On the Mets beat

Looks like the non-waiver trade deadline has come and gone without any new acquisitions by the Mets. Not yet, anyway. Sometimes a trade or two happens and it's not announced until afterward. In the meantime, here's a reason to feel good about Monday's deal for Luis Castillo. Baseball America just came out with its list of "Best Tools" and Castillo made the cut in the American League. Jose Reyes dominates the NL categories. Check out both lists by clicking on the boldface link below:

Not sure if I see a real difference-maker available for the Mets as tomorrow's 4 p.m. non-waiver trade deadline approaches. As soon as Pedro Martinez comes back -- he'll chat with reporters this afternoon in Port St. Lucie -- the Mets can use Jorge Sosa to fortify the bullpen. The only thing really missing from Ruben Gotay's game is consistency turning a tough double play, but I'm not sure if the Mets could live with themselves if he costs them a key game by throwing a ball into the stands. That's why talks remain alive with the Twins for Luis Castillo.Obviously, it makes sense to put in bids for Eric Gagne and Chad Cordero, but the price in young talent may be too high for the Mets.

The bigger concerns right now involve Carlos Beltran and Moises Alou. I'd bet that Beltran -- no quick healer -- is headed for the disabled list with this strained abdominal muscle. As for Alou, it's too early to tell what he brings to the table. Maybe he just needed to get comfortable again this weekend, but I'd like to see him show a little more life at the plate. Remember, this was a guy who was considering retirement before the Mets lured him back with $8.5 million, and I'm not sure what they can expect from a 41-year-old after a 10-week layoff.

So Lennon covers on Saturday and who walks in? Alyssa Milano. I cover Sunday and who walks in? Mike DiFelice.
DiFelice is here as insurance for Paul Lo Duca, who strained his hamstring on Saturday night. Lo Duca went for an MRI this morning. Does the DL beckon? We'll find out later.
Lo Duca's going to be really disappointed if he doesn't get to catch Glavine's first try at 300 on Tuesday in Milwaukee.
Is Glavine's 300th something that Mets fans are really looking forward to? I didn't get that sense when I covered his 299th. How big of a "Mets history" accomplishment do you all think this will be? Or is he too much of a Brave at heart for Mets fans to get worked up about it?

No Carlos Beltran. No Moises Alou. OK, that's enough about baseball. It was a special morning here at Shea Stadium as Alyssa Milano stopped by to promote her line of MLB-related women's clothing named Touch. The "Charmed" star is a big Dodgers fan -- she's had season tickets for the past four years -- but she claims to cheer for the Mets when they're not playing LA. Milano was born in Bensonhurst and raised on Staten Island, so it's believable. She also plans on being in attendance this week when Barry Bonds visits Dodger Stadium, maybe with the chance of passing Hank Aaron, if he hasn't done so already.

"I think it will be cool to be there," Milano said. "I feel bad for him to do it at Dodger Stadium, but it seems like something he would feed into, the rivalry part of it."

Milano also blogs regularly about baseball. You can check her out here.

OK, OK, if you insist. Here is today's lineup. Beltran still is bothered by a strained abdominal muscle, so he's likely out until at least Tuesday. Alou had his right shoulder wrapped in heating pads this morning after his first game back and he'll probably start the nightcap.

Reyes ......... SS
Gotay .......... 2B
Wright ......... 3B
Delgado ........1B
Castro .......... C
Anderson ..... LF
Milledge ....... CF
Green ........... RF
Hernandez .... RHP

Here's the Mets' press release:

The New York Mets today activated outfielder Moises Alou from the 15-Day Disabled List, recalled righthanded pitcher Jon Adkins from New Orleans (AAA) of the Pacific Coast League and designated catcher Sandy Alomar Jr. for assignment.

Alou was placed on the 15-Day DL on May 17th, retroactive to May 13th, with a strained left quadriceps. He went 1-4 with an RBI on Sunday in a rehabilitation game at Brooklyn (A) of the New York-Penn League. Alou hit .333 (5-15) with a double, home run, three RBI, two runs scored and a stolen base in five rehabilitation games with the Gulf Coast Mets.

Adkins will wear #39 and will be available for tonight’s game against Washington. After yesterday afternoon’s contest, New York optioned righthanded pitcher Joe Smith to the Zephyrs.

Adkins, 29, went 1-3 with four saves and a 3.83 ERA in 38 games with New Orleans this season. In 49.1 innings, he allowed 52 hits, 25 runs, 21 earned, with 12 walks and 31 strikeouts.

The 6-1, 218-pounder was 2-1 with a 3.98 ERA in 55 games for San Diego in 2006. In 54.1 innings, he permitted 55 hits, 26 runs, 24 earned, with 20 walks and 30 strikeouts.

During his major league career, Adkins is 4-5 with a 4.63 ERA in 114 games with the White Sox and Padres. In 134.0 innings, he’s yielded 151 hits, 74 runs, 69 earned, with 51 walks and 76 strikeouts.

Alomar, Jr. hit .333 (2-6) in three games with New York.

For an interesting item on Keith Hernandez and Alex Rodriguez, check out Neil Best's Newsday WatchDog blog.

