Happy Returns

Monday at Citi Field marked the 11th straight year that I was present for the Home Opener, a streak that covers every Citi Field Home Opener. The Home Opener annually has a bit of a "Baseball Woodstock" feel to it. There's a lot of fans there, and people are hanging out and tailgating in the parking lot, and the concession stands are generally understaffed and overwhelmed, and it generally feels kind of disorganized sometimes.

As is my habit, I got to Citi Field, accompanied by my other half for what would be her first Opening Day, at around 11:15 or so. The parking lot was already full, and inside the crowd was abuzz in the kind of way that hasn't really existed pretty much since the first Opening Day at Citi Field way back in 2009 when the Outfield was all black and a giant vacuum for fly balls. Now, 6 years hence, the team is different, the walls are different, the Outfield is still kind of a vacuum in the right kind of weather, but it's still Citi Field, and it's still sort of new, like most of us are still warming up to the fact that the beloved Blue Blob that was Shea Stadium isn't there anymore. We milled around somewhat and looked for new and interesting things, discovering little more than the grilled cheese stand and the bacon-on-a-stick stand, but for the most part things haven't changed that much. The line at Shake Shack is still absurdly long, and the line at Pat LaFrieda's stand could rival it. Blue Smoke, which for my money is probably better than Shake Shack, and the equally superior El Verano Taqueria have less of a line (you're welcome, Danny Meyer). The World's Fare Market didn't have anything new either, unless you consider "Mets" Cupcakes something new and exciting (although I can't determine that they're a new offering since I haven't actually been in the World's Fare Market since at least 2011). Upstairs, even less had changed, except that after a while I realized that there was no more Subway at Citi Field. This is fine, since I was never one to get Subway at a Mets game and I have, in the past, mused as to why this was ever an option in the first place. Something that I can't remember has replaced it in the Promenade level. It must not have been a very exciting option, since I can't tell you what it is. I'll try to do a better job later in the season.

One of my more vehement gripes at prior Opening Days was the lack of pocket schedules. It's been years since you could get a Mets pocket schedule on Opening Day. The Pocket Schedule is a major part of my life during baseball season. I keep one in the pocket of two different coats, usually one in my wallet, several in key locations in my apartment, and one on my desk at work. This way, I always know when there's a game. After years of no pocket schedules on Opening Day, I was delighted to find that the Fan Assistance booth on the Field Level in fact WAS LOADED WITH POCKET SCHEDULES!!! This more or less made the day right there. I made sure to grab several more than I needed, because who knows how hot a commodity these will be in the season's early going.

Oh, and then there was a Shofar Blowing with Howie Rose, and a Game, too. Howie did his usual sparkling job, replete with the typical vitriolic welcome to the visiting Phillies, and the expected wild ovations for such Mets as Matt Harvey, Lucas Duda, David Wright, Jacob deGrom and Bartolo Colon. During the game, it was deGrom who sparkled, in spite of not having his best stuff and kind of throwing too many pitches too early in the game. But he had the benefit of facing a Phillies lineup that's just putrid, which I enjoy to no end. They have some young players like this Odubel Herrera (not to be confused with Oddibe McDowell or Asdrubal Cabrera) fellow and Cody Asche, but mostly this is a roster of creaky old guys, like the Artist formerly known as Chase Utley, Perpetually injured Grady Sizemore, and the corpse of Ryan Howard. deGrom navigated his way through 6.1 innings, allowing no runs to the Phillies in spite of 7 hits and only 3 strikeouts. He was helped by a 4th inning Double Play turned by Daniel Murphy, and by his own fine defense in the 5th, cutting off a sacrifice bunt attempt by Harang and cutting down the lead runner at 3rd.

Still, the Mets needed to find their breaks against the wily Aaron Harang (who can get you on a good day) in order to plate the two runs they were able to generate. They scored in the 4th when Juan Lagares hit a liner off Harang's glove that for some reason Harang decided to look at rather than field, and by time he negotiated his situation, Lagares was safe at 1st and Murphy had scored the first run of the game. An opportunity in the 6th was squandered after Michael Cuddyer's fly ball was lost in the sun by a cowering Sizemore, resulting in a triple. But Murphy followed with a pop out and that killed the inning. It wasn't until the 8th that the Mets finally managed an insurance run, thanks to a Daniel Murphy grounder that was ticketed for DP land until Utley ole'd it and the ball went through his legs. Travis d'Arnaud followed with a Sac Fly and that was the sum total of the Mets offense.

Fortunately, it was enough on this day, as deGrom, Carlos Torres, Jerry Blevins (who had the day's best WELCOME TO NEW YORK moment, punctuating a perfect 8th inning by striking out Howard) and Jeurys Familia, who closed out his second Save opportunity in as many days, thanks primarily to Lucas Duda's slick fielding (who the hell ever thought I'd be saying something like that) as he started a key Double Play to pick up the inning's first two outs. And, thus, the Mets kicked off their Home Schedule with a nice, crisp, 2 hour, 53 minute, 2-0 victory.

Other interesting tidbits: The clock that has mysteriously appeared in the Outfield that read 2:20 prior to the game. It wasn't until I looked up in the middle of the 1st inning and saw the clock counting down that I realized it was one of the MLB-sanctioned timer clocks installed to speed up the pace of the game. I guess they can do it all they want, but they'll still have a hard time keeping the American League games under 4 hours.

It's a quick turnaround for me, as sometimes happens, I've managed to end up with tickets to the first two games on the season. So I'll be right back out at Citi Field tonight, to welcome Matt Harvey back to Citi Field. Me, and more than likely about 35,000 others. The crowd on Monday was over 43,000, a Citi Field record. I guess once the tide turns for the Mets, we can expect more of this. It's nice, but a part of me will miss going to weekday night games where there were 15,000 people in the stands and you could get food without missing an inning and a half.

There's Always A Way

I was feeling rather annoyed as the game moved into the 9th inning last night. The Mets had, for the most part, played well enough to beat the Mickey Mouse Marlins, behind a 10-strikeout performance by Zack Wheeler. The pitching, for 7 and 2/3s innings was great, and made the fact that the offense had only managed two runs stand up. But Gonzalez Germen didn't get an inning-ending 3rd strike call on Jarrod Saltalamacchia, and the ensuing pitches that followed produced a pair of solo Home Runs that now put the Mets in a position to lose, miserably, on another frigid night at Citi Field that felt about as frigid as my affections towards the Marlins.

Perhaps that was what made me more annoyed than usual about this game. That for all the talk and bluster about an improved roster and a better team and better results, they still couldn't figure out a way to beat the Goddamned Marlins. And for whatever reason, that really pissed me off. I don't think I've ever really gotten over the way the Marlins and their 4 fans treated the Mets in '07 and '08, and while none of the players that were actually on the Marlins in those years are still on the team, once you get a stink for a franchise, that stink lasts forever.

