On the Mets beat

Good afternoon to all those in the blogosphere. Rod Boone here. Looks like we are going to get this one in. The weather has cleared up and the Mets have taken the field.
It's Mike Pelfrey (2-6, 5.33 ERA) vs. Chad Billingsley (4-6, 3.68).

Top of first: Not a good start for the Mets. Mike Pelfrey is getting lit up and the Dodgers would have scored more than one run if not for a nice tag by Brian Schneider at the plate. Jose Reyes also botched a great throw from Endy Chavez in left that would have had Matt Kemp nailed at second. Dodgers 1, Mets 0.

Bottom of first: Three weak infield ground balls and the Mets go down quickly and easily.

Top of second: Aided by a nifty 6-6-3 double play from Reyes, the Dodgers don't get to Pelfrey. That's the athleticism Mets fans probably wish they'd see more from the gifted shortstop.

Bottom of second: The Mets get their first hit (a single by Carlos Delgado) but don't do anything with it. They aren't doing much against Billingsley so far.

Top of third: Pelfrey is getting in a bit of a groove but still hasn't retired the side in order yet. He got the first two outs before hitting machine Jeff Kent hit a rocket single to center.

Bottom of third: Reyes singled with two outs and stole second, but he was stranded there when Chavez flied out to center to end the inning. Three innings, two hits.

Top of fourth: A leadoff walk, a single on a hit-and-run, and another single leads to another run. Pelfrey escapes with two runners on but the Dodgers are hitting rockets off him again. Dodgers 2, Mets 0.

Bottom of fourth: Mets got runners on first and second with no outs behind consecutive walks to start the inning. They still got nothing out of it. The offense is asleep today.

Top of fifth: Pelfrey finally retires the side in order, though Jeff Kent nearly took him deep.

Bottom of fifth: Mets waste another scoring chance and strand two runners on base. They haven't hit many balls out of the infield today. Anyone having trouble staying awake watching this?

Top of sixth: That's two straight innings Pelfrey has sent the Dodgers down 1-2-3.

Bottom of sixth: Heart of the lineup barely shows a pulse against Billingsley and we head to the seventh.

Top of seventh: Pelfrey sends the Dodgers down 1-2-3 for the third straight inning. His afternoon appears to be over. His line: seven innings, seven hits, two earned runs, one walk and six strikeouts.

Bottom of seventh: Another inning means more runners left on base. The Mets had runners on first and third with one out and have nothing to show for it.

Top of eighth: Duaner Sanchez (where was he last night, right?) is in for Pelfrey and got the Dodgers out without a hiccup.

Bottom of eighth: And we finally have life. Billingsley is out and all of the sudden the offense wakes up. Jonathan Broxton came in and Wright doubled off the wall in right to lead off the inning and Carlos Beltran homered to right to tie the game. Carlos Delgado singled and after an intentional walk to Brian Schneider, Fernando Tatis singled in pinch runner Nick Evans from second with one out to give the Mets the lead. Mets 3, Dodgers 2.

Top of ninth: Billy Wagner blows away the Dodgers, striking out the side. Big comeback win for the Mets. Final: Mets 3, Dodgers 2.

As of right now, 3:19, despite a dire forecast and tornado warnings in New Jersey, the Mets stilll are planning to start this game on time, 3:55 p.m. The sun is actually peeking through now, but we wouldn't put a big bet on this one going straight through without a delay. Could be a long day.

It likely won't be the longest May 31 in Mets history. It would take a lot to surpass this date in 1964--when the Mets and Giants went 23 innings at Shea in the SECOND GAME of a doubleheader. According to the official club history, Ed Kranepool, who played in all 32 innings that day, said afterward, "I wanted it to go a little longer. That way, I could say that I played a game that started in May and ended in June."

In any case, here's today's (or tonight's) starting Mets lineup:

Reyes SS
Chavez RF
Wright 3B
Beltran CF
Delgado 1B
Easley 2B
Schneider C
Tatis LF
Pelfrey P

Erik Boland as the masterblogger-bloggermaster for tonight’s Mets game. It’s John Maine (5-4, 3.41 ERA) against the Dodgers Clayton Kershaw (0-0, 3.00) as the Mets go for their fourth straight victory.

Tim Robbins is in centerfield right now as the official countdown person – 56 games and counting at Shea. I watched Robbins sign a bunch of autographs near the Mets dugout before the game. The Academy Award winner signed a ball that also had Nick Evans signature. Joshua Robinson of the Times observed, “Probably not too many balls out there with Nick Evans and Tim Robbins’ signatures on them.”

Probably not. All right, the live blog is up and running. Go to it.

Top 1st -- Rough first inning for Maine as back-to-back doubles by James Loney and Russell Martin lead to two runs and a single up the middle from Andre Ethier makes it 3-0 Dodgers. A 30 pitch inning for Maine.

Bottom 1st -- Mets get two back on Luis Castillo's third home run of the season, a two-run bullet to left. 3-2 Dodgers.

Top 2nd -- Easy inning for Maine as it stays 3-2.

Bottom 2nd -- And the Mets go just as quietly, 1-2-3...

Top 3rd -- Maine another good inning, striking out Kent and Loney back-to-back. 3-2 Dodgers.

Bottom 3rd -- Beltran's SAC fly ties it at 3-3 heading to the top of the fourth.

Top 4th Good day for Martin. Follow's first inning double with solo home run to make it 4-3 Dodgers.

Bottom 4th -- Mets get one, should have had more. 4-4.

Top 5th -- Strong inning from Maine, keeping it tied 4-4.

Bottom 5th -- And the Mets don't mount much there against Park, keeping it 4-4.

Bottom 7th -- Mets leave 'em loaded again but might have gotten just enough as they take a 5-4 lead. Feliciano still pitching.

Top 8th -- Heilman. That says it all. 7-5 Dodgers going into the bottom of the eighth.

