The Grimsley Reaper

The Mets and the Diamondbacks faced off in an absolute pitchers duel tonight. Pedro and Brandon Webb pitched their hearts out but both got no decisions. The game went to extra innings tied 0-0 but the Mets prevailed over Jason Grimsley in the bottom of the 13th inning as Jose Valentin hit a lead-off double and scored on an Endy Chavez walk-off single... For a complete box score check out Mets.com... Several Key Notes... Jose Valentin has played phenomenally at 2B. He made a sparkling diving catch in tonight's game and has been hitting like he did while he was with the White Sox...Carlos Delgado is in a big time slump but it came at just the rite time as Cliff Floyd is starting to get very hot...Endy Chavez has been absolutely tremendous this season. He has done everything the Mets can ask him for and a hell of a lot more...Carlos Beltran fouled a pitch off of his knee in tonight's game and left after the AB. He has been diagnosed with a bruised knee and is being reevaluated by the team doctor, he may miss some time warranting some more playing time for Endy Chavez...Lastings Milledge did not do well at the plate tonight but then again not many guys did. He did however make a great throw to gun down Craig Counsel at third base...Pedro pitched 8 strong innings without allowing a run while striking out 9. This is the first time Pedro has gone a full month making 6 starts and not receiving a victory...Billy Wagner was dominant for two innings...Duaner Sanchez has pitched remarkably well for the Mets and continued that trend tonight. He pitched 3 scoreless innings allowing just two hits and recorded the win...Brandon Webb is a very dominant pitcher and is having a Cy Young caliber year thus far. The kid has real talent and is starting to get some rightfully deserved attention by the media...Jorge Julio got back at the Mets for trading him as he retired Carlos Delgado, David Wright, and Cliff Floyd 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 12th..Jason Grimsley killed the Diamondbacks night!

Mets Get Smacked

The Mets lost last night. Miguel Batista pitched a complete game and allowed just two runs, one earned. However it was not Batista that beat the Mets...they beat themselfs. The Mets left so many guys on base last night it was redicilous. They recorded 9 hits including 4 lead-off doubles and only plated one run on an error. The only other run scored came by Jose Valentin in the 9th as he hit a 1 out HR. Alay Soler pitched horribly. He allowed 2 runs in the first inning and seven runs over 5 innings. He did not have his fast ball last night and he knew that so he started off the game pitching predominatly break in balls. Darren Oliver pitched well in relief as he pitched 4 scoreless innings allowing just one hit.

It has just been announced that Lastings Milledge will were number 44 on his back tonight.

Soler vs Batista

The Mets are set to take on the Arizona Diamondbacks in game two of a three game set. Alay Soler will make his second start for the Mets. Aside from his three run first he was great in his first start. He has a 0-0 record with a 3.00 ERA. He will not be the only rookie in the line-up for the Mets as Lastings Milledge will make his major league debut. Soler will take on former reliever-turned starter-turned reliever-turned starter Miguel Batista. So far this season Batista is 4 and 2 with a 4.60 ERA. The Mets are coming off a great win and hope that Milledge and Soler can jolt them past the D'Backs in game two. The game starts at 7:10 PM ET. It will be broadcasted on SNY and WFAN as well as WADO for our Spanish speakers and MLB.TV for our out of NY fans. Good luck Soler and Milledge and LETS GO METS!!!

Nady Down And Milledge Up

That's right, Lastings Milledge will make his major league debut tonight at Shea. Milledge will take Nady's spot in the line up. He will play in right field and bat 8th. There are many different opinions as to why Milledge was called up rather than Victor Diaz. Some reasons include that Milledge is being showcased for a future trade. Another reason may be that the Mets have soured on Victor Diaz. In my opinion the Mets brought up Milledge because Nady's injury will keep him out for 3 weeks to a month. Having Milledge up at this time will assure that he will start everyday and it will show the Mets over a 1 month scale just how major league ready Milledge truly is. There are also a lot of rumors that if Milledge plays phenomenally over the next month he will push Nady to the bench when Nady comes off the DL. I do not agree with this rumor simple because Nady has played so well for the Mets. If they do decide to keep Milledge it is my belief that Nady will be given a shot to play some 2B as he is a fairly good infielder. None the less Milledge gets the start in right tonight so good luck to him and LETS GO METS!!!

Xavier Nady On The DL

The Mets have place outfielder Xavier Nady on the 15 day DL. Nady underwent an emergency appendectomy on Tuesday morning after the game. Nady was plunked in the back with a ball in the 8th inning last night. He left the game after the inning and was replaced by Endy Chavez. When getting his back checked after the HBP Nady complained of a previous pain. The doctors checked it out and Nady was sent to the hospital to have surgery on his appendix.

Mets Win A Wild One

The Mets faced the Diamondbacks in the opener of a three game set at Shea. The game was delayed twice before the third inning as both teams kept coming from behind. In the second inning the Mets scored 4 runs to overcome a one run deficit. In the fourth Trachsel gave up 2 runs and then gave up another run in the fifth to tie the game. The run in the fifth came off of a solo HR by Eric Byrnes (his second of the night). In the sixth inning the Mets took the lead as Cliff Floyd and Jose Valentin both hit solo HRs. In the very next inning Chad Tracy hit a three run shot off of Aaron Heilman to propel the D'Backs ahead of the Mets. In the bottom of the ninth Endy Chavez came in for Xavier Nady in the double switch. He led off with a double. After failing to bunt Chavez over to third, Jose Reyes followed with a line drive single to score the tieing run. LoDuca delivered his fourth hit of the night to move Reyes over to third. The D'Backs intentionally walked Carlos Beltran to face the slumping Carlos Delgado, and it paid off as Delgado struck out. David Wright then delivered the game-winning hit with the bases loaded, his third walk off hit this season at Shea. As for Met pitching the only bright spot was Duaner Sanchez. Steve Trachsel pitched 6 innings allowing 7 hits and 4 runs including 2 HRs. Aaron Heilman pitched 2 innings giving up the three run HR in his first inning but then bounced back well in his second inning. And Sanchez had a 1-2-3 ninth inning. Sanchez got the win and Jose Valverde suffered his second blown save in two nights. The Mets will take some rest and come back tonight to face the D'Backs in game two. Alay Soler will take the mound for the Mets against Miguel Batista.

From May 16-29

I apologize for not posting over the last 2 weeks. I have been very tied up with finals and such but I am back now... So what has been happening on Mets Planet over the last two weeks? Well let’s see... We saw Jose Lima, and Jeremi Gonzalez leave New York. We saw Jorge Julio dealt for a big time pitcher. We saw two Cuban Defectors pitch for the first time in a Mets uniform. And we saw our GM make several small moves to pamper the injuries faced by the big league team. Both Jose Lima and Jeremi Gonzalez have been pitching ineffectively since the injury to Brian Bannister and Victor Zambrano. The organization, as well as the fans grew very tired of this and in turn sent both Lima and Gonzalez back to Norfolk. Jorge Julio was traded to the D' Backs for veteran starter Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez. El Duque is one of the Cuban born pitchers to defect to America. Hernandez has won four world championships in his career. Three with the Yankees and one with the White Sox. In his career El Duque is 72 and 53 with a 4.20 ERA. Now one may wonder just how the Mets fooled the D' Backs into giving up El Duque for just Jorge Julio and the answer is simple. Before coming to the Mets El Duque was 2 and 4 with a 6.11 ERA with the D'Backs. Now the next question one would ask is "Why the hell did the Mets get this guy if he is so bad?" And that too is very simple. El Duque pitched horribly at home for the D'Backs. Their park is a hitter’s park beyond a shadow of a doubt. On the road El Duque was 2 and 1 with a 2.61 ERA. In his first start with the Mets El Duque faced the Florida Marlins and pitched well but because of his pitch count he was forced to leave after the fifth inning. The only blemish in the game was a three run home run by Marlin CF Reggie Abercrombie. El Duque is not the only Cuban Defector to join the Mets rotation. Rookie right-hander Alay Soler made his Major League debut at Shea against the Phillies on May 24th. Soler pitched very well allowing 3 runs, 2 earned, with 5 strikeouts over 6 innings. All three runs scored in the first inning. The Mets hope that Soler can step up and be the pitcher he was in Cuba. Omar Minaya has made two small moves to compliment the El Duque deal. He traded Jeremy Gonzalez to the Brewers for RHP Mike Adams. Adams is a relief pitcher and will spend the beginning of his Met career at Norfolk...until he is needed. Omar also acquired a LHP by the name of Dave Williams from the Reds for a minor leaguer and cash. Williams is diverse in the sense that he can both start and pitch out of the bullpen. He too was sent to Norfolk. During our 13-day absence the Mets are 7 and 5 and now have a season record of 30 and 19. They have a 3.5 game lead over the Braves and will now head into a series with the Arizona Diamondbacks at home. Have a nice day and LETS GO METS!!!

