PLAYOFF BOUND?

10:35am - I've always wanted to try a live blog, and I think today's the day to do it. It's the final day of the regular season, with everything on the line. Also, the Jets are playing the Bills, and with the Patriots playing the Bengals on Monday night, I have the Jets on free TV. So I've set up the regular TV next to the DirecTV, on which I can watch the Mets live, and have the Phillies on the second tuner (meaning I can always rewind to see anything I might miss). That'll cover three pretty big games. Might as well mix in some live-blogging to that.

If you're new to live blogs, first of all, keep checking back throughout the day - I'll try to keep doing this until at least 4 o'clock...I imagine there will be a lot to say today. And also, you're going to have to read from the bottom up...only the newest posts will appear towards the top.

Enjoy the day - I hope I will.

10:40 am - This is a test. Actually, I think I will just keep adding to the same post, so that you don't have to read bottom-to-top. My service to you. This way also won't screw up my total number of blog entries. I would hate to mess with statistics.

11:25am - Bad news - the Mets are not on SNY today. They are on Sun Sports in Florida, so I will be able to watch the game, but I hate the Marlins announcers. They're awful. I guess I could keep the sound down on the baseball, and have sound up on the football.

Sundays are a busy day here at the House sponsored by DirecTV. I have to do the laundry, watch football and baseball, finish up any schoolwork for Monday that I left off until the last minute, and then do the final tallies for the New Baseball Pool. Today, with such important games, only adds to the workload.

Thanks to the Southern Bureau for the comment. Obviously, I welcome your comments all day long to go along with mine.

11:35 am - Almost forgot - Sunday is also garbage day. I might put that off, though, until the games are over. The tricky part with that is making sure I do it after the games, but before it gets dark...you never know what animals might be lurking outside, waiting to attack the garbage. Yep...always have to make sure there's still sunlight when I put together the garbage.

12 noon - One hour away. I'm not taking any chances - I'm wearing what I wore yesterday. If it works today, I'll be wearing this Mets t-shirt and beige pants for the next month. At least it's very comfortable.

I think the last time the Mets faced a last-day scenario like this was in 1999, when they beat the Pirates on the last day of the season, in their final at-bat, on a wild pitch on which Mike Piazza scored from third, and in so doing, forced a playoff with the Cincinnati Reds the next day, in Cincinnati, where the Mets won the wild card. I did a quick search, and I don't think I've ever told this story before - so here goes (if you can't tell, this is the part of Sunday where I have schoolwork to do...and this is the procrastination part):

I came home from Boston on October 2nd for a friend's wedding. I had my suit, and one change of clothes - a gray t-shirt and jeans. At the wedding, a friend and I decided to go to Shea the next day to watch the Mets game - especially after it became clear that the game would decide the playoff appearance. So we showed up at Shea the next day, and waited in line, and got good seats (seats good enough that I was in the background of a couple of TV crowd shots in the bottom of the ninth - I still have the tape). While in line, also, then-Pirates third base coach (and former Met) Richie Hebner's wife was behind us, and if I'm not mistaken, although I've been known to misinterpret these things - she was hitting on me. But I digress.

The Mets won the game, and I became convinced it was my lucky outfit. I had no real demands bringing me back to Boston (I lived with the Southern Bureau at the time - he was then the next-room-over Bureau, and I was....in between jobs. There was an unsuccessful stint at Houlihan's, a possible job interview at True Value Hardware, and only interning at a TV station - I was a month away from working...November 15th, to be exact....until this very day.), so I stayed for the Monday playoff to watch the game with my dad. The Mets won, a great game by Al Leiter - a one-hitter, if I remember correctly, without looking it up. Then my dad had some Rangers tickets for Thursday - so I stayed through Thursday, with the same clothes, and the Mets did well against Arizona. That was a lucky outfit. I wore it until Kenny Rogers threw ball four against Andruw Jones. When I came back to Boston, I watched Todd Pratt hit the game-winning homer against the Diamondbacks at the apartment, while Southern Bureau and our other roommate went to the Red Sox-Indians playoff game...then I ran down to Fenway Park, and met them by like the third inning. What a week, in retrospect. I think I probably watched the Red Sox in my lucky outfit, too. I can't remember how often I laundered it. Probably not often enough.

12:35 pm - Lunch break. I had to run down to Riley's Roast Beef (The Wife and I decided earlier we would do that today - I forgot I had to be the one to go)...It's beautiful outside. The shame of all of these sports going on today is that I don't get to go out and enjoy the nice weather. Maybe The Baby (almost 'The 1-Year-Old) and I will go for a walk later...or I'll rake the leaves or something. It will be good therapy, win or lose.

12:57 pm - Sun Sports has much better video of Miguel Olivo going after Jose Reyes (and throwing a punch at him) than SNY, which is what ESPN has been showing. I just saw it on their pre-game.

Final note on what I have going on in my head today - fantasy baseball. I have one starter going - Jason Hammel of the Devil Rays, along with a host of relievers - Aaron Heilman, Jon Lester, Chad Cordero, Jeremy Accardo, Joba Chamberlain, and possibly Kei Igawa, who I thought was getting the start for the Yankees. I have an outside shot at passing the Southern Bureau in wins, but I need to maintain my strikeout lead, and I pretty much wrap up the season. I'm nervous about this, too, though. I have frittered away as much as the Mets have...though, like you have to give the Phillies credit, I have to give the Southern Bureau (and Justin from NYC, too, who is in the hunt but may come up just short) credit for keeping it close. I'm rooting against A.J. Burnett, Jamie Moyer (for two reasons), Jason Bergmann (getting K's, at least), and Brian Burres.

Phillies-Nationals, by the way, are a 1:35 start. I would love it if the Nats jumped all over Moyer in the first inning...and if the Mets did the same to Dontrelle Willis.

There's also fantasy football and NASCAR to worry about - but today they'll take a back seat to baseball.

1:07 pm - Jets have already had a defensive stand before the Mets have thrown the first pitch. Jets looked good against the Bills' backup quarterback.

1:15 pm - Both games are underway. I have better reception on the Jets than it looks like here:

1:30 pm - Wow. Not even through the top of the first yet, and it's 5-0. Tom Glavine's out, and now our hopes rest on Jorge Sosa. Not exactly the way I drew it up.

I let The Wife use the computer for 10 minutes, and this is what happens.

Jets are looking good - recovering a Bills fumble, and driving...

Unless Glavine gets a chance to pitch in the playoffs, and get the bad taste out of Mets fans' mouths, he is not going to be remembered well. There is a huge difference - Hall of Fame versus wine conneisseuir, but I'm thinking Steve Trachsel.

The Marlins announcers are already driving me nuts. The color guy actually said, after the 4th run scored, "How about some 'Let's Go Mets' cheers now?!' There's no place for that in a broadcast booth.

1:39 pm - Finally, the top of the first inning is over. 7-0 Marlins. How ugly was it? Glavine couldn't get two outs. He hit the opposing pitcher (albeit a good hitter, but still) with a pitch with the bases loaded. Tom Glavine, this is, not Oliver Perez. He made the error that scored another run, throwing the ball into left field like a little leaguer.

The Mets are still capable of scoring enough runs to win this game, unless they play like they've been playing the past couple of weeks.

And I'm going to say it again...if the Mets are lucky enough to win, and make the post-season, or lose and have the Phillies lose, and play their way in tomorrow - there better not be a drop of champagne. And I don't want to hear, 'this is sweeter than last year because of all the adversity'. You caused this. And you haven't accomplished a thing until you either win the NLCS or World Series. Making the playoffs was expected...and you produced a disastrous end of September.

1:52 pm - Carlos Delgado was just hit by a pitch, looks serious - he may have to leave the game. It loads the bases, though, with 2 outs - and the Mets already have one back, it's 7-1. No score in the first in Philadelphia.

No score on the Jets yet either. Brett Favre has thrown a touchdown pass, though, so he's knocked Marino off the top spot on TD passes. Love that.

1:54 pm - Argh. Ramon Castro just missed hitting a grand slam. It looked like he had it. 7-1 Marlins after one.

