What must be done to turn the tide in Flushing? After two consecutive losing seasons and questions about who will be where in the lineup, Collins certainly has a huge task. Expectations for the Mets to contend in 2011 are very slim with limited payroll flexibility, and probably no significant additions to the roster.

The new manager immediately said he wants to win. He emphasized speed on the bases and mentioned how important it was for Carlos Beltran and Jason Bay to stay healthy.  Previous manager Jerry Manuel knew how important that was, but for Collins to see success it will require more than Beltran and Bay playing at full strength.

“I want to win, and there is no doubt in my mind we have the talent to win,” said the 61-year old Collins, an intense and competitive individual who expects nothing more than winning. He reminds you of a general leading his troops to war. A veteran baseball man with expertise coming back to the dugout after an 11-year hiatus should not be an issue.

Collins knows the game, so adjusting to a new situation, in the big city will be the question. Can he handle a losing situation?  Time will tell because Collins will always have a skeptical past to his resume after dismissing himself from his managerial duties with the California Angels with 29 games remaining in 1999.

But that had no bearing on the decision to bring him on board. He beat out Mets homegrown favorite Wally Backman, third base coach Chip Hale, and minor league instructor Bob Melvin who had the previous managerial background to lead.

“We believe Terry’s knowledge of our players, intensity and direct approach will make an immediate, positive impact both in the clubhouse and on the field,” said new General Manager Sandy Alderson.

There is also intensity that comes with Collins. An emotional man in the dugout when he piloted the Houston Astros before the Angels, and perhaps what his predecessor Jerry Manuel could not do, Collins will be able to. That is bringing the intensity and fire to the Mets clubhouse.

Though we can’t put the entire blame on Manuel’s personality and Collins will inherit most of the mess that Manuel had to work with. Luis Castillo with the big contract, probably no way Oliver Perez gets traded, and if the Mets can’t eat the remaining $36 million of his contract, Collins may have to put him back on the mound. And he has to deal with a controversial closer Francisco Rodriguez who is coming off thumb surgery and a legal issue of assault.

An immediate impact will be on the youngsters that Collins knows well. He served as the Mets minor league field coordinator this past season and is familiar with Ruben Tejada, Ike Davis and Josh Thole.  No doubt Alderson and the new Mets regime, all familiar with Alderson, took that into consideration when they hired their new manager.

What Mets fans will see is a more intense and feisty individual, something Manuel lacked. There will be no laugh in the pre and post game meetings with members of the media that symbolized Manuel during his tenure as manager. Collins is straight to the point and on a mission to try and turn things around at Citi Field.

“I really hope that when we get together as a team in spring training that the lines of communication open up,” stated Collins. “They have to be open on a daily basis and the players have to realize my passion for the game and my passion for excellence.”

Time will tell how the Terry Collins managerial reign will unfold. “We want to be the last team standing net October,” said Collins who definitely has proved to have a passion for the game.

A bold statement for sure, and an experienced leader who immediately took charge as a new era has officially started at Citi Field.

e-mail Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com

Even if the games meant nothing towards post season implications, they had to be played. The Mets are finishing up another dismal campaign, third in the NL east, and the Brewers sitting fourth in the NL central also playing out the string and ready to pack their bags for the winter

Because net receipts from the gate and concessions are so important to the teams, the schedule must be played out. Even if there is a rain out the makeup game gets on the schedule if agreed by the teams this late in the season. With concession stands closed in the upper decks at Citi Field, and the noticeable empty seats it was time to play ball.

When the first pitch was thrown, and for a good part of the first game, fans in the stands and media in the press box could hear sounds of the game. A crack of the bat, fastball in the catcher’s mitt, and even players on the field heard saying “got it” or “go to first.”

“Rather play one game because as a player you are used to preparing for one,” said the Mets Chris Carter.  He would single and drive in two runs in the Mets two-run third inning of the first game. Those in the slim crowd could be heard, as the Mets started to cut the deficit after Niese surrendered six runs in the Milwaukee top of the inning.

That was one perspective of a long afternoon that went into the late evening in Flushing Queens.  The Mets would lose the first game of the double dip, 8-7. Niese (9-10) would throw 2.2 innings, on 10 hits and six runs, The Mets would battle back scoring five more runs in the fourth.

So what about those loyal fans who have once again witnessed another losing season at Citi Field? Carter, a first year Met loves their loyalty. “I love New York fans,” he said. “They’re tough, they know what to expect. I really appreciate the fans. As a player you block out the fact that there is nobody in the stands,” he said.

