Never in our wildest dreams

Seriously. Forget about sweeping the Phillies at Citi Field. But shutting them out in all three games? Sure, the Phils are struggling at the plate, but zero runs in 27 innings? If I'd put $100 on the Mets to shut out the Phillies in three straight, I'd be richer than Tony Stark right now.

Funny how Ryan Howard brushed off Philly's ineptitude against R.A. Dickey by noting how rare it was to face a knuckleballer (let along two in less than a week), before saying they would bounce back against "a real pitcher." Well, they didn't fare too well against Hisanori Takahashi, and then when they had a chance to face Mike Pelfrey -- who doesn't rely on deception as much as Takahashi -- they still came up way, way short.

The series was as odd as it was enjoyable. Seeing Mets pitchers continue to throw with confidence and authority and control was glorious. Watching the awakening of Jose Reyes -- another huge clutch hit for a two-run double Thursday night sealed the sweep -- has been awesome. Almost expecting the team to come through with runners in scoring position? That's going to take some getting used to.

But how bad were the Phillies? They looked disinterested. Flat isn't the word. They showed no fight, no heart, no grit -- all things that are supposed to be hallmarks of baseball in the city of Brotherly Love. It was the Mets who showed some guts, who ran down balls in the outfield (nice catch by Angel Pagan Thursday), who stole bases and pitched out of jams.

It goes to show that what really matters isn't perception, but results. When the Phillies are winning, they are full of piss and vinegar and that's old-time baseball. When the Mets were losing, they had no heart.

The Phillies had a hole in their collective chest in this series. Maybe it's a temporary condition. The fact is the Mets took them to the woodshed in this series and made it look easy.

Now we'll see if the Mets can carry the momentum on the road, where they need to show improvement. In the meantime, it looks like there is a true home-field advantage at Citi Field, which will justify its design and dimensions. I really don't care if David Wright can't hit more than a handful of home runs there, if it means more wins for the home team.

And yeah, that's an Asia video at the top. Best. Band. Ever.

You can't get any better than that

I believe it was Gary Cohen, in a recent Mets broadcast, who said that for starting pitchers like John Maine and Oliver Perez, "The scholarships are over." That point was repeated during Wednesday night's 5-0 win over the Phillies -- a second straight shutout -- as Hisanori Takahashi earned his first win as a starter with superb outing in his second consecutive start.

Gary, Keith and Ron all agreed that at this point, Mets starters not named Johan or Mike will have to prove themselves worthy of a rotation slot every time they go out there. Your contract means nothing. Your willingness to pitch in pain is admirable, but doesn't help win ballgames. Throwing strikes, limiting walks, putting up innings -- those things count the most.

Takahashi did just that in shutting down a Phillies lineup that has more flight than fight these days. Hernandez noted that Chase Utley looks like he's hurt his hip again -- either that or he is as lost at the plate as Mark Texeira -- and Ryan Howard was waving at breaking pitches like he was shooing away moths.

When the Mets moved Takahashi to the rotation, the concern was that the move would weaken the bullpen. But if Takahashi, who was a starter in Japan for years, continues to pitch like this, then he is much more valuable in the rotation. The guy flat knows how to pitch, and the difference between him and Perez -- who does not know how to pitch, yet somehow earns $12 million a year -- is stark.

When Jon Niese returns, he also will have to show that he's worthy, although he will be given plenty of slack, mainly because there's no one else to take his spot on a regular basis. Fernando Nieve will start Saturday as the Mets juggle that last position until Niese's return.

With Takahashi in complete command, once the Mets took the lead you got the feeling that the game was in hand, even when the Mets were only up 2-0. The vibe was 180 degrees from what it is typically against the Phillies, who have the kind of offense that can quickly eliminate any deficit.

Jose Reyes snapped a long homerless drought with a solo shot leading off the third, and then the Mets put the game away in the sixth on a leadoff double by Wright, a sweet bunt for a base hit by Pagan, a stolen base by Pagan (the Mets ran wild on Brian Schneider) and a two-run double by Barajas. A throwing error by Utley (nice) allowed Reyes to come up and single in the fifth run.

Just like that, two shutouts and the series is already won. The Mets go for the sweep (!) Thursday night in a showdown between Mike Pelfrey and Cole Hamels, who had a brutal April but has pitched well in his four starts in May.

The Mets have a secret weapon

R.A. Dickey's ultimate Mets fate will likely be no more than an answer to a trivia question, but for now, he is nothing less than a savior.

