On the Mets beat

Good evening baseball fans. Marcus Henry is here to carry you through the first of four games between the Mets and the Cardinals. This is a huge matchup for a couple reasons. The Mets have one their top two hurlers in John Maine going tonight. Maine leads the team in wins and has been solid over his last two starts. The Cardinals will trot out Kyle Lohse. And to think the Mets could've had Lohse. But that's just me playing Monday morning QB. The next four games are also important because the Mets travel to Philadelphia on Friday to take on the NL East-leading Phillies for three games. The Mets have a real chance to make up some ground in the wild card and the division.

Mets (40-41) at St. Louis Cardinals (47-36), 7:05 p.m.

Starters: John Maine (8-5, 3.73) for the Mets and Kyle Lohse (9-2, 3.94) for the Cardinals.

Last starts: Maine has been solid his last two outings. Most recently the 6-4 righthander gave up two runs over six innings in an 8-2 win over Seattle. Lohse has won six of his last seven starts. But his last start was a bit shaky as he gave up four runs in five innings in a loss at Detroit. Lohse has been a huge surprise for the Cardinals, who have played part of their season with Albert Pujols and Adam Wainwright on the DL. On a side note; Pujols has 299 career home runs.

Good times, bad times: The good; Carlos Delgado had a great weekend against the Yanks belting three homers and driving in 10. The bad; The Mets went into last weekend's four-game set without having to face Mike Mussina or Joba Chamberlain. There was no one who believes the Mets shouldn't have won three of four games. More good; Ryan Church was activated Sunday and went 2-for-4 against the Yankees. More bad; Moises Alou will not make a rehab start today.

See you after the top of the first.

Top 1st:
Jose Reyes saw four pitches before flying out to center for the first out. Louis Castillo drew a one-out walk. David Wright struck out looking at an inside fastball for the second out. Beltran, after a fairly long at bat, grounded out to second.
Mets 0, Cardinals coming up.

Bottom 1st: Skip Schumaker led off the inning with a walk. Aaron Miles singled to right. Schumaker went from first to third. Pujols singled to right, Schumaker scored, Miles to second. Rick Ankiel walks on five pitches, loading the bases. Pujols to second, Miles to third. Pitching coach Troy Glaus grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. Miles scored, Pujols to third. Chris Duncan grounded out to Delgado.
Cardinals 2, Mets 0

Top 2nd: Carlos Delgado was hit by a pitch to lead off the second. Church grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. Endy Chavez singled to right for the Mets first hit. Schneider struck out looking, stranding Chavez.
Cardinals 2, Mets 0

Bottom 2nd: Yadier Molina singled to shallow right. It is the second inning in a row the leader hitter has gotten on for the Cardinals. Kyle Lohse (hitting eighth) is up. The game is being delayed a bit because home plate umpire Brian O'Nora was hit by a pitch. The pitch actually hit Lohse's bat while attempting a bunt. Strike three for Lohse for the first out. Brendan Ryan grounded out to third. Molina to second. Schumaker reaches on an error by second baseman Louis Castillo, scoring Molina. Schumaker advances to third on a throwing error by Maine attempting a pickoff. Giving away runs is exactly what the Mets don't need.
Miles flied out to centerfield.
Cardinals 3, Mets 0

Top 3rd: Maine struck out swinging. Ankiel made a fine running catch to put Reyes away for the second out. Cardinals shortstop Ryan made a fine running play to throw Castillo out. Three up and three down.
Cardinals 3, Mets 0

Bottom 3rd: Pujols flied out to center. Ankiel singled to right. Glaus doubled to left on a 2-2 pitch, scoring Ankiel. Duncan was intentionally walked. Molina fouled out to Schneider for the second out. Lohse flied to right for the third. But the Cardinals added a run.
Cardinals 4, Mets 0

Top 4th: Wright struck out swinging for the first out. Beltran singled to left past Glaus. Delgado flew out to shallow center. Church singled to left, Beltran made it to third safely. Chavez grounded out to second, stranding Church and Beltran. The Mets can't seem to get that big hit.
Cardinals 4, Mets 0

Bottom 4th: Ryan grounded out to second. Schumaker grounded out to shortstop for the second out. Miles reached second on a throwing error by Wright. Wright should've held on to it, especially with Pujols up. Pujols made the Mets pay for Wright's error with a RBI-single, scoring Miles. Ankiel lined out to first.
Cardinals 5, Mets 0

Top 5th: Schneider, swinging at the first pitch, grounded out to shortstop. Andy Phillips is pinch-hitting for Maine. Phillips singled to left. Reyes flied out to left for the second out. Castillo singled past a diving Miles. Phillips scored on a throwing error by Ankiel, who over shot Glaus. Wright, swinging at the first pitch, fouled out on a nice play by Miles. But the Mets finally got on the board, but not because of their clutch hitting.
Cardinals 5, Mets 1

Bottom 5th: Carlos Muniz is in for Maine. Maine went four innings, gave up five runs (3 earned) on seven hits. Glaus was hit by a pitch. Duncan belted a two-run homer to right just over the reach of Church. Molina flied to centerfield for the first out. Lohse lined out to shortstop. Ryan flew out to Chavez, who made a fine running over-the-shoulder catch for out number three. But the Cardinals tacked on two more runs.
Cardinals 7, Mets 1

Top 6th: Beltran drew a leadoff walk. Delgado bounced into a 5-4-3 double play. Another opportunity wasted. Church flied out to left for the third out.
Cardinals 7, Mets 1

Bottom 6th: Carlos Muniz starts his second inning for the Mets. Schumaker grounded out to second. Miles flied out to center. Pujols flied out to center for the third out and are held scoreless for the first time tonight.
Cardinals 7, Mets 1

Top 7th: Lohse is still on the hill facing Chavez in the top of the seventh. Chavez grounded out to second. Schneider grounded out to first. Marlon Anderson (pinch hitting) grounded out to second. Three up and three down.
Cardinals 7, Mets 1

Bottom 7th: Scott Schoeneweis is in for Muniz and got Ankiel to ground out to second for the first out. Glaus double to right. Duncan struck out swinging. Molina was intentionally walked. Lohse (7 IP, 5H, 1R, 0ER, 2BB, 4K) is done for the night. Brian Barton is pinch hitting. Barton walked, loading the bases. Ryan flied to centerfield for the third out.
Cardinals 7, Mets 1

Top 8th: Former Yankee Ron Villone is in for the Cardinals in the top of the eighth to face Reyes. Reyes struck out looking. Castillo reached on a fielding error by the shortstop Brendan Ryan. Wright walked. Beltran struck out looking, with two on. Delgado grounded out to shortstop, stranding two runners.