Against lefthander Paul Maholm:

Reyes SS
Milledge CF
Wright 3B
Delgado 1B
Easley LF
Castro C
Green RF
Gotay 2B
Perez P

Notes: Willie Randolph said “there’s always a chance” Carlos Beltran could be headed to the DL with his strained abdominal muscle . . . Moises Alou (right shoulder tendinitis) didn’t sound like he’s feeling any better. “I feel OK,” he said. “Just OK.” Asked if he could play, Alou said, “DH.”

Carlos Beltran suffered an abdominal strain on his left side during batting practice and was removed from the lineup about 30 minutes before game time. No word from the Mets or Beltran on how serious an injury it is. Lastings Milledge started in centerfield.

...Moises Alou is not a quick healer.

General manager Omar Minaya made his boldest statement yet yesterday about Pedro Martinez, saying of the rehabbing Mets ace: “I’m counting on him. We’re counting on him. Counting on him to help us win games this season.”
What about you? Are you counting on him? Do you think it's wise for the Mets to be counting on him?

In a sad development this morning, the Mets announced the passing of Damion Easley's dad, Raymond, last night at his home in Riverside, Calif. Easley was placed on the Bereavement List on Tuesday to be with his ailing father and the Mets are unsure when he will return. The maximum stay on the list -- with pay -- is seven days but Easley is not expected to rejoin the team until later in the week. There also is the possibility he may need a brief minor-league assignment.

Jose Valentin wasn't feeling much better when he showed up this morning on crutches and he'll have to wait to see the team's medical staff on Monday before a cast is put on. Valentin suffered a fractured tibia Friday when he fouled a pitch off his right shin and the prognosis is four to six weeks of healing time. However long it takes, Valentin is questionable at best for the regular season and who knows what kind of shape he'll be in come October -- if the Mets get that far.

"The last couple of hours I've been thinking about everything," Valentin said. "It doesn't make any sense to be negative on yourself. Time's going to decide what's going to happen. Right now, there's nothing I can do. I'm in limbo."

The Mets called up Anderson Hernandez to replace Valentin on the roster and Ruben Gotay, who is starting at second base today, should get the majority of playing time, even when Damion Easley returns from the bereavement list. For now, at least, GM Omar Minaya feels comfortable with his depth at the position.

"I'm pretty sure teams are going to call me," Minaya said. "I'm willing to listen, but I like Gotay."

BY DAVID LENNON

LOS ANGELES – One way to analyze this season for the Mets is by studying the film from an X-ray machine or MRI tube. Without an injury-depleted outfield, do they even sign Marlon Anderson? And looking ahead, it now appears that Jose Valentin could be lost for the season after suffering a fractured right tibia Friday in the Mets’ 4-1 victory over the Dodgers.

While Valentin, a key member of last year’s NL East champs, is on his way out, Anderson just got through the clubhouse door. Anderson has been with the Mets for only two days, but he again made an impact, scoring one run and manufacturing another to break a 1-1 tie in the eighth inning.

After Jose Reyes’ leadoff double, Anderson executed a perfect bunt that LA reliever Roberto Hernandez scooped up before bouncing the throw past first baseman James Loney for a run-scoring error.

“That's why you like Marlon,” manager Willie Randolph said. “He knows how to get into the mix. He knows how to make things happen. What Marlon is doing now is why we wanted him here. He knows how to think and how to react and how to play winning baseball.”

After Anderson’s bunt, Carlos Beltran crushed the next pitch for his second home run in as many games to let Oliver Perez (9-6) exhale and give the bullpen some room to breathe. Perez allowed six hits and the only run in 7 1/3 innings was Nomar Garciaparra’s homer on the first pitch of the second inning. His eight strikeouts were the most since he also whiffed eight against the Giants on May 29.

Perez was lifted after Russell Martin’s one-out single in the eighth inning and Joe Smith was quickly pulled once Jeff Kent followed with a base hit. In came Pedro Feliciano, who got Luis Gonzalez on a grounder back to the mound and Garciaparra on a flyout to center. Billy Wagner pitched a perfect ninth for his 21st save in 22 chances. With the Braves’ loss earlier in the night, the Mets extended their lead over Atlanta to 3 ½ games.

But the second straight win over the Dodgers came at a hefty price now that Valentin, 37, is potentially lost for the season after fouling a Brett Tomko pitch off his right shin in the fourth inning. When the clubhouse opened after the game, Valentin was stretched on the couch, his shin packed in ice, a downcast look on his face.

“He's a gamer,” Randolph said. “He's always been a fighter. No one feels as bad as I do about the situation he's in. If it's six weeks, maybe he can come back and help us in the stretch run.”

Valentin will have his leg put in a cast on Saturday and he is expected to be on the disabled list for a minimum of six weeks. With only nine weeks remaining in the regular season, Valentin has a very small window to return.

“It's just a little crack, but it's enough to take me out of the game for six weeks,” Valentin said. “It seems like everything is happening to the same leg.”