Bottom 9th -- Mets get a couple of baserunners but Delgado grounds out to end it. 9-5 final for the Dodgers. Good night.

Hello everyone. Rod Boone here in for our guy David Lennon. He's feeling a bit under the weather today, so I'm pinch hitting for him.

One quick note: Pedro Martinez has arrived. He just spoke to the media and was bursting with excitement. He said he feels the Mets owe the fans something for the way things ended last year and is looking forward to injecting a little personality into the clubhouse and keep the team loose. Rather than going Tuesday in San Francisco, his preference would have been to start Sunday's game if it was up to him because he wanted to make his return in front of the home fans. Erik Boland is writing the story on "Petey" later so look out for that.

Ok, here's the lineups:

Mets (26-26)
Reyes SS
Castillo 2B
Wright 3B
Beltran CF
Tatis RF
Castro C
Delgado 1B
Evans LF
Maine P

Dodgers (26-27)
Pierre LF
Kemp CF
Kent 2B
Loney 3B
Martin C
Ethier RF
DeWitt 3B
Maza SS
Kershaw P

Jim Baumbach gives a list of those who have worn 17 since Keith left. Fernando Tatis is the latest.

Why doesn't this bother Mets fans the way LaTroy Hawkins wearing No. 21 bothered Yankees fans?

Click here for the story. What do you think?

It's a new day in Metsland, as my colleague Anthony Rieber summed up in his game story for last night's 8-4 win over the Dodgers (and Joe Torre).

"Compliments for the general manager? Laughter in the clubhouse? Public relations man Jay Horwitz wearing the 3-0 orange suit jacket again? Pedro on his way to New York? The Mets seem like a totally different team than on Monday, after Randolph's Summit at Shea with ownership left his job security in question."

I've been saying all along that this year has been unlike any other in the sense that every game -- yes, every game -- seems like a life-or-death event, sort of like that of an NFL season. That's not usually how a 162-game baseball season works, and SNY comments aside, it's why there has been such hysteria for firing manager Willie Randolph less than two months into the season.

Some may want to frame this three-game winning streak as a stay of execution for Randolph, but after Monday's meeting, I think he's going to get at least until the All-Star break to turn the Mets around. The Mets don't want every loss to re-ignite the Willie Watch all over again. If the team is five games under .500 and 10 games out by the break, then GM Omar Minaya will be under pressure to make a change. I'm betting that neither will be the case.

For those clamoring to make Aaron Heilman a starter -- a la Joba Chamberlain -- today's Mets Insider takes a closer look at that issue and you'll probably be disappointed that he's staying in the bullpen.

Looks like Pedro Martinez is slotted for Tuesday in San Francisco and Carlos Delgado has no intention of spending his last season in a Mets uniform as part of a platoon at first base. Interesting response from the big guy. None of the usual cliches of "I'll do whatever Willie wants me to " or "I'm here to help the team win." Delgado made it clear he will be a very unhappy camper if that's what Randolph decides. Let's see how he does tonight against Dodgers lefthander Clayton Kershaw.

The Church saga continues as well, and now that he's getting better, the Mets can only hope the events of last week don't haunt their rightfielder for the remainder of the season -- or his life. Johnette Howard also writes about some Torre guy that spoke for a while yesterday at Shea.

Evening folks. Rod Boone here as tonight's guest blogger and you'll be stuck with me for the next few games.

We'll see if the Mets can build off Wednesday night's inspiring extra-inning win over the NL East-leading Marlins.

It's Claudio Vargas (1-2, 3.93 ERA) vs. Brad Penny (5-5, 5.32). The Mets have had success against Penny. Will it continue? We'll have the answer soon. First pitch is less than 10 minutes away. Be back in a sec to get this going.

Top of first: Leave it to Endy Chavez. He comes through again. Pesky Juan Pierre singled to lead off the game, stole second, advanced to third on a groundout and tagged up on a fly ball to right. Chavez made a running catch and gunned Pierre down. Nice block of the plate by Brian Schneider, too.

Bottom of first: Rally-killer Carlos Delgado strikes out with runners on first and third. He swung at a pitch that bounced in the dirt and wasn't even close to making contact. Mets leave two.

Top of second: Vargas send them down in order. He's nibbling at the left corner of the plate to righthanders and it's proving to be effective so far.

Bottom of second: Mets go quietly. Three infield grounders against Penny. We head to the third and it's still zip-zip.

Top of third: Vargas is holding the Dodgers in check. He's set the last eight hitters packing. He isn't overpowering but is getting the job done.

Bottom of third: Mets get to Penny. With two outs and Luis Castillo on first, David Wright crushed a waist-high 2-and-0 fastball into the bleachers in left centerfield. Mets 2, Dodgers 0.

Top of fourth: Delgado flashed a little leather and stabbed a potential double with one out, helping Vargas roll to another rather easy 1-2-3 showing. Vargas is eating some innings.

Bottom of fourth: Weird inning. The Dodgers looked more like the Mets. Penny appeared to be out of the inning when he got Vargas to ground out. But the players were summoned out of the dugout after Russell Martin was called for catcher's interference. The Mets wound up posting a four spot, as Castillo knocked in two runs and Wright homered to right with Beltran on. All because of the error. An aside, Jose Reyes extended his hitting streak to 14 games with a two-out single. Mets 6, Dodgers 0.

Top of fifth: Comeback time for the Dodgers. Former Met Jeff Kent homers to deep left to put the Dodgers on the board and Blake DeWitt takes Vargas over the field in right for a two-run shot to shave the lead in half. Mets 6, Dodgers 3.

Bottom of fifth: No drama this time. Mets go down 1-2-3.

Top of sixth: Vargas left with two outs and runners on first and second. Pedro Feliciano came in and surendered a run, and Carlos Muniz relieved him and struck out Kent for the final out. Mets 6, Dodgers 4.