The game actually started out well enough. The keynote for the evening was sounded by what is for me a rare Citi Field beer with George, and continued with my first-ever meal in the Promenade Club. Most loyal readers, I'm sure, have probably been in the Promenade Club at one time in the now 6 years of Citi Field's existence. I only recently (read: Last year) discovered that thanks to my having a ticket plan, I actually have access to the Promenade Club and have taken advantage of it—but only because it's indoors and just about all of the games I've been to this season have been excessively cold. I've never actually eaten something from the little Food Bar they have there, mostly because I was either unsure or not in the mood for whatever's on the menu. It's not exactly a diverse selection; you can choose between the wing bar (pick your own sauce and they'll throw the whole blessed mess in a jug for you), and a menu consisting of a Cheesesteak (not the Pat LaFreida kind), a Burger/Fries combo, a Burrito, and some other things that I can't remember. I went for the Cheesesteak. George had the Burrito. It's charming. You order and then they give you a little number on a stand and then they bring the food out to your table, kind of like Steak 'n Shake or some similar joint. The food is fine, but I'm of the opinion that if you're going to have a restricted-access thing here, why not have a few more interesting options on the menu? Then again, I guess that's what the Caesar's Club is for.

Having made it through a meal, we then sat down for the game, which consisted mostly of Zack Wheeler pitching particularly well. Although he threw too many pitches and worked too many deep counts, he worked exceptionally well at keeping his composure, minimizing damage and making big pitches when he needed to make them. In the 1st inning, he survived a 2-base error by David Wright and struck out Saltalamacchia with runners on 1st and 3rd. In the 3rd, he struck out the side. In the 6th, he punctuated his evening by getting out of another 1st and 3rd jam with 1 out and the game on the line, striking out Derek Dietrich and Adeiny Hechaverria to finish off his 110-pitch effort with a flourish. Wheeler continues to demonstrate a good rapport with Travis d'Arnaud; this started last season when the two teamed together in AAA and continued when they both reached the majors. I expect it will continue throughout this season, d'Arnaud has done a good job of coaxing Wheeler through some jams in a few different instances and the one in the 6th was no different. Wheeler looked as though he was fading and about to unravel into one of those 3-run bloodbaths that ended with him walking off dejectedly in the middle of an inning, but he made a few outstanding pitches to Hechaverria when his gas tank was clearly just about empty.

And as the game drew on, you figured Wheeler's strong outing would be the story of the game. Gonzalez Germen came in for the 7th, got the Marlins in order, and came back for the 8th, because why not? The only question really left to chance was who would come in as closer in the 9th? We could see a variety of pitchers warming up, ranging from Scott Rice to Jose Valverde, to Kyle Farnsworth, whom George had actually forgotten was on the team...

...Oh. Then Saltalamacchia homered. Tie Game. No more worrying about who's closing right now. Garrett Jones followed and hit a real tracer down the right field line. One of those drives that was moving at such speed that while you hoped it would curl foul, it probably wasn't going to, and it didn't, clanging off the foul pole for another homer that put the Marlins ahead 3-2 and damn near wrecked the entire night. I was cold, I was about to see the Mets lose another game this season to throw my record down to an ugly 2-4 for the season (and a miserable 1-3 on the current homestand) and worst of all it was all happening at the hands of the Marlins, who should be getting pounded by every team in the league repeatedly, if for no other reason than their presence continues to make a mockery of the sport while more deserving cities (that shall remain nameless) go without.

Ultimately, though, it all ended up being a setup for a sublime finish in a 9th inning rally that included some unlikely names and some odd moves, but whatever it was, it all ended up working out in the end. Steve Cishek, the slop-throwing Marlin closer that was apparently on one of those consecutive save streaks that only the most overrated closers embark on came in and immediately gave up a parachute single to Lucas Duda on his first pitch, a ball placed just well enough to not be caught and give the Mets a good start on the inning. d'Arnaud followed and I was a bit shocked to see him bunting. Though d'Arnaud hasn't hit a ton this season, he's certainly hit better of late (now off the interstate) and his approach gives me the impression that he will only continue to get better from here, to the point where he might not be asked to bunt in a similar situation in the future. However, here, he was bunting, and he did manage to lay down a successful sacrifice, setting the stage for the ageless Bobby Abreu to pinch hit. For Abreu, who mysteriously resurfaced with the team earlier this week, this was his shot to prove that there was still some life left in that bat of his, and although he did get enough of a pitch to shoot it out into Left Field, and it appeared destined to fall in, Fielding Mellish had the ball played perfectly and picked it off for the second out.

This left it all up to Omar Quintanilla, which wasn't exactly an inspiring presence, but for all his foibles, Quintanilla is, if nothing else, someone who can come off the bench and whack a hit every so often when it's needed. And after being down to his last strike, Quintanilla managed to find a pitch he could handle and hit it in a similar spot to where Abreu's ball was hit, except it fell in, and when Mellish slipped and fell while attempting a throw home, Duda was able to score the tying run. Duda had a decent chance to score even if Mellish hadn't fell, although had he been able to get a clean throw off, the play would have been closer. Nonetheless, the Mets had managed to get off the mat and tie the game. Now, the key was could they find a way to win it in under 14 innings, because it was still cold and after a full week of work, neither George and I were relishing the thought of extra innings. Kirk Nieuwenhuis followed, hitting for Eric Young, and he delivered a gapper that could have won the game outright had Marcell Ozuna not cut the ball off before it went through to the wall, or had someone faster than Omar Quintanilla been running. Still, it did put the winning run in scoring position, provided Curtis Granderson could come through with one more hit. Given that Granderson had been 0-for-4 on the night and just hasn't managed to get himself on track to this point, it didn't seem likely, but then again, many of the contributing characters to this rally didn't seem likely. So, then, it stood to reason that Granderson would hit a screaming line drive directly at Garrett Jones...that would somehow find its way past him and into Right Field for the Game-Winning hit and the celebratory walk-off pie-in-the-face.

This ended up being a gratifying win, not simply for the obvious reason of who got the winning hit or who they beat in the game (it's always nice to throw a walk-off celebration in the face of a team that whooped it up a little too much at your expense), but because the Mets right now have been coming up with different ways to win just about every game of late, and when you can generate a string of games like that, it can begin to breed confidence and take off from there. I realize it's happened to the Mets before and then falls apart just as quickly, but, hey, it's gotta work one of these years, right? Right?!

Bleh

Friday night was my 5th game of the season at Citi Field and my second that week. My first, on Tuesday, was a miserably cold affair with an equally miserable result.

At least the weather was nicer on Friday.

I probably should have known things weren't going to go the Mets way. I attended the game with my other half, who I met at the Apple, and we went inside and more or less made a beeline to the Pat LaFreida stand in the Promenade Level. We first had this sandwich at my final game of the year last year, and it was a bit of a talking point when we discussed going to games together this season. Suffice it to say, she might have been looking forward to the sandwich more than the game itself, so in a display of loyalty, I promised I wouldn't have one until we went to a game together this season. Of course, I nearly broke that promise on Opening Day, but the long lines and poor service that day were, perhaps, a sign that I should wait. So Friday, we had our first game of the year together and our first Pat LaFreida of the season. That being said, the stand appeared to be about as ill-prepared on Friday as it was on Opening Day, since they appeared to not have any sandwiches ready despite the game being about to start and people on line waiting.

Long story short, we got our sandwiches, but we missed the top of the first inning, and had there not been a bizarre, extended umpire illness delay, we might have missed more of the game. However, the delay did give us a chance to enjoy our meal.

