Red Rockers

Games 90 & 91 - Mets

Mets 3, Reds 2
Mets 5, Reds 2
Record: 51-40

Kudos to the schedule-makers for starting the Mets' post-Break out with four games against the underwhelming Cincinnati Reds. The Mets weren't great, barely pretty good, but the Reds were mediocre, as it seems they've been all season. While the Metropolitans took three of those four, Ollie Perez and Jorge Sosa were re-activated, Lastings Milledge has come charging out of nowhere, and the wheel has spun back towards the top for the Mets.

Here's the problem: those schedulers also gave the Mets a bonus West Coast trip, and seven games against division contending stalwarts in their hitter-unfriendly parks could send the New York nine back downward that quickly. Especially unpleasant as the Braves get a week full of the same Reds and the Cardinals. Sad to say, but the Mets may well be a second-place a week from now.

Meanwhile, the Phillies just lost their 10,000th game in team history, a singularly woeful feat. If you haven't treated yourself to analyzing just how inept a franchise the Phightin' Phils are, have a sample-size look at just how bad they've been in their 125 years of existence. While the media makes note (and light) of their historic plight, the Phillies may try to capitalize on the ignominy and write some new history of a more positive nature. They'll have to face the same foes as the Mets this week, though, and they're still teetering around .500. So for now we'll fixate on the Braves. Again. As usual. Beginning to feel the hate swelling within me, like Luke Skywalker in Jedi. I hope not to find out that Chipper Jones is my father . . . the way many unsuspecting youths in baseball towns across America have. Ba-dum-pum.

Busy week for me, in DC and on the high seas trolling for catch, but I'll try to check back later. In the meantime, enjoy our silliness over at Gheorghe: The Blog.