Missing a tendon in his pitching arm but possessing a knuckleball that at one point this season retired 27 straight AAA hitters in one game, Dickey has stepped up and saved the Mets' starting rotation from imploding under the weight of injury and ineffectiveness. He has helped the Mets turn their season around just when things were looking bleak, and he may have even helped save Jerry Manuel's job.

For now.

Dickey shut out the Phillies in Tuesday's series opener, won by the Mets by a convincing 8-0 margin. While elder statesman Jamie Moyer was ineffective, Dickey dodged bullets through six innings, allowing seven hits and walking three while striking out seven. The Phillies got runners on base, but none managed an extra-base hit against Dickey, which likely made Citi Field look even more cavernous to the Phils, compared to their adorable shoe box of a ballpark.

Dickey came to the knuckleball late in his career, turning to it almost in desperation. The Mets similarly turned to Dickey in desperation, having demoted Oliver Perez before seeing Jon Niese and then John Maine lost to the disabled list.

All Dickey has done is earn a spot in a starting rotation that has revived itself despite losing three of its pieces.

And let's not forget the work of Raul Valdes, a 32-year-old Cuban finally getting a chance and making the most of it. His three innings of scoreless relief not only earned him a save but gave the bullpen even more rest after an off-day Monday, which is invaluable for the Mets' busy relief corps.

The Mets' less-secret weapon is Jose Reyes, who busted out Tuesday with three hits, three runs, two steals and an RBI. For as long as he has been here, it has been said that as Reyes goes, so go the Mets. Any wonder that the Mets struggled while Reyes himself struggled for seven weeks to get back into playing shape after missing almost all of spring training?

It is Reyes' resurgence that will trigger a Mets turnaround, if one is coming. The lineup has enough depth and talent to score runs, especially if Reyes is leading the way.

Wright getting credit for good defense

Thanks go out to MetsBlog for promoting a link to Mark Simon's piece on ESPN.com regarding David Wright's impressive defense this season.

I don't know how many times I've heard -- from Mets fans as well as other (read: Yankees) fans -- that Wright is either overrated defensively or just plain bad.

I can't see how you could come to that conclusion if you actually watch Mets games. Yankees fans who don't watch, and only see the occasional bad throw highlight on the news, can be discounted. They are biased and uninformed.

But to hear Mets fans complain about Wright's defense is confounding. Each random and relatively rare bad throw he makes is outnumbered, by a sizable margin, by the many solid-to-great plays he makes with the glove. He is aggressive on the bunt and the infield dribbler. He has terrific range on pop-ups and fly balls. He shows quick reflexes on the hard smashes. He has proven to be fearless going into the stands.

What more do you want from the guy?

Simon's piece is enlightening in that it explains in some detail how Baseball Info Solutions painstakingly categorizes every defensive play in every game, and I cannot argue with their conclusions. Wright may have had an average year last season, but so far in 2010 he is playing very well at the hot corner.

That's something obvious to the experienced eye, as well as to the statisticians.

Could it have ended any other way?

I'm definitely a glass-half-full Mets fan, and this site is dedicated to not getting sucked into the negativity that seems to surround the Mets 24/7.

That said, I was less than confident with K-Rod on the mound Sunday night.

A run-scoring double by Derek Jeter, an RBI groundout and ridiculous infield single on a chopper by Mark Texeira (who can't buy a hit otherwise) -- all against Frankie Rodriguez -- brought up A-Rod against K-Rod with two outs in the top of the ninth, the Mets holding onto a  6-4 lead that had been 6-1 when the inning started.

The count went to 3-1 and I was sure K-Rod was going to walk the bases loaded. Then a foul ball to make the count full, followed by two more foul balls. This was excruciating. This was the Mets.

Finally, Frankie fools A-Rod with the breaking ball, a swinging strike three, and the Mets win the game and the initial installment of the Subway Series, 2 games to 1. Joy and hope had returned to Flushing, where the Phillies would be starting Tuesday -- a Phillies team once again without Jimmy Rollins, and one that would not be featuring Roy Halladay this time around.

Thankfully, the series win over the Yankees should quell some of the anti-Manuel rumors, but that will only be temporary, unless the Mets go on a monumental winning streak. What is important is how the starting pitching performed against the Yankees and how the offense has improved.

Johan Santana was brilliant for almost eight full innings, one day after Mike Pelfrey shut the Yankees down, which came a day after Hisanori Takahaski stepped up with a strong outing in a 2-1 loss on Friday.

Takahashi and R.A. Dickey each pitched well enough to earn second starts against the Phillies, and they will be matching up against Jaime Moyer and Joe Blanton, respectively. Those are winnable games for the Mets, as is the Thursday game featuring Cole Hamels against Pelfrey.