Valentin already was wearing a brace on his right knee to support a torn ACL, which cost him five weeks on the DL from April 30 to June 7 and is likely to need surgery after the season. Most of Valentin’s right leg is covered by the brace and another four inches of wrap beneath it, but the foul tip hit him on a small spot that was exposed.

“That’s my luck,” Valentin said.

Now it’s Ruben Gotay’s turn. Gotay did his part Thursday with three hits and a pair of RBIs as the Mets scored a season high 13 runs to beat the Dodgers. But manager Willie Randolph, intent on sparking Valentin for the second half, went with the 14-year veteran instead on Friday.

Earlier this week, Randolph explained his thought process with Valentin. Obviously, Gotay has been the hot hand, outshining the incumbent with a .354 batting average and displaying surprising pop with four home runs in 96 at-bats. But the manager feared that going with Gotay on a daily basis would be like giving up on Valentin and the Mets could not afford to do that.

But with two outs in the fourth inning, Valentin fouled a 2-and-1 pitch off his right shin, grimaced in pain and immediately began walking toward the Mets dugout. Valentin stopped on the grass to pull up his right pants leg and appeared to be examining his shin when Randolph and trainer Ray Ramirez joined him.

Ramirez looked at the leg for a few minutes before all three stood up and Valentin limped off the field. By the way he was moving – his right leg barely bending – it looked like something more serious than a bruise. Not long after, X-rays taken at the stadium revealed the fracture.

With Valentin gone, Gotay inherited his 2-and-2 count and slapped the next pitch directly to second baseman Jeff Kent, who handled all three outs that inning. It was the first time Tomko had retired the Mets in order, but they had little to show for their efforts.

Through the first five innings, the Mets left three runners at second base and Carlos Delgado stranded two of them by striking out each time. When they did score in the first inning, the run was gift-wrapped by the Dodgers. With one out, Anderson – back again in the No. 2 hole -- lifted a routine fly ball toward left-centerfield. As Luis Gonzalez jogged to camp under it, Juan Pierre rushed over, and as the two tried to avoid each other, the ball dropped between them.

The error was charged to Pierre for interfering with Gonzalez and Anderson wound up on second base. Two pitches later, Wright smacked a line drive single to center that put the Mets ahead, 1-0. For Wright, it was his sixth RBI in the first five games of this road trip. On the next pitch, Wright picked up his 21st stolen base in 23 attempts, but Delgado, with the count 3-and-2, took a called third strike.

Perez also had trouble in the first inning when Pierre reached on an infield single and then stole second and third. But Gonzalez took a fastball that split the plate for the third out and that set the tone as Perez deftly pitched his way out of every jam to follow.

There weren’t many. After Garciaparra’s leadoff homer in the second inning, Perez whiffed Tomko to strand two in the fourth and got Martin to bounce into a double play in the fifth. In the sixth inning, Kent opened with a double, but Perez retired the side to keep the score tied – long enough for his teammates to finally do something about it.

Mets GM Omar Minaya did his best to dampen expectations Thursday of a blockbuster swap before the July 31 trade deadline. And when the Mets play like they did later that night -- Tom Glavine's meltdown aside -- it looks like they don't need much now that Marlon Anderson is aboard (kidding). I revisited some of Minaya's history with Sammy Sosa in this morning's newspaper and entertained the thought of Mr. 600 coming to Shea. But asking around the clubhouse, Sosa still seems to be a controversial figure, despite his makeover in Texas, and it would be an interesting PR situation if he came to New York. Just something else to think about over these next 11 days.

BY DAVID LENNON

LOS ANGELES – Tom Glavine made the wrong kind of history last night at Dodger Stadium. After waiting a lifetime for No. 300, Glavine, only two wins away from the milestone, turned in his shortest outing in four years when he was pulled with none out in the third inning.

But the Mets, who have a division title to defend, were less worried about Glavine and more concerned with getting some “payback” from the Dodgers for a three-game sweep suffered here in June. Mission accomplished.

The Mets scored six runs in the first inning, piled on more to compensate for Glavine’s troubles and then rode the bullpen for a bumpy 13-9 victory over the Dodgers at Chavez Ravine. Carlos Delgado and Ramon Castro hit back-t0-back homers in the sixth inning and Carlos Beltran went deep in the eighth as the Mets stacked up their highest run total of the season. The 13 runs also matched the most they had ever scored against the Dodgers dating to May 16, 1982.

Marlon Anderson, fresh from Triple-A New Orleans, started in leftfield and had two RBI, as did Jose Reyes, David Wright and Castro. The Mets also scored a pair of runs on Matt Kemp’s fielding error and Ruben Gotay added an RBI-single. Somehow, they still won despite getting outhit by the Dodgers, 19-16.

“Did we win that game?” manager Willie Randolph said. “It sure didn’t feel like it.”

Glavine allowed 10 hits and six runs in two-plus innings, his shortest stint since he lasted only one inning on July 29, 2003 against the Brewers at Shea. In that game, however, the two-time Cy Young winner was forced to leave with a strained rib cage muscle. Last night, Glavine did not appear to be injured and the Mets led, 9-5, when he was replaced by Aaron Sele, who allowed two hits over three innings for the victory.

