There's the Mets I Know and Love!

So let me get this straight...Jerry Manuel uses K-Rod in the eighth inning instead of the ninth because we're still losing at that point and he actually went 1-2-3? So it is the ninth inning that plagues us? Well, that's good because I was beginning to think that K-Rod sucked.

This one ended up being another heartbreaker for the orange and blue. The Mets came back from a 6-3 deficit only to see their hopes of victory dashed by one Dan Uggla. Yeah. And that's all I have to say about that.

The Fish got to Hisanori Takahashi early but he still managed to go five and 2/3 innings. Um...still a better choice than Oliver Perez? I really can't decide, but this is definitely the guy that gets moved if/when Oliver Perez decides to come back and suck for the Mets again. Besides letting off that grand slam to Hanley Ramirez, what are we complaining about really? It's an upgrade from Ollie.

Offensively, David Wright didn't strike out, instead going 3-for-4. Jason Bay had an odd night at the plate, going 0-for-1 with two walks and an RBI. Well, at least the out was productive. Fernando Tatis actually got a hit and Ruben Tejada went 2-for-3. But the man of the hour is one Josh Thole who got the then-game-tying RBI pinch-hit single in the ninth.

The Mets try to save their dignity in Puerto Rico tomorrow night with Big Pelf taking on Chris Volstad.

David Wright Strikeout Counter: $8.90

Mets Sign Michael Barrett

The Mets signed catcher Michael Barrett to a minor league deal. Michael Barrett is most famous for punching out people.

In other news, Carlos Zambrano may be available.

David Wright stirkeout counter: $8.90 (hopefully Michael Barrett doesn't punch David's face...or there might be issues)

This Is How Frequently I Write About Jason Bay

When I had to do an image search for Jason Bay because I don't have any pictures saved to my computer, I realized I really don't talk about him....at all. And then it took me even longer to find a picture of Jason Bay that wasn't from his press conference. When I Google "Jason Bay Mets," pictures of Jason Bay in a Red Sox uniform come up. Try it, it's a kick.

Sure, the Mets lost to the Marlins 10-3 yesterday, in a game I'd rather not talk about, but Jason Bay was the only bright spot in Puerto Rico. His two home runs provided for the only offense that the Mets got last night. Sure, David Wright had a good night at the dish (by only striking out once) and is the only Met with a .300 batting average, but this might be the start of a little hot streak for Jason Bay.

When the Mets signed Jason Bay, we were all expecting a solid left fielder who would have 30 home runs and 100+ RBI for us every year. Right? Don't deny it. Or at the very least, anything was better than having Daniel Murphy play left. Or Moises Alou, who I'm sure we all remember as the man who got hurt standing in the outfield.

But Jason Bay hasn't met our high expectations yet. He is hitting a .278 (his career average is .280--so he is hitting like normal) but he only has 6 home runs and 34 RBI...nowhere near what we were expecting. I could go the David Wright route and blame Citi Field, but I won't...even though a ball that would have gone over the Green Monster is an out at Citi Field.

I think Jason Bay is finally heating up...in Puerto Rico of all places. I think he needed time to adjust and yada yada yada. Has he had a defining moment as a Met yet? No. But I think switching around the lineup has worked in his favor...and in David Wright's favor.

David Wright strikeout counter: $8.90

Finally! The Baseball Gods Have Heard Me!

Apparantly, Bobby Valentine is not in the running to become the next manager of the Florida Marlins, which still makes it safe to watch Baseball Tonight, and ESPN in general.

Number of requests that I have made to the Baseball Gods that have been granted: 1

David Wright strikeout counter: $8.80

Why Am I Not Surprised? Twins 6, Mets 0

Not surprisingly, the Baseball Gods have denied my request of a no-decision for Johan Santana, and the Mets lost 6-0 to the Twins. Johan was not at his best today, going six innings and allowing five runs, including a 4-run first inning.

