Hudson Makes Short Work of Mets, 3-0

Hey, whaddaya know, Tim Hudson took the mound for the first time in a month, Tim Hudson started directly off the disabled list without even a rehab start, and Tim Hudson completely shut out the Mets for six straight innings over 62 pitches, five meaningless hits, leaving his commrades from the bullpen to pick at the remainder of the Mets batting carcass for a 3-0 win last night.

Hey whaddaya know, another game against the Braves, another loss for the Mets.

And once again, it will all come down on Sunday, to Pedro.

The Mets were shut out for the 8th time this season, a familiar refrain, 16 straight innings and counting of runless baseball for the somnambulistic batting order which could not even find inspiration in the return of Doug Mientkiewicz's two hits which raised his batting average to .224, probably because after each hit, Ramon Castro promptly ground into double plays.

For the second night in a row the Mets failed to knock a runner in scoring position home which means they have now left 7 RISP in two games - if the philosophy is to rely upon bases-empty homers from David Wright for the rest of the season, prepare for the worst.

"When you don't score runs," David Wright speculated after the game, "you don't win." Hmmm. He might be on to something there.

To be fair, they have faced Smoltz and Hudson back-to-back, an intimidating prospect for any lineup, let alone the Mets lineup which limps along like a cripple without a cure, game after disappointing game. But to be even fairer, that they have allowed the Braves only five runs in two games and couldn't manage a single victory, is a bit discouraging to say the least.

And if you think that's not sad enough, think about poor Victor Zambrano for a moment. After struggling comically with the strikezone in the early part of the season he appears to have finally found himself, only to be debased for his efforts by his teammates pathetic lack of runs in support.

The man once mocked for the Scott Kazmir trade, ridiculed for his wildness and lambasted for being a weak link in the Mets starting rotation, suddenly has a 2.34 ERA in his last nine starts and little to show for it save for a 2-4 record and just 22 runs from his teammates.

Last night was no different. Zambrano, although he paled in comparison to Hudson's domination, he allowed only two runs over seven innings, and kept the Mets in the game even though their hitters didn't appear very enthused about doing anything about it.

So, after opening the series with an exciting 6-3 win, the Mets have now lost two in a row to the Braves and can only hope that Mike Hampton doesn't mirror his pitching mates' performances. They can only hope that Carlos Beltran hits a bunch of homers for Pedro tomorrow, that the rest of the Mets bats wake up and that at best, they can split the series without the further humiliation of having their noses rubbed in their inability to beat their biggest rivals, not even at home.