LOB'S...Koo As in Pooh...and Booed!

Box Score >>>             Record : 26-26

A familar sight at Shea, Mets manager Willie Randolph takes the ball away from pitcher Dae-Sung Koo during the seventh inning after getting koo-poohed-booed.

Flushing  May 31, 2005 -   Brad Halsey pitched like somebody who's been around for a while instead of just starting out, Halsey weaved out of several early jams and threw seven shutout innings in Arizona's 7-0 victory over the Mets. Halsey was acquired from the Yankees for Randy Johnson in the off-season.

He baffled Carlos (I make too much money) Beltran and Mike (I can't throw) Piazza, the 3-4 hitters in New York's lineup. They each left five runners on base, four in scoring position. "It's frustrating but what can I do?" Beltran said of his 0-for-4 night. "It isn't the first time I didn't get a hit and it won't be the last." The Mets loaded the bases in the third on hits by Reyes and Cairo, a double steal and a two-out walk to Piazza after Beltran struck out. This time Halsey escaped by getting Cliff Floyd on a grounder. Reyes had his third hit and Cairo followed with his second giving the Mets runners at first and second with one out in the fifth. Again, Halsey retired Beltran and Piazza on short flyballs to end the threat.

Arizona added three runs in the seventh against reliever Dae-Sung Koo on singles by Troy Glaus and Shawn Green, a sacrifice fly by Tracy, an infield single by Halsey and a bases-loaded walk to Counsell. Koo faced eight batters allowing four hits and walked two to put the game out of reach.

Fish Bash Mets Bullpen

Box Score >>>             Record : 26-25

Mets center fielder Mike Cameron is unable to catch the ball as he dives for a hit by Marlins' Matt Treanor who singled in the fourth inning.

Miami  May 29, 2005 -   Carlos Delgado hit a three-run homer and Josh Beckett allowed four hits over seven innings as the Florida Marlins beat the New York Mets 6-3 on Sunday.

The Marlins scored five runs in the seventh inning, highlighted by Delgado's ninth homer, to salvage the final game of the four-game series and snap a four-game losing streak.

Heath Bell (0-2) replaced Tom Glavine to start the seventh with the Mets leading 2-1, but he was pulled after giving up consecutive singles to Luis Castillo and Miguel Cabrera. Delgado hit a 3-0 pitch from Dae-Sung Koo over the right field wall for a 4-2 lead.

The Mets took a 1-0 lead in the fifth when Doug Mientkiewicz hit the first pitch from Beckett into the right field stands for his seventh homer and first since May 9 at Chicago.

Piazza Ends Drought

Box Score >>>             Record : 26-24

Mets pitcher Kazuhisa Ishii surrendered five hits and three walks in earning his first victory.

Miami  May 28, 2005 -   Once Mike Piazza went back to hitting the ball to the opposite field, his long RBI drought quickly came to an end. Piazza had three hits, including two doubles to right field, and three RBIs -- his first since May 9 -- and Kazuhisa Ishii allowed one run in 6 2-3 innings to help the New York Mets defeat Dontrelle Willis and the Florida Marlins 6-1.

Piazza, 3-for-4 with a walk, had gone 15 games and 54 at-bats since he drove in four runs at Wrigley Field nearly three weeks ago.

Miguel Cairo had three of New York's 14 hits and scored three runs, Cliff Floyd scored twice, and Ishii added an RBI single for the Mets, who won the first three games of the four-game series after getting swept three straight at Atlanta.

Kazuhisa Ishii (1-3) surrendered five hits and three walks in earning his first victory with New York after being acquired from Los Angeles at the end of spring training. His last major league victory was Aug. 29, 2004, against the Mets.

Pedro Sizzles In Miami Heat

Box Score >>>             Record : 25-24

Mets' Pedro Martinez pitched five-hit ball for eight innings and struck out 10 Marlins.

Miami  May 27, 2005 -   Martinez pitched five-hit ball for eight innings and struck out 10, and Cliff Floyd had a run-scoring double to help the New York Mets beat the Florida Marlins 1-0.