2:02 pm - Things are looking up a bit. Sosa strikes out the side, and the Jets got an interception inside of 2 minutes to go in the half. Phillies, though, lead 1-0.

2:11 pm - Jets are going to the half scoreless after a great drive ended in a missed field goal - off the upright. Speaking of Dan Marino, Chad Pennington executed a great fake spike.

My fantasy stuff is not going well - Southern Bureau is racking up a bunch of strikeouts. I haven't been following my NFL picks too closely with everything else going on, but I love the fact that Cleveland is up on Baltimore 28-3 right now...I know I didn't pick that, though.

Dontrelle Willis has 2 outs in the second, but he looks very beatable today. Anything less than 7 runs would have been wonderful today, Glavine.

2:35 pm - Willis walked the bases loaded in the third, with 2 outs, and he's been lifted. I'm not sure that's a great thing - the Mets would have gotten to him. So it's the bullpen now - the Mets need to capitalize with the bases loaded.

The Phillies did - Ryan Howard came through with a 2-run single with the bases loaded, and it's 3-0 Phillies.

2:40 pm - Paul LoDuca, pinch-hitting, on a 3-2 count, rolled a check-swinger to the pitcher. No runs. It's still early, but it's not looking good.

Marshawn Lynch ran 10 yards right through the Jets for a touchdown to make it 7-0, Bills. The Jets can not lose that game.

2:50 pm - Pennington has responded - a touchdown pass to Coles. The Mets have not. The Jets are tied, the Mets are down 7-1 through 4. Phillies are still up 3-1 through 3-and-2-thirds.

The fantasy stuff isn't looking too good either - my relievers better rack up the K's.

3:10 pm - Through 4-and-a-half: Phillies 3, Nationals 1. Marlins 8, Mets 1...after an RBI double by De Aza. About halfway through the 4th, and after a Bills field goal, it's 10-7 Buffalo.

3:20 pm - Through 5 - no changes.

The Jets, though, came up with a big 3rd down stop, and appeared to force a field goal. After a time out, the Bills went for it, and scored. Ugh. What a day.

The good news: Jon Lester is in for the Red Sox, as scheduled. Hope he gets a handful of K's.

3:30 pm - Jets got a quick strike - down 17-14. Southern Bureau - I'm well aware of the irony between the Moyer-Glavine starts. Moyer's day is done, so are the Soutern Bureau's fantasy pitchers. I need to tally and figure out how many K's I need from hopefully a few bullpen appearances.

3:45 pm - The Jets game ended with a bad interception thrown by Pennington. Bills 17, Jets 14. Now I'm not only going to have to live with the Mets choke (down 8-1 through 6), but tons of undeserved crap being dumped on Pennington as the fans call for Kellen Clemens. Oh, right, Phillies are also up 4-1 now.

4:07 pm - The Mets played a pretty crisp top of the 8th. A little ironic that the Mets bullpen has pitched so well today after putting them in this hole to begin with...also ironic that the Mets had to rely so heavily on their bullpen in their most important game of the year - getting only a third of an inning from their starter. 5-1 in Philly, 8-1 in New York- neither score is good for the Mets. They need 8 runs in the 8th.

4:20 pm - 3 more outs. At least Aaron Heilman is pitching the 9th - I need two K's from him...or Chad Cordero - hopefully he comes in against the Phillies. This day has been a disaster.

4:31 pm - The Mets are done - losers, 8-1, to Florida.

4:35 pm - The Mets are now officially done, as the Phillies beat the Nationals, 6-1. Unreal. I'm more pissed off than I thought I'd be...perhaps because it seems like I care more than the Mets. Or perhaps it's because my NFL picks were awful, and my fantasy players are going to come up one strikeout short...unless Kei Igawa makes a ninth inning appearance. I think all of those failures stem from the concentration I've been giving to the Mets...undeservedly so.

SUNDAY THOUGHTS

It's a good thing that the Mets took 3 out of 4 from the Reds, but I'm not thrilled. I guess it's because of the way they lost the one game they lost...with John Maine giving up 4 runs before he got an out on Friday. The Mets could have very easily swept this series. All I've asked, though, is for the Mets to dominate the rest of the way, and if they play .750 ball the rest of the season, I guess they'll be OK.

It's also a good thing that Oliver Perez looked so good coming back from his back injury. Really, he wasn't hurt - he was reportedly just a little uncomfortable. If it was a different part of the season, he would have played through it. But he had about two weeks off, and came back and pitched very well on Sunday.

Perez did serve up a Cincinnati highlight, though - a bomb to Adam Dunn - I think it's the longest home run I've ever seen at Shea Stadium. Dunn hit the right-hand side of the scoreboard, which has the out-of-town scores, and hit about three scores up. He damaged it too - too bad it wasn't a night game - there probably would have been some fireworks. If you get a chance to see a highlight of the homer - check it out. The good news was it was a solo shot, and the Mets still won...so I can appreciate the homer even more. Click here to watch it now.

Lastings Milledge had a good game on Sunday...and has played well so far in his return from the DL. He was 1-for-3 in the Mets' 5-2 win, with a 2-run double. But what I've liked about Milledge in these past four games or so has been his opposite field power. His double was to the right-center gap, and even some of his outs have gone a long way the other way. Some nice hitting...whether or not scouts from possible trading partners are noticing that is another story.

TOUGH TRIP: The Mets will really show us something with their next 7 games. The Reds are/were terrible...though they had played well coming into the All Star break. Now, though, the Mets go right out to California, with no day off, and play three at San Diego and then 4 at Los Angeles (their second trip to LA - the first one was a disaster). There could be a little revenge worked into this trip, and hopefully some pride. The Mets need to establish themselves as the team to beat - because that is not what they've been the past month and a half or so.

KINER'S KORNER: I think the Mets did a really good thing Saturday night by honoring Ralph Kiner before the game. Unfortunately, the game was on local TV, so I had no chance of seeing the ceremony. But Kiner has been a fixture for the Mets, and it's nice that they took some time out to give him his due. The best thing about it is that right now, Ralph Kiner needs the Mets a lot more than they need him. And the Mets still give him some appearances on SNY, they take care of him and look out for him, and that's spectacular. They're definitely doing the right thing when it comes to Ralph Kiner. (They've also made it clear that Saturday night's celebration is in no way a retirement...just a celebration.)

I've said this before, but it's worth saying again - he's still got it. Kiner has made a lot of progress since he was struck by Bell's Palsy a couple of years ago - his speech is much clearer now. And every time he's in the booth, he makes me laugh. He tells the same stories he's been telling for years, but they're still entertaining, but he also shows he's still in touch with the game, by bringing up relevant details about contemporary players. Say what you will about Kiner's on-air mistakes and missteps throughout the years, and what you can attribute them to, but I'm glad the Mets are keeping him around, and I'll miss the day when he's gone. And that day will not be because the Mets asked him to leave - I'm sure of that.

IN OTHER BROADCASTING NEWS...: From an announcer I love to one I don't love. I had to watch the Cincinnati feed for Sunday's game, which means I was lucky enough to listen to Thom Brennaman. How about this one: In the first inning, Oliver Perez walked Norris Hopper. With two outs, he kept throwing over to first base, trying to pick off Hopper. Brennaman: "That's not a good move. Actually, that's a downright awful move." (about Perez's pickoff move). Two throws later, Perez picks off Hopper. Great call, Brennaman!

GO PIRATES: I was watching a little of the Pirates-Braves game on Sunday. They have some sort of special coming up on their success from 1990-1992. It's been far too long since the Pirates have been competitive. I want them to do well...it's a real shame. They have a beautiful ballpark and a great history - and right now they mean zero to Major League Baseball. What a disaster. I don't know why - maybe it's because I read that Roberto Clemente book last year, or because of all the Ralph Kiner attention lately, or maybe because yellow is my favorite color...but I want the Pirates to be a winning ballclub again. (In the American League it's the Royals...and part of it is because I like their ballpark too - I've always loved their fountains.)