Bottom 8th: Aaron Heilman is on in the eighth and got Schumaker to ground out to first on the first pitch. The Mets lead the National league in pitching changes, according to ESPN. Miles singled to second Pujols lined out to left for the second out. Ankiel walked. Cardinals lefty Mark Mulder is warming up for what appears to be his first Major League relief appearance. Glaus was hit by a pitch, loading the bases. Duncan struck out looking.

Top 9th: Mulder (his first relief appearance in MLB) is on in the ninth. Fernando Tatis (pinch hitting) grounded out to short. Chavez singles left. Ramon Castro (pinch hitting) struck out swinging. Damion Easley singled to right. Reyes flied to right to end the game.
Final score: Cardinals 7, Mets 1. The Cardinals improve to 48-36 and the Mets fall to 40-42. Kyle Lohse improves to 10-2 and John Maine falls to 8-6.

Reyes (ss)
Castillo (2b)
Wright (3b)
Beltran (cf)
Delgado (1b)
Church (rf)
Chavez (lf)
Schneider (c)
Maine (rhp)

Just a hunch, but I'm betting the guy in the Wright No. 5 jersey and his girlfriend in the Martinez No. 45 jersey waiting in line at Cosi here at LaGuardia are on my flight to St. Louis this morning. Speaking of LGA, I was in two monstrous lines a few minutes ago, as it appears that all of the scary tales about air travel have done nothing to dissuade people from jetting away for this Fourth of July week. If you're doing the same today and haven't left yet, leave now.

As for the weekend wrap-up, I guess the Mets will take a split. But with the pitching matchups, I can't help but feel they should have taken three. The Mets still won the season series, 4-2, but Jerry Manuel couldn't help himself in anointing his crew as the No. 2 team in New York. C'mon Jerry. Give your guys some credit. Drop that second city mentality and start talking some trash. Tough to argue with him, though. The Mets trail the Yankees in rings, 26-2.

Looking ahead to tomorrow, it appears the Mets are calling up Tony Armas for the spot start. He's 5-7 with a 2.54 ERA at Triple-A New Orleans and pitched only two innings on Saturday in what was presumably a tune-up for tomorrow against the Cardinals.

Hey everyone! Katie here blogging the fourth and final game of this Subway series. Mets have the always-unpredictable Oliver Perez (5-5, 5.29) on the mound today. Although he has thrived in the past in big-game situations, we'll see which Ollie shows up today....He'll face Darrell Rasner (4-5, 4.50) from the Yankees.

Back after top of the first!

Top 1st
Perez begins the game by fanning Damon, and then inducing a Jeter ground out. Delgado snags A-Rod's pop-up foul ball to make it a quick, 1-2-3 inning for Perez.
0-0

Bottom 1st
Reyes leads off with a single on a line to left. He advances to second on a passed ball. Castillo goes down looking for the first out, and Wright follows up with a deep shot to the warning track in right for the second out. Two away with Reyes at third and Beltran takes a walk to put runners at the corners. Delgado flies out to leave runners stranded.
0-0

Top 2nd
Perez fans the first two batters swinging, and Cabrera grounds out to short for another 1-2-3. Good start for Ollie, but let's see if he can get some run support.
0-0

Bottom 2nd
One out and Chavez gets a base hit with a bloop single to center. Schneider singles on a grounder to right, and Perez' sac bunt moves runners to second and third. Reyes walks to load the bases. Castillo weakly chops one over the middle for an RBI single to put the Mets on the board.
1-0 NYM

Top 3rd
Another K for Perez as Molina goes down swinging. Perez retires his ninth straight by fanning Rasner for the third out.
1-0 NY

Bottom 3rd
One away and Delgado belts one to center for a solo shot to extend the Mets lead to two. Church notches his first hit back with a single to short, and advances to second after Schneider is walked intentionally, but Perez strikes out to leave runners on.
2-0 NYM

Top 4th
Jeter singles on a one-out line drive to right for Perez' first hit given up today. Jeter then advances to second an a wild pitch. Ollie's cracking a bit and so is the nice weather....The rain has started and ollie just got a big swinging strikeout on A-Rod. In and out of trouble for Ollie, who's holding together now better than the weather.....
2-0

Bottom 4th
Castillo comes through with his second hit of the day with a one-out single on a grounder to left. Wright flies out and Beltran goes down swinging though to send it to the fifth.
2-0 NY

Top 5th
2-0 NYM

Bottom 5th
Two away and Chavez ropes one to right, but Schneider flies out to left to send it to the sixth.
2-0 NYM

Top 6th
One out and Chavez has to go back to the wall at left to snag Moeller's deep shot. Damon then puts one over the head of Ryan Church for a base hit, but Perez keeps it scoreless after Jeter grounds into the force.
2-0 NYM

Bottom 6th
Perez goes down swinging to lead off. Reyes rips one to center for a base hit. That's 3-for-4 as Castillo slices one down the leftfield line. Wild pitch allows runners to advance to second and third. Reyes scores on Wright's sac fly to put the Mets up three.
3-0 NYM

Top 7th
On the verge of another 1-2-3, Betemit nails a solo homer to left. A Delgado-fielding error keeps the inning alive as Cabrera reaches first on what should've been an easy third out. Perez manages to get outta trouble without any more damage.
3-1 NYM

Bottom 7th
One away and Church earns his second hit of the day with a single on a grounder to right. Two on and one out and the Mets get doubled up before they can build on their lead.
3-1 NYM

Top 8th
Feliciano in to pitch now. 1-2-3 for him as he fans Damon to retire the side.
3-1 NYM

Bottom 8th
Ramirez retires the Mets in order. Wagner gets the shot for a save.
3-1 NYM

Top 9th
Wagner in and Jeter rips one up the middle for a base hit. A wild pitch allows him to reach second. A-Rod flies out for the first out. Two away and betemit goes down looking
3-1 final

Hello Andy Phillips. And the plan is for Ryan Church to return for tomorrow's Subway Series finale.