This, then, was the highlight of the evening. Though Dillon Gee was gamely, Kyle Kendrick, who has been perfectly middling for years, was gamelier, and when the Phillies broke through for 4 runs in the 6th inning, the game may as well have ended right there because the Mets appeared to have forgotten the times they fed Kyle Kendrick his own Pat LaFreida sandwich. My other half also wasn't pleased; though she liked the sandwich, she complained that it was too cold out.

Saturday, we were on the road and neither heard nor saw any of the game. I had actually been operating under the assumption that the game was starting at 3:15, but when I checked my phone around 3:30, I saw that the game was already in the 7th inning, carnage complete. The Mets and Phillies no longer carries the gravitas worthy of National TV coverage, it seems. Shaun Marcum, I can't say much about, since I didn't actually see him pitch, but based on the numbers it appears he wasn't especially good, but Robert Carson, who pitched so well in emergency on Tuesday, was even worse, thus sealing another sound defeat.

Sunday was no better. I once again engrossed myself cleaning my apartment with the game in the background. Jonathon Niese appeared up to the task of matching everyone's favorite D-Bag Cole Hamels. I had some laundry running, and when I went down to put it in the dryer, the score was 1-1, with 2 out in the 7th. When I got back upstairs, Niese was gone and the score was 4-1 Phillies. That was my cue to switch over to the Knicks game. That didn't end well, either.

So, things appear to be dissolving nicely for the Mets, who now sit on a 4-game losing streak, 5 out of 6. Matt Harvey started the game they won, except that the Mets had to hit to get that win. Fortunately, Harvey is starting tomorrow when the Mets pay their first visit to Mickey Mouse Stadium. Unfortunately, the Mets still have to start everyone else before he can go again.

The Mets MVP for 2009

The Ballclub would like to announce its 2009 Mets Most Valuable Player. I am stealing this from a survey I read on I believe metsblog.com (and I apologize if I'm wrong and it's from another site), but the choice was without much debate. The Ballclub's 2009 MVP is none other than Danny Meyer, the man who brought Shake Shack, Blue Smoke and the scintillating El Verano Taqueria to Citi Field. Despite the fact that the team on the field often made me want to regurgitate what he'd fed me, Mr. Meyer made sure that the food was always of high-quality and substance. Congratulations, Mr. Meyer, on a job well done!

So Long, 518!

Tuesday night was the final game on the 15-game plan I purchased before the season, and, most likely, the final game in which I'd be occupying Section 518, Row 17, Seats 3 and 4, unless by some fluke I go to a random game and purchase those seats, or if the Mets decide to jerk me around and offer me the exact same seats next year. I'd prefer to sit a little lower down, thanks.

I managed to get to 14 of the 15 games on the plan, which is about what I'd figured, even the two day games. The Mets posted a 4-10 record in those 14 games, which, combined with the loss against the Yankees in June (the only non-plan game I've attended so far this season), leaves me with a sterling 4-11 record for 2009, which includes a personal losing streak that has now stretched to 8 games, has been by far and away the worst season's worth of games I've sat through, and based on the last game on Tuesday, shows no real end in sight.

The game isn't worth talking about, since the 2009 Mets really aren't worth talking about anymore. The best you could say is that at least El Guapo and I weren't totally convinced that Nelson Figueroa's career was over after he left the mound. Surprisingly, he wasn't TERRIBLE!!! He acquitted himself quite well. His team just didn't hit. What a shock.

Citi Field was a bit more full than I would have expected on Tuesday. It was full enough that the line at Shake Shack was actually a line you'd have to wait on for a few minutes. El Guapo and I opted for Blue Smoke this time, where my recent experience with the Chipotle Chicken Wings left something to be desired. But I'm always willing to try something else, so this time I opted for the Pulled Pork Sandwich. This, much like the tacos from El Verano, was probably the highlight of the evening. This sandwich was so good that now I'm torn between whether or not to get this or tacos next season. What to do!? El Guapo agreed, though he'd had the pulled pork earlier in the season and said it was better that time. I guess all things are better earlier in the season, even the team.

Most of the regulars I'd come to know in section 518 during the season weren't there on Tuesday. I can't say I blame them. One gentleman, who usually came with his son, was usually driving in from somewhere on Long Island, and usually left early to beat traffic. Although, given the amount of people at these games of late, there's not too much traffic to beat. There was a group of rather obnoxious, fratty-looking folks at the other end of my row, each of them wearing T-shirts that read "I saw 25 losses at Citi Field and all I got was this lousy T-shirt,' and on the back, "SUCKER 09." They were cheering for the Mets, but it seemed to be in a mocking fashion, or at least that's what I took it to be. That sort of summed up the season. Sometime around the 4th inning, interspersed with the batters being announced in Spanish, Alex Anthony made a very brief statement thanking all the Weekday Plan holders for their support. Scant consolation, I have to say. A plan that I'd figured would hold a decent amount of promise, and guarantee my admission to some exciting late-season games didn't quite materialize that way, and, thusly, ended with a whimper, a 3-1 loss that was about as unexciting and uncompetitive as the 7 losses I'd seen prior to it.

I do have one more game to attend this season, the last game on October 4th. At least I know that my last game this season won't be quite as tense and cathartic as the last game of the season last year or two years ago. Or even three years ago. In fact, it might be so lethargic, I might fall asleep. Much like it appears the team has done. I talked with El Guapo briefly about tickets for 2010, and if I'd get the same plan. Amazingly, after all this, I guess I probably will. I suppose I have some amount of leverage to demand better seats, or, at least seats a little lower down and more centered, but as I said to him, the intrinsic enjoyment I get out of simply being at a Baseball game will always far outweigh the misery I endure having to watch such a lousy team.

I guess that's the only way you can look at it.

How The End Always Is

I suppose it makes sense that my personal best (or should that be personal worst) 5th consecutive loss was that of an utterly frustrating variety. Though the Mets were in the game the entire way, and even had a chance to win it in their last at bat had Murphy not swung at a sucker pitch for the game's final out, you just knew that this was how it was going to turn out.

You knew when you got to the stadium, got your Tacos (which were once again the highlight of the evening, "Orgasmically good" might be the best way to put it), sat in your seat and looked at the Mets lineup that, even with Santana pitching, the Mets were doomed. After Luis Castillo in the #2 spot, it was all downhill from there. Daniel Murphy, who appears to have been stuck with a .248 average since May, was 3rd. Cory Sullivan, birthday boy or not, was hitting 5th (this before I knew that Sheffield asked out of the lineup over a contract spat, oddly, this is the first known issue he's created this season). Brian Schneider and his .187 BA hitting 7th. The eminently unexciting Anderson Hernandez 8th. The lineup basically read like Johan Santana and his band of Merry Men. They loaded the bases in the 1st, Tatis grounded out, and that pretty much set the tone for the rest of the night.

Santana was admirable, no doubt. Efficient as well. But for a little bit of bad luck (a better throw by Pagan on Infante's Sac Fly in the 3rd might have got Church at home) and one bad pitch (McCann's moon shot in the 4th), Santana was his normal self. But, oh, that lineup just couldn't do anything against Kenshin Kawakami, no matter how much he tried to let the Mets back into the game. Other that one instance in the 3rd where Tatis' line drive was hauled in on a brilliantly timed leap by Infante, you never really had the sense that the Mets were going to mount a serious threat.

