Strength in numbers

In baseball, my theory is to strive for consistency, not to worry about the numbers. If you dwell on statistics you get shortsighted, if you aim for consistency, the numbers will be there at the end.  — Tom Seaver

Sorry, Tom, but we're gonna dwell on some tasty numbers today.

3: More hits for Justin Turner, who drove in the Mets' first run, after a double by Fernando Martinez (to whom Collins gave the start at DH).

5: The inning in which Jose Reyes made the play of the game, a diving stop of a grounder up the middle hit by A-Rod, who was gunned out by a step. Reyes went 0-for-4, but that play was worth a boatload of hits (which Reyes has, leading the league, by the way. Sandy Alderson is watching, right?)

6: Innings of four-hit ball thrown by R.A. Dickey, whose knuckler was finally knuckling.

9: Straight batter retired by relievers Mike O'Connor, Jason Isringhausen and K-Rod to end the game, striking out five in the process.

10: Wins in their last 14 games for the Mets.

11: Total strikeouts by Mets pitchers Friday night.

15: Consecutive saves for Frankie Rodriguez

17: Wins with 9 losses since the Mets opened at 5-13.

19: Straight scoreless innings for K-Rod.

22: The number of wins the Mets have this season (same as the number of losses).

23: The number of wins the Yankees have this season.
    
344: Feet (officially) traveled by Mark Texeira's solo home run in the third, a fly out at Citi Field and just about anywhere else. What a joke that park is. (Yes, Murphy's homer was just 346 feet, but down the line, that was a legit shot. Texeira's was basically a pop-up).

1,000: Approximate number of seats short of a sellout at Yankee Stadium for game one of the Subway Series. And there were plenty of Mets fans there filling the place out, as you could tell as K-Rod struck out Nick Swisher to end the game.

In the end, it's not about the numbers. It's about how this team, led by Terry Collins, has overcome the injuries to key players by stepping up as a group and being accountable. They're not waiting and wondering when the injured guy is coming back, they're plugging a new guy in there and saying, 'Go get 'em.'

It's a team of underdogs, always the best kind of Mets team to root for.

Now that the sweep has been avoided, the Mets will look to win the series either Saturday or Sunday. The pitching matchups are favorable, and you have to love the way this team is playing.