Reyes (ss)
Easley (2b)
Wright (3b)
Beltran (cf)
Delgado (1b)
Tatis (rf)
Phillips (lf)
Castro (c)
Santana (lhp)

Good afternoon everyone! Adam Ronis here to take you through this game. The Mets showed what they are about in yesterdays day-night doubleheader. They are either very good or very bad. The biggest problem with this team is the offense. You can point to Pedro Martinez's poor performance, but the Mets had the opportunity to break the game open with two bases-loaded situations early in the game and came away with nothing against Sidney Ponson. This team doesn't hit with runners in scoring position. Look at the Twins, who have won 10 straight. They don't have an imposing lineup, but they hit in clutch situations with an average over .300 with runners in scoring position. That's the way to get it done.

Today's pitching matchup: Johan Santana (7-6 2.93 ERA) vs. Andy Pettitte (8-5, 4.04 ERA)

On Santana: The ERA looks good, but Santana has drawn some criticism for not being the dominant pitcher like he is being paid for. He is 0-3 in his last four starts and hasn't won since June 1. How many runs have the Mets scored in those four starts? Just eight. He has allowed 14 homers in 107 2/3 innings and because Felix Hernandez took him deep for a grand slam, people magnify his performance. Santana usually gets better in June and in the second half. Santana needs to come through with a big performance or he will here about it. The Mets have bigger problems than Santana.

On Pettitte: He has been excellent in his last three starts and has stepped it up with Chien-Ming Wang out for a long time. He allowed 10 runs to the Royals on June 7, but in his last three starts he has gone 21 innings, allowed 14 hits, one earned run, walked four and struck out 19. He is 7-4 with a 3.48 ERA in 17 starts against the Mets.

Yankees win, 3-2.

Bottom 9: Rivera is in. He has saved 21 of 21. Delgado strikes out swinging. Tatis flies out to right. Nixon strikes out looking. Rivera could have done that with his eyes closed and his left arm tied behind his back. Here comes the criticism for Santana, but he cannot win when he gets 10 runs of offense in five starts. People don't see it, but the Mets offense is a huge problem.

Top 9: Cano flies to center. Cabrera hits a hard line drive right at Easley for out No. 2. Molina singles to right. Damon walked. Jeter grounds out to third and fails to extend his hitting streak. The Mets offense against Mariano Rivera. What a mismatch.
Yankees 3, Mets 2

Bottom 8: Jose Molina in at catcher, Posada moves to first and Giambi is out. Kyle Farnsworth is in. Easley flies to center on the first pitch. Wright lines out to deep left. Damon was playing deep and got a great jump. Beltran strikes out for the fourth time. Yankees 3, Mets 2

Top 8: Duaner Sanchez is in to pitch. Abreu pops up to left. A-Rod reaches on a Wright throwing error and steals second. Giambi strikes out. Posada pops up to short. Yankees 3, Mets 2

Bottom 7: Jose Veras in for Pettitte. Castillo pinch hits for Phillips and pops up to Jeter. Castro grounds out and Marlon Anderson, pinch hitting for Feliciano, singles to center. Reyes pops up to Jeter on the first pitch. Haven't we seen that before? Another bad inning for the Mets offense. I'm sure I have written that many times this season. Yankees 3, Mets 2

Top 7: Pedro Feliciano comes in for Santana. Betemit and Damon strikes out. Jeter grounds out to second. Good inning for the Mets. Yankees 3, Mets 2

Bottom 6: Pettitte returns after the 53-minute rain delay. Wright hits a line drive homer down the leftfield line to bring the Mets within 3-2. It's the 15th homer for Wright. Beltran strikes out looking. Delgado grounds out to first. Tatis grounds to short. Yankees 3, Mets 2

RAIN DELAY

Top 6: Abreu strikes out looking for Santana's seventh of the game. A-Rod walks. Santana balks him to second. Giambi strikes out. Posada is walked intentionally with a 2-0 count. Cano hits an RBI single to extend the lead to 3-1. Cabrera flies out to left to end the inning. Yankees 3, Mets 1

Bottom 5: Castro lines out to right. Santana grounds out to short. Reyes singles to left. Easley walks. Reyes gets picked off to end the inning. An awful play with Wright at the plate. Where is he going? He scores easily on almost any hit. Welcome to 2008 Mets baseball. Yankees 2, Mets 1

Top 5: Pettitte grounds out to first. Damon grounds out. Jeter strikes out. Santana has six strikeouts. The rain is falling. The Mets bats are silent. Yankees 2, Mets 1

Bottom 4: Delgado grounds out to first. Tatis reaches on a single (should be changed to a Jeter error). Then Phillips hits into a double play. What a terrible offense. Yankees 2, Mets 1

Top 4: Jeter walks to start the inning. Abreu walks on four pitches. Some close calls and the umpire appears to be squeezing Santana. I thought we were at Shea? A-Rod singles to load the bases. Giambi grounds out to Reyes and a run scores to tie it at 1. Second and third with one out. Posada hits a sac fly to deep center to score Abreu. Yankees lead, 2-1. Cano hits a slow roller down the third-base line that stays fair. Cabrera grounds out to end it and Santana is yelling at the ump about the missed calls. He has a right to be upset. Lets see if the Mets offense can help him. Yankees 2, Mets 1

Bottom 3:Reyes pops up to second. He does that way too much. Easley singles to center. Wright flies out to deep center. Nice play by Cabrera to run it down. Beltran strikes out on a check swing. Mets 1, Yankees 0

Top 3: Cabrera grounds out to third. Pettitte strikes out. Santana has five strikeouts. Damon grounds out. This is the Santana the Mets hoped for. Mets 1, Yankees 0

Bottom 2: Tatis grounds out to start it. Phillips flies out to right. Castro hits a bomb to center. He needs to platoon with Schneider. Santana strikes out to end it. Mets 1, Yankees 0

Top 2: Giambi strikes out to lead off. Posada strikes out for the second out. Cano strikes out. Great start by Santana. So far he is stepping up in a big spot.

Bottom 1: Reyes grounds out to short to start the inning. Easley walked with one out after being down 0-and-2 in the count. Wright follows with a walk. Beltran strikes out on three pitches. Delgado flies out to right. Typical Mets inning. Still no score.

