AND THE METS WIN IT

CASTILLO PLAYS HERO IN NINTH

Luis Castillo got a momentary jolt of joy Tuesday night when he delivered a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth inning of the Mets' 6-5 comeback victory over the Marlins. But that feeling was fleeting because Castillo is stuck in a job he doesn't want - reserve.Castillo, the Mets' deposed second baseman, is still dealing with the sting of losing his starting role earlier this month to 20-year-old Ruben Tejada and aches for the chance to get back in the lineup."I'm in a hard situation here," Castillo said.The Mets are eager to find out what they have in Tejada and are overlooking Tejada's weak offense - he's 1-for-32 (.031) since being made the primary second baseman - to evaluate him. At the same time, they harbor wild hopes that their playoff dreams aren't completely dashed, though if they seriously thought they could make up ground in the wildcard race - they were eight back of Philadelphia entering play Tuesday night - Castillo might still be starting. The Mets could use better offense.Asked before the game how things were going, Castillo replied, "Not good, man. I don't play so much. I like to play. It's hard sometimes when you've played every day for 14 years and things change so quick. I hope I can play more and try to do better."But that's not my decision. They make that decision and I have to respect the decision. But I don't say that I agree with it. I don't know what happens next year. I don't know if I'll be here next year. Maybe I'm not here, man."I don't know what they'll do. I'm trying to do the best I can in the month and a half we have left. I don't know what they want me to do."After this season, Castillo still has one more year remaining on the four-year, $25-million deal he signed before the '08 season. Some critics point to his contract as one of the failures of the Met front office, but, as Castillo points out, he played well last year, batting .302 with a .387 on-base percentage. He's only hitting .238 this year with a .336 on-base percentage."Sometimes you have a bad year, but last year, I didn't have a bad year," he said. "But this year, I only have like 200 at-bats (actually 210). I think I can play more. I've prepared this year, physically, better and I thought I'd have a good year."Castillo has "handled it very well," Jerry Manuel said of the demotion. "He's been mentoring Tejada a little bit.""I think Ruben is having some good at-bats," the manager added. "I also think that Ruben is playing very well defensively and I think that's important in what we're trying to accomplish. I think he's going to be a good hitter. I know it's a difficult decision that we have there, but we feel that's what's in the best interests of the team at this point."Castillo's hit capped a nifty night at the plate for the Mets, who got big offensive contributions from Angel Pagan and Carlos Beltran. Pagan matched a career-best with four hits and used his legs and intimate knowledge of Citi Field's outfield to stretch a hit up the middle into a double in the eighth, putting him in position to score the tying run.Beltran, who knocked in Pagan in the eighth with a single, reached base four times in five trips and knocked in two runs, the first time in the 36 games he's played this season he's driven in multiple runs.The ninth started with Ike Davis' single and one out later Josh Thole got him to second with another. After Mike Hessman struck out, Castillo hit a soft liner to right, giving the Mets their fifth walk-off win of the season and lifting them to 2-47 when trailing after seven innings. R.A. Dickey blew a 4-2 lead in the seventh by giving up a three-run homer to Met nemesis Gaby Sanchez.When Manuel told Castillo of his new role earlier this month in Philadelphia, Castillo said he replied, "I don't agree with this." The two have not talked about Castillo's role since, but Castillo would like to talk to Manuel or perhaps GM Omar Minaya."I have to do it," Castillo said. "Maybe I'll have my agent do it. I want to know what I'm doing for next year. I don't know if I'll be here or they'll let me go, if there'll be more time with another team." (NY Daily News)

PATHETIC: METS WIN THEIR FIRST N.L ROAD SERIES OF THE SEASON

After Manager Jerry Manuel called the Mets’ offensive production “pathetic” in Houston, the hitting instructor Howard Johnson called a meeting before Friday’s game in Pittsburgh and challenged the hitters. That night the Mets collected 15 hits and picked up seven runs, the first time they had scored that many since July 28. Saturday night, in a rain-shortened, five-inning game, they scored five runs on seven hits to beat the Pirates, 5-1, at PNC Park. The game was called with no outs in the top of the sixth inning after a delay of 1 hour 6 minutes. With the victory, the second straight in this three-game set, the Mets won their first road series against a National League team this season. Jon Niese allowed only one run for the fourth straight start and improved to 8-5. David Wright had the big blow, blasting a three-run homer over the center-field fence in the fifth inning. It was his 18th home run of the season and his second in five games. Before his home run Tuesday in Houston, Wright had not hit one in 14 games. When Manuel labeled the Mets’ offense pathetic, it certainly did not reflect well on Johnson, who felt the need to take action. Johnson’s timing for the meeting was impeccable. It not only came after Manuel called out the players in public, but also prior to a series against the worst team in baseball. The Pirates pitching staff has an earned run average of 5.06, which ranks 28th among the 30 teams in baseball. The Mets went into Saturday’s game ranked 14th in the 16-team N.L. with a .248 batting average and 13th in runs scored, ahead of only the Pirates, the Nationals and the Astros. They were averaging 4.06 runs per game going into Friday’s contest. (NY Times)