I don't have any numbers or anything, but Johan has to be up near the top of the list of the pitchers that recieve the least amount of run support.

On the other hand, Carl Pavano crafted a complete game, 3-hit shutout, while allowing only one free pass to Ike Davis. This could only happen to the Mets, folks!

The only Met who seemed to solve Pavano was Jeff Francoeur (I think I'm spelling that right, I never write about Frenchy so I don't know), who had two out of the three Mets hits today.

The Mets try to not lose another rubber game tomorrow at 1:10. Jon Niese is pitching for the Mets and Scott Baker for the Twins. Advantage: Niese.

David Wright strikeout counter: $8.70

Yup, I Called It: Metsies 5, Twinkies 2

The Mets beat the Twins by a score of 5-2. After letting off a lead-off home run to Denard Span, Pelfrey calmed down and went on to pitch 6 innings of 2-run ball, good enough for a quality start. He allowed six hits and no free passes while striking out two.

At least every Twinkies hit was earned, because there was no free passes at all, even by Mr. Drama King himself, Frankie Rodriguez (but the ninth inning still makes us nervous!).

I'm glad to see that Bobby Parnell is back; I know a lot of Mets fans that like him, myself included. Maybe behind a better bullpen and a team that's actually healthy, Parnell will do better. And I'll be there rooting for him. Better offense equals better pitching, but pitching wins games.

The offensive attack was led by one David Allen Wright, who went 2-for-3 tonight, with a solo home run and an RBI double. David also scored on an error. Jason Bay also contributed an RBI double.

The series continues tomorrow at 1:10 PM with Johan Santana taking on Carl Pavano. Maybe Johan pitches good enough to get a no-decision? Pretty please?

David Wright strikeout counter: $8.60

Series Preview: Metsies Vs. Twinkies

<----- This man is pitching tonight. This man is a beast. I have full confidence that the Metsies will beat the Twinkies tonight.

<----- This man is pitching on Saturday. We have a chance...wait, I take that back. We don't have a chance considering that the Mets suck when Santana pitches. And I'll leave it at that.

<-----This man is pitching on Sunday. I'm giving the Metsies home-team advantage because I can. Sorry peeps.

David Wright strikeout counter: $8.50

Number of fans heartbroken that Bobby V. may be going to manage the Marlins: 1

I Love When David Wright Strikes Out to End the Game

David Wright made me 20 cents tonight as the strikeout counter goes to $8.50.

With this loss, the Mets fall back into second place.

Why don't they win the ones that matter?

I Should Go On Vacation More Often.

After a refreshing couple of days in Islamorada (that's part of the Keys for those non-Floridians), I must say, I really need to go away more often.

On Tuesday, the Mets dominated, winning by a score of 14-6. Thanks

mainly to Angel Pagan, who was a triple away from the cycle. No need for details, as this is old news. There was apparantly a rain delay, and it really messed with Jon Niese. But I wouldn't know.

And David Wright got on base five times, with three hits and two walks. But it's not insert picture into blog-worthy. But I still love him.

On Wednesday, I got stuck watching the game on ESPN with Dave O'Brien and Rick Sutcliffe in lieu of Jerry Seinfeld on SNY. Which sucks because I wanted to hear what he had to say about Lady Gaga. Although, I do have to say, they have more competence than Joe Morgan and Jon Miller. AND they say Carlos Beltran's name Bel-TRAN and not Bel-TRON, which always makes me think of the movie Tron.

Anyways, R.A. Dickey pitched 8 innings of shutout ball.

I might have to upgrade him to beast status. He is the first Mets pitcher to go 6-0 in his first 6 decisions....ever. And even in the game where he got the no-decision, the Mets won.

Jose Reyes was a double away from completing the cycle and becoming the first Met to do so since some guy named Jose Reyes did it back in 2006.

Angel Pagan was pinch-hit for in the 7th inning, a concerning move because Jerry would have left him in if he was okay. If the Baseball Gods hear my plea: please let Angel Pagan be okay!

