The M&M Mets/The Wright and Wrong Report: Late Night, Late Afternoon, Late Comebacks

The two games in the past 18 hours have proved to me that perhaps there is something different about this edition of the Mets. They've got guts. Heck, Kaz Matsui got a two hits Tuesday night, and then drove in a run (giving him a hit in every game he's played so far) and made a fine catch Wednesday afternoon, so we all know that this isn't the 2005 Mets. Soon I might even forget Anderson Hernandez. (Probably not, but who knows--I've already forgotten the name of the guy that was supposed to be our starting centerfielder. Supposedly a decision will be made about him on Friday. Why oh why has the front office waited so long to put the 117-million dollar man on the DL?)

Tuesday night Steve Trachsel showed why he should be called the third starter by shutting the Giants down--and challenging Barry Bonds even though the fat old man hit a home run off of him early in the game. I'm still not sure why Willie Randolph pinch hit for Trachsel with Jose "Ofer's Are My Middle Name" Valentin when Trachsel had thrown less than 80 pitches.

Wednesday afternoon's win was--as a co-worker said to me as I started typing this--bittersweet. First, the sweet: they came back three times, finally winning the game in the 11th. Jose Reyes stole some key bases and the 87 year old Julio Franco proved yet again he was worth that dubious two year deal. And how sweet was it to see Barry Bonds' fielding cost the Gioants the game, just a brief time after he tied it with his 710th home run off Billy Wagner. That blown save was not Wagner's fault, it rests on the shoulders of David Wright, who seems to be taking his slump with him onto the field. These throwing errors are starting to get a bit worrysome.

The bitter part of this game was Brian Bannister, who seemed to blow a hamstring trying to score the tie breaking run in the 6th. Losing a starter is something this team could ill aford, especially with a guaranteed loss every time Victor Zambrano pictches. What to do? Aaron Heilman back in the rotation? Jose Lima called up from Triple A? This will be a decision that will have a far reaching impact on the first half of the season. Good thing tomorrow is a day off so the team can ponder these decisions.

4-3 on the road trip so far. Coming out of Atlanta with 6-4 record would be a pleasant surprise.