Bottom of sixth: Mets get a one-out single from Reyes, but that's it. We move to the seventh.

Top of seventh: Scott Schoeneweis continues to impress. He retired the Dodgers quickly in order and looked good again.

Bottom of seventh: Chavez comes through once more. His broken bat two-out infield hit knocks in an insurance run, and Schneider tacks on one more with a single to left. More clutch two-out hitting for the Mets of late Mets 8, Dodgers 4.

Top of eighth: The bullpen remains solid. Joe Smith came in to get the final out after Schoeneweis was pulled with two outs.

Bottom of eighth: Mets don't add to their lead and have to settle for a four-run advantage going into the ninth. Smith remains in to close it out.

Top of ninth: Smith takes care of business, the Mets have their third win in a row and are back at .500. Final: Mets 8, Dodgers 4.

Carlos Delgado is back in the lineup against Dodgers righty Brad Penny.

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

And I'll still be the manager of the Mets before he will.

Just in case any of you are just getting from vacation in Siberia, here's the statement Carter issued today. Enjoy:

I know this is more Watchdog territory, but talking to Fernando Tatis last night, he reminded of someone (or thing). I know Tatis is listed at 5-11 in the media guide, but he's more like pushing 5-8, which helps with the lookalike. Anyway, I thought it was funny, and I'm sure Mets Nation out there could use a laugh or two these days.

I dare you to write me a more improbable script for a victory than what happened last night in the Mets' 7-6 victory over the first-place Marlins. I mean, Fernando Tatis? On a team with a payroll approaching $140 million? Maybe that's what makes this win so inspiring. The Mets need a few grinders in the day-to-day lineup, guys with a little bit of desperation, treating every at-bat like it could be their last in the big leagues.

That's why Tatis thrusts his arms in the air every time he gets on base. He said he's thanking God for another chance, and after spending all of last year at Triple-A New Orleans, Tatis is grateful to be at Shea. Others seem to have lost sight of that, and it's been reflected in the early play of the underachieving Mets.

I'm not mentioning any names (cough, cough, Carlos Delgado) but manager Willie Randolph apparently is through protecting his veterans. After getting chewed out by the Wilpons on Monday, it seems that Randolph is focused on getting this team to play better -- period. And he doesn't care whose butt has to be on the bench for that to happen.

That's how I see this Delgado benching. One game is a chance for a player to "clear his head." But two straight, and both against lefties, is the start of a platoon and I'm betting that Delgado is going to get plenty more opportunities to clear his head.

The Mets don't have to worry about upsetting Delgado because he's through after this season, pending a $4 million buyout, and it's not like they're missing his glove. Damion Easley looked just fine there last night, but look for the Mets to shop around for a righty first baseman. Too bad that the surprising Orioles are playing well because Kevin Millar would be a nice fit over there. Maybe GM Omar Minaya can convince the Pirates to eventually part with Xavier Nady.

Another thing I'm wondering about: why not move David Wright into the cleanup spot? Carlos Beltran, though lacking in pure power numbers, still has shown an ability to get on base, which might make him more valuable hitting in front of Wright. I know Randolph wants to split up the switch-hitters, but it might be worth a different look for a night.

Here's some more good news: Pedro Martinez completed his rehab start without incident and should be ready to move into the rotation next week in SF. But don't worry so much about losing either Mike Pelfrey or Claudio Vargas. The Mets are considering keeping both -- Pelfrey in the rotation, Vargas in long relief -- when they activate Martinez.

Staple here for the rubber game of the Marlins series. Oliver Perez (4-3, 4.53) opposes Scott Olsen (4-2, 3.38) tonight. Carlos Delgado gets another night off against a lefty, though to be fair, he could've used a couple nights off against anyone.

First pitch in a few...

Top 1: Looks like the good Ollie is on hand tonight. Whiffs Hanley Ramirez and Jorge Cantu in a perfect inning, not even a 2-ball count in sight. 0-0, middle of 1.

Bottom 1: The SNY gang is harping (rightly) on Olsen's slow-pitch softball fastballs, one of which Castillo crushed for a 2-run HR. Mets now have seven first-inning runs this series. 2-0, end of 1.

Top 2: Six in a row for Perez, with a nice catch from inexperienced OF Tatis in right. Strong starts all round. 2-0, middle of 2.

Bottom 2: Olsen calms down a bit, albeit against the fill-ins, as good as they were last night. At least Castillo's playing. 2-0, end of 2.

Top 3: Ramirez used to be good, right? Guy's been awful at Shea this week. Perez grooves a fastball to Mike Rabelo, and now it's a one-run game. 2-1, middle of 3.

Bottom 3: Olsen may be throwing slow, but it's working. Mets, as they have the past two games, come out of the gate strong and ease back. 2-1, end of 3.

Top 4: Marlins scuffling against Ollie... 54 pitches, 5 Ks through 4 IP. Impressive. 2-1, middle of 4.

Bottom 4: The subs do it again... Tatis' only goal was to get the run in, and he did it. His teammates could learn from that. 3-1, end of 4.

Top 5: Beltran saves Perez from a complete flame-out with an amazing catch... On the dead run, full extension. He misses that and you can kiss this game goodbye. 3-2, middle of 5.

Bottom 5: Reyes just raking now... Maybe if his defense returns, he'll be great again. 4-2, end of 5.

Top 6: Well, that was painful. Cody Ross hits one towards Jamaica Bay, a three-run bomb to ruin Perez' moderately good outing. 5-4 Marlins, middle of 6.

Bottom 6: Easley does his part (again), but nothing else from the bottom of the order. Nick Evans, the bus to Binghamton leaves from Gate 63. 5-4, end of 6.

Top 7: Good job by Schoenweis to retire the top of the Marlins' order. Still close, but the Mets are 1-19 when trailing after 6. Ick. 5-4, middle of 7.