In Game: Mets @ Cardinals

The Mets are currently in a rain delay in the middle of the seventh inning. The Mets currently have a 4-3 lead. Tommy Glavine walked in the top of the third inning, Jose Reyes then came up and hit his third homerun of the season to make it 2 - 0 in favor of the Mets. In the top of the fourth Xavier Nady singled with two outs to score David Wright making it 3 - 0. In the bottom of the fifth Tom Glavine gave up his first runs of the game. One off the bat of Hector Luna, the other off a sacrifice fly by David Eckstein. Then in the 6th Garry Bennett tied the game on a line drive to center. The Mets quickly retaliated in the 7th. Kaz Matsui struck out, Jose Valentine came in for Glavine and scorched one right at Juan Encarnacion, and just as it looked like Tom Glavine was about to get a no decision, Jose Reyes walked and stole second, then Paul LoDuca ("The Duke" as my friend Dan at Lone Star Mets calls him) drove him in with a double. At the end of the inning the rain began to pour in St.Louis and the umps paused the game. Now this is no ordinary rain delay. If the game does not restart the Mets will not win this game. They will suspended the game and it will be continued from this point. The reason for this is because the Away team scored the go ahead run in the top of the inning and the Home team must be given the opportunity to come back. If the seventh inning had been completed and then the rain delay began the game would just be stopped and the Mets would attain the victory. Update 12:00 AM ET: After one hour and fourty minutes we will play baseball in St.Louis as the game will continue. Aaron Heilman takes the mound for the Mets in the bottom of the seventh with a 4 - 3 lead.

Cardinal Pitching

The Mets are about to start a three game series with the Yankees of the National League, the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinal pitching is one of the best as it contains the NL Cy Young Award Winner, Chris Carpenter. However the Mets may have lucked out as they will miss Carpenter this time. In game one the Cardinals plan to send Jeff Suppan to the mound. Suppan is a 6'2" right hander with good stuff. Thus far this season Suppan is 4 and 2 with a 4.58 ERA. However his ERA does not exemplify just how well he is pitching. He has won his last 4 starts and is coming off a good outing in which has fast ball had some good life on it. Mark Mulder is a 6'6" left hander. He will start game two of the series. So far this season Mulder is sporting a 4 and 1 record, with a 4.27 ERA. He is 3 and 0 in Bush Stadium with a 3.38 ERA. He is coming off a solid outing against the Diamondbacks where he gave up 3 runs on on six hits, striking out 6. The third pitcher to face the Mets will be Jason Marquis. He is probably the worst pitcher on the staff this season. He is 4 and 4 with a 5.33 ERA. He walks way too many batters but has good stuff and can work his way out of trouble if need be. He snapped a 4 game loosing streak in his last outing.

Morning Mets

Making News in Mets Planet today, Adam Rubin of the Daily News writes that Victor Zambrano's career may be done, it is an excellent read so check it out... Jole Sherman of the NY Post writes that Mike Pelfry may give the Mets a jolt as soon as June of this year... The Journal News, Daily News, New York Post, and Star-Ledger all report on how the Mets may approach the Cardinal Monster Albert Pujols in the upcoming season... That just about covers it for today tune in tomorrow for all the latest news in Mets Planet...

Cross Town Partners?

The two New York baseball teams have taken a big time hit in the injury department. The Yankees have lost two of the best hitters on there team in Gary Sheffield and Hideki Matsui. The Mets have lost two pitchers of their starting 5 in Brian Bannister and Victor Zambrano. Not to mention that they have also lost there back up starter in John Maine. Being that they plan to get Bannister back within the next 2 weeks, they still will need at least one more starter. The Yanks also plan to get Sheffield back in the next few days, so they will need another outfielder. It may not be a bad idea for the two GM's of NY to work a deal. One possibility involves trading Victor Diaz for Aaron Small. Both of these guys are currently at the minor league level and definitely showed us last year that they have the ability to play at the major league level. It is a deal that can be made right away and will definitely benefit both teams immediately.

Morning Mets

Today in Mets News Anthony Rieber of Newsday writes about the pink bats used in yesterdays game and what it ment to everyone especially LHP Darren Oliver... M.A. Metha of The Star-Ledger suggests that Brian Bannister may be ready to pitch on thursday against the Cardinals or on Friday against the Yankees. Adam Rubin of the Daily News disagrees as he claims the Mets would like to have Bannister pitch in a minor league game before his return. However both Rubin and Metha agree that if Brian is not ready to go the Mets will not rush him... Mark Hale of the NY Post writes of the Mets loss yesterday and about Super Prospect Mike Pelfrey's latest outing... Well thats about all in todays edition of Morning Mets. Check back tomorrow for all the latest news...

Nothing Like An Ace On Mothers Day

The Mets will send their Ace Pedro Martinez to the mound in the rubber game of a 3 game series. The Mets lost the first series as they were crushed by horrible pitching from Jose Lima and the bull pen. They squeezed out an 8-9 victory last night to tie the series. Now they look to win it as they send there number one pitcher. Pedro had a 1-0 record with a 5.40 ERA is 2 starts against the Brewers last season. In his last outing he struck out ten and did not allow a hit outside of the second inning. So far this season Pedro is 5-0 with a 2.89 ERA. The Mets have only lost one game when Martinez has pitched and they plan to keep it that way. The opposing pitcher will be Doug Davies. Thus far this season Davies is 2-2 with a 5.32 ERA. However at home he is 1 and 1 with a 3.68 ERA. The action begins at 2:00 PM ET. You can catch all the action on the WB11 or on WFAN or WADO (Spanish). Good luck Pedro and LETS GO METS!!!

One Final Look At The Kazmir-Zambrano Trade

Okay I know that we have to put this past us but I thought that it would be nice to just take one last look back. On July 30, 2004 the New York Mets traded their number one prospect in Scott Kazmir to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. In return the Rays sent the Mets the Ace of their staff Victor Zambrano and a young relief pitcher Bartolome Fortunato. The deal baffled many as Kazmir was thought of as a "can't miss prospect" and Zambrano was a very spotty pitcher who had nasty stuff but no control. As it turned out Victor came to the Mets injured. He made just three starts and then went to the DL for the rest of the season. That same year Kazmir made his Major League debut. He pitched okay for a young kid on a bad team. The next season (2005) Kazmir made 32 starts winning ten of them and loosing just nine while maintaining an ERA of 3.77. From this point on many started to call Kazmir a "future Hall of Famer." That same year Zambrano made 27 starts winning only 7 while losing 12 with an ERA above 4.oo. From this point on many started to call Zambrano a total BUST! This year Kazmir is 5 and 2 with a 2.94 ERA in 8 starts. He is pitching great for a bad ball club. And Victor Zambrano has landed himself on the DL for the rest of the season. He finishes the season with a 1-2 record and a 6.75 ERA over 5 starts. The relief pitcher we got in the deal, Bartolome Fortunato, has also landed himself on the DL as of yesterday. He has made two relief appearances for the Mets and has blown them both. He finishes his season with 3 innings pitched and a 27.00 ERA. So what it all boils down to is that we gave up a future "Hall of Famer" for two guys who have combined for 56 appearances with 12 wins and 14 losses and a 4.67 ERA. All I can say to this is good luck on your career Kazmir and good reddens to Victor and Bartolome.

