But once again, Santana, the ace will not finish the season. The two-time CY Young Award winner has been shut down after an MRI exam result showed a torn antenor on the front and bottom of his pitching shoulder. It was last September 1st when he was shut down to remove bone chips from his left elbow.

“I just hope to recover and hope this will be the end of it,” he said prior to the Mets 8-4 loss to the first place Phillies at Citi Field Friday night. “Get everything fixed,” he would say.  But this was not what the Mets envisioned when GM Omar Minaya signed him to a six-year $137.5 million dollar contract.

It is baseball, the aspects of injuries and a definite risk when signing players to the long term and lucrative deal. However there is that definite opinion that the Mets organization is beset with a hex and not a miracle. All based of course on a recurring string of injuries, last season and now.

Santana again, Jose Reyes more than once, John Maine shut down, and of course the concussion symptoms that may or may not have ended the season for Jason Bay.

In the case of Santana, blame medical personnel of the Mets organization? Perhaps, or it is the case of a pitcher who had thrown too many innings in Minnesota before coming to New York. Whatever the reason, Santana is done and the Mets once again move on to next year.

“I feel he will fulfill those next three years,” said Minaya about the contract. He observed Santana speaking to the media at the pre game press conference.  Again it is another dismal September for Minaya, the Mets and their fans at Citi Field.” Hopefully, we’ll have him back sooner than later,” said Minaya.

Santana will have surgery soon and hopes to recover by January. That may be pushing the button. He will get a second opinion from famed orthopedist Dr. James Andrews.  But we should have known that there was more trouble for the Mets ace when he was lifted after five innings in Atlanta last week because of stiffness.

The Mets said later it was a strained pectoral muscle and Santana would be listed as day-to-day.  Sounds familiar? Have we not heard and seen this before from Mets brass when it comes to the extent of an injury, more so to one of their high profiled players?

So in September again the Mets will show off their home grown talent on the field, and on the mound. In place of Santana is Dillon Gee who made his Major League debut down in Washington D.C. this week and flirted with a no-hitter.

Rookie pitcher Jenrry Mejia (0-4) failed once again to get his first Major League win Friday evening. He remains in the rotation, for the remainder of the string in the stretch of September. A lot to learn and minimal pressure without a pennant race to be concerned about.

Mets manager Jerry Manuel said he has no other options now that Santana has thrown his last pitch in 2010. “At this point we’ll see how he does,” he said about Mejia who observed there needs to be adjustments made when he faces a lineup the second time around.

And for the Mets, adjustments once again in September as they plan for next year with or without Santana on the mound.

e-mail Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com

The most publicized event of the regularly scheduled contest between the two contenders for the American League East crown in 2010 was a downbeat and depressing occurrence. Yankee starter AJ Burnett in a moment of frustration, after the second inning, punched the door of the clubhouse and suffered lacerations from the plexiglass covering the day’s lineup.

With two outs in the first, Burnett gave up a single to Evan Longoria, who was plated by a double from Carlos Pena. First inning problems have been common to Burnett this season. He has allowed the opposition to score in the first in 14 of his 19 starts.

The second inning was not an improvement. With two outs, Jason Bartlett was hit by a pitch. The following batter, Reid Brignac, took a 1-0 pitch into the left field stands to bring the Rays lead to 3-0. After that inning, Burnett gave in to frustration.

With the Yankees only trailing by a 3-2 score, Burnett came out for the third. He hit 6he first batter, Longoria, with a pitch. With Pena at the plate, Burnett uncorked a wild pitch. Pena singled to center, and Burnett was removed from the game aft6er only throwing 43 pitches.

To add insult to the injury, Burnett, at first, told trainer Steve Donahue that he cut his hand after falling on stairs. The pitcher explained, “The plexiglass on the door came off, but didn’t shatter.” He then admitted to the truth of what happened and was in manager Joe Girardi’s office after the contest ended with a 10-5 loss to the Rays.

Girardi’s entire delayed post-game press conference was devoted to the incident involving Burnett. Girardi was peppered with queries regarding his feelings toward Bruentt’s act. He put a positive spin on the negative act, “AJ got frustrated and hit his hand on something and cut his hand at the end of the second inning. We’re fortunate the cut isn’t in his fingers. He should make his next start. He’s able to turn things around and turn the page. He has shown me he can pitch in big games [game two in the 2009 ALDS, game two in the 2009 ALCS, and game two in the 2009 World Series].”

Obviously, the manager can not condone the foolish action, which would encourage its repeat, “It’s not something AJ is proud of. It’s not something I want our guys to do. My job is to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

Burnett is 33 years old and in his 11^th major league season. Although, anyone can lose his/her temper, the timing was very inauspicious. The Yanks, now two games in front of the Rays, have 73 more games to play in 2010. If Burnett misses time or continues to pitch inconsistently, it can have a disastrous affect upon the team’s chances to repeat as world champs. Burnett has lost six of his last seven decisions. His record is 7-8 and his ERA has inflated to 4.99. The question can now be asked more seriously as to whether or not the organization made a mistake by not obtaining Cliff Lee last week.