The end of the Phillies series, coming on the heels of the Yankees series, has stood out all along as the first real landmark of the Mets 2010 season. The Mets will be 48 games into the season after this series is over, and will either be just above or a bit below .500. Considering their struggles -- and thanks to the mediocrity of the National League -- that ain't bad.

What the Mets need to do is keep the mojo going, and with Jose Reyes showing some signs of life, and with Jason Bay heating up (two homers on Sunday night), maybe the Mets are ready to break out. Not like the 9-1 homestand, but really start putting things together, winning series one after another, getting a few games up over the .500 mark as we hit the All-Star break and the possible return of Carlos Beltran.

Ryota Igarashi's return could also be a big factor. He looked bad against the Yankees, but make no mistake -- if he goes back to pitching the way he was pre-injury, it lessens Fernando Nieve's workload and gives the bullpen another weapon, especially big if Takahashi remains in the rotation.

With a five-run lead in the ninth, it was the perfect time to give Igarashi some action -- unfortunately, he wasn't up to the task and K-Rod had to come in after a five-out save the night before. Had he blown the save and had the Mets lost, there was no way you could blame Manuel -- but you know there would be those who would.

In the meantime, it was not only nice to see the Mets take a rubber game and win this series, it was also nice to see the national spotlight focus on the hitting troubles of a New York player not named David Wright.

Someone should really tell Texeira that the season has started. The guy is barely above the Mendoza line. Where are his boos?

Hey, Maine: It's not about you

John Maine has pitched some big games for the Mets. Getting him in the Kris Benson deal was a huge win for Omar Minaya. He is, as Dan Warthen said after Thursday night's game, "a warrior." Most Mets fans, I feel, like the guy.

But he's got a lot to sort out now.

Maine has a problem. Whether it is medical, mechanical or mental -- it may be some combination of the three -- he needs to figure out what it is and if he can overcome it and become an effective pitcher again. And he needs to understand that Jerry Manuel, Warthen and his teammates do not have the luxury of allowing him to figure it out on the mound during a game.

I pointed out, in a recent post, that Maine had had several strong starts before his previous one, something that Bobby Ojeda also noted in his post-game comments. So Maine was not ready to be written off for the season.

That all changed Thursday night. Ojeda noted that even "the untrained eye" could see that when Maine pitched to the leadoff hitter, something was wrong. His delivery was slow, so of course his velocity -- a point of concern since his 2008 shoulder surgery -- was down. Way down.

In the bullpen, he could barely crack 80, according to several reports. He was bouncing pitches. It was so bad that the Mets had Raul Valdes warming up from the get-go, one of several things Maine was miffed about.

"I don't care if it's 95. I don't care if its 75 mph," Maine said. "I just want to go out there and pitch."

That's awesome, John, but there are plenty of people who do care if it's 75. And if you're bouncing pitches. And if your delivery is clearly off. Kudos to Manuel and Warthen for stopping a train wreck before it happened.

Warthen raised some eyebrows with his post-game comments, particularly about Maine's ability to tell the truth about his health. But no one should turn this mole hill into a mountain.

Warthen said, "John's a habitual liar in a lot of ways as far as his own health. He's a competitor and a warrior and he wants to go out there and pitch. But you have to be smart enough to realize this guy isn't right. The ball is not coming out of his hand correctly."

He had a smile on his face when he said the opening sentence, implying that the Mets know that Maine will do anything and say anything to take the ball, and that is the attitude you want your starting pitchers to have. But there comes a point when you just can't let a pitcher run himself down.

Maine said several times after the game, "I just want to pitch," and that is admirable. But it's not helping the team. He was also upset that he wasn't given a chance to argue his case. Clearly, Warthen and Manuel had seen enough, so there was no case to be made.

Maine was angry, and Manuel and Warthen understand why. Maine needs to understand why they did what they did and get over himself.

Maybe Maine is scared. It's understandable. He's not the same pitcher he was two years ago. That doesn't mean his career is over. He has an opportunity to make adjustments, unless there is something physically wrong that needs to be corrected. In this case, the Mets absolutely were right in shutting him down.

Oh, yeah, the Mets won, 10-8. The offense woke up with 15 hits -- two by Reyes, three by Bay and only one by Wright, who drove in four, including a bases-loaded double in the first. Yes, it got WAY too close for comfort at the end, but after seeing your starter last just five pitches, coming out with a win was huge, especially with the Yankees series looming.

Give Valdes tons of credit for stepping up the way he did. But the patchwork starting staff -- Manuel said Oliver Perez isn't coming back to the rotation until he gets himself straightened out in the pen -- is alarming.

