More Good News! Zambrano and Braves Go Down!

Oh, this is getting good. Now it's four of the last five taken from the Braves and Victor Zambrano is headed for a lengthy DL visit.


Are we really very sorry for Zambrano's elbow?

Zambrano was thought to be seriously injured when, after striking out Andruw Jones for the first out in the second innings, he ran from the mound to the dugout and toward the runway that leads to the clubhouse.

"He was crying when he came in," coach Sandy Alomar said. "The pain had to be extensive."

It was further reported that others saw Zambrano holding his right arm straight down and rigid. "Like something was broken," an anonymous teammate remarked.

Something has always been broken about Zambrano. If this facilitates him finding his misery elsewhere, all the better. Yes, it comes at a time when both Brian Bannister and John Maine are on the DL but let's face it, watching Jorge Lima perform his strange little acts are going to be far more interesting albeit not much more effective, than a Zambranocoaster start.

Lima is 2-3 with a 5.10 ERA in six starts for the Tides. In 30 innings, the veteran has allowed 29 hits and 17 earned runs, striking out 28 and walking just three. If even HE beats the Braves, well, it won't start making up for the last 14 years but it will tell you it's time to stick a fork in them.

At this point in the season, and these words might come back to haunt one day, but it would appear at this point in the season, the Mets can afford to be generous to their opponents with an ineffctual starter. After all, the Braves are so far behind the Mets following this most recent 6-5 loss they might get lapped. Granted, one bad season after 14 winning ones is hardly something to cry over but if Braves supporters couldn't fill their miserable stadium for playoff games, how many are going to go see them languishing in third place in the NL East?

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Oh yeah, the game...

You could take it either as a good or bad omen that Zambrano ran off the mound and into the dugout after less than 30 pitches last night. On the one hand, the bullpen, having been worked out at length in Friday's 14 inning victory, would be forced again into early action. On the other hand, well, not having Zambrano on the mound is almost always a plus, even if he did strike out three of the first four Braves he faced.


Not indicating his IQ but the number of saves on the season, Jorge Julio does the business, sort of...

But listen to this roster of bullpen staff that combined to help beat the Braves: Darren Oliver, first man in after Zambrano ran away and allowed two runs in four innings. Bartolomé Fortunato, just recalled from Norfolk yesterday and who earned the victory. Chad Bradford, Pedro Feliciano and Jorge Julio, also pitched. And let's hear it for Julio's first save of the season.

I guess when your million dollar closer keeps blowing it, giving away runs as if he were going out of business, what's the harm in having your worst reliever have a go at your mortal enemies with the game on the line? This is one of the many indications, a 9 game deficit being another one, that this isn't the Braves' season. I mean come on, Mets win in the 14th inning one day and then win with their AAA bullpen the next. The Braves can't sink much lower and we can all be the happier for it.

Jose Reyes did the job again, getting three more hits to make it 8 in two games against the Braves.


Who is this strange, new Kaz Man, meting out clutch hits, making plays in the field...

And the Kaz Man joined Reyes with run-scoring hits in the seventh when the Mets wiped out a four run Braves lead.

Carlos Beltran had another homer, his second in two games against the Braves.

Smart money says it's time to start thinking about the Phillies. Looks like this Braves team, who can't hold a lead, are for this season anyway, out of answers.

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The Mets might have to look further than Jose Lima for answers to the fifth starter question and Alay Soler might be just the man for the job. You can almost seeing him coming up with a few clutch victories in September like another Cuban defector, El Duque. Soler made his sixth start in the United States, struck out nine, walked none and scattered seven hits. He threw six scoreless innings before allowing one run in the seventh. He left the game in the seventh to a standing ovation.