Yankees starter Andy Pettitte continued his daytime undefeated streak. The lefthander hurled seven innings and gave up only one run, a lead-off, solo homer by Jhonny Peralta in the second. Pettitte surrendered only three other hits and did not walk batter. He has not issued a walk in his last two starts.The last baserunner against Pettitte got on with one out in the third. Pettitte retired the final 14 batters he faced to earn his 236 career victory. The total ties the career mark of Yankees icon Whitey Ford. Pettitte said of tying Ford, “That’s awesome. That’s really special. He’s been a huge supporter of mine. We have a great relationship.”

The 37 year-old starter was asked if he was near retirement or intended to continue into his 40′s. He responded as he had previously, “I can’t see myself playing a lot longer. I can’t think long term. I don’t have personal goals.” He explained that his on-the-field performances will not be the deciding factor in determining when he will stop playing”It’ll be when I feel I have to be with my family more. I put a lot of stock in what my wife says. She’s there.”

As in the previous three contests of this series, the seventh inning saw an eruption of runs that made the outcome clear. Thirty-five of the 57 runs scored in the four games crossed the plate in the seventh inning. The Bronx Bombers lived up to the nickname during the game, especially in the seventh.

Brett Gardner led off with a single and was thrown out trying to steal second. Jeter and then Curtis Granderson singled. After a wild pitch moved the runners to second and third, Mark Teixeira was walked intentionally. A study of past history by the Cleveland skipper Manny Acta could have prevented history from being repeated. Rodriguez drove the ball into monument Park in deep center field for his 20^th career grand slam. This at bat was the seventh for A-Rod after Teixeira was walked to load the sacks. Unbelievably, Rodriguez is 5 for 5 with three of hits being homers. He also drew a walk and hit a sacrifice fly. He garnered 18 runs batted in the seven plate appearances. Rodriguez drove in two other runs for a season-high of six in the contest.

The second leading hitter in the A.L., Robinson Cano followed with a solo home run. The home run gave Cano a team-high 11 homers and increased his team-high hitting streak to 14. Cano is batting .450 during the 14 games, 27 for 60. He has driven in 17 runs during the streak. Cano’s two hits raised his multi-hit games to 24.

Derek Jeter upped his consecutive game hitting streak to eight games. During that stretch, he has batted .486 (17 for 35). This was also his eighth straight multi-hit game against Cleveland, a Yankee record.

Manager Jerry Manuel has been regulated to saying the same thing in his post game press conferences. “We will get better,” he said the past week as his team was the recipient of four shutouts since the beginning of the month. But on Saturday, Manuel was brief and had no time to offer his usual laugh after a comment that has become customary.

His team scored some runs. Santana was effective again, newcomer Jeff Francoeur contributed, and the contributions of Angel Pagan and catcher Omir Santos made it a win the Mets needed. Pagan went 2-for-3 with a double and had two stolen bases in his second game back since returning from the 15-day disabled list.

“Things really worked out for us early,” said Manuel who saw his Mets bang out 11 hits, though once again going without a home run. The Mets have not hit a long ball since that July 2^nd makeup game last week at Pittsburgh. “Pagan kind of set the table for us,” he said and the two bags swiped by Pagan were the first for the Mets in seven games.

And with that, Manuel got up and smiled.  He did not have much more to say as Santana (10-7) allowed five hits, struck out five and walked one in seven innings. The native of Venezuela and recipient of pitcher of the year by the Latino sports writers and broadcast Association, with his 119^th career victory moved past Freddy Garcia for most wins by a Major League pitcher from Venezuela.

“I am proud of being the pitcher with the most wins,” he said about the accomplishment. “I think the most important thing is we got the win.”  Johnny Cueto (8-6) has his second bad start for the Reds as Pagan and Santos got the Mets started.

Pagan is also adding some good defensive play in center field, and when Carlos Beltran on the disabled list with a bruised knee returns, he and Pagan, with the addition of Francoeur in right can give the Mets a formidable outfield in the second half. Francoeur got a warm greeting from the Citi Field crowd and drove in two of the three Mets runs in the first inning.

And that hit for Francoeur, acquired for Ryan Church the night before, hopefully will set the tome for more games like the Mets had Saturday evening. “To be able to dump that one in the first inning,” felt good said Francoeur who became an immediate favorite with his teammates in the Mets clubhouse.

“They showed me around,” he said. “I’m not going to lie to you. That first at bat with a new team, I was nervous. The fans were great and it doesn’t matter where you play as long as you have a uniform and a number.”

Francouer a career .266 hitter and with a good arm in the outfield may be one of the first moves that Mets GM Omar Minaya made before the July 31 trading deadline. Though reports over the weekend continue to get stronger that Beltran will return soon after the upcoming all-star break, and Carlos Delgado is making a quicker than expected recovery from his hip surgery.

So the Mets could be at full strength again soon, and perhaps with one game remaining Sunday before the break, this first half season of misery will just a memory.