Bottom 7: Renyel Pinto keeps the Mets in check. 5-4, end of 7.

Top 8: Good job by Heilman, too. 5-4, middle of 8.

Bottom 8: Good gracious, Matt Lindstrom throws hard. Too much for Tatis, and Wright is left at second. 5-4, end of 8.

Top 9: What a job by Heilman. Too bad no one will remember if they can't score off Kevin Gregg. 5-4, middle of 9.

Bottom 9: Well that was, uh, surprising... Chavez with the tying, PH HR, and we go to extras. 5-5, end of 9.

Top 10: Wagner steamrolls, and it's 13 straight Marlins retired by the bullpen. Giving the offense a chance... 5-5, middle of 10.

Bottom 10: Not much doing against Logan Kensing, another hard-throwing young Marlins reliever. On to the 11th! 5-5, end of 10.

Top 11: Sanchez keeps the Mets relief run intact. Very solid. 5-5, middle of 11.

Bottom 11: Castillo gives it a ride to win it, but it tails back towards Amezaga in center. Moving on. 5-5, end of 11.

Top 12: I'd say that was a shock, but in a game where Endy Chavez ties it with a HR, why not Amezaga with his 10th career HR in 1,081 ABs? 6-5 Marlins, middle of 12.

Bottom 12: It takes a big-time guy like Tatis to pull it out... Big, big win. 7-6 Mets, final.

Reyes (ss)
Castillo (2b)
Wright (3b)
Beltran (cf)
Easley (1b)
Tatis (rf)
Castro (c)
Evans (lf)
Perez (lhp)

Still no sign of Ryan Church, who is resting at home again today. The Mets said he is not on the DL.

Well, now we know what the Mets needed to straighten themselves out. Not a new manager or GM, but yes, the bright orange jacket. My colleague Anthony Rieber provides all the details of the rally jacket, which PR guru Jay Horwitz donned for last night's loooong overdue 5-3 victory over the Marlins.

Hey, whatever it takes. I'm not sure where Pedro has been keeping the Yoda mask, which he likes to put on from time to time when the Mets are desperate for runs. It must be buried in his locker because I doubt he travels with it. Unless he just likes to wear it for fun in airports.

On a more serious note, it looks like Ryan Church's concussion was not so mild after all. I know there's some dispute over the seriousness of his injury, but it was strange how it all went down last Wednesday in Atlanta. The initial CT scan showed no serious problems and Church insisted that doctors told him he had not suffered a concussion -- even though the Mets said that he had. Regardless, it's obvious now that he should have been put on the DL immediately.

And here's a bucket of cold water to the face of Mets fans: Ken Davidoff points out this morning that Randolph could be the lucky one if he's eventually fired because the Mets, as presently constructed, may be on the precipice of some hard times. It's difficult to believe that this team was on the brink of the World Series only two years ago and 17 games away from a second straight NL East title last season. Weird.

Staple here, the tarp is off the field and there will be baseball on time tonight. Johan Santana (5-3, 3.36) goes against Andrew Miller (4-3, 5.33) in a few.

Let the blogging begin.

Top 1:That was brief. Santana whiffs Ramirez and gets the next two on fly balls. Nice to have an ace on the mound. 0-0, middle of 1.

Bottom 1: Good start for the triple-A lineup. Clutch hits by Fernando Tatis and Ramon Castro and a sac fly from Damion Easley make up for some not-so-clutch hitting by Beltran, and the Mets have a solid lead. 3-0, end of 1.

Top 2: Apparently I was a bit premature with the "ace" deal... Santana gets cuffed around, but a nice play by Reyes keeps the Marlins to one run. Not inspiring, though. 3-1, middle of 2.

Bottom 2: Miller is definitely struggling, but he manages to get out with just a walk to Castillo. Mets should be jumping all over this kid. 3-1, end of 2.

Top 3: Santana isn't exactly cruising anymore either, but he gets out of a two-on situation by sawing off Dan Uggla on a bouncer to short. 3-1, middle of 3.

Bottom 3: Mets are starting to let Miller get comfortable. Not good, especially with this weak lineup. 3-1, end of 3.

Top 4: Bottom of the Marlins order goes obediently, despite another ripped single, by Cody Ross. At least those aren't going over the wall. 3-1, middle of 4.

Bottom 4: Clutch two-out hitting by Santana. Too bad Reyes couldn't follow suit. 3-1, end of 4.

Top 5: Santana brings the gas to strike out Uggla with two on. Marlins have six hits, but no big innings. Great running catch by Beltran to help out there, too. 3-1, middle of 5.

Bottom 5: More good stuff from Tatis, with a run-scoring single. Can't find room for this guy every day? Really? 4-1, end of 5.

Top 6: Santana gives it back on Ross' HR. Marlins still hanging around. 4-2, middle of 6.

Bottom 6: Nothing doing against the Marlins' pen. Santana cruises through the seventh and the Mets are in good shape. Top of the order, though. 4-2, end of 6.

Top 7: A narrow escape for Santana, likely his last pitches of the night. Reyes boots another one, though the third run would've scored anyway; Nick Evans makes a scary catch in left, and then Uggla whiffs again to end it. 4-3, middle of 7.

Bottom 7: More good work by the fill-in starters. Easley and Tatis get on base and Castro brings in a huge run with a single. Sanchez on for the eighth. 5-3, end of 7.

Top 8: Now there's a case of a trip to the mound working quite well. Rick Peterson comes out, tells Sanchez, "Off-speed stuff to Wes Helms," and presto -- three straight changeups and a big strikeout. 5-3, middle of 8.

Bottom 8: Mets could have had a couple extra runs for Wagner, but nothing doing. Castillo grounds out weakly and Wright laces one to short, with Chavez breaking too soon for a DP. This Wagner guy's pretty good though, I hear. 5-3, end of 8.

