On the Mets beat

Stumbled upon this hilarious item on Deadspin about today's Pittsburgh starter, Tom Gorzelanny. The easy way out would be to say he's telling the fans they're No. 1, but there is a more elaborate explanation provided by Pirates management in this article. Is Gorzelanny really flipping the fans off with his bobblehead? No word on how many curtain calls he's ignored this season.

Reyes ss
Castillo 2b
Wright 3b
Beltran cf
Church rf
Delgado 1b
Casanova c
Chavez lf
Santana p

Moises Alou is here and actually fine. There's no fracture in his right ankle, just a bruise. (And yes it's the right ankle, not the left.) He worked out with the team, took batting practice and thinks he will be activated Friday.

Jose Valentin also is here and was cleared to finally begin baseball related activities in PSL. If the over/under on ABs for Valentin in the majors is 1, what do you go with?

Also, Katie Strang will be live blogging using our new software. So stick around. Or leave for dinner and then come back. Either way see you soon.

And finally if you're interested in going to the All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium, check out Anthony Rieber's post on The Final Score about costs. You'll be surprised. Or not.

A tip of the cap to Mother Nature for washing out Monday's game against the Pirates and giving us another full news cycle of Curtain-Gate. Yee-haw. Kudos to Carlos Delgado for taking questions for roughly 20 minutes about Sunday's episode and giving everyone plenty of material for rainout stories. Katie Strang was there for Newsday and you can read all about Delgado's lengthy explanation here. The rain also forced the Mets to shuffle their rotation, with Johan Santana taking the mound tonight.

So what happens now with Delgado? He said he was not trying to send a message to the Shea fans when he refused to come out for a curtain call on Sunday, but it seems like he did anyway. Does Delgado now get booed every time he steps onto the field simply out of spite? Or will the fans try to move beyond this incident, which mushroomed into a media circus over the last 24 hours?

After what I've witnessed at Shea this season, I'm betting that Delgado gets jeered every time he shows his face. I don't agree with it, but the fans already despised Delgado before Sunday, and this just gives them more ammunition.The next time they hand out foam fingers at Shea, it should be a different finger.

The Mets postponed tonight's game against the Pirates at about 5:30 p.m.

That's no surprise to anyone who lives in the New York area.

The game will be made up on Aug. 11 at 1 p.m.

Johan Santana's start has been pushed back to tomorrow.

Since we're all weighing in with our opinion on "Curtain-Gate" this morning, complete with another pirate blog transmission on OTMB by the Final Score boys, here's my take: How does it feel, Mets fans, to be slapped in the face right back? Stings a little, doesn't it?

After weeks of ridiculing and booing their own team, now fans are supposed to be annoyed that Carlos Delgado didn't acknowledge their cheers for a curtain call? I'm sure he probably felt like climbing the dugout steps and giving everyone the Jack McDowell salute.

And with all due respect to the Final Score duo, the fans are not Delgado's bosses: that would be the Wilpons, the family that signs his jumbo-sized checks. Whether or not the fans like him, Delgado gets his $16 million either way, and it's manager Willie Randolph who decides if he plays or not. Fans have as much impact on Delgado's life as the Mayor of Juneau (Alaska, spelled differently than the movie).

I also don't buy the whole "peace offering" thing, that the fans were extending an olive branch to the first baseman they love to hate. The shelf life on this love affair will be shorter than a Britney Spears marriage.

Anyway, the Final Score did a great job posting video from yesterday, and as for their day jobs, Anthony Rieber chronicled Curtain-Gate here and Jim Baumbach says "no he didn't!" in his column today.

On an unrelated note, I took a page from Best's playbook and stuck a Spears photo on this entry. You know how difficult it is to find an appropriate shot of her for a family-friendly newspaper (or web site)? It must take Best hours to track down the photos for his blog.

The Final Score boys weigh in with a new debate and a video!

What do you think?

Carlos Delgado says he has only taken two curtain calls in his life, when he hit four in one game several years ago and after he hit his 400th career home run. He knew the fans were calling for one today, but he didn't feel it was the right spot.

I disagree, but whatever.

As for David Wright's involvement, I specifically asked Delgado if anyone encouraged him to go out for his curtain call. He got defensive and looked at me like I was crazy. I mentioned the give-and-take he had with Wright in the dugout, but Delgado said, "We were talking about pitch sequence in that at-bat," and then walked away.

Riiiiiiiiiigggghhhhhht.

Omar Minaya danced around it as best he could. At least he can dance. That’s something Moises Alou probably won’t be able to do for a while. Nor does playing baseball seem to be in his immediate future.
Minaya, the Mets general manager, announced yesterday that Alou, the team’s oft-injured 41-year-old leftfielder, might have a fracture in his left ankle.

