On the Mets beat

Don't expect Chan Ho Park to stick around after last night's outing.

He looked very good early, dominant even, striking out three of the first eight batters he faced before pitcher Scott Olsen hit a soft single to center. But then Park lost it, some of it his own doing and some of it a case of bad baseball karma.

After Olsen's single, Park walked the next two batters, each on four pitches. Miguel Cabrera followed with a two-run single off Damion Easley's glove. It was correctly ruled a hit but could just have easily been caught on the backhand side.

More misfortune followed for Park. Mike Jacobs blooped a run-scoring double just out of Jose Reyes' reach and Josh Willingham dumped a two-run single into right-center that was well-placed though not well-struck.

That wasn't the case in the fourth however, as Alfredo Amezaga and Hanley Ramirez hit solo home runs that gave the Marlins a 7-0 lead.

Just guessing here, but don't be surprised if Jorge Sosa is called up to take Park's place for the rest of the starts that would've gone to Orlando Hernandez. Sosa has been lights-out for Triple-A New Orleans.

The injury bug continues to sting New York baseball teams. After leaving the Yankees’ starting rotation in shambles, the bug flitted over to the Mets yesterday as Orlando Hernandez and Jose Valentin were placed on the 15-day disabled list.

El Duque was diagnosed with bursitis in his right shoulder and told us he felt “a little pain, a little sore.” He was hopeful of only missing a couple of starts and returning on May 11, but said with a knowing smile, “I don’t know the future. I know today. I don’t know tomorrow.”

Valentin’s injury, suffered Saturday night in Washington, is more serious. The 37-year-old second baseman has a partial tear of the ACL in his right knee, the same injury that forced him to have knee surgery in 2005 and keeping him sidelined for three months.

GM Omar Minaya said the timetable was “at least two-to-four weeks” and it sure sounded like it will be more than that. Even Valentin said he wouldn’t “be too crazy. I won’t rush back.” But he admitted he “can’t afford to have surgery.” That’s a reference to his contract status.

If Valentin gets 400 plate appearances in 2007, his contract kicks in for 2008 at $4.3 million. “I’ll take my chances without surgery and play with a brace,” Valentin said. I’m relaxed about it and I’m confident I’ll be back.”

As for off-season surgery, Valentin showed a keen sense of humor when he said, “After we celebrate winning the World Series with a parade, the next day I’ll have the surgery.”

Valentin’s place will be taken by Ruben Gotay rather than Anderson Hernandez because, as Minaya said, “Gotay had a better spring and his having a better season [in the minors]” than Hernandez. Willie Randolph told writers the second base job won’t be a platoon, but that it will be shared by Damion Easley and Gotay.

El Duque’s spot in the rotation was taken last night by veteran major-league righthander Chan Ho Park. But with Jorge Sosa having an outstanding season at Triple-A New Orleans, Randolph and Minaya both said the rotation will be re-evaluated after tonight’s game.

Just as the Mets were waiting around for the MRI results on Jose Valentin's right knee, Orlando Hernandez showed up this morning complaining of tightness in his right shoulder. So El Duque stayed in his streetclothes and headed back to New York around noon to be examined by the team physician. As of now, Hernandez still is scheduled to start tomorrow night against the Marlins, but his status is very much in doubt.

"He said he felt something in his shoulder area," general manager Omar Minaya said. "We'll see what the doctors say."

It's unclear what the Mets fallback option would be if Hernandez is scratched. Aaron Sele pitched 1 1/3 innings in Saturday's 12-inning win over the Nationals, so it's possible he could come back. The Mets may be unwilling to move up Mike Pelfrey after his struggles -- he's slotted for Tuesday -- and Jorge Sosa is scheduled to start for Triple-A New Orleans this afternoon at Oklahoma, which means he could get word very soon about making a detour to Queens.

Rather than interpret what manager Willie Randolph had to say about not pulling Oliver Perez for a pinch hitter with the bases loaded in the sixth inning on Friday, I'll just give you the lengthy explanation he provided earlier today.