BOUND TO HAPPEN....

Braves 5, Mets 3 (NYM: 4-1, ATL: 4-1)

I knew the Mets weren't going to go 162-0, but I still wanted to see just how long they could stretch the season-opening win streak. I guess it was just four games. But the Mets were done in by one of the things that keyed them to their 4 straight wins - their defense.

The Mets looked all set after the top of the first, after jumping out to another 1-0 lead - this one from an unlikely source: a homer by Paul Lo Duca. Tom Glavine gave it right back, though, and you could tell by the way he was working that career win number 292 was not going to come easy - of course, it didn't come at all.

The Braves' first started with an innocent grounder to second, which turned into their first baserunner when Carlos Delgado dropped the throw from Jose Valentin. Kelly Johnson then came around to score on a grounder to short. Matt Diaz homered in the second to give the Braves the 2-1 lead, and the Mets their first deficit of the season.

In the fifth, the Mets did their manufacturing run thing, after a leadoff walk by Jose Reyes. He stole second, went to third on a grounder to second by Lo Duca, and then scored on a single by Carlos Beltran. The Mets knocked around John Smoltz, but he seemed to get the outs when he needed to.

Unfortunately for Glavine, the outs couldn't come because of his defense. After no errors in 4 games, the Mets committed two on Saturday. In the bottom of the sixth, with the bases loaded, Shawn Green dropped a Matt Diaz fly ball that allowed one run to score. The next batter, Woodward, flew out to right off Pedro Feliciano, and Green made a nice running catch, but the ball was deep enough to score a run to make it 4-2. Then Joe Smith came on and got a groundball, but it was too slow for Reyes to make a play, so the Braves took a 5-2 lead. All 5 runs were charged to Glavine, but only two were earned.

The much-improved Braves bullpen held the Mets to one run the rest of the way, though the Mets did threaten Bob Wickman in the ninth. Trailing 5-3, Carlos Delgado walked, and David Wright singled (extending his hitting streak on an otherwise horrid day - 3 strikeouts against Smoltz). With two outs and runners on second and third, Green lined one towards right field, but the ball was snared by Craig Wilson at first. A tough way to end the game, but it showed the Mets still have that ability to come back late in games, and you still get the sense that they're never out of a game.

CHICK-FIL-A JOHNNYMETS.BLOGSPOT.COM PLAYER OF THE GAME: No one really stood out in this one, so we'll go with Matt Diaz, who had a homer and lifted the fly ball that Shawn Green dropped. At least he put it in play, and you have to give him some credit for that - chances are the then-go-ahead run would have scored anyway. Diaz finished 1-for-2 with 2 RBI and a run scored.

NOTES ON THE GAME: The Braves have no true leadoff hitter, now that Rafael Furcal is gone. They also have no true second baseman. Kelly Johnson is playing second and leading off, but I also noticed this on Friday night, when Chris Woodward was the starting second baseman and leadoff hitter. That's a step back from Furcal, and Marcus Giles at second.

ALSO THE WAY I FEEL: Tim Kurkjian was guest host on Mike & Mike In The Morning the other day (I think it was Thursday), and the subject of the DirecTV/other cable providers Extra Innings packages came up. (An aside: I find the Mike & Mike show to be much more tolerable when someone like Kurkjian or Buster Olney is on for the entire show rather than the regular Mikes...but that's another story for another day.) Kurkjian said he has DirecTV, and the day he got it, he says, "was, other than the days my kids were born, the greatest day of my life." So, he said, it wouldn't be right for other people to not have the opportunity to get the package. I agree.

SNY 2007: Friday night was my first chance to see a Mets game on SNY. Gary Cohen, Ron Darling, and Keith Hernandez were in the booth, and were very good (for the amount I saw before I fell asleep). A couple of notables:
-Slightly newer, snazzier graphics.
-Good ads - one, a tribute to Ron Darling for being named best New York sports analyst (I think, I was a little fuzzy on the award). The other was hilarious - it was a cartoon of Cohen, Darling, and Hernandez sitting on the couch watching the game, and Hernandez keeps saying, "I sound great. Wow, I'm doing a great job." And Darling and Cohen end up taking off Hernandez's mustache, and the announcer says, "Watch the Mets with Gary, Ron, Keith, and Keith's mustache." Good stuff. I hope there are different commercials like that each week. Hilarious.
-Also, forgot to mention this, so might as well here - Lee Mazzilli is the new studio analyst this year. I haven't seen enough of his work to comment yet.

1986 ROUNDUP: I don't remember seeing him all last year on camera, but Roger McDowell is still the Atlanta Braves' pitching coach. They showed him on Friday night, and either Keith or Ron said, "Roger smiled a lot more as a player." I thought that was funny.

MORE BROADCASTING: Caught the Reds' games over the weekend, and Grande was doing the games. Wonder what kind of a rotation they have going there. I'll have to keep an eye on that.

A WORD ON THE WEATHER: This year is more extreme than most, but I feel like every year there's a hubbub about the season-opening weather, and moving all of the openers to warm weather cities. Now, I don't know that that's a foolproof option - I hear there's a chance of snow in Arlington, Texas, for the Red Sox game Saturday night, which is surprising to me, but I feel like this is always a controversy in April every year, and then it dies down and is forgotten. I do feel, however, that this year has been extreme, as I mentioned above, extreme not only in weather, but also in outcry over the weather. And I think there will be some fallout - especially since Cleveland and Seattle are losing a game because of the weather, and because Victor Martinez got hurt in the bad weather, AND because of the controversy on Friday surrounding the weather and the way the game was called off. I don't know how much fallout, but I feel like the situation won't die away so easily, and maybe there will be some change next year.

BEAT THE STREAK: After no hits Friday by Xavier Nady and on Saturday with Derek Jeter, I'm going with as sure a thing as I can on Sunday, with the Cleveland doubleheader. I'll take Grady Sizemore - all he needs is one hit in two games to get me started.

SO FAR, METS ARE PITCHER PERFECT

Mets 10, Cardinals 0 (NYM: 3-0, STL: 0-3)

How about a three-game series where you outscore your opponents 20-2? How about if that opponent is the defending world champion? OK, they're still the mediocre, lightning-in-a-2-week-bottle-that-was-the-2006-post-season-Cardinals, but it's still an impressive way to begin the 2007 season for the Mets.

Even more impressive - three starts, 3-0 for the starters. John Maine completed a solid turn by the Mets' top three with 7 shutout innings, giving up just one hit. Maine retired the first 12 he faced before giving up a hit, and then walked a batter, before ending his outing by setting down 9 of 10. (He also pitched out of his mini-jam very well, getting a strikeout, lineout, and flyout with those two men on.

By the way - I seem to remember that Maine did this a lot last year, too, where he'd make it through the lineup once, one and a half times, even twice, without giving up a hit. Then they'd figure him out...but he's picking up this year right where he left off.

The Mets were facing their former closer, Braden Looper, who was making his first career start after 572 appearances - the third-most appearances all time before making his first start. Looper was good his first couple of times through the order, too, before the Mets got to him. In the top of the sixth, Paul Lo Duca singled, and Carlos Beltran then deposited a pitch into the right field seats for a 2-0 Mets lead. That same inning, with two outs, David Wright legged out an infield single to shortstop (he's not driving in runs in the first three games- so it was good to see him get a hustle hit - this was just a slow roller to short), then later came around to score on a Shawn Green single, making it 3-0. That run was earned by Wright, by beating out that infield hit.

The Mets then blew the game open - in the seventh, Jose Reyes had a solo homer, then Beltran hit his second of the game, a solo shot (4 RBI), and then in the 8th the Mets added 5 more to make the final score 10-0. Definitely an exclamation point to a big statement made by the Mets in the first three games of the season.

The Mets have Thursday off before taking on the Braves for three games in Atlanta. I think the Mets finally exorcised this "House of Horrors" stuff with their success in Atlanta last season. We'll see if it carries over into this year. I might take Thursday off too - these have been some late nights after the 8 o'clock starts. I'll write again on Friday, if nothing else important comes up before then.

