Streaking: Mets-Rockies Series Recap

The Mets hosted the Rockies in the last series before the All-Star break. The Amazin's were riding a six-game winning streak, and were only one-and-a-half games behind the Phillies. And when it was over, they found themselves with a nine-game winning streak, threw two shutouts and picked up another game in the standings. And they'd probably love to play a doubleheader today instead of taking a break. Here's how they ended the first half of the season. Friday, Mets 2-1: Seven in a Row Damion Easley stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the eighth with the score knotted at one. He has a history of late-inning heroics, and right on cue (Gary Cohen called it) he belted what turned out to be the game-winning home run. Take your time coming back, Luis Castillo. Oliver Perez was just mowing down batter after batter until he started walking everyone in the ballpark in the sixth (even Clint Hurdle somehow ended up on third base after drawing a walk). His final line was six-plus innings pitched, one run, two hits, seven K's and six walks. Aaron Heilman came in in the seventh and stuck out two batters in a row with the bases loaded to put out the fire. In fact, Colorado had the bases loaded in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings but couldn't score. That's the fourth game in a row the Mets bullpen has not allowed a run, and the fourth consecutive game Mets pitchers have allowed exactly three hits. The Mets were running the bases aggressively all night. Jerry Manuel actually has the formerly lethargic team hustling. Saturday, Mets 3-0: Eight in a Row The Mets are the first team since 1900 to let up three hits or less in five straight games. Pedro Martinez, Carlos Muniz, Aaron Heilman, Scott Schoeneweis and Billy Wagner combined on a one-hitter, and threw the team's third shutout in five games. Pedro left after the fourth inning with shoulder tightness, possibly the result of overcompensating for an earlier tweaked groin. (Isn't there an old Johnny Cash song called "If Tweaking Your Groin Is Wrong, I Don't Want to be Right"?) Jose Reyes homered off the scoreboard, and Brian Schneider and Fernando Tatis each drove in a run. Sunday, Mets 7-0: Nine in a Row What can you say about Mike Pelfrey? He was a groundball machine in this game, getting 15 groundouts and just pounding the strike zone with his four-seamer. He pitched eight shutout innings, giving up six hits, striking out five with zero walks. He's now won six in a row, not walked anybody in his last two starts and only given up one run in his last three. He's starting to look like an ace. The team now has four shutouts in their last six games. It's the first time they've done that since 1969. And the bullpen hasn't given up a run in its last 19.1 innings. The Carloses each blasted a towering home run, and the defense turned three double plays, including a spectacular one by Damion Easley. Their nine-game winning streak is the team's longest since 2000. Now on to the All-Star break. Each player has a different routine during the off-time?some players like to stay fresh by entering as many Yodels-eating contests as they can and some just get blind stinking drunk. But Billy Wagner has other plans: "I'm going to the All-Star game and piss off a bunch of people by saying something stupid."