One Start Down, The Rest of the Season To Go, Fingers-Crossed.

It wasn't a thing of beauty but Pedro Martinez, coming on the heels of the slapstick start by Oliver Perez was sufficiently effective for an auld man coming back from a two month lay-off and the Mets won their 6th in the last 8 games. It doesn't amount to a season-changing charge, especially considering the Phillies and Braves are matching them win for win but let's face it, this certainly beats festering like open sores with every discouraging Met loss trying to conjure up daring new analogies and synonyms to describe the manager's professional incompetence and beat the hate bucket with a vicious intensity.



Was Wandering Willie giving Pedro a true test by letting him throw 109 pitches in his return, was he trying to make up for the pitches not thrown in lost starts whilst on the DL? Did he realise too late that pulling Perez after less than an inning the night before was not the best way to prepare the bullpen for the return of a 36 year old man with dodgy body parts, two months on the DL, ready for the stuffing to start coming out any minute? Or was it another case of mild-mannered Willie dozing off between pitches a la Oliver Perez?

Of course the main story continues to be fragility. Not just of Pedro's return, the collective breath held waiting with every pitch for the sound of the pop of the hamstring or the crunch of the big toe or the sound of cartilege and joint grinding in the pitching shoulder. But for the entirety of the team. Alou's fragile state, like Castillo and the confidence of Pelfrey, the concentration of Perez and most of all, the fragility in the faith that the team spirit will not rise and fall in a seemingly arbitrary and whimsical fashion. Yes, it's a victory, but another rubbish spell could be just around the corner. That's what the last 8 or 9 months has taught us. Don't trust the good times and be sure to
expect the bad ones.

Still, a victory is a victory. A clear outing by Pedro after two months away is still a hopeful mark.

And, on the lighter side, the continued Fall of Barry Zero is a great source of encouragement. The man who shunned New York for a subliminal sort of team like the Giants was battered about by the Mets batting order falling to a miserable 1-9 on the season, seeing his ERA boosted to a stunning 5.87.

To put this in perspective Zito is, in essence worse than Pelfrey and Perez combined.

Scott Schoeneweiss continued his long road back to the mediocrity of last season, almost giving the shop away in the 9th before Billy Hillybilly came in to save him and the team, his 12th of the season.

And yet again, an unsung playing the lead offensive role, this time Damon Easley stomach-pumping three hits, including a bases loaded double and three RBIs off the Giants staff