Top 1: Damon strikes out to start the game and Jeter flies to center. Abreu reaches on an infield single. A-Rod fouls out to first. Great start for Santana, who has been throwing too many pitches at times. Very economical in the first. Which Mets offense shows up today?

The Mets (39-39) take on the Yanks (42-37) in Game 2 of the day-night doubleheader at Shea.

Pedro Martinez (2-1, 6.57 ERA) will take the hill against Sidney Ponson (4-1, 3.88 ERA).

It was a brave new world for the Mets in Game 1 this afternoon, as Carlos Delgado teed off againt Yankee pitching for a club-record nine RBIs, with two home runs (including a grand slam). Luis Castillo scored five times with two steals to suddenly become the threat on the bases that the Mets have long asked for. The question is whether this team, which has often fallen back down after convincing victories, can keep it up.

Pedro has been mercurial for the Mets. His last start against the Rockies was smooth until a disasterous fifth inning (six runs on seven hits) cost him the win. Martinez has been entirely hittable (lefties are hitting .358 off of him) since returning to the rotation and has been averaging less than five innings in his last five starts.

Ponson, meanwhile, has been problematic for other issues entirely. Despite strong pitching, his antics off the field (DUIs, hotel disturbances, on-the-field hissy fits and arguments with the front office) cost him a job with the Rangers. And that means something: the Rangers are desperate for starting pitching and are last in the majors. Cutting a vet like Ponson loose means they thought he was Grade-A clubhouse cancer. The Yankees took a chance with him and, if it pays off, it can mean big things for their pitching. If it doesn't - well, it's not like Girardi is a shrinking violet anyway.

If the first game was interesting, this one should be downright Shakespearian. This is Laura Albanese and I'll be taking you through it, inning by inning. Live blog coming up...

Top of the first
Johnny Damon flies out. Jeter grounds out to short and Bobby Abreu singles to rightfield. A-Rod hits a shot to deep leftfield for the long out.

Bottom of the first
Reyes strikes out looking. Castillo hits a slow chopper to short. He's out by half a step. Wright singles and Beltran walks but Delgado (after a huge ovation) grounds out.

Top of the second
Giambi hits a shot to first. Backhanded play by Delgado for the out. Cano grounds out to Delgado. Melky Cabrera grounds out to third to end the inning.

Bottom of the second
Trot Nixon leads off with a linedrive to centerfield for a single. Castillo hits a single to leftfield that fall right in front of Damon. First and second with no outs. Chavez walks on a 3-1 pitch to load the bases for Pedro Martinez. He strikes out and brings up Reyes. Reyes pops up to short. Castillo hits a chopper up the middle. Cano makes the grab and takes it to second for the fielder's choice as Ponson wiggles out of trouble.

Top of the third
Jose Molina hits an 0-2 pitch for a single to centerfield. Ponson tries to bunt and Delgado lets it drop to try and get the double play but the ball spins foul. Ponson strikes out on the curve. Damon pops out to foul territory for the second out and Jeter grounds to short for the fielder's choice at second. Still no score.

Bottom of the third
Wright strikes out on three pitches. Beltran laces a hit to the wall and he cruises to second. Delgado works the count from 0-2 to 3-2 before walking. Ponson floats a wild pitch over Molina's head and the batters move to second and third. The Yanks intentionally walk Trot Nixon. Castro hits the grounder to short for the double play.

Top of the fourth
Abreu walks on a 3-1 pitch - Martinez's first of the game. Abreu steals second but gets nailed by the throw from Castro. A-Rod walks. Giambi lines a base hit to rightfield to load the bases. Cano grounds to first to score Abreu. 1-0, Yanks. Cabrera is walked intentionally. Molina hits it to Wright, who steps on third to get Giambi. He throws it to first but Molina beats it by a few steps. A-Rod scores. 2-0, Yankees. Two outs. Ponson strikes out on three pitches.

2-0, Yankees

Bottom of the fourth
Endy Chavez pops up to second base. Martinez grounds out to short and Reyes grounds a single to centerfield. Reyes tries for second with Castillo at-bat and is caught stealing.

Top of the fifth
Damon floats one over Delgado. Castillo gets to the ball but Martinez doesn't cover first. Damon reaches base. Jeter walks. Abreu lines it to leftfield and Damon scores before the throw from Chavez. Jeter goes to third and Abreu to first with A-Rod to bat. A-Rod strikes out swinging to bring up Giambi. Abreu steals to take away the double play chance. Giambi walks on the 3-2 pitch. Cano with the sacrifice foul flyout to score Jeter. 4-0, Yanks. Cabrera strikes out.

4-0, Yankees

Bottom of the fifth
Castillo grounds out to second. Wright grounds out to short and Beltran grounds out to second. Easy inning for Ponson.

Top of the sixth
Pedro hits Jose Molina with the first pitch. Ponson sacrifices him to second. Damon grounds out to Delgado, who flips it to Martinez for the out. Jeter drills a hanging curveball to center to score Molina. 5-0, Yanks. That's it for Pedro. Scott Schoeneweis in in to pitch. Abreu hits an opposite field double to drive in Jeter. The Mets walk A-Rod intentionally. Giambi strikes out.

6-0, Yanks

Bottom of the sixth
Delgado grounds out. So does Nixon. Castillo strikes out to end the inning.

Top of the seventh
Cano hits a solo home run to lead off the inning. Cabrera flies out. Molina shoots a single to leftfield. Wilson Betemit is hitting for Ponson. Betemit singles to set the table for Damon. Damon walks to load the bases. Joe Smith in to pitch to Jeter. He hits a slow grounder to short to score Molina. He's out at first. Abreu drills a single over the glove of a leaping Castillo for his third RBI of the night. Betemit scores. 9-0, Yanks. Smith strikes out A-Rod.

9-0, Yanks

Bottom of the seventh
Kyle Farnsworth into pitch to Endy Chavez. Endy walks on four pitches. Tatis strikes out. Reyes strikes out swinging for out number two. Castillo flies out to left to end the inning.

Top of the eighth
Justin Christian (came in to play right last inning) grounds out to first. Cano grounds out to first. Cabrera grounds out to Delgado, who flips to Smith.

Bottom of the eighth
Jose Veras in to pitch. Betemit to third, Alberto Gonzalez to short and Moeller to first. Infield hit by Wright (ball was bobbled by Betemit, now at third). Andy Phillips lines out. Delgado walks and Easley grounds out to move the runners to second and third. Castro flies out.