David Wright would hit a two-run homer in that fourth, his 28^th and third game in a row with a homer, done four other times in his career and now the fifth time he has 100 or more ruins batted in, But he failed to connect in the nightcap when the Mets could not score runs, could only get 5 hits in a 3-1 second game loss.

It was not the 13 hits they had in the first game. Starter R.A. Dickey concluded a successful first season in New York. A surprise who was signed after spring training, Dickey (11-8) was talking about coming back next season. The 35-year old right hander has earned a role to start with a knuckleball that has revived his career.

“Feel I have a lot to offer and age is no consequence,” commented Dickey who gave up six hits in seven innings. “Priority number one was the ability and consistency to throw strikes.” The fans saw what Dickey offered and many times showed their appreciation.

It was a storybook season for a pitcher who got a role when Oliver Perez and John Maine left the rotation, “I feel this is what I can offer over the next five or six years of my career,” said Dickey who certainly can hang around more with a knuckleball that has consistency.

“What impressed me the most was his consistency,” said Mets manager Jerry Manuel who may not be making a decision about Dickey’s role with every expectation that Sunday will be his last game at the helm. “Every time he took the ball, he gave us a chance to win.”

When the first game was over, about 7:40pm, Manuel had used eight pitchers which tied a franchise record for a nine inning game.  The supposed 28,284 in attendance, more about tickets sold, than who showed, made as much noise as they could as the Mets staged another comeback in the eighth inning that once again failed short.

And when the second game began, a half hour later at 8:16PM, many of those empty seats were still visible and another Mets player Carlos Beltran was shut down for the final four games.  Beltran would say the mild inflammation in his surgically repaired right knee would require what the doctor ordered,

“I’m happy, actually the knee’s better, I’m happy for that part” said Beltran who was having a strong September which provided optimism for next season, that is, if the Mets don’t decide to trade him in what would be the final year of a $119 million dollar contract.

“The part that I’m not happy about is just that I wanted to finish the season playing but by the recommendation by the doctor they don’t want me to play.”

Ninth inning of game two and the Mets have one last chance to make this worthwhile in another meaningless game.  The “Cowbell Man” Ed Bison was doing his usual thing in a now almost desolate Citi Field, urging fans for one last push. You would think those doing the chanting were in a late season pennant race with their team.

They did cheer for Pedro Feliciano who pitched in both ends of the doubleheader. The lefthander has 91 appearances this season which extended his franchise record that he established the night before.  And they gave Angel Pagan his usual applause when he swiped his 37^th base of the season in the first inning of game two, becoming the first Mets outfielder with that many since Rickey Henderson and Roger Cedeno in 1999.

Trevor Hoffman the career saves leader got number 601 for the Brewers and Mets fans went home seeing a double dip loss.  New York, (77-81) needs to win their last four games to avoid their second consecutive losing season. Count four, when including the collapses of 2007, 2008, and of course the injury plagued Mets of 2009.

A long day at the ballpark and there are those loyal Mets fans who are willing to be patient about winning again. And the good thing about it, they have a team that knows they are around to give them support even when ballgames mean nothing in late September.

e-mail Rich Mancuso:  Ring786@aol.com

And once again home field advantage was the remedy. The Mets used the long ball, the timely hit, and got a good pitching effort from Jonathan Niese as they took the first of a three-game series over the central division leading St. Louis Cardinals 8-2.

They won also without their manager Jerry Manuel. Prior to the game Manuel was suspended for one game, fined an undisclosed amount arguing a final out in the top of the second inning in a Mets loss out in Los Angeles last Friday evening.

“We needed to do the things tonight to spring back the confidence from that road trip,” said Manuel who handed the managerial duties to bench coach Dave Jauss. “Home field advantage takes the guys to another level,” he said.

Jason Bay who batted .215 on the road trip, striking out 15 times also sat down and it was not because of his continued struggles at the plate. He sustained a minor concussion running into the wall at Dodger Stadium Friday night. That enabled Jeff Francoeur to get a start in right field.

Francoeur has been the odd man out in the four man outfield. And his placement in the lineup paid dividends as he smacked a three-run homer to left center off Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright in the fourth that gave the Mets a 4-1 lead they would never relinquish.

“I want to be here,” commented Francoeur. A subject of trade rumors, he may now have his job back if he continues to slug the ball like he did against Wainwright. “It’s a crazy place to play, a fun place to play,” he said.

