Mets, Pedro Salvage Final Game of Series, Avoid Sweep

Leave it up to the ace. I guess this is why we pay him the big bucks. Pedro ended a two game mini-skid with a strong seven innings outing. He yielded only a single run on five hits, and he struck out nine. Roberto Hernandez and Brandon Looper both struck out two batters in their respective innings.

Jose Reyes had a big game as he went four for five. He scored twice and stole his 26th base of the season. Carlos Beltran hit his 10th homer of the year.

The first two games of the series weren't nearly as pleasant. The Pirates edged the Pirates 6-5 in extra frames on Friday. On Saturday, Kaz Ishii lost his eighth game as the Pirates ran up the score and beat the Mets 11-4. Cliff Floyd, who is definitely the Met's offensive MVP, hit his 22nd homerun.

Once again, the Mets are in cellar. They are right at .500 (44-44), but they're eight games back. They're 6 1/2 back for the Wild Card, so they have a long way to go.

Good luck to Mike Piazza and Carlos Beltran on Tuesday. I'll be watching the game as usualy.