Bottom 9: Wagner blows away the top of the Marlins order for a save, and the Mets get to celebrate for a night. 5-3 Mets, final.

That's not a metaphor. The sky is dark and the wind is starting up. Thunderstorms are on the way.

Here's the lineup against lefty Andrew Miller. It's a straight-out-of-the-second-week-of-spring-training special.

Carlos Delgado gets the night off. Still-the-manager Willie Randolph says he's thinking about sitting him tomorrow too.

Reyes SS
Castillo 2B
Wright 3B
Beltran the bunter CF
Easley 1B
Tatis RF
Castro C
Evans LF
Santana P

Pedro Martinez is on schedule to start tomorrow for St. Lucie. If all goes well, he'll probably pitch next week in San Francisco.

Carlos Beltran, who said on Monday that the constant speculation about Willie Randolph's job security was a distraction, on Tuesday said he was satisfied that the distraction was over after the meeting between Randolph, Omar Minaya and Fred and Jeff Wilpon.

"It was. Not anymore," Beltran said when asked if it was still a distraction. "Like I said, before all the rumors about Willie being fired and all that, it is a distraction. You try not to think about it, but it's still in the clubhouse because people talk about it. Right now they said that he's going to be with us. We don't want to talk about it anymore and we don't want to hear about it anymore. It's all about us playing better baseball."

Matt Wise was placed on the 15-day DL on Tuesday with a weak right shoulder. Carlos Muniz was recalled from Triple-A New Orleans.

As I'm sure you've heard by now, Willie Randolph is still the Mets manager.

My question: Should he be? Please comment.

And check out the debate from the Final Score boys.

Staple here at Shea, where they hold press conferences to announce nothing and where the Mets and Marlins -- those are your NL East-leading Marlins (29-20) -- will start in about 10 minutes.

With the holiday fun and press conferences and all, I'm afraid we cannot bring you the live blog you've all become accustomed to. Gotta go back to the beginnings of the live blog, which means I write the updates and you post comments that aren't up to the minute. Many apologies.

UPDATE: Mike Rose, King of all Sports Media, has graciously stepped in to moderate the comments. Don't cross him.

Anyway, it's Mike Pelfrey (2-5, 5.00) against Ricky Nolasco (3-3, 4.62), and we'll see if the Mets can really prove their owners right in the decision to not fire Randolph. Yet.

Top 1: Only took three batters for the boos to come raining down, and on Jose Reyes, who can't seem to make a mistake without it costing his team. He booted Jorge Cantu's two-out, hard-hit grounder, and consecutive doubles by Mike Jacobs and Dan Uggla bring more boos. Not exactly an inspiring start. 2-0 Marlins, middle of 1.

Bottom 1: Even when the Mets do something right, it's not quite right enough. Reyes atones with a monster leadoff HR, and three straight singles -- including a neat bunt by Beltran -- load the bases with no outs. Mets manage one run, and that one came in only because Luis Gonzalez decided to call off Jacque Jones in shallow left on Delgado's pop up and not bother to get in position to throw to the plate. 2-2, end of 1.

Top 2: Pelfrey settles in, retiring the side in order on 12 pitches after 30 in the first. 2-2, middle of 2.

Bottom 2: Guess Reyes really wants to make it to his new, er, old, manager... Clubs a 2-and-1 pitch over the RF wall for his second HR in as many innings. Mets take the lead and Reyes goes from goat to hero in a matter of minutes. 3-2 Mets, end of 2.

Top 3: Reyes is going to need a few more homers to catch this one up... Pelfrey ruined this one all on his own, walking Jacobs and hitting Uggla with two outs before Gonzalez bloops a double to center that scores three. Matt Treanor adds a single to right that scores Gonzalez and, hey, it's a rout and Willie should be canned again. 6-3, middle of 3.

Bottom 3: Guess that's why the Marlins signed Jones... Great catch at the 410 sign in dead center off Nick Evans to keep the Marlins up by 3. Pelfrey needs to make it to the fifth, at least. 6-3, end of 3.

Top 4: A little help for Pelfrey from 2B ump Rob Drake, who calls Hanley Ramirez out on a pickoff attempt when his leg was clearly on the bag. Reyes tries to help the Marlins out by letting Cantu's grounder go under his glove, but Evans makes a nice running catch off Jacobs. 95 pitches for Pelfrey. Ugh. 6-3, middle of 4.

Bottom 4: So much for a little rally, with Castillo grounding into a 6-4-3 DP to end a two-on, one-out threat. Pelfrey is done after 4, and Aaron Heilman is on. The boos are forthcoming. 6-3, end of 4.

Top 5: Heilman fans two in a perfect inning. Yay, say Mets fans. We love you again! 6-3, middle of 5.

Bottom 5: The legend of Nick Evans takes a hit. He gets caught looking with first and third to end another good threat. Nolasco may be done after 5, but he's the one with the lead still. 6-3, end of 5.

Top 6: Heilman does good work again, stranding Jones after a leadoff single. He might even get a chance to swing the bat coming up here. 6-3, middle of 6.

Bottom 6: No heroics from anyone off Doug Waechter -- Ryan Church, still suffering from post-concussion syndrome, gets in to PH for the second straight game but bounces to second on the first pitch. Pedro Feliciano in for the Mets. 6-3, end of 6.

Top 7: Feliciano walks the first two, but a 6-4-3 DP and a pop to left get him out. Bullpen's doing the job, but there's no offense to rally. 6-3, middle of 7.

Bottom 7: Well, that was brief. Wright and Beltran both hit the ball hard, but nice plays by Ramirez and Uggla keep the Mets down. Matt Wise is on. 6-3, end of 7.

Top 8: Marlins tack on another run. It's 7-3 now.

Bottom 8: Mets go down in order.

Top 9: The Marlins don't score. The Mets have one final shot to rally.