“Fun night,” Glavine said. “If you’re going to pitch lousy and we win, it’s whole lot easier to deal with. I don’t know what happened to be honest with you. When I made good pitches, they laid off them and when I made bad ones, they hit them.”

As badly as the Mets throttled Derek Lowe, who was knocked out after serving up 10 hits and nine runs in three innings, Glavine was wobbly himself by the third. With Glavine closing fast on his personal milestone, manager Willie Randolph has tried to give him the benefit of the doubt in close games. But leaving him in last night would have been sadistic.

Jeff Kent crushed his first pitch of the third inning over the leftfield wall and the Dodgers followed with three straight singles to load the bases. That brought out pitching coach Peterson and Glavine handed him the baseball without looking up as he walked back to the dugout with his head down.

“Any time the team goes out there and gives you six runs early, then gives you nine runs and you struggle to win the game, that’s frustrating,” Glavine said. “When I didn’t do anything to protect that, it’s embarrassing.”

Glavine exited with the bases loaded, but Sele retired Matt Kemp on a harmless fly ball to center and the Mets got lucky on Olmedo Saenz’s sacrifice fly when Nomar Garciaparra unwisely tried for third. Carlos Delgado cut off the throw and easily flipped over to David Wright for the tag.

In the manager’s words, the Mets were hungry for “payback” after suffering a three-game sweep at Dodger Stadium last month. And this time, the front office called for reinforcements as Anderson was promoted to face the team that had released him earlier this season.

But Anderson, one of the game’s best pinch hitters, wasn’t being saved for late-inning duty. Randolph inserted him into the starting lineup in leftfield and Anderson became the 14th player to bat in the No. 2 hole for the Mets this season. As for the chance for revenge, Anderson smiled.

“You guys put whatever spin on it you want,” Anderson said yesterday afternoon. “I’m looking to go out there and play baseball.”

In that case, using Lowe as a pinata was a bonus. Anderson helped spur the Mets to their most prolific first inning since 2004 in charging to a 6-0 lead. Reyes and Anderson opened with back-to-back singles before Wright launched a tw0-run double.

After a walk to Delgado and an RBI single by Castro, the Mets caught a break when the rightfielder Kemp let Shawn Green’s base hit roll under his glove for an error that allowed two runs to score. By then, the laid-back LA fans had begun to boo, and the Mets weren’t finished until Gotay lashed a run-scoring single to centerfield.

Despite the Mets’ fast start, this would be no pleasure cruise to No. 299 for Glavine, who, like Lowe, was pummeled early and often. And if not for some questionable baserunning, things could have been even worse for Glavine. In the first inning, the Dodgers loaded the bases with one out for Luis Gonzalez, who ripped a two-run single to rightfield.

Kent tried to go from first to third on Green, but he fired a perfect one-hop throw that cut him down easily. That helped Glavine escape without further damage – or simply delay it until later. In the second inning, Kemp redeemed himself with a two-run homer and Kent also went deep to open the third.

As soon as the Mets supplied runs, it seemed, Glavine would give them back. In the top of the third, they loaded the bases with one out before Reyes’ dribbler down the first-base line pushed another run across. Next up was Anderson, and he slapped a two-run single to centerfield that put the Mets ahead, 9-4.

Alas, nothing could save Glavine on this night, and he spent the majority of it in the clubhouse. When told later that it was his shortest start since 2003, he laughed. “Let’s hope it’s another four years,” Glavine said.

BY DAVID LENNON

SAN DIEGO – Manager Willie Randolph is the one with the sling on his right arm, but it was pitching coach Rick Peterson who wore the pained expression last night when he came out to take the baseball from reliever Joe Smith in the eighth inning.

Peterson had stood in the same spot a few moments earlier to caution Smith about facing Geoff Blum and the words of advice went naught when the Padres’ second baseman ripped a tie-breaking single that toppled the Mets, 5-4, at PETCO Park.

Smith did more than just lose the game. His eighth-inning meltdown also tanked the Mets’ inspired comeback from a 4-0 deficit. Carlos Delgado got it started with a leadoff home run against Royce Ring in the seventh and David Wright tied the score with a three-run shot off Scott Linebrink with two outs in the eighth.

“It -----,” Smith said. “Nobody wants to do that.”

The Mets’ bullpen had allowed only three earned runs in its previous 34 innings, including a scoreless seventh from Scott Schoeneweis last night. But Smith issued a one-out walk to Khalil Greene, and after whiffing Josh Bard, he gave up a single to Kevin Kouzmanoff that just got past Wright.

“It was a little bit of bad luck,” Wright said, “and a little bit of not catching the breaks.”

Peterson visited for a quick chat, telling Smith to keep the ball down. But he left a 3-and-1 changeup in a good spot for to Blum, who lined it into rightfield to deliver the winning run.

“I threw two horrible changeups before that,” Smith said. “You can’t hang one on the outer third [of the plate]. It has to be on the black and low. It could have been better.”

Trevor Hoffman finished up for his 26th save and the Mets, after dropping two of three to the Padres, now head to Los Angeles for a rough four-game series. The Dodgers swept the Mets in their previous visit to Chavez Ravine (June 11-13).