Martinez (5-1) received a cortisone shot in his sore right hip May 17 and had his next start pushed back two days. But he looked strong in the 86-degree Florida evening.

He reached double-digit strikeouts for the third time in 10 starts this season and walked none. He lasted more than seven innings for the second time with New York -- he pitched a complete game April 10 at Atlanta.

Martinez now has 102 double-digit strikeout games. He ranks fourth in major league history behind Nolan Ryan (215), Randy Johnson (204) and Roger Clemens (109).

Mets Clean Fish After The Rain Stops

Box Score >>>             Record : 24-24

Mets' Jose Reyes follows through on his triple against Florida Marlins' Frank Castillo in the second inning. David Wright and Kris Benson scored on the triple.

Miami  May 26, 2005 -   Kris Benson won his third straight start, Jose Reyes hit two triples, and the Mets broke out of their slump with a 12-4 victory over the Florida Marlins on Thursday night.

A rain delay of 1 hour, 22 minutes in the bottom of the first inning seemed to affect the Marlins more than the Mets. New York scored three runs in the second after it hadn't scored for 19 innings.

Benson (3-1) gave up three runs and five hits over six innings and struck out four. Heath Bell followed and struck out five in two scoreless innings.

The Mets were shut out in the last two games of their series in Atlanta. They roughed up two pitchers who were called up Wednesday and finished with 14 hits, including six for extra bases.

Mets Fall Below .500 as Braves Sweep

Box Score >>>             Record : 23-24

Braves' Rafael Furcal steals third base as Mets third baseman David Wright handles the late throw in the fifth inning.

Atlanta  May 25, 2005 -  The Braves shut out the Mets for the second straight night, with Kyle Davies and three relievers combining for a 3-0 win to complete a three-game sweep.

The Braves scored three times in the fifth inning off Mets starter Victor Zambrano (2-5), with two runs scoring on Zambrano's throwing error.

The Mets fell to 20-48 at Turner Field, which opened in 1997. The Braves have won 24 of the last 31 games in Atlanta and are 7-2 overall against the Mets this season with three series wins.

The Mets' offensive frustrations peaked in the seventh when they loaded the bases on three singles before Reyes hit into his second inning-ending double play of the game. The Mets also couldn't score after their first two batters reached base in the third and fourth innings. Piazza and Floyd were a combined 0-for-8 in the game and 1-for-21 with nine strikeouts in the series.

Glavine and Mets Lose Again in Atlanta

Box Score >>>             Record : 23-23

Mets starter Tom Glavine is slow to stand after being shaken up while fielding a bunt off the bat of the Braves Tim Hudson in the fifth inning.

Atlanta  May 24, 2005 -  Pitching on three days' rest for the first time in a regular season game, Hudson threw eight shutout innings to lift the Braves past former teammate Tom Glavine and the Mets 4-0. Glavine (3-5), frustrated again by his former team, allowed seven hits and four runs in 6 2-3 innings. Glavine, who won 242 games with the Braves and then signed with the Mets as a free agent before the 2003 season, has only one win in nine career starts against Atlanta. He is 0-2 against the Braves this season and 1-8 overall. Glavine's ERA dropped from 5.44 to 5.43.

Glavine retired 12 of 13 hitters through four innings but allowed a run in the fifth on Ryan Langerhans' RBI single to center. Things could have gotten worse, but Glavine made a great defensive play on Hudson's squeeze bunt, throwing out Johnny Estrada at home. Glavine hurt his right middle finger on the play but stayed in the game.

Hudson held the Mets - chiefly, Piazza - in check. Piazza twice came to the plate with two runners in scoring position and two out and struck out. In the sixth, after a leadoff single by Cliff Floyd, Piazza grounded into a double play. Piazza went 0-4 with 3 K's and hit into a double play.

Wright of Way

Box Score >>>             Record : 23-22

New York Mets' David Wright argues with umpire after being called with interference while trying to break up a double play on a Doug Mientkiewicz ground ball in the eight inning.