With the Braves' Mark Teixeira in town this weekend, I thought it would be a good time to remind everyone that the switch-hitting Gold Glover will be a free agent this offseason and should be at the top of the Mets' wish list. Not a bad upgrade from Carlos Delgado, and wouldn't it be a nice change to see Teixeira making the type of plays he made Saturday for the Mets instead?

He's the perfect choice for a team that wants to focus on pitching and defense, but he's also a major offensive force. Sure, Teixeira won't come cheap -- he's a Boras client after all -- but the Mets don't have to worry about that. The only problem is that Teixeira seems to favor the AL -- he mentioned on Friday that he's "still learning this league" -- and that points to either his hometown Orioles or the Yankees.

Teixeira's favorite player growing up was Don Mattingly. But when the bidding war for his services gets underway, I wouldn't be surprised if he says good things about Keith Hernandez, too.

As another part of the Sunday baseball package -- I was keeping the space warm for Ken Davidoff this weekend -- I couldn't resist a chance to skewer Joe Smith for his brain cramp last Tuesday at Wrigley. You can find the rest of the Short Hops (the week that was in MLB) if you click here.

The Final: Mets 4, Braves 3
Wagner is the one sure thing in the Mets universe these days. In the ninth today, he retired Martin Prado on a fly to deep center, Brent Lillibridge on a called third strike, Matt Diaz (amid a chant of "Let's Go Mets") on a grounder to Reyes. Today, Mets fans go home happy.

3:58
"Enter Sandman." BIlly Wagner is entering, going for his "no-hitter" He has pitched eight hitless innings so far. He comes into a 4-3 game trying to preserve an uplifting, upbeat day for the Mets and their fans.

3:50

Interesting that during the Mets telecast Friday night, the fan poll asked which was the most important ingredient for the club: Jose Reyes performing well, the bullpen being consistent or Carlos Delgado bouncing back. The bullpen won in a landslide, to which Keith Hernandez pointed out that there are some very astute fans.

Felociano and Duaner Sanchez pitched a scoreless eighth, ending with a double play induced by Sanchez. Still 4-3.

Fans booing a little, this time for the announcement that the Jets had picked Gholston of Ohio State.

3:39
Jorge Campillo does the best pitching of the day: Three Mets in the seventh, three called third strikes. Pedro Feliciano is coming in for the eighth. Still 4-3.

3:30
A walk and a stolen base but no harm done, .Still 4-3 and set up for Sanchez and Wagner.

3:21
Nice play by Teixeira at first base, snagging the grounder by Jose Reyes an3:3d throwing home from his knees to get Angel Pagan, who had tripled witn one out in the sixth. But did he really "get" Pagan? Replays showed that it was awfully close and maybe Pagan was in there. Then again, maybe Wright was out when he was called save in the third. Still 4-3 and Scott Schoeneweis is coming in.

3:13
Aaron Heilman had them in the palm of his hand for a minute. Two tough batters, two quick outs. Mark Teixeira grouhds out, Brian McCann strikes out. Just what he needed to win over the fans. But then he gave up a double to Jeff Francoeur and a run-scoring single to Martin Prado. Then he heard boos. They even booed him after he ended the inning by retiring Brent Lillibridge on a grounder to second. Mets 4, Braves 3.

3:01
Doesn't it seem like decades ago when Royce Ring was the Next Big Thing for the Mets, the phenom they acquired by trading Roberto Alomar. I remember heading out into the concourse here at Shea so I could hear his college coach's voice on the phone for a quick scouthing report.

Of course, it never turned out that way. How many of those mid-season salary dump deals really do give you someone who really pans out? In any event, Ring came in this game with one out and Wright on second (single and steal) here in the fifth. He walked Ryan Church and retired Carlos Delgado on a fly to deep center, with Wright racing to third.Then with righty batter Damion Easly coming up, Ring was replaced by Jeff Bennett.

Speaking of lefties and blasts from the Mets' past, the Braves game notes today report that Mike Hampton began yet another injury rehab stint last night with three scoreless innings at Triple A.

It's still 4-2. Aaron Heilman, who got loose during the long bottom of the fifth, is in.

2:43
A momentary scare had Willie Randolph and head trainer Ray Ramirez raced to the mound after John Maine stopped in mid-delivery and grabbed something in his lower back or upper leg during what would have been his 99th pitch. He was OK, finished the at-bat with a strikeout of Kelly Johnson and walked off without a problem with a 4-2 lead through five. Nobodyh's warming up, either.

2:32
Buddy Carlyle is the new Braves pitcher, and he made quick work of the Mets in the fourth.