In the seventh inning, Heath Bell bailed out Ring, his former Mets teammate, but Linebrink – the bridge to Hoffman – collapsed in the eighth. With two outs, Linebrink walked both Jose Valentin and Carlos Beltran, then teed up a first-pitch fastball to Wright, who drove it into the leftfield seats for the tying homer.

The ball was hit so hard that it cleared the wall in an instant, but only by a few feet, and Wright celebrated his 17th homer with Jose Reyes in the customary dancing handshake fashion.
“Going up there knowing he was having problems throwing strikes, I was thinking first-pitch fastball,” Wright said. “I got lucky and got under it.”

Greg Maddux pulled another one of his early disappearing acts, but the Padres have the bullpen to cover for him -- usually. Cla Meredith pitched a perfect sixth inning before Delgado greeted Ring with a long home run to open the seventh. Delgado got lucky because Mike Cameron nearly made a great leaping catch. While he timed his jump perfectly, Cameron closed his glove too early, and the ball caromed off the back side for Delgado’s 15th home run and first since July 7.

“It was right in front of me,” said Delgado, who could see the ball’s flight. “I thought he was going to catch it. I was glad to see it go over the fence.”

No one has owned the Mets like Maddux. He entered last night’s game with 35 wins against them, the most by any opposing pitcher, and that mastery was on display again in the early innings. Maddux struck out the side in the first on 11 pitches and retired 12 of 14 through four innings.

But the knock on Maddux has been his early exits, and once the Padres built him a 4-0 lead, he didn’t return for the sixth despite throwing only 65 pitches though five. Maddux allowed just four singles and matched his season high with six strikeouts, which he had not done since April 11 against the Giants.

John Maine’s troubles continued last night as soon as he stepped on the mound. In the first inning, a leadoff walk to Brian Giles was an immediate red flag, and one out later, Gonzalez ripped a double right past the glove side of Carlos Delgado. The first baseman barely moved as the ball shot by him into rightfield and Giles scored easily.

“He didn’t get his glove down,” Randolph said. “It was one of those plays that set the tone for the game. It was hit pretty crisply, but you have to ask him if he saw it or not.”

Said Delgado: “It kind of stayed down on me. I thought I had it. It was a play I should have made.”

Maine recovered to whiff Cameron, but another of the Mets’ weak spots was exposed when Khalil Greene poked a soft fly ball into shallow right. Shawn Green charged in, but his diving attempt came up inches short when the ball dropped in front of his extended glove for an RBI-single that put the Padres ahead, 2-0.

San Diego stranded two when Maine got Kevin Kouzmanoff on a fly out and he set down the side in order the next inning. But Maine made a loud mistake to begin the third when Milton Bradley crushed his first pitch for a 427-foot homer into the right-centerfield seats. Bradley was 7-for-22 with three RBI since his release from the A’s, but that was his first home run in six games with the Padres.

Once the applause faded, Maine retired eight of the next nine hitters, with Blum’s two-out double the only blemish in the fourth inning. But that smooth stretch came to an abrupt end when Adrian Gonzalez hammered a 409-foot homer, and like Bradley, he jumped on the first pitch.

This was hardly a stunning development. But the Braves need more than Julio Franco after getting swept by the Reds (ugh) this week. Does anyone really want to win the NL East? Anyone? Not only do the Mets get Franco off their roster, the Braves do them the favor of kicking in a few Gs to offset his $1.1-million salary this season. Should be interesting when these two teams meet again, though. Just like old times.

BY DAVID LENNON

SAN DIEGO – A handful of Mets trickled onto the empty field more than four hours before last night’s game at PETCO Park. From a baseball perspective, these particular players represented a group of lost souls looking for direction.

The slumping trio of Carlos Beltran, Paul Lo Duca and Jose Valentin were among the headliners that chose to skip lunch in La Jolla or some other seaside retreat yesterday for some extra swings. By night’s end, the Mets were thankful for their efforts, as all three had RBIs to back a masterful performance by Orlando Hernandez in a 7-0 win over the Padres.

Beltran had three hits, including a pair of doubles, and both Lo Duca and Valentin had RBI singles. Lastings Milledge added a sacrifice fly and Carlos Delgado iced it with a two-run single in the ninth. As for El Duque, simply shutting down the Padres was not enough.

Hernandez (6-4) allowed two hits – both doubles by Adrian Gonzalez – over seven scoreless innings and struck out four to outduel Padres starter Jake Peavy. But he also sparked the Mets’ fifth-inning rally with a leadoff single and stolen base, his second in as many starts.

“He was competing tonight,” Lo Duca said. “He had a look in his eye like he was going to buckle down.”

Hernandez became the first Mets pitcher with two stolen bases in a season since Tom Seaver in 1967 and later came around to score on Valentin’s one-out single. El Duque simply was determined to do whatever was needed for the win.

“Not only the stolen base,” Hernandez said through an interpreter. “Even at the plate. Anything you can do to help the team win a ballgame, you’ve got to do it.”