"I take it to individuals. I break it down to Oliver and dealing with him," Randolph said. "And yeah, part of how I coach and how I manage is not to concern myself with all this second guessing and ----. Just doing what I feel is best for the long term wealth of him, the team, and winning the game. When you challenge kids to do a job for you and go out and pitch hard for you, you don’t want them to feel like they go out there and leave their guts out there and you are going to pull the rug out from them because you’re worried about a run or two.

"I have confidence in my team totally overall. Last night we had opportunities. It’s funny, in that situation I was just hoping he would strike out or hit a fly ball, so I’d have Jose [Reyes] up there with the bases loaded, one of my best hitters. You put a pinch-hitter in there, he might pop up to the shortstop, you know, and Jose might still strikeout. And you take a pitcher out of the game who leaves it feeling like, 'I had a chance to win this game. Maybe the manager didn’t have confidence in me.’ I don’t want him to feel like I don’t have confidence in him. That’s what it’s all about with guys like him -- confidence. The team is doing pretty well. We’re not going to win all our games obviously. I feel like it was a big game for him to win after the last outing, feed off that a little bit, keep the momentum going. Outside of the one bad pitch he made in the first inning I thought he did a hell of a job for us and I wanted to show him I appreciate that, try to get him the win."

Huge move by the Braves in locking up John Smoltz for 2008 and possibly beyond. The team announced today it has agreed to terms with Smoltz on a one-year, $14-million extension that includes options for both 2009 and 2010. Not only does it greatly help Atlanta, securing Smoltz also keeps him out of the Mets' hands, and you can bet they would have made a serious push this winter.

With Smoltz out of the mix, however, that could actually hurt Tom Glavine's chances of returning next season. There's no doubt Glavine would have been intrigued by the possibility of pitching with his good friend in Flushing next year, and now that it won't happen, add that to the minus-column.

Aside from the Glavine angle, would it be weird having Smoltz in a Mets uniform? Or is there more disappointment among Mets Nation that he won't be on the market this offseason?

On a completely unrelated topic, I couldn't help but read all the sordid details of the Gary Thorne-Doug Mirabelli-Curt Schilling bloody sock triangle. In doing so, I noticed that some people dredged up his clash with then Mets manager Bobby Valentine over comments about losing the Mets clubhouse. To which Valentine responded, "How the heck does he know. He’s never in our clubhouse."

I'm a big Bobby V. fan, but Thorne was in his clubhouse more than he knew. Because Thorne was always shuttling between baseball and hockey assignments, it wasn't unusual for him to be showering and changing clothes along with the players. He may have had his own locker at Shea.

Lastings Milledge was placed on the minor-league disabled list today after he was diagnosed with a strained ligament in his right foot. Milledge was batting .333 (13-for-39) with a double, home run and five RBI in 11 games at Triple-A New Orleans. His seven-game hitting streak ended Monday, when he was forced to leave the game in the second inning because of foot discomfort. Milledge flew back to New York and had further tests, including an MRI, on Wednesday.

The Mets are walking a fine line right now with Mike Pelfrey after another poor start in yesterday's 11-5 loss to the Rockies. On one hand, the team wants to develop its young talent, which is both cost-efficient and a feel-good move for the organization. On the other, the Mets don't have the luxury of sacrificing starts for the sake of Pelfrey's growing pains. Not with the Braves playing like a team with a chip on its shoulder, and don't look now, but the Phillies have reeled off five straight.

General manager Omar Minaya said yesterday that Pelfrey will get another start, but he also "reserves the right" to change his mind. Jorge Sosa has been impressive (3-0, 1.38 ERA) at Triple-A New Orleans, and he does have major-league experience.

Say you are in Minaya's shoes. Do you pull the plug on Pelfrey, send him down for some seasoning and call up Sosa? Or do you think Pelfrey can turn it around over the next five days? He's really the only weak link in the rotation at this point, and every game could be pivotal this season in the NL East.

Manager Willie Randolph opened this morning's press briefing with a cheery "Hello Class," before welcoming a debate on the definition of a slump. Randolph took exception to the media's tendency to refer directly to statistics, saying that a player could be swinging the bat great and still have nothing to show for it, numbers-wise. The two players he cited were Carlos Delgado and David Wright. Delgado was just 2-for-20 on the homestand, but smacking the ball with authority, so Randolph doesn't consider his first baseman to be slumping. Wright, on the other hand, had a pair of singles Tuesday night, but Randolph felt he was not yet out of his early malaise. I'd have to agree.