Bottom 9: The final 15 batters are retired for the Mets. A bad ending to a difficult day at Shea. With the press conference earlier today, the questions about Willie Randolph's job security will continue. FINAL: Marlins 7, Mets 3.

Hey Mets fans! Marc Jimenez here as today’s blogger. The Mets got a much-needed 9-2 win on Saturday against Colorado. Let’s see if they can build on that and take two-of-three. John Maine (5-3, 3.29) is going for the Mets (23-24). In his last start, he surrendered four runs on eight hits in just four innings during a 6-1 loss to Atlanta on Tuesday -- snapping a personal four-game winning streak. Aaron Cook (6-3, 3.06), also coming off a loss, is going for the Rockies (19-30).

Top of 1st: The Mets, who scored five runs in the first on Saturday, go down in order. Reyes bunted back to Cooke, Castillo grounded out to short and Wright flied out to center.

Bottom of 1st: Ok start for Maine. He issued a leadoff walk to Podsednik, who was thrown out at second by Schneider. Then Herrera hit one to Delgado, who couldn’t come up with it, and took second on the error. But Maine got Helton to ground out and struck out Spilborghs.

Top of 2nd: Not much for the Mets this inning other than a two-out single by Schneider. Yesterday’s hero, Evans, grounded out to third to end the inning.

Bottom of 2nd: A 1-2-3 inning for Maine, who fanned the first two batters -- Smith and Stewart -- and got Torrealba to ground out.

Top of 3rd: The Mets manufactured a run to get on the board. Chavez singled, moved to second on Maine’s sacrifice and scored on a single by Reyes. But, Reyes got picked off at first, killing the hopes of a big inning. Mets 1, Rockies 0.

Bottom of 3rd: Maine strikes out the side! He has six Ks already!

Top of 4th: The Mets go down in order. Wright flied out to center while Beltran and Delgado lined out to second.

Bottom of 4th: Seth Smith belted a three-run homer to put the Rockies ahead. Though, Maine should have gotten out of the inning without allowing a run, but Reyes booted a potential inning-ending play ball by Spilborghs. Maine is at 79 pitches. Rockies 3, Mets 1.

Top of 5th: The Mets go away quietly as Schneider, Evans and Chavez grounded out to short.

Bottom of 5th: Maine worked around a leadoff walk to Quintanilla, who moved into scoring position on Cook’s sacrifice, by getting Podsedik to fly out and Herrera to strike out.

Top of 6th: Maine reached on a fielding error by Stewart at third, but Reyes hit into a fielder’s choice and Delgado grounded out into an inning-ending double play.

Bottom of 6th: Rough inning for Maine. He allowed a leadoff double to Helton, a walk to Smith and a single to Stewart before giving up a sacrifice fly to Torrealba. Though, the inning could have been a lot worse for Maine, who gave up four runs -- three earned -- on three hits and four walks. He also fanned eight while throwing 121 pitches.
Rockies 4, Mets 1.

Top of 7th: The Mets missed an opportunity to score. They had first and second with just one out on a single by Beltran and a walk by Delgado, but Schneider and Church, who batted for Evans, struck out.

Bottom of 7th: Scott Schoeneweis started the inning and worked around a leadoff walk to Cook. Fernando Tatis took over in left.

Top of 8th: The Mets go down in order.

Bottom of 8th: Following a ground out by Helton, Matt Wise came on for Schoeneweis and retired the final two batters.

Top of 9th: The Mets didn’t put up much of a fight in the ninth as Castillo grounded out, Wright struck out and Beltran grounded out as well. The Mets have now lost six of seven games. … Thanks for logging on. Talk to you later. Final: Rockies 4, Mets 1.

GM Omar Minaya said this morning that the crisis involving Willie Randolph has passed -- for now, anyway. The controversial events of the past week nearly drowned the Mets manager, from his inflammatory comments to the The Record of Hackensack (N.J.) to the team's five-game losing streak. It's the reason Minaya parachuted in to Denver on short notice and Minaya gave the impression that the visit served its purpose.

"I think it's over," Minaya said in a near-empty clubhouse about 90 minutes before today's first pitch. "Once Willie apologized, it's over."

So what's next?

"I think we move forward," said Minaya, who took Randolph and the coaching staff out to dinner after Saturday's win. "We keep focus on making the team better and winning games. Those kind of things."

When a reporter joked that Minaya should have a banner above his head reading, "Mission Accomplished," a sarcastic reference to the infamous aircraft proclamation by President George W. Bush, the GM laughed.We all remember how that turned out.

"There is no Mission Accomplished," said Minaya, who remains friendly with the President after their time together with the Texas Rangers. "When you win, things do calm down. Winning heals a lot of things."

The Mets did get a chance to exhale after yesterday's 9-2 victory over the Rockies, which featured the feel-good story of the month with the debut of Nick Evans (he's back in the lineup again today). Even before the win, Randolph felt comfortable enough to joke about Minaya's presence and his "machete," whether it was real imagined. It was also good to see David Wright relax a little after shouldering much of this team's baggage this week, both on the field and off.

As for that machete, Randolph added one more parting line this morning after his daily briefing with reporters. Asked about Minaya wielding any harpoons, swords, or other sharp objects, Randolph laughed, "As long as it's not a rifle," Randolph said. "I can mend."

Here's the lineup for today's series finale against the Rockies:

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

Mets (22-24) at Colorado (19-29), 3:55 p.m.

Vargas (0-2, 4.76) vs. Francis (1-4, 5.87)

Important game for the Mets and Willie. Lets see if Vargas can be the stopper Santana and Perez were not the last two games.

Mets Top 1

If anyone can get this team started it is Jose. Leadoff single for for Reyes. Castillo walks. Mets have runners at first and second and no one out. Let's see if Wright can get them in. Double steal. Nice to see the Mets being aggressive. Runners are now on second and third with no one out. Wright walks. Bases loaded and no one out. Francis looks shaky and is having control problems.

