And this season high winning streak, the longest since last September 13-16 of last season, was done with good pitching and timely hitting. Plenty of two out hits and getting Jason Bay back in the lineup seemed to propel the offense. Jonathon Niese (1-3) pitched seven solid innings, snapping a six-game losing streak in the series sweep Sunday, and Mets starting pitching in the six games went 6-0 innings or more.

Plus the Mets offense produced three more home runs Sunday, two by David Wright and one from Jason Pridie. It was the first Major League round tripper for Pridie. The 27-year old center fielder was called up from Triple-A Buffalo Friday when Angel Pagan went on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left oblique muscle.

So what has transpired in the past few days? Good pitching and hitting will win ballgames, and all of a sudden Citi Field has become home run friendly for the Mets. It has the team riding with optimism as they head for a six game trip to Washington and Philadelphia on Tuesday. And their most effective starter in the young season, Chris Young comes off the disabled list and will open game one of the series against the Nationals.

“It’s really good,” said Mets manager Terry Collins. When the Mets were 5-13 earlier in the week, and with the worst record in baseball, Collins was frustrated and concerned but said, “I promise you it will get better.” It certainly has improved because David Wright has also come around at the plate. Carlos Beltran went 9-for-23 with a home run and three RBI in six games, Ike Davis reached base four times Sunday and had three home runs, two doubles and six RBI in the six games.

In the streak New York scored 27 runs and outscored the opposition 27-10. “I think the brightest sign has been our starting pitching,” added Collins. “It’s really stepped up here and gotten us to where we need to get to. I think you see a difference in the bullpen where they can just pitch to certain guys. I think it makes everyone more comfortable.”

The pen found itself a bit when Collins used the combination of rookie Pedro Beato, the veteran Jason Isringhausen and closer Frankie Rodriguez to close the door when the Mets had the lead in three of the six games. Sunday, Collins went with D.J. Carrasco who gave up a run in the eighth, Tim Byrdak and Ryota Igarashi. He credited the use of starters Chris Capuano and R.A. Dickey out of the pen in Atlanta on the last road trip as to a reason why starters Capuano and Dickey had success this week.

“We got some really big hits, two-out hits and that makes a difference,” he said. His team scored five two-out runs in the series finale with Arizona, and the day before had six two-out runs. And Wright has been a major catalyst of the resurged offense. His second home run Sunday, fifth of the season, came with two outs and no runners in in the fourth inning that gave the Mets an 8-1 lead.

New York scored two runs off Arizona starter Armando Galarraga (3-1) in the first and four more runs off him in the third. In the past four games, Wright has home runs and he credits the starting pitching for the 4-2 homestand. “We’ll go as far as our starting pitching carries us,” he said.

His home run in the fourth was high and got over the fence on the left field line and right of the pole. “He’s tireless and when you hit the ball hard things are going to happen,” explained Collins regarding how Wright came around in the six games. “Even though I wasn’t getting good results I was getting good at bats,’ said Wright who also had a multi –home run game against the Diamondbacks last season on July 30^th.

Niese retired the first six Arizona hitters in the lineup and had good command with the fastball. He gave up six hits and three runs, of which two were earned. Collins and pitching Coach Dan Warthen said he was rushing his pitches in three previous starts. “Rushing is probably a good word to describe the problems,” said Niese. “I thought I’d take my time today.”

New York also hit two more doubles.one by Beltran and at least one in 21 of their 22 games, fourth in the majors. So of the ball is not going over the fence at Citi Field, there are the extra base hits that led to runs on the homestand. The Beltran double, on his 34^th birthday would lead to one of the four runs in the fourth inning and he started all six games.

Four guys can cause damage in the lineup. Collins said Beltran. Wright, Davis and Bay are capable of doing that every game and also Jose Reyes is the catalyst leading off. It has led to optimism this week. But as Collins said, “There is a long way to go. Washington plays well and the Phillies are the Phillies.”

Yes, Collins looks forward to Tuesday. Now the determination is, can the Mets continue the momentum as they leave their sudden friendly confines of Citi Field?

Notes: After the game GM Sandy Alderson said the team optioned Carrasco to Buffalo to make room for Young to make his start Tuesday….Alderson also said that for the moment Dillon Gee, who got the win Saturday in game two versus Arizona, would not be sent down, though it is not determined if he will be in the rotation with the return of Young….