Endy Chavez gets the start in leftfield today with Randolph giving the 40-year-old Moises Alou a breather. Alou is not hurting from anything specific, Randoph said, but anyone who spends time in the clubhouse has noticed the leftfielder with plenty of ice hanging off different body parts, and always his two knees.

"He doesn't like to sit," Randolph said of Alou, "but we'll be better off in the long run."

Since Mike Pelfrey doesn't choose his own music before starts, the Shea DJ played The Who's "The Kids Are Alright" for him this afternoon. Definitely an upgrade from Asia's "Only Time Will Tell," which marked his season debut here on April 13.

If you love a good old-fashioned pitcher's duel, tonight's game is for you. Through seven innings here at Shea, Aaron Cook and El Duque have pitched shutout ball. Pretty impressive stuff.

The only legit scoring threat came in the third, when Jose Valentin led off with a booming triple off the centerfield wall. But El Duque struck out, which was no surprise. A mild surprise, however, was Jose Reyes striking out on a pitch up and away. He's been so good in the clutch all season and rarely chases pitches in those spot. Paul LoDuca, another clutch guy, grounded out to end the inning.

David Wright ended his 0-for-15 funk with a single to left in the second inning, but grounded out weakly in his next two trips. The power and production we've come to expect from him hasn't surfaced yet. I talked to Wright about his slow start before the game, so check out my story in Wednesday's Newsday.

Willie Randolph learned a lot about baseball and about dealing with his players while coaching under Joe Torre. But the Mets’ manager has never quite embraced the give-and-take with reporters the way the Yankees’ manager has. Torre is the best subject this blogger has ever dealt with in that department. Randolph? He’s fine one-on-one; not always so great in the group. So tonight’s display during his pre-game session with the media is noteworthy, to say the least.

Late in a session that already had run longer than usual, Randolph was discussing the new members of his bullpen and how their roles are constantly evolving. He said that the first third of the season is “a feeling-out period” for Ambiorix Burgos, Scott Schoenweis and Joe Smith. “We’ll find out where guys fit and how they’ll handle different situations,” Randolph said. “This is the time to do it. All the games are important, but let’s find out now, to help us win the race later.”

At that point, Jay Horwitz, the Mets’ long-time vice president of media relations, tried to wrap things up saying, “Anything else guys?” But Randolph was still talking and he cracked a big smile and barked, “Shut up, Jay! I’m not finished yet.”

Reporters got a big laugh out of that. First, because the genial Horwitz is often a willing brunt of jokes; second, because they were delighted to see Randolph willing to keep talking. The manager’s concluding thought was about how he won’t be predictable in how he uses his relievers and won’t commit to specific roles for any of them other than closer Billy Wagner, who gets the ninth. That means it could be a rotation system for who gets the eighth inning depending on the hot pitcher or a specific matchup.

“Seventh inning? Eighth inning? I don’t buy into that,” Randolph said. “I tell the guys, don’t trip about spots or times I call you. When the phone rings, get ready. I’m not here to make you comfortable. I’m here to win ballgames. You have to be flexible. I’m not going to be by the book.”

Sort of a Tomahawk hangover this morning after the Mets just dropped two of three to the Braves at Shea and now stand at 2-4 against their NL East rivals this season. Hard to get revved up for the Rockies as they roll into Flushing for a three-game series without Kaz Matsui, who is on the 15-day disabled list (surprise) with back spasms. It's too bad because Matsui was off to a fast start with Colorado, batting .361 (13-for-36) with two doubles, a triple and five stolen bases. Seems like a bad dream for Mets fans that Jose Reyes actually was moved to second base to accommodate the signing of Matsui back in 2003.

Back to the weekend ... Rough day for the Mets bullpen, which had been airtight before Sunday's meltdown in a 9-6 loss to the Braves. Manager Willie Randolph wanted to keep Scott Schoeneweis in the game for Chipper Jones in that pivotal seventh inning -- preferring to have Larry bat righthanded -- but Edgar Renteria burned him before that with a three-run homer. If he went with Aaron Heilman for Renteria, it would have possibly set up a dangerous matchup with Jones, who is 7-for-15 against him with three home runs. And mowing through three pitchers in that one inning would have been suicide with the score tied at 6. Even so, it was an April loss that definitely felt more significant.

