Hell's Kitchen

Games 4 & 5 - Mets

Braves 11, Mets 5
Braves 3, Mets 1
Record: 2-3

A rainout, a blowout, and damn near a shutout. That there's a peach of a weekend in the Peach State, boys.

The extended stretch of Turner Field as a house of horrors for the Mets faded to black somewhat over the past couple of seasons, but it was Retro Weekend in Atlanta. Bad times, but don't worry, Mets fans, as I have some good news for you in a moment.

As for the weekend, it was mostly unpleasant. John Maine was given some fairly unhospitable treatment (once they found out he wasn't related to Orry Main) on Saturday, and former Brave Jorge Sosa was dumped on even worse. Yesterday Aaron Heilman performed his first crunch-time neck whip of the year, allowing a Mark Teixeira two-run shot that proved to be the eventual deficit.

Meanwhile, Tim Hudson held the Metbats in check, and John Smoltz made the Met lineup look downright ordinary for an afternoon. It's just a couple of games on a long schedule, so we'll shake it off. Always irritating to drop a series to that team, however.

Oh, but here's the good news I promised. In the year of our Lord 1986, the New York Mets were as unimpressive in as many games thus far, stumbling to a 2-3 start after losses to the division rival Phillies and Cardinals. They then proceeded to embark upon an 18-1 mark in their next 19 contests; at 20-4 on May 10, the Mets sat perched atop a division lead they'd never relinquish, and . . . well, you know what happened.

Now, I'm not suggesting that this is what's in store for the 2008 Mets. Keith Hernandez would be the first to tell you that these are not your father's New York Mets. I'm just pointing to historical precedent and encouraging the squad to entertain thoughts of inspired play over the next month, so as to set themselves up for a glorious run like 1986. Or a putrid collapse like 2007. Whichever.