On the Mets beat

Stop me if you've heard this one before. Final week, Mets returning home with a 1 1/2-game lead for a playoff spot. Yikes.

I usually like to post the back cover from this morning's Newsday to add a little color to the blog, but no such luck. Perhaps you heard that a stadium closed last night in the Bronx. It was in all the newspapers.

Anyway, the Mets did get a box in the top righthand corner of the front page, but I couldn't find it on the web site, so you're going to have to plunk down the 50 cents at a newstand the old fashioned way. If you don't have the two quarters, here's what it says: Mets blow another one. Short and sweet.

If you're searching for some insight, or predictions, or maybe someone to pat you on the back and assure you that everything will be all right, I'm not that person this morning. Not today, anyway. When i was asked repeatedly last September if the Mets would hang on and make the playoffs, I unfailingly answered yes, yes and yes.

I'm not going to make that mistake again this year. Not today. Maybe after a strong performance by Jon Niese tonight, and if the Cubs look completely disinterested, I'll be more positive about the Mets' chances. Let's see what happens.

After yesterday's 7-6 loss to the Braves, I think Scott Schoeneweis did the best job summing up the Mets' do-or-die final week.

"I don’t know what else to say," Schoeneweis said. "I really don’t. There’s just nothing more to say. There’s no excuses. There’s nothing to say. Just win. If we score 10 and we give up nine in the bullpen and win the game -- we win the game. That’s what it is right now. There’s no time to be weary. There’s no time for anything. I’ll pitch every day the rest of the season straight through. I’ll do whatever I can."