Morning Mets

Today in the news Joel Sherman of the NY Post writes an interesting article about the Yanks and Mets working together to help each other threw some difficult times, its a pretty good read so check it out... Ian O'Connor of The Journal News writes an intriguing article about the decisions Mets GM Omar Minaya is handling or will handle the starting rotation quandary... Kevin Manahan of The Star-Ledger writes a touching article about the relationship of Barry Zito and Mets pitching coach, Rick Peterson. The article also covers Barry's thoughts on being a free agent and the likeliness of being a Met or a Yankee, in my opinion the best read of the morning... This just about wraps up the news in Mets Planet this morning so check back tomorrow morning for the latest...

Mets Win, Mets Win, AHHHHHHH, Mets Win!!!

Today’s game was an edge of you seat, thrill ride. It was filled with bad calls and ejection. Even the guys who say "Baseball is so boring, nothing is ever happening, ughh..." would have enjoyed this one. Yes this game was that exciting. The Mets beat the Milwaukee Brewers 8-9. They sent a young kid to make his first start of the season. They blew an 8-4 lead in the 8th. They won it in the ninth with a HR. And on top of that they won it on the road. Jeremi Gonzalez made his first major league start of the season. He pitched very well allowing just 3 runs on 5 hits with 4 K's and no walks over 5 plus innings. Now that does not exemplify how well he pitched. In all actuality you have to take away 1 hit and 1 run from that total as the umpires made a huge "mistake". His other runs came on a solo HR by Rickie Weeks in the third and a Geoff Jenkins RBI single in the 6th. The Met offense played very well today. Jose Reyes went 2 for 5 with an RBI and a run. LoDuca went 2 for 5 with a game winning HR. Beltran went 2 for 5 with a three run HR. Delgado went 1 for 5. Wright reached base twice. Nady reached three times. Jose Valentin got the start in left giving Cliff the day off and he played great. He went 2 for 4 with 4 RBIs including a 2 run HR, his first as a Met. The only starting position player not to get a hit was Chris Woodward, who played at second. Heilman came on in relief of Gonzalez he pitched 2 innings allowing 1 run on three hits while striking out 3. Duaner Sanchez came in after Heilman but did not have his usual control. He allowed a three run HR to Corey Koskie, and a solo shot to Damian Miller. After that he was ejected for hitting Brewer outfielder Brady Clark on the back. No warnings were issued and it was a tied ball game, clearly there was no intent, but the ump felt that he was trying to "send a message." Chad Bradford came on and pitched the remainder of the inning without allowing a hit. Billy Wagner came on and struck out the side in the bottom of the ninth, with a one run lead, for his eighth save of the season. Now you may have noticed that I placed several phrases in quotation marks. This was done to signify each home plate umpire Tim Tschida made time a horrid call. In the fourth inning when Fielder hit his "HR" the first base umpire called the ball fair and in play, meaning that it was not a HR and the ball was live, then Tschida overturns his call and makes it a HR. Now after reviewing the play you can see that it is not even close. The pole did not make a noise, meaning the ball didn't hit it, and on top of that the ball died after it hit the wall. If this ball hit the pole it would have made a noise and the ball would have caramed. Anyway after the umps converge they decide to stick by Tschida and call it a HR. Later in the game when Sanchez got run it was totally unexpected and not necessary. Sanchez was not trying to put the tying run on first after giving up two back-to-back HRs. On top of that there were no warnings issued to either side. Tschida just ran him out of the blue. Willie comes out to find out what the hell Tschida was thinking and he too gets run. So all in all Tschida makes a bad call on a HR that could have cost the Mets the game, and he runs a pitcher for letting the ball get away from him on one pitch. On top of all this he ejects a manager who at this point is infuriated at him and has a right to be. Watching this game and these umps was nerve wrecking but the Mets survived and win it 8-9.

Lima Time!: Part 2

The Mets will send Jose Lima to the mound for the second time this season. In has last start Lima pitched 5 innings allowing 5 earned runs against the Atlanta Braves. He reached well above 100 pitches by the end of the fifth and set a horrible tone for the rest of the game as the Mets lost 13-3. Since that game Jose Lima has braided his hair and had a lot of fun in the dugout. Tonight he looks to change his luck and bring down his 9.00 ERA against the Brew Crew in Milwaukee. He has a 2-0 record in two career appearances at Miller Field. But that's nothing. Lima's career record VS the Brewers is 10-0. Only one of the decisions came in the last three years, and it was in relief will take on Dave Bush. This season Bush is 2-4 with a 4.13 ERA. Bush has not played a game against the Mets this season. The game starts at 8:05 PM ET. It will be broadcasted on SNY and WFAN. Tune in to catch all the action and remember North Fork Bank Pre-Game Live starts at 7:30 PM ET on SNY. Good luck Lima and LETS GO METS!!!

In Game: Mets @ Phillies

This game is not looking so good at the moment. We are currently in a rain delay. The Mets are down 2-0. In the first inning Gavin Floyd got two outs then walked three men to load the bases. Xavier Nady came up and drilled a ball to deep center field. However Aaron Rowand ran it down and made a spectacular grab to take away 3 runs from the Mets. He left the game as his nose was just pouring blood, it was later announced that Rowand broke his nose on the play. Since that point Steve Trachsel has allowed 2 runs and 6 hits. One run coming on a first inning solo shot by Chase Utley. The Mets have just been able to put together 2 hits, one by Matsui the other by Castro. The Phills qualify for the win as Gavin Floyd has pitched 4.5 innings, making this an official game. According to the forecast in Philadelphia, the heavy rain is supposed to start between 8:00 PM and 9:00 PM and last until the morning commute...If i had to guess this game will be called on account of rain and the Mets will take just there third series loss. If and when this game is over I will be back to make a final recap. Until then prey that the rain stops and LETS GO METS!!!

Floyd Movin' On Up!

I usually don't post the starting line-up on the site but I will make an acceptation tonight: SS Jose Reyes LF Cliff Floyd CF Carlos Beltran 1B Carlos Delgado 3B David Wright RF Xavier Nady 2B Kazuo Matsui C Ramon Castro Notice anything different... Yea that's right Floyd is in the two hole. Now many of you may be thinking "what in the world is Randolph thinking?" and the answer is that he is trying to help Cliff bust out of his slump. He is moving him up to make him concentrate on the game more and to help him boost his confidence.

Rain???

The tarp is on the field at Citizens Bank Park. It is raining lightly, however the forecast is not good. The rain is supposed to pick up and last long. The Pittsburgh game has already been postponed. And right now its not looking good, but the weather is a strange thing so...With Mother Nature permitting we may have baseball on SNY tonight. Update 7:02 PM: The tarp is coming off the field as the rain has let up a bit, so we will start the game on time...

