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Rough Start

Five innings into his Mets debut and Kris Benson is done for the night. His final line was 5.0 innings, 7 hits, 7 runs, 7 earned runs, 2 walks, 1 HBP, 4 strikeouts, and a homerun. His defense didn't exactly help him out, as Jose Reyes booted a ball, Cliff Floyd failed to make a throw home on a sac fly, and Mike Cameron misplayed a single to center.

One bad start does not a pitcher make, but it would have helped to stem the tide of seething Mets fans if Benson could have gone out there and thrown a gem to beat the Braves. Of course, even if he gave up only a single run, the Mets offense wouldn't have been able to overcome such a staggering deficit.

Erickson Shipped To Texas

ESPN News is reporting that the Mets have traded recently-DFA'd righthander Scott Erickson to the Texas Rangers. There's no mention of who is coming back to the Mets, but I have my fingers crossed for Hank Blalock. Stay tuned.

In non-Mets news, the Yankees have apparently acquired Esteban Loaiza from the White Sox in exchange for Jose Contreras and cash. This sounds like a huge win for the Yankees, as Loaiza is the Sox best pitcher(though not nearly as good as he was last year) and Contreras is a bum.

The Red Sox have also reportedly sent Nomar Garciaparra to the Cubs in a four-team trade. I'm not sure of the specifics, but I've heard that the Expos are involved, and some names being mentioned are Orlando Cabrera, Matt Clement, and Alex Gonzalez.

UPDATE: The Red Sox get Orlando Cabrera from the Expos and Doug Mientkiewicz from the Twins. The Cubs don't give up Clement or anyone else from their starting rotation. More as it develops.

UPDATE: The trade breaks down like this:

Red Sox get Orlando Cabrera from the Expos.
Red Sox get Doug Mientkiewicz from the Twins.
Cubs get Nomar Garciaparra from the Red Sox.
Expos get Alex Gonzalez from the Cubs.
Expos get P Francis Beltran from the Cubs.
Expos get IF Brendan Harris from the Cubs.
Twins get P Justin Jones from the Cubs.

In a separate trade, the Red Sox acquired OF Dave Roberts from the Dodgers for a minor leaguer.

UPDATE: Vinny from Yankees, Mets, and the Rest points out that the San Francisco Chronicle is reporting that the Mets received a PTBNL from Texas for Scott Erickson.

The Fallout

Here's what others are saying about the Mets recent bombshell:

Matt from Gogs:

I'd like to make it clear again: I have no problem with what the Mets got. I love the fact that these two will be locked up and will be pitching for this team for years to come. They both have solid arms at this point and a few obvious factors will definitely increase their rate of success.

But of course, it's the price the Mets pay.

In ten years it will be, where were you on the day the Mets traded the future?

Well, I'll start. I was on I95, on my way back from Washington D.C. when Ed Coleman got on the air. I'll never forget it.

Avkash from The Raindrops:

After making that last post I looked at today's traffic and realized there are a lot of people stopping by today. Either you're a Mets fan who needs to go somewhere where your pain is understood, or you're a baseball fan equivalent of a rubbernecker, stopping by to stare at the carnage. Either way, I'm sorry for taking the easy way out and not offering commentary, but I, along with like thinking fans, realized yesterday that nothing has changed for our beloved Mets; we were taken for a ride and promptly sold down the river.

Today, I -- or rather -- we, are powerless, which is a state of being everyone is introduced to or even accustomed to at some point in their lives, be it with their governments, a loved one, theirs Gods, or even themselves. Yesterday, and today, and tomorrow, we'll continue to feel powerless.

Vinny from YMTR:

I actually feel betrayed right now. We were all led to believe that Jim Duquette was the anti-Phillips, but that's clearly not the case. If I were given to conspiracy theories, I would probably say that Duquette is trying to sabotage the Mets organization from the inside.

I can't think of a single good thing to say about either of these deals, and I really don't know what else to say on the matter.

Shame on you, Duke.