The crowd, as it has been most of the season, was in positive spirits, in spite of the general hopelessness the team seems to exude. Looking for some sort of light, we got it in the 8th. Santana was removed from the game, and you could see a rather familiar looking lefty throwing in the bullpen. And once that bullpen door swung open and the first few notes of "Enter Sandman" began to play, the crowd was suddenly energized. After a constant string of injuries and players dropping on an alarming basis, here, finally, was someone actually coming back on schedule. Here was Wagner, making his familiar Alpaca-like stride in from the bullpen, coming in, and throwing surprising heat, 94-95-even touching 96MPH. He struck out his first batter, Curly McHanrahan, with relative ease. Larry swung on a 3-0 pitch and popped out. And with a flourish, Wagner finished by slipping his tradmark slider by McCann. The crowd was up. The crowd was energized. Could Wagner's appearance energize the Mets as well, and spur them on to a comeback victory?

No. Of course not. They got a little closer, thanks to erratic Mike Gonzalez, an error from Larry and a pinch single from Omir Santos. But with the tying runs on base and 2 outs in both the 8th and the 9th, the Mets went down predictably meekly. Just like you figured they would. Just like they have all season. There's nobody who can step up and rip that walkoff 2-run HR now. You just have to close your eyes, hope for the best and not be too surprised when you get the worst.

3 games remain on my 15 game plan. I've been to 11 of the first 12 and watched the Mets post a miserable 4-7 record in those 11 games (they of course won the game I missed). Add in the one random game against the Yankees and my record for the season is 4-8. Is it any wonder why I feel so defeated watching this team?

Taco Stand Rapper

I believe the 11-game homestand that the Mets have opening tonight is their longest such homestand of the season. I know that this begins the period of the season where the games on my Weekday Plan run together with an alarming frequency. In the span of 7 days from August 17-24, I have tickets for 3 games. The only other time during the season where my games ran this close was in Late April/Early May, when I had 3 games in the span of 2 weeks from April 28 - May 12.

Things were a lot more optimistic for the Mets back then.

I have, in the past, had tickets to games that I'd been tempted to just eat and screw it because I just didn't feel like going to watch the team play, but I'd never actually done so. And I highly doubt I would do such a thing now, although some of the tickets may go to waste simply because I can't find anyone to go with me (El Guapo generally has first dibs, but I think his patience with the team has worn even thinner than mine, plus his aptitude to attend games close together is not what it was back in our salad days). We shall see. The three games are Monday, the 17th, Thursday, the 20th and Monday, the 24th, an afternoon game against the Phillies that should just be a rollicking good time. After the way the last Mets/Phillies game I attended worked out, I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to this one. The only upshot will be that I'll be able to skip work to go to the game.

There needs to be another selling point to games at Citi Field, at least to detract from the attention that can or will be paid to the mess that's on the field. I know that there has been a sudden, shocking move to offer discounted tickets to certain games, and the team is hyping up some promotions and giveaways (none of which, by the way, were offered at any of the games on the Weekday plan). There's the food, although it seems like everyone is only interested in Shake Shack, leaving many of the other food stands empty (this isn't necessarily a bad thing, I've talked about my Taqueria experience, and I think Blue Smoke is next on my list). But after that, what else is there? It's clearly no longer cool to just say, "Hey, let's go to the Mets game," I know this because I haven't been able to find suitable company for my next 3 games. I need a better selling point.

Third Time's A Charm

Finally, after 3 attempts, I have my first Mets win at Citi Field.

That's not to say that this was an especially pretty victory for the Mets, but, much like any victory, I'll take it. Particularly at the expense of the Phillies.

My third game (but 4th trip) to Citi Field seemed to finally have a much more normal, traditional feel to it than the first two games I attended. El Guapo and I met at our usual Union Square meeting spot (convenient to both of our offices) and trained our way out there. In through the Rotunda, up via the escalators. We toyed with the idea of a pre-game drink at the Promenade Club. This was, in fact, my first trip into the Promenade Club, which features, among other things, a full bar. I'm not sure how much a cocktail runs there, but we decided against that. Back out to the Promenade food court, where I returned to my favorite Shea standby, the Sausage Sandwich. There's two stands out there in the court, and so I went to one and found they were only serving sausage patties, rather than the links I was used to. I didn't realize, at the time, that the other grill had links. Well, whatever. I accepted my patty and ate it. Good enough, but it's not the same as the traditional Sausage Sandwich I'm used to. Next time, pay closer attention to what's on the grill before I order.

El Guapo was musing as to whether or not the Subway featured the $5 footlong that's so ubiquitously advertised wherever you look. There's even a $5 footlong ad in the stadium. I still fail to see the utility in having a Subway at Citi Field altogether. But the Citi Field Subway does not, in fact, offer a $5 footlong. Most of their footlongs are $7.50. There's a little note on the stand that says something to the effect of "Dear Mets fans, this Subway does not participate in the $5 footlong promotion." El Guapo seemed put out and got a hot dog instead. He has become a fan of the Toppings bars that are all over the place (and which I feel will be the impetus for a food fight before all is said and done). He's tried a few different combinations, including raw onion, jalapeno and sauerkraut. At least that's what I think he had. I couldn't really tell, between the mishmash he had and the onion and peppers spilling off my sandwich. We stood at one of the tables and ate, another Citi Field first, rather than walking up to the seats. The crowd out there was fairly thin, and remained so throughout the game. I think most of the people still seem to spend their time waiting on line at the high-end food stands downstairs.

We both seemed to be in one of our overly-analytical moods during the game, or at least our discussion appeared to indicate such early on. Generally, we can cover a full range of topics over the course of a game, and depending on the situation or the importance of the game, it can have very little to do with Baseball altogether. Tonight, it was all Baseball, right from the start. Pelfrey battled through a tough 1st that saw him give up a parachute single to Rollins and and a long double to Howard. The inning appeared to be unraveling on him, but for Raul Ibanez helping him out by swinging at a 3-0 pitch and grounding out to end the inning.

That meant it was Jamie Moyer's turn to unravel, and unravel he did. The Mets teed off on his slop, belting three HRs in the first 2 innings in a power display that seems all too rare from this team. It started when Beltran took a 3-2 "fastball" from Moyer and blasted it deep down the left field line. But he was out in front of it and it hooked foul.

"Bet he won't throw that pitch again," El Guapo remarked.

He threw the next pitch in just about the same spot. Beltran wasn't late, and the ball didn't hook foul.

2 batters later, David Wright swung and hit what appeared to me to be a rather routine fly ball to Center. Victorino appeared to be toddling back, and the ball kept carrying and carrying until it landed all the way out in the black, to the left of the Amorphous Apple for another HR, a real shot considering how difficult it's been to hit HRs to that part of the stadium. Thus, it appeared, the rout was on. Reyes followed up with a shot in a similar spot to Beltran's in the 2nd. In the 3rd, Castro doubled to the base of the wall in Center. By time Moyer made his exit, to a standing ovation in some parts of the park, it was 7-1 Mets, and a laugher seemed imminent.