Top of the ninth
Wagner in to pitch and walks Molina to start the inning. Betemit flies out and Damon grounds to third. Molina moves up but Gonzalez flies out.

Bottom of the ninth
Kei Igawa in to pitch. Chavez pops up to first. Tatis hits a one-out single and Reyes gets on board with another single. Castillo hits into the double play to end the game.

FINAL: 9-0, Yankees

Mets (38-39) vs. Yankees (42-36)

Mike Pelfrey (4-6, 4.30 ERA) vs. Dan Giese (1-2, 0.64 ERA)

It looks like every time the Mets meet the Yankees, there's something way bigger on the line than just bragging rights. The Mets are coming off a convincing (and, if you're David Wright, way productive) win against the lowly Mariners, though they were only able to salvage one game out of the three-game series. Today, they look to get to claw past .500 and, thanks to a Phillies' loss yesterday (their seventh in eight games), are still very much in the middle of things. Game 1 will by played at Yankee Stadium at 2:05 and the teams will shuttle off to Shea for the 8:05 start.

Pelfrey has been more miss than hit this season, and boasts a somewhat bloated 6.25 ERA on the road this year. His last start, though, was good news for the Mets. He pitched 5 2/3 innings to help seal a gritty 3-1 victory over the Rockies. He had some control problems, walking five and throwing 98 pitches.

The Yanks will send Geise to the hill. It's only the second start of his career and comes off an impressive 6 2/3 inning win against the Reds. Geise was efficient and threw only 75 pitches in the game - 53 for strikes - while retiring 20 of the 25 batters that he face.

Ok, y'all, it should be a good one (or interesting at least). Laura Albanese here to take you through the action.

Top of the first
Reyes strikes out and Castillo walks to start the game. Castillo steals second. David Wright with the RBI single to leftfield to drive home Castillo with a play at the plate. 1-0 Mets. Carlos Beltran flies out to shallow centerfield. Delgado flies out to centerfield to end the inning.

1-0, Mets

Bottom of the first
Pelfrey strikes out Cabrera to lead off the inning. He strikes out Jeter swinging with an inside fastball. He walks Bobby Abreu on a 3-1 pitch. Bloop single by A-Rod over the shoulder of Luis Castillo. Abreu goes to third. Giambi singles to leftfield to drive in Abreu and chase A-Rod to third. Pelfrey gets out of the inning by striking out Jorge Posada.

1-1

Top of the second
Trot Nixon grounds out to first. Marlon Anderson walks. Infield hit by Fernando Tatis and A-Rod topples to the ground trying to make the play. Anderson takes advantage and goes first-to-third. Brian Schneider flies out to Jeter in shallow leftfield for the second out. Reyes hits it back to Geise to end the inning.

Bottom of the second
Leadoff double for Robinson Cano. Wilson Betemit strikes out. Justin Christian grounds to second and Cano goes to third. Cabrera pops out to leftfield.

Top of the third
Castillo with a base hit up the middle to start the inning. He steals second. Wright flies out to right-center and Castillo stays at second. Beltran hits a shot to deep rightfield for a two-run home run. Delgado strikes out. Trot Nixon flies out to end the inning.

3-1, Mets

Bottom of the third
Jeter hits a double in the leftfield corner. Abreu flies out to left and Jeter tags up and moves to third. A-Rod hits a shot to leftfield and Jeter comes home to make it 3-2, Yanks. Giambi walks to make it first and second. Base hit in front of Beltran off the bat of Posada to load the bases. Cano hits into a fielder's choice at second. A-Rod scores to tie the game. Betemit with the infield single on a shot to third base to put the Yanks ahead. Christian strikes out.

4-3, Yanks

Top of the fourth
Anderson grounds out to third. Tatis strikes out and stares at the umpire as Posada tags him out. Schneider flies out to centerfield.

Bottom of the fourth
Cabrera singles and Jeter tries to bunt for a base hit. He's out by Cabrera moves over to second. Abreu rockets one to Tatis at first, who dives for the grab. He flips to Pelfrey, who isn't able to tag Abreu. Pelfrey tosses it in the dirt to Wright, who jumps over Cabrera to try and make the tag. Cabrera is safe. Abreu goes to second. It's scored an E-3. Giambi walks on a 3-1 pitch to load the bases. Posada flies out to leftfield to end the threat.

Top of the fifth
Reyes walks and Giese pitches out twice trying to keep him close. Reyes steals on the next pitch. Castillo walks on a borderline pitch. Hard single to left by Wright to load the bases with no outs. Edwar Ramirez comes in and Beltran goes after the first pitch. He hits into the fielder's choice to score Reyes and tie the game. Runners at the corners. Beltran runs and Delgado lines to leftfield to score Castillo. The ball is boggled and goes past Abreu. Beltran scores and Delgado goes to second. 6-4, Mets.Nixon strikes out for the second out. Anderson grounds out to first to end the inning.

6-4, Mets

Bottom of the fifth
Cano pops out to second on the first pitch. Betemit hits it to Castillo, who lets the ball gets by him for an error. Christian tries to bunt, but pops out to Wright. Pelfrey walks Cabrera. Jeter grounds out to Tatis to end the inning.

Top of the sixth
Tatis flies out to center and Schneider singles. Jose Reyes walks. Castillo hits it back to the pitcher, who goes for the out at second. First and third.New pitcher: Ross Ohlendorf. Wright pulls it the other way for the RBI single. 7-4, Mets. Beltran walks to load the bases. GRAND SLAM CARLOS DELGADO. No-doubter to rightfield. 11-4, Mets. Nixon flies out to end the inning.

11-4, Mets

Bottom of the sixth
Pedro Feliciano replaces Pelfrey. Abreu strikes out on the 1-2 pitch. A-ROD HITS A HOME RUN deep (deeeeep) to leftfield. 11-5, Yanks. Giambi hits it to Tatis, who grabs it with the diving stop. He throws high to Feliciano for the error. Posada strikes out. Cano grounds out to second.

Top of the seventh
Anderson grounds out to shortstop. Tatis grounds out to third and Schneider hits it to second for a quick 1-2-3 inning.

Bottom of the seventh
Betemit strikes out. Foul-tipped strike three into the catcher's glove for Damon. Cabrera hits it to center for a basehit. Jeter hits it back to Heilman, who reaches high over his head for the out at first.