Hopefully, Maine checks out OK and can start again, but all bets are off. The situation once again exposes Minaya's inability to bring in one or more starters in the off-season. And you have to wonder why. It was a big need. The Mets knew what Maine was like. Even if Minaya was forced to keep Perez in the rotation and had 100-percent confidence in Jon Niese, that's still just four pitchers plus Maine.

That lack of depth is killing them now, and whether or not ownership didn't allow Minaya to spend any more money on free agent pitchers is moot. While this team continues to try and win as constituted, Job One for Minaya is to get another starter, or two, or three.

The season may not be as successful as we'd have liked, but it's sure been interesting. I'll take wins over drama any day.

Mets make history, still lose. We've seen this before

I have to admit that early in Wednesday night's game against Washington, as R.A. Dickey was baffling the Nationals, I thought, "It would be fitting that the first no-hitter in Mets history is thrown by R.A. Dickey."

Not Seaver. Not Koosman. Not Matlack. Not Gooden. Not Darling. Not Viola. Not Leiter. Not Santana. R.A. Dickey.

That didn't last long, but the Mets did have a history-making night, getting a triple play and an inside-the-park home run in the same game, both instigated by Angel "Carlos Who?" Pagan. Of course, the Mets forgot to win the game, giving up three runs in the eighth; that trend of late-inning giveaways is as disturbing as David Wright's strikeout frequency.

It reminded me, on a much smaller scale, of another historic Mets game that ended in a loss: Game Seven of the 2006 NLCS, when Endy Chavez made one of the greatest post-season catches of all-time in perhaps the most gut-wrenching loss in team history.

Then there was the Grand Slam Single, which ended one of the greatest Mets games ever, in a series that the team ultimately lost.

The point is, we should be used to seeing the Mets do wonderful things and still lose. It's our lot in life. Which makes me think that when the Mets do finally get a no-hitter, it will be in a 1-0 loss where the other team scores on a walk, a stolen base plus a throwing error, and a sac fly. Mark it down.

This loss to the Nationals was typical in that bad luck again played a role. Just as the Braves' inability to bunt led to a win, the Nationals got the go-ahead run in after a lucky check-swing grounder made its way down the left field line for a double. A productive out and a sac fly later, the Nats had the lead, then tacked on more runs against the declining Fernando Nieve.

But what if Bernardina's check swing rolls foul? The world will never know.


Nieve is clearly on the downswing, which may or may not be related to his heavy workload, but until Igarashi comes back, other than Jennry Mejia -- who has had his own issues -- there's no other righty for Manuel to go to in the late innings.


A bullpen of Nieve, Takahashi, Igarashi and Feliciano leading to K-Rod would be just fine for the seventh and eighth innings, except Igarashi isn't back yet and Takahashi is now starting.


Maybe, when Jon Niese returns from the DL, Dickey should be given that fifth spot in the rotation. Leave Takahashi in the pen, where he's done so well, send Mejia down to be a starter again. Dickey showed enough Wednesday night, and the nice thing about knuckleballers is that they have no pitch count.

And if Dickey falters, the Mets can bring up Dillon Gee, or Pat Misch, or whoever -- but it's clear that Omar Minaya absolutely has to trade for a starting pitcher as soon as he can pull off a deal if the Mets are going to have any chance at staying competitive. (That, and Jose Reyes needs to starting hitting soon. Like, immediately.)

It's the one critical move he did not make in the off-season, and it is such a glaring omission that one has to wonder whether ownership just wouldn't allow him to spend any more money after signing Jason Bay.

John Maine goes against the unbeatable Luis Atilano Thursday night, before the injury-depleted Yankees limp into Citi Field for the weekend set.

Always look on the bright side of life

Hey, things could be worse.

At least the Mets don't have a Hanley Ramirez situation on their hands.

Can you imagine if that same situation happened in New York with Jose Reyes? And if Reyes buried his manager in the press the way Ramirez did? Media armageddon. The WFAN hosts' heads would collectively explode with righteous indignation.

If you recall, Jerry Manuel and Jose Reyes did have a bit of a tete-a-tete in Jerry's first game as manager, but it was over nothing nearly as glaring as Ramirez jogging after a kicked ball while two runs scored. Maybe the two were able to get past it so quickly because Jerry actually played the game.

It will be interesting to see how Fredi Gonzalez and Ramirez move on from this. Ramirez -- who said other Marlins have dogged it -- has been criticized by teammate Wes Helms and others (even in other sports), but said he refuses to issue any kind of an apology. This is the same player who led the NL in hitting last season, earning as a gift a diamond-encrusted medallion in the shape of ".342" -- his batting average -- from owner Jeff Loria.