2:27
So much for that earlier comment on Hudson being exceedingly tough. Now he's gone. Bobby Cox lifted hm in the top of the fourth for pinch hitter Ruben Gotay (who received a nice ovation for a second straight day from Mets fans who didn't want to see him go). Gotay struck out. Still 4-2.

2:16

This got folks excited. They started chanting "Let's Go Mets" after David Wright punched a single through the hole to rightfield, following Endy Chavez' line single to right. The hit snapped an 0-for-19 slide for Wright and seemed to get things going at Shea.

Carlos Beltran followed with a double to the centerfield wall, both runners scored (Wright just slid past Brian McCann's tag). I guess it's true that Jose Reyes is the Mets' catalyst, but let's face it. If the Mets are going to do anything, Wright is going to have to be in the middle of it He can get a team going with the best of them.

More proof: Ryan Church hammered a triple to the rightfield corner, making it 3-2 Mets and getting the crowd excited for a Carlos Delgado at-bat, of all things. His dribbler to first actually brought in a run, and evoked cheers! I'm giving credit to Wright for lifting the mood of the whole place. Mets 4, Braves 2..

2:01
Maine put himself in a jam, starting with the single he allowed to Hudson, going through a one-out walk to Mark Kotsay and a two-out walk to Mark Teixeira. He looked like he was just about out of it when he fired two fastballs past Brian McCann. Then he threw a wild pitch that allowed Hudson to score. Not horrible, considering the game could really have gotten away from Maine there. But not perfect, either. You can't keep giving Hudson more breathing room.
Braves 2, Mets 0.

1:46
Well, they gave him a chance. Mets fans gave Carlos Delgado mostly cheers when he came to the plate in the bottom of the second. But after he quidkly flied out to centerfield, they quickly booed him pretty loudly.

There were nothing but plaudits from the crowd for Gustavo Molina, who is currently batting 1.000 as a Met. He drilled a 3-and-2 pitch through the right side for a single, sending Damion Easley (running with the pitch) to third. But Maine struck out. Still 1-0.

1:35

Nothing new to report on the game. Still 1-0 Braves in the middle of the second. Got a kick out of between-innings feature on DiamondVision. It was sponsored by Newsday, by the way, and consisted of remarks by another Newsday alumnus, Marty Noble, remembering Jack Lang. Noble listed three things we should all know about Jack Lang:
1) He deserves to be in the Hall.
2) He was a real character
3) No one on the planet did more for the Baseball Writers Association of America than Lang did.

Good inning from Maine. Three up, three down, two Ks.

1:30

Someon was kidding Jon Heyman that maybe he should try to talk to Tim Hudson, too. The guy (3-1, 2.93 ERA entering today) usually is tough. HItless first inning.

1:23
Maybe it would have been a bigger top of the first had Chipper been playing. As it was, Mark Teixeira (the guy Heyman did wind up interviewing after Chipper came up sore) drove a double to left center, scoring Kelly Johnson after John Maine had retired the first two batters.
Braves 1, Mets coming to bat

No Chipper
Chipper Jones is not in the Braves lineup. Reporptedly, he said he was fine when he got to his favorite stadium (the one he named his son after). But his back seized up. One report that I heard indicated that it happened right at the start of an interview with none other than Jon Heyman, the Newsday alumnus now with Sports Illustrated. Not that Chipper is blaming him or anything, but Mets fans might vote him star of the game.

Pregame on Jack Lang Day

This already has been a good day and the game hasn't started yet. The Mets had a short, classy ceremony on the field honoring the late Jack Lang, the veteran sportswriter who worked for the Long Island Press among other papers. The club officially dubbed today Jack Lang Day and showed a video tribute to his Hall of Fame career, which included covering the expansion Mets in 1962 and being the one who called 44 great players and telling them that they had been elected to the Hall in Cooperstown.

No it's not provincialism, that Lang was one of our own here in the press box and a Long Islander and a mentor and friend to me. Lang represents the honorable nature of this profession in that he always saw himself as an advocate for the public. He got to go where fans can't, and he believed it was his purpose to be their eyes and ears. He did it splendidly, and made a name for himself in the process.

We all owe him a debt--writers, readers, baseballl people. It was nice that Ed Charles, Ed Kranepool and Rusty Staub were on the field for the ceremony (Staub was so close to Lang that he spoke at Jack's funeral last year). They were joined by two of Jack's children, Randy and Victoria. Those two were joined by siblings Craig and Brian to unveil the countdown placard in centerfield, showing that there are only 71 games left here at Shea (including this one).

That was a nice touch to the tribute, considering this was Jack's second home.