I am up to $8.30 on the David Wright strikeout counter; I think O'Brein and Sutcliffe may have jinxed him into that strikeout. And they agree with me.

The Mets take on the Tigers one more time tonight with Hisanori Takahashi taking on Armando Galarraga. Oh, and we better win...as I write this, the Chicago White Sox have completed a sweep of the Atlanta Braves. We win and we're in first!

On Vacation...

I need a break from this team!

Just kidding, just kidding. I will, of course, listen to Howie Rose on my MLB At-Bat app (this thing is a life saver).

Should be back in time for the Twins series on Friday!

Mets Offense Shuts Down (Again) For Santana

Oy vey.

The Mets lost to the Yankees today 4-0. I really couldn't tell you what happened because I turned off the game after Mark Teixiera hit that grand slam.

No really. It was the third inning and I said to myself, "Well, I can turn this game off." Is this all being part of a Mets fan? Knowing by the third inning that we've fallen and we won't get up? Especially when Johan Santana pitches.

It's like the team says, "Oh Johan, you screwed up by letting off that grand slam. No win for you!"

The Mets aren't going to lose tomorrow! (They're not going to win either but I've been wanting to say this all month)

They return to Citi Field on Tuesday to take on the Detroit Tigers. And Jerry Seinfeld calls the game on Wednesday...or if you hate Jerry Seinfeld, the game will be on ESPN. Although it might be blacked out in New York. Or there's Howie. Howie calls a good game. Now I'm just rambling because I didn't watch the game past the third inning.

Happy Father's Day!

That's me and my dad. Note that daughter is proudly wearing a Mets jacket, even though the Mets were coming off the Great Tragedy of 2009.

I know Father's Day doesn't get quite the same hype as Mother's Day, but lets face it: without my dad, I wouldn't be a Mets fan.

I remember going to my first game at Shea like it was yesterday. I was 8 years old and the Mets were playing the Phillies. My dad took me to the game along with my brothers so that I wasn't left out. We sat in the Mezzanine and I tell you, that was when I fell in love with this game. And this team. I even had a new favorite player: Edgardo Alfonzo (mainly because they dragged out the O's when saying his name). The only thing I didn't like was that we had to leave in the middle of the 7th inning to line-up for the Dyna-Mets Dash. And the Mets won 8-5. I don't know how I remember that, but I do.

Subsequently, going to games at Shea became a regular thing. After a stint on the Field Level and the great Carvel ice-cream disaster, we always sat in the Upper Deck in the last row behind home plate. The Upper Deck, no matter how hot it got during the summer, always had a nice breeze and my brothers could run wild. How much of these games my dad actually got to watch, I don't know. I was the only one that actually watched the game. I would keep the scorecard. At 8 years old.

We moved to Florida when I was 10, but the love for the Metropolitans didn't wear off. In my dad's restaurant, we had a special satellite dish so that we could get all the games on MSG. We finally went to our first spring training game in 2006, and my dad came with me to meet Omar Minaya. Together, we also met Bud Harrelson and Al Weis from the '69 Mets. Mr. Weis let me hold the ring! We met Gary Carter on a hot summer day when he was still managing the St. Lucie Mets. He was also coaching 3rd base and he waved at us!

Today, I am still in Florida and my dad is in New York. But he watches the games and I faithfully listen to Howie Rose thanks to MLB At-Bat 2010. I'm still the first kid he calls to talk about the Mets, whether they're doing really good or whether my quest to get the word "suckage" in the Mets Lexicon continues. Not bad for only taking me not to feel left out, huh?

Happy Father's Day Dad! I love you!

Well, It Had To End Sometime

Well, it had to end sometime. The impressive 8-game win streak that the Mets had put together finally ended, with the Yankees edging them out 5-3. Grrr.....

Mike Pelfrey went 7 innings, giving up the 5 runs, along with 7 hits and 3 walks. Not his best outing of the year, but the offense certainly didn't help him.