Ramirez must think Loria will take his side and not the manager's, and from what we know of Loria, that's probably right.

Although the Mets' 3-2 loss to the Braves was disheartening, it was not nearly as awful as the Yankees' one-run loss at home to the Red Sox. The Yanks gift-wrapped the win thanks to a throwing error by A-Rod (nice to know David Wright has some company), a dropped fly ball by Marcus Thames (the big hero from the night before), an eighth-inning meltdown by Joba Chamberlain, and a blown save by Mariano Rivera.

I thought those two were unbeatable. Now, Joba is getting booed at home. Boo-hoo.

Oh, by the way, Mark Texeira is batting .219 and should strike out 120-plus times. Is ANYONE talking about this?

Remember how badly the Dodgers looked when they were at Citi Field? Well, guess what? They have now won nine in a row.

It's a long season and a lot can change in a couple of weeks. Injuries, winning streaks, losing streaks, star players throwing their manager under the bus. To take a team's temperature after every game is crazy.

And if there's anyone out there who is certain they can do a better job than Omar Minaya, former Mets GM Steve Phillips has something to say to you. (Hat tip to ESPN's Rob Neyer).

It's panic time. Again.

I guess this is the point of the roller coaster where you scream on the way down.

As I mentioned in a post last week, the Mets' season is going to be a crazy ride whether we like it or not, with plenty of highs and lows. The question of the moment is whether the current drop has hit rock bottom.

Not surprisingly, there are seemingly few among the fans/media willing to weather this current (or, frankly, any) storm. The same people glowing about the Mets during their winning homestand are now wondering again when Jerry will be fired, as if Jon Niese's hamstring injury or Oliver Perez's "Ollieness" or John Maine's sudden inability to throw strikes is somehow his fault.

To his credit, Jerry heeded the call of just about everyone watching this team and returned Jose Reyes to the leadoff spot this weekend (he still refuses to bat Wright third), but that didn't prevent the Mets from being swept by the Marlins. Hence, panic time in Flushing.

Some facts:

There are 124 games remaining, just over 3/4 of the season.

The Mets are four games out of the Wild Card spot currently held by the Giants. They are indeed in last place in the division. They are also 2 games out of second. In May.

Oliver Perez is no longer starting for this team and likely will not again.

David Wright -- who has gone through two ice-cold stretches already and will likely strike out more than 140 times -- still projects to 30 HR, 100+ RBI, 30 steals and 100+ walks, and around .300 (career average: .307).

The Phillies just sent Brad Lidge to the DL. Again.

John Maine, in his three starts prior to Saturday, put up the following lines:

• 6 IP, 4 hits, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
• 6 IP, 4 hits, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
• 6 IP, 7 hits, 2 ER, 4 BB, 5 K

Some opinions:

To be scoreboard watching at this early stage of the season is ridiculous, but if you look at the teams the Mets would be competing with for a wild card, do any of them scare you? Assuming the Cardinals and Giants go on to win their divisions, who are we talking about? The Reds, Cubs, Padres, Brewers and the rest of the NL East. OK, maybe the Dodgers.

All teams that have either shown something this season or have the talent to make the playoffs, but all with their own issues. Just like the Mets.

Perez, who won't go to the minors, is playing his way off the team. Omar Minaya will soon have no choice but to release him, because Perez has only three paths ahead of him:

1. Work out his problems in the bullpen and return to the rotation.
2. Figure out a way to be effective in the bullpen as a long man / situational lefty.
3. Released outright.

Option 1 is unlikely, and Option 2 is a possibility but no one is holding his breath. Which leaves Option 3, which will leave Omar with egg on his face, but he's not looking good these days anyway, having rolled the dice on this starting staff without bringing in one other starter to compete for a spot in the rotation. You've got to cut your losses at some point, and that point is fast approaching with Perez.

I refuse to link to the article because it's such nonsense, but there is a column in a NYC daily that claims no one on this team has any trade value other than Santana, although trading everyone would be the right answer. I know you have to sell papers, but please. He also advocates starting Chris Carter over Jeff Francoeur, for more than just a game or two.

Because that's how a guy -- with a well-established reputation as being streaky -- breaks out of a slump. By benching him and his terrific defense for another guy who's a classic AAAA hitter who cannot field a position. Sure. Makes sense to me.

The new closer for the Phillies is -- Jose Contreras. Yes, he's pitching great now, but does anyone think that is sustainable? And Brad Lidge is perilously close to being D-U-N done. The Phillies will be dealing with bullpen issues for the rest of the season, so forgive me not for giving them the division on May 17.

But SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE! Heads must roll! Blame must be laid! The owners are flying to Atlanta!

Here are a couple of suggestions:

Bat Wright third. Despite his up-and-down season and strikeouts, with no Beltran, he is the Mets' best hitter and that's who your third hitter should be. Angel Pagan is a good player, but he's the third of three tablesetter-types at the top of the order, and that's one too many. Move him to sixth ahead of Francoeur and Barajas (yes, in that order). Bay is starting to hit again, and we can only look to his career numbers and assume that the power will follow.

Stop batting guys like Chris Carter fourth. It's preposterous. You like a lefty there, bat Davis fourth. I like Jerry on the whole, but his lineups sometimes are beyond baffling.

As far as Francoeur goes, he'll break out of the slump at some point, but when Beltran comes back, Frenchy is likely the odd man out, or at least he'll end up in a three-man rotation with Beltran and Pagan. He's also the most expendable long-term, unless he somehow bounces back big-time with the bat. Fans and the front office may like him, but no one is married to him. That said, to just exile him to the bench right now is silly.

The injury to Niese is a big wrinkle, but there are signs that it may not be more than a 1- or 2-start thing. If that is the case, the question becomes who replaces Perez in the rotation? It's a tough one because while Hisanori Takahaski was a starter in Japan, he has been excellent in the bullpen, and moving him could hurt the pen for the chance of filling the void in the rotation.

Pat Misch and Dillon Gee could be given the chance to step up and fill the spot, with Takahashi staying where he has been so good. Which means (and I said this on April 19) Jennry Mejia should be sent to Buffalo or Binghamton to start stretching out and resume being a starter. This team could really use him in that role, as opposed to just another right arm in the pen.

And that's what it all comes down to. Starting pitching. When the Mets were hot, the starting pitching was great. In the last week, it's been bad, and losses followed. It's really that simple.

You can say all you want about Minaya's other moves and decisions (Matthews Jr., Castillo, Cora, etc.) but his job comes down to two things: signing Perez and not signing any other starters this off-season.

He took a gamble that the players he had were as good as what was available, and that's looking like a bad bet. Which means it is imperative for him to find someone who can help this season. I'm not talking about a free agent or Pedro Martinez, but a starter acquired via a trade.

Who can he trade? Francoeur, Murphy, and one of several minor leaguers are possibilities, but the most likely scenario is the Mets eating a contract to get a veteran pitcher from a team looking to cut payroll, which theoretically shouldn't cost too much in talent.

Whether the Wilpons will agree to that is unknown, but with so many empty seats and a furious desire -- expressed by the fans as well as the team itself -- to see the Mets' fortunes improve, you'd think that the owners would be willing to do almost anything at this point to turn things around.

The experiment is over; time for Reyes to lead off again

It was worth a shot.

Jerry Manuel had talked about it in Spring Training, the idea of "lengthening the lineup" and batting Jose Reyes third. With the Mets' offense struggling, he made the move and it worked for a while, although Reyes himself never caught fire.

Thursday night's 2-1 loss to the Marlins was a classic pitcher's duel between Johan Santana and Josh Johnson, and it's unlikely that any lineup combination would have triggered a landslide of runs. But it's become increasingly clear that the lineup Manuel has been using with Reyes in the three hole just is not working, and placing him back atop the order would not only help rejuvenate his game, but perhaps that of one or two of his teammates as well.

There was plenty of talk about Reyes' comfort level batting third, and nothing he has done since he was dropped down in the order has shown that he can hit in that position.

Reyes is a natural leadoff hitter. He clearly relishes the role of starting the game, getting on base, and getting into the pitcher's head.

Part of the reason Manuel gave for hitting Reyes third was to put him directly ahead of Jason Bay, with the hope that more fastballs would kick-start his offensive production. The problem was that in trying to get one player started, Manuel may have negatively impacted two others — Reyes and David Wright.

Just as Reyes is a natural leadoff hitter, Wright is a prototypical third hitter — a solid combination of average, power and speed, with the ability to hit to all fields.

Manuel has to make the move back in the weekend series against Florida. The lineup should be Reyes, Castillo, Wright, Bay, Davis, Francoeur, Pagan, Barajas.

Davis has shown that he can handle pretty much anything, so there is no problem slotting him as the lefty between Bay and Francoeur. Pushing Pagan down to the seven hole serves to lengthen things a bit, a switch hitter between the right-handed Francoeur and Barajas. You could change it up and move Pagan second and Castillo eighth, but I like the idea of Pagan batting ahead of Barajas, having one last shot at driving in runs before the pitcher's spot.

Manuel thought outside the box and tried something different with the lineup, and there was nothing wrong with that. But it just didn't work.

