs in the sixth inning to take the 5-3 lead that would prove to be more than enough for the win, Offerman dropped what should have been an inning-ending double play, instead allowing the inning to continue and the Marlins to score two runs. It should have been 3-3, and Offerman should have scooped the ball, but he dropped it, and the Marlins took a 4-3, then later a 5-3 lead. Jeff Torborg (more on him in a minute) and Kenny Albert talked about how the ball was low and in the dirt, and you can't really blame Offerman, but yes you can. He should have had it.

This was just a very frustrating game to watch, and Offerman by no means deserves all of the blame. Most of it, maybe, but not all of it. Save some for Carlos Beltran******. Unreal. Beltran* pops a ball up to first in the third inning, and is mad at himself, so HE DOESN'T RUN TO FIRST. Carlos Delgado makes a really, really smart play, lets the ball drop, then turns a 3-6-3 double play. I defended Beltran* yesterday. I won't defend him again until he starts putting up some solid numbers. This isn't the first time this year he's dogged it - I remember another time earlier this season. He's making a heck of a lot of money - for him to not run anything out is a disgrace. The announcers (again, more on them later) said Beltran* made up for the mistake by blasting a 2-run double to right in the fifth, giving the Mets a 3-1 lead - but I'm not bought that easily. I hope other Mets fans aren't either.

Kris Benson started this game for the Mets, he was 6-2 coming in. He had never before in his career been 4 games over .500. He has yet to get to 5-over. I always talk about Steve Trachsel never pitching (and possibly never pitching well) in big-game scenarios, and how I worry about that. I don't think it is an issue with Benson. And after Saturday, I still don't think it's a problem. Benson pitched very well in this game, and ran into trouble in the aforementioned sixth inning. He got out of that inning with the score still 3-3, as far as I'm concerned. He got done what he needed to do - his defense let him down. Good outing for Benson.

Royce Ring and Danny Graves let the game get out of hand in the 9th, making it the 7-3 final.

Jeff Torborg should be fired. He is brutal. Every other word out of his mouth is about how he managed the Marlins in 2003, and set the table for them to win the championship. And he's full of excuses about why the Marlins fired him (he had so many guys on the disabled list that year) and why he wasn't successful with the Mets (when Willie Randolph broke his hand in 1993, he was one of 15 surgeries - which is why the Mets didn't play well that year). How about the fact that no one respected you Jeff? And no one still does. He also had the nerve to criticize the ring he got from the Marlins in 2003. Are you kidding?! You don't even deserve a ring - if Jeff Torborg had still been managing the Marlins in 2003, they wouldn't have made the playoffs - let alone win the World Series. I know I'm overly critical of announcers, but Jeff Torborg was brutal Saturday.

The friggin' Nationals won again Sunday, so the Mets, at .500, are now 9 games back. This is getting kind of ridiculous. The Mets are just three and a half games back of the Braves for the wild card, FYI.

The only good thing coming out of Saturday was Cliff Floyd "hosting" 'This Week In Baseball', which means he was involved in a lengthy interview, which was pretty good. But I'm still bothered by the fact that he "really worked hard getting ready for this season", and "it's fun coming to the ballpark, and it makes you want to play your best" - why isn't he working hard getting ready for every season, and why isn't he playing hard all the time. That really upsets me. Also, it was great to hear Dontrelle Willis talk (I'm not going to say Jeanne Zelasko had a great interview with Willis, because she was bad, but he was good) during the pre-game. I like Willis a lot - he's very genuine, and fun to watch talk about baseball - he really enjoys himself when he plays.

I have an e-mail that I'm going to answer before I go:

"Dear JohnnyMets,

A few more All Star game items...

*This time it counts. Don't you think they should change the slogan,
borrowing a page from the I Know What You Did Last Summer sequel, and
make it This time it still counts. Or It's counting again this time.
Or Please please watch this time?

*Pedro. I hope Pedro forgoes his annual Dominican holiday and pitches
(starts?) for the NL All Stars later this month. I really want to see
him face Manny or Ortiz or both. In fact, I would be fascinated to see
how he'd fare against the Sox, though I'm not sure when NL East faces
the AL East again in interleague. But here's my question: As a Mets
fan, wouldn't you rather see Pedro get some time off? Dude threw 217
innings last year and 186 in '03, plus the postseason in both those
years, which probably brings the total for the last 2 years to 440 or
something like that. That's a lot of pitches.

*HR Derby: This time it's jingoistic. Which do you find more
entertaining --- the annual HR Derby or the All Star game itself?

Signed,

Dave in Brighton"

I have a big problem with "This time it counts". That implies it never counted before. It did, it counted last year. I agree with you. How about, "This time, LaRussa thinks he has a shot at controlling his fate, but this year he's actually going to lose in the first round of the playoffs."

I'm not sure when the AL East faces the NL East, but can you imagine the Boston media when Pedro* comes back to Boston (or Boston goes to Shea). I won't even watch the news that whole month leading up to it. But the Easts should face each other some time during Pedro*'s contract. MLB screwed it up somehow that the divisions don't rotate fairly from year to year, so even though it's been a while since the Mets faced the Red Sox, I don't think it's happening in either of the next two years. I want to say 2008 for some reason. But I could be wrong. As for Pedro* pitching in the All-Star Game, he's not going to be going all out, I don't think....and one inning couldn't hurt....could it? (Frantically searching for some wood to knock on.)

And lastly, I missed the Home Run Derby in 1999, when it was at Fenway Park, because I was working back in New York. Because everyone I knew was here for that, and it was the "greatest Home Run Derby ever", I feel like watching the rest of them will only be anti-climactic. So I don't really watch the Home Run Derby anymore, but I still do enjoy watching the Game. Don't get me wrong - if the Derby is on, I'll watch it, I just don't get excited about it. The game I get a little bit excited about.

THE KID'S KIDS: The Gulf Coast Dodgers beat the Gulf Coast Mets, 12-1. The Mets could only manage 2 hits. 5-2 on the season now.