Sweeping Out The Bad News

A sweep.

Snap your fingers and just like that the angst, the sturm und drang is rapidly fading to be replaced by the auld, bold sense of entitlement the Mets and their fans have felt since their opening series sweep of the World Champions two months ago.

After a white-knuckled, tight-fisted affair on Saturday the Mets, perhaps having reasserted themselves and deflated the A's simultaneously, made things as easy and as pleasing to the viewers' eyes as they had on Friday, this time coasting to a 10-2, sweep-inducing victory.

All the good ingredients were at the ready.

Is we happy or is we ent?

Firstly, Carlos Delgado had a deserved seat on the bench. Considering his .139 career average against Kennedy, the A's lefty starter, it was a good idea. Even Carlos thought so allegedly: "If you're thinking about giving me a day off, this would be a good time." - jeez Carlos and miss the entertainment of watching you flail both at the plate and at with a glove of stone at first base? Even Mike Piazza was having a larf at Delgado's fielding antics on Saturday.


Well, maybe not so funny after all...how many years can you expect standing Os?

Secondly, a third straight solid performance from the starters (John Maine, 7 innings, 5 hits, two runs) and a third straight relief performance worthy of relieving albeit in a situation with such a lead they'd have been hard pressed to blow it - just imagine, the two biggest bullpen slobs this month, Guillermo Mota and Scott Schoeneweis combining for two hitless innings of relief - and you'll see just how 360 the Mets have suddenly turned this around.

And lastly, 14 hits and 10 runs from the plate will do it for you. With Delgado out of the lineup, every single non-pitching starter had at least one hit, with Jose Valentin, Carlos Gomez (.364 over his last 10 games and not wanting to see a ticket to New Orleans) and Jose Reyes all getting on base three times.

Now they remember they can win. Now they remember there can be alot of laughs in a season and perhaps, whew, a wiped brow, having survived a sort of seasonal assassination attempt and lived to talk about it later.

And look at those Braves, 4 1/2 games back and stumbling. True, the Phillies, now pretending to be dangerous and having swept us at home not so long ago, are only 3 games back but frankly, the Mets would probably welcome the opportunity right now to see those Phillies again and settle the score.

For now they'll have to settle for the defending World Champion Cardinals who last sullied Shea with their ridiculous Game 7 victory on the way to the World Series.