Said manager Willie Randolph: “He’s just a competitor, man. I love his energy and his fight. He forces you to play the game. He just loves to compete. If you don’t pay attention to him, it’s almost insulting to him.”

The last time the Mets scored as many as six runs was July 5 in a 6-2 win over the Astros at Minute Maid Park and it was no coincidence they drew eight walks in the process. After watching his team come up empty on Monday, Randolph was thrilled with last night’s approach.

“Some guys don’t think it’s glamorous to walk,” Randolph said. “I think it’s glamorous. I think it’s sexy.”

For new hitting coach Howard Johnson, it had to be satisfying to see results immediately after that day’s extra session, even with a tough stretch still ahead with Greg Maddux tonight and four games against the pitching-rich Dodgers.

“No, it doesn’t help,” Johnson said of the tough schedule. “But these guys are up for the challenge. We’ve got to get back to the point where we believe in ourselves as an offense again.”

Peavy, coming off his second All-Star appearance, had his first start after the break pushed back until last night because of a sore right biceps muscle. He also was winless since June 12, a stretch of three starts, but probably looked at the struggling Mets like a hungry dog eyes a piece of filet mignon.

Early on, however, there were signs that the Mets might not be such a pushover. In the first inning, Beltran got lucky when his hard grounder ricocheted off first base for a freakish two-out double. But the Mets failed to score when Brian Giles made a spectacular backhanded catch to rob David Wright of extra bases. Giles ran into the asymmetrical crevice in rightfield and disappeared from view as he grabbed the ball before crashing into the wall.

The Mets didn’t stay frustrated for long. In the fourth inning, Beltran drew a leadoff walk, and after Wright whiffed, Peavy wound up walking Delgado, too. Next up was Shawn Green, a lifetime .304 hitter (14-for-46) against Peavy, but he flied out.

That left it up to Lo Duca, who was 4-for-21 against Peavy, and he ripped a 97-mph fastball up the middle for an RBI single. It was Lo Duca’s second RBI in as many games after a six-game drought dating to July 1.

“[Monday] night when I got that two-out RBI it felt like it was 2005,” Lo Duca said. “We did a good job against one of the best pitchers in the game.”

On Monday, Jorge Sosa tied to jump-start the Mets’ offense with a double and walk of his own. Hernandez didn’t want to be a spectator either. He opened the fifth with a single to centerfield and then stunned the Padres by stealing second. It was El Duque’s second stolen base in two starts and it paid off when Valentin followed with an RBI single.

Valentin’s line drive to center was hit hard, but third-base coach Sandy Alomar didn’t hesitate to wave around Hernandez, who chugged home and scored without a slide. Valentin took second on a wild pitch and Beltran slapped a grounder that skipped over third base for a run-scoring double.

The Mets stranded Beltran when Wright struck out for the second time and Delgado bounced to first base, but their persistent attack took its toll on Peavy. Instead of getting themselves out early in the count, as they have too often this season, the Mets forced Peavy to throw 104 pitches through six innings and he was replaced by reliever Kevin Cameron for the seventh.

For one night, it seemed, the Mets’ decision to take early batting practice worked like a charm. Was the solution to their offensive woes really that simple?
“Hitting is like running,” Beltran said. “One day you run one mile, the next day two miles. You get stamina. Over a long season like this, you get tired, but if you hit every day, it helps.”

... Chip Ambres in the house. Check out the details from this Mets release:

The New York Mets today placed infielder Damion Easley on the bereavement list and selected Chip Ambres’ contract from New Orleans (AAA) of the Pacific Coast League. Ambres will wear #36 and will be available for tonight’s game.

Easley is currently with his father, Raymond, in Riverside, CA. Easley’s stay on the list is for a minimum of three days and a maximum of seven days.

Ambres, 27, hit .272 (82-301) with 60 runs scored, 18 doubles, 16 home runs, 49 RBI, with 46 walks and 71 strikeouts in 85 games for the Zephyrs.

Chip was signed as a minor league free agent on December 16, 2006.

In 53 major league games with the Kansas City Royals in 2005, Ambres batted .241 (35-145) with eight doubles, four home runs, nine RBI, with 16 walks and 32 strikeouts.

Did a Google search this morning for an image of David Wells and this is one of the things that came up.I sense a little frustration among Mets fans over last night's 5-1 loss to the Padres and for good reason. When the pitcher, in this case Jorge Sosa, provides the only extra-base hit and only walk, that's a problem. Think about that. Manager Willie Randolph even said afterward that Sosa "had a good approach." Nice. This team just fired its hitting coach and Sosa outshines the entire lineup? Seems to me that HoJo has his hands full with this crew.

Here's something else to digest over lunch. Jose Valentin is really dragging this offense down with him. Valentin's batting average slipped to .236 last night and currently is in a 4-for-42 skid with 0 homers and 1 RBI over that span. The 2006 magic is gone with Valentin.

... the Mets snoozed through a 5-1 loss to the Padres. Here are the late details.

BY DAVID LENNON

SAN DIEGO – The enduring image from last night’s game at PETCO Park was the sight of pitcher Jorge Sosa, fresh off the disabled list, hobbling as fast as he could in a desperate attempt to get to second base. Really, what was the point?