So, of course, the Mets stopped hitting and the Phillies pecked and scraped. It seemed innocuous enough. Pelfrey managed to settle down after the 1st and was economical, if nothing else. He wasn't especially dominant, not by any stretch. Philly was hitting him, but he was mostly giving up singles and following them up by getting some double play balls on the ground. He wasn't striking out anyone. But he was chugging along, as well as you could expect. A run in the 4th, and a monster HR by Howard into the Mets bullpen in the 6th, and Pelfrey was done after 7 innings that could be classified as "Solid," if nothing else. Turn the ball over to the bullpen, and let's get out of here with a nice, tidy victory and a sweep of the 2-game series.

Things then got a little contentious in the 8th.

Again, it started innocuously. In the bottom of the 7th, Clay Condrey came high and tight on David Wright, knocking him down. Nobody seemed to pleased about that. I said that I was going to run over to the Toppings Bar and throw some sauerkraut at Condrey. This led to El Guapo and I discussing Hot Dog toppings through the rest of the inning. I was talking about how I like mustard and red onion. I must have struck a nerve, because after the 7th inning, he went downstairs and got a hot dog with mustard and red onion. While he was away, things started to go haywire. It started with the crowd. The Mets/Phillies crowds are always lively, which I guess is a nice way of saying that they don't get along especially well, and when you mix in some alcohol, well, you know what can happen. A good looking fistfight broke out in the seats in Center Field. It appeared as though someone had someone else in a headlock, or some such nonsense. It was broken up. At the plate Shane Victorino appeared struck out by Feliciano, but all of a sudden they're calling a foul tip. Sure enough, Victorino singles off Wright. Utley follows by chopping one to Castillo, who moves to tag Victorino. Victorino eludes the tag and Castillo throws Utley out. Victorino is then caught in a rundown and appears to briefly tap Reyes as they pass each other. Victorino being Victorino, he goes flailing wildly before continuing to run, and Reyes gets called for Obstruction. This umpiring crew (featuring our favorite, Angel Hernandez, and the dopey Welke brothers) had been getting on Jerry Manuel's nerves all night. Out he came, for the 2nd time in the inning and the 3rd time in the game. The crowd was behind him. Jerry started yelling and waving his arms and bobbing his head, sort of like how Bobby Valentine used to do. Predictably, Manuel was tossed. Victorino remained at 2nd. Feliciano got Howard to ground out, which would have ended the inning if the Mets had been able to get Victorino out any one of those two chances, and, predictably, Jayson Werth followed with a 2-run HR to make the game 7-5, and now quite hairy. More fistfights seemed to be breaking out, and I thought a sauerkraut fight was imminent. Maybe it happened someplace I couldn't see. I don't know. If there was ever a time for it, it was now.

Bottom of the 8th, and the entire Right Field corner is chanting "JAY-SON WERTH-LESS!" Fistfights erupt in the Pepsi Porch and the Left Field landing. Those of us who remained sane and sober were cautious. This sort of game has happened to us before. Francisco Rodriguez came in for the 9th, attempting to get his 4th Save in 4 days. He could have probably used a rest. But, in a game like this, no rest can be had. Of course, he got the first 2 out. Of course, he walked Matt Stairs on a 3-2 pitch that appeared to be more than just a little borderline. Of course, Jimmy Rollins was up next. Of course, all the Philly fans got up and left with 2 outs...What, to beat the traffic?

Rollins popped out. The game clocked in at a breezy 2:53 that felt like about 3:59, most of it packed into the last two innings. Phew!

And just think, these two teams still have 14 more games against each other. Hell, I still have tickets to 2 more games against them on my plan. Can't wait to see how those two play out. Entertaining might not do it enough justice.

Citi Field, Take Two

So, two games in and I'm 0-for-Citi Field.

In reality, however, the game provided mere scenery for the other nonsense that seemed to go on for me throughout the evening.

I had been fixing to make an attempt to try to get to one of the high-end concessions at Citi Field, and I made a concerted effort to get there early and beat the crowd. I was angling for Shake Shack, since I'd heard so much about it from a number of different sources, but I've never been there myself. El Guapo is a big fan, but he has the advantage of working rather close to the original Shake Shack in Madison Square Park. I, on the other hand, do not and so this was the first time I'd ever really been close to one. And I'd heard more than a few people on varied WFAN shows call in and say that it's the best burger ever. As I've mentioned, I am a big hamburger connoisseur, so I was chomping at the bit to try it for myself.

I got to Citi Field at around 6:15, dropped El Guapo's ticket at Will Call and made a beeline for the Shack. There were plenty of people milling around, but I was hopeful that the line wouldn't be too long.

No such luck. The line had already formed well past the little aisles they set up and had extended back towards Left Field. Maybe I should have just said screw it and gone upstairs. Nooooooo, I figured. I came here for a Shake Shack burger, and by crikey, I'm going to have a Shake Shack burger. So I stood on line. I figured I had plenty of time before the game.

I got on line at about 6:20. The Guap texted me at around 6:35 telling me he was having a beer in the Promenade Club. I was still on line. I said I'd see him around the 5th inning. But I was exaggerating. I was in my seat by around 6:45.

Bottom line: In the words of Samuel L. Jackson, "That IS a Tasty Burger." I'm still on the fence as to whether or not it's worth waiting on line for 25 minutes to get, but it's a damn good burger, far better than the burgers they were serving in the Promenade level. It's got cheese (which I believe you can ask them to leave off), lettuce, tomato and what they refer to as "Shack Sauce," which I believe to be little more than overglorified Russian Dressing. The single shack is small, but substantial for your $5.75. But throw in some fries and a soda and I ended up dropping as much on food as I did on my ticket for the game. C'est la vie, I assume, in this Citi Field day and age. I recommend it and I'd definitely go back, provided you don't mind the inevitable lines that will form there early. When I was leaving, the line was significantly longer than it was when I got there.

El Guapo had been in the Promenade Club, as I'd mentioned. I didn't realize that you could get in simply by having a Promenade level ticket, I thought you needed a Promenade Club ticket. Apparently not. He raved about it, and he also raved about the Sausage and Peppers, which I've yet to have this season (next time, that's what I'm going for). Apparently there's a full bar in the Club, and even a Wing bar. This could prove to be a hidden gem.

In general, we both seem pretty happy with Citi Field. The team, again, is a bit of a problem and there's not much memorable to report about the game, short of things looked OK until Sean Green decided to do his best Aaron Heilman impression. And he really did a spot-on Heilman and screwed up the game good and proper. Once the Mets got behind, I think just about everyone knew that was it for the game, no matter how bad the Marlins bullpen supposedly is. Kudos to Alfredo Amezaga for hot-dogging catching a pop-up at the end of the 7th and further entrenching himself on the list of Marlins Players who need to get a pitch in the ribs at some point.

Some of the problems that I discussed from Opening Night seem to have been rectified. For one, the speakers above the seats were working. They didn't sound especially great (there was some sort of crackle that I tend to associate with a speaker that's been blown out), but at least I could hear the announcements and ambient Ballpark Music they play.