Mets Go For Series Win

The New York Mets are set to take on the Phillies in the final game of a 3 game series. The Mets lost game one on an error, but absolutely destroyed the Phills last night. With the series tied 1 to 1 the Mets will send Steve Trachsel to the mound. Citizens Bank Park has not been good to Trachsel over the past few years. Trach is 1-2 with a 5.75 ERA in 18 2/3 innings. Trach is 2-2 with a 4.96 ERA on the season. His opponent tonight will be Gavin Floyd. Floyd is not off to a very good start. He is 3-2 with a 6.62 ERA this season. The game starts at 7:05 PM ET. It will be broadcasted on SNY and WFAN. Tune in to catch all the action. Good luck Trach and LETS GO METS!!!

Jeremi Gonzalez To Start

The Mets will opt to go with Jose Lima and Jeremy Gonzalez on Friday and Saturday to replace Brian Bannister and Victor Zambrano. Lima will go on Friday and hopes that his new hairstyle will help him pitch better. The story however is Jeremi Gonzalez. Gonzalez is a young kid with some up side. Here is the scouting report on Mets.com: "Until the fourth week of Spring Training brought the emergence of Brian Bannister and Darren Oliver, Gonzalez appeared to have a good chance of beginning the season on the big-league roster. Now the injuries to Bannister and Victor Zambrano have afforded him a chance to make his 12th big league start in three seasons -- three with the Red Sox last year and eight with the Devil Rays in 2004. He had a 1-2 record and 3.03 ERA in six starts with the Mets' Triple-A Norfolk affiliate. He allowed 34 base runners and struck out 20." Brian Bannister will return in about a week or two. The Mets will stick it out with these two guys until then. Whoever does the best job will likely get to stay when Bannister returns. When John Maine returns from the DL he will likely compete with whoever is still around for the fifth starter's role. Sooner or later, the Mets will have to make a move to get a better starter in there. Weather that move will be to move Heilman to the rotation or to make a trade only time will tell...For now all I can say is LETS GO METS!!!

Bell /\ Fortuanto \/

Heath Bell was called up yesterday to replace Bartolome Fortunato who was just awful in his cup of coffee with the Mets.

Glav Gets First Win as Bats Come To Life

Tommy Glavine has never had a win against the Phillies since becoming a Met. But the Mets brought their bats to the game today and won it for Glavine. Glavine pitched 7 innings allowing 4 hits and 3 runs. All three runs coming via HR. He struck out 4 and walked 3. Not only did Glav do it on the mound but he also did it in the field, making some nice plays, and in the box recording a single, a walk, 2 RBIs, and a double. Every Met starter recorded at least 1 hit. Jose Reyes, Paul LoDuca, Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado, David Wright and Xavier Nady all had 2 hits. They had a combined 9 RBIs. Matsui had a hit, walk and 2 runs scored. Floyd had a hit and a run. Woody (Chris Woodward) also had a hit. In all the Mets scored 13 runs on 17 hits. The infield played great defense, warranting at least one Webjem on Baseball Tonight. The back end of the Met bullpen finished the game for Glavine. Heath Bell made his season debut. He allowed 3 hits and 1 run but struck out 2. Jorge Julio finished the game allowing a hit and no runs with 1 strikeout.

Mets Minor League Report

Norfolk 2, @ Toledo 4 Orlando Roman made a emergency start and gave up three runs on five hits and three walks in three innings. Binghamton 8, Connecticut 3 Mike Pelfrey’s third AA start was better than his second. Pelfrey allowed three runs, two earned on seven hits with ten strikeouts. St. Lucie 13, Fort Myers 7 St. Lucie scored seven runs in the bottom of the eighth inning for a come from behind victory. Hagerstown 4, Lake County 3 Ryan Meyers gave up three runs in five innings and got the win. For a full recap of each game visit Toby @ metsminors.metsblog.com

Farm Report

AAA Norfolk Tides The Norfolk Tides beat the Toledo Mud Hens 6-4. Evan MacLane threw a gem in his AAA debut. He picked up the win by going seven innings and allowed three hits, one run on one homerun, and walked one while striking out four. Tim Lavigne picked up his first save of the year and went one inning while giving up one earned run and allowing four base runners. Lastings Milledge went 1 for 3 with two runs scored and two walks, Jeff Keppinger went 1 for 4 with a double and three RBIs, Victor Diaz had a huge day and went 2 for 2 with his second homerun, two RBIs, and three walks, and Ray Navarrete went 2 for 5 with two runs scored and two doubles. Heath Bell had not pitched since he threw 1.1 innings on the May 5th and would have presumably been available for yesterday's game, but Tim Lavingne was brought in for the save. This is certainly interesting and makes me wonder if some roster shuffling is about to happen. AA Binghamton Mets The Binghamton Mets lost to the Connecticut Defenders 4-3. Will Vazquez made his AA debut and gave up three runs in 3.1 innings pitched. Robert Paulk and Tim McNab combined for 5.2 innings of relief and gave up one earned run while allowing three hits each. Carlos Gomez continues to respond since being dropped to ninth in the order. "I like the No. 9 spot," [Carlos] Gomez said. "Hitting No. 9, it's easier. The other team doesn't think you're a good hitter because you're hitting ninth, so they don't throw as many tough pitches. There's less pressure." Gomez went 2 for 3 with a triple and a walk to bring his batting average to .228 and is heading towards respectability. While that statement is not what you want to hear, it should be noted that he was a slow starter last year too. Michel Abreu hit his second homer in two days and went 1 for 4 to bring his average to .390, Jay Caligiuri hit is fifth homer of the year and went 1 for 4, and Wilson Batista went 1 for 3 with an RBI and a walk. Mike Pelfrey will take the mound today for his third AA start and will look to rebound for his rough outing last week. High-A St. Lucie Mets The St. Lucie Mets lost to the Fort Myers Miracle 4-1. Anderson Hernandez picked up right where he left off and went 0 for 4 with a strikeout and Shawn Bowman went 1 for 4 with his second homerun of the year. Jake Ruckle got the start today for the Mets and went five innings while giving up four hits, three runs, two earned runs, and one walk. Travis Hope threw well in relief of Ruckle and went four innings and gave up four hits, one run, no earned runs, and no walks while striking out two. Low-A Hagerstown Suns Hagerstown beat the Lakewood Blue Claws 5-2 behind a strong pitching performance by Jon Niese as he dropped his ERA to 3.34. Niese went six innings and gave up five hits, two earned runs, and one walk while striking out six. Niese's two runs surrendered were due to a wind-blown ball that was misplayed by Jonathan Sanchez that ended up being a triple. If he had caught it, it would have been the last out of the inning. Marcelo Perez picked up his second save of the season by tossing one inning and allowing no runs, no hits, and no walks while striking out two. Fernando Martinez went 1 for 4, Jonathan Sanchez went 2 for 5, Nick Evans went 2 for 5 with a solo homerun, Jose Castro went 3 for 4 with a run scored and an RBI, and Drew Butera went 2 for 5 with two RBIs. Provided by Michael Oliver of MetsGeek.com

The Zambrano Situation

With Victor Zambrano out for the remainder of the season the Mets have several big decisions to make. Rookie Brian Bannister will miss at least one more start. They have several within the organization and several outside the organization. One option is to keep Jose Lima on the club and bring up Jeremy Gonzalez from AAA. When Bannister gets healthy they can send the worse of the two back to AAA. Another option they have is Cuban defector Alay Soler. Soler is in AA but has pitched well and has a lot of professional experience in Cuba. They can also bring Aaron Heilman into the rotation and call up Heath Bell to take his spot in the bullpen. Doing this can and will weaken the bullpen, the question is what is more important, starting pitching, or a strong bullpen? Personally I think that if Heilman is brought in to the rotation he will not leave the rotation, he will dominate. Outside of the organization the Mets can trade for a starter. Starters who may be available include Dontrelle Willis, Odalis Perez, Barry Zito, Brad Radke, Jason Schmidt, Tony Armas Jr., and Toma Ohka. The other option for this team is to acquire Roger Clements. Clements will cost over 20 million dollars and will only be around for one season. By acquiring Clements many Met fans think it would be dishonorable to Mike Piazza but you can be sure that he will be very effective. On the poll below, if you choose to trade for someone then click on the comments link and post your possible trade. What should the Mets do about the rotation? Trade for someone Bring Heilman into the rotation Bring up Jeremy Gonzalez and stick with Lima Acquire Roger Clements Free polls from Pollhost.com