For the first time this season the Citi Field crowd saw Carlos Beltran in the lineup. Beltran sliced a double off Wainwright his first time up in the second and would also walk and score a run in the fourth. “He’s the type of player that can take us if he gets hot,” commented Manuel about the way Beltran looked more confident at the plate.

“Our time will come as a team, my time will come,” said Beltran who also hustled and impressed Manuel running from first to third in the fourth. “Those are the types of things we have to do continually,” added Manuel elaborating further that the Mets success at home as opposed to the road, is knowing, how to play their field.

Jose Reyes also hit a two-run homer in the sixth, his 7^th, that gave the Mets their final two runs of the evening.  Runs the Mets are not used to scoring, the team’s biggest offensive game since defeating the Nationals 9-5 on July 4^th.  Prior to the game the Mets were held to four or fewer runs in 15 of their last 16 games, distancing themselves further from first place Atlanta in the NL east.

Niese, 7-4, went 6.0 innings giving up one run in the first and retired slugger Albert Pujols three times. Pujlos went 0-5 amid reports that he is suffering from a right muscle pull.  The Mets, shutout four times on the road trip also ended a 17 inning scoreless streak in the second inning with the run off Wainwright (14-6) who got the loss.

The run also snapped his scoreless streak at 26.0 innings which tied for the fifth longest in the majors. “We got the runs off a\ good pitcher and that’s a good start,” said Beltran.

A good start at home again for the Mets, a win they needed to perhaps getting them back in the divisional and wild card race.

e-mail Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com

When Molina stood his ground, Minaya went to his other option. The free agent Rod Barajas was still available, an 11-year Major League veteran who played with four previous teams. Barajas with a career .238, average and with a little less than 100 career home runs coming into the season, so far has paid dividends with his million dollar 1-year contract.

So with the San Francisco Giants in New York at Citi Field Friday evening there was Molina behind the plate for the Giants and the other option catcher, Barajas, for the Mets.  And it was Barajas once again using the long ball, this time a walk-off ninth inning home run that gave the Mets a 6-4 win over the Giants.

“I took one swing and took advantage of it,” said Barajas about the winning home run, a slider that went down the left field line off Giants pitcher Sergio Romo, the second walk-off of his career and ninth of the season. Barajas combined with rookie Ike Davis in the second inning for his first home run of the evening, the first back-to back home run jobs for the Mets at Citi Field.

But the story of this early Mets season is how Barajas has adapted well to hitting the home run, especially at Citi Field. In the initial year at their new ballpark last year, the Mets hit the fewest home runs in baseball and could not find the fences in their new digs.

“The elements have been in my favor and I just happened to have them in my favor and hit the ball down the line,” said Barajas about the game winning home run and the weather conditions being perfect for him at home  But Barajas was also playing with an aching left index finger which made the ending more interesting.

He smiled and said the finger did not go numb. “My whole body went numb when it went over the fence,” he said.  The Mexican born descent Barajas has scored 10 runs, with seven home runs and has driven in 10 in his last 11 games. Eight of his last 11 hits have gone for extra bases.

“He’s quite an acquisition and he mentioned how he liked the clutch,” said Mets Manager Jerry Manuel about his catcher who has turned out to be that better acquisition that Minaya grabbed in late February. Barajas has become a leader in the clubhouse that drew comments from Davis.

Davis and Barajas went back-to back with home runs, the first time a Mets tandem has done that since May 2, 2009 at Philadelphia. Starting pitcher Mike Pelfrey got the run support and was closing in on his fifth win of the season. But Francisco Rodriquez, who got the win, allowed Giants’ John Bowker to hit his first career pinch hit home run in the ninth that tied the score.

After that it was time for Barajas to once again say hello to Citi Field, in particular the left field line. Ike Davis was on first with a leadoff walk, also feeling some pain after making another 360 degree catch in the Mets dugout on a foul ball with Giants runners on the corners in the top of the inning.

“I just knew the guy knew how to swing it and had a lot of power,” said Pelfrey about his catcher Barajas. Molina on the Mets telecast was heard to say that the Mets went the “cheap” route when they would not give in to his contract demands back in January.

They certainly know now that Barajas was worth the value over Molina, and making Minaya look good here for making the right choice.

e-mail Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com

Same old story, even with the return of Jose Reyes on Saturday, The failure to drive runs in from scoring position, slow starts from newcomers Jason Bay and Mike Jacobs, and it was very reminiscent to what Mets fans witnessed too many times in 2009.