And Alderson said, catcher Ronnie Paulino will stay on the disabled list as he is still sustaining problems with an oblique muscle pull while rehabbing down in Florida.

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Coming off a win Sunday in Atlanta, that snapped a seven-game losing streak, New York returned home before a slim crowd in the first of four against Houston, and now have dropped 11 of their last 13 games. Last week the talk was frustration from Mets manager Terry Collins. Now there is the talk about being concerned.

“We’ve got to stop it. I’m very concerned about it,” said Collins regarding the latest loss which matched the third worst start in team history at 5-12. “Late in the game we continue to give up big hits.” He was referring to 3-1 Houston lead that got away in the eighth when the Astros scored three.

Until then, the Mets could not get to Houston starter Wandy Rodriguez. His fourth outing of the young season was his best, seven innings, and after an Angel Pagan double in the second inning he held New York hitless until Carlos Beltran in the seventh inning hit a solo home run. The ball hit to left center-field was his third of the season, all coming at Citi Field, and three of his seven career hits against Rodriguez have been home runs.

The concern is about Bobby Parnell and the Mets bullpen. The pen has pitched the most innings among all teams in baseball in three weeks and Parnell has been ineffective after a strong spring. Parnell balked in a run and allowed a two-run single to Angel Sanchez.

The right hander Parnell revealed later that he has been quietly struggling with feeling in the middle finger of his pitching hand. It is a concern, as Parnell has been slated as the eighth inning guy out of the pen. “It’s a concern of mine,” said Collins who would not comment about Parnell undergoing an MRI on Wednesday before the Mets take on the Astros in the second game of four. “I haven’t seen the real good fastball and I want to know why.”

“I’ve been fighting it and felt I could get through it,” said Parnell afterwards about the discomfort. In eight outings, Parnell has given up nine runs with a 6.14 ERA in 7.1 innings.  “I’m having a hard time gripping the baseball and feeling it,” he said. Though Collins would not offer any comments about whether the team would have an MRI done or give the struggling reliever a rest.

Rodriguez (1-2) allowed three hits, on three walks, and struck out a season high seven with an effective curve. David Wright struck out once and went 0-for-4, now hitless in his last 16 at bats and among the top three among strikeout victims in the National League.

“I had excellent location tonight,” said Rodriguez who allowed one run in 7.0 innings in his lone start against the Mets last August. “Everything was good. “I want to stay consistent, throw a lot of quality starts.”  He said about the Beltran home run ball, “It was a changeup, more like a batting practice fastball.”

But the Mets may need more batting practice to generate runs because their starting pitching has been keeping them in games until the late innings and the offense has scored six runs in their last four games. The five walks were also a season high for Niese (0-3) as the Mets dropped to 1-7 at home including losing their last six at Citi Field.

“I didn’t feel right,” he said. “I felt a little off.” His defense helped a bit in the third inning, thanks to Wright who dived and tagged Carlos Lee on a close play at third. But Scott Hairston did not help Pedro Beato out of the pen in the seventh. He was charged with an error when he could not catch a Lee ball that was hit deep to left,   glancing off his glove. The play resulted in a Houston run.

Pagan is also struggling at the plate. The double was his only hit in four at bats, and he stranded three runners. Another of the four Mets hits was a double by Ike Davis, the 16^th in 17 games for the team and fourth in the league.

“He like a lot of these guys is a key part to this club,” commented Collins about Pagan’s struggles at the plate and about many of the Mets hitters possibly being too aggressive with their bats. “We got to get him going,” he said. And that includes Hairston, who went 0-for-2 striking out twice, another player that Collins would like to see revert to the short swing that was seen in the spring.

Said Pagan, “Tonight was a tough night for the whole team. We have to keep battling. It will change, it will change.” There may be some help, at least some optimism as the injured Jason Bay is slated to return Thursday night at Citi Field. Bay went 4-for-4 and with two home runs and four RBI playing for St. Lucie (A) of the Florida State League in a rehab assignment.

“I know with him in the lineup, when healthy, he will do a lot of damage,” added Pagan about Bay who is 5-for 9 in three games down in Florida.  But the Mets need more than Bay at this point.