Time to get back to basics and get Reyes igniting things once more. Maybe then Wright and the rest of the order will catch fire as well.

Enjoy the ride, people

This is the way it's going to be all season, Mets fans. Buckle up.

The team drops 4 of 5 on the road before getting back-to-back walk-off wins on homers by each catcher, then loses to the Giants on an eighth-inning homer after rallying to take a lead in a game started by Tim Lincecum, followed by a loss to a rookie pitcher, followed by doing next to nothing for seven innings before scoring eight runs in the eighth for one of the most enjoyable victories in recent memory, capped off by a another loss forged by a ninth-inning home run off K-Rod.

No one said the ride was going to be smooth one, and while Wednesday's loss -- coming as it did on the heels of a tremendous comeback win on Tuesday night -- was dispiriting, there's no denying that the vibe around the Mets is a much different one than a year ago, when the team had the same record through the first six weeks.

Then, things were falling apart. Injuries were beginning to take their toll, and by the All-Star break the Mets were a dead team walking.

Now, despite a few red flags (walks allowed, giving up late-inning home runs, not hitting with RISP) and some cold spells suffered by the likes of David Wright, Jason Bay, Jose Reyes and Jeff Francoeur (i.e., the middle of the order), there is much more optimism.

Gary Sheffield and Carlos Delgado have been replaced by players like Francoeur, Bay and Ike Davis. The catching duo of Rod Barajas and Henry Blanco is light years better than what the team had last season. The new additions to the bullpen, especially Hisanori Takahashi (and when he was healthy, Ryota Igarashi) have turned a liability into an asset.

Johan Santana, Mike Pelfrey, promising Jon Niese and a resurgent John Maine each give the Mets a chance to win whenever they're on the mound.

Fans saw no walk-off wins last season at Citi Field, and this week they got two back-to-back. Resiliency, the hallmark of great teams, is starting to appear. Tuesday's comeback was one for the ages, and featured a clutch pinch hit by Chris "the Animal" Carter, who should have made the team out of spring training and whose relentless attitude provides yet another spark to this club.

What more can you say about Davis, who went over the rail for the third time in about as many weeks for a circus catch, this time for the game-ending grab? Just incredible.

And for all the criticism thrown his way, David Wright is 5-for-10 since being ejected, is hitting .288 with an OBP of .419 and and OPS of .961, projecting to about 28 homers and 105 RBI. Awful, isn't it?

Sure, Reyes isn't hitting, but the Mets have benefited by having different players step up at different times. Davis has been excellent, and Barajas has been a revelation.

The cheating Phillies -- and I agree 100% with Francoeur that the extra three home games the Phils are getting against Toronto is "bullsh&t" -- aren't running away with anything just yet. There's plenty of talent and fight in this Mets team, enough to expect it to hang in the race for the division title for a good, long while.

Take Wednesday's game. Although the Mets were down, 4-2, I had every confidence that they could make up the deficit, and they did. You couldn't say that last season.

If it wasn't for Roger Bernardina (Two home runs? Really?), who drove in three and saved three with a diving, two-out catch with the bases loaded, Wednesday could have been just as exciting as Tuesday.

But with these Mets, there's always a tomorrow to look forward to. Last season, there were only tomorrows to dread.

Swing the damn bat

My son is 8 years old and in his second season of Little League ball. It's the first year of "real baseball," where they keep track of balls, strikes, outs and runs, and where the coaches no longer pitch.

(Side note: If you ever want to test your patience and/or sanity, watch 8-year-olds pitch. Sure, there are a couple who can get it over the plate with some speed, but for the most part it's like watching someone try to kill flies with darts -- lots of aiming, lots of misses.)

Since kids pitch all over the place, the strike zone is, shall we say, liberal. So the rule of thumb is, if it's not over your head or bouncing in front of the plate, if you think you can hit it, just swing the bat.

It leads to some confusion. My son hates walking -- he has a brand new bat and wants to HIT! -- but I tell him that a walk is as good as a hit, that the object is to get on base. But then we're also telling them not to go up and take too many pitches, either, and the teenage umpires charged with moving the game along are going to call anything from the bridge of your nose to your shoestrings a strike.

Anyway, I thought of my son's games while watching the Mets Monday night.

Jose Reyes, in the bottom of the seventh, just swing the f*&#ing bat!

Jason Bay, leading off the bottom of the eighth, just swing the f*&#ing bat!

Luis Castillo, with one out in the ninth after Angel Pagan cut the gap to one with a solo homer to center (see what happens when you swing?) -- just swing the f*&#ing bat!