WB MASON JOHNNYMETS.BLOGSPOT.COM PLAYER OF THE GAME: Again, we have to go with the starting pitcher. John Maine went 7 innings of one-hit ball...there is no more deserving candidate. Tack on 6 strikeouts, and just two walks, and you have yourself a great start to the season.

SWEEPING THE CARDINALS: I noted in my last posting how wrong I thought people were who were saying that the season-opening win by the Mets was revenge for the NLCS. (The scale is just so different between post-season and beating the team that won it all the previous season...you just can't take that title away from them.) But by sweeping the Cardinals, while they're not getting revenge, the Mets are sending a huge message. I don't think the Cardinals will be around in October, but it's more of a message to everyone - we know what we missed out on last year, and we're here to fix it. Also - I read somewhere a comparison to 1985/1986, where the Cardinals edged the Mets in September to win the division in 1985, then the Mets came back and swept the Cardinals in April of 1986 en route to the championship. That's a more accurate comparison.

BROADCASTERS: So I caught a bit of the Reds-Cubs game on Wednesday night, and I was surprised to see Thom Brennaman and Jeff Brantley broadcasting the game. Must be a lot of broadcaster shakeup around the league, what with Gary Thorne now doing Baltimore, and these two now doing the Reds. I'm not sure I'm crazy about the switch - I've never been a big fan of Brennaman, and you may remember I kind of liked George Grande. I'll have to keep an eye on the other broadcasting switches...and perhaps do a new evaluation.

BEAT THE STREAK: Vladimir Guerrero got me going again (so mad that I didn't pick him Tuesday night)...I look to A-Rod to continue it on Thursday against the Devil Rays.

EL DUQUE RINGS UP CARDS

Mets 4, Cardinals 1 (NYM: 2-0, STL: 0-2)


(Note: The 8 o'clock starts are late on school nights. Excuse this post if it's a bit disjointed - I'm writing parts before the game is over, so that I can finalize it when the game ends, publish, and go right to bed.)

The Cardinals handed out their championship rings before game 2 of the season, and the Mets soured another celebration in St. Louis with a 4-1 win. Orlando Hernandez pitched an outstanding game, and the Mets turned in some more solid defense, making their 4 runs stand up.

The Mets manufactured a run right out of the gates - after Jose Reyes drew a leadoff walk, he almost got picked off, but on the next pickoff throw, was able to advance to second on a wild throw by Kip Wells. So with Reyes at second, Paul Lo Duca laid down a bunt, and a Carlos Beltran fly ball to center brought Reyes home from third. That's what the Mets did all last year, jumping out to early leads.

In the fifth, Reyes again created another run - with 2 outs he singled, then stole second. Lo Duca lined one to right field, which was badly misplayed by Skip Schumaker (ruled an error), and Reyes scored to make it 2-0.

El Duque was great on the mound (see below), but also at the plate - he was 2-for-3, and picked up 2 RBI with the bases loaded in the sixth after an intentional walk to Jose Valentin (who wouldn't walk Valentin in that situation?). Hernandez grounded one down the third base line, and Valentin was thrown out at the plate trying to score from first, but it gave the Mets a 4-0 lead.

The Mets turned 3 more double plays Tuesday night, giving them 7 in two games. I tried to look up in the media guide if that's some sort of record, but I could only find double plays in a game - 5. Love that book, though.

The bullpen got a wee bit shaky in the eighth inning. Scott Schoeneweis got two straight outs before getting runners on first and third, with Albert Pujols coming up. So Aaron Heilman was brought in, and he got Pujols to fly to center. Billy Wagner pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his first save.

The Mets go for the season-opening sweep of the Cardinals on Wednesday with John Maine on the mound against none other than Braden Looper. That should be fun.

AUTOTRADER JOHNNYMETS.BLOGSPOT.COM PLAYER OF THE GAME: Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez. I hate to see this be the starting pitcher all the time - but the past two outings have deserved it. Hernandez went 7 innings, giving up one run (a solo homer to Scott Rolen), and walking just 2, giving up 5 hits. He didn't strike anyone out, but started two of the Mets' three double plays. He gave the Mets just the kind of start they're going to need from him all year - it's a nice way to get started. His big problem last year was consistency - one good start followed by a bad start, so now his next start looms large - string together a few like this, and the Mets are in great shape.

I've just decided that I'm going to keep a tally of the "Player of the Game" players that I award over the year. The winner will get a watch...or nothing. Most likely nothing.

NOTES: I've been reading some recaps of the Opening Night game between the Mets and Cardinals, and some people are writing that the Mets exacted revenge on the Cardinals for the NLCS by winning Sunday night. Uh....I don't think so. Those two don't quite equate.

The Cardinals gave their fans replica rings. Pretty neat. That's a giveaway I'd like, if it was for my team.

Also, the Cardinals are allowed to wear uniforms with gold trim around their names and numbers, because they are the champs. I actually like the way the unis look. I'm not sure if this is something new baseball is doing, or if it's something the Cardinals requested. I don't remember the Red Sox or White Sox having that option. It's a neat idea.

Finally, I watched this game on FSN Midwest, so I had Joe Buck. He got a World Series ring, because he's the Cardinals announcer. Seems to me that's some sort of conflict of interest.

LOOKING AHEAD: I was checking out the Mets' schedule. July looks particularly tough. There are 10 home games, and 16 road games. It looks more intimidating on the schedule than it sounds...but there are a couple of lengthy road trips.

Also schedule-related...there are only 20 off days all season, counting the days before and after the All Star Game. And that also counts Monday, and this Thursday, and next Tuesday. So 17 off days after a week from today. It seems like a lot more during the course of the season - each off day feels like 2 or 3 to me.

MASN NEWS: The Mid-Atlantic Sports Network airs both Nationals and Orioles games (there's a MASN2 this year - I'm pretty sure there wasn't last year), and there are broadcasting developments that I caught on Tuesday night. It sounds like Gary Thorne is now doing Orioles games, which is fantastic. I'm pretty positive it was Thorne, not seeing the booth at all, just hearing some audio. But you don't mistake Gary Thorne's voice. And the analyst on the Nationals' post-game show was 1986 World Series MVP Ray Knight. Didn't stick around long enough to see how he did...but it's nice to know where to find him.

BOOF: I was watching MASN2 because our old pal Boof Bonser was pitching for the Twins against the O's. He did well. Not sure we'll be following him here this year like we did last year. The secret's out - he's a good pitcher with a funny name. Also, I wasn't even smart enough to pick him up in my fantasy league - someone else grabbed him. Whoops. Some fan I am. (For the record, Bonser went 6 innings, striking out 6, and giving up 2 runs, getting a no decision in the Twins win.)

BEAT THE STREAK: Not sure how this snuck under my radar the past two days, but Vladimir Guerrero is playing against the Texas Rangers - that's an automatic Beat the Streak pick. They're an afternoon game on Wednesday, too, so I won't have to stay up late to see how he did...like tonight with Mike Piazza. So far, as I'm about to turn in, Piazza does not have a hit.

THE BROADCASTERS - NL

Since the Mets play in the National League, I get a little more exposure to the NL broadcasters than the American League. Whenever the Mets are on local television in New York (less and less often these days), and they're playing a team with less games on local television, I get to see an out-of-town broadcast. Couple that with the fact that I watch a lot of other games, predominantly National League games, and I get a chance to see the National League broadcasters a lot more than the American League ones. Thus, (and remember - grades are based on nothing but my opinion...there's no complicated formula...I just make up a grade based on my thoughts on about a broadcast) here are my reviews:

ARI: Thom Brennaman and Mark Grace on FSN Arizona.