Weekend Recap

The Mets came off a 2 game sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates and awaited the arrival of the Braves to Shea. Going into the series the Mets planned to send Steve Trachsel, Victor Zambrano, and an unknown pitcher to the mound. The opposing pitchers were scheduled to be Kyle Davies, Tim Hudson, and John Smoltz. Steve Trachsel was coming off a horrible outing in Atlanta. Kyle Davies started the game at 2-2 both of those wins coming off the Mets. Both Trach and Davies pitched 6 innings allowing 4 runs on 9 hits. The Mets bullpen combined for 3 runs on 7 hits over 6 innings. The Braves bullpen combined for 4 runs on 7 hits over 7 innings. This game lasted 14 innings. Cliff Floyd hit a HR in the 11th to retie the game. Jose Reyes recorded 5 hits for the first time in his young career while reaching base 6 times. David Wright reached base 6 times with three hits. Carlos Beltran recorded 4 hits including a HR. LoDuca, Delgado, Matsui and Trachsel recorded a hit each and reached base for a combined 6 times. The Mets won the game on a David Wright double scoring Carlos Beltran. Victor Zambrano was coming off his best outing of the season. He threw a great curve ball in this game and did not allow a hit. However he only faced 4 batters. After striking out 2 batters in the first Zambrano came into the second and struck out Andruw Jones, he then ran into the dugout and proceeded to the clubhouse. He left the game and it was later announced that Vic tore a flexor muscle in his elbow and will miss the rest of the season. Darren Oliver took over and pitched 4 innings allowing 2 runs on 4 hits while striking out 8 over 4 innings. Tim Hudson pitched 6.1 innings allowing 6 runs on 9 hits. The Braves bullpen held the fort for 1.2 innings allowing just 1 hit. The Mets won this game 6-5 scoring 4 runs in the 7th inning. Jorge Julio recorded the save but did allow one run to score. Kaz Matsui hit a 2 RBI double in the 7th. Jose Reyes recorded 3 hits and scored 2 runs. Carlos Beltran hit a HR and walked twice. Carlos Delgado went 2 for 4 with a RBI. And a slumping Cliff Floyd went 0 for 2 with an RBI and a walk. It was Lima Time in game 3 of this series on Sunday, and boy oh boy was the show not pretty. Lima was called on to make a start because John Maine (called up to make Brian Bannister's start) popped a blood vesicle in his figure on his pitching hand. Jose Lima allowed five runs on seven hits and four walks in five innings. The home plate umpire was Angel Hernandez and Hernandez and the Mets have not had many good experiences. In the second inning Hernandez made a bad call on a play at home, calling McCann safe at home when LoDuca tagged him out. LoDuca was so infuriated that he spiked the ball and was ejected. Bobby Cox was also ejected for arguing that John Smoltz should be on second. Bartolome Fortunato pitched horribly as he allowed 8 runs on 6 hits over 1.1 innings. Feliciano and Bradford combined for 2 innings allowing just a hit. The Met offense only scored 3 runs, including a HR by Carlos Beltran in the third. The Mets lost this one 13-3. After the Game Paul LoDuca said that home plate umpire Angel Hernandez told Jose Lima, "I'm going to give you a couple inches off the plate, but I'm not going to give you 4 or 5 inches because you're not John Smoltz." LoDuca said, "I got a little problem with that." Lima said, "That makes me look like I'm a rookie up there." This combined with the bad play led to LoDuca’s argument. Going into this series I was not sure how well the Mets were going to do. And to tell the truth they impressed me. However Jose Lima and Bartolome Fortunato need to get the heck out of Shea. They are horrible. LoDuca has a right to be angry and I completely support his argument. With Zambrano out for the season and Bannister down for at least another start, the Mets need to make some big decisions over the next few days. As it stands now the Mets lead the NL east by 4 games over the Phillies.

Farm Report

AAA Norfolk Tides The Norfolk Tides lost to the Columbus Clippers 4-1 and dropped to 9-22. Lastings Milledge continued to struggle and he went 0 for 3 as his average dipped to .312. Victor Diaz picked up two hits on a 2-4 for day, Juan Tejeda went 1 for 3, and Chase Lambin went 2 for 3 with a walk. Miguel Perez went 5.1 innings while allowing twelve base runners and striking out two in his second AAA start. Anderson Garcia gave up his first AAA runs as he got touched for two runs in 1.2 innings. AA Binghamton Mets The Binghamton Mets swept the New Hampshire Fisher Cats with their 5-4 victory and improved to 15-15. Carlos Gomez went 2 for 4 with his second homerun of the year, a double, and three RBIs after getting dropped to ninth in the batting order. Jay Caligiuri knocked his fourth homerun of the year as he went 1 for 2 with two runs scored and a walk. Miguel Pinango started the game and went six innings while giving up seven hits, three earned run, two walks, and struck out two. Ryan Cullen picked up the win in relief and went two innings while giving up one earned run and Eddie Camacho threw one scoreless inning for his first save of the year. High-A St. Lucie Mets The St. Lucie Mets beat Fort Myers 9-6 as they improved to 19-10. Corey Coles went 3 for 4 with two runs scored, two doubles, one RBI, and one walk, Ambiorix Concepcion continues to hit and went 2 for 3 with a run scored, a double, one RBI, and one walk, Mike Carp went 3 for 5 with a run scored, a double, and an RBI, Shawn Bowman hit his first homerun of the year and went 2 for 4 with two runs scored, a triple, and three RBIs, and Jesus Flores went 1 for 5 with his third homerun of the year. Michael Devaney went 6.1 innings in his start and gave up five hits, two earned runs, and three walks while striking out four. Devaney notched his second win of the year and brought his record to 2-2 with a 3.09 ERA. Carlos Muniz picked up his ninth save of the year and threw .2 innings of scoreless baseball. Low-A Hagerstown Suns The Hagerstown Suns lost to the Lakewood Blue Claws 3-2. Fernando Martinez went 1 for 4 with a run scored, Jonathan Sanchez went 1 for 3 with a walk, Nick Evans went 1 for 4 with an RBI, Leivi Ventura went 1 for 4, and Drew Butera went 2 for 3 with a run scored and an RBI. Bobby Parnell threw three innings in his first start of the year and gave up three hits, two runs, no earned runs, two walks, and struck out three. The Suns also finished up a game that was suspended on April 26th. The Suns ultimately lost the game 8-7 and it took twenty-two innings to finish. Provided by Michel Oliver of MetsGeek.com

Willie's Gut On a Roll

The Mets Manager Willie Randolph does not always manage by the book. Often times he will just go with a gut feeling. Last year Willie's gut was a problem for Met fans. It seemed to us that every time he used his gut something went wrong. But as of late his gut has been working to his advantage. Two nights ago he decided to sit Xavier Nady and play Endy Chavez in right field. I remember before that game when I saw the line-up I thought to myself "What in the blue hell is Willie doing?" But by the end of the game Endy ended that thought. I was very impressed with Endy's performance. He went 4 for 5 with an RBI a run, and an amazin' diving catch. Yesterday Willie gave Carlos Delgado the day off being that he had played in every game up till that point. With Delgado out of the line-up I assumed that Floyd would move to the 4 hole, with David Wright in the 5 hole. But Willie put David in the 4 hole and put Xavier in the 5 hole, keeping Floyd in the 6 hole. Once again I questioned Willies judgment, but his decision panned out. Nady went 1 for 4 with a 3 run shot and an RBI walk. Nady tied his career high 4 RBIs in one game. Floyd went 0 for 3. In the same game Randolph opted to give Kaz Matsui the day off and play Chris Woodward that too worked to the Mets advantage as Woody recorded 2 hits. So as of late Willie's gut feelings are working to his advantage...What will Randolph's next gut decision be and will it pan out of the Mets? That remains to be seen...

