30 Rock

Games 129 through 132 - Mets

Mets 3, Astros 0
Astros 8, Mets 3
Astros 6, Mets 4
Mets 9, Astros 1
Record: 73-59

30 games left. Rock and roll.
(Note: My math is better with very round numbers.)

A weekend split with the 'stros has certainly tightened things up in the standings. (The turn-around the Phils have made since Nick's pity party aided that result.) More significantly, the placement of John Maine on the DL is a resounding punt in the collective groinal area for the postseason hopes of this squad. Oof.

Lace marks on your marbles are a form of battle scar from which it's often hard to rebound, but I'm eager to see what Jerry's kids do to fill the void. Losing Billy Wagner had the talking heads taking the Mets' future to the river. What we now know is that although the bullpen is still fallible from time to time (I would not like Pedro Feliciano on a boat, I would not like him with a goat... though both would be preferable to having him on the mound), it has seemed to come together with Jerry Manuel and Dan Warthen actually employing situational logic instead of the knee-jerk practices used by their predecessors (and, to be fair, many big league managers). I'm not sure how this feat can be simulated with a hole in the starting rotation, but I will give the guys the benefit of the doubt that they can creatively solve this problem, too.

Crazy that a two-game, mid-week series in Philly looms large, but here we are. The Mets' lead is down to half a game. Pedro Martinez and Johan Santana against Jamie Moyer and Kyle Kendrick. Game on.