I'm not a big fan of Brennaman and Grace. (Greg Schulte fills in for Brennaman when he's on assignment for Fox - but that doesn't make much of a difference - if my memory serves me correct, it's like he does a Brennaman impression when he's in the booth.) I've disliked Brennaman for years...it might stem from the time a friend of mine called him "Thom", pronouncing the "th" sound at the front of his name, saying that's why he didn't like him. My dislike of this broadcast team might also stem from their sideline reporter, who once interviewed a spelling bee champ during the game, and pretty much made fun of the kid. I also think Mark Grace is opinionated just to be opinionated, in the hopes that he can get his name in the paper just because he said something controversial - sort of like what Curt Schilling would be like if he was an analyst. Too many things working against this broadcast team that ends up distracting me from the game...which is a big, BIG negative. GRADE: D-

ATL: Skip Caray and Pete Van Weiren on TBS/Bob Rathbun and Jeff Torborg on FSN South. (I do believe there are others involved in the TBS broadcasts)

Skip and Pete drive me nuts. This could be because of the Braves' dominance over the years, and my dislike of watching them instead of New York announcers in the years before I had DirecTV. Also, Skip Caray falls into the same "Thanks, Dad" category of Joe Buck, Duke Castiglione, Kenny Albert, et al. I actually like Rathbun and Torborg - Torborg is a much better announcer than a manager. Now, it was announced over the All Star break that TBS is getting a bigger piece of the MLB television pie - I even think they're getting the Sunday night games, instead of ESPN. TBS's coverage is good, so this isn't a bad thing. I wonder, though, who the broadcasters will be - because this could be a disaster if it isn't the right guys. GRADE: C (TBS), B (FSN)

CHI: Len Kasper and Bob Brenly on WGN.

I don't spend much time watching games on WGN (see Chicago White Sox), so rarely do I catch Cubs games...although the Mets play the Cubs this weekend, so I might be able to update my reaction after the weekend. I can't offer full comment on these two, but I remember liking Brenly on Fox. I can't swear to it....but I think he was a decent analyst. GRADE: INCOMPLETE

CIN: George Grande and Chris Welsh on FSN Ohio.

Another dominant DirecTV choice (oops - explained that in the Rockies entry, which is next) - these guys are always on...and it's not a bad thing. You might remember Grande from the early days of ESPN...and I think he made a recent comeback on ESPN, or had the chance to, but chose to do Reds games, because it was his lifelong dream to do play-by-play. (Or maybe he just mentioned that when he was back for that big ESPN reunion a couple of years back...my memory is foggy on this.) Anyway, he's good at it, and he's got a good voice for it. Welsh is average...but he's not bad. GRADE: B-

COL: Drew Goodman and George Frazier on FSN Rocky Mountain.

I LOVE watching Rockies games. Goodman and Frazier are great. It's weird, because I wouldn't have expected to enjoy broadcasters for the Colorado Rockies....but they're funny, they have great chemistry, and they are very informative - a great recipe for great broadcasting. I should note here that with the DirecTV package, there are certain dominant channels, in other words - if the Rockies are playing, say, the Cubs, the Rockies' broadcast will be picked up. I'm not sure why or who makes that decision, but I get to watch a lot of Rockies' broadcasts. Goodman is just a good, solid broadcaster - he knows his stuff, and he doesn't get in the way of Frazier, who is one of the better color analysts I've seen. Frazier is very funny, but he gets serious when he needs to, and when they show him in the booth explaining the proper way to grip a pitch or do something, it's not just to show the booth - it's for a reason. So I guess the production team gets credit for that too. GRADE: A

FLA: Rich Waltz and Tommy Hutton on FSN Florida.

About what you'd expect from the Florida Marlins - these guys must come cheap. (Although I get the impression that they've been there since the franchise's early days - at least Waltz has...which also might explain why they bore me...."Oh, no - don't get good, Marlins - they'll only break up the team again!" They must get tired of the Marlins' act as well.) Anyway, I don't like these guys. GRADE: D

HOU: Bill Brown and Jim DeShaies on FSN Houston.

The answer to the question "Whatever happened to Jim DeShaies?". I can't put together an honest report on the Astros' broadcasters. I like watching Astros games, for the most part, and I love watching games when they are home so I can see their ballpark. But as much as the Rockies' telecasts are dominant on the DirecTV package, the Astros games aren't. So I rarely get Brown and DeShaies. So this is an incomplete. GRADE: INCOMPLETE

LA: Vin Scully on FSN West.

I owe Vin Scully an apology. For years I've disliked him, because, along with my dad, I've been under the impression that he was anti-Mets during the 1986 World Series, which Scully broadcasted along with Joe Garagiola. 20 years later, upon watching that World Series again, I have come to realize a couple of things. 1) Maybe Scully was against the Mets - after all, they were not an easy team for non-New Yorkers to like. 2) Maybe Scully was caught up in the excitement of a possible historic Red Sox championship - their first in 68 years. So I can't really blame him for that. Therefore, Scully regains stature in my mind as one of the greatest broadcasters ever. Extra bonus points go to him because he does the games solo, and I think at times he is simultaneously the radio and television broadcaster. His distinctive voice, storytelling, and ability to keep the broadcast moving all by himself (despite the step or two he's lost as he ages) should be envied by all other play-by-play broadcasters. (When I was in LA, I found that Charley Steiner, after leaving the Yankees broadcasts, does either radio or local television for the Dodgers...but he doesn't factor into this rating....he'd probably result in the rating dropping a few notches.) GRADE: A

MIL: Daron Sutton and Bill Schroeder on FSN North (I think it's North).

There's something about these guys - I can't put my finger on it - but I like them. It's strange, because they have a lot of elements that would work against them in my grading system - they're homers (and it's worse because the play-by-play guy is more of a homer than the analyst, which I could almost stand), and they have an annoying sideline reporter who's more interested in schtick than the ball game. The broadcast can be very hokey - but I think that works for Milwaukee, and I enjoy watching Brewers games with these guys. They're not great - but they're enjoyable. I'll leave it at that. GRADE: B

NYM: Gary Cohen and Keith Hernandez/Ron Darling on SNY.

About the only move SNY has gotten right in its infancy is Gary Cohen. He's the best in the business right now, no exaggeration. He's so good that sometimes I wish he was still doing radio - because it alomst seems his talents are slightly wasted on TV - but maybe he'll force TV to shift to great broadcasters instead of some made-for-TV clowns. Cohen has the national recognition, too - he was the main play-by-play guy for the national radio broadcasts of the NLCS the past couple of years. So the Mets have the number one guy in the play-by-play portion of their booth. I'm still trying to figure out Hernandez and Darling. I should start with the fact that I love that the Mets are incorporating these guys - because for too long it was Tom Seaver and only Tom Seaver from the Mets' past that they recognized. Sometimes it seemed like 1986 never happened. But in the past 5 or more years, the Mets have started to recognize and incorporate their 1980's ballplayers, in the broadcast booth, as minor league managers and instructors, etc. Hernandez did an awesome job when he first started, offering great insight where Fran Healy didn't. Lately, he seems to want to say something just for the sake of stirring things up - a la Mark Grace. Darling has done a better job than I expected after seeing him in Washington last year - and truth be told, sometimes I'd prefer him to Hernandez, just because of all the extra baggage that seems to follow Hernandez around these days (the female trainer incident, to name one). Darling also did a nice job of showcasing himself to the New England audience during an inning's work (maybe half an inning - I forget) on NESN during the Mets-Red Sox series. Overall, this group is much better than it used to be (see ya at the tennis matches, Ted Robinson), and though the analysts could stand to be better, nothing beats Gary Cohen. GRADE: A

PHI: Strangely, I haven't seen any Philadelphia broadcasts this season...or at least I haven't realized it if there has been. I think there is such a thing as FSN Philadelphia, and I feel like I've seen that before...but I can't recall seeing a Phillies game on their air. Or at least, I never took notes on it. GRADE: INCOMPLETE

PIT: Greg Brown and Bob Walk, Larry Fratturre and Steve Blass on FSN Pittsburgh.

I can't get the Pirates broadcasters straight. They're always on, but I can't figure out how often each guy does games. (Also, Larry Fratturre may not exist - I can't read my handwriting there. It's something close.) I guess I give the Pirates an "incomplete" grade. Maybe if they become more relevant I'll watch more telecasts. GRADE: INCOMPLETE

ST. L: Joe Buck and Al Hrabosky on FSN Midwest (with Dan McLaughlin filling in for Buck most weekends).