Carlos Beltran smacks a three-run double to the gap in left field. He jumped on the first pitch from Francis.

Mets 3, Rockies 0

Tatis singles and Delgado strikes out. Castro singles.

Mets 4, Rockies 0

Nick Evans gets his first major league hit. He smacked the first pitch he saw for a double to right field to score a run.

Mets 5, Rockies 0

Vargas lines out and Reyes grounds out to end the inning

Mets 5, Rockies 0

Rockies Bottom 1

Podsednik flies out to Nick Evans in left. Herrera grounds out to Reyes.

Holliday homers to left field

Mets 5, Rockies 1

Helton grounds out to first to end the inning.

Mets Top 2

Castillo fouls out to first. David Wright homers to right field

Mets 6, Rockies 1

Beltran grounds out and Tatis strikes out.

Rockies Top 2

Stewart flies out to center. Smith grounds out to second. Iannetta flies out deep to left field. It was another good inning for Vargas.

Mets 6, Rockies 1

Mets Top 3

Delgado strikes out swinging for the second time today. Castro strikes out swinging. Nick Evans doubles to the gap in right center. It is is second hit of the day. Vargas strikes out to end the inning.

Mets 6, Rockies 1

Rockies Bottom 3

Quintannilla flys out to left. Francis singles off the scoreboard in right. Delgado fields the Podsednik ground ball, steps on first and throws to second, but not in time to get Francis. Herrera bloops a single to short right to score Francis. Holliday grounds out to end the inning.

Mets 6, Rockies 2

Mets Top 4

Reyes flies out to left. Castillo flies out deep to right field. Wright hit by a pitch. He is on base for the third time today. Wright steals second. Beltran strikeout swinging to end the inning.

Mets 6, Rockies 2

Rockies Bottom 4

Helton leads off the inning with a walk. Stewart, Smith and Iannetta strike out swinging.

Mets 6, Rockies 2

Mets Top 5

Delgado pops out. Castro walks. Evans grounds out to short.

Mets 6, Rockies 2

Rockies Bottom 5

Quintannilla singles. Francis bunts him to second. Podsednik flies out to right and moves Quintannilla to third. Herrerra flies out to left to end the inning.

Mets 6, Rockies 2

Mets Top 6

Vargas strikes out swinging. Reyes lines out to second. Castillo flies to second.

Mets 6, Rockies 2

Rockies Bottom 6

Holliday ground out to Vargas. Helton lines out hard to deep left field. Evans has been busy today. Stewart pops up to third.

Mets 6, Rockies 2

Mets Top 7

Francis out and Arias in. Wright flies out to right field. Beltran pops out to third. Tatis hit by a pitch. Delgado rolls out to first base.

Mets 6, Rockies 2

Rockies Bottom 7

Smith flies out to center. Iannetta hits a tapped back to Vargas. Quintannilla flies out to left field. Vargas has thrown seven strongs innings in Coors Field.

Mets Top 8

Castro hits a ground rule down into the stands in left field. Evans gets his third double of the game down the right field line to score Castro. It is his second RBI of the day. Chavez pitch hits for Vargas and ground out to move Castro to third. Reyes grounds the ball to first, scooped up on a nice play by Helton. Helton takes it to the bag for an out. Castillo doubles down the left field line to score Evans. Wright strikes out to end the inning. The Mets added two big runs to extend the lead.

Mets 8, Rockies 2

Rockies Bottom 8

Vargas out He gave up two runs on four hits over seven innings and struck out three.

Sanchez in for Vargas. Baker strikes out. Podsednik grounds out to first. Herrerra flies out to center.

Mets 8, Rockies 2

Mets Top 9

Newman in for the Rockies. Beltran grounds out to short. Tatis strikes out swinging. Delgado hit s solo homer to right field.Castro single to center. Easley grounds a ball to third. The throw pulls the second baseman off the bag. Chavez lines out hard to first to end the inning.

Mets 9, Rockies 2

Rockies Bottom 9

Feliciano in to close it out. Holliday ground out to third. Helton strikes out. Stewart walks. Smith flies out to left.

METS WIN 9-2

Reyes (ss)
Castillo (2b)
Wright (3b)
Beltran (cf)
Tatis (rf)
Delgado (1b)
Castro (c)
Evans (lf)
Vargas (rhp)

BY DAVID LENNON

DENVER – After more than four hours, and 13 innings, Mets manager Willie Randolph would have gladly traded Omar Minaya’s vote of confidence for a victory.

“That’s nice,” Randolph said after the Mets’ latest crushing defeat, this time a 6-5 loss to the Rockies on Friday at Coors Field. “But right now all I’m thinking about is winning a game.”

Matt Holliday’s two-out RBI single off Aaron Heilman in the 13th inning dealt the Mets their fifth straight loss and dropped them to 22-24. In the ninth, Holliday drilled the tying homer off Billy Wagner, the closer’s first earned run in 19 innings this season. Before that at-bat, Holliday was 0-for-3 against Wagner with three strikeouts.

“You definitely want to go out there and do your job,” said Wagner, who blew his second save in 11 chances this season. “When you don’t, it’s gets magnified and overanalyzed.”

Carlos Delgado and Fernando Tatis hit back-to-back home runs in the sixth inning to give the Mets a 4-2 lead. It was the second time in as many days for the Mets – Delgado combined with Carlos Beltran on Thursday in Atlanta – but the Rockies tied the score in the bottom half on Clint Barmes’ two-run double off Joe Smith with two outs.

Jose Reyes’ sacrifice fly in the seventh inning put the Mets on top again, 5-4, before Holliday stung Wagner in the ninth. Reyes showed good hustle to stretch a soft liner into a double leading off the 10th inning, but he killed the rally by getting picked off second base. With Luis Castillo trying to bunt, Brian Fuentes spun around and fired a perfect throw to nail Reyes. It was a costly blunder and one that irritated Randolph.