In fact, Jose Reyes accounted for all three Mets runs. Yup. You read that right. He hit a lead-off homer in the first and a 2-run shot in the third. Jose Reyes was catalyst-ing; nobody else responded. And it was probably the only good thing about the game. That and Ryota Igarashi actually pitched a scoreless inning of relief.

The 3-4-5 hitters were a combined 1-for-11 with a walk and a Golden Sombrero. Three of those strikeouts were from one David Allen Wright, who must sense my worship and then set out to make a liar out of me. On the strikeout counter, I am now up to $8.20....bummer.

Tomorrow, in a game that won't be shown on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball (thank God), the rubber game will consist of a pitcher's duel between C.C. Sabathia and Johan Santana. Lets get Johan the no-decision.

When You're Hot, You're Hot!

In case you haven't realized it yet, I am a Wrightoholic. I repeat: I am a Wrightoholic. David Wright, without a shadow of a doubt, is my favorite current Met. He may even beat out Edgardo Alfonzo as my favorite Met of all time, so long as he doesn't do anything stupid like going to play for a team I hate, like the Phillies. Or the Braves. Or the Yankees.

The Mets are on a seven game winning streak, and the fact that David Wright is absolutely on fire absolutely, positively has a lot to do with it. Moving David back up the third spot in the line-up has definitely helped. I'm making less and less dimes with strikeouts and more and more dimes with RBI. In fact, David is tied for the NL lead in RBI with 53 and is only six off of Miguel Cabrera's MLB-leading 59 RBI.

(Even though I am up to $7.80 on strikeouts, but no more Golden Sombreros for David!)

When David Wright hits, we win. Simple as that. Give David Wright a day off, and 9 out of 10 times, the Mets have lost. Some people might argue at some point in the season that David Wright isn't a clubhouse leader and yada yada yada. WRONG. If David wasn't a clubhouse leader, we would be able to take him out of the lineup and not feel the effect.

David Wright is the leader of the team, and his actions are speaking much louder than his words.

Not So K-Rod

While I am happy to say that the Mets finally won a game for Johan Santana and went over my predicted run count of four, I am not happy to say that K-Rod continues to make the ninth inning suck.

Seriously, it's 7-4. We just need a groundout, a fly out, and a pop out. Do you really think that can happen? Once? Pretty please?

But on the bright side, David Wright was 3-for-5 with three more RBI. Unfortunately, my strikeout counter goes to $7.60. But I continue to forgive David, because it's not like he's not hitting, or has as many strikouts as Justin Upton.

Ike Davis hit a 2-run shot! Woo hoo! Can somebody tell me where to get an I LIKE IKE shirt?

Johan pitched seven innings of 4-run ball. It wasn't his best outing, but it was effective enough against a team like Cleveland to get the win. Finally.

I Hate Mondays

The Mets are off today, as they head to Cleveland for a three game set.

Johan Santana is supposed to be pitching this series, and I'm calling the over/under for runs scored to be four. Why four and not, say, one or two? It's Cleveland, and we're arguably the hottest team in the National League.

I'm glad Jason Bay got out of his 1-for-16 slump. I hope he continues to hit.

So far, David Wright has made me $7.40 for his strikeouts, but he is forgiven because he is among the league leaders in RBI. And he hit two home runs yesterday. That and I love him too much to be mad at him.

I hate Mondays, mainly because the Mets are off. I mean, at least when they stink, I can say that at least they're not going to lose. Now that they're doing good, I end up rambling. Like I am now. And finding new pictures of David Wright. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Hell Has Frozen Over

The Mets won a road series. I could tell you the details, but considering that this is the first time that they have won a road series since last season, but I think I'm too shocked.

Not That There's Anything Wrong With That

Apparantly, there is something wrong when Lady Gaga goes into a VIP box and gives fans the one-finger salute...if the VIP box in question belongs to Jerry Seinfeld.