El Guapo reported back to me that there are TVs at the concessions in the Promenade Food court behind home plate. He says they're small, and so there's a very good chance that I missed seeing them on Opening Night. One other thing we noticed is that there were little to no lines there, which is great. I think most people were walking around and getting food at other places. The stadium seemed about half full most of the night, but there were definitely a lot of people who came and walked around rather than sit in their seats and watch the game. That's probably why there was such a lack of lines in the Promenade. I'm not complaining.

The egress problem was better last night as well, though I think that was more a side effect of the Mets being behind and people leaving early. We managed to get out of the stadium pretty quickly down the staircase that's right behind our section. Little to no lines in the men's room once again, which is always nice.

Afterwards, I mused to El Guapo that once the novelty wears off, and it's just people going to the stadium to watch the game, it's going to be pretty good. Those normal, dopey, Tuesday night games with 25,000 people are going to be great, particularly since we're now watching the game in a nice, modern, comfortable ballpark.

Then, came the ride home.

El Guapo, who lives in Brooklyn, and I always take the 7 Express back, without much debate. We ride in the rear car of the train (a little-known fact that you can always get a seat in the rear car). The game ended at 10:25 and he got off at 45th Road and I continued on to Grand Central. I was on pace to be home at around 11:10, until, mysteriously, the train stopped in the tunnel just after passing Vernon/Jackson. And it sat there. There was an announcement of "Train traffic ahead of us." But we continued to sit. And it got to be 11:10. Then 11:15. This was getting ridiculous. People in the car were getting restless. 11:25. Still nothing. All of a sudden, we see someone walking down the tunnel with a flashlight. He walked up to the train and climbed on. We asked him what was going on, but he wasn't very descriptive or helpful. It got to 11:35. People were getting frustrated. Finally, the train started moving, slowly, and kept starting and stopping before finally getting into Grand Central. I don't know what, exactly, the problem was and nobody would say. I have a feeling there was a train stuck ahead of mine, but nonetheless, tacking an un-necessary half hour onto the trip home after an already miserable game wasn't exactly the perfect capper to the evening.

If there's something to take away from this, I suppose it's that you can't blame the Mets for the MTA's problems.

Take That, Danny Meyer!

It's a little-known fact that I am a connoisseur of Hamburgers. My quest for New York City's best hamburger has led me to two specific places. Neither of them were Shea Stadium. The dry, lukewarm Bubba Burger that they pawned off didn't quite rate.

Whether or not the Citi Field Shake Shack is going to raise the Stadium Burger into the upper echelon of NYC Burgerdom is immaterial after I found this story and accompanying photo on Drudge this afternoon.

In Grand Rapids, Michigan, the Midwest League West Michigan Whitecaps, a single-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers (currently managed by Met-for-a-Minute Joe DePastino, remember him?!), are offering the above monstrosity at their concession stand. The 4lb, 4,800 calorie burger features a one-pound sesame seed bun, 5 1/3-pound beef patties, cheese, chili, salsa and corn chips. Anyone hearty enough to finish off this $20 masterpiece will receive a free T-Shirt, as well as a substantial discount on the ensuing heart surgery.

Despite the fact that this is a nauseating amount of food, a family of 4 could probably go to a game, buy one and be well-sated by game's end. They will even cut it with a pizza slicer for you.

Not sold yet? Here's some video of them making the burger.

I think it's safe to say that you'll never see anything quite like this at Citi Field. A burger like this is well beyond the imagination of Danny Meyer or the folks at Aramark who are more interested in serving up Pizza slices that taste about as good as the box they come in. It's almost reminiscent of the Mo-Licious sandwich the Carnegie Deli named after Mo Vaughn.

I don't have any trips to Grand Rapids planned any time during the upcoming season, unfortunately, so I won't have a chance to sample and report back on this particular burger. Rest assured, however, that I will think of it the first time I patronize the Citi Field Shake Shack.

Michigan Baseball park to offer 4,800-calorie burgers [Breitbart]

Who's Drinking?!

Shea Stadium, our dearly departed former home, was pretty far from desirable when it came to the quality and variety of available food offerings. I don't think I'll find too much argument there. We always had a readily available assortment of the standard fare, Hot Dogs, Pretzels, Beer, etc. But there was nothing particularly special about anything. And it was generally not worth what you paid for it. In the late 80s, or at least this was when I noticed it, things started to get jazzed up a little bit. They opened a quaint little food-courty type place in the Right Field corner in the Field Level called the "Fielder's Choice," where you could get more or less the same stuff, I believe. In my younger days, I always opted for the chicken tenders. The Fielder's Choice caught on, and before too long, they popped up in the Mezzanine and Upper Decks.

In the 90s, Aramark took over the concession from Harry M. Stevens (I'm more or less going from memory now, so correct me if I'm wrong) more and more specialty food stands started to pop up, and the Fielder's Choices had wholesale makeovers, with new names like "Midtown Express," and "Grand Central Grille." But they more or less had the same stuff they always did. Then, there were some satellite stands that had ice cream, or beer and pretzels. In the early 2000s, an odd, rather tasty smell began wafting through the stands, when they started putting Italian Sausage stands in various locations. I tried one once, in 2001. I was immediately hooked. It was substantial, it was good, and it was, by Shea standards, reasonably priced. And thusly, the Sausage & Peppers became my Shea Stadium food of choice.

But through these years, I was going to quite a few games, generally within the neighborhood of 15-20 a season. Sometimes, I didn't always feel like the Sausage & Peppers. So, I began to explore the other available options. The standard Hot Dog had gone through its own metamorphosis, from Kahn's to Nathan's, and if you found the right stand, was even available in a footlong variety (see above). At some point, they even started throwing a free bag of chips in there, too. There was also the old standby, the Chicken Tenders, which now came plopped on top of a small stack of soggy French Fries. They were cardboardy, heartburn-inducing goodness. There was pizza around, however after trying it once and finding the box it came in to taste better, I wasn't going there again. The Bubba Burgers that appeard in 2006 were nice, but unsubstantial. I felt limited. Were there other, palatable options? I meandered around the Field Level a few times in 2007 and 2008 and found that the original Fielder's Choice had turned into a veritable strip mall of chains and inscrutable local establishments. The BB Sandwich Bar had an interesting Cheesesteak-like sandwich (Upon mentioning this to my infamous co-worker, he replied, "Cheesy Steak? Who the hell eats that at a ballgame?!"), but it was basically an over glorified Roast Beef Sandwich, hardly worth going out of my way for. I wasn't about to frequent Dunkin' Donuts for dinner either. There was also a Subway there, which I could only make fun of, because it was overpriced and unnecessary. And if I ever wanted to go to Subway, I would have gone to one of the many real ones in Manhattan, gotten a reasonably-priced sandwich and eaten it on the train out to the stadium. There was also the Glatt Kosher stand, which I never went to because I'm clearly a bad Jew. In the Mezzanine, there appeared, in 2008, a stand called Mama's of Corona. I'd never heard of it. They had a stack of boxes, but no picture or description of what was inside. It was the Mystery box. El Guapo and I wondered about it for several weeks, before I finally took a moment to walk over and read the menu. Turns out they were specialty sandwiches. I believe there was a Turkey Club, and something called the "Mama's Special." $9 specialty sandwiches, that they didn't show you before you bought them. I decided to pass.