Kaley from Flushing Local:

Kris Benson and Victor Zambrano are the newest additions to Metsland and if the instantaneous reaction of internet-based observers is any guide, they may be sorry they came. In exchange for these two highly regarded righties at or entering their prime years, the Mets gave up scrappy jack-of-all-trades Ty Wigginton and most of the starting rotation of AA Binghamton - Matt Peterson, Scott Kazmir and Jose(lo) Diaz. Oh, and the kicker is they also dealt Aussie backstop Justin Huber off of AAA Norfolk just before he was about to represent his country in the Athens Olympics. That's a lot of unfulfilled potential being sent away.

Jason from Always Amazin':

Simply put, the Mets got hosed. And even worse, they got hosed when their shot of making the postseason is virtually nil, falling seven games back with a loss to Atlanta last night. They had no reason to make these trades at this time and they gave up Scott Kazmir, someone who has more potential than almost any pitching prospect in baseball, someone who could have become a bona fide #1 ace or a lights-out, wham-bam, thank-ya-ma'am closer.

Maybe this will end up being a great series of trades. Maybe the Mets will end up smelling like roses if Kazmir, Matt Peterson, and Justin Huber all flame out in the majors. But the bottom line is that this is one of the riskiest gambles the Mets have ever made and the Devil Rays have to be feeling pretty good right now.

Kris Benson, Victor Zambrano, welcome to New York. You're the future of this organization now, let's hope you succeed. No pressure.

Jeremy from Jeremy Heit's Blog:

We were betrayed. We actually believed management had changed, that it knew what it was doing. The "only make trades if they benefit now and the future without giving up the future" mantra that was bandied about after Phillips got fired... Lie. Big fat stinking lie. It's like watching a trainwreck. You know its coming, yet you watch, hoping that it doesn't happen, that the bad stays away, that it is averted by some miracle. But it never does and they never learn. Never.

Norm from The Shea Hot Corner:

I'm way too incensed to form a coherent thought about what just happened tonight. Nice fucking "plan" Duquette you little worm. My gut reaction is that the Wilpon's desire for "meaningful" games in September (read, ticket sales) just trumped the long term success of this team. Maybe I was being naive, but I bought into this new direction the team was going - getting younger with an emphasis on replenishing the farm system in order to pour a foundation for a solid future. Yeah, I bought into it hook, line an sinker. What a dope I am.

Mike from East Coast Agony:

Right now I think the Mets got fleeced. However, if Benson is signed for three years at reasonable money (not the 3/27 that has been bandied about), and the Wilpons give Duquette the go-ahead to make some big moves in the offseason, and if some of our prospects don't pan out, well, I'll still be pretty upset.

Bottom line is that all this talk in the blogosphere about betrayal may be melodramatic, but it's also one hundred percent correct. This doesn't doom the team for sure, but it kills my faith in the front office. And I did have faith in them. It could certainly be worse -- Duquette could be Bavasi -- but I'm left with the glum question of how I can enjoy the rest of the season's games. I was looking at them as a harmless step to something better, but now they just got a lot more meaningful. I guess Wilpon got his wish, after all.

Please Back Away From The Edge

If you haven't already heard, the Mets made two trades tonight to strengthen their starting rotation and, in the process, weaken their farm system. The trades break down thusly:

Trade #1
Mets acquire RHP Kris Benson and IF Jeff Keppinger (AA) from the Pirates.
Pirates acquire Ty Wigginton and RHP Matt Peterson (AA) from the Mets and 3B Jose Bautista from the Royals.
Royals acquire C Justin Huber (AAA) from the Mets.

Trade #2
Mets acquire RHP Victor Zambrano and RHP Bartolome Fortunato (AAA) from the Devil Rays.
Devil Rays acquire LHP Scott Kazmir (AA) and RHP Jose(lo) Diaz (AA) from the Mets.

Where do we start? When I first heard of the trades on the Mets post-game show, my initial reaction went something like this (parental advisory suggested):

FUCK SHIT SHITTY FUCK FUCKITY FUCKING-A SHITWAD FUCKJOB FUCK SHIT FUCK!!

I would like to personally thank Gary Cohen and Howie Rose of WFAN for talking me down from the ledge. Both big Mets fans, they very calmly and rationally made sense of the chaos. The Mets are a better team today at the Major League level than they were yesterday. They now have a very solid 1-5 starting rotation, probably the best in the NL East now that Florida has traded Brad Penny to the Dodgers (who may eventually trade him to Arizona).