Top of the eight
Reyes lines a single to right-center field for his first hit of the game. Castillo gets a basehit to centerfield to make it first and second. Wright lines the first pitch towards second for a basehit. Reyes scores and Castillo goes to second. 12-5, Mets. New pitcher: LaTroy Hawkins (1-1, 6.12 ERA). Beltran hits it to second and busts it down the line to avoid the double play. THREE RUN HOME RUN, CARLOS DELGADO. 15-5, Mets. Nixon follows up with a single. Chavez flies out to left. Tatis flies out.

15-5, Mets.

Bottom of the eighth
Carlos Muniz in to pitch and promptly walks Abreu. Chad Muller (batting for A-Rod) flies out. Giambi flies out to centerfield. Posada hits a blooper to shallow center for the out.

Top of the ninth
Schneider lines out to Damon in left. Damien Easley grounds out to third for the out. Castillo walks on the 3-2 pitch. Andy Phillips flies out to right end the inning.

Bottom of the ninth
Cano flies out to shallow left-center for the out. Betemit with a double to left. Damon with a linedrive to score Betemit. 15-6, Mets. Cabrera flies out to centefield for the second out. Alberto Gonzales bats for Jeter. Gonzales flies out to foul territory to end the game.

FINAL: 15-6. METS.

Still waiting for the Mets to arrive via police escort from Flushing. I remember back in 2000, when this whole day-night, two-stadium doubleheader was considered a once-in-a-lifetime event. Now we're about to begin our third and the buzz seems a little subdued. Maybe the Andy Phillips-revenge storyline will spice things up. Maybe not.

Anyway, while you're waiting for Dan Giese's first pitch, check out today's coverage in Newsday, with another Mets Insider from yours truly. Yes, despite the firing of Willie Randolph, Omar Minaya remains on solid ground. The Wilpons aren't ready to blow up the entire operation, and Minaya still has plenty of time left to salvage the season.

Also, Ryan Church took a step closer to his return last night with his Cyclones debut. Note to Church: Stay off the rides and away from the hot dogs.

Who would you take? Reyes or Jeter? Wright or A-Rod? Delgado or Giambi?
Check out one man's ideas here.

Mets (37-39) vs. Mariners (28-49)

John Maine (7-5, 3.78 ERA) vs. Miguel Batista (3-9, 6.26 ERA)

The Mets are coming off one their most embarrassing losses in recent memory. John Maine goes to the hill for his first ever start against the Mariners to help the Mets avoid a sweep.

Maine got off to a shaky start in his last outing, but recovered to last 6 2/3 innings against the Rockies. He retired seven straight at one point, striking out six in total and tying Johan Santana for the team lead with seven wins.

R. A. Dickey baffled the Mets last night. Will Miguel Batista do the same? The former closer is 3-7, with a 6.16 ERA, a run and a half lower than his ERA as a reliever. The 37-year-old is 2-1 with a 2.38 ERA in nine games at Shea Stadium and is 4-3 lifetime against the Mets, with a 3.67 ERA.

Joseph Staszewski will again take you through tonight's action.

Top of the 1st: Maine pitches and easy 1-2-3 inning.

Bottom of the 1st: Reyes walks, steals second, advances to third on a wild pitch and scored on a Castillo ground out to second. Wright homers to the picnic area in left. Beltran and Delgado walk. Tatis grounds a sharpball to third that Beltre handles and then runs to the bag, but fails to tag Beltran at third. Anderson strikes out and Schneider grounds out to second with the bases loaded to end the inning. Mets 2, Mariners 0

Top of the 2nd: Another 1-2-3 inning for Maine.

Bottom of the 2nd: Wright hits a two-run home run to left. Mets 4, Mariners 0

Top of the 3rd: Maine only gives up a one-out walk to Bloomquist.

Bottom of the 3rd: Delgado is hit by a pitch. Tatis grounds a ball to third, but the throw to second sails into the outfield. Anderson hit a sac fly to score Delgado. Tatis steals second. Schneider walks. Maine grounds out to third to move the runners to second and third with two outs. Reyes hits a three-run homer to right.Castillo walks. Corey Corcoran replaces Bastista. Wright walks, but Beltran grounds out to second. Mets 8, Mariners 0

Top of the 4th: Maine sets the Mariners down in order.

Bottom of the 4th: Mets go 1-2-3.

Top of the 5th: Reed gets the first hit of Maine on a ground ball past Delgado at first. Sexson singles. Bloomquist singles up the middle with one out to score Reed. Ichiro hits a sac fly to left to score Sexson. Mets 8, Mariners 2

Bottom of the 5th:
Rowland-Smith is in to oitch for the Mariners. Mets go in order.

Top of the 6th: Maine gets out of a first and second and one out jam.

Bottom of the 6th: Mets go 1-2-3.

Top of the 7th: Aaron Heilman replaces Maine. Ichiro draws a two-out walk. Lopez singles, but then Heilman gets Ibanez to ground out to end the inning.

Bottom of the 7th: Mets again go in order.

Top of the 8th: Joe Smith come in. He give up just a two out walk to Sexson.

Bottom of the 8th: Brandon Morrow is in to pitch and gets the Mets in order.

Top of the 9th:Duaner Sanchez get the Mariners out 1-2-3 in the ninth.

METS WIN 8-2

I'll try to provide some answers. We have another Mets Q & A coming up at 1 p.m. this afternoon, so stop by and ask away.

Newsday's David Lennon answers your Mets questions in a special live chat today at 1 p.m.

Mets (37-38) vs. Seattle Mariners (27-49)

Oliver Perez (5-4, 5.06) vs. R. A. Dickey (1-3, 5.77)

The Mets couldn't continue the momentum of a successful roach trip last night as ace Johan Santana surrendered a grand slam to Felix Hernandez, who quieted the Mets bats.

Tonight they face R. A. Dickey, who makes his Shea Stadium debut in place of the injured Erik Bedard. The knuckleballer has dropped two straight starts since earning his first win, on June 9 in Toronto. He allowed two runs and four hits in 2 2/3 innings in his only other appearance against the Mets in 2003.

Oliver Perez labored through six innings on Wednesday against the Angels. He got in and out of jams until the first five batters in the fifth inning all reached base and three of them scored. Perez had been up and down and down all year. Let's see which version the Mets get today.

