Finished

It's almost sad when you're excited about losing a series 2-1. That's how I felt as I watched last night's Mets game, although the Mets couldn't even manage that. I no longer live in the area so seeing the Mets on ESPN or WTBS is a treat. Of course it's only a treat when your team doesn't lay an egg.

And that's exactly what they did, and with it, their playoff hopes pretty much went out the window. They've won only three of their last twelve games and now sit five games back in the wild card race. The Mets are just as close to having the Brewers pass them as they are of slipping by the Nationals and it only gets worse because we head to St. Louis for a four game series against the best team in baseball.

Monday was the first of two games of the series decided by two runs. Carlos Beltran doubled home Jose Reyes in the first to give the Mets their only lead of the game. Homeruns by Andruw Jones and Chipper Jones cost Steve Trachsel the game in his second start back from surgery.

On Tuesday, we ran into John Smoltz in a battle of the aces. The odd thing about this game was none of the four runs were driven on hits. Three scored on groundouts and one was a sacrafice fly. Pedro looked mortal by giving up three runs through six innings of work.

Last night was the game to cry over. The Mets scored two runs in the first inning (one on a Cliff Floyd ground out and one on a David Wright single). The Braves finally got on the board in the fifth, but otherwise, Tom Glavine looked like the early 1990s version of himself. Roberto Hernandez came in to finish up the eighth, and heading into the ninth, the Mets had a one nothing lead.

In comes Brandon Looper, who gives up a game tying double to Ryan Landgerhaus. The Mets actually get a run in the tenth to take the lead again, only to see Brandon Looper load up the bases. Takatsu ended up serving the two run single to Langerhaus, but the runners were originally put there by Looper. He now has seven losses and six blown saves. Not the kind of numbers you want from your closer.

Baseball Prospectus has us down but not quite out. They're giving us a 5% chance of making the playoffs. They need to take three of four from St. Louis. Anything less, and it's basically the end of the season.

And yes, I'm hanging on longer then most are. I just think if the Mets can put together a five game winning streak, they'll get right back into the mix.

Mike Piazza might actually make it back soon, at least that's what Will Carroll mentioned in a recent Under the Knife. And the Norfolk Tides are down 1-0 in their playoff series to the Toledo Mudhens. At least somewhere in the country someone affiliated with the Mets is playing for something.