Mets Leapfrog Fish: Mets-Marlins Series Recap

The Mets were in third place on Friday, and looking for revenge against the Marlins after their series loss in Florida. When the weekend ended they found themselves in second place after taking two out of three against the Fish. The Mets are now 7-5 against Florida, with six games remaing versus their division rival. Friday, Mets 3-0: Aaron Heilman Is Rollie Fingers Aaron Heilman came into the game in the eighth inning and picked up an old-fashioned two-inning save (not even Billy Wagner can do that). Six batters up, six batters down. Where the heck has that been? I think I even saw traces of a handlebar mustache as he walked off the field after the game. The first seven innings belonged to Oliver Perez. He loaded the bases in the second inning, but MacGyvered his way out of the jam, and pretty much cruised the rest of the way. The wacky lefty threw 120 pitches (why can't Johan Santana do that?) in seven innings, struck out eight and walked three. He's now 7-0 against teams that are .500 or better. Casey Stengel would often skip Whitey Ford's turn in the rotation to save him for the better teams. Maybe Jerry Manuel should give Perez the Whitey Ford treatment. Ollie also reached base on a Hanley Ramirez error. There's only one word for Ramirez's fielding: brutal. David Wright followed up his Thursday heroics with another two-run bomb in the first inning. Carlos Delgado added his 24th blast of the year. And Daniel Murphy keeps impressing, going two for three with a walk. Saturday, Mets 8-6: Murphy Scripts Happy Recap There's a new folk hero at Shea, and his name is Daniel Murphy. The rookie smashed his first career home run, when he took lefty reliever Renyel Pinto the opposite way for a two-run, pinch-hit, game-sealing tater. Murphy looks like the real deal. David Wright and Carlos Beltran each had three hits, with Beltran hitting a home run and picking up three RBIs. It was the center fielder's first long ball in 82 at bats. He was also back in the cleanup spot for a day. It looks like their slumps are over. Carlos Delgado also went yard. What else is new? On the mound, Brian Stokes made his Mets debut, and didn't completely fall down and embarrass himself. He went 5.2 innings, giving up four runs on two two-run homers, seven hits, one walk and struck out six. He also singled in his first big league at bat. It's looks like he may stay with the Mets and shift to the bullpen. And how about that new closer? Aaron Heilman notched his second consecutive save. In his last three games he has a win and two saves and hasn't given up a hit. Fielding-wise, Fernando Tatis made a circus catch on the opening play of the game, but only because he completely misplayed the ball in the first place and almost tripped over the clown car on the way there. And Murphy butchered a Mike Jacobs double in left. Hey, he's not perfect. Sunday, Marlins 8-2: Pelfrey Can't Beat the Marlins This was a blah, you-can't-win-'em-all game. The Bad: Mike Pelfrey. He only lasted 4.2 innings and just didn't have it today. He got tagged for six runs on seven hits and three walks. His last three loses have all come against Florida. Eddie Kunz made his third big league appearance and promptly threw a wild pitch with the bases loaded. And the offense couldn't really get anything going all game. The good: David Wright and Jose Reyes drove in runs and Daniel Murphy kept his hitting streak going. And Pelfrey hit Cody Ross in the back, possible payback for Wright getting buzzed on Saturday. Ross was yelling in pain before the ball even hit him. I haven't heard somebody screaming and crying like that since, oh, about an hor ago, when I told my daughter she can't have anymore cookies. The old Mets organist Jane Jarvis was at Shea today. Bring back the organ and get rid of the ear-splitting cacophony they have now, please. And it was good to see the Mets wearing their pinstripes with the blue hats two games in a row. No more black; the '90s are over.