AFTER 14 INNINGS, METS WIN
Ike Davis was 0-for-19 heading into his at-bat in the 13th inning last night, the longest streak of his young career. So the bullet single to center did the rookie some good, even if he didn't score. "I actually hit it on the barrel," Davis said after he came up in the 14th inning and delivered a sacrifice fly that drove in the winning run of the Mets' 3-2 victory over the Astros at Minute Maid Park. "I hadn't hit it on the barrel in a long time and it gave me confidence going into the last at-bat." Confidence is something Davis and the rest of the Mets offense could certainly use more of, since they squandered numerous chances throughout last night's win. Prior to Davis' RBI, the only other runs the Mets generated came in the seventh, when Ruben Tejada -- who hadn't had a hit for the Mets since July -- and R.A. Dickey finally started a rally. Tejada's double was followed by another from Dickey and then Dickey scored on a fielder's choice groundout by Angel Pagan. Dickey was unable to make the 2-0 lead standup, as he surrendered a run in the eighth and after manager Jerry Manuel allowed him to try to finish the game in the ninth, when Dickey gave up a tying home run to Geoff Blum with one out. "That was a punch in the gut," Dickey said of the homer. "I felt it was his game," Manuel said of Dickey, who gave up just two runs in 8 1/3innings before being removed for Hisanori Takahashi, now the presumptive closer with Francisco Rodriguez out for the season. "If he had allowed a runner in that inning, I wouldn't have let him lose the game." After Blum's homer, Takahashi came in to get through the ninth and 10th, starting a run of 5 2/3 innings of scoreless pitching from the bullpen, including two from Bobby Parnell, one from winner Elmer Dessens and one from Manny Acosta, who earned his first save of the year -- thanks to Rodriguez's absence. But the bullpen's work would have been for naught if the offense hadn't eventually scored. Davis had grounded out with the bases loaded in the 10th and then Jeff Francoeur flied out to end that threat. In the 14th, Reyes started things with a walk, and after being sacrificed to second, he stole third for the second time of the game. Mike Hessman, in for David Wright -- who left the game in the 12th inning because of nausea -- walked and then Carlos Beltran was walked intentionally to get to Davis against the lefty Gustavo Chacin. "Sometimes I'd rather lefties than righties," said Davis, who has been benched against lefty starters recently. "You try to ride it out, but you don't want to keep riding it out. You're waiting for that one time when your swing clicks again." That finally happened on in the 13th -- and helped the Mets win an inning later. "I was definitely trying to get the ball to the outfielders," Davis said of the final at-bat "When I was walking up [against the lefty Chacin] I thought, 'I haven't seen one of these in a while.' " And in a crucial spot, toward the end of a 4:18 game, Davis showed that his slump may be over. And the Mets got a victory that wasn't close to being assured until Acosta got the final out. (NY Post)

METS MAKE BIG DEAL & BEAT ASTROS

On a day when the Mets grappled with the loss of closer Francisco Rodriguez to injury, the team’s management also had an eye on the future, agreeing to terms with their first-round pick just before the deadline expired at midnight Monday. The Mets had signed 10 of their top 12 draft picks. But negotiations with Matt Harvey, the pitcher from North Carolina drafted seventh over all, went down to the wire, as did the Mets’ 3-1 victory against the Houston Astros on Monday night. Despite their woes this season, the Mets managed a rare win in a first game of a trip, thanks to fine pitching by Jon Niese and Hisanori Takahashi, who stepped into the closer’s role vacated by Rodriguez and earned his first save of the season. They also got key hits from David Wright, Carlos Beltran and Jeff Francoeur, who have all slumped mightily since the All-Star break. “We haven’t scored many times against other teams’ closers tied on the road,” said Francouer, who tripled in Beltran in the ninth inning. “This is the kind of the game we’ve usually lost on the road, and to win the way we did was nice.” The game was a respite from the gloom that has enveloped the club the past two months. The team’s chances of making the playoffs are slim, but they have assembled a promising core of young players, including Niese, first baseman Ike Davis and catcher Josh Thole. They can now add Harvey to the list after signing him to a deal reportedly worth more than $2 million. Failing to reach an agreement with their highest draft pick would have embarrassed the Mets, who have been reluctant to sign big-name free agents or engineer significant trades, and have instead promoted their young (and less expensive) prospects as the future of the franchise. The Mets’ roster is saddled with several unproductive players, including Oliver Perez and Luis Castillo, who are owed tens of millions of dollars in the coming years and have made it hard for Mets management to find new talent. Unfortunately, the team’s biggest stars like Jason Bay and Beltran have floundered. Since July 1, the Mets have been last in the majors in batting average and on-base percentage, and next to last in slugging percentage. They have scored three or fewer runs in 11 of their 14 games this month. Their seven-game trip that began Monday to Houston and Pittsburgh, two stops with more hitter-friendly ballparks, seemed just what the Mets’ offense needed. Yet the game felt much like so many others in recent weeks. The Mets again received sturdy starting pitching from Niese, who gave up one run and seven hits in seven innings. But again, the Mets struggled to string together hits for much of the game. Astros starter Wandy Rodriguez gave up a solo home run to Beltran in the fourth inning, but erased other runners by inducing double-play ground balls. After escaping a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the eighth, the Mets finally responded in the top of the ninth. Wright and Beltran singled, and with Jeff Francoeur at bat, Wright scored on a wild pitch. Francoeur drove in Beltran. With Rodriguez suddenly gone, Manager Jerry Manuel turned to Takahashi to close the game. Unlike the histrionics around Rodriguez, though, Takahashi quietly pitched an unblemished ninth inning. (NY Times)