Morning Papers

Glavine and Nady Too Much for Pirates May 5 New York Times (registration required): "Xavier Nady's three-run homer off Salomón Torres turned a tense game into a blowout, and the Mets defeated the lowly Pirates, 6-0, at Shea Stadium to complete a two-game sweep." A Good Tom To Be A Met May 5 New York Post (registration required): "Last night at Shea, Glavine tossed seven more scoreless innings in a 6-0 shutout over the Pirates. He only allowed three hits and a walk, and struck out 10." Nady Remains The Mets' X-Factor May 5 New York Post (registration required): "Last night, Xavier Nady returned to the lineup and tied a career-high with four RBIs in the Mets' 6-0 victory over Pittsburgh." Wright's average up after chat with Down May 5 Newark Star-Ledger (registration required): "David Wright snapped out of a 1-for-19 funk with a vengeance last night in the 6-0 victory over Pittsburgh, going 4-for-5 with an RBI, a double and a run scored." Setup man with stuff of closer May 5 Newsday: "Off the mound and out of uniform, Duaner Sanchez replaces his signature goggles with rimless glasses, just as Superman trades the cape for a jacket and tie when he's done fighting for Truth, Justice and the American Way." Mileage from Endy May 5 Newsday: "Judging from the energy he showed in getting four hits Wednesday night and the jump he always shows in the outfield, it is easy to say that Endy Chavez has a lot in his tank. It would be accurate, too, in more ways than one." Braves in brand new world May 5 New York Daily News columnist Filip Bondy: "Meanwhile, the Mets have to play out a few more games, 134 of them, and rid themselves of the Braves, who are now seven games out in third place."

279 For Glavine

Tom Glavine and the Mets completed a 2 game sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Mets won 6-0. Glavine pitched 7 scoreless innings allowing just 3 hits, 1 walk, and 10 strikeouts. This is the second time this season Glav has pitched double digit strikeout games. This is Glavine's 279 career victory. Carlos Delgado had the day off, as did Kaz Matsui. Paul LoDuca went 1 of 5 with 2 runs scored and called an excellent game. Beltran went 2 for 4 with a walk. David Wright had a break through 4 hit game. Xavier Nady moved up to the five hole and had 4 RBIs. Chris Woodward, Kaz Matsui's replacement, had a two hit game, and Cliff Floyd scored a run. After Glavine, Duaner Sanchez pitched a scoreless inning allowing just a leadoff single, he struck out 1. Jorge Julio came in for the 9th and walked the lead-off batter, but not to worry he absolutely dominated the next three hitters, striking them all out to end the game. This is the second consecutive 14 strikeout game for the Mets. Once again the Pirates rookie starter Paul Maholm, like Ian Snell last night, impressed me. He handled this well stacked line-up very well and pitched great. The only disappointment this series was the fact that I did not get to see Zach Duke pitch, I was really looking forward to that, but oh well... Final Score: Mets 6, Pittsburgh 0 WP: Tommy Glavine (4-2) 1.94 ERA LP: Paul Maholm (1-4) 5.08 ERA

Delgado's Newest Entry

Mets first baseman Carlos Delgado records every AB into a composition notebook. He writes down the pitc sequence alowing with the inning, and the pitcher. Last night in the bottom of the 12th inning Carlos made a simple statement. " He threw it down and away and I went with it!!!" Carlos hit a walk-off solo shot to win the game for the Mets.

Morning News

Delgado Has the Will and Finds a Way New York Times (registration required): "Delgado's leadoff homer propelled the Mets to a 4-3 victory and improved their record to 18-9." It’s no secret, he’s gamebreaker Newsday columnist Mark Herrmann: "The point he was making, though, is one worth thinking about: Maybe Delgado is even better than people think he is." Martinez Sees Gem Go To Pot New York Post (registration required): "Not only did remain unbeaten in 2006, Pedro Martinez got his first non-win of the season last night." Pedro-Mania always reigns at Shea New York Daily News columnist Lisa Olson: "When Martinez takes the mound in Queens, the game becomes so much more. It's an event, a happening, a spiritual revival that entwines the cult of celebrity with old-fashioned love of sport." Billy Blows Another New York Post columnist Kevin Kernan (registration required): "Maybe it's a bit premature to start calling him Braden Wagner, but it is time to be concerned about Billy Wagner." Matsui's second coming New York Daily News: "Matsui lasted until last night before committing his first error of the season in the Mets' 4-3, 12-inning win over Pittsburgh, flubbing a grounder to his left in the 10th." Pirates Meet The Endy New York Post (registration required): "You might have never guessed it, but Endy Chavez boasts a pretty sizable fan club - charter members include Pedro Martinez, Willie Randolph, Omar Minaya ... even Steve Phillips."

Farm Report

AA Binghamton Mets: The Binghamton Mets lost to the Akron Aeros 5-3. The Aeros had top pitching prospect Adam Miller going up against Evan MacLane. Miller came out on top giving up one earned run in five innings. Evan MacLane dropped to 3-1 as he gave up five earned runs on seven hits while striking out six. Carlos Gomez went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts, Andy Wilson went 2 for 4 with a run scored and a walk, Michel Abreu went 2 for 5, Bobby Malek went 1 for 5 with a run scored and an RBI, and Jay Caligiuri went 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI. Mike Pelfrey should be on the hill for the B-Mets in their game against Akron today. Low-A Hagerstown Suns: In the only other Met affiliated Minor League game, the Hagerstown Suns beat the Lake County Captains 10-3 behind a strong day at the plate by Fernando Martinez and Jose Castro. Martinez went 3 for 6 with his second homerun on the year, two runs scored, and two RBIs to bring his average up to .349 and Jose Castro went 2 for 5 with a double and three RBIs. As for the rest, Hector Pellot continues to draw a lot of walks and went 1 for 4 with two runs scored, one RBI, and two walks, Jonathan Sanchez went 3 for 6 with a double and an RBI, Nick Evans went 1 for 4 with two runs scored, Leivi Ventura went 3 for 4 with a run scored and an RBI, Jonel Pacheco went 2 for 5 with a run scored and an RBI, and Drew Butera went 1 for 4 with a walk and a run scored. Jon Niese picked up the win despite having a rough outing. Niese went five innings giving up three hits, three earned runs, four walks, and struck out four. Jon is now 4-0 with a 3.42 ERA. provided by Michael Oliver of MetsGeek.com

Pedro Good, Heilman Good, Wagner Not So Good

It was a rainy night but that didn't seem to bother any of the starting pitchers at Shea tonight. Pedro pitched 6 innings allowing just 1 run in the first inning on a Freddy Sanchez HR. He struck out 9 in his short outing, but due to the rainy conditions Manager Willie Randolph optioned to try to score an extra run by pinch-hitting for Martinez. And that worked out, as the Mets were able to tack on 2 runs to take a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the 6th. Endy Chavez went 4-4 on the night, he also reached on an error and made a great diving catch. Ramon Castro walked twice and had a sac bunt. David Wright broke up his 0 for 17 streak. Delgado had a double, and a game winning HR. Matsui played well again. Aaron Heilman pitched 2 hit-less innings, and Billy Wagner came on with a 2 run lead and walked the leadoff batter, got a K, walked Jason Bay, allowed a single that scored a run, struckout another, and then gave up another single to blow the save. He finished the inning but took away Pedro's sixth win. Ian Snell pitched well and impressed me. He held the Mets to 2 hits and one run before the Mets scored 2 in the sixth. The Pirates bullpen did well holding the fort and the Pirates bullpen attacked Billy Wagner to tie the game in the 9th. But Carlos Delgado smashed an opposite field HR to win it in the bottom of the 12th. Final: Mets 4 - Pirates 3 in the bottom of the 12th inning WP: Chad Bradford (1-1) 1.86 ERA LP: Mike Gonzalez (0-2) 2.89 ERA