Top of the 1st:After a fly out by Ichiro, singes by Jose Lopez and Raul Ibanez and a walk to Adrian Beltre load the bases. Sexson hits a sac fly to left to score Lopez. Betancourt flies out to right to end the inning. Mariners 1, Mets 0

Bottom of the 1st: Mets go in order, but hit two hanging knuckleballs hard, a good sign for the rest of the night.

Top of the 2nd: Perez almost gets out of a first and second no out jam by getting Dickey to pop up a bunt and Ichiro to ground out. Lopez then grounds a ball deep in the second base hole that Castillo bobbles. Johjima scores. Castillo throws home, but it is not in time to get Willie Bloomquist. Mariners 3, Mets 0

Bottom of the 2nd: Mets get a two out single from Tatis and nothing else in the inning.

Top of the 3rd:Johjima hits a two-run homer into the bullpen in left. Mariners 5, Mets 0

Bottom of the 3rd: Mets waist a lead off walk by Chavez. They get him to third with two outs and Castillo grounds out to third.

Top of the 4th: Oliver Perez has his first 1-2-3 inning of the night.

Bottom of the 4th: Jerry Manuel and Carlos Beltran are ejected for arguing a strike call. Marlon Anderson hits for Beltran. The Mets go down in order.

Top of the 5th: Anderson moves to left, Nixon to right and Chavez to center. Ibanez homers to right field. Mariners 6, Mets 0

Bottom of the 5th: Tatis and Schneider single, but Chavez hits into a double play and Cancel pops out to second to end the inning.

Top of the 6th: Claudio Vargas come on to pitch. Ichiro singles to right to score Bloomquist from third with one out. Ibanez hits a two-run single to right. Sexson hits a sac fly to right with the bases loaded. Mariners 10, Mets 0

Bottom of the 6th: Mets just get a single from Anderson.

Top of the 7th: R. A. Dickey ground into a double play to end a quick inning.

Bottom of the 7th: Reyes strikes out swing with the bases loaded.

Top of the 8th: Scott Schoeneweis comes in to retire the Mariners in order.

Bottom 8th:Mark Lowe in. Nixon flies out deep to center with a runner on second and two outs.

Top of the 9th: Pedro Feliciano comes in. Sexson doubles to center to score Cairo. Mariners 11, Mets 0

Bottom of the 9th: Easley hits into a double play to end the game

Lineup vs. R.A. Dickey

Reyes SS
Castillo 2B
Beltran CF
Delgado 1B
Nixon LF
Tatis 3B
Schneider C
Chavez RF
Perez P

First off, I'm supposed to believe that fans actually miss Willie Randolph now? That's a joke, right? Since last September, everyone has been screaming for Randolph to be fired. He was booed at Shea for the first 10 weeks of this season. I've been getting e-mails calling for his head. And now, because he was fired in the middle of the night a week ago, fans want him back?

Enough already. You got what you wanted. So keep the signs at home and stop with the sob stories. Blame the Mets for not firing Randolph before the team flew to the West Coast because they already had their minds made up that weekend. Fred Wilpon said as much yesterday. But now that it's over, time to move on.

And now that I'm warmed up, let's talk about Jerry Manuel's "fertilizer" comment. Shea has been one of the most hostile places for a home team to play in this season -- yes, even worse than Philly. But as soon as someone like Manuel dares to mention that fact, in so many words, everyone gets offended by it?

I was in the manager's office that day in Colorado, along with all of the other beat writers, and Manuel wasn't ripping anyone. He had a smile on his face the whole time and knew exactly what he was saying. He even dared us -- jokingly -- not to go crazy with it. So much for having a sense of humor.

Trying to make the parallel of "fertilizer" = fans is a little bit of stretch. Let's give Manuel a break. He has no problem saying insightful, intelligent things about his team, as well as baseball in general, and I think fans are going to appreciate reading/listening to him. So try not to be so sensitive.

Anyway, check out today's coverage, starting with one bad error, one bad pitch and one terrible home loss to kick off the Jerry Manuel Era at Shea. As for those "fertilizer" comments, here's Manuel's attempt at cleaning up that mess yesterday.

And before I forget ... drum roll please ... Wallace Matthews. Enjoy.

Hey everyone! Marc Jimenez here again as the Mets (37-37) host a three-game series against the worst team in baseball, the Seattle Mariners (26-49). Good pitching matchup tonight as Johan Santana (7-5, 3.04), who hasn’t won since June 1, faces Felix Hernandez (6-5, 2.87).

By the way, check out Ken Davidoff’s article on Mets’ CEO Fred Wilpon if you have not read it already.

Top 1st: Nice start to the game by Santana. He allowed a single to Lopez, who was thrown out at second -- by a mile! -- by Nixon.

Bottom 1st: Reyes, Castillo and Wright go down in order.

Top 2nd: You're not going to believe this put Felix Hernandez just smacked a grand slam following a costly fielding error by Wright with two outs. Before that, Santana had issued singles to Beltre and Clement. Mariners 4, Mets 0.

Bottom 2nd: Six up and six down for the Mets. King Felix is perfect through two innings.

Top 3rd: Santana settles down and gets a 1-2-3 inning.

Bottom 3rd: First time through the lineup and the Mets haven’t gotten a hit off King Felix.

Top 4th: Ok, maybe the home run was just a hiccup. Santana has worked another hitless inning.

Bottom 4th: Reyes led off with a single for the Mets' first hit, but Castillo hit into a fielder’s choice and Wright grounded into an inning-ending double play.

Top 5th: The Mariners tack on another run off Santana on a run-scoring single by Lopez. Mariners 5, Mets 0.

Bottom 5th: King Felix goes down! The Mets got a run across as Beltran led off with a double, stole third and scored on Hernandez’s wild pitch. But on the play, King Felix got hurt -- Beltran kicked his leg -- and is out of the game. He needed assistance to get off the mound. Bad break for the Mariners as Hernandez, who scattered two hits, was pitching great and didn’t want to leave. Roy Corcoran come in for Seattle and retired Chavez to end the inning. Mariners 5, Mets 1.

Top 6th: Santana issued a walk to Sexson, who is hitting .211, but nothing else.