The Mets issued a statement saying:

"We deeply regret that Jerry Seinfeld has been associated with this matter and have apologized to him. The use of Jerry Seinfeld's suite was unauthorized and unknown to him at the time. We made a quick decision to place Lady Gaga and her group in a private suite because of issues related to her visit."

Umm...yeah. The Mets basically needed to do this because lets face it: besides from Jerry Seinfeld and Ferris Bueller, then who else is a Mets fan? Seriously, think about it. And another thing about the Seinfeld show I still don't understand: if Jerry Seinfeld is such a huge Mets fan, then why does George work for the Yankees?

Hip Hip! R.A.!

The Mets defeated the Orioles today by a score of 5-1. This means two things:

1) With the Braves losing and the Phillies waving the little white flag of surrender, the Mets now move into second place, and only a game and a half out of first.

2) We actually won on the road.

Chris Carter and David Wright provided all the offense we needed. Carter offered up his first Major League home run, a three run shot, and Wright had an both an RBI single and double. And more importantly, he didn't strike out!

But the real story tonight was R.A. Dickey. He struck out a career-high eight batters while pitching seven innings of one run ball. It was Dickey's first career win against the Orioles.

Tomorrow, the Mets try to acheive greatness by winning back-to-back road games for the first time since last season. Hisanori Takahashi takes the mound. We might have a chance to do it if Bobby Valentine isn't named the Orioles manager by then.

Mets Upstaged by Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga was at Citi Field today to watch the Mets take on the Padres.

She got totally pime-o seats right behind home plate before ending up in Jerry Seinfeld's press box.

Gaga was photographed flipping off photographers...or perhaps she was upset that the Mets don't score runs for Johan Santana?

Jon Niese Throws 34th Mets One-Hitter

The Mets defeated the Padres in the nightcap of their doubleheader 3-0. It was Jon Niese's first complete game and first shutout.

Jon Niese faced 28 batters, retiring 27 of them. He struck out six and walked none (obviously), lowering his ERA to a 3.61. Niese becomes the first pitcher since Shawn Estes in 2002 to retire 27 out of 28 batters. It was also the 34th one hitter in Mets history and the first complete game one hitter since Aaron Heilman did it back in 2005. Yup, I said "Aaron Heilman" and "one hitter" in the same sentence.

Jon Niese needed this start. I'm happy for him; he's always been a player that I root for to do well.

I'd like to thank the official Twitter of the New York Mets for providing me knowledge of a time when Aaron Heilman was actually good for us.

Tonight's Game Rained Out

The effort to actually get Johan Santana a win has been postponed due to rain.

A day/night doubleheader will be played tomorrow. Santana will pitch the first game. Maybe he'll actually get the win.

We Like Ike!

Ike Davis played the hero tonight, hitting a walk-off homer in the bottom of the 11th to beat the Padres 2-1. It was the first walk-off hit that wasn't hit by a catcher...and may be the greatest hit Citi Field has seen in its short history.

He better get used to that pie. The future is now.

Mike Pelfrey pitched nine innings of one run ball, but earning the no decision and lowering his ERA to 2.23. Had the Mets scored more than one run between the first inning and the ninth inning, Mike Pelfrey would have a legitimate complete game. Either way, this solidifies him as a beast.

Tomorrow, the Mets look to actually earn Johan Santana a win. Stay tuned to see how this goes.

The Mets are Aces Wild!

The Mets begin a 3-game set with the Padres tonight, and we have the big guns gunning for another home sweep!

Tonight, Mike Pelfrey takes the hill against Clayton Richar

d. Pelfrey's last start against the Padres proved to be one of his best of if not the season, then his career. Eight innings of one run ball, interrupted when Jerry Manuel insisted on using K-Rod for the ninth. Pelfrey has become an All Star in our eyes and has acheived beast status, in the Book of Jessica.

On Wednesday night, the Mets have prodigal son Johan Santana pitching. Santana has not allowed a run in 15 innings, but remains 1-0 in his last six starts. Yes, that's S-I-X. His last start against the Padres was shaky, but our ace still managed to go seven scoreless, throwing a season high 123 pitches. And then the bullpen blew it. Like they always do. This better not happen again.

