It's Like That

Game 24 - Mets

Mets 6, Braves 4
Record: 11-13

Whatever corner of the bullpen Oliver Perez was sitting in last night, let's hope he was watching. John Maine started down the steps to Ollie Hell, then made the necessary adjustments and reversed course. Three second-inning walks led directly to three runs for the Braves and had Mets Township collectively groaning. (Groans replete with f-words.) That was all the damage, however, that Maine would permit.

Ollie Perez's inability to make such adjustments is why he's no longer in the rotation. His mechanics are on strike. He's beyond in-game tweaks. He blames a knee injury, which I hope is legit. That can heal, and lost velocity might be recaptured. Without it, Oliver Perez is not a $36M pitcher. (With it . . . so you're telling me there's a chance.)

And frankly, why we want a mad walker in the pen as anything but mop-up is beyond me. The manager's nightmare is relievers who walk the first batter. Wanna bet what happens in his first appearance? I think we're seeing the power of a five-year guy who doesn't want to spend time in Buffalo.

Anyway, last night was about Carlos Beltran. A pair of two-run dingers off his blue-flame bat (for once, not a slag on his masculinity) carried the Mets to the win. He's still prone to Cerrano-style flailing at that elusive strike-three curveball, as in his second at-bat, but his first poke against Javier Vazquez immediately altered the game's momentum in a sport where that can be hard to do. Carlos is now sporting a tidy little .400/.500./611 clip. Nifty.

Dee-Dub also chimed in with a two-run job of his own. Just to say, "Hey, let's hold off on Daniel Murphy's coronation for just a spell, eh?"

All in all, a pleasing performance against one of the teams I wish horrible ill upon at all turns. Let's run it back tonight.

Hooray Mets (in a Jamaican accent).