Many believe that the Mets have already worked out a contract extension with Benson. If the Mets didn't have some assurance that they would retain Benson past this year, there is no way they make this trade. They gave up a lot for Benson, no doubt. Matt Peterson is a fine pitcher, but his upside is probably a #2 ML starter (i.e. Kris Benson). Here's what Baseball Prospectus 2004 had to say about him:

Some sculptors say they acquire a block of stone and stare at it until the piece reveals itself. Then it's only a matter of chipping it down. Peter made some positive strides last year, and is starting to look like the good pitcher he can become. He needs to get his change and curve over for strikes consistently. He's got a future if he can swing it.

The italics are mine. Peterson is only 22, and is probably at least another season away from the bigs. He was the centerpiece of this deal, and he was deemed expendable with the impending acquisition of Cuban pitcher Alay Soler (Jim Duquette's words).

Ty Wigginton is a fan favorite, and can play a number of defensive positions adequately (i.e. not embarrass himself). He has some pop in his bat, but his role on the Mets was going to be as a bench player. A fine bench player, no doubt, but a bench player. He doesn't hit enough to be an outfielder, and the Mets have the infield pretty much locked up for a number of years. A useful player, but one that can be easily replaced if you know where to look.

Justin Huber was tough to lose, but you have to take a step back and wonder how great a prospect he really is. Sure, his .400 OBP is great, particularly for a catcher, and his .473 SLG between AA and AAA is nothing to sneeze at. However, by all accounts, his catching abilities are very suspect. Here's what Baseball America has to say:

He has enough bat to hit for average with 20-plus homers annually, but he's mechanical behind the plate and sloppy footwork detracts from his arm, which is average at best. Huber's plate discipline has taken a step forward this year, as he has hit .270/.402/.473 with 13 homers and 44 RBIs in 88 games, mostly in Double-A. He has thrown out just 14 of 72 basestealers (19 percent) in 2004.

If his catching doesn't improve, there may be a firstbaseman's glove in his future, where 20 homerun power isn't that impressive.

If the Mets didn't make this deal and then waited until the offseason to try to sign Benson, there are plenty of indications it might not have gone so well. First off is the draft pick consideration that would be forfeited to Pittsburgh. Aside from that, the Mets have recently taken a half-assed approach to free agency. Furthermore, Benson is an Atlanta-native, and this trade and possible contract extension prevents the Braves from getting their hands on him. Benson is not a #1 starter, but he was the second-best starter on Pittsburgh (behind Oliver Perez), and he certainly has #2 starter stuff. He essentially takes Matt Ginter/Scott Erickson/James Baldwin's spot in the rotation, which has to be considered a colossal upgrade.

As for trade #2, the Mets give up their #1 pitching prospect, and quite possibly the best lefty pitching prospect in all of baseball, Scott Kazmir. As the old saying goes, however, there is no such thing as a pitching prospect. Kazmir is a couple inches shy of six feet tall, and there have been numerous questions raised about his work ethic and durability. Is that all just spin to make it seem like a better deal for the Mets? Maybe.

For those of you crying into your beers about Kazmir and how he was the best Met pitching prospect since Dwight Gooden, get real. Kazmir overpowered single-A hitters, and has been successful thus far in AA, but he is not considered anywhere near the prospect that Paul Wilson was just a handful of years ago. He was the #1 pick in the draft, Kazmir was #15 (though he likely could have gone higher were it not for his perceived bonus demands). Wilson was a can't miss prospect, and he certainly did miss. He had arm problems, and has been inconsistent since at the Major League level.

There is no guarantee with minor league players, and the Mets were apparently content trading "might-be's" for "probably already-are's". Kris Benson and Victor Zambrano are no Kerry Wood and Carlos Zambrano, but they represent two very important things:

1) An immediately huge upgrade to the back end of the rotation
2) Two talented starting pitchers that the Mets can control for several years beyond this one (assuming they get Benson under contract)

Neither of these players help the Mets anemic offense, atrocious bullpen, or porous defense. They help the Mets for the remainder of this season and for seasons to come. Maybe Scott Kazmir will be a #1 starter somewhere in 2006, or a Billy Wagner-like closer (though Tampa GM Chuck LaMar says that Kazmir will be brought up when rosters expand on September 1st). Maybe he'll hurt his arm and never make it to the bigs. Who knows. That's the fun of following prospects, but also the biggest problem.