"As the season gets later," David Wright said, "these are the ones we have to win."

Another disturbing footnote from Sunday's game: Wright went 0-for-4 and took a pair of called third strikes. He is now in an 0-for-12 skid since his 26-game hitting streak ended on Friday and does not have a home run since Game 4 of the NLCS last October.

Moments after comedian Chris Rock led the "Let's Go Mets!" cheers on the DiamondVision, Shawn Green led off the fifth inning with a towering home run into the Mets bullpen. Green turned on the first pitch from John Smoltz and swung so hard he almost knocked himself over. The 390-foot shot caromed off the AZEK sign that stands above the bullpen (it has the K counter) and Green flipped his batting gloves to the fans sitting beside the Mets dugout.

For those keeping track, Green also had a third-inning single, and he's batting .370 (10-for-27) with four doubles, two home runs and six RBI in his last seven games. Hard to believe this is the same guy whose job looked to be in jeopardy only three weeks ago.

Now that the Mets have solved the Oliver Perez mystery (for now!) how about trying to piece together the David Wright puzzle? The affable third baseman may have hit in the team's first 14 games before going hitless on Friday and Saturday, but he wasn't exactly stinging the ball. He went 0-for-4 on Saturday, with two strikeouts and is down to .290 for the season with 16 strikeouts in 62 at-bats. None of that would matter much if the production was there. Alas, Wright as no home runs and just four RBIs. Those are hardly the credentials for a No. 5 hitter, so manager Willie Randolph can't be second-guessed for trying Wright in the No. 2 slot on Saturday. It didn't end Wright's funk, but we'll probably see it again. This subject came up during spring training, when Randolph experimented with several players in the two hole. He indicated he'll likely continue to tinker there. Any problems with that?

Any of you sharp bloggers remember the last time a Mets player stole home? I sure don’t. But the subject came up, in a joking way, before Friday night’s game. Since it was Jackie Robinson Night and the Brooklyn Dodger great was known for his daring baserunning that included 19 successful steals of home, Willie Randolph was asked if Jose Reyes might try it soon. “I’m waiting for him to do it. He’s going to do it before too long,” Randolph said. Then he laughed and added, “Tonight would be a good night for him.”

Randolph said he frequently teased Yogi Berra during his Yankees years about the time Robinson stole home under Berra’s tag during the 1955 World Series, a play that infuriates the affable Yankees’ catcher to this day. “I always get on Yogi Berra about that play,” Randolph said impishly. “He always claimed that Jackie was out. I won’t say what he said but he was mad. ‘Oh geez. He was out. He was out.” Yogi would get very upset when I brought that up.”

Let’s keep an eye on Reyes if he reaches third base against the Braves tonight.

After watching Paul Lo Duca favor his bruised right hand in Wednesday's win, manager Willie Randolph decided to give him tonight off, and switched around his lineup accordingly:

Reyes ..... SS
Beltran .... CF
Alou ......... LF
Delgado .... 1B
Wright ....... 3B
Green ........ RF
Castro ........ C
Valentin ..... 2B
Hernandez .. P

Randolph said he also considered using either Wright or Green in the No. 2 spot. When asked how he came up with tonight's lineup, the manager held up a yellow legal pad with his jottings.

"I go by what feels good," Randolph said.

No lineup changes for the Mets tonight against the Marlins' Dontrelle Willis. Even Paul Lo Duca, who couldn't feel his fingers after Tuesday's 8-1 win over the Phillies, is back behind the plate. X-rays of his right index finger were negative, and manager Willie Randolph didn't hesitate to use him. The lineup card was posted before Lo Duca arrived this afternoon.

"It feels great," Lo Duca said, sarcastically. "It feels awesome."

Randolph figured as long as Lo Duca could grip a bat, he's good to go, and the Mets are taking batting practice at the moment. If Lo Duca bows out, I promise I'll give an update.