(From Mark Herrmann, reporting for you with the hope of being at least a tiny bit like Jack)

Tom Glavine came to Shea last night with the Braves even though he's on the DL with a strained hamstring. Before the game, he held court on a host of topics. Thanks to Dave Lennon for the quote action: Glavine is going to have a bullpen session this weekend and start on Tuesday.

What kind of Shea reception is he expecting?
"I guess there's always some curiosity. I'm prepared for the worst. People I met walking around the city were nice and cordial, but I know its different when I get to the ballpark. I'll understand it either way. Hopefully it doesn't get any crazier than that. "

Did he do anything in city?
"Just got a cup of coffee, walked around. Nobody threw anything, so that's a positive. "

What did people say?
" ' Sorry about how that last game went. I appreciate what you brought to the team.' "

On his Mets experience:
"It was a fun five years. I hope that people at least respect what I brought to the ballpark for the team and the organization. I took the ball every fifth day and tried to do my thing. "

On the anger over the "devastation" comment:

"I may not agree with it, but I understand it. Believe me, I know what its like when your favorite team loses, as a fan and as a player. What I was trying to say is that the feeling is different than a life or death experience ... It bothers me more than any game I've ever pitched. But as much as that game hurt, there are worse things in life ... Was that the right time for me to make that point? Probably not. Its unfortunate that it was interpreted as me not caring because nothing could be further from the truth. There were of circumstances going on with that team. I just happened to be the last guy on the mound, so I was associated with that. I won my 300th game in a Mets uniform, so the Mets organization will always have a special place in my heart because of that. "

10:18 -- A fitting ending to a pathetic offensive performance by the Mets. Carlos Delgado did in fact pinch hit for Sanchez and struck out swinging. Perhaps they would have been better off taking their chances with the pitcher at the plate. Willie Randolph's seat just got a little hotter. Easley and Casanova both grounded out to end the game and put the Met's bats out of their misery. Braves win 6-3. Clearly, this loss can be blamed on the absence of Delgado. Sarcasm at its finest. Final score: Braves 6, Mets 3.

10:07 -- Decent performance from Duaner Sanchez. Mets head to the bottom of the ninth with a whopping two hits. Lets see if Delgado will pinch hit for Sanchez.

9:58 -- 1-2-3 inning. Mets go down without a fight. Something must be done to ignite this Met offense. They look more lost at the plate than a bunch of ducks in the middle of the desert.

9:51 -- The Braves go down in order. An unprecedented event.

9:47 -- It seems the only way the Mets have been able to draw baserunners tonight is via walks. Back-to-back walks to Casnova and Chavez brought the tying run to the plate, but Reyes and Castillo were unable to deliver the timely hit the Mets so desperately need.

9:35 -- The bullpen continues to live up to its reputation. Joe Smith started off well but then gave up consecutive singles. Pedro Feliciano relieved Smith and allowed an RBI single to Johnson. The Mets unreliable bullpen and inability to get timely hits is not a good combination for success, evident by the fact that their record is hovering around .500. Let's see if the Mets can add to their two hits tonight in the bottom of the inning. Braves 6, Mets 3.

9:20 -- I wonder what would draw more boos at this point, Aaron Heilman emerging from the bullpen or Carlos Delgado coming in to pinch hit? It's too close to call. Anyway, the Mets are going down faster than Delgado's batting average. Another perfect inning for Jurrjens who has been flawless since the third.

9:12 -- Kelly Johnson took advantage of a pitch Pelfrey left up in the strikezone and put it over the fence in right to give the Braves a two-run lead. A Reyes throwing error would mark the end of the night for Mike Pelfrey. Scott Schoeneweis promply came in and gave up a double down the line to Teixeira but struck out McCann to end the inning. I still put the over/under for the number of runs the bullpen gives up tonight at four. Braves 5, Mets 3.

8:57-- Reyes can't seem to catch a break at the plate. In his previous at-bat Jurrjens made a nice stab on a ball hit up the middle, and he just made good contact but hit it directly to Francouer in right. He is now 1-for his last-17. At least he is hitting the ball hard. Baby steps. Jurrjens puts the Mets down in order for the second consecutive inning.

8:49 -- After retiring the first two batters, it finally looked as if Pelfrey was going to have his first 1-2-3 inning of the game. But back-to-back doubles by McCann and Jeff Francoeur spoiled those plans and tied the game at 3-3. By the way, the Bobby Cox ejection was the 136th of his career, the most all time. There's a record to tell his grandchildren about. Mets 3, Braves 3.

8:38 -- After walking everyone except Mr. Met in the third inning, Jurrjens managed to find the plate again and retired the Mets in order.

8:32 -- Pelfrey seems to have trouble retiring the leadoff man each inning which is always recipe for disaster for pitchers. Pelfrey walked Matt Diaz to lead off the inning and he came around to score on a Kelly Johnson sac fly. Mets 3, Braves 2.

