Wow, nine straight wins. Who predicted that? Certainly not me. I've been teetering on the edge of shutting this stupid Mets blog down on numerous occasions this year due to poor play, lackadaisical attitudes, crippling injuries, and bad general management. Then, Mike Pelfrey turns into the right-handed Randy Johnson, and we're a half-game out at the break. As per the usual Mets luck, the All-Star break is timed perfectly to halt the nine-game winning streak, and all the momentum of the streak will be drained by having to watch some 10-minute schmaltzy video produced by FOX during the pre-game show. A half-hour of Jeannie Zelasko alone will make you never want to play or watch baseball again.
That being the case, what happened in the last few games? We'll do a quick recap again, because I have reverse jet lag and the home run derby is coming on.
Wednesday - The Mets clobber my Strat team pitcher Jonathan Sanchez, and Johan goes five innings until the rains come. The bullpen goes the other four after the skies clear in scoreless fashion for a 5-0 win over the Giants.
Thursday - A four-run seventh off two more guys clearly using aliases, Sergio Romo and Jack Taschner, breaks open a 3-3 tie with San Fran, and the Mets win 7-3. The bullpen doesn't even give up a hit.
Friday - The Rockies are in town, and even grab a 1-0 lead, before the Mets quickly tie it and then win it 2-1 in the bottom of the 8th. The bullpen has an epic meltdown over the previous night and gives up one hit.
Saturday - Petey starts but can only go four (yet another injury), but with this bullpen, who cares? Wait, what? Yes, the bullpen is clearly taking performance-enhancing something, and once again goes hitless. Maybe it's just the Rockies. The final is 3-0.
Sunday - Who even needs a bullpen? Mike Pelfrey is a golden god. Pelf goes eight and continues the Rockies woes as the Mets get ANOTHER shutout, 7-0. This is getting monotonous.
The Phillies have also been winning, or we would be in control of this division. They took two of three from both the Cards and D'backs after we left town. The Phils start eating their own tails in the NL East for the rest of the month. We get the Reds for four in Cincy right off the break. After Cincinnati, we play the Phillies and Cards at Shea and then at Florida and at Houston. The Phils make the full circuit: at Florida, at us, home for Atlanta, and then back on the road in Washington. After two home series with Florida and Pittsburgh, they have to make a west coast trip. I'd say slight advantage to us until after that trip, but it looks remarkably close after that, with both of us having to play the Cubs and Brewers down the stretch. It'll probably be decided by starting pitching, as it usually is. If the Phillies get one of the remaining starting pitchers available in trade, like A.J. Burnett, that might be enough. We're going to have to stand pat (because we have nothing left to trade), but at the moment, that's not looking too bad.
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