I don't like Buck. I can't really tell you why...could be because of the fact that he was bred for this job ever since he was a child, because of his dad, giving people like me one less job to choose from. Could be because he's a sell-out, doing adds for Budweiser and now Holiday Inn. Could be because sometimes during games he sounds bored, like, "Why am I here doing this God-forsaken game when I could be sitting at home sipping an iced tea?", while I would LOVE his assignment...or it could be a combination of all those things. Truth be told, when he decides to focus on the game, Buck isn't a bad broadcaster, and I find him more tolerable on the local Cardinal broadcasts than on the national FOX games. Hrabosky is a good analyst. McLaughlin does a good Buck impression while Buck is on assignment. But I'm not a fan...so he should try being himself. GRADE: B-

SD: When I was in San Diego, I saw that a lot of the games were on their local channel 4 when I was either out at dinner or inside the ballpark. I didn't get the two Mets games that I didn't attend on TV, because our hotel didn't have the channel they were on. And this channel never appears on the DirecTV package. So I haven't seen many (if any) San Diego telecasts. GRADE: INCOMPLETE

SF: Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow on FSN Bay Area.

And you thought these guys just did broadcasting for video games. I actually don't like them on the video game...but I really enjoy them in real life. This is an interesting duo - because they're both former players - teammates on the Giants in the mid-80's. And they both do a fine job broadcasting. The dual-player thing wouldn't work everywhere - it's not something I would enjoy if Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling were doing it - but it works very well for these two. Unfortunately, I don't watch too many Giants games because of Barry Bonds...but when I do, I like the broadcasters, at least. GRADE: B+

WAS: Bob Carpenter and Tom Paciorek on MASN.

There are things I like and don't like about this duo - in their first year in the Nationals' broadcast booth. The big thing I don't like is the homer-ism....where they (Paciorek, mostly) openly root for the Nationals...which wears thin quickly, especially when the Nats are doing poorly. But that's a minor thing, because I really like Paciorek, and sometimes it comes off as funny when he's doing it. He's very entertaining - and for all the homer-ism, he was very complimentary of the Mets and their moves when Washington was playing New York. (Bonus points in my book.) Carpenter is a very good broadcaster - I became used to him from his ESPN work, and it's comfortable hearing him on these telecasts. This is a good tandem. GRADE: A-

COMING UP: Back to baseball tomorrow - Mets and Cubs in a daytime tilt. I'll try to post right after the game...otherwise it'll be a late post - I'm going to a Worcester Tornadoes game Friday night.

PIRATES PUT UP THEIR DUKE

Pirates 5, Mets 0 (PIT: 52-69; NYM: 61-59) 7.5 GB East, 3 GB Wild Card

There's one thing (and I think just one thing) that Mets fans and Red Sox fans have in common. When they see a rookie pitcher pitching against their respective teams, they just want to run and hide. Enter Zach Duke. The Pittsburgh phenom has been lights-out since his call-up before the All-Star break, and he gave up just two hits to the Mets in 7 innings of work on Thursday as the Pirates beat the Mets, 5-0.

The game was on WB11 in New York, so I was relegated to Fox Sports Net Pittsburgh to watch this game. Awful broadcasting. Just awful - more on that later. Anyway, I don't think those broadcasters deserve to broadcast games involving an impressive youngster like Duke. They were horrible. I actually wasn't too impressed watching Duke. He obviously was good - he shut down the Mets - but he was doing it by mixing speeds and keeping the Mets off balance. Every now and again he'd blow one past a hitter, but he wasn't what I expected...I guess that's the point I'm trying to make.

So Victor Zambrano got the loss - he was streaky. He got into the typical jams, then pitched himself out of them, but he was very wild. He hit Jason Bay twice, and Brad Eldred another time. This is where the horrible announcing comes in. They're both in the booth talking about whether or not Duke should go out the next inning and hit the first batter to send a message. The first batter would have been Zambrano (who, down 4-0 in the sixth, was clearly going to be lifted for a pinch-hitter), and this was after Zambrano hits Bay for the second time, his third hit batter overall. Now, anyone who broadcasts Major League Baseball games should know that Zambrano has control issues. But these guys are debating this point, then one of them says, "Wow. Zambrano hits A LOT of guys!! I guess he's not doing it on purpose." Yeah, bozo, the Mets are trailing, there's no history between the two, and Zambrano is intentionally throwing at Pirates. And Zach Duke should ruin the gem he's pitching to retaliate for nothing, and perhaps spark a brawl that will end up getting him hurt. Idiots.

Speaking of hurt, Carlos Beltran* showed his first tentativeness in center in the second inning. On a fly ball to left-center field, Beltran* circled the ball, which came straight down on the warning track in front of him. I think he was afraid of running into Cliff Floyd, who was heading towards the ball also. That could be a problem down the stretch here. But Beltran* continued his aggressiveness on the basepaths - stealing a base, and legging out an infield hit.

The shame of this loss is that everything that needed to happen for the Mets on Thursday night went their way. The Phillies and the Nationals split their day-night doubleheader, with the Nationals getting two late runs in the second game to come back and win. The Dodgers beat the Braves, so the Mets could have gained ground in the division. And as I write this, it looks like the Brewers will beat the Astros. (The bad news is that the Marlins moved another game in front of the Mets by beating the Padres.)

Here's another impressive thing about Duke - he's now 6-0 (the Pirates have lost a couple of the games he's started, but he has gotten no decisions) and either one or two wins short of the best rookie starts ever by a Pirate. Just FYI.

Pirates piling on: Jason Bay robbed Ramon Castro of a home run in the eighth inning - the ball might have hit the top of the wall, but it was going to go over.

The Nationals, coming off the doubleheader split, come to town for three this weekend beginning Friday night. The Mets, considering the fact they didn't sweep the Pirates, NEED to get at least two out of three, and a sweep would be better.

ELTRAN*'S: Beltran* went 2-for-4, but he's not really killing the ball. He legged out a dribbler down the third base line that didn't roll foul late in the game, and he got the second hit off of Duke (he only allowed the two) on a liner up the middle. He also stole third. Seems like Beltran* is starting to heat up...

30-for-105 (.286 AVG.), 3 HR, 15 RBI, 22 Runs, 8 SB

WRIGHT WATCH: The doubles hunt is slowing. Wright needs to heat up again. He was 0-for-2 with a walk on Thursday.

SECOND HALF: 10 SEASON TOTAL: 32 TEAM RECORD: 44

WRIGHT NEEDS 12 DOUBLES IN THE TEAM'S FINAL 42 GAMES TO TIE!!

THE KID'S KIDS: Looks like more rain in Florida. Still 32-15 after another rainout. 9-and-a-half games up. I forgot to call Port St. Lucie today - but I will try on Friday. I was busy cleaning up the lawn and yard.

'STRO-ING IT AWAY

Astros 3, Mets 2 (HOU: 55-47; NYM: 52-50, 6 GB)

This is not good. I'm mad. The Mets are wasting chances. They had their shot at the division lead, and they blew it. They had a huge chance to make up ground, and they ended up falling further back. And they wasted a great outing by Pedro Martinez* on Thursday night in the game they needed to win against Houston. None of these next three games is going to be easy - they needed to win with Pedro* on the mound.

The Mets dropped two out of three in Colorado - just awful. Granted, the Rockies have played a lot better at home than on the road - but that's not going to stop the Phillies from taking two games this weekend - probably even three or four. The Mets blew it there. Now they have four games in Houston - the Astros have the best record at home in the league.

Thursday night's game was very frustrating. The home plate umpire - I'm not sure who it was - had the tiniest strike zone I've ever seen. It worked both ways, the Mets were getting calls that should have been strikes called balls too, but the umpire forced Pedro* to throw a lot more pitches than he should have had to. In all, he threw 117, and left after 8 innings, with 8 strikeouts. He left a 2-2 tie, Roberto Hernandez pitched the ninth, and gave up a single, sac bunt, and then a gapper to score the winning run.

