Another Late Inning Lull Leads Marlins to 4-1 Victory

Although oft rumoured, it was probably never a deal that was going to materialise before this trade deadline, the one wherein the Mets would get one of the brightest young pitchers in baseball to complete their raid of the Marlins' former blockbuster roster.



Pedro even went as far as admitting he'd wished it had come true, that the D Train would be part of the Mets starting rotation by now. "I would've liked to have him doing that job for us," The Pedro admitted. "That'd be a dream come true."

Oh, tell us about it, Pedrito. It's moments like this that the we realise the players are usually more rabid in their hopes amongst the rumours than the fans. I'll bet every one of the Mets, save perhaps Milledge, Heilman and Pelfrey would have said the same.

In any event, Pedro's lustful thoughts may or may not have been taken with him to the mound last night as he faced the D Train in a showdown that, were a double digit margin not separating the two teams, might have had some late season drama.

Instead this was a chance for Pedro to prove he's officially back from a month's summer dodgy hip and dodgy chicken enteritis holiday and ready to perform miracles in the post season.

He looked sharp, giving up four hits, an earned run (off of former Met Mike Jacobs' 6th inning, two out homer,) walking none, striking out nine and throwing 100 pitches.

But The D Train perhaps not looking quite as sharp, got the victory after throwing eight innings, giving up 7 hits but no earned runs, 3 walks and 5 strikeouts and raising his record against the Mets to 10-2. Not to mention the trillion times you were sitting there thinking, goddamn, Dontrelle would look good in a Mets uniform, joining Pedro and Glavine in the postseason rotation.

The difference between victory and loss, it would appear, was the Heilman, appearing for the third consecutive night as the set-up man to Wagner in lieu of Roberto Hernandez, whom the Mets braintrust alleged they gave up Xavier Nady for, to perform that very role, melted down faster than a scoop of ice cream on a hot summer's day, surrendering, when the dust had finally settled, three runs, two walks and two hits in a mere inning of "work".

The hightlight of that meltdown, coming with two outs and with the bases loaded after two walks, was Miguel Cabrera's bases-clearing double to the left field corner. But hey, if Wagner is allowed to blow one once in awhile, Heilman should be allowed the same space. Just not in the same bloody series, that's all.

And in what is likely to be this kind of rollercoaster merry-go-round debate between Heilman and Hernandez, the auld man pitched a perfect 7th inning - will it be like this for the rest of the season, Willie guessing wrong on who should pitch the 7th and who should pitch the 8th? The odds lean on the side of no.

"I guess God made life simple and easy for us, and we complicate it ourselves by making mistakes," Pedro, doing his St Augustine impression following the loss, philosophised "I felt pretty good. I'm just trying to get back on track and give myself some stamina."

The Mets most hopeful moment probably came in the eighth when Carlos Beltran opened with a walk before Dontrelle struck out Carlos Delgado. David Wright, 2 for 13 for the series then hit a grounder up the middle that deflected off Willis' glove right to shortstop Hanley Ramirez, who stepped on second and then threw to first to end the threat.

Baddabing, baddabang.

*****

Curios

Wright was 4-for-23 on their trip before he singled in successive at-bats.

Nice statistical comparison between Beltran, Reyes and Wright as potential MVPs forthe Mets. At this point it looks like Beltran, but there's still enough leg left in the season for that to change.

In a rare display, Dontrelle lost his cool and had to be restrained during a brief shouting match with plate umpire Mike Reilly over close calls that helped the Mets tie the game. Reilly apparently told Willis to be quiet.

"I said, 'I'm not loud-talking you. I'm just telling you.' I wasn't verbally abusing him. He just didn't want me to show him up," Willis said.

But Reilly said something to Willis that prompted the pitcher to charge at him momentarily. Before Willis knew it, catcher Miguel Olivo and pitching coach Rick Kranitz pulled him off the field.

Lo Duca (0-for-4) had his 11-game hitting streak snapped.

*****

Next up: the miserable Phillies and a chance to snap Chase Utley's hitting streak. Oh sweet revenge looming.