Bottom 6th: Corcoran picked off where Hernandez left off and pitched a hitless inning. Castillo drew a two-out walk before Wright struck out.

Top 7th: Santana went over 100 pitches this inning. He allowed an infield single to Ichiro -- who beat Santana to the bag and stole second -- before fanning Ibanez to end the inning.

Bottom 7th: The Mets go down in order and are running out of chances to make a comeback.

Top 8th: Heilman relieved Santana (5 runs, 1 earned on 7 hits in 7 inn.) and worked around another error by Wright.

Bottom 8th: This is looking really bad for the Mets, who have just two hits.

Top 9th: Dauner Sanchez, who relieved Heilman, struck out Bloomquist and got pinch hitter Jeremy Reed and Ichiro to ground out.

Bottom 9th: The Mets forced in another run on an RBI single by Beltran before Arthur Rhodes came in and struck out Delgado and Easley to end the game. Final: Mariners 5, Mets 2.

Hey everyone! Marc Jimenez here as the Mets look to win two of three from the Rockies and take this series. Mike Pelfrey (3-6, 4.62) will be going for the Mets (36-37). In his last start he allowed six runs on eight hits and two walks in six-plus innings during a 9-6 win over the Angels on Monday. Greg Reynolds (2-4, 5.98), who gave up a run in six frames during a 10-2 win over the Indians on Tuesday, will be on the hill for the Rockies (32-43).

Will be back after the Mets bats. Feel free to share your comments.

Top 1st: Reyes led off the game with a triple -- for the second straight day -- and scored on an infield single by Wright. Mets 1, Rockies 0.

Bottom 1st: The Mets caught a break this inning. With a runner on third (Baker) and one out, Pelfrey walked Helton on a wild pitch and for some reason, Baker, didn’t come home right away. Instead he waited a second, broke home and was gunned down easily: Castro to Pelfrey, who fanned Atkins to end the inning.

Top 2nd: Castro singled up the middle, which was nice of him because he allowed Pelfrey to make the final out of the inning.

Bottom 2nd: After walking Hawpe to lead off the inning, Pelfrey overcame an error by Easley (who dropped a potential double-play ball) by getting Torreealba to ground into a double play and retiring Reynolds.

Top 3rd: Beltran belted a two-run homer, his 11th on the year, following a two-out walked by Wright. Mets 3, Rockies 0.

Bottom 3rd: 1-2-3 inning for Pelfrey.

Top 4th: Not much for the Mets this inning. Nixon reached on an error by Baker (at second) and made it all the way to third before Pelfrey grounded out to end the inning.

Bottom 4th: Following two quick outs, Pelfrey worked in and out of trouble. He walked Hawpe and gave up a doubled to Tulowitzki before getting Torrealba to fly out.

Top 5th: The Mets go down in order for the first time this afternoon.

Bottom 5th: Pelfrey is looking very sharp. He fanned Taveras and Baker en route to a perfect inning. He is up to 81 pitches.

Top 6th: Nixon hit a two-out single, but that was it for the Mets.

Bottom 6th: After walking two (Helton and Hawpe) and retiring two, Pelfrey was lifted for Joe Smith, who retired Tulowitzki to end the inning. Pelfrey scattered three hits with five strikeouts and five walks in 5 2/3 innings. Chavez came in to play right.

Top 7th: Following a one-out infield single by Chavez, Reyes grounded into an inning-ending double play.

Bottom 7th: Smith allowed a leadoff homer to Torrealba before throwing Holliday out at first to end the inning with a runner at second. Mets 3, Rockies 1.

Top 8th: Jason Grilli relieved Reynolds (3 runs, 6 hits, 2 strikeouts, 1 walk, in 7) and set down Anderson, Wright and Beltran.

Bottom 8th: Duaner Sanchez came on and worked a scoreless inning.

Top 9th: The Mets go down 1-2-3 in the inning. Time for Billy Wagner to come in and nail this win shut.

Bottom 9th: Wagner gets his 17th save by retiring the side in order. Mets are 3.5 games behind Philly. Final: Mets 3, Rockies 1.

Luis Castillo is back out, Damion Easley is back in. Apparently, Castillo is bothered by lingering tightness in his left quad and could get a few more days off as well - with the DL a possibility. Don't worry. Only three more years left on that contract. Yeesh.

Reyes (ss)
Anderson (lf)
Wright (3b)
Beltran (cf)
Delgado (1b)
Nixon (rf)
Easley (2b)
Castro (c)
Pelfrey (rhp)

Good evening everyone! Adam Ronis here to take you through tonight's game as the Mets attempt to go over .500. The Mets are 2-1 since Jerry Manuel took over and they are back.....NOT! If you've seen Borat, you get that. I'm not ready to say the Mets are back just yet. I need to see a bigger sample. I do think the firing of Willie Randolph was the right move. It was done in a very poor manner. I've ended things with women in some harsh ways in the past, but I couldn't top the Mets in the way they handled Randolph's departure. But it is done and it's time to move on.

Pedro Martinez, coming off a win, takes the mound for the Mets. He is 2-0 with a 5.31 ERA and he is critical if the Mets are to make a run at the postseason. Ubaldo Jimenez, who was key in the Rockies run to the World Series last season, hasn't been good this year. He has pitched better lately, but walks have been his downfall. He is 1-7 with a 4.85 ERA. I'll be back when the game starts, so get your questions and intelligent discussions ready!

Top 9: Luis Vizcaino comes in for Jimenez. Wright walks to start it and Beltran singles. Delgado catches a break when Hawpe goes a long way, slides and can''t make the catch. Bases loaded. Nixon strikes out and Chavez pops up to second. Cancel fouls out to end the game. Another solid performance for the Mets offense, their biggest problem. Mets lose, 7-1.

Bottom 8: Aaron Heilman comes in to pitch. He Allows a two-out hit and that's it. Here comes the huge Mets rally.

Top 8: With one out Damian Easley gets the Mets second hit of the game and advances to third on an error by Matt Holliday. Reyes hits it too shallow for Easley to tag and Castillo pops up weakly to third. How bad is he? Rockies 7, Mets 1

Bottom 7: Taveras leads off with a single. Taveras steals his 35th base. Baker lines to center and Holliday lines to center. Schoenweis comes in for Vargas. Helton greets him with a single scoring Taveras. Atkins singles and Hawpe grounds out. Rockies 7, Mets 1