I think both teams are satisfied with this series. The Mets obviously would have loved to win this series and bury the Phils but winning one game means they are still up two games. The Phils needed to win this series and did.

Johan Santana. Carlos Delgado. Happiness.

The schedules for the teams over the next couple of weeks:

METS:

v. Washington (2)
v. Atlanta (4)
at Washington (3)
at Atlanta (3)

PHILLIES:

v. Florida (3)
v. Milwaukee (4)
at Atlanta (3)
at Florida (3)

That carries it through Sunday, Sept. 21st.

Boy, that is SUCH an opportunity for the Mets to win a LOT of games, and really put the pressure on the Phillies to keep up, against obviously tougher competition. If the Phillies can do it, more power to them. But the Mets really need to take advantage of the opportunity the schedule gives them. Just win, baby.

Don't count your Nats eggs before they hatch, Sam.

It's a far different team than it was three months ago.

Sure, it's still a crappy team, but it's a healthy crappy team with a bunch of players who are FINALLY hitting up to their potential. They're fifth in the NL in runs scored over the last 28 days -- a far cry from early in the season when they were battling some terrible '30s Phillies teams for worst OPS+ of all time.

Last year, Acta managed every September game against the Mets like it was World Series Game 7. I have to assume that whatever meager resources the Nats possess, will be brought 100% to bear against the Mets.

Nationals = Blue Jays? Let's see if they can finish the season in 4th place!

We continue to see that the Phillies and Mets are exactly matched, now that John Maine is out and Brett Myers is rejuvenated. However, the Mets have an easier schedule, so all hope is lost. Unless the Nationals exceed our wildest fantasies!

I agree about the Nationals. They've been playing better baseball of late. Dukes gives them a power presence they've lacked all season and Zimmerman has been playing much better of late.

Don't count your Nats eggs before they hatch, Sam.

I'm not. It's just an opportunity -- I'd rather face the Nats than the Brewers, that's all. It doesn't mean the Nats will roll over, and it doesn't mean they are the same team they were in May, because they obviously aren't. But then again, neither are the Mets.

To be honest, I think the seven against the Braves are likely to be easier than the five against the Nats. But that's why the play them. For all we know, the Mets might go 4-8.

We continue to see that the Phillies and Mets are exactly matched, now that John Maine is out and Brett Myers is rejuvenated.

I think that's really right. The Mets' former edge in starting pitching has been lost on just exactly that basis. If Maine were to (miraculously) return, we could reassess. But the teams are pretty much even as they stand now.

The difference? A two-game lead in the standings and a slightly easier Mets' schedule. That's about it. A far bigger lead at virtually the same point last year didn't help one bit, so screw the paper advantages. It's up for grabs.

I don't think it really matters who is better anymore. Anything can happen in three weeks.

Oh, and I think Phillies fans and Mets fans can all join together in taking pleasure in this fun fact:

The Braves' tragic number is 1.

Heh.

I'm going to have to avoid watching the Mets and politics for the next two months to prevent myself from having around seven nervous breakdowns and four heart attacks.

I just wanna give some props to the bullpen. They were absolutely outstanding this week.

As a Jays fan, I have to say...watching Delgado the last little while has been a real treasure. I always think it's silly when people say an aging veteran "deserves" a shot at a Championship...but I'm definately feeling that way about him.

Umps gave the 2nd game to the Mets. Three first inning calls all in the Mets' favor.

I always think it's silly when people say an aging veteran "deserves" a shot at a Championship...but I'm definately feeling that way about him.

That's silly.

Seriously, though, I agree with everything above. I felt like HORRIBLE managerial decisions and some really rough mistakes cost a far better New York team a division title over a vastly inferior Philadelphia team. This year, it really is even- though if Pedro isn't able to help, you might have to tilt the talent edge to the Phillies. But as also stated above, Mets have the schedule and the two-game lead. And in three weeks, anything can happen. That's why it is exciting that even this flawed team might make the playoffs- because in another three weeks, anything can happen. Hard to imagine Luis Ayala throwing his glove up Jesse Orosco-style- but really, it was hard to imagine Luis Ayala closing tonight, so who knows?

I'll say this- either way, it beats Septembers like the 2003 season.

Umps gave the 2nd game to the Mets. Three first inning calls all in the Mets' favor.

The catcher's interference was obvious and correct. If the catcher's glove makes contact with the bat on the swing, the call is automatic. Instead of blaming the umpire, tell your catcher to get his hand the hell out of the way.

The call on Wright at third base was missed, but pretty understandable. Wright did get into third before the tag, which was the call the ump made, and there was no way he was going to be able to see him come off the bag for about a half-second before his left hand re-established contact. Slow-mo made the call seem a lot easier than it was in real time.

The umps didn't help Carlos Delgado hit two balls a combined 900 feet.

Umps gave the 2nd game to the Mets. Three first inning calls all in the Mets' favor.

You want some cheese with that whine? Reyes should have probably walked to begin the game as Hamels got a 3-1 strike on a ball that was obviously a ball.

Delgado and Santana were the story today, not the umps.

And as long as we're whining, I think the ump cost Santana 2 strikeouts, which added 5-10 pitches to his total and likely caused him to be pulled earlier than would have otherwise been the case. Santana got screwed.

The umps gave the Mets, let's say, 1 run, with the extra man on base and the extra man safe at third, and took away 0.2 innings from Santana, which considering that the Phils scored 2 runs against him in 7 1/3 innings means they gave the Phils 0.1818181818181818 runs, so the real score should have been 5 to 3, rounding up from 2.818181818181818181.

It's so awesome that in 45+ years of being an avid baseball fan, there are still surprises every day. In 2007 I had come to the conclusion that Brian Stokes was the worst major league pitcher I had ever seen. Next year, he comes up and looks great.

And agreed about the Nats. The only NL team I would dread playing more than them right now is Houston.

The Braves' tragic number is 1.

Just for that crack, Chipper's going to hit seven homers in those seven games. That'll show you!

Granted, it won't be a particularly effective lesson, since those are going to be seven solo homers and the only runs the Braves will score.

Granted, it won't be a particularly effective lesson, since those are going to be seven solo homers and the only runs the Braves will score.

But hey, you've got that wonderful young catcher and, uh, what's his face in the OF. You know, the hack guy!

Anyway. The Braves got a hell of a future. Hell.

No boost from Wagner, although they're 22-11 without him so far.

As a Phillies fan, I'm not whining about the calls either. The play at third was missed, but it was understandable given that the second base ump had to shift over and it was a funky tag/slide.

The catcher interference call was correct, and Manuel looked like a fool arguing. Morgan was exactly right: at the time, everything had been going well for the Phillies, and it was not the time to lose your cool. Hamels is pitching one of the biggest games of his life, and two batters in, he has to stand there while his manager argues a call that was right. It was poor leadership.

a vastly inferior Philadelphia team.


Now that, sir, is silly.

Over the course of 162 games, the Phillies won one more game, and the pythags had them even at 87 wins. What's vastly inferior? 5 games back according to pythag? 10 games? Hard to believe that poor managing and/or a few breaks represented a 50 to 100 run difference.