Misery Loves Company: Two Guys Watch Baseball

Game 14 - Mets

Mets 3, Pirates 1
Record: 5-9

Whew, the bleeding is clogged a little. As predicted by your local New York Metropolitans Prognosticator, the Mets did not top that lofty 4-run plateau. (Haven't the Red Sox scored 4 or more runs in every game thus far?) Fortunately, thanks to Tom Glavine, errorless defense, a towering two-run tater by Burnitz, and a narrowly averted Benitez déjà vu, the jokers from Queens put one in the W column for the first time in a week. The Baseball Tonight crew discussed the likelihood of an Armando Benitez trade last night, saying it needs to happen and that it's more a question of when he's traded. He's a free agent after this year, and he doesn't handle the pressure of either the notorious New York press or those pesky ninth-inning hitters. The latter is an occupational hazard he has never handled all that well when it mattered, but they'll have to sweep that under the rug when shopping him around. Best-case scenario: Benitez notches a few more saves, hopefully in more impressive fashion than last night, then the Mets deal him to Boston (after Mendoza, Embree, Fox, & Co. enrage the masses from Mass with a few more fumbles) for Trot Nixon or Kevin Millar or a minor leaguer or a lobster roll. Oh, and they can have Mo Vaughn back, too. Between Strickland, Weathers, Stanton, et al, we can find a closer -- or go by committee! That'd go over well in New York, don't you think?

David Cone goes against Jeff Suppan tonight. Suppan has looked sharp thus far. We need to remind him that he's a career 4.98 ERA guy. One positive note from last night's game: only 3 whiffs by the Mets' hitters. And speaking of positive notes, last week Mr. Russell pondered the emotional highs and lows of following the season, and whether the lifts from the wins are as significant as the attitude-altering beat-downs we suffer after losses. All I know is, drop 6 in a row and then get a win, that win is a huge breath of fresh air.