No No-No For Pedro

The losses mount like corpses on the road behind an invading army. Two of three in San Diego, two of three in LA, and all with their own painful stories behind them from the head crash of two Met centerfielders converging at once at the same place to the near-miss of Pedro's no-hitter which dissolved eventually into another loss like a love gone suddenly rotten.

And what else would we expect on such a tour but losses mounting?

These weren't your average losses. They were all devastating in their own distinctive flavours, one hammering blow after another rained down upon the collective skull of optimism. How much more can these Mets take of the late inning disappointments birthed out of a staggered bullpen?

It only took two pitches for Pedro to undo the optimistic thread he had woven for seven and a third no-hit innings, gasping hope knowing that a no hitter was the tonic the team needed, that extra burst of excitement, the precise tonic the team needed to rise above the disappointments.

But like all else this season, disappointment was king.

Five outs away from the dream of history, the dream of placing a giant footprint on this season in emphatic fashion and yet, two batters later, poof. Gone.

In four pitches, a triple by Antonio Perez followed by a homerun from Jason Werth, the exclamation was placed behind the sentence of this season and the knowledge that the Mets are going nowhere further is underscored, highlighted, written in bold lettering across the sky.

As if the loss of the no hitter and the lead weren't enough, the Mets gathered themselves for one final gasp in the 9th when Marlon Anderson doubled with one out and then stole third. He dashed home on Victor Diaz's slow bouncer to a drawn-in infield but, perhaps predictably these days, was thrown out at home by a perfect throw from Antonio Perez. Poof. Gone. Pinch hitting Kaz Matsui struck out and that was it. Song over. Kill the applause.

Once again the Mets were left to watch their opponents celebrating on the field after the game. Once again the thoughts of what could have been but most decidedly is not, haunts them.

*****

For yea optimists still standing, not yet punch drunk, not yet allowing the embalming fluid of the season fill you gratefully, it might be worthwhile to point out that despite all this the Mets remain just four games back from the wildcard.

Is it possible for a team that has swallowed so many disappointments in such a short period of time, two wins out of six games on the West Coast again, to turn it around once back home?

The Mets open a three game series on Tuesday against the Pirates with Kris Benson pitching the opener against his former teammates. Mark Redman, who has allowed five or more runs in his last six starts will face him.

Stay tuned. The season isn't dead just yet.