Atlanta  May 23, 2005 -   Bouncing back from a dismal road trip, the Braves kept their lead in the eighth when David Wright was called out for sliding too far out of the baseline trying to break up a double play. Two runs scored as Furcal's relay throw deflected off the glove of pitcher Chris Reitsma, who was covering first. The scoreboard even had the game tied at 7.

But second base umpire Jeff Nelson signaled a double play because of Wright's wide slide into Furcal. Television replays backed up the call, showing the runner sliding late and at least 3 feet wide of the bag in an attempt to disrupt Furcal. Wright argued the call vehemently, getting tossed when he threw his helmet. He homered and drove in three runs, but it's been a rough couple of days for the Mets' young third baseman.

On Sunday, his eighth-inning error opened the door for the New York Yankees to rally for a 5-3 win over their crosstown rivals. "I feel like it was a really close play," Wright said. "It was a tough call to make in that situation."

Mets manager Willie Randolph contended that the slide had nothing to do with Furcal's errant throw. Naturally, the Braves' shortstop disagreed. "I was three steps over and he slid into me," Furcal said. "I made a high throw and the umpire called it right away. It was a good call." Wright homered in the second, to go along with an RBI single and bases-loaded walk. But the Braves managed to get back on track after a 4-8 road trip -- in which Kolb struggled and four players went on the disabled list.

Infield Catches Kaz Bobblehands Ailment

Box Score >>>             Record : 23-21

New York Yankees' Tony Womack (12) is safe at second base as Mets shortstop Jose Reyes cannot handle the ball in the eighth inning. Reyes got an error on the play.

Flushing  May 22, 2005 -  After Pedro Martinez dominated for seven innings, Williams capped a three-run rally in the eighth with a go-ahead double Sunday that sent the New York Yankees to a 5-3 victory over the Mets in the finale of the season's first Subway Series.

Following eighth-inning errors by Mets third baseman David Wright and shortstop Jose Reyes, Hideki Matsui tied the score with a two-run, two-out, opposite-field single off Roberto Hernandez.

Before 55,953, the largest regular-season crowd at Shea since 1965, Tony Womack started the comeback when he singled leading off the sixth, stole second and scored on Rodriguez's single.

Hernandez (2-2) relieved and Jeter, who was hit by a pitch Saturday, ran for Sierra. The Yankees then pulled off a double steal as Wright failed to cover third, playing back with Rodriguez up.

Koo as in Kool!

Box Score >>>             Record : 23-20

Yankees catcher Jorge Posada, right, tries to apply the tag as New York Mets pitcher Dae-Sung Koo during the seventh inning at Shea. Koo was called safe on the play.

Flushing  May 21, 2005 -  Dae-Sung Koo tiptoed into the batter's box in the seventh inning and looked up to see 6-foot-10 Randy Johnson standing atop the mound, staring right down at him. Quite an intimidating predicament for a left-handed hitting reliever in his second big league at-bat. The first one had been embarrassing enough, and this was about to become perhaps the biggest mismatch in baseball history. "In the dugout, we were trying to figure out how many pitches it would take for him to get the bat off his shoulder," David Wright said after he and Koo helped the New York Mets beat the Yankees 7-1.

Then came the most stunning swing of the season -- followed by an even more surprising dash to the plate. Crack! A long drive to center field, way over Bernie Williams' head for a leadoff double. It was a jaw-dropping sight considering Koo's first plate appearance against Cincinnati on Monday night -- he stood at the edge of the batter's box and watched three strikes go by, never taking the bat off his shoulder, seemingly terrified.

And Koo was far from done. He moved to third on Jose Reyes' sacrifice, and took off for home when he noticed that nobody was covering the plate. Second baseman Robinson Cano threw to catcher Jorge Posada, who tried to get back in time. Koo, wearing a jacket to keep his arm warm, scored with a headfirst dive just under the tag.

