Mets Take Series Over NL's "Best"

Ok, maybe nobody really believed the Brewers were the best in the National League, despite their record. After all, they're such disbelievers in Milwaukee they've set up a Pee Your Pants for the Brewers website inclusive a list of people ready to do just that if the Brewers make the playoffs.

Well on Mother's Day, another absurdist's day of Pink Bats, they did not look like the NL's best or even playoff contenders. Sure they had a moment of grand delusion on Saturday afternoon but Sunday they came crashing back down to reality. Not even their undefeated starting pitcher Chris Capuano could save them as the Mets won convincingly, 9-1.

But rather than spend an entire column bashing the Brewers, (that they did not submit weakly to a sweep is to their credit,) we can allow Billy Wags to do it for us:

"Did you see us? Did you see all the talent we had on the field at one time?" Billy Wagner asked with his hillbilly twang. "I mean we kicked their butts with straight talent -- Ollie, the kid in right field, Reyes. Straight talent. That's how you say it: We out-talented them."

Indeed, on the heels of a minor meltdown due to defensive self-destruction behind him in San Francisco, Oliver Perez pitched brilliantly against a Brewer batting order that had shocked and awed the Mets' bullpen only the day before. The only hits Perez allowed in his 8 1/3 innings a bloop single Capuano in the third and Bill Hall's second Mother's Day home run in two years, a solo shot in the ninth. Sadly, because of that homer or because he already had thrown 109 pitches, he didn't finish the game. Aaron Heilman managed to do that without throwing any gopher balls.


See what a little defence behind him can do?

For one, the Mets played three centerfielders in the outfield to give speed and agility heretofore unknown with the likes of Shawn Green patrolling the turf.

There was Beltran of course, (who hit a two-run homer) then the ever-brilliant Endy Chavez filling in indefinately for the brittle and breaking down Moises Alou and then some kid just brought up on Saturday night to fill in for Green. Carlos Gomez.

Apparently the virtually unknown 21 year old made it up only because Lastings Milledge is on the disabled list. Gomez only hit .222 (in 10 spring training games for the Mets and was hitting .286 with the Zephyrs, so don't expect much save for speed as he leads his league in stolen bases this season. But for a stop-gap measure, his two hits and flawless fielding weren't bad.

And perhaps the management was just too excited about sending Mike Pelfrey down they didn't really care who they brought up.

In any event, Damion Easley continues to atone for last week's error in San Francisco which he has by all means already atoned for but hey, let's not tell him that since he's on a little tear of guilt; three hits and four RBIs including a two-run homer in the 3-run bottom of the first inning. Then again, he was hitting in the second slot in the order which seems to be the magical spot, sandwiched there between Jose Reyes and Beltran where, it seems, even the likes of Anderson Hernandez might be able to pull out a hit on occasion...

Yes, as though the Mets wanted to make up straight away for Saturday's embarassment they went to work on the Brewers by scoring 4 in the first two innings, 9 for the game and collecting 14 hits along the way. In fact every starting Met, save for Julio Franco, filling in for the often hitless Carlos Delgado, had a hit yesterday, including Oliver Perez.


The tail-end of another Reyes' signature triple

David Wright had two hits and a career-high three stolen bases, perhaps running faster now that his head has been shaven like swimmer's who shave off body hair to trim their event times. It hasn't helped his fielding at all however as Sunday bore witness to his 6th error of the season but hey, he was probably knackered from doing all that running.

*****



Shea is not so unfriendly any more for Carlos Beltran who appears to have finally eased into hitting there. Currently he's hitting .338 at Shea which is better than he's hitting on the road. Only Endy Chavez, (smacking a mind-boggling .435) and Damon Easley (hitting .375) have out-hit Beltran at Shea.

Next up: Looooooou and the Chicago Cubs who avoided a sweep at the hands of the lowly Phillies this weekend. Keep an eye out on the Cubbies bullpen which blew four of their last five losses. Monday's starter Jason Marquis has a long history against the Mets. He has a 5-4 career mark against them, with a 3.96 ERA in 18 games and 11 starts. Both Alfonso Soriano and Derek Lee, if playing, will be playing banged up against the Mets.

The Mets inched back to a half-game behind the Braves following Pittsburgh's surprising 13-2 victory to avoid a sweep at home.