8:22 -- There is nothing like a gift from the home plate umpire when you are mired in an 0-for-16 slump. David Wright worked his way out of an 0-2 count with the bases loaded to draw a walk and tie the game at 1-1. Wright took some pitches that could have very easily been called strikes to end the inning, much to the chagrin of Jurrjens and Bobby Cox, who had some words for the umpire, resulting in his ejection. Jurrjens seemed to have lost his composure after the Wright at-bat and walked in Beltran and Church for two more runs. Mets 3, Braves 1.

7:57 -- Pelfrey gave up two singles to Chipper Jones and Brian McCann but managed to turn a double-play on a comebacker to the mound to end the inning.
He may have bought himself some time with that play. It's time to start putting the Braves down in order.

7:50 -- A nice diving play by Teixeira to take away a base hit from Ryan Church. Teixeira is headed for free agency and would look pretty good in a Mets uniform at first base. Then again, most people would look good at first for the Mets considering the recent performance of their currrent first baseman, Mr. Delgado. Jurrjens has looked impressive, Mets go down 1-2-3.

7:46 -- Pelfrey still looks somewhat erratic but got out of the inning with no damage after a leadoff single. After two innings, his pitch count has already reached the mid-40s. With his command problems he will be lucky to pitch five innings which spells doom for the bullpen.

7:34 -- The left side of the Mets infield continues to struggle at the plate as Jose Reyes strikes out and David Wright grounds out. Mets go down in order.

7:25 -- Pelfrey is having trouble finding the strikezone already. He walked three batters in the inning, two of which were on four pitches. An RBI single by Mark Teixeira put the Braves up 1-0. The Mets need a solid outting by Pelfrey in order to give their overworked, underachieving bullpen a rest. But if the first inning is any indication, the bullpen better be prepared to work some innings tonight. Braves 1, Mets 0.

6:55 -- Good evening ladies and gentlemen. Mike Gavin here for another night of Mets baseball. In an interesting move, Willie Randolph has decided to bench the struggling Carlos Delgado for tonight's game in favor of Marlon Anderson. Randolph is probably trying to delay the inevitable booing that will rain from the stands once Delgado's .198 batting average appears on the Shea scoreboard. First pitch is just minutes away.

Pregame chatter

Atlanta Braves (11-11) at Mets (11-10), 7:10 p.m.

Starters: Jair Jurrjens (2-2, 3.20) for Atlanta and Mike Pelfrey (2-0, 3.18) for the Mets.

Last starts: Pelfrey won his first two starts of the season, but looked shaky and got a no-decision Sunday in Philadelphia. He gave up four runs on 10 hits over five innings against the Phillies. Jurrjens allowed season-lows of one run and three hits with a career-high eight strikeouts in seven innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday.

Previous series: The Braves swept a rain-shortened two-game series from the Mets earlier this month.

Be back later after the first pitch.

Before the Mets posted their lineup, manager Willie Randolph was gracious enough to inform the media that Carlos Delgado wasn't in it.

Randolph called it a "mental break" for his struggling first baseman.

He also said Delgado will be back in there tomorrow.

Brian Schneider remains hospitalized with what Randolph called a "staph infection" in his left thumb. The Mets hope he will be released Sunday. They don't know how he got the infection.

The full lineup:
Reyes SS
Castillo 2B
Wright 3B
Beltran CF
Church RF
Pagan LF
Anderson 1B
Casanova C
Pelfrey P

As bad as those two losses were in Chicago, last night's debacle in DC gets my vote as the most unsettling defeat of the seven-game road trip. Oliver Perez, the guy who beat the Mets for $6.5-million in arbitration, can't be trusted to hold onto the baseball for six innings? Seriously. Here's how his starts stack up this season:

4/2 at Fla ..... 6.0 IP
4/8 PHI ........ 5.2 IP
4/13 MIL ...... 4.1 IP
4/19 at Phi ... 5.2 IP
4/24 at Was ..5.2 IP

I blame Perez more than Willie for this disturbing trend. Despite his considerable talent, he's unreliable. Would you have stuck with Perez last night as the sixth inning unfolded? Not me. The guy was a time bomb. When Perez begins to unravel, it happens fast, and Randolph really had no choice but to take his chances with Heilman.

Of course, Heilman has his own problems at the moment, and the Mets can only hope he hit rock bottom last night with the walk to Lastings Milledge and Felipe Lopez's grand slam. On that note, ESPN's Tim Kurkjian provided a great nugget on Baseball Tonight: There have been four grand slams this season in the National League and the Mets' bullpen is responsible for three of them. Ugh. Jorge Sosa has two on his own.