Sosa wound up with the first double of his career, and eventually made it as far as third. But like many of the Mets these days, Sosa never got around to touching the plate, and his teammates weren’t much help either in a 5-1 loss to the Padres.

This was the game the Mets needed to win. David Wells was the weak link of this series – Jake Peavy and Greg Maddux follow him -- but he allowed just one run in six innings. The 44-year-old lefthander gave up seven hits, and incredibly, Sosa’s double was the only one that went for extra bases.

“He had a good approach tonight, actually,” said manager Willie Randolph, who wasn’t trying to be funny. “He worked a walk and hit a double. He’s always been able to swing the bat a little bit.”

What about the rest of the Mets? GM Omar Minaya axed hitting coach Rick Down last Thursday in attempt to revive the team’s moribund offense, but team still looks like it needs CPR. They were batting .249 with runners in scoring position, and went 2-for-6 last night, but scored only one run because Sosa held up at third base on Jose Reyes’ two-out single in the third inning.

It was Paul Lo Duca, hitting just .182 in those situations, who finally came through with his run-scoring single in the fourth inning – his first RBI since July 1. Of course, Shawn Green immediately bounced into a 4-6-3 double play.

Carlos Beltran was another repeat offender. With the Mets down, 2-1, in the fifth inning, Beltran came up with runners at second and third with two outs. But he grounded meekly to second base, dropping his average to .121 (4-for-33) in those two-out scoring chances.

“This offense really clicks when we can draw some walks and have some long at-bats,” David Wright said, “and we didn’t have that tonight.”

To add insult to injury, two former Mets played prominent roles. Heath Bell pitched a scoreless seventh inning with a strikeout and Mike Cameron crushed a long solo home run off Aaron Heilman in the eighth.

The Mets’ last-ditch effort to tie the score in the seventh inning backfired when Ruben Gotay, who reached on a two-out infield single, was cut down trying to steal second. It seemed like a strange play with Jose Reyes at the plate, but Randolph later explained that he put Gotay in motion with the expectation that Reyes would rip the 3-and-1 pitch into a gap somewhere.

“We got the pitch he wanted to hit and he took a fastball down the middle,” Randolph said. “I guess it works out that way sometimes. I was hoping Jose would get a fastball to hit and he took it. With a big ballpark like this, you have to be aggressive. You can’t lay back.”

Said Reyes, “I kind of froze there.”

Not that it mattered. In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Padres added an insurance run on Marcus Giles’ groundout and Cameron homered in the eighth.

Sosa was last seen limping off the field at Citizens Bank Park on June 30, the victim of a strained left hamstring. But after watching the likes of Mike Pelfrey, Jason Vargas and Dave Williams, the Mets were anxious to get him back into the rotation. He looked pretty decent against the Padres, allowing five hits and two runs in six innings.

“My leg is 100 percent fine,” Sosa said through an interpreter. “I didn’t have a problem.”

The Mets just don’t provide much of a margin for error these days. Sosa’s trouble started in the second inning with a one-out walk to Milton Bradley. Khalil Greene followed with a double to leftfield and Michael Barrett ripped the next pitch for a two-run single. Wells even got into the act with a two-out bloop single, only his third hit in 31 at-bats this season. But Sosa escaped the first-and-third jam when Brian Giles grounded out.

Feeling stranded by his pitiful offense, Sosa did what he could at the plate, too. Wells retired eight in a row to open the game before Sosa’s two-out double, the first of his career, in the third inning. Sosa, concerned about his left leg, ran gingerly to second and walked the last few feet. He made it as far as third on Reyes’ infield single, but Lastings Milledge, batting in the No. 2 spot last night, grounded out to end the threat.

Looks like the Moises Alou Comeback Tour is officially underway. From the home office in Port St. Lucie ...

Alou, the Mets prodigal leftfielder, went 2-3 with a walk, single and a solo home run today as the DH for the Gulf Coast Mets vs. Nationals.

Anyone else think taking three of four from the Reds was a necessity with this trip through San Diego and LA looming? The sun is struggling to break through here, so not exactly a postcard morning in SoCal. Never have to worry about it raining anyway.

Shifting gears for a second, ever want to know what Carlos Beltran eats for breakfast? Or what Fernando Martinez is doing at Double-A Binghamton? Or who is on Omar Minaya's speed dial as the trade deadline nears? There's one way to find out: Ask Anthony.

Newsday's own Answer Man -- baseball writer Anthony Rieber -- will try and solve whatever conundrum has been vexing you lately. As long as you ask politely and write in complete sentences. It's easy. Just click on here for baseball enlightenment.

P.S. That's not Anthony. It's Frank Gorshin, the original Riddler, way better than Jim Carrey. Not even close.

Ruben Gotay is starting at second base again. Willie Randolph said, basically, that he's not crazy, that since Gotay is hitting and the team is struggling, he's going to keep playing Gotay. Plus, Jose Valentin has that hurt pinkie (or is in pinky?) from his All-Star break "altercation."
So what do you all think of Gotay? Legit second baseman of the present and future or flash in the pan?