On Thursday night, R.A. Dickey takes the hill. Though I won't go as far as to say that Dickey is a beast, I like what I have been seeing so far. So far, he has been durable in all of his starts, and has always been able to avert trouble.

Considering that the Mets are best home team in the majors, I expect nothing less than a series sweep. Really. We need to win all three games. Because afterwards, we go to Baltimore to play the Orioles, and in true Mets fashion, I expect them to find embarassing ways to lose. Yes, I'm expecting them to lose to the worst team in baseball. But more on that later ;)

I Didn't Jinx This Team After All!

The Mets rallied back from a 5-0 deficit to complete their fish fry, with a final score of 7-6.

Jeff Francoeur played hero today, extending his ten game hitting streak, and hitting the game-tying three run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning.

David Wright also had a three hit, zero strikeout day. I think I like home David Wright better than away David Wright.

The Mets took the lead in the 8th, on an Ike Davis double play. Umm...usually, when the Mets hit into a double play, it ends the inning and/or the game...I'll take it!

If I could change one thing about this game, Hisanori Takahashi would have pitched better. Today, he allowed 5 runs in 5 and 1/3 innings. If I could change two things about this game, Hisanori Takahashi would have pitched better and K-Rod would actually pitch a 1-2-3 inning.

Tomorrow, the Metsies have an off day before continuing their home stand with the Padres. The beast known as Pelfrey is scheduled to pitch Tuesday. We're in good shape.

There's Going to be a Fish Fry at Citi Field

The Mets have taken two out of the three from the Marlins. e squished the fish; now we just have to fry them!

I don't want to sound overly cocky or arrogant here, but the Mets are the best home team in baseball. Nobody wins at home like we do. Now, if only all of our games could be played at Citi Field, then we could win a championship.

We have Hisanori Takahashi going on the hill today; he got roughed up in his last start, so he will be looking for vengeance. Jeff Francoeur, suddenly (and shockingly), is swinging a hot bat again. David Wright isn't striking out.

Of course though, with this post, I probably just jinxed my team. But what am I worried about? We're the home team. Perhaps it's fitting that the pocket schedule says We Believe in Home Field Advantage.

Yeah, we do.

Perez on 15-Day DL; Still Has a Chance to Comeback

Oliver Perez was placed on the 15-day disabled list so that Jon Niese could be activated prior to today's start.

Really, it's a win-win: we win because Ollie is gone (for now) and Ollie wins because we didn't DFA him, even though that's what we should have done.

All Is Right In Metsland

The Gimpy One has finally landed himself on the disabled list. Maybe now, other useful players will stop getting hurt.

In a flurry of roster moves, those wanting GMJ off the roster finally got their wish. Those wanting Oliver Perez off the roster have to wait another day.

Omir Santos and Ruben Tejada were called up in place of Gimpy and GMJ.

Daniel Murphy Done for the Season

It's official: Daniel Murphy is done for the year. He was diagnosed with a "high-grade" MCL tear...but the part that confounds me is that he doesn't need surgery; he'll just be out 4-6 months.

Murphy was testing the water as a second baseman in the certain event that The Gimpy One ends up on the disabled list.

One has to wonder if Alex Cora didn't pull a Tonya Harding to assure that he gets his 80 games in this year. Nah....he's too nice of a guy.

The Mets don't have any other real option besides from Cora, so Ruben Tejada will most likely get the call-up. Maybe in super double weasel switch, Oliver Perez finds a way to stay in the confines of the Citi Field bullpen.

I Didn't Notice This Last Week But...

Rick Peterson took off his jacket.

On a Scale of 1-10, How Pissed is Johan Santana Today?

