Mets-Marlins Series Preview

The Mets continue their home stand by taking on the Marlins for a three-game set starting tonight. They beat the last-place Padres two out of three by a whisker (moving up to two games behind the Phils), and a 1-5 road trip preceded that. It's time for them to get on a roll, and get that winning mojo back. They can pass the Marlins with a series win, and after that they face the Pirates and Nationals (and Pirates again). Their bullpen continues to make Mets fans sick to their stomachs. Every time a reliever comes into a game, I want to poke my eyes out with a pointy stick. Any day now I'm going to turn on the TV and see So You Think You Can Pitch Better Than the Mets Bullpen on ABC, hosted by Dustin Diamond. And their offense and base running isn't in a groove either. They're plagued by the inconsistency they suffered from in the first half of the season. Jerry Manuel better start turning on his magic (or maybe the players should just start playing better). The Marlins did the Mets a favor by beating Philadelphia two out of three this week. The Fish have won six out of their last 10 and are a half game ahead of the Mets. They didn't do the Amazin's any favors last week, though, when they whipped their butts down in Florida. They have three quality starters going for them in this series (though their team ERA is 4.48, good for 12th in the NL; the Mets are seventh, with a 4.08 mark), and their offense can crank out home runs (second in the NL, with 155; the Mets are tied for 11th, with 111) at the same rate that ESPN's been churning out Brett Favre reports the last few weeks. In the last week and a half they've taken four out of six against the Phillies and Mets. It looks like the Marlins will be in the race till the end. Here are the pitching matchups: Friday: Ricky Nolasco (11-6, 3.91) vs. Oliver Perez (7-7, 4.12) Saturday: Scott Olsen (6-6, 3.87) vs. Brian Stokes (10-8, 4.41 in AAA) Sunday: Josh Johnson (2-0, 3.34) vs. Mike Pelfrey (10-7, 3.85) Marlins Leaders: Average: Hanley Ramirez ? .294; Home Runs: Dan Uggla ? 26; RBIs: Uggla ? 67; Runs: Ramirez ? 88; Stolen Bases: Ramirez ? 27 Wins: Nolasco ? 11; ERA: Olsen ? 3.87; Saves: Kevin Gregg ? 24 Mets Leaders: Being Booed at Shea: Aaron Heilman; Pointing at the Sky: Fernando Tatis; Handshakes: Jose Reyes; Injuries: Moises Alou; One-liners: Jerry Manuel; Hair Frosting: Argenis Reyes; Huskiness: Robinson Cancel; Sticking Foot in Mouth: Billy Wagner; Oversleeping: Ramon Castro; Wanting to Kill the Bullpen: Johan Santana