Anatomy of A Mets Victory

This was pretty much how it was drawn up in the offseason planning room this season. Steve Trachsel's back holding up and pitching brilliantly, Xavier Nady for Mike Cameron and the addition of Duaner Sanchez and Billy Wagner to keep things shut tight so victory couldn't escape out the barn door and run wild into the night until it became another frustrating loss.

In the end, this game was about homers and Steve Trachsel's brutally efficient performance: six innings of three hit, one-run, low rent ball.


Trachsel shows his moves in scoliotic dance masquerading as a fielding gesture...

Homers, homers everywhere. Bonds hit one to lead off the second inning and tie the score 1-1 and pulling within four homers of Babe Ruth, who had a diet of hotdogs and beer instead of steroids for pretty much the same result.


Shouldn't Bonds' homerun trot be followed by an army of Feds with Writs and Warrants in their sweaty paws?

The rest of the game was quiet with Trachsel and Jamey Wright putting up scoreless inning after scoreless inning until the Man Who Made Omar Look Like A Genius, Xavier Nady hit a lead off homer of his own over the outstretched glove of Bonds in left and gave the Mets a 2-1 lead. Then in the 8th, Cliff Floyd, now all the way up to .200 on the season, punched a two run homer with David Wright on board to broaden the Mets lead to 4-1 and that was just how the dazzling combination of Duaner Sanchez, earning his fifth "hold" of the season and Billy Wagner his fifth save, left it. A Mets victory tightly sealed, a Braves loss to the Brewers giving the Mets a four game cushion and a road trip almost fully redeemed.

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Over six innings, Trachsel threw only 73 pitches and Wright, tiring for the Giants, had thrown 108 by the time he'd finished in the 8th. Wagner, fittingly, retired Bonds on a hopefull fly ball to the outfield to end the game.

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Meanwhile, back in Gotham City, or wherever it is the CNNSI offices are, full rumination is given to the now-not-so-preposterous notion that The Mets Can Unseat The Braves.

"The Mets seem to be doing two things really well so far: hitting and pitching. Sounds simple, but they get hits, move guys along -- sending runners to get them in scoring position -- and efficiently knock them in."

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Other highlights included the Giants running themselves out of rallies. First of all, two outfield assists by the Mets in the first two innings. Nady threw out a silly effort by Niekro to stretch a single into a double and then in the 2nd inning, Endy Chavez filling in for Carlos Beltran for the 100th game this season (or so it seems) threw out Moises Alou at third on a sweet relay from himself to Reyes to Wright.

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The Mets promoted the right-hander Mike Pelfrey, their No. 1 draft pick in 2005, to Class AA Binghamton after he went 2-1 with a 1.64 earned run average in four starts at Class A St. Lucie. Pelfrey, who struck out 26 batters and walked 2, is scheduled to ease the pain of Victor Zambrano for Scott Kazmir provided he isn't traded for Roger Pavlick or Rex Barney in the near future. (Fortunately, Pavlick and Barney have retired but you get the picture...)

Tonight, the Giants will start the right-hander Matt Morris instead of the scheduled starter, Jason Schmidt because Morris threw only eight pitches before being ejected Sunday in Colorado. The Mets will start Brian Bannister. Bannister will be trying to increase his walks per inning ratio and set a record for most bases loaded jams extracted from in the history of mankind.

And HEY KIDS! believe it or not, Kaz Matsui has hit safely in all five games he's started so far this season for the Mets!