Benson starts Saturday night in Atlanta against the Braves. As Benson and Zambrano join the roster, Dan Wheeler gets sent down to AAA, Jae Seo and Matt Ginter join the bullpen, and Gerald "Ice" Williams has been recalled to take Wigginton's spot on the bench.

Feel free to bitch away in the comments. You may not be thrilled with Kris Benson now, but keep in mind that she comes along for the ride.

Yusmeiro

In his latest edition of Down on the Farm, John Sickels writes about our favorite unpronouncable pitching phenom Yusmeiro Petit.

The Mets signed Petit as a free agent out of Venezuela in 2001. He's just 19, so his age-relative-to-league factor is certainly positive. His fastball runs at 90-92 mph. He already had a good changeup, and he's improved his curveball this year. Listed generously at 6-foot in height, Petit may not pick up much additional velocity. But his fastball has good movement, and he mixes it well with the change and curve. Basically, he is a pitcher's pitcher, someone who doesn't have awesome physical tools, but who understands the skills of pitching ... at least to A-ball hitters.

No new updates on the Kris Benson front, but I will post as soon as anything new develops. I'll be at a concert tonight (Projekt Revolution at the PNC Arts Center), but I'll have my Mets game wireless alerts in tow, and will check in later on.

Kris Benson A Done Deal?

Sources indicate that the Mets and Pirates worked into the night Thursday trying to hammer out a deal that would bring Kris Benson to our beloved Mets. Recently rumored to be headed to Minnesota, those talks apparently stalled because the Twins refused to include AAA outfield stud Jason Kubel (currently hitting .346/.397/.523 for Rochester of the International League).

The deal with the Mets would likely include Jack-of-all-trades Ty Wigginton and minor league pitcher Matt Peterson. The Mets have apparently received assurances that Benson would sign an extension with them rather than going to free agency in the fall, something that surely makes the deal more attractive.

Kazmir On The Way Out?

Rumors still abound regarding prized pitching prospect Scott Kazmir being dealt to Tampa Bay for the talented but erratic Victor Zambrano. If the Mets wouldn't trade him for Alfonso Soriano, why they would ship him out for Zambrano is unknown.

If that wasn't disturbing enough, the Newark Star Ledger reports that Mets superscout Al Goldis was in Houston this week with an eye on struggling Astros pitcher Tim Redding. The article mentions Kazmir as the return party in such a deal, which makes me a little queazy. It's probably all hogwash, but the article indicates that the Mets have recently soured on Kazmir's durability and attitude. Apparently his 1.73 ERA and 29/9 K/BB ratio in 27 AA innings isn't enough to keep him out of the Mets doghouse.

Cliff Floyd On The Block?

According to an article in the Chicago Daily Herald, the White Sox, Pirates, and Mets are involved in three-way trade negotiations, and Cliff Floyd's name has been mentioned as heading to the Sox. The article indicates that the Mets would send Ty Wigginton and Matt Peterson to the Pirates for Kris Benson, with Floyd going to the Sox and a minor leaguer, Ryan Sweeney, going from Chicago to Pittsburgh.

Recent rumors have indicated that the Pirates have asked the Mets for Wigginton and Peterson, so why the Mets would throw Floyd in for nothing is beyond me. He may be crippled and has recently voiced his desire to retire from the sport sooner rather than later, but we don't have anybody better to stick out in left field (Eric Valent's performance on Thursday notwithstanding). It would be a bit of a salary dump, but I would expect the Mets to get a decent prospect package in exchange for Floyd's bat.

Thoughts?

Buy High, Sell Low

As we all clamor for the Mets to do the right thing, it's tough not to recall when they were always doing the wrong thing. Mets broadcaster Ted Robinson reminds us of the 2002 deadline deal that brought journeyman reliever Steve Reed from the Padres in exchange for outfielder Jason Bay, now hitting very well for the Pirates (Pittsburgh acquired Bay from San Diego last summer in the Brian Giles deal). As we gaze over an endless see of powerless outfield prospects, let us all remember Jason Bay.

