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Even Steven

For a team that is desperate to prove that they should be taken seriously, the Mets needed to sweep the Rockies this weekend. Matt Ginter stuck around long enough on Friday to pick up his first National League victory. He didn't pitch particularly well, but the Mets pounded out nine doubles in winning 9-7. The biggest story of the game was Braden Looper finally giving up an earned run -- in this case two of them. He picked a good spot for them, as they only brought the Rockies to within 9-7.

On Saturday, Tyler Yates showed a) why he was sent down to Norfolk in the first place and b) That his one start while down there didn't really teach him anything. Yates looked pretty horrible against a makeshift Rockies lineup that included three Major League-quality players (Castilla, Johnson, and Burnitz), and rookies/scrubs. The Mets were on their way to a 4-3 loss when Ty Wigginton cracked a two-run bomb in the bottom of the eighth to give his team a 5-4 lead, one that Braden Looper would protect.

Sunday's game was terrific...Tom Terrific. For the second time in three starts, a Kaz Matsui leadoff homerun was all Glavine would need to rack up another W. He lost a perfect game in the 7th and a no-hitter in the eighth, but he held on for the one-hit shutout and, more importantly, a victory that brought the Mets to 22-22, .500 on the season. Almost as important, Glavine gave the overworked Mets bullpen a day off that, with tomorrow's scheduled off-day, should give them plenty of rest for their upcoming series' with the Phillies and the Marlins.

Speaking of which, the Mets next 12 games are against those two teams, right now sitting 1-2 in the NL East. The Mets are in third, and are no longer the perennial whipping boys they once were (thank you, Expos). These games will not be easy, but they will go a long way towards revealing what kind of team these Mets really are. Al Leiter is on the disabled list, Mike Cameron should be with him instead of flailing away uselessly at the plate, and the Mets still don't really have a fifth starter. Their bullpen, despite its growing stack of AARP cards, has been among the best in the league.

The Mets may be joined within the week by one-and-future-shortstop Jose Reyes, who is currently playing rehab games for class-A Port St. Lucie. After going 4-for-7 with two stolen bases on Friday and Saturday, Reyes went 0-for-5 on Sunday including a double-play. His performance is not as important as his health, which appears to be stabilizing. He has apparently shortened his stride, which may have been the cause of some of his leg problems.

It may all wash away two weeks from now, but I will enjoy basking in the Mets warm glowing warming glow.