POLL RESULTS: FIRE OMAR

Mets fans, tired of trade-less summers and pathetic off-seasons, have spoken loud and clear in the recent 'Those Mets' poll. They want nothing more to do with General Manager Omar Minaya.

BOO'D METS LOSE IN EVERY WAY POSSIBLE TO PHILLY

David Wright and the Mets gave fans little to cheer about Saturday night against the Phillies, so the Citi Field faithful took to booing instead. They booed Wright when he struck out in the fourth inning with Jose Reyes on third base and one out. They booed Wright louder when he played a routine ground ball into two unearned runs in sixth inning, and they let him have it one last time after he hit a comebacker in the bottom half of the inning. And to cap a night's worth of unhappy howling, Mets fans booed closer Francisco Rodriguez -- who made his return from a two-game suspension after being arrested for third-degree assault Wednesday night -- when he trotted out of the bullpen in the ninth inning. The Mets loaded up the bases in their final at-bat, but were unable to mount a comeback as they fell, 4-0, to the Phillies and Roy Halladay, who allowed four hits and no walks while striking out seven over eight innings of work. "I don't think you're going to win too many games making three errors, no matter who you're facing," Wright said. Second baseman Ruben Tejada, who is hitless in his last 26 at-bats, allowed the Phillies' first unearned run to score in the fifth, when he botched a double play, throwing the ball into left field. The fielding mistakes and struggling offense squandered a solid outing from Pat Misch, who made his first start of the season after being called up from Triple-A Buffalo. Misch scattered eight hits over six innings and allowed only one earned run. "We got ground balls when we needed them and didn't execute," Mets manager Jerry Manuel said. "In order for us to do well against that type of a pitcher, we have to catch everything. We have to execute." Manuel said he felt Misch pitched well enough to merit another start, meaning the left-hander could fill the fifth spot in the rotation for the rest of the season, with Hisanori Takahashi making a permanent move to the bullpen. "I kind of got rid of pressure a few years ago. You're going to have some good games and you're going to have some bad games, and hopefully you have more good games than bad games," Misch said. "I try not to think about all that kind of stuff, where we are -- that kind of stuff. I just want to go out there, grab the ball and get as many outs as I can." The Mets' mistakes were most glaring in the field, but they were equally unimpressive at the plate. Their best chance to score came after Reyes led off the fourth inning with a triple, but Halladay got Angel Pagan to ground out to third, and struck out Wright -- who is now 4-for-41 in August -- and Carlos Beltran to end the inning. "We have to do a better job of executing there; our situational hitting has been poor," Manuel said. "We got to do a better job. I feel like we got the right guys up, and we're not getting it done at the plate." The Mets were held to one or zero runs for the sixth time in 12 games this month, and are now seven games behind the second-place Phillies, who scored their first runs at Citi Field this season after being blanked for 38 innings. "It took us 38 innings, but we put one across," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. "It's pretty easy to count. Four games plus two innings. Even I can count that far." The Mets still have a chance to win the series with a win on Sunday, but trading wins and losses isn't going to get them back in the NL Wild Card race at this point of the season. New York's best hitter is slugging .122 this month, its closer is due back in court on Sept. 14, and its starting rotation still isn't set for the stretch run. "That's something that I can't control," Rodriguez said of being booed. "It's out of my hands, and I still have to go out and do my job." And when Rodriguez and other members of the Mets are unable to do their job, the fans will be sure to let them know it.