With the exception of a multi home game from newcomer Rod Barajas and Jeff Francoeur in the opening game series win against the Nationals, there was nothing to cheer about. Though Johan Santana, who won the season opener last Monday, John Maine, Jonathan Niese, Mike Pelfrey and Oliver Perez gave the Mets some quality starting pitching in the first five games,

Then Santana could not get his fastball over the plate Sunday and the Nationals scored four runs off the Mets ace in the first inning.  There was no comeback from these Mets, like the one against Florida Wednesday evening, courtesy of an ineffective Florida bullpen that made New York score runs without the benefit of a hit.

Said Santana Sunday, before the Mets departed for a six-game road trip to Colorado and St. Louis, “Today was one of those days. Every game is important for us,” Well not every game at this juncture of the season is important, but if Santana is not effective, and if the offense does not get it together, 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position Sunday, then this will definitely be another long season at Citi Field.

The first road trip is significant.  Why?  Surely the Mets do not want to come home next Monday hosting the Chicago Cubs after losing two- of three to the Rockies and Cardinals, even in danger of coming home without a win.  Citi Field crowds were not at capacity except for the Opening Day game and how many more of the Mets faithful will stay home for an upcoming 10-game home stand that also includes the Braves and Dodgers?

Envision this very bad 2-4 team that hit the road coming home next week with a 4-8 record after 12 games.  Or the probability of returning to Citi Field with a 2-10 mark in the unlikely event of a six-game sweep to the Rockies and Cardinals

Instead of leaving their first home stand on a winning note and getting two wins from Santana, perhaps was too much to expect. The bats were cold again until Mike Jacobs hit his first home run in the eighth inning.  Until then he was 1-for-14 and hearing boos from the Citi Field fans.

You sense frustration from the manager. “I would hope that we would  become, better than what we have shown so far,” said Jerry Manuel Sunday afternoon. “Today we were unprepared and I have to take responsibility for that.”

On the lack of production and failure to drive runs in, he said, “We are not pressing. That don’t, seem to be the case at this point.”  The one who may be under pressure is Manuel because his team had to get off to a quick start. He, along with General Manger Omar Minaya, as rumor has it, will have little time left on the job if the early losing continues.

Mets fans do not want to see the misery continue. That was a recurrent attitude when the last pitch was thrown at Citi Field back in October. And during the off-season there was also a prevailing opinion that Minaya and ownership failed to make appropriate improvements.

Jason Bay was the major acquisition and a lack of production from his bat has been seen the first six games. And do not blame the Citi Field outfield dimensions as a reason. It seems the Marlins and Nationals, as was the case with opposing teams last season, had no problems socking the ball over the wall.

Reyes has returned to the lineup, a catalyst to some run production. He was not very effective but to his credit it is spring training for him. When Carlos Beltran returns, maybe by mid May, the lineup has a different dimension. But Bay, as well as David Wright will also have to also be effective in the batting order.

As for first base, as the Mets wait for the return of Daniel Murphy, the platoon of Jacobs and Fernando Tatis has been a disaster.  And it may be too early for fans to see a debut of rookie Ike Davis

“Looking at this team we lost our first two series,” commented Jacobs. “We definitely have the capability of doing better than that.”  For the moment the Mets don’t have the capability, and if the manager says he is to blame you think the Wilpon ownership was listening this early in the season?

We will know more about the makeup of this New York Mets team the next six days, even though we are still in the month of April.

e-mail Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com

“Despite where we are in the standings the quest for a championship continues,” said Manuel, obviously referring to next year and the future and as to why he had a brief meeting with his slumping team with three weeks of games remaining.

The Marlins would sweep the three-game series embarrassing the Mets 13-4 in the finale and in the final few innings Citi Field was almost desolate.  Once again many no-shows in the announced crowd of 37,620 and those who remained saw sloppy baseball. So perhaps Manuel called the meeting because he has lost control of his team?

“The effort for the most part has been there,” said Manuel. “It’s some of those little things. I don’t think as a group, individually yes.”  But the Mets as a whole have resembled a team that could care less about their future, especially the past few games against the Marlins.

New York fell 16 games under .500 at (62-78) for the first time since finishing 71-91 in 2004.  Florida the past two years came to town and was responsible for the two Mets collapses in September. This year their visit in September was making sure they stayed in the NL East pennant race.

So the Mets proved to not be the spoilers. Instead they pitched well, hit home runs and saw the Mets lack of focus on the field get them more runs. Starter Bobby Parnell walked two straight batters with the bases loaded and Anderson Hernandez made an error that put Florida on the board early.