So, what's the point of all this? Well, with Citi Field opening, there was the promise of some newer, higher-quality, recognizable food coming in. The concession deal with Aramark remained, and one can only assume that many of these options will still be available (I'll be sorely disappointed if I can't get the Sausage & Peppers in the Promenade level). But who cares about that? An article in Friday's Daily News gives a blow-by-blow account of the new assortment of culinary choices available at Citi Field. I guess, at Shea, the only really high-end anything as far as food was concerned was the Diamond Club. I never set foot in the place. I'd venture the guess that I probably won't see a number of the new places at Citi Field, either.

First, there's the Shake Shack. This isn't anything resembling high-end, I don't think, though I have to admit that I've never set foot in a Shake Shack, nor have I been to the original stand in Madison Square. El Guapo raves up and down about it, so I guess it's probably good.

Next, Box Frites. This place serves Belgian-cut french fries. Because when I think of great Ballpark Food, I think of Belgian-cut french fries.

The Verano Taqueria, much more acceptable than if they'd decided to plop a Taco Bell in Center Field.

The Wheelhouse Market purports to have "classic, artesianal comfort foods," which sounds to me like an overglorified diner.

Then, there's the Delta Sky 360 Club, the Acela, and the Blue Smoke, in case you have the urge to sit and have a gourmet 3-course meal while watching the Mets. Apparently you can only get into the Acela if you have a reservation. Well, la dee da! I wonder what the menu at that place must look like.

But the real kicker is Zachys, a Wine Bar. I'd love to see what happens when the Sack 'O Nuts crowd gets tanked after too many glasses of Merlot.

Many of these new stadiums tend to have a hearty sampling of local food, such as the Sushi stand in Seattle or the Crabcake stand in Baltimore. I know there's something in San Francisco too, but whatever it was has slipped my mind at the current time. What appears to be lacking here is that the Mets seem to have gone for a lot of glitz and glamour, and some big-name restaurateurs when it came to putting together the Citi Field Menu, but it lacks New York flavor. I know a good Corned Beef or Pastrami sandwich isn't the first thing that comes to mind when you're at a ballgame, but wouldn't a 2nd Avenue Deli stand work here? How about a Junior's Cheesecake stand? How about finding someone who can turn out a decent Pizza, rather than that Sbarro crap they've been passing off as food? And the Wine bar is just plain bewildering.

One thing's for sure. If you're going to go to a game at Citi Field, you won't go hungry. But at what cost?

Slate of Amazin' Eats on Citi Field's Home Plate [Daily News]

Cold Brews

It was 25 years ago, when the Milwaukee Brewers, led by such luminaries as Robin Yount, Paul Molitor, Rollie Fingers, Ben Oglivie, Cecil Cooper and Gorman Thomas (and his moustache) rolled to an American League pennant. "Harvey's Wallbangers," they were called, in a nod to their Manager, Harvey Kuenn. They were a solid group of hideous looking sluggers, blue-collar types for their blue-collar town.

25 years later, and they haven't been to the Postseason since. A 25 years checkered with misery, losing seasons and failed promise. An ignominious switch of leagues forced upon them by their owner who masqueraded as commissioner in 1998 put them in a crowded NL Central, where they fared no better.

But now, these Brewers are beginning to come of age. Improved scouting and some top prospects are beginning to show their stuff, and some risky trades have begun to pay dividends for Milwaukee, and, all of a sudden, they're now the hottest team in the league, charging into Shea this weekend looking like the '06 Mets, ready to run away with the Central Division!

But have they really been tested? Mostly, they've played within their own division so far, playing awful teams like Pittsburgh, or struggling teams like Houston and St. Louis.

And now, to New York.

Still bald, and ready to rumble.

El Guapo and I were in attendance for Friday night's festivities, making a rare appearance in the Field Boxes, ready to see the Mets get some revenge on Jeff Suppan. It was a steamy, humid night. Really a miserable day everywhere in the city, with no wind, and some sparse showers, but it was pleasant out at Shea. But steamy. You could see the vapor in the lights. Jorge Sosa took the mound for the Mets on Friday, and just like he did last weekend in Arizona, Sosa was brilliant. He walked Rickie "8 days a" Weeks (that's El Guapo's "Bermanism" for the night) to lead off the game, but got out of it on a strike-em-out, throw-em-out DP, with Weeks oddly running on a 1-2 pitch to Prince Fielder (largest ass this side of Mo Vaughn).

The game settled into a pitchers duel for most of the early part of the game. The Mets mounted a thinly veiled threat in the second, courtesy of a Shawn Green fly ball that was dropped by Bill Hall (yes, Billy has pop, but there was a reason that he never was a full time starter until last season—That would be his inability to field a position adequately.

It's a real toolsy outfield for the Brews. I suppose it's a good thing Miller Park has that dome (which looks like a certain part of the female anatomy), because I could imagine that every fly ball hit his way must be an adventure. Jenkins, who still appears to be a dead ringer for Brett Favre (and have they ever been seen together?) always had Kingman-esque power and Kingman-esque strikeout numbers, and sort of lumbers in left (although to his credit, he made a few nice running catches on Friday), and Kevin "WHAT A" Mench seems more suited to a DH role—which he had in Texas.

Fortunately for Hall, LoDuca followed that up by grounding into a double play. No harm, no foul.

Still scoreless into the 4th. In fact, the first hit of the game by either team came on a single by J.J. Hardy (one of the Hardy Boys—My Bermanism for the night) with one out. But Sosa got Fielder to pop out and struck out Hall.

Finally, some action in the 4th. Wright, who may finally be awakening, had nearly hit one out in the first, driving a pitch to the warning track in right that was caught by Mench. What a Mench he was to make that catch, because in the 4th, Wright hammered one that nobody was going to catch, into the bleachers in left for the Mets first run— and first hit.

Good. Finally, we've broken the ice against that twitchy-faced jackass.

Beltran follows by chopping one in between Fielder and Weeks. Fielder ranges way off to his right to try to field it, which he can't, and the result is that now he's nowhere near first base, and there's no way his big ass is lumbering back to the bag. So it's a footrace between Suppan and Beltran. Guess who won?

Good Guess.


And Delgado follows up by ripping one into the Brewers bullpen. Second HR in as many games. 3-0 Mets. And let's give El Guapo credit for beginning the "SUP-PAN! SUP-PAN!" chant as the inning got away from him.

It got no better as Alou cracked a double off the wall in Center. It's amazing, sitting in these Field Boxes. Now I understand why people are willing to shell out the big bucks for them. El Guapo put it best. If you go to 15-20 games a year like we do, it's too expensive. But if you only make it to 2-3 games a year, why not pony up for these seats? It's a totally different perspective from our normal perch in the Upper Deck or the Mezzanine. Up there, long fly balls can look like a video game. In the Field Level, you can clearly see the arc of the ball off the bat. You can see the fielder's reactions as opposed to only being able to watch for the ball. But at least we weren't able to see Suppan's annoying tourette's twitches.

