Hot Time In the Old Town Tonight

Game 78 - Mets

Mets 5, Phillies 3
Record: 39-39

It's hot out there, people, and intense heat makes people go a little bonkers. Automobile accidents are more frequent, crimes of passion go through the roof, people get fired more often, and baseball folks simply lose their minds. I can't even begin to comprehend Kenny Rogers' state of mind lately, and yesterday three out of the six managers in NL East games were run by the second inning. Former Met hero Todd Pratt bitched about some bad calls from his crouched position behind the plate and got tossed. It seemed a little premature, but MLB umps -- draped in that heat-friendly jet black from head to toe -- seem to be rather on edge lately, and they're taking no guff from no man. Yeah, they probably need to be reined in a bit, but until they are, watch yourselves, guys.

Pedro was slightly off yesterday, and he followed Zambrano's lead from the day before in a high pitch count / early exit. But he pitched well enough, and Chris Woodward's 2-run single, Jose Reyes' 2-run triple, and Mike Cameron's base-knock to plate Reyes covered the damage Pedro (and Bell/Ring) allowed. The pen was sharp, which, considering the muggy heat and their penchant for unnecessary dramatics, was a pleasant surprise.

Unfortunately for the Mets, those crazy Nationals keep winning, despite a recently released poll taken in spring training in which MLB players voted Frank Robinson as baseball's worst manager. This, my friends, is why it's cruel and unusual to interview ballplayers with anything but eephus-level questions. The stereotype of the dumb jock lives on every time an idiot baseball player opens his mouth. (Carl Everett, you take a 7 ¾ dunce cap, no?) Anyway, as long as the Ex-Expos keep chugging along, even a .500 record keeps the Mets eight games out.

Meanwhile, nobody here was buying the Philadelphia Phillies surge to the top of the division a few weeks ago, and we're not stunned to see them tumble back down to the valley of mediocrity. Vic Ferrari was fun to watch for a while, but it's ultimately more enjoyable to watch the Latka Gravas side of the Phils.

39-39. Feels like the Mets should be better than this, especially when you know they were 39-39 last year. (They even rose to 41-39 before going 30-52 on the hairy backside of the season.) The Marlins come to town over the weekend before seven road games close out the Mets' first half. You can find out what the key match-ups are in this weekend series in many other Metblogs (at right), but all you really need to know is encapsulated right here: it looks pretty skunky for the Mets. Taking one of three from the will be a break. Show me something, Metropolitans.