And what would a blog entry be this week without a weather report. After two freezing nights in Philly, it's a balmy 83 degrees here at Dolphin Stadium and skies are clear. Obviously, the Mets are thrilled to be out of the frosty Northeast.

"It's nice to feel the heat," Randolph said. "Want to run around naked."

Yeah, Willie, we're going up to the Quad. Everybody's doing it.

Looks like there will be a baseball game tonight at Citizens Bank Park. What a novel idea. The tarp is off, the field is dry, and I even spotted a few blue cracks in the dense cloud cover. The wind here is wicked though, and it appears to be blowing to rightfield. Maybe Carlos Delgado can snap his streak of 45 at-bats without a home run so far this season.

Both the Mets and Phillies have been idle since Saturday, so it will be interesting to see how the teams handle their longest layoff since spring training began.

"We'll just have to roll with it," manager Willie Randolph said. "In another week, we won't even be thinking about it."

The temperature is 46 degrees, but with wind gusts of 31 mph, it feels more like 38.

Think getting rained out twice in two days is easy? David Wright was so restless once the Mets arrived at the team hotel on Sunday that he watched the NCAA womens bowling championship between Vanderbilt and Maryland Eastern Shore. Wright, an avid bowler himself, was riveted.

"HoJo called me and said, 'Turn on ESPN2," Wright said. "We were about to go to dinner."

That brought up a discussion with reporters about the best bowling movie -- Kingpin or The Big Lebowski. Wright picked Kingpin, but Aaron Heilman yelled over and cast his vote for The Big Lebowski. Both movies are outstanding in their own way, but I have to give the nod to Kingpin in the head-to-head matchup.

As for non-bowling issues, the rain allowed the Mets to juggle their pitching rotation, and they pushed back Oliver Perez for a little more "fine-tuning." Here's how it shakes out over the next six days:

Tom Glavine, John Maine, Orlando Hernandez, Mike Pelfrey, Oliver Perez and back to Glavine again.

By the way, Vanderbilt prevailed, 4-3.

Word just came down here at Citizens Bank Park -- tonight's game between the Mets and Phillies has been postponed. No makeup date announced yet.

METS HONOR JACKIE ROBINSON
THIS FRIDAY NIGHT, APRIL 20

Pre-Game Ceremony Begins at 6:30 P.M.
When Mets Host the Atlanta Braves at Shea

The Mets today announced that they will honor Jackie Robinson Friday night, April 20 when the Mets return to Shea Stadium to host the Atlanta Braves. The pre-game celebration is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. Mets Manager Willie Randolph will wear #42 on Friday night to honor Robinson.

The Mets' plans as part of Major League Baseball’s league-wide commemoration of the 60th anniversary of Robinson breaking the color barrier were postponed this morning due to inclement weather throughout the New York tri-state area.

The make-up date for today's game against the Washington Nationals has yet to be determined. Fans should hold onto their April 15 tickets which will be honored for the rescheduled game against Washington.

Fans also have the option of exchanging their paid tickets from today’s rain out for the same price seat or apply its value toward the purchase price of a ticket to Jackie Robinson Night – subject to availability – at the Mets advance ticket windows at Shea Stadium. Rain checks and complimentary tickets from today’s game (marked April 15) will not be honored for admission on Friday night.

The Mets already have sold more than 40,000 tickets for this Friday night’s game. The Mets will announce further details regarding Friday night’s ceremony shortly.

For some reason, the Mets postponed their Sunday game against the Nationals. Maybe it had something to do with the 2-3 inches of rain and the puddles that are big enough to hide Endy Chavez in. No makeup date yet.
The rotation for the next five days will be Maine, Glavine, Perez, Pelfrey and Duque.
Forecast doesn't look good for Monday's game in Philadelphia either. You might not see any Mets baseball until Tuesday.
More on this in tomorrow's paper and on Newsday.com. Stay dry!

After a dark and chilly week here at Shea, at least the sun is shining this afternoon (50 degrees at first pitch). As manager Willie Randolph put it this morning, "Today's a heat wave." That's pushing it, but the bizarre conditions so far this spring might have persuaded Randolph to join the global warming camp. "I've got to watch that Al Gore special," he said. "What's it called again?"