The problem is, it never should have gotten to that point. The Astros started Zeke Astacio (picture a guy named Zeke....that's exactly what this pitcher looked like. Seriously. He looked like a Zeke.) The Mets loaded the bases against Zeke with no one out in the first. They scored A run. One run. They had the chance to blow the game open early, and didn't. It cost them. Mike Piazza had a good day at the plate, David Wright had a good defensive game, but they both couldn't come through in that first inning. Cliff Floyd, at least, had a sacrifice fly, scoring Jose Reyes (it wasn't even a deep sac fly, the only reason the Mets got that first run was THE GREATEST BALLPLAYER WHO EVER LIVED'S SPEED). Miguel Cairo was the one who took advantage of the short left-field porch to give the Mets a 2-1 lead with a solo homer later on. Piazza, Wright, and Cameron better hit some homers in Houston before the weekend's through.

Pedro* didn't get hit hard. He gave up the two runs, one on a solo homer, then the second on a squeeze bunt by Brad Ausmus.

The Mets need to get the bats going. Carlos Beltran* is becoming a serious problem. I'm starting to think it's a little psychological. I think he knows people are expecting him to have a huge second half, and he's feeling as much pressure as he did to start the season. Just a thought. Cliff Floyd has cooled way off...so much so that he's probably not even going to finish in the top 15 of the Greatest Seasons Ever By A Met. Mike Cameron (I alluded to this earlier in the week) is the least clutch hitter of all time. I wrote that, I think, on Monday. Tuesday night, he struck out with the bases loaded in the seventh inning in Colorado, with the Mets down by a couple, then made the last out with Jose Reyes on second base and the Mets trailing by one in the ninth. That was part of a 4-strikeout night, by the way. Just can't perform in the clutch. He's the last person I want up with the game on the line.

Jose Reyes and David Wright are playing out of their minds right now. Wright has a 15-game hitting streak, Reyes an 11-gamer. They're setting the tables, but no one's finishing the job. I think it's time to throw Cameron down in the six-slot in the batting order, put a decently-performing Mike Piazza back at number five, and put David Wright second. I think Wright's a lot like Michael Young in Texas - and the two slot works well for Young.

Something's gotta happen. The Mets have to start winning games they should be winning. I'm starting to wonder if they even deserve the high expectations I have of them right now. The San Diego Padres team they swept last week is clearly not good - they've lost 9 out of 10, and I think they're now a game below .500 (but still in first place). The Mets need a first baseman. Marlon Anderson is a great pinch-hitter. He is a good infielder. He is a bad first baseman. Jose Offerman is worse. Chris Woodward isn't a lot better. Make up your mind about Doug Mientkiewicz - either use him for his defense and hope he improves on offense, or make a trade. We can't go on with this disaster at first.

I need to go to bed. I'm very upset right now. But I have a couple of other things to mention. One is that I have decided I hate 9:05 pm start times. It only happens, I think, in Colorado. It's too in-between. With the West Coast 10:05 start times, you know what you're getting - a late game. It's 7 o'clock out West. With the 9, they fool you into thinking it's a little early, because it's earlier than 10, but man, those games go late. And they take you (me) out of your (my) game-watching rhythm. Sometimes I forgot to change it back to the Mets when I'd switch around during commercials. Just a very tough thing to get used to. So perhaps that's why I haven't seen a lot of Rockies games this year (or perhaps it's because they friggin' SUCK). But all that said, I have to say, they have a great broadcast team. I really enjoyed watching the Mets-Rockies games on the Rockies feed. Drew Goodman and George Frazier. They were outstanding. I'm going to try watching them some more. They were amusing, but not goofy, they knew their baseball...it was very refreshing.

That's it for tonight. I'm dreading Sunday. Kaz Ishii versus Roy Oswalt. The Mets need another strong outing from Kris Benson Friday night, because we all know he's not going to get a lot of run support.

ELTRAN*'S: 0-for-4 on Thursday, in his return to Houston. He was booed all night. He'd better not expect a much nicer reception at Shea, unless things turn around.
14-55 (.255 AVG.), 2 HR, 10 RBI, 5 Runs, 1 SB

WRIGHT WATCH: 15-game hitting streak includes another double on Wednesday night.
SECOND HALF: 5 SEASON TOTAL: 27 TEAM RECORD: 44

THE KID'S KIDS: I don't know when the record improved, but the Gulf Coast Mets are now 20-9, 5 games up in the division. It looks like they got rained out again on Thursday...but I'm not sure.

LOW FIVE

Braves 6, Mets 3 (ATL 4-1; NYM 0-5; 4 GB)

Two things I can't believe I'm saying after the first week of the season:
1) The Mets are 0-5, off to their worst start since 1964.
2) Cliff Floyd has been playing some outstanding baseball this past week.

The record speaks for itself. I'll speak for Floyd. He says he's feeling better than he has in five years. He looks it. Friday night he made an outstanding running catch in the left-center field gap that saved the game from being broken open. Last night he made two throws to the plate (granted, they were three-hoppers) that nailed Chipper Jones (in the first inning), and Adam LaRoche (in the sixth inning), again, keeping the Mets in the game. He's also swinging the bat really well. Too bad, though, he couldn't climb the wall and rob Brian Jordan of a grand slam....more on that in a minute.

I really thought things were starting to break the Mets' way after Floyd threw out Jones. Chipper could have been safe (I think he slid around the tag)...but the Mets got the call. That momentum was lost in the top of the second - after future Hall of Famer David Wright reached on an error, and Doug Mientkiewicz singled him to third, the Mets went down 1-2-3. Then in the bottom of the second, Brian Jordan hit a grand slam off Aaron Heilman. Just like that, it was 4-0, Braves.

THE GREATEST BALLPLAYER WHO EVER LIVED, Jose Reyes, homered in the fifth, and the Mets actually got the go-ahead run to the plate, but Kevin Gryboski, relieving starter Horacio Ramirez, got Wright to pop out to end the inning with Atlanta up, 4-2.

In the bottom of the fifth, after Heilman looked like he settled in, retiring nine in a row, he gave up a solo homer to Chipper Jones, and the game was just about over.

I'm seeing some signs that some players are getting disheartened. Carlos Beltran hit a liner in the seventh, with a runner on, that was knocked down by the second baseman. He didn't even run it out, and there was a play at first that wasn't even close because Beltran gave up on it so early. No excuse for that...actually, 119 million reasons why there should be no excuse.

I'm getting a little disheartened too - especially since Braden Looper gave up a run in his one inning of work - he needs to get some confidence soon, or else he's going to be ineffective all year.

Another interesting piece - it seems that Willie Randolph is hitting David Wright sixth against lefties, Doug Mientkiewicz sixth against righties. I didn't realize that when the season started.

Here's another positive comment about something non-Mets. Though I don't necessarily like the broadcasters (particularly the addition of Ron Gant), TBS has some added features I like this year. The first thing I noticed was a lead measuring graphic when a runner is on first base. Using the third base camera angle where you usually see the pitcher, runner, and first baseman, TBS now has a graphic marking 9 feet off the bag, and shows whether the lead is a big one or a small one. TBS also has a cable cam, a la FOX and ESPN in football, which shows some different-looking overhead shots. The baseball version of cable cam is limited because of the fair territory, but this has some potential. The shots I saw last night weren't "great", as the broadcaster called them, but they were unique. I wouldn't be surprised if other stations started using these two features in their productions in the near future.

Also, kudos to the producer/director at TBS for this: In the second inning, Brian Jordan steps to the plate with the bases loaded, and the broadcaster says, "The last time Jordan faced the Mets as a member of the Braves, September 29, 2001, here's what happened....Grand Slam off John Franco." Then, the next pitch, was Jordan's grand slam. That's the type of stuff I'm looking for in a baseball game...which is why I was diappointed no one at ESPN last Monday commented on Kaz Matsui starting off two seasons in a row with a home run (a feat I learned was matched by Darryl Strawberry in 1987 and 1988, I think).