Pedro Of The Caribbean VS The Pirates of Pittsburgh

After splitting a 2 game series with the Washington Nationals the Mets continue their home stand with another 2 game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Mets will send there Ace Pedro Martinez to the mound in game one against Ian Snell. Pedro is 5-0 in 5 starts this season. He looks for his 6th consecutive win against a slumping Pirates team. If Pedro can pull this one off it will be the first time since 2004 with the Bo-Sox that Pedro has won his first six starts of the season. Ian Snell is 1 and 2 and has made 5 starts this season. His first three were horrible. Just as the Pirate management was about to take him out of the rotation Snell had a good outing and followed that up with an even better outing. In his last start he held the Astros to just an unearned run over 7 innings. Snell has never faced the Mets in his career. The Mets offense is slumping right now, and this kid Snell is on a roll. But the Mets are sending their stopper to the mound in Pedro Martinez. Hopefully he can spark the Mets and go on to win his 6th in a row. The game starts at 7:10 PM EST and will be broadcasted on SNY and WFAN. Tune in for all the action. Good Luck Pedro and LETS GO METS!!!

Morning Papers

Nats devour Maine course May 3 New York Daily News: "Maine, making his Mets debut as a fill-in for Brian Bannister while the rookie's strained right hamstring mends, allowed five of six leadoff batters to reach base. He allowed four runs in 5-1/3 innings as the Nationals beat the Mets, 6-2, last night at Shea to split a two-game series." Mets' lumber slumbers May 3 Newark Star-Ledger (registration required): "The Mets, riding high all season, couldn't solve the mystery that was Washington Nationals rookie Michael O'Connor in a 6-2 loss at a chilly Shea Stadium last night." Ump muzzles hot Randolph May 3 Newark Star-Ledger (registration required): "Willie Randolph insisted he wasn't trying to send any messages or fire up his team by getting ejected for only the second time in his managerial career in last night's 6-2 loss to the Washington Nationals." Mets' starters pose much tougher test May 3 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: "The Mets are scheduled to start Pedro Martinez tonight and Tom Glavine tomorrow night. Seems like a daunting task for the Pirates."

Farm Report

Norfolk Tides Triple-A International League Josh Rabe's run-scoring single off Heath Bell in the ninth inning lifted Rochester past Norfolk Tuesday, 2-1. Starting pitcher Boof Bonser went seven innings, holding the Tides to just Lastings Milledge's RBI double in the third inning. Garrett Jones homered off Norfolk starter Tim Lavigne in the fourth. Notes: Norfolk committed three errors in the contest and had just three hits. … William Vazquez gave the Tides 2-1/3 innings of scoreless relief around four hits, and Anderson Garcia fired 1-2/3 shutout innings. … The earned run was just the second allowed in 12 innings this season by Bell (1-2), who has a 1.50 ERA and five saves. Binghamton Mets Double-A Eastern League Miguel Pinango allowed five runs (four earned) and eight hits in 4-2/3 innings as Binghamton fell at Akron Tuesday, 5-2. Pinango allowed run-scoring hits to Pat Osborn and Nathan Panter in a two-run second inning, and Panter added a sacrifice fly in the fourth. Shaun Larkin singled to center in the fifth, plating two runs and chasing Pinango. Notes: Corey Ragsdale homered in the third inning for Binghamton, his second. … Jonathan Slack had a run-scoring single in the seventh inning. ... The Mets announced Tuesday that right-hander Alay Soler has been promoted to Binghamton and will start Saturday at NYSEG Stadium against New Hampshire. St. Lucie Mets Single-A Florida State League Josh Petersen's run-scoring double in the ninth inning proved to be the margin of victory as St. Lucie held off a late Palm Beach rally Tuesday, escaping with a 4-3 victory. The Cardinals put up two runs in the bottom of the ninth against Carlos Muniz on Ryan Barthelemy's third home run, but Muniz settled in and recorded the final three outs for his seventh save. That preserved the first Florida State League win for Michael Devaney (1-2), who allowed one run and four hits over eight innings, striking out eight. Notes: Petersen, St. Lucie's designated hitter, doubled twice in three at-bats and scored a run. He is hitting .338. … Ambiorix Concepcion drove in three runs for St. Lucie and has 10 for the season. Hagerstown Suns Single-A South Atlantic League Hagerstown had Tuesday off. The Suns open a six-game road trip on Wednesday at Lake County. The Suns go into action Wednesday with a 10-13 record, four games behind in the South Atlantic League's Northern division.

The Maine Event Was Mike O'Connor

The Mets got absolutely dominated by the young lefty Mike O'Connor. O'Connor pitched 7 innings allowing 2 hits and 1 run. That lone run came off the bat of Paul LoDuca in the first. After that O'Connor did not allow a hit until LoDuca's third AB. The Mets tacked on a 9th HR off the bat of Carlos Beltran but at that point the game was far out of reach as the final score was 6-2. John Maine pitched an okay 5.1 innings. He allowed 4 run on 6 hits while striking out 6 and walking two. In 4 of Maine’s five innings he allowed the leadoff runner to get on base. In my opinion he threw the ball well, but was a bit nervous. If he could settle down I think he can be a nice addition to this team in the near future. WP: Mike O'Connor (1-1) 0.75 ERA LP: John Maine (0-1) 6.75 ERA

Maine Event

Tonight the Mets will send 6’ 4”, 205-pound right-hander John Maine to the mound. Maine was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 6th round of the 2002 amateur draft. Now just in case you don’t know Maine was part of the trade that sent Chris Benson to Baltimore and brought himself and Jorge Julio to the Mets. According to a scouting report done by Michael Oliver of MetsGeek.com Maine has 4 pitches all of which he can throw for strikes. He repertoire includes a low 90’s fastball with movement, a nice curve, a change piece and a slider. In his minor league career Maine was a blue-chip prospect, he excelled at single A and double A. He was known to be a control pitcher. In 2004 when he made it to AAA he struggled a bit. In 2005 the Baltimore Orioles brought Maine up to the big leagues and he was deficient to say the least. In 10 games (8 starts) he posted a 2-1 win-loss record with a 6.30 ERA. He also made 1 start in 04’ and that too was horrible, he went 3.2 innings allowing 4 runs on 7 hits. Tonight Maine makes his return to the majors. He will face off against Mike O’Connor or the Washington Nationals. Maine and the Mets look for the sweep catch all the action on SNY or WFAN. The game starts at 7:56 PM EST. Good Luck John and LETS GO METS!!!