Moreover, I had been told that there were more food options in the Field Level, which I find only half true. While you have the food court in the RF corner, and the large Nathans, and the useless Subway and the Dunkin Donuts, the for the most part is just about the same as anyplace else. There's also the imported beer stand, which is a plus, and carries Grolsch, which is often hard to come by, but always welcome (albeit expensive at Shea). My food of choice was the cheesesteak from the BB Sandwich Bar in the food court corner. I'd never heard of the place, and that's basically all you can get there, but it's pretty good for what it's worth. It's no Sausage and Peppers, but, then, what is?

It had been 7 years since my last game in the Field Level. It could be Citi Field before I sit there again...

Meanwhile, on the field, the Mets continue their onslaught on Suppan, with LoDuca lining a single to left, scoring Alou. That would be it for the Mets in the 4th, but the 4 run inning certainly showed these guys what's what.

But the Brewers fought back. First, Jenkins homered in the 5th (who knew Favre had that kind of power?). Fielder homered in the 6th (a bomb—Green didn't even give it a courtesy run as the ball hit the scoreboard in deep right-center.

Sosa would continue his stellar work, otherwise. The 2 HRs notwithstanding, Sosa only allowed 2 other hits in his 6.2 innings, Hardy's single and another scratch hit by Scrappy Craig Counsell, but his first and only real jam came in the 7th, when he walked Jenkins and Scrappy Counsell on a borderline 3-2 pitch. But that was it, Sosa left to a standing ovation and with a 4-2 lead. Another nice outing for Jorge. Feliciano came in and got the last out in the 7th.

And in the last of the 7th, Easley led off with a solo HR of his own, one that looked like windowdressing at the time, but would turn out to be the difference in the game. Again, it's Easley, who has continued to surprise everyone with his key hits, surprising power and strong defense, coming up with the hit that made the difference. It's to the point now that you have to think about continuing to start him when Valentin comes off the DL, or at least using both of them in a platoon. Easley's bat can be just as valuable off the bench, but if he's going to continue to play the way he's been playing, it may be a waste to simply shift him back to a pinch-hitting role once Valentin returns.

It got a little hairy in the 8th, when Heilman came in and promptly gave up a leadoff single to Weeks (although this should have been an out. Heilman was in position to field the ground ball, but he only deflected it with his glove, and slowed it down enough that Weeks was able to beat it out) and Hardy followed by launching a HR to left. 5-4. But Heilman settled down to get the next 3 batters. Wagner for the 9th, and threw only 6 pitches in getting the Brews in order to nail down a nice, crisp and very quick (2:18) victory to start off the series.

I missed Saturday's game completely, for varied reasons, and from what I've heard, I didn't miss much. Pelfrey struggled again, and the bullpen got lit up in the late innings. Ben Sheets was Ben Sheets, and you have to consider the Brewers a team to be reckoned with if he can manage to stay healthy for a full season. I heard some callers on WFAN after the game, and it sounded like there was a lot of nitpicking over certain plays, and a bizarre double play in which two runs scored, and some scuffling over a play between Gotay and Green (which may have been the same play, for all I know). Then, there was the 8th inning Meltdown by Joe Smith, the grand slam by J.J. Hardy (who somehow went from looking like a carbon copy of Joe McEwing last season to looking like a carbon copy of Cal Ripken this season), and a big game from Tony Gwynn, Jr (who, if you heard him on the radio before Sunday's game, sounds frighteningly like his father. But can he hit like his father?).

A lot of the talk also centered around whether Sosa's strong outings may have put him in line to take over as the #5 starter when El Duque returns, with Pelfrey going back to AAA. A few weeks ago, I would have said that premature, but it makes more sense now. We've seen 6 starts out of Pelfrey so far, and he's varied in between barely passable and totally horrible. Whatever he's displayed in his early starts last season, he's not showing now. The ground balls he got in the spring are now line shots. Let him go down, work out his problems, and he'll be back. For now, Sosa's the guy.

And before Sunday's game, that's exactly what happened. Pelfrey got sent back down and Carlos Gomez was called up. With Alou hurting, why not? I don't know what Gomez's numbers were in AAA, but Ben Johnson had been hurt, and Milledge as well, and God help me I don't want to see any more of David Newhan (even if they play that ridiculous "BALLIN!" song when he comes to bat). I've never seen more ink wasted on such a mediocre ballplayer. He reminds me of Rich Becker. Remember in 1998 when Becker had a great spring, and hit 2 HRs in the first week, and played flawless defense, and everyone was raving about him? And then just as quickly, he reverted into the Rich Becker who flailed wildly at every pitch, struck out in 1 of every 2 at bats, and was cut by June. That's who Newhan reminds me of. I expect him gone before too long. But I digress, let Gomez play for a few days until Alou is ready. Why not? And if Alou goes on the DL, give him a couple of weeks in the bigs to wet his feet.

So that was what we woke up to on Sunday, Mother's Day (and a Happy Birthday to Bobby V!), with half the team using pink bats, and Oliver Perez on the mound looking to rebound from his disastrous outing on Monday in San Francisco. And he certainly rebounded. It's a big step for Perez, because we saw on Monday that he can be temperamental, and things can get to him, and you don't know how a bad outing like that can fester, but Perez shrugged it off and pitched a masterful game on Sunday. He looked relaxed, his command was great, he kept ahead of the hitters, it was like a completely different Oliver Perez out there.

But, once again, let's see if he can string 2 or 3 real good starts together. He did it a few weeks ago, with that hiccup in Washington being the exception, leading up to the meltdown in San Francisco. His next start will be telling. Friday night, May 18th. Opponent: New York Yankees.

On the offensive side, the Mets dominated Capuano from the outset. Reyes walked to start, and again it was Easley coming up and nailing a HR into the Brewers bullpen. And the Mets really didn't look back. Wright, hitting cleanup, singled, stole second and scored on a hit from Castro. In the 2nd, it was the new guy, Carlos Gomez, coming up and ripping a clean double into the left field corner in his first Major League at bat. (Joe Buck says: "Carlos Gomez, Welcome To New York!") He moved to third on a groundout by Perez, and scored on a single from Easley. And with Perez in control, the game was pretty much salted away by this point.

Wright came up with 2 hits, a walk, and a career-high 3 Steals...


Perez took a one-hit shutout into the 9th, and even chipped in with an RBI single of his own...


Gomez got his second hit in the 8th, and the fast guy followed that up with his first SB...

And Beltran capped off the scoring, and a 5-run 8th inning by launching a HR just inside the RF foul pole.


And so, the Mets came away with a series victory, taking 2 of 3 from the hottest team in the Majors, and making a statement in the process about who's still in charge here. Yes, the Braves still maintain a slim lead in the standings, but there's still a long way to go here, and we know the Mets aren't going to give an inch.

Next, the Cubs, with their own band of heavy hitters, Soriano, Ramirez, Lee, and our old buddy Cliff Floyd. The Ballclub will be represented on Tuesday, for the rather intriguing matchup of John Maine and Carlos Zambrano, and on Wednesday, for the intriguing matchup of Jorge Sosa and Rich Hill. Thanks to the Mets for bunching all of the seven-pack games together (yes, it's two different packs but still), there are 4 series during this season where we have tickets to more than one game, and often on back-to-back nights. But I digress.