Samuel Beckett Special

While I am immersed in Theatrics of another kind, these games are pretty much a rumor to me; I'm relegated to some SportsCenter clips late at night, and MLB GameCast for a few moments at a time. Last night, I checked the score and saw it 5-0 Twins in the 3rd. My reaction: "This game is toast." Last night's game can only be chalked up as one of those Waiting For Godot games. "Nothing to be done." Facing the consensus Best Pitcher in Baseball, the Mets barely made a peep as Johan Santana shut them down and shut them out on 4 hits.

I don't think a game like this can erase the good feelings that Monday Night's game perpetuated, simply because you knew that Santana was at worst going to be very tough. It's usually around this time of the year that he begins to really kick it into high gear. Never a big first-half pitcher, never started an All-Star game, but by season's end, he somehow has managed to win 15 in a row, and his ERA is hovering around 2.50. He's one of the toughest customers in the game, and even if the Mets were hitting, Santana likely would have had his way with them.

On the other side, it's a little disturbing to see Sosa really struggle for the second time in a row. You have to wonder if whether or not the word is getting around about him, or whether or not his strong performance in May and early June was simply flukish. Next up for him will be the Cardinals, a team that hasn't hit much, so that should be a true litmus test. If he's good, then he just had some bad outings against a couple of hot teams. If not...Oy veh.

The true test, however, of whether or not the team as a whole is on the rebound from the miserable stretch of the past 3 weeks will be tonight, with Oliver Perez on the mound, off his brilliant start against the Yankees, against future Journeyman Scott Baker. If the Mets show up and pound out some hits and runs, then we know that the corner may have been turned, and last night was just too much Santana.