Cycle Baby, Cycle

Eric Valent has just become the eighth Met to hit for the cycle. The Mets lead the Expos 9-1 in the 7th. With the cycle, some lucky lady won a free Lexus. Whoopdie-doo. Eight cycles, zero no-hitters.

Mets Minor League Wrap-Up

AAA Norfolk Tides
Norfolk 2, Indianapolis 1

Despite being outhit 10-4 by Indianapolis, the Tides squeak by the Indians AAA affiliate 2-1. Randy Keisler gave up 10 hits and a walk but only one earned run in seven innings. He also whiffed nine Indians in lowering his ERA to 3.27. Jason Roach picked up the win in relief, his first of the season. Danny Garcia went 1-3 with an RBI, while the modern-day Dave Kingman, Craig Brazell, went 0-4 but picked up the game-winning RBI on a groundout. Esix Sneed scored both Norfolk runs, picking up three walks and a stolen base in the process.

AA Binghamton Mets
Binghamton 15, Portland 4

The B-Mets racked up 15 runs and 19 hits in smothering the Portland Sea Dogs (Red Sox) 15-4. Every Met had at least one hit, with Angel Pagan, Brett Harper, and Chris basak picking up three hits apiece. Pagan was 3-for-6 with two doubles and four RBIs. Harper went 3-for-6 with a double and three ribs, while Chase Lambin went 2-4 with a homerun, two walks, and three RBIs. Jason Scobie picked up his fourth win of the season, allowing five hits and a walk while striking out four in seven innings. Royce Ring was shakey in an inning of relief, allowing a two-run homerun to second-baseman Jesus Medrano. Wayne Lydon went 2-5 for the Mets and picked up his league-leading 57th stolen base of the season.

A+ St. Lucie Mets
Lakeland 3, St. Lucie 2
St. Lucie 2, Lakeland 0

In the first game of a double-header (Tuesday night's game was rained out), Lastings Milledge went 2-2 with a walk and Aarom Baldiris went 1-2 with a walk and a two-run homerun. The Mets lost the game 3-2. Game two was a different story. Yusmeiro Petit pitched a complete game (seven innings) three-hit shutout, walking one and striking out 10 in lowering his ERA to 1.14. He is currently 14th on the Baseball America Prospect Hot Sheet, but that was prior to tonight's gem. Expect that stock to be on the rise. Right-fielder Alhaji Turay hit a two-run homerun, his 14th of the season. Lastings Milledge went 0-for-3 with a strikeout and Aarom Baldiris went 1-for-3 with two whiffs.

Erickson Out, Spencer Suspended

Thanks to Avkash at the raindrops for the tip on this one. Ed Coleman of WFAN radio reports that Scott Erickson, who got lit up on Monday by the Expos, has been released by the Mets. It's about frickin' time.

Coleman also reports that Shane Spencer has been suspended by the Mets. Spencer followed up his trip to the disabled list after cutting his foot on glass at a bar last week by getting a DUI Monday night going 97 MPH in a 70 MPH zone. After the whole pizza incident in Spring Training, you would have thought Spencer would have gotten his act together. Good riddance.

Seo #$%^ What?

If you believe everything you read, this article on Mets.com would lead you to believe Jae Seo has been pitching well over the last month or so.

Jae Seo has pitched very well in July, yet has only a loss and three no-decisions to show for his efforts.

[...]

Once a question mark in the back of the rotation, Seo has solidified his standing, pitching to a 3.65 ERA in 24 2/3 July innings. Though he's still struggling to go deeper into games, he's been very effective in the six or seven innings he does give the Mets.

Here's what Seo has done by month in 2004:

       IP     H  HR  BB  SO   ERA
APRIL  21.1  24   3   7   9  5.06
MAY    20.1  21   2  12   6  4.87
JUNE   26.0  29   5   7  18  4.85
JULY   24.2  29   5   9  10  3.65

Has he really gotten any better? Sure, the ERA has gone down every month since April, but he's been pitching pretty shabbily all year. He's been very hittable, and has been more prone to giving up homeruns as the year has worn on. His control, which was his trademark during a very impressive rookie year in 2003, has eluded him completely this season.