If I were Johan Santana, I'd be pissed off at my teammates today. Mr. Santana, who along with Mr. Pelfrey can be declared a beast, did not perform at his best last night but he still pitched seven shut out innings. He got only one run of support, courtesy of a Frenchy RBI single. And then, K-Rod blew the game. And then, Adrian Gonzalez hit a walk-off grand slam. And then, Jessica cursed at her iPhone screen as the score read: Padres 5, Mets 1. And now, because of this unfortunenate series of events, Johan Santana is a man who is 1-0 in his last six starts. Yup, you read that right. 1-0 in his last six starts.

It seems to me that with this team, they only come through on two occasions:

1) Mike Pelfrey is pitching. As they should. He is a beast.

2) When Jerry Manuel says, "Shit, I don't have a starter today!" He then throws in somebody like Hisanori Takahashi and tells the team they have to hit.*

I'm tired of us losing when our ace is pitching. This is the one game every five days that we're supposed to...gee, I don't know...win. Santana and Pelfrey both do a great job of keeping their team in the game; but why can't the Mets score for Johan? They're just a mystery wrapped inside a Twinkie.

And I'm up $6.90 on the strikeout counter for David Wright. By the end of the season, I should at least have $20.00!

*Second condition is only applicable during home games

If I Had A Dime for Every Time David Wright Struck Out...

...I'd have $6.60! But on the bright side, both Mark Reynolds and Justin Upton have surpassed David, with 72 and 71 strikeouts, respectively.

I Have Faith in the Mets...on Tuesdays

As I was looking at my New York Mets pocket schedule (aptly called The pocket Schedule of Suckage) yesterday, I noticed something. I keep track of wins and losses so religiously that I can determine by now which day of the week the Mets are going to perform. Last year, it was on Fridays that we did the best. This year, I have faith in the Mets...but only on Tuesdays.

After yesterday's 4-2 victory over the Pedres, the Mets are now 7-2 on Tuesdays, including a doubleheader sweep back when we were on that 8-game winning streak.

I'm officially declaring Mike Pelfrey a beast after pitching eight innings of one run ball. Mike Pelfrey, at the beginning of the season, was one of my question marks, but now, he has solidified himself in the Mets rotation. His 8 wins are second in the majors, only to Ubaldo Jimenez. And his 2.39 ERA ranks among tops in the majors.

Mike & Ike & Wright won the game last night....my inclusion of my beloved in this sentence absolutely shocks me....but now I'm curious what this team does with Johan on the mound. The Mets generally don't score for this poor guy; I'm surprised he hasn't given up on them yet. And according to the Pocket Schedule of Suckage, the Mets aren't so hot on Wednesday.

I was disappointed to wake up this morning and see that Jerry Manuel was still the manager.

Seriously. All of my thoughts about yesterday's 18-6 loss and the Oliver Perez situation can all be summed up in that one little sentence.

And don't get me started on either one. The sad thing about the 18-6 rout was that the Padres didn't really have a big 8 or 9 run inning; they just kept scoring. Doesn't that mean we should be throwing them different pitches? Or using different pitchers...oh wait...Fernando Nieve wasn't available, which explains the whole thing. NOT. We shouldn't be losing 18-6 to the Padres unless Adrian Gonzalez drives in all 18 runs.

And the very latest on the Oliver Perez situation: the ever-informative Peter Gammons is reporting that Scott Boras did approach the Mets a few weeks ago about putting Ollie on the DL and sending him to Florida to work with renowned sports psychologist Harvey Dorfman. Apparantly, Jeff Wilpon felt it wasn't appropriate.

So guys, we can't boo Oliver Perez anymore! It's getting to him! No matter how much he may suck, we might hurt his feelings. That's a shame.

With Jon Niese scheduled to make his return on Saturday, the Mets need to make a roster move anyway.

And Carlos Beltran is running at 80%....but I have to wonder if it's Carlos Beltran's definition of 80% or the Mets definition of 80%....because if it's Beltran's definition, he's only at 65%.

Mike Pelfrey is on the hill tonight: we have a chance!