On the Mets beat

I'm not voting for the NL MVP this year -- it's my turn for NL Cy Young -- but Carlos Delgado's candidacy received another huge boost with yesterday's game winning homer in the Mets' 4-2 win over the Brewers.

One of the biggest arguments for David Wright as MVP was his superior power numbers a few weeks back, which voters often look at in rounding out their top 10 list of candidates. But Delgado is now tied for fifth in the NL with 31 home runs -- Wright is tied for 14th with 27 -- and the Mets' first baseman is now only eight behind Wright (103) in RBI with 95.

And while Delgado obviously is no Gold Glover, ever since Willie Randolph made that crack about him getting "his uniform dirty," he's done a decent job at first base. There have been plenty of throws up the line that's he used the simultaneous "grab-and-tag" motion. Delgado also has been getting his uniform dirty with some nice diving plays.

As far as the Mets concerned, the top MVP candidate from this club -- either Delgado, Wright or Jose Reyes -- will come down to whoever has the best September. If the Mets fail in their bid to make the playoffs, the award likely will go to someone from another team. But if they hold on to win the division in a dogfight, and one of those three players put up a monster month, the Mets have a real shot at snagging the top prize for the first time in franchise history.

In other news, Carlos Beltran's freakish collision yesterday with umpire Ed Rapuano looked funny, but it was no laughing matter afterward. While Beltran seemed OK, I wouldn't be surprised if he sits for the remainder of this series, takes advantage of Thursday's off-day, and then returns for Friday's opener against the Phillies at Shea. That's actually a best-case scenario. With a knee injury like that, Beltran could be out longer, too.

As for Billy Wagner, let's see how he feels later today after yesterday's mound session. The Mets have actually handled his absence quite well, with a 19-8 record since his last appearance back on Aug. 3 (a blown save). While they have shown the ability to get by without him, the Mets do need Wagner back. I'm not sure how long Luis Ayala is going to remain upright after that groin injury a few days back. It could be just a matter of time.