Pedro Martinez allowed two back to back homers in the first inning, but really settled in there after.  When he gave up the second homer, I was thinking that maybe he is done, maybe it is time to hang it up.  But in six and a third innings of work, he allowed three runs, only two earned on four hits, walking three and striking out three.  After the first inning, he pitched much better.  However, it is hard to watch him pitch like this knowing what he use to be.  Generally speaking, I think it is hard to watch the great ones age and not perform as they once did. 

On a side note, who are these umpires kidding?  I have harped on this pretty much since I started contributing to this blog, I find it so frustrating that there is no consistency to his to their strike zones, some guys have strike zones the size of postage stamps.  Again, last night, there were several questionable calls; for example, in the top of the third there were at least three pitches that Pedro threw that should have been strikes, but weren’t called as such.  But, in the bottom of the third the first pitch to Jose Reyes was a curve ball, but it bounced-and it was a called strike.

So, what is up with David Wright?  Two boneheaded base running mistakes in back to back games, at the  start of play last night 0-15 at the plate.  It was his error in the seventh inning that allowed the go ahead run to score.  Largely, David has gotten a pass and I do think that is because he is third in the NL in RBI and he plays hard (mostly) and goes out there everyday.  But his struggles have a lot to do with where the Mets are now.  That being said-there is plenty of blame to go around. 

The offense put up only two runs.  Rookie Dan Murphy hit his first triple scoring on a fielder’s choice. he also had an RBI in the game.  The team left 10 guys on base, and with the exception of the opening game against the Padres, the offense has been feeble at best.  Carlos Delgado seems to be coming back to earth and Carlos Beltran hasn’t done anything; both of them were hitless in last night’s game.  There doesn’t seem to be any answers for the Mets offense, if they guys they have don’t come around, it is what it is.  The Mets are counting on Wright, Delgado and Beltran.  And clearly, Delgado’s July performance put the Mets back in the mix, but someone has to break out of this funk otherwise, it will be the end of August and the Mets will have put themselves back in a hole. 

July was such an exciting month for the Mets, but I always worried that it could come back to this and it has.  Night after night, it has been one thing after another and the Mets have struggled to win games.  After the all star break, it was the bullpen, now it is a lack of offense.  As days go by there is more and more pressure to win because there is less time to make up games, do the Mets have the intestinal fortitude to pull themselves up and play like they are capable of playing? 

Eddie Kunz got one inning of work last night and gave up on run, a solo homer to Chase Headley in the eighth inning.  Pedro Felicano entered the game in the seventh inning, he walked one and stuck out one.  He was the guy who got the ground ball that David Wright misplayed.  Scott Schoeneweis pitched the ninth inning putting up zeros.  It doesn’t appear that lefty John Niese will be called up to make the start against the heavy righty line up of the Marlins-no one is sure just yet who will make the start, two of the names mentioned are Nelson Figueroa and Brian Stokes.

Today’s starters: Johan Santana 9-7 with a 2.86 era and Josh Banks 3-4 3.65 era.  Game time is scheduled for 12:10 p.m.

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