And later on in the game Angel Pagan blundered again when he forgot how outs there were when he was on base and was doubled up/  Pagan has been hitting well, three more hits and a 10-game hitting streak but there have been constant mistakes on the bases and some costly errors in the outfield.

The Mets as a team are planning ahead to the future, and Pagan is one of those individuals that Manuel has cause for concern. He could be a quality fourth outfielder next season but the mental mistakes, or lack of focus could put him out of their plans as the team tries to rebuild.

“There are a lot of positive things he does unfortunately it’s unacceptable,” said Manuel about Pagan’s obvious lack of focus on the bases. Last week on the Mets last road trip, Pagan made similar mistakes on the bases that proved to be costly. Manuel has not pointed the blame individually at Pagan and the Mets outfielder realizes it has to get better before it gets worse.

Said Pagan about his blunders of late “Right now I am having a tough time on the bases. “That can happen to anybody. I have to keep my head up. I am willing to keep working at it and getting it right. I am having a rough time and will be the first to admit it.  All I can do is come back the next day and get it right.”

But the Mets can’t afford to continue losing focus, even if Manuel calls another team meeting in the final weeks.  They want to finish with some respectability because in all probability, if they don’t, next season the novelty of a new ballpark will be over and Citi Field could resemble a ghost town.

Perhaps that is why Manuel had to have a meeting with his troops.  A good move to do one had this awful play been coming early in the season, but for the Mets all of this losing has been a constant thing since the month of May. Regardless, Parnell (3-8) once again pitched inconsistent baseball and that is also a concern.

“To come out of the first inning and not throw strikes is aggravating,” said Parnell who walked a career high five.  And very aggravating for the Mets once again having to play come from behind baseball that was a part of the Marlins series

Now it is on to Philadelphia and Atlanta for the Mets, games that were supposed to mean something in the standings, Instead Manuel has to try and keep his team focused on finishing with some respectability.

e-mail Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com

Apparently none of the turmoil, surrounding the dismissal of Tony Bernazzard, the Director of Player Personnel and Minaya accusing a beat reporter, Adam Rubin of lobbying for Berazzard’s job, has affected the team.  Wilpon addressed the issue before the game with media on the field and then the Mets did their job.

They won another ballgame, and for now, winning for the Mets has become the remedy to put some rest to all of the controversy and soap opera drama that has been a major part of this Mets baseball season.

“We’re just playing better baseball,” said starting pitcher Mike Pelfrey about the Mets current winning streak, their longest since May 25-29.  Pelfrey (8-6) won his third straight start against the Rockies, going 6.1 scoreless innings, allowing seven hits and three walks, striking out five. He also got out of two bases loaded jams twice retiring Clint Barms in the fourth and sixth innings.

Mets manager Jerry Manuel commented that the players don’t pay attention to what has been going off the field   His focus has been to hopefully see things turn around, with the team that he has. The injured players, in particular Jose Reyes and Carlos Delgado continue their rehab programs with hopes they will be back in the lineup soon. At the same time, Manuel hoped for some better baseball and the Mets have responded.

“As his season goes along he eventually gets stronger,” said Manuel about Pelfrey. The meets pitching staff during this streak has a 2.25 ERA.  And before winning games resumed an important part of the lineup, Luis Castillo, continued to stay hot. He went 1-3 and drove in one of the Mets runs, and over the last 18 games has a .543 on base percentage which is the best in baseball.

“The thing about Louie is we have found a way to work around his game,” said Manuel about his second baseman.”He has a lot of energy and confidence.” And that comment stems from how Manuel saw Castillo prepare during spring training, and how Castillo has managed to adjust whether he is placed second or eighth in the batting order.

The Rockies have now lost 20 of their last 22 games against the Mets that go back to Shea Stadium and now Citi Field. And suddenly the Mets with their second straight win over Colorado, are creeping slowly back into the NL wild card race. They picked up two games on the Rockies and trail them by 5/1-2 games in the standings.

And for a change things have been going the Mets way. The hitting has been timely, the pitching respectable, and on the field plays are going their way. An eighth inning play that went to the Mets advantage would not have gone in their favor the past month. Castillo was clearly out at the plate trying to score from second on a hit by Daniel Murphy.

In the four game streak the Mets have not committed an error, another indication as to how, at least for the moment, the tide has turned. Every run scored Tuesday came when the leadoff man got on base.  Daniel Murphy doubled and came around in the second inning. Alex Cora singled in the second and scored, Murphy would walk and score again in the fourth and Castillo walked and scored the Mets final run in the eighth.