ANOTHER COMPLETE GAME SHUTOUT, ANOTHER BIG WIN

The Mets had to play two games without their closer, Francisco Rodriguez, and did not need even need a relief pitcher, let alone a closer, in either one. On Thursday, the day Rodriguez was arraigned in court on an assault charge, Johan Santana pitched a four-hit shutout. He had told Manager Jerry Manuel before the game that he could pitch 10 innings if needed. Not to be surpassed in either resolve or results, R. A. Dickey did Santana even better. He threw a brilliant one-hit shutout to lead the Mets to a 1-0 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies, and because he throws a knuckleball, he probably could have gone 11 innings. The victory was the major-league-leading 18th shutout of the season for the Mets, a surprising figure for a team only one game over .500 at 58-57. More important, it was the first time the Mets won consecutive games since June 22 and 23. With two outs in the ninth inning, the fans rose to their feet when Dickey, on his 105th pitch, got Placido Polanco to line out to right field. Dickey embraced catcher Henry Blanco after the final out. The performance, combined with Santana’s on Thursday afternoon, provided another happy moment for the Mets in the midst of the turmoil caused by Rodriguez’s arrest and his placement on the restricted list. Dickey improved to 8-5 and was the recipient of a shaving-cream pie from Angel Pagan during a postgame interview on the field. Coming into the game, Dickey, a 35-year-old journeyman, had registered only one victory in his last nine starts, despite pitching very well most of that time and allowing 18 earned runs in 51 innings for a respectable earned run average of 3.18. Four of those earned runs came in his previous start, Saturday against the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. Dickey lasted only three innings in his worst start of the season. On Friday, he did not allow a hit until Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels stroked a low knuckler for a shallow bloop into right field with one out in the sixth inning. Before that, Dickey had allowed only one base runner. After retiring the first seven batters he faced, Dickey walked Wilson Valdez with one out in the third, but then got Hamels and Jimmy Rollins on pop-ups to end the inning. He then set down the Phillies in order in the fourth and fifth to make the 35,440 in attendance start to think about the possibility that they might see the first no-hitter in Mets history. But Hamels dashed those hopes in the sixth. In the bottom of the inning, the Mets scored when the two struggling sluggers in the middle of the lineup produced a run with two outs. David Wright laced a double that sailed over the head of Phillies center fielder Shane Victorino to snap an 0-for-15 slump. Then Carlos Beltran whacked a double off the wall in left field to score Wright, who jogged home almost as if he thought Beltran’s ball had gone over the wall. The Mets squandered an opportunity to score in the fifth inning when an apparent home run was turned into a triple that did not yield a run. Leading off the inning, Mike Hessman drove a ball to deep left field for what at first looked like a home run off the railing above the wall. But left fielder Raul Ibanez argued that the ball was touched by a fan reaching over the railing. As Hessman stood in the dugout after circling the bases and a one went up on the scoreboard for the Mets, Phillies Manager Charlie Manuel emerged from the visitors’ dugout to argue the call. The umpires eventually went below the stands to review the play. After a 6-minute-35-second delay, the crew chief Tom Hallion came out, consulted with the home plate umpire Ed Rapuano, then pointed to Hessman in the dugout and then to third base as the fans booed. They booed even louder after Hessman was stranded. Jeff Francoeur and Henry Blanco struck out swinging and Hamels walked Ruben Tejada intentionally to pitch to Dickey, who grounded meekly back to the pitcher. The fans did not seem to take consolation from the fact that at least Hessman, whose 329 career minor league home runs are the most among active players, had his first career triple in 87 major league games. At the time it seemed as if the lost run would be costly, but Wright and Beltran made sure it did not undermine another brilliant performance from a Mets starter. (NY Times)

SANTANA, AT HIS BEST, GIVES METS SERIES WIN

Johan Santana pitched his second shutout of the season Thursday afternoon in a 4-0 victory over the Rockies. Striking out the side in the first inning, Santana fanned 10 Rockies and allowed just four hits. He extended his scoreless-innings streak to 16 1/3. The Rockies put only one runner in scoring position all afternoon, doing so with two outs in the second. As they did Wednesday, the Mets took an early lead on two quick runs in the first. After Jose Reyes singled and stole second base, Angel Pagan hit an RBI single, Ike Davis doubled and Carlos Beltran hit a sacrifice fly off Rockies starter Jason Hammel. This time, though, the Mets padded their lead with an RBI single from Jose Reyes and a sacrifice fly from Fernando Martinez in the seventh. Earlier Thursday, several Mets responded to the news that closer Francisco Rodriguez was being held in police custody following an alleged assault of his father-in-law in the family room at Citi Field, many of them defending their closer. The Mets vowed not to let Rodriguez's legal troubles become a distraction. "That has nothing to do with the baseball side of it," third baseman David Wright, who received a routine day off Thursday, said before the game. "What's happened off the field has nothing to do with us not being able to score runs or get out of a jam. That has nothing to do with it. We're going to go out there and continue to do what we think is going to help us win." (MLB.com)

