Maine Objective: D Train Derailment

Who do you think was more shocked by last night's 9-2 battery of the Florida Marlins, John Maine, the almost throw-away afterthought in the Kris Benson-Jorge Julio trade or Dontrelle Willis, who was probably just a wee bit distracted by his wife's imminent child birth.

"She said, `This baby is kicking my butt,'" D-Train said of his conversation with his pregnant wife prior to last night's game. "You will have a lot more starts that I can see. She is a tough lady. She understands. She told me to just go have fun."



Fun as in what? Giving up four runs before you even retire a batter?

As in losing your first game of the year and watching your ERA shoot up to Charlie Manuel blood-pressure levels; seven earned runs and 10 hits in 5 meagre innings?

As in your 11-3 career record and 2.20 ERA in 17 starts against the Mets taking a bruising?

As in watching the pitcher facing you no-hit your teammates for six innings?

That's right - John Maine, poster boy for the near no-no having already
no-hit the World Chump Cardinals in his first start of the season through the first five innings before it too was broken up.



Of course, Jorge Julio has since been happily jettisoned by the Mets and although a Marlin who might have faced his former teammates last night, is currently vacationing on the DL.

Come to think of it, the other main event in that trade, Kris Benson, underwent surgery to repair a partially torn right rotator cuff and likely will miss the entire 2007 season.

Turns out Maine is the only live arm in the bunch.

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And again, the bullpen picked up where the starting pitching left off. Aaron Sele and Aaron Heilman completed a three-hitter.

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It's taken him two years but congrats are in order for David Wright who has hit in 13 straight games this season and 12 straight from last season. That's 25 for you Phillies Phans and out there. 25 games in a row with a hit. 13 without a homer.

Wright set the Mets' hitting streak record with a soft single to left-center.

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The Mets have turned a Major League-high 21 double plays through 12 games, five ahead of the closest team, the Phillies. Either that's an utterly meaningless stat considering the Phillies' record or it means the Phillies would have lost EVERY game they've played this season were it not for the double play balls.

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And yes, the Team To Beat did indeed get beaten by the Nats last night and have in fact moved deeper still into the bowels of the NL East basement