Singing in the Maine

John Maine pitched well (2 runs in 6 innings), and the Mets found themselves in relatively uncharted territory - the victor's seat.

It'd be hard to say that the offense began clicking tonight, after all the mighty Miguel Batista and four relievers held the Mets to just five hits, but #5 proved worth his salary tonight with a coupla home runs and 3 RBI (and a walk). Everyone else went 3-for-26, but at this point, you have to take it. It may be all you can get.

The real newsworthy news is happening over the weekend in a four-game Subway Series. If the Mets win 2, that's good. 3 or 4 would be amazin'. While the Yankees boast a superior record to their New York rivals, the Mets are actually not in such a bad position.

Pitching: The Mets starting pitching is clearly superior. Johan is good. Pedro is a maybe. Oliver Perez is going to pitch very well because he pitched so badly last start. Mike Pelfrey's been pretty consistent. The Yankees counter with Rasner, Geis, Pettitte and Joba. If the Yankees get more than two quality starts, you should be surprised. That is not the case with the Mets.

The bullpens are relatively equal.

Hitting: The Yankees seem to have better hitters than the Mets. However, most of the Mets have been underperforming this year, hitting-wise. I wouldn't be surprised if they hit well over the weekend.