Of course, swinging doesn't guarantee anything good will happen. Bay swung in the bottom of the ninth and struck out to end the game. Rod Barajas swung with two outs and runners on second and third in the eighth and popped up.

But for Reyes, Bay and Castillo, in crucial situations like that, if it's close, you SWING!

Mets fans are, of course, especially sensitive to seeing things end with the bat on someone's shoulder, having endured watching Carlos Beltran look at a called third strike to end the 2006 NLCS. And yes, there are times when you want to work the count, make the pitcher throw some more, wear him down.

But in the situations listed above, fellas, I'm begging you -- just swing the f*&#ing bat!

And while I'm off on a rant, Oliver Perez, will you shave that chin strap beard and lose the faux-hawk? You look ridiculous, and it looks even more ridiculous because you suck.

Mike Piazza rocked the chin strap and some interesting facial grooming, but he is a future Hall of Famer and could get away with pretty much anything. For Perez to look like he does, he better have some game, because otherwise, he just looks like a dork.

That's not to say that a shave and a haircut will cure what ails Ollie, but it couldn't hurt. At least I'd hate his face less.

Not quite a lost weekend, but close

I had prepared myself mentally for the Mets dropping two of three against the Phillies this weekend.

Not that I expected it — on the contrary, I thought the pitching match-ups were very favorable to the Mets, particularly Johan Santana against Jamie Moyer on Sunday night. But, being a Mets fan, I readied myself for the possibility of two losses and was OK with it, knowing that if it came to pass, the Mets would only be a half-game out of first when it was all over.

Monday morning, I'm not as OK with it as I thought I'd be.

That's because after hammering the Phils in game one, getting another strong performance from Jonathan Niese, you had to think the Mets were in great position to take the series. Sure, Roy (I refuse to ever refer to him as 'Doc') Halladay shut the Mets down completely in game two, when the dam burst against Mike Pelfrey, but then we had Johan against Moyer, who looked like a street person Sunday night, unshaven, sweaty and worn.

And sure enough, the Mets were lighting up Moyer in the first four innings, scoring five on a three-run blast by David Wright and two more on a dinger by former Phillie Rod Barajas, who loves the joke of a park known as Citizens Bank as much as Wright does. So when the Mets were exchanging the Phillies' solo shots with two- and three-run bombs, things looked good.

Then things got ugly for the Mets' ace. Two outs, runner on third, a three-run lead and the bottom of the order coming up. Somehow, before that final out was recorded, the Phillies scored nine runs.

Sure, you could bemoan the fact that the Mets' offense went to sleep after witnessing the barrage, that you'd have liked to see more fight in the dog. But make no mistake about it — this loss is completely on Santana.

Not Jerry Manuel for batting Gary Matthews Jr. leadoff (hey Jerry, you could bat Castillo leadoff every once in a while instead of that black hole), or even for not having anyone warming up in the pen to take Johan out earlier. I can't blame Jerry for that. This was his ace, in a huge early-season game against the bitterest of rivals on national TV, needing just one lousy out to end the inning with the Mets still ahead. Certainly he can do that, right?

No. No, he could not.

Single to Ibanez scores one run. A single by Castro. Then a walk to Ruiz, the eight hitter, bad enough but you figure, OK, just blow away Moyer and let's end this.

I find it incredible that the ESPN crew floated the possibility that Moyer's solidly-hit ground ball in his first at-bat somehow affected how Santana pitched to him in the fourth. This is Johan Freakin' Santana pitching against an almost 50-year-old Moyer. I don't care how well Moyer "handles the bat." You HAVE TO put him away.

Walk to Moyer, grand slam to Victorino, single and then a homer by Utley (of course) and it was over. See you in Cincinnati. U-G-L-Y.

Sunday's game was similar to Saturday's in that small events led to bigger things. Saturday, Jose Reyes and Alex Cora had chances to make catches that, had they been outs, would have altered the course of the game. They were tough plays, not made, and then the runs flowed like water. Although with Halladay dealing the way he was, the outcome likely would have been the same.

Only two things about Sunday's loss took the edge off for me. I DVR'd the game and was about 90 minutes behind, so once ALL THAT happened I watched the rest of the game on fast forward. Also, I have Victorino and Polanco on my fantasy team (Wright, too).

I think it's safe to chalk this up as just a rare bad night for Santana, one that doesn't portend anything worse down the line. And I think the makeup of this Mets team is positive enough to put the last two games behind it, without a losing streak being triggered.

I think. Meanwhile, we have Ollie Perez stepping up as the stopper Monday night against the Reds. 'Ollie Perez' and 'stopper' in the same sentence? Yikes.