Answer: An Inconvenient Truth.

On the baseball front, Endy Chavez gets his first start of the season, subbing for Moises Alou in leftfield. Chavez had only two at-bats in the first 10 games, so he was due. Ramon Castro also is starting in place of Paul Lo Duca, which is only natural for a matinee game following a late night Friday.

Had to ask Mike Pelfrey what possessed him to select Asia's "Only Time Will Tell" as his theme song for his season debut Friday night. The truth is Pelfrey didn't pick it. He admitted to not being much of a music fan -- hard to believe for a 23-year-old -- and couldn't even come up with a favorite song. When asked what he listens to in the car, Pelfrey said he has XM radio and just leaves it tuned to the Top 20 station.

Blame it on the cold, but it was difficult to get a good grip on Mike Pelfrey's performance in tonight's 3-2 win over the Nationals. There were times Pelfrey got the ground balls he needed -- three double plays -- but he also struggled with his command with four walks. Aside from the RBI single to Chris Snelling, with the pitcher on deck, most of the reviews were positive.

"I think Pelfrey gave us just what we needed," said closer Billy Wagner, who picked up his third save.

Added manager Willie Randolph, "He grinded it out for the most part. He kept us in the game under tough conditions."

The bullpen provided a big lift, too. Pedro Feliciano, Aaron Heilman, Scott Schoeneweis and Wagner combined for 3 1/3 scoreless innings. Wagner notched his 327th save to move into sole possession of 10th place on the all-time list. John Wetteland is next with 330.

Other leftovers:

-- David Wright, who extended his hitting streak to 22 games, is the first player since 1962 to end one season with a streak of at least 10 games and start the next year with another. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Curt Flood ended the 1961 season with a 12-game streak and began 1962 with a 17-game streak. Dick Groat also hit safely in his last 13 games of 1961 and began 1962 with a 13-game streak.

-- Jose Reyes now has eight stolen bases against the Nats John Patterson, his most against any pitcher.

-- Pelfrey, at 23, is the youngest Mets pitcher to make an April start since 1996, when a pair of 23-year-olds, Jason Isringhausen and Paul Wilson, each made five starts. (courtesy Elias Sports Bureau).

Interesting start tonight for Mike Pelfrey. Ever since the Mets named him the No. 5 starter back on March 25, the former first round pick has been in a little bit of a slide. The Devil Rays hammered Pelfrey for 10 hits and eight runs over four innings on March 31 at Tropicana Field, and he stayed behind in Florida to wait two weeks for his turn in the rotation.

Last Saturday, pitching for Class A St. Lucie, Pelfrey allowed five hits and three runs -- two earned -- in six innings. He also surrendered a home run and nailed two batters. That was against Vero Beach, and the Nationals presumably will be a step up, if not much. Any predictions for tonight?

In minor-league news, it looks like Fernando Martinez is on the fast track. The 18-year-old outfielder already seems comfortable at Double-A Binghamton and it appears the Mets' dream outfield of Martinez, Carlos Gomez and Carlos Beltran is on schedule for Opening Day 2009 at Citi Field. It is important to note, however, that Lastings Milledge is now being mentioned in that group by team officials. That wasn't happening a month ago.

As expected, the Mets sent Lastings Milledge to Triple-A New Orleans after Thursday's game. Shawn Green's hot start made this a no-brainer move, but couldn't Willie Randolph have given the kid one start?
I know a lot of you are wondering why Julio Franco gets to be on the team and Milledge doesn't. I wouldn't have kept Milledge either if he wasn't going to play -- and he wasn't, not regularly -- but the Mets love Franco and he's a pretty good pinch hitter. He's not going anywhere. Don't waste your brain cells on that one.
A bigger issue for Randolph going forward is getting Endy Chavez some at-bats. Endy is too good to be just a pinch runner and defensive replacement.
What do you think? Do you think Milledge will be a Met next season or gone in a trade for a pitcher? I think gone.

