The Mets wrapped up a sweep of the Washington Nationals with a 9-3 win to take over first place in the NL East.  The Mets bounced back well after imploding in a make up game agains the Pirates on Monday. 

Oliver Perez pitched 6 2/3 allowed three runs on six hits, walked three and stuck out eight.  All three runs came in the bottom of the seventh with two out.  Since July 29th he is 4-2 with a 1.97 era.  He has cut down on walks and as a result pitches deeper into games.  Perez has really shown what he is capable of doing.  The conversations are starting about where Perez will end up-if he keeps pitching like this-I hope he is there to open Citifield. 

 

The Mets scored two in the fourth inning off a ground out by Carlos Delgado and a sac fly from Carlos Beltran.  In the top of the fifth, they added two more when Brian Schneider hit a two run shot to center.  Delgado added to the Mets lead when he hit an opposite field home run in the top of the sixth.  The Mets tacked on four in the top of the ninth, thanks in large part to a poor defensive performance by the Nationals.; Ronnie Belliard and Emilio Bonifacio committed back to back errors with two out. 

 

Joe Smith came in to relieve Perez, there were two on and two out, and Smith got Belliard to fly out to end the inning.  Smith then started the eighth inning quickly retiring Ryan Zimmerman, but he walked Lastings Milledge and Austin Kearns.  Smith was then replaced by Duaner Sanchez who struck out Aaron Boone, David Wright made a great play on a ground ball at third to retire Wil Nieves.  The ninth inning belonged to Aaron Heilman.  He walked one and stuck out one.  You could see though that Heilman was none too happy to be out on the mound with the Mets that far ahead-but after Monday’s performance against the Pirates, Heilman did actually believe that he would see action with the game on the line, did he? 

 

This was a huge sweep by the Mets, helped along by the Dodgers who swept the Phillies four straight.  The Mets now sit in first place all by their lonesome with a one game lead.  The Mets will now play four with the Pirates while the Phillies play three in San Diego. The Marlins lost three out of four against the Cardinals, and will have the Cubs in town for three. 

 

On a side note-Mike and the Mad Dog-a popular sports talk radio show heard on WFAN 660 NY is now over.  Mad Dog is no long with the fan and is said to have signed a deal with satellite radio.  For me, Mike and the Mad Dog is a habit, I listen to it for the ten or twenty minutes it takes me to get home from work.  I guess there is a little sadness there, but most of the time Chris “Mad Dog” Russo had no idea what he was talking about and butchered every name he said.  Unfortunately for listeners we are stuck listening to Mike, while you actually get knowledge-the pompous way in which he delivers it gets old. 

 

Mike Pelfrey, 10-8 with a 4.11 era will look to redeem himself after struggling against the Marlins on Sunday.  The Pirates will have 1-1 Jason Davis with a 1.38 era on the hill.  First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.