In a Freudian slip, Randolph mistakenly used another word beginning with P that means annoyed when he meant to say “picked off.” Realizing that he misspoke, he couldn’t help but smile.

“I need to laugh, believe me,” the manager said.

The Mets went 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position and Oliver Perez matched a career high with seven walks in five-plus innings. Delgado, Tatis and Endy Chavez each had two hits. Tatis had replaced Marlon Anderson, who was forced to leave the game in the fourth inning with a strained left hamstring and is most likely headed for the disabled list.

“I thought we had it in the bag,” Randolph said. “I could almost taste it. We’ve got to keep battling. We’ve got to keep fighting.”

Mike Gavin here for another night of Mets baseball.

Its unusual that a team experiences it's high and low points of the season during the same week but thats exactly what the Mets have managed to accomplish. After a dominating performance against the Yankees last weekend, the Mets looked as if they were headed back to the top of the NL East. That momentum was short-lived after suffering a four game sweep at the hands of the Braves which left the Mets under .500 and Willie Randolph on thin ice. The Mets look to Oliver Perez to stop the bleeding as they take on the Colorado Rockies. First pitch is minutes away.

9:12 -- Not a good start for the Mets as they go down easily in the first. A patch of Willie Randolph's hair just fell out.

9:27 -- You never know which Oliver Perez is going to show up and unfortunetly for Met fans, the Perez that lacks control and accumulates a lot of earned runs has already made an appearance. Garrett Atkins hit a two-run home run. Rockies 2, Mets 0.

9:36 -- Greg Reynolds has four strikeouts through two innings. The Mets look over-anxious at the plate.

9:51 -- Perez still looks erratic after giving up a walk and a single, but he escapes without further damage. Perhaps some run support will help settle him down.

10:05 -- Finally a timely hit for the New York Mets. Luis Castillo singled to knock in Endy Chavez and the Mets offense is showing signs of life for the first time since Sunday night. The celebration is on, riots have broken out in the streets of Flushing. Rockies 2, Mets 1.

10:14 -- Perez has allowed five hits and three walks through three innings. Those numbers won't help his WHIP but at least he has been able to get out of jams and keep the Mets in the game.

10:23 -- Mets go down in order. Marlon Anderson goes down with an apparent hamstring injury. Gotta love the combination of insult and injury.

10:29 -- Perez is still looking for that elusive 1-2-3 inning. He performs much better with nobody on base, if only he could actually experience it once in a while.

10:36 -- Mets go down without a fight. Willie needs a paper bag, he is hyperventilating.

10:50 -- Perez and his bipolar-like pitching tendencies walked three batters and drilled another but managed to get out of a bases-loaded jam without giving up a run. Seven walks for Perez in the game. Pin-point control.

10:59 -- The Mets have busted out with back-to-back home runs by Delgado and Tatis to take the lead. Finally, some smiles and enthusiasim in the Met's dugout. Even from Willie. Mets 4, Rockies 2.

11:18 -- Generally seven walks and 100+ pitches through five innings are reason to take a pitcher out. Willie may have left Perez in a batter to long as he gave up a single and collected his eighth walk of the game. Joe Smith came in and allowed a game-tying double down the line to Clint Barmes. Look away, Mr. Wilpon, look away. Mets 4, Rockies 4.

11:27 -- Good perseverance by the Mets. Chavez singled and advanced to third on a single by Easley. The Mets regained the lead on a sac fly by Reyes. The bullpen must hold this lead to restore confidence in this team and keep Willie from losing all of his hair. Mets 5, Rockies 4.

11:37 -- Solid job by Scott Schoeneweis. Allowed the Mets ninth walk of the game, but got Podsednik to hit into a 6-4-3 double-play.

11:43 -- Mets go down in order. Some insurance runs sure would of relieved some stress and kept Willie from breaking into a cold sweat.

11:50 -- Rockies go down in order. Beautiful performance by Schoeneweis tonight. He gave the Mets the lift they needed in a game they must have.

11:58 -- Mets go down fairly easily in the ninth. Big save opportunity for Billy Wagner coming up. Give Willie some air.

12:13 -- The torture continues for the Mets. Wagner blows the save, giving up a solo-home run to Matt Holliday. The Rockies had runners on second and third with one out but Wagner managed to get out of it. Willie has just suffered a nervous breakdown. Mets 5, Rockies 5.

12:24 -- In a move that epitomizes the state of the Mets in the past week, Reyes hustles for a lead-off double to represent the leading run and proceeds to get picked off at second base. Someone make sure Willie is still breathing.

12:35 -- It seems as if neither team wants to win this game. After reaching on a Wright error, Torrealba was thrown out at third after pinch-hitter Aaron Cooke, who is a pitcher, struck out swinging. Why Torrealba would be running in a situation where he is depending on a pitcher at the plate to make contact is beyond me. Nevermind the fact that he would most likely score on a single regardless. Clint Hurdle would have been fired in the dugout after a play like that if he managed in New York. Huge break for the Mets, lets see if they can capitalize.

12:42 -- Delgado doubled, but the Mets couldn't get him in. This could be an extremely disheartening loss.

12:47 -- Duaner Sanchez relieves Wagner and has a perfect inning. Nice sliding catch by Beltran to end the inning.

12:55 -- Mets go down 1-2-3. Reyes strikes out looking on a questionable pitch and is heated about the call. The pitch may have been slightly out of the zone but is to close to take in a situation like this.

1:03 -- Heilman comes in and retires the side. To the top of the 13th we go.

1:12 -- Wright is stranded at first. Heilman will try to keep this game going in the bottom of the inning.

1:27 -- Matt Holliday will haunt the dreams of Met's fans tonight. Heilman allowed a single to Herrera to lead off the inning. After a sac bunt, Holliday brought him home with a single for the winning ru