It's also time for a mea culpa on my part. Heading into this season, I was convinced that Carlos Delgado would turn it around. Contract year, different mindset, etc., etc. Now I'm getting ready to jump ship on this one. I know it's only 21 games, but Delgado, dropped to sixth on Wednesday, is regressing. He was a weak 0-for-4 in last night's 10-5 loss, twice grounding meekly into the shift, as his average plummeted to .198.

To make matters worse, Delgado is obviously taking his plate woes to the field with him. I know he's not a good first baseman. But he's playing so tentatively right now that it's like his mind is still in the batter's box while he's standing at first.

Delgado has saved David Wright on a number of occasions this season, either by scooping his short-hops throws or applying the tag on his wild ones. But to see him let Wil Nieves' grounder get under his glove last night in the seventh inning was brutal. Thanks to a clueless official scorer, it was ruled a hit, but Delgado knew it should have been an error. After missing with his backhand, Delgado threw his head back in disgust, clearly mad at himself.

So where do the Mets go from here? They're barely above .500 (11-10) and the Braves would like nothing better than to bring the boos raining down at Shea this weekend. This already is shaping up to be a gut-check series for the Mets, and after what I witnessed on the trip, there's not much reason to believe at the moment, especially if they are without Brian Schneider for any length of time. The Mets should have a better idea of his availability later this afternoon after he was hospitalized yesterday for a thumb infection of unknown origin.

As for tonight, it's up to Mike Pelfrey, the subject of this week's Mets Insider. Just in case you were wondering why Pelfrey looks like a black lab chewing a tennis ball on the mound, here's the back story to his mouthpiece and the possible advantage it may give him as a bizarre distraction to opposing hitters.

10:24 -- Well that's it. The Mets touched Jon Rauch for a run, getting one back on a Marlon Anderson pinch hit homer. Reyes finally broke his hitless streak with a single, but was left stranded at third when Church flied out to center to end it. Perez gets handed the loss. Up tomorrow is a date with the hated Braves at Shea Stadium and the Mets limp in having lost four of their last five. Final: Nationals 10, Mets 5.

10:11 -- Pedro Feliciano comes in and holds the Nationals in their portion of the eighth.

10:02 -- Mets go down 1-2-3 in the eighth and the prospect of them finishing the road trip with a winning record is pretty much out the window. It's going to take a massive effort and we know the Mets' offense has slowed little sign of being able to come back from a six-run deficit.

9:52 -- Is it me or does it seem like Jorge Sosa pitches every day? The guy's arm is going to be Jello by the end of May at this rate. Anyway, Sosa didn't get any help. Fielding miscues by Reyes and Delgado helped open the floodgates and the Mets are getting pounded. Make that 10 straight runs scored by the Nats after falling behind by three. Nationals 10, Mets 4.

9:37 -- Guess the birthday boy got a present after all. Beltran hit a two-out big fly to right that landed in the first row for his second homerun of the season and No. 11 for the Mets. That's all they got and trail by three with two more turns to make something happen. Nationals 7, Mets 4.

The Mets just announced that Brady Clark has been DFA'ed to make room for catcher Gustavo Molina on the roster, but they hope to avoid the DL with Brian Schneider. The Mets catcher will be hospitalized overnight, likely with an IV antibiotic to kill the infection in his left thumb. That way a more invasive procedure can be avoided and Schneider will not require a DL stint.

Brian Schneider's return from a bruised right forearm lasted exactly one game. Schneider was sent back to New York today because of an infection in his left thumb. He is currently hospitalized at New York Presbyterian and the Mets have Gustavo Molina on standby. Raul Casanova is starting tonight, batting eighth. Here's the full lineup:

Reyes (ss)
Castillo (2b)
Wright (3b)
Beltran (cf)
Church (rf)
Delgado (1b)
Pagan (lf)
Casanova (c)
Perez (lhp)

Five starts in and what else can you say about Johan Santana? Pitches like a two-time Cy Young winner, hits like he's trying for the Triple Crown and fields, well, like the Gold Glover he is.

While every other pitcher in baseball would coast into second on a double, Santana was actually thinking triple after his blast in the third inning. Much to the horror of Willie Randolph, who was happy he put the brakes on.

"That was enough," Randolph said. "He probably could have made it, but you don't like a pitcher stretching out, especially the way we get injured around here."

Fortunately, Santana survived a pair of doubles last night, and all three of his hits this season have been doubles. Maybe Santana can smack a home run one of these times so he doesn't have to run so hard. I'm sure that's coming soon.

