Four Down, Two to go

TEAM W  L  PCT  GB  HOME  ROAD  L-10  STREAK  
 NYMets 63  41  .606  -  30-21  33-20  7-3  W-4  
 
 Philly 49  55  .471  14  27-31  22-24  5-5  L-1  
 
 Florida 49  56  .467  14.5  25-24  24-32  6-4  W-1  
 
 Atlanta 48  56  .462  15  22-28  26-28  3-7  L-4  
 
 Wash. 47  59  .443  17  26-24  21-35  7-3  W-1  

Okay, we only added a game and a half in the month of July. We need to add one game to the lead per week in August.

The last week of the month of July was simply delightful. First Braves fans were coming out of the woodwork praising their offense and how it was rolling because they battered the Padres. Then Cubs fans started jawing about how overrated the Mets were because they lost three games in a row, and two in a row to an NL for the first time this season. Some were predicting a long slide for the Mets.

The Mets then shutout the Cubs, and went to Atlanta and kicked the snot out of the Braves. The Braves dropped to 15 games back, and the fans I work with came to work conceding.

The Short Ride Home

The Mets are playing the first of a three-game set as I type, so we won't count this game, but there are 58 games left. This will read like a mistake but it is not. The Mets in those 58 games play SIX against opponents with winning records. They have three with the Cardinals and three with the Padres. Every other team they face the rest of the way has a losing record. Within the division, part of that is that they have lost a bunch of games to the Mets.

I predicted before the season that the Mets would go 93-69. In order to match that mark (and win me a bet with a Cub fan), the Mets have to go 30-28. That against a schedule of opponents posting under the .500 mark. I don't know what the "true talent" of the Mets team is, but I think it is better than .500 by a bit more than one game.

Death Cab for Cutie

For the second time in three seasons, a Met has gotten significantly injured taking a cab. A few years ago, Tom Glavine had his teeth knocked out in a cab. This weekend, Duaner Sanchez was in a cab in Miami and separated his shoulder in a cab accident. That's not exactly sleeping crooked on your eye, or injuring your wrist washing you truck, but it's some bad luck.

Fortunately it was the trade deadline. Omar Minaya managed to flip Xavier Nady to the Pirates for Roberto Hernandez to take the place of Sanchez, who is out for the season. Oh, but the Mets also got Oliver Perez for nothing. Hernandez pitched great for the Mets last year, and I'm glad he can come back. We'll see if Willie slots Hernandez into Sanchez' role of the 8th inning guy, or if he "promotes" Aaron Heilman to that role and has Roberto set up the setup guy. We'll probably know in an hour.

Oliver Perez has some very nasty stuff. He is very young and can hopefully find the magic he had in 2004. He's got tremendous potential and has already had great success in the major leagues.

Nady is a weak defender having his best offensive season. Selling high was the right call. On the other hand, I don't know if I would have traded Mike Cameron for Roberto Hernandez and Oliver Perez in the pre-season.

He's Back

Pedro Martinez returned from teh DL on Friday and started against the Braves. He wasn't looking great against the Braves, and the defense didn't help. He allowed a few runs - most of which could have been prevented by a modicum of defense. After the first two innings though, Pedro settled in and sat down Brave after Brave. Pedro isn't throwing 95, but he's keeping hitters off-balance. If Pedro is well-rested, then he could really help push the Mets record upwards and this month off could be a boon to his stamina come October.

Next, Glavine has to sort out his control issues - wild to the middle of the plate is a very bad thing.

The six man rotation is going to be employed for a while so Willie can pick his starters for the post-season. Sure, Pedro and Glavine are written in ink, but the other slots are up for grabs as Trachsel was awful his last outing, El Duque has pitched better since joining the Mets, John Maine has looked solid, and Mike Pelfrey has looked like he needs some seasoning. I don't know it will end up, but the next two months are an audition.