Tonight's game between the Mets and Phillies is literally one for the ages. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Tom Glavine (41 years, 18 days old today) and Jamie Moyer (44, 145) have the oldest combined age (85 years, 163 days) of any opposing left-handed starting pitchers in major league history. The previous oldest was in a game started by the Yankees' Tommy John (44, 346) and the White Sox' Jerry Reuss (38, 318) on May 2, 1988; they were a combined 83 years, 299 days old.

Kudos to the Newsday night crew for coming up with this back page. Too funny. What's not so amusing for the Mets is how vulnerable the back end of the rotation is beginning to look after the last two games. John Maine survived for only 4 2/3 innings on Monday -- he was fortunate to allow just two runs -- and Oliver Perez appeared to be completely lost during last night's meltdown. After Tom Glavine goes tonight (weather permitting) the Mets will keep their fingers crossed with Mike Pelfrey, who is scheduled to make his debut as the No. 5 starter tomorrow.

For all the gruesome details from last night's 5-2 loss to the Phillies, check here and here. And don't look now, but the Phillies seem to be feeling a little better about themselves this morning.

Maybe we all got a little too excited about Oliver Perez after just one start. Sure he was great last Friday in Atlanta, but tonight was a complete reversal of that performance. Perez was working on a one-hitter against the Phillies when he was pulled with two outs in third inning. The problem was the seven walks. For some inexplicable reason, Perez couldn't throw a strike during a stretch where he issued four straight free passes and then nailed Rod Barajas on the left leg. If you didn't see it, trust me -- it was agonizing to watch.

"They were disciplined," catcher Paul Lo Duca said. "You've got to give it to them. They didn't swing at a pitch out of the zone the whole inning."

There were a lot of them, too. Perez threw 38 pitches in the third, only 14 for strikes. Overall, he threw 73 (32 strikes).

Afterward, pitching coach Rick Peterson was swarmed by reporters wanting to know what happened to the Oliver Perez that dominated the Mets only five days earlier. Peterson looked up smiling and said, "Where we all you guys last week? No one wants to know why the stock market is way up. They only want to know why it's crashing."

Perez definitely veered off course in tonight's 5-2 loss, but it's too early to call the tow truck, and Peterson has no worries. "None whatsoever," he said. "He feels good physically. When he goes back out there next time, we'll see what happens."

Truth is, Peterson, despite all of his efforts, knows that Perez has always been unpredictable -- and may stay that way. Even with his flashes of brilliance, the only thing consistent about Perez is his inconsistency. Tonight wasn't the first time Perez walked seven in a game. Or the second. Or the third. It was the sixth time, which definitely counts as a trend.

A number of Mets approached Perez after the game to console him. And on his way out the door, Howard Johnson said only, "Next time, man."

That's the best thing about tonight for Perez. It's over.

Ruminations on another frosty evening at Shea:

With his demotion to Triple-A New Orleans imminent, Lastings Milledge insisted today that he can learn more up here with the Mets than playing every day with the Zephyrs.

"Right now, in my development, I feel like I need that," Milledge said. "Is it the best fit for me to be here? We don't know. There's decisions to be made. But that's how I feel personally."

Unfortunately for Milledge, the Mets feel differently, and he's almost certain to be a goner when they bring up Mike Pelfrey for Friday's game against the Nationals at Shea.

Also of note: Tom Glavine is scheduled for his first Shea start of 2007 tomorrow in the series finale with Philly. Glavine received one of the bigger ovations from the crowd in Monday's opener, but that doesn't mean he's due for another fan fest tomorrow.

"It's all going to depend on how I pitch," Glavine said. "I'm sure it will be nice and receptive and all those words, but in the end, it will be about how I pitch. And that's fine. That's the way that it is here. I think we all understand that and probably even appreciate it."

As for the cold, Glavine says he won't be overly concerned about the circulatory in his left arm that bothered him last season.