K-ROD IN POLICE CUSTODY

The Mets reliever Francisco Rodriguez will be arraigned Thursday morning on third-degree assault charges after an altercation with his father-in-law at Citi Field on Wednesday, the police said. Mr. Rodriguez was in custody and held at CitiField overnight after the altercation, which occurred after the Mets’ 6-2 loss to the Colorado Rockies. His father-in-law, whose name was not disclosed, was taken to an area hospital with a bump on his head and an abrasion to his face. The Mets are putting Mr. Rodriguez on the restricted list for two games, according to a statement from the team, and they and Major League Baseball are considering whether he should be required to attend anger management classes, according to a person in baseball with knowledge of the discussions. “Ownership and the organization are very disappointed in Francisco’s inappropriate behavior and we take this matter very seriously,” Jeff Wilpon, the Mets’ chief operating officer, said in a statement. The police provided no clues Thursday about what might have spurred the conflict. They said they were summoned to Citi Field shortly before 11 p.m. Wednesday and found a 53-year-old man with bruises to the head who said he had been “punched to the face” by Mr. Rodriguez. The Mets’ own television network, SNY, reported before Thursday afternoon’s game at Citi Field that Rodriguez had an argument with his wife that preceded the altercation with his father-in-law.After the police arrived, they took Mr. Rodriguez into custody, and his father-in-law was taken to Flushing Hospital Medical Center in Queens, where he was treated and released, the police said. Jay Horwitz, the Mets’ vice president for media relations, said: “There was an incident at the ballpark between Francisco Rodriguez and his family. He was questioned by police. All other questions should be directed to the police.” A uniformed police officer walked into the clubhouse shortly after Mr. Rodriguez had walked out of it through a pair of double doors. Numerous security guards lingered in and around the clubhouse hours after the final pitch. Before the altercation was disclosed, Mr. Rodriguez reacted angrily when approached by reporters after the game — a tough loss for a reeling team — using obscenities as he told them that he did not play and therefore did not want to speak to them. With the Mets ahead, 2-1, with two outs in the eighth inning, Manager Jerry Manuel did not bring in Mr. Rodriguez, a closer, to get the final four outs of the game. It was not known whether that decision played any role in the conflict. Mr. Manuel said he did not call on Mr. Rodriguez because he pitched Tuesday, although Mr. Rodriguez has often had a heavy workload this season and has never complained. Mr. Rodriguez has shown a hot-tempered side, but the Mets have relied heavily on him this season. He has been something of a high-wire act on the mound, often getting himself into trouble and then bailing himself out. He has converted 25 of 30 save opportunities and has pitched very well recently. The arrest could hasten Mr. Rodriguez’s exit from the Mets. He was involved in a shoving match with the bullpen coach Randy Niemann earlier this season, and his volatility had made the Mets wary of their long-term commitment to him. Mr. Rodriguez has a $17.5 million option on his contract for 2012, and the Mets owner Fred Wilpon has shown a willingness to sever ties with players who have gotten into trouble. The arrest coincides with a season that seems to be imploding. After an unexpectedly promising start, the Mets have gone 8-18 since the All-Star break and have fallen below .500. On Wednesday night, the Mets endured another tough-to-take defeat. A day after Hisanori Takahashi appeared to secure the setup role, he failed to get through the eighth inning. Then Mr. Manuel inserted Manny Acosta to get the final out of the eighth, but the decision backfired. After getting two outs, Mr. Takahashi allowed a single and a walk before being removed. Mr. Rodriguez has been used frequently this season, and he has pitched more than one inning eight times. After Acosta intentionally walked Troy Tulowitzki to load the bases, Melvin Mora blasted a grand slam to left field to highlight a five-run inning that gave the Rockies the victory. After the game, the focus temporarily shifted to the Mets’ questions about a setup man who looked secure only hours earlier, and a manager who was booed after a curious decision in another loss that sent the team below the .500 mark. But in light of the revelation about Mr. Rodriguez, there now appears to be a more troubling uncertainty. (NY Times)