Farm Report

Norfolk Tides Triple-A International League Making his Triple-A debut, Miguel Perez allowed six runs (five earned) in 2-2/3 innings as Rochester defeated Norfolk Monday, 8-1. Perez made the start in place of John Maine, who was put in line to start against the Washington Nationals Tuesday at Shea Stadium. Todd Self drove in Norfolk's only run with a single off Pete Munro in the second inning. Notes: Juan Perez and Bartolome Fortunato combined in relief after Perez's brief start. Perez allowed a run in 3-1/3 innings and Fortunato gave up one run in three innings. … Lastings Milledge went 1-for-5 and is batting .348. Binghamton Mets Double-A Eastern League Bobby Malek and Andy Wilson homered, but that was all the offense the Binghamton Mets could muster in an 8-2 loss at Akron Monday. Wilson and Malek slugged solo shots in the first and second innings, respectively, off Akron starter Nick Pesco. But B-Mets starter Orlando Roman was touched for five runs in two innings, putting Binghamton in a deficit they couldn't escape. Notes: Michel Abreu had two hits for Binghamton, the second game in a row he's done that. Since being promoted from Class-A St. Lucie to fill in for the injured Brett Harper, Abreu is batting .455. … The home runs were Wilson's second and Malek's third. Wilson has homered in two straight games. … Binghamton has lost nine of 12. St. Lucie Mets Single-A Florida State League Alay Soler allowed just one hit over seven shutout innings, walking none and striking out seven, as the St. Lucie Mets edged Brevard County Monday, 1-0. Mike Carp's first-inning RBI single held up as the margin of victory as Soler continued his dominance of Florida State League hitters. In 28.0 innings pitched, Soler has allowed 12 hits and two earned runs, striking out 32 and posting an 0.64 ERA. Notes: Edgar Alfonzo recorded five outs after Soler for his second hold, and Carlos Muniz got the final out to record his sixth save. … Carp has 13 RBI. Hagerstown Suns Single-A South Atlantic League Delmarva's Ryan Finan lifted a sacrifice fly off Brandon Nall to plate the eventual winning run in the seventh inning Monday as Hagerstown fell at home, 3-2. Eric Brown started for Hagerstown and allowed a run on four hits over five innings. Jose Castro drove in a run with a single in the third inning and Matt Anderson knocked home Nick Evans with a single in the sixth, advancing to second base on a throwing error. Notes: Anderson had two hits and a run scored for Hagerstown. He is batting .257. … Josh Appell gave the Suns 1-2/3 innings of shutout relief and Marcelo Perez pitched the ninth inning, striking out two.

Morning Papers

Struggling Zambrano Joins in Mets' Success May 2 New York Times (registration required): "Víctor Zambrano had his best start of the season, and Pedro Feliciano, Duaner Sánchez and Billy Wagner each pitched a scoreless inning as the Mets beat the Nationals, 2-1, at Shea Stadium." Maine Event On Shea Hill May 2 New York Post (registration required): "With rookie Brian Bannister on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right hamstring, the first pitcher to try to fill that hole in the Met rotation will be John Maine - tonight at Shea against the Nationals." Bannister delivers May 2 New York Daily News columnist Bob Raissman: "When Brian Bannister looks back at 2006, he will remember it as his rookie season with the Mets - and in broadcasting, too."

Shea Winds Help Zambrano In Nats Loss

Tonight Victor Zambrano and Ramon Ortiz made me bite my tongue as they both pitched excellent. The winds at Shea were blowing in directly from center field. Between the 2 teams over 20 balls were hit in the outfield. These severe winds helped to hold both teams at bay in an excellent match up. Zambrano pitched 6 innings allowing 5 hits with 2 walks while striking out 4. The only run came in the 4th inning deriving from a single off the bat of Brian Schneider to score Nick Johnson. Two spacticular plays by Jose Reyes and one by “The Great Kazuo”, Kaz Matsui, also helped out Vic. Pedro Feliciano, Duaner Sanchez and Billy Wagner combined to pitch 3 scoreless, no hit innings. The Met offense combined for 8 hits and 2 runs. The first run came in the sixth inning off the bat of Carlos Delgado as he hit his 10th homer of the year. The second and final run came in the 9th inning with 1 out and runners on first and second. Paul LoDuca hit a hard grounder to the pitcher (Gary Majewski), and the pitcher picked it up and threw an errant throw to second. Chavez cam home to score and the Mets win. WP- Billy Wagner (2-0) 0.69 ERA LP- Gary Majewski (1-2) 4.76ERA for a complete box score check click --->Mets.com

Check out this convo between Pat Andriola of Shea Faithful and Jason Gordon, broadcaster for the Hagerstown Suns...It covers Met super-prospect Fernando Martinez among many other things.

Nats Come To Shea With High Hopes

The Washington Nationals come to Shea tonight. There hopes are high due to the fact that they will be facing the simply awful Victor Zambrano. However the Mets are coming off a good road trip and look to take advantage of Nationals starter Ramon Ortiz as they have the last two times they faced him. The game starts at 7:05 PM EST. Catch all the action, as there is expected to be much action on SNY and WFAN. Check back in after the game for a complete recap.

The Great Kazuo

Since his return for the disabled list Kazuo Matsui has played like the 20 million dollar player he was supposed to be. He has played excellent defense and his hit the ball very well. The Mets signed Kazuo on December 8th 2003. In the 2004 season he hit the ball well. He played 114 games. He batted .272 with a .331 OBP while recording 125 hits, 65 runs, 32 doubles (team high), 2 triples and 7 homeruns in 460 Abs. However his defense ate shortstop was sub par. First off his arrival moved fan favorite Jose Reyes to second base. Second off he committed 23 errors in 520 chances, which is good enough for .956 fielding percentage. This was not bad for a second baseman however it was not at all what the Mets expected they would get for a 7 time all star in Japan. In his second season with the Mets Matsui was moved to second base and Jose Reyes was moved back to shortstop. Kaz was placed on the DL more than once in this season. He played a total of 87 games. He batted .255 with a .300 OBP while recording 68 hits, 31 runs, 9 doubles, 4 triples and 3 homeruns in 267 Abs. His hitting dropped off so much that Matsui was booed all the time. He was booed for getting out, for taking a strike, for not hitting in key situations, but after a while it got ridiculous. Fans booed Matsui before he even saw a pitch and even when he got a hit. The booing eventually got in Matsui’s head and in turn Matsui began to fail not only at the plate but in the field as well. Now Matsui was already a bad fielder who was trying to make a defensive position change, so one can only imagine how horrible he played. In 303 total chances Kazuo made 9 errors, which is good for a .970 fielding percentage. Now that may not seem like a bad number, and its not. However Kaz had horrible range at second base and thus many balls got by him that should not have. He also was given the benefit of the doubt on many plays that he should have made. There was even a point in the season when Kaz lost the job of starting second baseman to Miguel Cairo. Once again it was a disappointing season for Matsui. During the off-season there was much speculation that Kaz would be trade. But try as they might, the Mets could not trade Kaz. His contract was too large, and he was not a very good player. Going into the spring Kaz was defending his job against rookies Anderson Hernandez and Jeff Keppenger. It was expected that Kaz would keep his job but over time Andy would step up and take it from him. By the end of Spring Training Kaz had once again injured himself. He was placed on the DL to start the season and Anderson Hernandez got the job. Hernandez played excellent defense but looked overmatched at the plate. Hernandez even made a play that will be nominated for play of the year. During a game Hernandez injured his back. He was placed on the DL and coincidently Kaz was coming off at the same time. Kaz was brought in and has been playing ever since. Kaz played his first game in San Diego and in his first AB for the third straight year Kaz hit a HR but this year he had to work for it as it was an inside the park HR. From that point on it was off to the races for Kazuo. He has played in 9 games and is batting .297 with a .316 OBP recording 11 hits, 3 runs, 1 double, and 1 HR in 37 ABs. Thus far Kazuo is off to a great start. He was on a 8 game hitting streak and should be on a 9 game hitting streak however a great grab by Adam LaRoche in yesterdays game. Perhaps Matsui’s great start could be luck, or maybe starting on the road is what he needed to do or maybe, just maybe his true talent is starting to break through. I think it may be the third one, but that’s just me. I know it is a super small sample size but if given a chance both by the Mets and the Met fans I believe Kazuo can be a great player.