I've been meaning to touch base on a couple of former Mets. Franco has pitched in two games for the Astros, pitching two-thirds of an inning, giving up 0 runs. Armando Benitez is now closing games for the Giants - he has two saves. And Scott Kazmir is the number two starter for Tampa Bay - he pitched five innings in his first start, giving up 1 run, 3 hits, and striking out 2.

Pedro Martinez looks to get the Mets into the win column today against John Smoltz.

AT A LOSS

Braves 3, Mets 1 (ATL 3-1, NYM 0-4)

Before we get to Friday night's game, two things. First of all, I posted on Thursday, after the Mets dropped to 0-3 against the Reds after an afternoon loss...but blogspot erased it. That's frustrating. The only thing I mentioned that was worth repeating was in that game, future Hall of Famer David Wright went 1-for-1 with 3 walks. He may have walked more in that one game than Jose Reyes, THE GREATEST BALLPLAYER WHO EVER LIVED, will all season.

The other note has to do with Friday night's game. I watched it on Turner South, with broadcasters Pete van Wieren and Skip Caray. These guys are so annoying...and they introduce the Mets lineup by saying Doug Mee-ehn-kee-wiz and Eric VAHL-ent. It's Va-LENT. I will say this about TBS and Turner South's coverage of the Braves games this year and last - they have a great running bottom line that updates scores and relevant statistics. They do a good job with that, at least.

I'm working a morning shift early Saturday morning, so I couldn't stay up too late for Friday night's game...and I don't know how much I'll watch of tonight's game. But I saw most of the action last night before I had to turn in. Another bad inning for a Mets pitcher pretty much did them in. Victor Zambrano had a rough first inning, giving up two runs, seeming to be unable to punch out the last batter...he was saved by Cliff Floyd, who made a great running catch into the left-center field gap off Raul Mondesi to keep it 2-0, Braves.

The Mets couldn't get much going against John Thomson. I refuse to believe this guy is good...he has to hit a wall soon. They made him look great last night. It could have been different though. TGBWEL Jose Reyes led off the game with a single, then was thrown out trying to steal second. I have an issue with this, because he slid headfirst, and was tagged on his foot. There's no way he was out...but oh well. Kaz Matsui then singled to center - it could have been 1-0 Mets...but instead, Carlos Beltran* grounded into a double play to end the inning.

The lone offensive bright spot was Mike Piazza's solo home run in the fourth inning - the first of the year for him and 379th of his career. That made it 2-1, Braves, and the Mets never got closer. Offensively, the Mets aren't playing too bad. They're hitting .289 as a team so far this season (as opposed to the Braves' .213), but I think the Mets are either hitting into an inordinate amount of double plays, or they're leaving a lot of men on base. Either way, things have to start breaking their way - because it's been a lot of tough luck so far this year.

Friday night, the Mets had one last chance in the eighth inning, down 3-1, but with Jose Reyes on second base (he successfully stole second this time), Matsui struck out.

Aaron Heilman makes the start for the Mets today, against Horacio Ramirez. Tomorrow, it's Pedro Martinez against John Smoltz. The Mets need a win.

NOT SO GRANDA

Reds 9, Mets 5 (CIN 2-0, NYM 0-2)

I'll start on a positive, on a night when I'm not feeling too positive. I watched this game on FSNOhio, and I have no complaints at all. George Grande (the old ESPN guy) is the play-by-play guy (I think), and he does the games with some former pitcher named Chris (I think). They did an outstanding job - not homers, very fair, very easy to listen to. Far cry (in the good direction) from Ted Robinson and Fran Healy.

Now the bad news. Tom Glavine pitched poorly - and I think he let some bad umpiring get to him. Glavine got into a jam in the first inning - first and second, no out. He gets a double play, then loads the bases. Glavine goes to 0-2 on Joe Randa. Randa takes a pitch - right down the middle - and home plate umpire Chuck Meriwether calls the pitch a ball. Unreal. This pitch was RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE. I mean, there are close calls...but this one was a no-doubt-about-it. So, two pitches later, Glavine gives up a 2-run single to Randa, it's 2-0 Reds, and Glavine's in trouble.

Future Hall of Famer David Wright and big mouth first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz swapped spots in the batting order Wednesday - Wright hitting sixth, Mientkiewicz seventh. Not sure why that was reversed on Monday - perhaps it's a lefty-righty thing. Wednesday night, Mientkiewicz homered in the top of the second off of lefty Eric Milton - Mientkiewicz isn't supposed to be able to hit lefties well. The aforementioned unknown color guy mentioned Mientkiewicz's recent wrist problems, and how Mientkiewicz says they're behind him, and the replay showed Mientkiewicz's wrists were clearly not a problem on the homerun swing. Then unknown color guy made a joke about Mientkiewicz getting the home run ball back from the fan and keeping it, like he did the Red Sox ball. It was well done.

In the top of the third, future Hall of Famer Wright tied the game at two with a solo home run to the opposite field (career home run number 15).

The tie didn't last. In the bottom of the fourth, Glavine again threw a close pitch, called a ball, could have been a strike - definitely should have been a strike - just as much down the middle as the pitch to Randa. That would have gotten Ken Griffey, Jr. with the bases loaded. But Griffey comes back with a 2-run single off Glavine, making it 4-2, then Sean Casey made it 5-2 with another RBI single.

The Mets got the tying run to the plate in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings. In the sixth, Mientkiewicz hit a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded, making it 5-3, Reds. And the thing about the Mets lineup is that you feel that if one guy gets on at any time, they have a chance to score. When the top of the lineup is up, Reyes and Matsui are setting the table for Beltran*. Then it's Piazza, and Floyd, who's come out of spring training ripping the ball. Then Wright, Mientkiewicz are a pretty darn good 6-7, and in Wednesday night's case, Victor Diaz was the 8 hitter, in right field. So it doesn't seem too hard to build a rally...but the Mets couldn't on Wednesday. Beltran struck out looking at a pitch down the middle (surprised, maybe, that Meriwhether didn't call it a ball), and the Mets never got closer.

Mike DeJean came in in the bottom of the eighth inning, and a huge argument delayed the game for a good five minutes - maybe even ten. The gist of it was that Willie Randolph didn't announce a double switch before DeJean started warming up, so DeJean had to lead off the ninth inning (the Mets pinch-hit), but the delay definitely affected DeJean. He couldn't find the plate...he loaded the bases, then served up a grand slam to Joe Randa. The Mets added a couple of runs in the top of the ninth to make it a 9-5 final.

A couple of things I noticed watching baseball the past couple of days - the Dodgers weren't wearing names on the back of their road uniforms in San Francisco. Not sure if that's a permanent change or a throwback occasion or something. (If it was a true throwback game, though, they would have been playing in New York.) And I have to admit, seeing the way the Red Sox lost to the Yankees on Tuesday made me feel a tiny bit better about the Mets' loss on Monday. Just a tiny bit. Let's check some mail:

"JohnnyMets,

You told us that you expect the Mets to win the NL behind MVP Carlos Beltran and Cy Young Pedro Martinez*. But you did not tell us how you expect them to fare against your predicted AL champion Anaheim Angels.

Wait. Let me guess. 4-0 sweep.

Dave in Brighton"

My bad, Dave. First of all, let's remember that it's now the Los Angeles Angels, and it would be a five-game World Series win.

"Dear JohnnyMets-

OK. So we've been together for five years. And you've LIVED with me for one year. So let me ask you... *how* can you pick the Yankees to win the AL East this year??? Yes, they have Johnson, Jeter, Matsui and the two BALCO boys. And yes, the Sox looked like crap against them Monday night. But honestly, do you want to continue having our house sponsored by DirecTV? Because with predictions like that, it might just be shut off and we'll have the House Sponsored by Rabbit Ears Antenna.

Sincerely,

Your Wife"

Wow. The wife weighing in. I think she meant the Sox looked like crap on Sunday. We'll keep this e-mail handy and re-evaluate in October.

The Mets-Reds series wraps up Thursday afternoon, 12:30, in Cincinnati. Mets need to come out with a win.