PELFREY BACK TO FORM; METS BACK AT .500

Mike Pelfrey finally found his way back home. After six weeks of struggles, the Mets starter returned to his early season form and earned his first win since June25. He outdueled Ubaldo Jimenez, the majors' leader in wins, and helped shut out the Rockies, 1-0, Tuesday night as the Mets returned to Citi Field to open a six-game home stand. Pelfrey, who had gotten through fifth inning just once in his previous seven starts, gave the Mets seven scoreless innings Tuesday night. He scattered four hits, walked one and struck out four. Pelfrey (11-6) threw a career-high 122pitches. The Mets bats finally gave Pelfrey a lead in the seventh after struggling early against Jimenez (17-3). After the Rockies righthander worked his way out of a bases-loaded situation in the sixth, the Mets scored a run on Jose Reyes' sacrifice fly in the next inning. Chris Carter led off by drawing a four-pitch walk and Josh Thole hit a hard double to right field to put pinch-runner Jeff Francoeur on third with no outs. After Jimenez struck out Ruben Tejada, he intentionally walked Carlos Beltran, before Reyes' fly ball to deep right field got Francoeur home. Jimenez got out of the inning by striking out Fernando Martinez. That was it for Jimenez, who went seven innings, allowing one run on four hits. He walked four and struck out eight. Hisanori Takahashi, who is still in limbo between the Mets' starting rotation and bullpen, pitched a scoreless eighth and Francisco Rodriguez finished it off in the ninth for his 25th save of the season. It was Pelfrey's start, however, that gave the struggling Mets a lift. With the Mets all but out of the playoff picture, they are focusing on the future. They are playing their young players to see what they have for 2011. Where the big 26-year-old righty fits in the rotation may be one of the biggest questions going into next year. Tuesday night, he showed he could battle back from an extended midseason slump. He did it by being aggressive with his fastball and attacking hitters from the start. Going into Tuesday night's game, the first inning had been a problem for Pelfrey, who had allowed 16 first-inning runs in his last 11starts. He had not gotten out of the first without giving up at least a run in the first in 10 of those starts. Tuesday night, Pelfrey immediately went after the Rockies hitters. He had a scoreless first inning, including striking out National League leading hitter Carlos Gonzalez (.326) in an eight-pitch at-bat. That was what manager Jerry Manuel had been looking for from Pelfrey. "I think that first inning can give you an idea," Manuel said before the game. "But I also think with Mike there has to be some adversity out there somewhere to see how he handles that, whether or not he's going to navigate through the rest of the game. I think the first inning is very critical for any pitcher, and if he comes out and does well, there and has a good second and third, and then runs into a little trouble, how he navigates that will determine (how we do)." Pelfrey, who had not gotten out of the fifth inning since June 25, found his adversity in the second inning. He gave a one-out walk to Brad Hawpe, followed by a single to Ian Stewart. When Tejada failed to turn a double play on Miguel Olivo's ground ball to third, Pelfrey had runners on first and third, but got out of the inning by getting Clint Barmes to ground into a force at second. Pelfrey looked like the more aggressive pitcher that tore out to a 10-2 start this season. In his last seven starts, Pelfrey came undone. He was 0-4 with a 9.00 ERA in those starts dating back to June 30. (NY Daily News)

METS HAVE BIGGEST DROP IN ATTENDANCE According to Baseball Reference, the Mets lead all of baseball in the biggest drop in attendance from last season to this season:

METS DIGGING THEIR OWN GRAVE

Carlos Beltran fixed his eyes on the ball, just as he had done hundreds, if not thousands, of times in his career. He was drifting backward, intending to make what would have been a fine yet makeable catch on Jayson Werth’s long fly ball. But just an instant before he jumped for it, Beltran banged awkwardly into the padded, green outfield wall. As the ball went over the fence, Beltran looked almost as if it had never occurred to him that anything might be there impeding his path. As a team, the Mets also appear to have slammed gracelessly into a wall they did not see coming. One day after the promotion of two youngsters left veterans wondering about the team’s direction, the Mets lost Sunday for the 15th time in 22 games, falling to the Philadelphia Phillies, 6-5. They finished the trip 2-4 as their playoff hopes continued to fade. The Mets managed to score five runs off Roy Halladay, but R. A. Dickey had a rare poor outing, allowing Werth’s home run in the second inning and Raul Ibanez’s three-run homer in Philadelphia’s five-run third. A team that was once considered a viable playoff contender, the Mets (55-56) fell nine games behind the Atlanta Braves in the National League East standings, and remained seven and a half back in the wild-card race. “We’re O.K.,” Manager Jerry Manuel said, expressing an optimism that does not necessarily reflect the current position of his team. “We still got a chance to have a run, but the run can’t be a short run. You’ve got to play well for about 35, 40 games now. I think we have the ability to do that.” With a lineup that featured seven players signed and groomed in their farm system — but not Jeff Francoeur, the home run hero of their last two victories — the Mets were hoping to inaugurate a new, youthful era. They had to face Halladay, adominant pitcher in the game. The Mets did well to scrape out five runs against Halladay, who was not at his best. They had a chance to tie the game, or perhaps take the lead, by extending a rally in the seventh inning. With the Mets trailing by a run, and runners on first and second and two outs, Beltran struck out for the third time and was then removed in a double switch. The Mets are off Monday and start a three-game series Tuesday against visiting Colorado, and Manuel said Beltran might not play again until Wednesday. With an 0-for-4 day, Beltran finished the trip 3 for 22 with seven strikeouts. His overall batting average dipped to .195. “I wish I can have better results, but right now, nothing good is happening,” he said. Beltran has also struggled in the field since starting his season July 15 after having off-season knee surgery. On Sunday, he got a late break on a Werth bloop single in the third, and Werth came around to score. But it was the inning before when he seemed so strangely out of his element. “I didn’t know how close I was to the wall,” he said, “and when I was about to jump, I just got stuck in the fence.” David Wright has also slumped. On Sunday he, too, went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts and finished the trip 2 for 23, also with seven strikeouts. “They both struggled on this trip,” Manuel said. “I don’t know what the final numbers were, what they actually did. But it just appeared they were in good situations and just weren’t able to get it done.” One of the few players to get it done lately has been Francoeur, whose homers provided the winning margin in each of the last two wins. Ordinarily, Manuel sticks with the hot player, but this time he elected to sit Francoeur in favor of the young Fernando Martinez, who was called up Saturday along with second baseman Ruben Tejada to inject energy and athleticism to a team in desperate need of a boost. Francoeur was dismayed to learn that he would be getting less playing time, and several veterans, including Wright, said the moves sent a mixed message about whether the Mets were still pursuing the playoffs, or whether they were in development mode. If victories do not come soon, it will certainly be the latter. “We’ve dug ourselves a hole, and we’re going to have to do quite a bit of work these last 50 games or so to get back in it,” Wright said. It is definitely possible, but there are walls standing in the way.