Oliver Perez spent the early part of yesterday taking loopy, exaggerated swings in the batting cage. So his sore back is obviously better and he’s ready to come off the disabled list and start today against the Reds.
Jorge Sosa rejoined the team and went through the normal pitcher drills. So his strained left hamstring is obviously better and he’s ready to come off the disabled list and start tomorrow in San Diego.
The Mets’ best hopes have come true in terms of those two pitchers. Perez and Sosa had combined for 14 wins (seven each) when they went on the DL in the first week of July, and the best-case scenario had them both returning right after the All-Star break.
Welcome to the best-case scenario.
Now the Mets have some decisions to make. Two pitchers will have to go to make room for Perez and Sosa, one today and one tomorrow. So get ready to say goodbye to Mike Pelfrey, Dave Williams or Aaron Sele.
Pelfrey, who was told by the Mets earlier this week that he was going to start tomorrow against the Padres, got a revised billet on Thursday, when he was sent to the bullpen. He pitched 1 1/3 innings in the Mets’ 8-4 loss to the Reds.
Pelfrey is the likeliest candidate to go first so he can start regularly for Triple-A New Orleans.
"We’ll talk about that later,” manager Willie Randolph said when asked about Pelfrey’s future.
The tougher decision will come tomorrow when the Mets will likely let go of either Williams or Sele, unless they want to go with 13 pitchers. Both veterans can fill the spot starter/long reliever role. Sele is 2-0 with a 4.41 ERA in 20 appearances; Williams is 0-1 with a 21.60 ERA in one start, last Sunday in Houston.
UPDATE, 10:45 p.m.: Williams was designated for assignment after the game to make room for Perez. Are the Mets really thinking about using Pelfrey as the long man? Or will he be going back to Triple-A on Monday? Stay tuned.

Yesterday was one of the more chaotic days of Omar Minaya's tenure, but the most unnerving part of the whole Rick Down-Rickey Henderson swap had to be the schism between the GM and manager Willie Randolph. Kudos to Randolph for sticking up for his hitting coach despite the pressure from above and he made it clear he was not in agreement with Minaya. I'm not sure where the relationship goes from here, but when the front office starts picking apart your coaching staff -- and axes your "brother" -- it can start to get a little uncomfortable in the big chair. Good thing Randolph got that extension done before the season. That's all I'll say about that.

As for Julio Franco, I'm sure that was a tough one for Minaya to swallow, but you could almost see his skills declining over the past few weeks. He had some big at-bats earlier in the season, but Franco will be 49 next month, and even he has to make concessions to his age at some point. With three catchers, the Mets now have the ability to use Ramon Castro as a pinch hitter, and that should help.

Interesting time for a shake-up at Shea with the Mets in first place, but I think this move was more about getting Rickey Henderson on the staff than firing Rick Down. I know the Mets have underachieved at the plate this season, but is it Down's fault that Delgado suddenly lost his stroke overnight? With Pedro Martinez on the shelf for another month, the Mets need an infusion of energy, and the front office figured Rickey was the right guy for that role.

Plus, it was a little suspicious when Henderson showed up out of the blue last month, slipped into a uniform and hung around the cage during batting practice. That was strange behavior from a part-time instructor, and it's obvious now the Mets want him around on a regular basis. If nothing else, it should be entertaining.

Good thing Willie Randolph skipped the All-Star Game for shoulder surgery. Think the Mets manager -- who was picked to be on the NL coaching staff -- would have been happy to sit there in the dugout while Tony La Russa stuck with Aaron Rowand in the ninth inning rather than pinch hit Albert Pujols? After scouring the newspapers (and web sites) this morning, I still have not read a satisfactory explanation for this move.

I could understand if Pujols was hurt, but it sounds like the Cardinals slugger was even annoyed by his own manager's slight. And the Mets, who had a lot to gain by the NL winning last night, should be angry, too. Come October, that Rowand fly ball with the bases loaded will be remembered.

Looks like Oliver Perez should be ready for the start of the second half. Perez, who was placed on the disabled list July 3 (retroactive to June 26) with a sore back, began his rehab stint today with four shutout innings for the Gulf Coast Mets. The lefthander allowed two hits, struck out seven and did not give up a walk in the 49-pitch outing.

Take a look for yourself. (My thanks to colleague Anthony Rieber for first posting the grades at the crack of dawn this morning). Most of the team did pretty well and that has to do with the fact that the Mets, despite their inconsistent play, are in first place. Here's a few of the e-mails I've received so far. Maybe you agree. Maybe not.

From the Mailbox ...

Can't argue with your Mets ratings except for one, Jose Valentin. I love this guy but his performance this year falls into the C- to D range. I will be generous and go with C-. How can you rate him a B? Not this year. Time and again he has failed to hit with runners on base. His hitting has reverted to where it was prior to the Mets picking him up last year. I agree his knee has limited his range but what about the errors transferring the ball from glove to throwing hand? Knee had nothing to do with that. Keep up the good work. -- Herb K.

And this one, too ...

Dear Mr. Lennon:

-- Steven G.