Kaz Bobble Hands Is Back

Box Score >>>             Record : 22-20

Mets second baseman Kazuo Matsui commits an error trying to grab a hit by Yankees' Robinson Cano in the sixth inning.

Flushing  May 20, 2005 -  The Yankees scored twice in the sixth inning on consecutive errors by Kaz Matsui and Doug Mientkiewicz and went on to a 5-2 victory Friday night in the first game of this year's Subway Series.

The Yankees won for the 11th time in 12 games overall and ended a three-game losing streak to their crosstown rival, improving to 27-16 against the Mets since interleague play began in 1997.

On this night when a 55-degree temperature and a brisk breeze took the buzz out of sellout crowd, Victor Zambrano (2-4) and Kevin Brown (3-4) struggled with their control. Zambrano walked six in 5 1-3 innings, and Brown walked four in five innings.

"I'll tell you what, they need to stop booing when they miss balls," Jeter said of the Shea Stadium crowd of 55,740, which relentlessly razzed Matsui after his error.

Getting Even, Mets Sweep The Reds

Box Score >>>             Record : 22-19

Mets pitcher Tom Glavine delivers a pitch during the second inning against the Reds.

Flushing  May 18, 2005 -  Tom Glavine won consecutive starts for the first time in more than a year, Mike Piazza had his second four-hit game in two weeks and Jose Reyes tripled twice.

After a 10-6 win Wednesday that completed a three-game sweep of the woeful Cincinnati Reds, the New York Mets were feeling a little giddy.

There was a sparse crowd of 26,607 at Shea Stadium for this one. Chris Woodward, Mike Cameron and David Wright homered, and the Mets (22-19) matched their season high of three games over .500 going into the weekend Subway Series.

Asian Night At Shea Stadium

Box Score >>>             Record : 21-19

New York Mets second baseman Kazuo Matsui of Japan hits a two-run home run in the seventh inning against the Reds.

Flushing  May 17, 2005 -  Kaz Matsui has had a tough transition from Japan to America, troubled by errors in the field that forced a switch in positions and a sinking batting average that caused the Mets to drop him to eighth in the lineup.

He's been booed endlessly by Shea Stadium fans, who show little patience for failure.

For one game, though, Matsui turned the hoots to howls with a two-run homer in the seventh inning that gave the New York Mets a 2-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night.

"The home run was very big for me," Matsui said through a translator. "The at-bat gave me more confidence because of the result I got."

Matsui and Japanese left-hander Kaz Ishii provided an exclamation point for Asian Night at Shea, which began with karate demonstrations on the field and finished with some late-inning heroics by the Mets.

Benson Delivers After Threats

Box Score >>>             Record : 20-19

Mets pitcher Kris Benson delivers a pitch to the Reds Austin Kearns during the second inning.

Flushing  May 16, 2005 -  In his first start, Kris Benson had stamina problems. In his second start, he had focus problems. So Monday night's third start was an important one for the New York Mets right-hander, slotted as the No. 3 man in their rotation. But wife Anna threaten to sleep with one of his teaamates if he did not pitch well.

Benson delivered, limiting Cincinnati to four hits in 7 2-3 innings in the Mets' 9-2 victory over the Reds. He struck out eight, walked two and left feeling good about what he had done.

"I stuck with my game plan, with what I've been concentrating on," Benson said. "I feel like I'm getting back in the groove. Hopefully, I can continue with good outings." "I am so glad Matsui did bobble another ball. He actually looked good for once. All I could think about is my wife in bed with slaty eyed freak."

Back to .500 as Mets Lose Again to Redbirds

Box Score >>>             Record : 19-19

New York Mets catcher Mike Piazza returns to the dugout after lining out in the ninth inning. Piazza was 0 for 4 in the Mets 4-2 loss to the Cardinals.

Flushing  May 15, 2005 -  As the trade deadline approaches, will Mike Piazza be playing DH for the Angels or Orioles? After witnessing another embarassing stroke of defensive ineptitude, Piazza could possibly be better off coming off the bench and just hitting in a smaller American League stadium than cavernous Shea Stadium.