Last year, Seo only walked 2.2 batters per nine innings. This year it's ballooned to 3.4. He's also striking out fewer and allowing more homeruns, key ingredients in determining a pitcher's true and future performance. Sure enough, his DIPS ERA of 5.46 is 19% higher than his actual ERA of 4.58.

Seo has likely been fortunate to stick around as long as he has this season. With Matt Ginter falling off a cliff and Scott Erickson pitching like the Erickson of old (i.e. crappy), Seo might have been the lesser of a number of evils.

He stands a good chance at perpetuating the notion that he's been "effective" of late, as he squares off against the Expos, far and away the lowest scoring team in all of baseball. They've been hitting better of late, but as the line from the great baseball movie goes, "They're still shitty."

Back In Business

Thanks to the hard work of JD and the guys at weblogs.us, we're back up and ready to go. I have been unable to post new entries for several weeks now, though I'll leave you to debate the actual downside of that.

Since we last spoke, the Mets have been mired in a frustrating tailspin, leaving them straddling the line between buyers and sellers. To be fair, they should probably be sellers at this point, and were merely straddling that line up until now. If you've been reading any of the terrific Mets blogs in the right column during my absence, you've undoubtedly seen mention of the Mets potential activity as the trade deadline nears (now four days away, on July 31st).

Even if the Mets resign themselves as sellers, the problem arises: What can they sell, and what could they reasonable expect in return. Jeremy at Jeremy Heit's Blog breaks it down for us, and the bottom line is that there isn't much to sell here.

The good young players are not going to be traded as the Mets build towards 2005-2006. The bad old players are lucky to even have Major League jobs (you know who you are), and no one in their right mind would want to trade for them. The rest of the "talent" on this team is either too expensive (Glavine), too fragile (Floyd, Piazza), too crummy (Phillips, bullpen), or just not really desirable (McEwing).

Hidalgo may have some trade value to a contender, but he's shown me enough to warrant a 2-3 year deal in the off-season, and I'd just assume hold onto him. Looper could bring back a B prospect; Ugeth Urbina was acquired last season for Adrian Gonzalez, and Urbina is no better (maybe worse) than Looper.

The ship is sinking fast, but there's still hope for 2005. Jose Reyes will be back at shortstop, with noodle-arm switching over to second base. David Wright will have a couple-hundred ML at-bats under his belt, and should be primed for a breakout season. Cameron, Floyd, and, with a little luck Hidalgo, will form a solid outfield. With some off-season work and agility conditioning, not to mention some training time with Mex Hernandez, Mike Piazza should be less of an embarrassment at first base. And, with a little forward-thinking, Justin Huber and his 400+ OBP could be behind the dish.

The pitching staff will need a lot of work, but with free-agents-to-be like Carl Pavano, Matt Clement, Kris Benson, and reclamation projects Derek Lowe and Kevin Millwood, there are certainly options for the rotation.

The Mets are back at the Big O tonight, and I hear Joe McEwing is the scheduled starter.

Bumblehead

With the Phillies having already lost when the Mets took the field last night, a second-consecutive victory over the Marlins would have pulled the Mets back to within one game of first place. However, with the Mets bats cooling off some and the continued bumbleheadedness of Art Howe, it wasn't meant to be.

Tom Glavine continued his regression towards the mean, allowing four earned runs and 11 baserunners (9 hits, 2 walks), while striking out only three and allowing a homerun in six innings of work. That's two consecutive poor starts for Glavine, both against division rivals. He blamed this one on everything from the bullpen pitching mound being different from the live one, to landing in a rut on the mound created by Marlins pitcher Brad Penny.

The Mets managed only five hits through the first six innings off of Brad Penny, but got a nice little rally going in the seventh. Mike Cameron led off the inning with a double, and was brought home by Shane Spencer's pinch-hit double. Todd Zeile then drew a walk off of reliever Matt Perisho, and Jose Reyes singled, plating Spencer.

With runners on first and second and still nobody out, Jack McKeon brought in Ben Howard to face the red-hot Kaz Matsui. The Mets were still trailing by two, 4-2, and you have to play for the win on the road, so no way do you sacrifice with Matsui, right? You do if you're name is Art Howe. With Mike Piazza waiting on deck, you know the Marlins will walk him. They do, and Howard proceeds to get Cliff Floyd to pop out and Richard Hidalgo to strike out on three pitches, ending the threat.