Pedro Feliciano got five straight outs in relief, and Sean Green finished it up.  David Wright extended his hitting streak to seven games and Daniel Murphy now has hit in five straight. And the Mets infield handled three double plays, something they could not do right against the lowly Washington Nationals last week.

So everything is going right for the Mets right now, despite the fact one of their big scoreboards in right field out of commission the entire night.  “It feels good to win and that starts with our starting pitching,” said Wright who had two hits.

“Omar made a mistake and he admitted it,” said Wilpon speaking about his embattled GM. “We have to get the guys back on track,” he said about his team.”  It is apparent the Mets are on the right track, at least for the moment. In this season that has provided a little bit of everything but winning, maybe we have seen the last of the unexpected.

Game three of the four games series continues Wednesday evening, 7:10pm at Citi Field  Right hander Jason Hammel (5-5) gets the start for Colorado and Johan Santana (11-8) will get the ball for New York.

e-mail Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com

Years later it hasn’t changed much, even though Rivera may be a little older and has had some recent struggles. So it figured that Rivera would be the story Sunday evening at Citi Field. The Yankees swept the three game series from the Mets 4-2 in the finale of the annual six game series and took five of the six games.

Rivera came in the game for a four out save, significant also because it was a milestone, number 500, which is now second to Brewers and former San Diego closer Trevor Hoffman. And, Rivera contributed at the plate, sort of, in the eighth inning with the bat.

He drew a bases loaded walk off Francisco Rodriquez in the ninth, the Mets closer who established a season record 62 saves last season with the Angeles. The at bat by Rivera forced in a needed insurance run for the Yankees and was Rivera’s first run batted in as a hitter in his third career at bat.

Rivera was more excited about the RBI and how he hung in there against Rodriguez. “I had one thing in mind, just try to do something.” he said about his at bat. He also recorded his 18th save of the season, received congratulations from first baseman Mark Teixeira who handed him the ball that will probably be sent to the Baseball Hall of Fame up in Cooperstown New York.  And it was Teixeira who got the Yankees started again at the plate with a two- run double in the first inning.

The entire Yankees team would meet and greet Rivera as he left the field and he also heard the cheers from the many Yankee fans remaining at Citi Field by the Yankees dugout.

“Don’t get me wrong it is definitely special,” added the 39-year old relief specialist about the record. Rivera started his career with the Yankees as a set up man out of the pen for John Wetteland and the rest is history as he also holds the record for most post season saves with 34.

“I wasn’t applauding him for that,” said Mets manager Jerry Manuel about Rivera easily stopping his Mets in the ninth inning to close the game. Instead Manuel was clapping because of the accomplishment that Rivera achieved at the Mets new home ballpark. “You have to applaud that,” he said about the record.

It was the Yankees fifth consecutive win in a season that has had its ups and downs. And for the Mets, the puzzle continues as their fans hope and possibly await some roster moves that can possibly produce some offense for a team that is next to last in baseball in the home run category. It was the first three-game series sweep from an opponent in the brief history of Citi Field.

.In all three games this weekend, the Yankees scored first. The anemic hitting of the Mets continued with a make ship lineup that Manuel has to assemble because of the various injuries to players that have dominated the first half of this Mets season. The Yankees out hit the Mets in the three games 26-4 and the Mets were outscored 17-3.

It has Manuel perplexed and trying to find the answers. The Mets are in desperate need of a power hitter because the injured Carlos Delgado is not expected back any time soon. And one of their leading home run hitters last season, David Wright in particular, has four as the month of June comes to a conclusion and instead is hitting for average.

“We have to find a way,” was all Manuel could say about how his team continued to be shut down at the plate in the three games from Yankees starting pitchers CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Chien-Ming Wang (1-6) who started the final game Sunday evening won his first game since June 15 of last season

“We have to play somewhat error free and fundamentally sound,” added Manuel. “We get the big hit, we get the big play but we have to compromise to put ourselves in that position,” he said.

Manuel was referring to the better infield play Sunday of his team, though Daniel Murphy continues to make blunders at first base dropping a ball and throwing a ball to third base that moved Nick Swisher to third base in the first inning. Overall Manuel got another effective outing from starter Livan Hernandez, (5-3) who settled in after the first inning. Hernandez was removed after seven innings after allowing three hits and five walks and got the loss.

The Yankees moved to a season best 11 games over .500 at 43-32, and for the first time since last July, the Mets are once again a .500 team. But the evening belonged to Rivera as city baseball bragging rights once again belong to the Yankees.

e-mail Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com