Piazza bounced an ugly throw to second base as Mark Grudzielanek stole on a pitchout in the fifth inning. The Mets guessed right but Piazza three hopped a throw to left side of the bag as shortstop Jose Reyes waited for Piazza's grounder. Grudzielanek who looked like a dead duck slid in safely into second. Piazza also starred at the plate going 0-4, and previously hit Cardinals pitcher Matt Morris very well, 10-23 lifetime, as he went 0-3 against Morris yesterday. Morris who grew up a Mets fan, gave up two runs and six hits in 7 2/3 innings, his longest outing since offseason shoulder surgery.

Mike Cameron homered, doubled and scored both runs for the Mets (19-19), who lost for the fifth time in seven games following a four-game winning streak. Aaron Heilman allowed four runs and seven hits in 5 2-3 innings, matching a career high with seven strikeouts. The right-hander from Notre Dame could be sent to the bullpen or the minors when lefty Kaz Ishii comes off the disabled list, probably this week.

Bullpen Blows Ballgame as Matsui Gets A Big Hit

Box Score >>>             Record : 19-18

Cardinals second baseman Mark Grudzielanek makes the tag on Mets' Jose Reyes as he attempts a steal in the sixth inning.

Flushing  May 14, 2005 -  Superbum Kaz Matsui chased Cardinals pitcher Mark Mulder with a tying three-run triple in a four-run sixth inning, but the Mets failed to hold a 6-5 lead in the eighth, when pinch-hitter Larry Walker had a go-ahead sacrifice fly off Roberto Hernandez (2-1).

Matsui had been in a 2-for-27 slide that dropped his average to .223. With his defense also shaky, many fans at Shea Stadium booed him. "There's no booing in Japan," he said through a translator.

Instead of a pitchers' duel, Mark Mulder and Pedro Martinez let the hitters take control on a breezy afternoon. Mulder allowed six runs and 10 hits in five-plus innings. Martinez gave up five runs -- four earned -- and five hits in six innings.

Mets manager Willie Randolph thought the game turned after the Mets went ahead in the sixth. With runners at the corners and none out, Reyes was caught stealing. Thompson then retired Cairo and Beltran.

Retro Glavine as Floyd Hits Two Bombs

Box Score >>>             Record : 19-17

Cliff Floyd watches his second home run in the seventh inning against the Cardinals.

Flushing  May 13, 2005 -  Tom Glavine snapped a personal slump with one of his best performances of the season and Cliff Floyd hit two huge home runs as the New York Mets defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 2-0.

The 39-year-old left-hander, who came into the game with opponents hitting .333 against him, limited St. Louis to four singles in seven-plus innings and was in charge throughout against a team that came in with the best record in the league (22-12). St. Louis had 32 hits and 20 runs in its last two games against Los Angeles.

Floyd hit his ninth and 10th homers of the season, both long shots that accounted for the game's only runs. Floyd's homer in the second inning hit the scoreboard in right-center field and traveled an estimated 425 feet. He connected again in the seventh, this one an estimated 415 feet over the fence in right.

It Wasn't Armando This Time

Box Score >>>             Record : 18-17

New York Mets pitching coach Rick Peterson, center, talks to pitcher Victor Zambrano as catcher Mike Piazza, right, looks on during the second inning against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.

Chicago  May 11, 2005 -  With the gametime temperature of 49 degrees was 28 degrees colder than the game the night before. Coupled with a 14 mph wind blowing in from left field, it had fans bundled up and players blowing on their hands all day.

Derrek Lee's swing was stronger than the gusty wind on a raw day at Wrigley Field. Lee led off the bottom of the 10th inning with his 10th homer, giving Chicago a 4-3 win over the Mets and saving the Cubs after yet another meltdown by the bullpen.

Lee's homer came on a 3-2 pitch from Heath Bell (0-1) and ended an 11-pitch at-bat. The Cubs, who won for only the third time in 11 games, took two of three from New York.

Victor Zambrano pitched well for once, allowing just three hits and three runs in six innings.