Armando Benitez came on in the eighth for the six-out save, and the Mets were toast. Jose Parra allowed a meaningless homerun to Alex Gonzalez, as the Mets futility against the league's best closers continued.

I could carry on about the Matsui bunt for several more paragraphs, but I'll spare you the curse-laden diatribe. Needless to say, this afternoon's game is a must-win for the Mets (side note: wtf is up with these game times in Florida? 6:05 pm yesterday, 3:05pm today? Sheesh). The Mets have now lost two-of-three, and really need to go into the All-Star break on a high note. If they lose today, they will lose the series to the Marlins, will have lost three-of-four, will stand only a single game over .500, and could be three games out of first and as far back as fourth place.

Al Leiter needs to get it done today, so he can head into the break with the league's best ERA (he currently does not have enough innings to qualify; a pitcher needs at least one IP per team game, and Leiter is just short), and Mike Piazza and Tom Glavine need to go pitch the softer side of New York to Randy Johnson in Houston.

Don't forget to catch the All-Star futures game this afternoon at 4pm on ESPN2. AAA Norfolk's David Wright and A St. Lucie's Yusmeiro Petit will be representing the Mets organization.

Lose Some

The Mets got plenty of runners on base last night, but had a little difficulty getting them around to score in losing 5-4 to the Phillies on a walk-off homerun by the newest NL All-Star Bobby Abreu. The loss drops the Mets two games back of Philly in the NL East, tied with the Braves for second place.

Matt Ginter did nothing to solidify his fading grasp on the fifth spot in the rotation. While not awful, he allowed three earned runs in five innings of work, and actually left on the long side of the game, leading 4-3 on Mike Cameron's two-run homerun. The bullpen proceeded to lose the game, as Ricky Bottalico gave up a run in the seventh and Franco allowed Abreu's game-winner.

It should be noted that Mike Stanton actually did a pretty good job last night. He came into the game with no outs in the seventh, inheriting runners on first and second from Bottalico. He gave up a run-scoring single to Abreu, leaving runners on first and third. He then proceeded to strike out Jim Thome, and induce pop-ups to David Bell and Mike Lieberthal to end the threat. He did allow yet-another inherited runner to score, but he did well to limit the damage.

While I mildly praise Stanton, I have to call out Art Howe on a bad move he made that ultimately cost the Mets the game. Phillie's manager Larry Bowa, despite being in a tie game, brought in his best reliever, closer Billy Wagner, to set down the Mets in the ninth. Howe, on the other hand, saw fit to leave his best reliever unused, as John Franco gave the game away.

Joe Torre made this same mistake last weekend, as he allowed the Mets to win Saturday's game in the bottom of the ninth facing Tanyon Sturtze instead of Mariano Rivera. Art Howe has used Looper previously this season in tie ballgames, but didn't see fit to use him last night in a game that would have given the Mets a share of first place.

Back With A Bang

Boo-yah! Man, this is fun. Despite Matt Ginter dropping another bomb yesterday afternoon at Shea, the Mets offensive onslaught continued, besting the bad guys from the Bronx 10-9. Richard Hidalgo continues to make Jim Duquette look brilliant, blasting his sixth homerun as a Met (he hit only four all year with Houston). Mike Stanton continues to be worthless coming out of the pen. John Franco hasn't been much better, and I can only hope one of these guys hits the road when Karim Garcia and/or Scott Strickland are ready to go.

Since hitting coach Denny Walling was canned on June 15th (replaced by Don Baylor), the Mets are slugging .456 as a team; their season SLG is .413. In those 16 games, they have swatted 25 homeruns and 26 doubles. Their .260 average over that span is only nine points higher than their season mark of .251, but they've been doing much more damage with those hits. They still can't take a walk, drawing only 45 free passes in those games (Barry Bonds has 27 walks by himself during that span).

The Mets are now in second place in the NL East, percentage points ahead of the World Champion Marlins and only two games back of the Phillies. Things have looked much, much worse for this team in recent years, and I'm beside myself with glee simply to be on the long end of games like yesterday's. Happy Independence Day Mets fans!