"I guess it's out of mind to the degree that I don't worry about it," said Glavine, who still takes baby aspirin to help the blood flow in his arm. "Honestly, I don't even know if it's necessarily tied to the cold weather. I always have issues with my hands in the cold and it's the kind of thing where you just try and manage and make adjustments. Knowing what I know now, and taking the medications that I take, it's a lot easier to deal with it than it used to be. "

Leftovers from Monday's opening day barbecue of the Phillies at Shea:
-- Everyone cool with Willie's decision to use Ambiorix Burgos against Ryan Howard? Obviously it had disastrous consequences at the time, but in the end, the Mets manager was able to defend the move. Next time he may not be so lucky. Check out Ken Davidoff's breakdown of Randolph's day.
-- Ready to pronounce the Phillies DOA yet? Manager Charlie Manuel is definitely on a short leash given the expectations of this team (thanks Jimmy Rollins) and he easily could be the first fired this season if the losing continues. Maybe even after a potential sweep by the Mets here.
-- What was the best part of the Shea opener? Booing Rollins? Getting a peek at the new stadium rising out of leftfield? Seeing Carlos Delgado bunt for a single? Or watching his headfirst slide into home? Gotta love the scent of burning charcoal and hot chocolate on a 40-degree day at Shea. Smells like victory.

As my colleagues here in the press box pointed out, the only noticeable difference at Shea for this season -- aside from the giant cranes -- is the 25-foot-high Dunkin Donuts coolatta posted above the visitors bullpen. My only hope is that it spins around and sparks shoot out of the straw after a home run.

We're 20 minutes from the first pitch here at Shea and Howard Johnson is the early leader in decibel level of applause during the pregame introductions.

Every member of the Phillies, from the training staff to Public Enemy No. 1, Jimmy Rollins, was booed loudly. Rollins didn't get any special treatment, despite his spring training comments describing the Phillies as the team to beat in the NL East.

Looks like a late-arriving crowd. Still a lot of empty seats.

Update: Aaron Heilman was actually booed. I can only think that was somehow related to Sunday's performance. Can somebody explain how that's justified?

If you'd like to chime in on our weekend poll
1) of the Braves and Phillies, who do you think will be the Mets' biggest foe this season;
2) would you prefer to see the Mets blow out the Braves in the division or break their hearts late in the season?
so far the tally is 4-3-1 for the Braves
and 8-0 for the Mets blowing out the division (is that because Mets fans are fearful of a real mano-a-mano race with the Braves? I wonder...)

Going to Shea for the home opener? Be warned: 2,100 parking spaces will be unavailable today due to construction for Citi Field. The Mets are urging fans to take public transportation, and not just for today, since they have sold more than 2.5 million tickets so far this season.
Here's the Mets release on expanded transit options:

EXPANDED RAIL SERVICE PROVIDES A FASTER, EASIER WAY
TO OPENING DAY AT SHEA

New Mets Ticket Offers Benefit Subway, LIRR, and Metro-North Riders

Complete Transportation Information Available at Mets.com or LosMets.com

FLUSHING, N.Y., April 7, 2007 – The New York Mets, in conjunction with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), New York City Transit, and the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), today announced additional service for Opening Day at Shea, April 9, and frequent regular season service to Shea Stadium throughout the 2007 season.

In anticipation of increased attendance in 2007, resulting from the team’s on-field success last season and the club’s best start in 22 years with a 4-0 record, NYC Transit and LIRR will add more trains on Opening Day and other select games. On Opening Day, NYC Transit will run more Flushing-bound 7 Express trains from Manhattan one hour earlier, at 11:30 a.m. and the LIRR will provide additional service on the Port Washington Line and Main Line trains connecting at Woodside for the non-stop, five-minute trip to Shea. Complete transportation information and timetables are available online at Mets.com or LosMets.com.

In the ongoing effort to provide added value benefits to Mets fans taking mass transit, riders can enjoy a special “Take the Train to the Game” $10 discount on the advance purchase of Mezzanine Reserved and Upper Box tickets for 20 select games. Riders can obtain the discount by using the code “METROCARD,” “LIRR,” or “METRONORTH” at the time of purchase by calling the Mets Ticket Office at (718) 507-TIXX or by visiting Mets.com.

Shea is easily accessible to fans using mass transit throughout the tri-state area. Fans coming from Westchester and Connecticut can reach Shea by taking Metro-North to Grand Central Terminal and transfer to the 7 Subway. NJ Transit riders can transfer at Penn Station to the Port Washington Line of the LIRR for the 16-minute ride to Shea.

The East River provides another route to Shea via the Mets Express Water Taxi an