Maddux Shuts Down Mets Again

Box Score >>>             Record : 18-16

Cubs' Corey Patterson, right, jogs around the bases on his second home run of the game as Mets pitcher Kris Benson, left, stands in the background.

Chicago  May 10, 2005 -  The Chicago Cubs needed a big effort from Greg Maddux, and he certainly delivered. Maddux struck out 10 in his best outing of the season, and Corey Patterson hit two solo homers to lead Chicago over the New York Mets 7-0 Tuesday night.

Maddux (2-1) handcuffed the Mets with an array of off-speed stuff, improving to 34-16 lifetime against New York. Cubs manager Dusty Baker was booed when he pulled him with the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh, but the fans gave Maddux a standing ovation.

Benson (0-1) allowed a career-high four homers in his second start of the season after returning from the disabled list -- he missed a month with a strained right pectoral muscle.

The Mets struck out 12 times for the second straight night against the Cubs. ... The Mets came in with an NL-high 43 homers, but the Cubs now have 44.

Mets Club Cubs

Box Score >>>             Record : 18-15

Mets' Kazuo Matsui, left, is congratulated by teammate Aaron Heilman after hitting a solo home run off Cubs starting pitcher Jon Leicester in the second inning.

Chicago  May 9, 2005 -  Doug Mientkiewicz didn't feel much like celebrating after his home run.

Mientkiewicz hit a go-ahead homer in the eighth inning off the recently demoted LaTroy Hawkins, leading the New York Mets to a 7-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Monday in a game that was delayed twice by rain.

Mientkiewicz and Hawkins were teammates on the Minnesota Twins from 1998-2003.

"I felt almost bad for LaTroy -- one of the best teammates I ever had," Mientkiewicz said. "I know he's scuffling and getting a raw deal. It's the first time I hit a home run and felt guilty about it."

Mientkiewicz's one-out homer made a winner of Mike DeJean (2-1) and gave the Mets their fifth win in six games. He added an RBI single in the ninth off Ryan Dempster, who replaced Hawkins as the Cubs' closer.

Piazza hit his 384th homer, tying him for 48th all-time with Harold Baines, in the first inning of a game that was delayed twice for a total of 1 hour, 34 minutes. Piazza has four home runs and 10 RBIs in his last four games.

Milwaukees Bests Glavine

Box Score >>>             Record : 17-15

Milwaukee Brewers' Junior Spivey, right, steals second base as New York Mets' second baseman Miguel Cairo, left can not make the tag in time in the ninth inning.

Milwaukee  May 8, 2005 -   Milwaukee scored its first four runs in the opening two innings against struggling Mets pitcher Tom Glavine. The left-hander made it through six innings but gave up 11 hits, many of the soft variety that found open spots.

"I don't know that I have given up that many bloopers and broken bats and whatever else in one game in my career," Glavine said, "but that's kind of the way things go when things aren't going your way personally."

Glavine also walked two, raising his season total to 24 in 36 2-3 innings. In his last three starts, Glavine has allowed 18 earned runs. But his effort Sunday actually lowered his ERA to 6.87.

The Mets tied it in the eighth when Carlos Beltran, who recorded his fifth three-hit game of the season, scored on a fielder's choice by David Wright.

Pedro and Beltran Come Through

Box Score >>>             Record : 17-14

Pedro's worse has been better than Glavine's best.

Milwaukee  May 7, 2005 -  Pedro Martinez impressed the Milwaukee Brewers even though he wasn't very pleased himself.

Martinez allowed three hits in seven innings and Carlos Beltran hit a pair of two-run homers to lead the New York Mets to a 7-5 victory over the Brewers on Saturday night.

"Bad day, bad day," said Martinez, who still earned the victory. "I used my experience to keep the team in the game. My body didn't physically click. I didn't feel good the whole game. I kept my team in the game and that's all that matters."

Doug Mientkiewicz also homered, breaking a 5-all tie in the eighth inning with his shot off reliever Julio Santana (0-1) and helping the Mets to their fourth straight victory and pushing them three games over .500 for the first time this season.