Santana was great, but let me add some perspective to last night's 7-2 win by saying the Nationals are awful. When the Mets trailed, 2-1, with COO Jeff Wilpon in the house, I was starting to think this might not be a pleasant postgame conversation in the manager's office. Still, the Mets didn't waste the chances the Nats gave them in that ridiculous sixth inning, so they did what they needed to.

As for Carlos Delgado, who was dropped to sixth in the lineup, can't say that was much of a shocker. It just happened a few days earlier than expected. With a little less pressure, we'll see how Delgado responds.

And on that note, my colleague Wally Matthews issues a challenge to Jose Reyes in today's column, asking him if he wants to be a Derek Jeter or a Rey Ordonez. Tough choice ... hmm ... lemme see ... Ordonez was a much superior fielder, but Jeter has dated Scarlett Johansson and Jessica Biel ... OK, I go with Jeter.

10:16 -- Say goodbye to that three-game losing streak Mets fans. Billy Wagner shuts the door and the Mets add another to the win column. These are the types of games good teams have to win in order to become a great team. Tomorrow they go for the sweep of the short two-game series and Oliver Perez takes the mound. Be back to guide you through that one, too. Final: Mets 7, Nationals 2.

10:06 -- Reyes takes an 0-fer and is hitless in five ABs. Castillo lined his second hit of the night. Those aching knees must be feeling pretty good because he swiped second and scored along with Wright on Church's two-out double to right. Delgado lined out to send it to the bottom of the ninth. In a SNY poll asking fans if Church or Castillo should bat second, Church won with an overwhelming 81 percent of the vote. Agree/disagree? Should Castillo be dropped to eighth and Church stay entrenched in the two hole? Mets 7, Nationals 2.

9:44 -- Solid job by Sanchez, who's going to be a big key for the Mets in their bullpen. He retired the side in order and struck out Zimmerman on a nasty slider. So it's onto the ninth and the Mets are cruising.

9:38 -- Mets waste Delgado's one-out infield single and Schneider's two-out blooper to center. Marlon Anderson's problems at the plate continue as he flies out as a pinch hitter for the third out of the Mets' half of the eighth. He's got to get his bat going off the bench.

Here's the complete Mets lineup:

Reyes (ss)
Castillo (2b)
Wright (3b)
Beltran (cf)
Church (rf)
Delgado (1b)
Pagan (lf)
Schneider (c)
Santana (lhp)

Well, that settles that. The Mets just released their lineup and Carlos Delgado is batting sixth. Ryan Church is batting fifth. More to come.

OK, that's a stretch, but I watched the "More Cowbell" skit from SNL for the 10,000th time the other day -- courtesy of another Newsday blog, Bronx & Beans -- and now I can't get Bruce Dickinson out of my head. Yes, THE Bruce Dickinson. I'm sorry, but that never gets old. Ever.

Well, in Dickinson speak, the Mets have the cock of the walk going for them tonight against the Nationals in Johan Santana, and they need it bad after a two-game series to forget at Wrigley Field. Maybe Willie can give Jorge Sosa the night off. Geez. When the bullpen phone rings, what is that conversation like? "Yeah, this game's kinda tight, but we have a plane to catch so we absolutely, positively do not want extra innings."

In trots Sosa and -- boom -- no need to worry about a comeback.Knot those ties, cut a check for the clubbies and it's on to Washington.

Of course, Sosa is not the Mets' only problem at the moment. Carlos Delgado had a rough afternoon in yesterday's 8-1 loss and not just at the plate. Interesting stat, though. The Mets 1-5 hitters went 5-for-34 with zero RBI in the two losses to the Cubs -- and Delgado had two of those hits. Go figure.

It also looks like we won't be seeing Petey around for a while after the Mets announced it will be at least 10 days, and maybe two weeks, before Martinez even climbs a mound again. And I'm starting to wonder if El Duque will ever make it back.

On a positive note, the hot-hitting Brian Schneider is expected to return to the lineup after a three-game absence, so perhaps he can rejuvenate the Mets' slumbering offense. Never thought I'd be writing that sentence. I know we're not talking Piazza here, but Schneider is batting .308 with a .383 OBP. Not bad.

A few minutes ago, Mets assistant GM John Ricco provided a brief summation of the team's injury situation, so here goes:

Pedro Martinez (strained left hamstring) was examined by team orthopedist David Altchek in New York on Monday and he is expected to begin throwing from a mound in a 10 days to two weeks. That means a bullpen session, so looking ahead, it could be at least another two weeks beyond that before he is ready to rejoin the Mets.

Orlando Hernandez (strained foot ligament) was checked out today in New York and his news is not so promising. It was recommended that he remain in his walking boot for another two weeks before he is re-examined again. At this point, it wouldn't surprise me at all if El Duque considers retirement.