WRIGHT AND PELFREY BOTCH GAME, SERIES, METS STRUGGLES CONTINUE TO DEPLETE CHANCES

For the Mets, this has become a matter of slow self-destruction. Few would argue that they rank among the most talented teams in the league. They do not. And so the Mets must play flawless baseball to retain their slimming chance at a playoff berth. Wednesday represented the antithesis of that ideal. Committing three of their season-high four errors in one inning and receiving another inadequate start from Mike Pelfrey, the Mets dropped a messy 8-3 game to the Braves at Turner Field. Already urgent, the Mets' quest has now reached critical status. If they do not win this weekend's series in Philadelphia, they may quickly become a Major League afterthought. "I was a little shocked," manager Jerry Manuel said, "that we played this way defensively." Already trailing by three runs, the Mets kicked away any chance at a comeback when Jose Reyes, Ike Davis and David Wright all committed miscues during a four-batter span in the sixth. First it was Reyes, allowing Melky Cabrera to reach base on his second throwing error of the game. Then, after Omar Infante's single, it was Davis booting a ball to load the bases. And finally it was Wright, firing wide of second base on Chipper Jones' potential double-play ball. Watching the theatrics unfold from the mound, Hisanori Takahashi admitted through his interpreter that it was "kind of difficult to stay focused on the batters" -- and rightfully so. Ground ball after precious ground ball rolled its way through the infield grass, resulting not in outs but in distress. "It was bad," Manuel said. "We're a better team than that. We've got to get back on that track of pitching and good defense." The first part of that equation was no better. In what Manuel called a critical start for his struggling right-hander, Pelfrey allowed a single run in the first before serving up back-to-back home runs to Jones and Brian McCann in the third. Then, after McCann hit an RBI double in the fifth inning, Pelfrey plunked Matt Diaz with the bases loaded. It was hardly a matter of stuff for Pelfrey, who appeared markedly better than he had in any of his previous handful of starts. "We got the hard-throwing Pelfrey tonight," Jones said. "The last time we faced him in New York, he was throwing 90-91. Tonight he came out and he was throwing 96, 97." But a lack of command and an unreliable split-fingered fastball hurt Pelfrey, who allowed five runs, three earned, in 4 2/3 innings. It marked the seventh consecutive start in which Pelfrey could not complete six innings, and the fourth time over that span that he could not complete five. "The team needed me to step up and be a lot better than I have been," Pelfrey said. "Giving up five runs isn't cutting it, so I take full responsibility for tonight." There would be no late rally for the Mets, who netted two runs off Braves starter Kris Medlen -- who left due to a right elbow injury in the fifth -- and another against Peter Moylan in the seventh. But by that point, the outcome was hardly in doubt. The Mets were all but packing their bags, preparing for a long, silent flight to Philadelphia. "We didn't really do anything right," Wright said. "It wasn't just the fact that we threw the ball around. Our pitchers got hit around. Offensively, we didn't do anything. And then we threw the ball around. Of course you're going to lose that game." For much of the past month, the Mets have been searching for a turning point -- and Wednesday's game may have been it. Already pointed south, the Mets managed to turn more squarely in that direction. They slipped a rung, or perhaps even several. And now to climb back up will take all their energy, all their skill, a newfound fundamental soundness and still a bit of luck. It is possible, yet improbable. Mostly, the Mets are hanging on the hopes they have provided with their own shattered history. In 2007, the Mets famously lost a 7 1/2-game divisional lead to the Phillies with 17 games to play. Now, they trail the Braves by that same 7 1/2-game margin with 54 to go. "So we know that by no means are we out of it," Wright said. "But at the same time, we've got to get hot and go on some streaks." This week represented an opportunity for the Mets to win a series against a first-place team, to poke their heads above water and announce their intentions to the rest of the league. Instead they did none of that, leaving Georgia with a sick feeling in their collective gut. "I knew this game was important," Pelfrey said. "I knew we had a chance to win a series, which is what it's all about."