Mikey Longball

Box Score >>>             Record : 16-14

Mike Piazza went yard twice, giving him home runs in three straight plate appearances.

Milwaukee  May 6, 2005 -   Doug Davis knew when he made bad pitches -- and Mike Piazza knew what to do with them.

Piazza homered his first two times up, giving him home runs in three straight plate appearances, and the New York Mets beat Milwaukee 7-4 Friday night stopping their seven-game winning streak.

"None of those had a chance," Davis said of the long homers. "I went straight to the umpire and asked for a new ball. That's all you can do."

Piazza went 2-for-4, a day after getting four hits in a win over Philadelphia. In two games following a 1-for-21 slump, he has raised his average from .198 to .242.

He hit an 0-1 pitch from Davis (3-4) into the second tier of the left-field seats in the second inning, a drive estimated at 434 feet. After Carlos Beltran's run-scoring double in the third, Piazza hit Davis' first pitch 402 feet to the same tier of seats in left.

It was Piazza's fifth home run of the season, giving him 35 career multihomer games. His last one had been last June 5 against Florida.

Piazza Moves Off The Interstate

Box Score >>>             Record : 15-14

New York Mets catcher Mike Piazza hits a three-run home run against the Philadelphia Phillies and raised his average from .198 to .231 with four hits.

Flushing  May 5, 2005 -  Kris Benson and Mike Cameron made their 2005 debuts, Mike Piazza ended a long slump with a big day and David Wright got the key hit after shattering his bat in frustration.

The New York Mets' 7-5 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday was the type of game they dreamed about during the offseason. For the first time this year, all their regulars were available and they did not screw up or blame Shea, QUESTEC, or the weather. Mike DeJean did provided some drama in the ninth inning.

In a 1-for-21 slide coming in, Piazza had four hits, including a three-run homer off Tim Worrell in the eighth that put New York ahead 7-2. Piazza, who raised his average from .198 to .231, said teammate Doug Mientkiewicz told him during Wednesday night's game not to get discouraged, that there was plenty of time left. Those remarks helped the 11-time All-Star to relax. Mientkiewicz also told him that he did not have to worry about the woman who has stalked Piazza for 3 plus years who in field level seats yesterday. Since Piazza's marriage and the change in the young womans' medication has eased her obsession of hulky Mets star. Looks like she has her sites on Mientkiewicz now.

"I don't want to say I was feeling sorry for myself, but I was close to it," said Piazza, who had a big day on the first anniversary of his surpassing Carlton Fisk for the career record for home runs by a catcher.

Piazza's homer turned out to be important because Jimmy Rollins hit a three-run shot off Mike DeJean in the ninth before Braden Looper struck out Pat Burrell with a runner on for his sixth save, his second in less than 24 hours.

Ah Seo!

Box Score >>>             Record : 14-14

New York Mets pitcher Jae Seo delivers a pitch in the second inning of the Mets game against the Philadelphia Phillies, May 4, 2005, at Shea Stadium in New York.

Flushing  May 4, 2005 -  Jae Seo pitched one of the best games of his career and got a ticket to the minors. Streaking slugger Cliff Floyd made one of the best catches of his life and earned an "MVP!" chant.

Seo allowed one hit in seven shutout innings, and Floyd homered and saved two runs with a spectacular grab to lead the New York Mets past the Philadelphia Phillies 3-2 Wednesday night.

Despite the stellar performance, Seo was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk after the game to make room for right-hander Kris Benson, who will come off the disabled list Thursday and make his first start of the season.

"Maybe if he threw a no-hitter, I might have had second thoughts. Certainly a perfect game, that's really impressive," Mets manager Willie Randolph said.

Victor Diaz also connected to end a long slump, and Floyd added an RBI single as New York won for the third time in four games following a four-game losing streak.

Chase Utley and Bobby Abreu hit consecutive homers off Braden Looper in the ninth, but the last-place Phillies have dropped 10 of 15 overall. They haven't won consecutive games since April 18, and they've scored two runs or fewer in 11 of their last 21.

