N.Y.Mets ~ The Flushing Power Company

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET




NEW YORK METS:   The Roosevelt Avenue Sluggers Pound Out Four Home Runs Against The Tomahawk Chaps.

Tie Series At One Game Apiece; Rubber Game Sunday.


That was a nifty little comeback wasn't it?  The game turned into a semi-rain soaked blow-out in the end, but what the hey...  The win ties this series with the Braves at one game apiece.

You watch a game like Saturday's unfold, and you start asking yourself, what ails this team when they play Washington and Miami (or in Dan Uggla's case, former Marlin players)?  If you're R.A. Dickey, you have to be asking yourself when am I going to get treated to a game like this?  And for the Fans, this is just the other side; the prettier side; of a Jekyll and Hyde battle against games like last Wednesday in Florida.

And the Mets have been just that; a Jekyll and Hyde team.  They are good half of the time.  The other half of the time they're down right scary.  The feel-good from a game like Saturday's is transient in nature, because ultimately, it got us nowhere.  We returned to the spot we were in Friday at the start of this series, which is most likely, too far behind the Braves in the Wild Card race.  A dramatic up-tick in the Mets winning percentage, and a severe drop-off by the Braves are both needed if the Mets are to play "meaningful games in September".


....Perchance to dream.  Win one; Lose one.  Win four; Lose four.  ...Aye, there's the rub.


Did Jon Niese pitch a good game?  Um..., I don't think so.  Atlanta tagged him up for ten hits and five runs over five innings pitched.  But thanks to Justin Turner (two home runs) tapping into his inner Dave Kingman, Jon Niese won his 11th game of the season against 8 losses.


Indeed, while Justin Turner; Jason Bay; and Josh Thole all scoffed at the notion Citi Field is anti-batter, the walls of Citi Field mocked and laughed at David Wright yet again.  In the first inning, an apparent Ruthian blast to left center dropped in and bounced high off the wall for a double leaving the Face of the Franchise with a look of bewilderment on it.


Last night; as I have championed many times this season; I said I wanted Josh Thole to be left alone as the starting/full-time catcher now that this supposed race against (the trade deadline) and the Braves is over.  Tonight, he only went 3 for 4 with a home run; an RBI; and two runs scored.  Can we let the kid play every day please?  I'd appreciate it.  Thanks a lot.


There will be a rubber game on Sunday which is quite appropriate considering the Mets are still bouncing around the .500 mark.  They needed a win just to get to the break even point....again.  Catching up to the Braves is such a non-issue at this point.  Learning about the players who fit into next year's plan....is.


In that regard, Bobby Parnell tossed an inning and threw 12 strikes in 17 total pitches thrown.  He walked one batter; struck out one; and surrendered no hits in the eighth inning.


And finally, Murphy's Law remains in full effect over at first base.  Tonight, Daniel committed his latest fielding atrocity in what is becoming a crime scene over at first base.  And now that it's all but guaranteed Ike Davis is done for the year, what ever can go wrong over there most certainly will.  So prepare yourselves so as to not be so hard on him when things go awry for him in the future.


You can't be disappointed with what you don't expect.




Mike.BTB