FRENCHY BURNS FORMER TEAM

METS, NOW 6.5 OUT, ACTUALLY WIN A GAME ON THE ROAD

Shortly after Monday's loss to the Braves, Jeff Francoeur cited his final at-bat of the evening -- a single up the middle -- as evidence that he was about to hit a hot streak. He recorded only one hit Tuesday. But it was the one the Mets needed. Francoeur homered off former Mets closer Billy Wagner to lead off the ninth inning, snapping a 2-2 tie and leading the Mets to a 3-2 victory over the Braves at Turner Field. Two innings after the Mets tied the game against Atlanta's usually stellar bullpen, Francoeur drove a 96-mph fastball over the right-field wall, giving the Mets their first lead of the series. Mets starter R.A. Dickey allowed two runs in six innings, both runs due partly to some imperfect defense. In the second, Melky Cabrera drove home a run after Luis Castillo could not make a diving stop on Rick Ankiel's ground-ball single up the middle. And in the sixth, Cabrera tripled home a run on a tailing drive that Francoeur could not cut off in right-center field. Francoeur, though, drew a leadoff walk in the seventh to spark the tying rally. Against Braves reliever Kyle Farnsworth -- in whom the Mets reportedly showed interest before Saturday's non-waiver Trade Deadline -- pinch-hitter Chris Carter singled home Francoeur in the seventh. The Mets had scored just once earlier in the game off Braves starter Derek Lowe, on Jose Reyes' RBI double in the third. The Mets entered the game a season-high 7 1/2 games out of first place, alone in fourth for the first time since May.

14-1...METS CELEBRATE PAST, CRINGE AT PRESENT

The Mets made a weekend out of celebrating four members of the best team in franchise history, the 1986 squad that won a club-record 108 games and one of the more dramatic World Series in baseball history. But when the festivities ended, the Mets had to play one of the worst teams in the major leagues, the Arizona Diamondbacks. And in a three-game series, the Mets looked more like the Diamondbacks than the record-setting team that was being honored. After an awful start by Jon Niese on Sunday, the Mets lost, 14-1, to the last-place Diamondbacks, who entered the game with fewer victories than all but two major league teams. Niese and two relievers combined to give up 16 hits, four of them home runs, in what was one of the Mets’ ugliest pitching efforts of the season. The Mets have won one of their last nine series, and the loss dropped them into fourth place in the National League East, at least for a few hours. The loss — far worse than any defeat the 1986 Mets ever experienced — created a sharp change in emotions at Citi Field, where the day began with a mood of warm nostalgia for the Mets’ last championship team. Four key components of that team — General Manager Frank Cashen, Manager Davey Johnson, and the star players Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry — were inducted into the Mets’ Hall of Fame in an on-field ceremony before the game. Each inductee was feted with a video tribute showing highlights from that historic season and gave a brief speech. The fans applauded throughout, reveling in happy memories of accomplishments that have yet to be duplicated. Then the game began, and the 35,014 in attendance came to a sudden realization: this year’s Mets do not resemble the 1986 team. It was actually the second reality check of the weekend. The first came Saturday, when General Manager Omar Minaya neglected to make any deals as the trading deadline came and went. Minaya expressed optimism that he could still make a deal for a player who cleared waivers in August, but the Mets’ lack of aggression, combined with deals made by the Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies, could be interpreted as the team realizing its chances to make the playoffs were slim. The series with the Diamondbacks certainly seemed to indicate as much. One of the players whom the Mets did not want to trade was Niese, a 23-year-old left-hander who has been an unlikely stalwart in the team’s rotation. He had given up only nine earned runs in his last six starts before Sunday. Niese (7-5) held the Diamondbacks hitless for three and a third innings Sunday. Then he imploded, allowing five consecutive hits, including a three-run home run by Adam LaRoche. An inning later, Niese surrendered another three-run home run to LaRoche. Coming off the field, the Mets were booed as loudly as the 1986 stars had been cheered before the game. Over all, Niese allowed seven runs, six of them earned, on seven hits and three walks in four and a third innings. His replacement, Elmer Dessens, was no better, allowing two more home runs in two and two-thirds innings. The four home runs allowed matched the Mets’ season high. And although few fans were around to watch Dessens’s replacement, the oft-jeered Oliver Perez, he pitched even worse, allowing four runs on five hits and one walk in two innings. He was booed repeatedly by those who remained. Meanwhile, the team’s struggles at the plate continued. The Mets came into Sunday’s game with a team batting average of .210 since the All-Star Break, losing 11 of 16 games. They mustered only three hits in eight innings against the 23-year-old Diamondbacks starter Daniel Hudson, one of two players acquired from the Chicago White Sox on Friday for starter Edwin Jackson. (NY Times)