Because Collins is no longer frustrated and now expressing concern as they give the ball to knuckleballer (1-2) R.A. Dickey Wednesday evening in game three of the series against Houston.

e-mail Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com

So when the players cleaned out their lockers and said goodbye Sunday afternoon, many not knowing their status for next season, we are led to believe by Wilpon that changes were already in the works the past few months.  Now the process of trades or free agency awaits all Mets fans in what could be a slow process to rebuild.

Upgrading at the plate, a power hitter at first base, a  good number two starter behind Johan Santana. Just the many tasks ahead for Minaya who knows, as well as Manuel, that one more year will be had at Citi Field if the mess of 2009 becomes a continuance in 2010.

Already gone from the clubhouse Sunday after the last pitch was Gary Sheffield. No presence of Carlos Delgado who packed his bags weeks ago and was home in Puerto Rico. Jose Reyes was preparing for surgery to that bad hamstring that put him on the disabled list on May 26^th.  And you heard from Minaya, and from Wilpon on Monday that if the right move had to be made a Reyes, even Carlos Beltran could be traded.

Mets fans want to hear that the injuries were not the sole reason for the dismal events of a season that saw a finish of 70-92. Even a season ending sweep of the Houston Astros will not leave any form of optimism for the fans who continued to come to Citi Field, over 3 million, and for every reason the novelty of a new ballpark is over so Minaya has to produce.

The ownership made that known, realizing his fans have to see a better product on the field.  So when Nelson Figueroa pitched that complete game four-hit shutout Sunday to close the season, the second for a Mets pitcher this season, there was a mood in that clubhouse that 2010 can be better.

If only their star players had stayed healthy. “Tough year for us,” said Carlos Beltran as he exchanged phone numbers with catcher Omir Santos, “We didn’t expect this coming out of spring training,” he said referring to the influx of injuries that also put him on the disabled list on June 22^nd with a bruised right knee.

Beltran would return in September, It had no impact because the season was lost which sparred, Mets fans from seeing a third straight September collapse. Figueroa who may or may have not pitched his way on the pitching staff next season said, “A lot of us were playing for jobs next year. I feel like I’ve earned a spot to be a major leaguer somewhere next year.”

But that may not be the direction that Minaya will take, even if the 33-year old Figueroa pitched the game of his career and wanted to make a statement. Wilpon says spending money again will not be an issue, and his Mets may once again have the highest payroll in the National League.

The free agent pool will not be the best. So trades may become a vehicle for Minaya. And don’t be surprised if one of the so-called “Core Players” that being Beltran or Reyes changes uniform if the proper deal is put on the table. The uncertainty of where they will be when spring training commences in February was definitely evident after that last pitch was thrown on Sunday.

Guys like Wilson Valdez knew it was last day in New York. And so goes for Anderson Hernandez, two of the infielders who tried to fill the void for Reyes in the infield. “It was good coming back here and I hope so,” said Anderson when asked about plans for next season.

Reyes is the catalyst as Minaya and Manuel know   With a healthy Reyes, the Mets can build around the core with Beltran, David Wright and their new addition in Jeff Francoeur. Angel Pagan showed some consistency at the plate but surly is a better option coming off the bench.

“I think I proved that I can play here and can come back and help this team, commented Pagan who finished fourth in the National League with 13 triples, and proving that Citi Field is a perfect place for hitting the triple. He was one of those Mets that persevered after a stint on the disabled list. “Turning the page and forgetting about it,” added Pagan about the season.

The Mets would finish a fraction of a point second to the Dodgers as the top hitting team in the National League. Their pitching staff issued the second most walks in baseball.  Blame the injuries, or the failure to run the bases properly, even the failure to drive in runs.

It was an entire season collapse instead of another disappointing end in September. And as they left their clubhouse the final time Sunday there was that attitude of failure, knowing that changes would be made. The coaching staff moves made Monday was not what Mets fans wanted to hear.

A long process it will be and Mets fans will have to be patient. They don’t want to hear that Mets players spent more than 1,480 days on the disabled list, eight former all-stars. They don’t want to hear Manuel say as he did Sunday, “For the most part it was a failure,”

Now it up to the manager and more importantly the general manager, to make sure the next season is not a failure. If not Minaya and Manuel are gone and probably a lot of fans will follow them out the door.

e-mail Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com