Moises Alou went 2-for-7 in an extended spring game - he did not travel with the Class A St. Lucie team -- as the Mets try to force feed him at-bats to get him ready. There's an outside chance he could be back in time for the start of the upcoming homestand Friday.

5:41 p.m.

Kevin Hart just got Jose Reyes to ground to first to end the game, and a forgettable two days in Chicago. A 7-1 loss last night followed up with an 8-1 loss today.

One word, Mets fans: Yuck.

Okay, that's it for me until the Yankees game tonight.

5:38 p.m.

Joe Musgo, in the comments section, asked which pitcher gave up the grand slam. Sorry about that, Joe. It was Jorge Sosa.

5:23 p.m.

If you're waiting around your office to see what happens with the Mets before you go home, don't bother. Ronny Cedeno just crushed a 2-and-2 two-out pitch over the leftfield wall for a grand slam - and the Mets now trail the Cubs, 8-1. I can guarantee this bunch are not going to score seven in the top of the ninth...

5:03 p.m.

Well, that inning felt like it took 2 hours. Somehow the Mets got out of it allowing only one run. Nice job by Jorge Sosa getting Reed Johnson to pop out after a loooooong at-bat. Now can the momentum carry over to their offense?

Let's predict the final score here. I say Cubs 5, Mets 1.

Your turn.

Looks like I jumped the gun on Brian Schneider. He needs another day off for his bruised forearm, so it's Raul Casanova back behind the plate. Two other notable changes: Damion Easley for the gimpy Luis Castillo and Brady Clark replaces Ryan Church - Clark is in left.

Reyes (ss)
Pagan (rf)
Wright (3b)
Beltran (cf)
Delgado (1b)
Easley (2b)
Clark (lf)
Casanova (c)
Figueroa (rhp)

The Final Score boys debate it here. What do you think?

Never thought I'd say this, but the numbers don't lie. The Mets are 8-1 against lefthanded starters this season, so with Ted Lilly taking the mound today for the Cubs, you have to like their chances. Lilly also is 0-3 with a 9.16 ERA. Not good. Opposing him is Nelson Figueroa, one of the early feel-good stories of 2008, in his first start away from Shea. First pitch is 1:20 CST.

The Mets also should have Brian Schneider back behind the plate today after he missed the last two games with a bruised right forearm. Angel Pagan is expected to return to the starting lineup in leftfield after Endy Chavez played the last two there -- both losses.

John Maine pitched just well enough to lose last night -- two runs in six innings is a pretty decent outing at Wrigley -- and the Mets were encouraged that he seems to be regaining his 2007 form. As for Pagan, his steady playing time is about to decline sharply with Moises Alou slated to return next week. The Mets could use the offensive boost, especially with Carlos Delgado's struggles in the No. 5 spot.

Top of 9th - Wood gets a 1-2-3 inning. FINAL: Cubs 7, Mets 1.

Bottom of 8th - Lee reaches base, E-6 on Reyes. That certainly doesn't help Heilman, who has struggled this season. Heilman drilled Ramirez on his left elbow. Runners at first and second for Fukudome. Fukudome singled to left in an 11-pitch at-bat. Bases loaded for DeRosa. Heilman got a huge out on a strikeout of DeRosa. Heilman got a popup, prompting the infield fly rule. Well, Heilman almost got out of it. But Cedeno lined a single to center to score two runs. That was it for Heilman as Jorge Sosa entered the game. Heilman didn't get the job done, but Reyes started it all with the error. And the floodgates are officially open. Felix Pie hit a three-run home run to right off Sosa. A big five-run inning for the Cubs. Expect to see new Cubs closer Kerry Wood in the ninth in now a non-save situation. Cubs 7, Mets 1.

Top of 8th - Marmol is in. Chavez drove a slider deep to right, but not deep enough. Fukudome caught it. Marlon Anderson pinch-hit for Sanchez. Marmol buckled Anderson on another slider for a called third strike. Reyes flew out to left. With a fastball in the mid 90s and a good slider, Marmol was tough. Aaron Heilman is coming in for the Mets. Line on Zambrano: 7 innings, one earned run, five hits, four strikeouts and two walks. Zambrano looked very good tonight.

Bottom of 7th - Duaner Sanchez relieves Maine to start the inning. Cedeno starts the inning by grounding to Wright, who couldn't field the ball cleanly on the backhand. Cedeno beat the throw. Zambrano is out, with Daryle Ward in as the pinch-hitter. We'll probably see Carlos Marmol in the eighth. Ward grounded to Wright for the out, but Cedeno advanced to second. Johnson grounded to Wright (another backhand) for the second out. Cedeno had to hold at second. Fontenot grounded out. Line on M