Fang Shelled Again

Box Score >>>             Record : 13-14

In a familiar scene, Glavine hands the ball to Willie Randolph in the 3rd inning.

Flushing  May 3, 2005 -  Pat Burrell had another big game against the New York Mets. Plenty of hitters are having big games against Tom Glavine this season. It was his 27th career homer against the Mets. He also has 73 RBIs against New York since his major league debut in 2000.

Burrell hit a three-run homer off the struggling lefty, and Bobby Abreu had four RBIs to lead the Philadelphia Phillies to a 10-3 rout Tuesday night. Glavine (1-4) walked six in 3 2-3 innings, allowing eight runs -- seven earned -- and six hits. The two-time Cy Young Award winner has walked 22 batters in 30 2-3 innings this season. He has given up 14 earned runs in his last two starts, bumping his ERA to an unsightly 7.04.

"If I don't command and control the outside part of the plate with my sinker and changeup, then I'm not going to be successful," Glavine said. "In this game you can't make pitches once in a while, you've got to make them all the time."

Glavine is 24-15 lifetime against the Phillies, but he hasn't beaten them since joining the Mets in 2003.

Nobody's My Daddy

Box Score >>>             Record : 13-13

My name is Pedro!

Flushing  May 2, 2005 -  A fastball here. A changeup there. Here's a curve. No, another fastball.

Pedro Martinez sure knows how to use all his pitches.

The New York Mets' ace threw seven strong innings Monday night and Carlos Beltran hit a tiebreaking, three-run homer in a 5-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.

Beltran's seventh-inning shot made a winner of Martinez, who limited the Phillies to four hits and was superb after a rain delay of 2 hours, 17 minutes at the start.

Martinez waited out the delay and was hardly disturbed.

"I never stopped moving around," he said. "I tried to do something to keep me warm."

Then he did a workmanlike job on the Phillies.

"I've seen him dazzle with an array of different pitches,'' manager Willie Randolph said. "I've seen him improvise. He's very crafty. He's smart. He deals with the rhythm of the game."

The rhythm was fast once it got started. Martinez (3-1) and Jon Lieber don't waste time on the mound and the Mets led 1-0 into the seventh with Martinez working on a two-hitter. Then Philadelphia tied it on a double by Chase Utley, a single by David Bell and an infield out.

Now it was New York's turn against reliever Terry Adams (0-1).

With one out, Jose Reyes reached with the third of his four hits. Kaz Matsui walked and Beltran followed with his fourth homer of the season and first at Shea Stadium, a 460-foot shot that hit the right-field scoreboard.

Mets Finally Win A Road Game

Box Score >>>             Record : 12-13

New York Mets' Carlos Beltran watches his two-run double in the ninth inning against the Nationals.

Washington D.C.  May 1, 2005 -  Carlos Beltran is supposed to deliver the big hits for the New York Mets. After all, he's the overpaid All-Star with the $119 million contract. It's about time he did something other than strikeout with runners in scoring position or misplay a ball in centerfield.

He certainly finally came through going 3-for-5 with two doubles, but it was some of the Mets' players acquired to fill up the roster who engineered the three-run ninth inning that capped a 6-3 comeback victory over the Nationals.

Eric "Superwhiff" Valent, making just his fifth start, led off that inning against Luis Ayala (1-1) with a single. Marlon Anderson, quickly becoming a pinch-hitter extraordinaire, followed with a broken-bat blooper, making him 7-for-13 off the bench. Miguel Cairo punctuated his own rare start at second base with the go-ahead sacrifice fly. Kaz Matsui dropped two cups of gatorade as he sat on the bench for the game while Cairo played flawless defense.

Branden "B.S." Looper nearly blew another game getting two quick outs before giving up a triple to Guzman and walking pinch-hitter Terrmel Sledge. But with Brad Wilkerson representing the tying run, Looper got him on a comebacker for his fourth save.