Another victory got away from New York and Florida tied them for third place in the NL East, now taking four straight at Citi Field. The Mets look like the fading team, while the Marlins are making a move in the wild card and their 80- year old manager, Jack McKeon, who took over for Edwin Rodriquez on June 19th has his team at 50-50.

With New York ahead, 3-2 in the ninth and with Jason Isringhausen, who got the loss (2-2) on the mound, John Buck was hit by a pitch that loaded the bases. Pinch hitter Bryan Patterson hit a slow grounder to second base and Turner charged for the ball. Buck would stop in the middle of the base path and Turner tossed the ball to first instead of going for the out at the plate. The ball went past Lucas Duda at first enabling the Marlins to take a 4-3 lead.

“He did an outstanding job of base running,” said Turner about the throw to first and how Buck commanded the base path. “I don’t necessarily think that I made a bad choice, I just made a bad throw,” he said. And to the credit of Turner, a rookie mistake is possible, but in this case it cost the Mets another ballgame and extended their losing streak to four games after winning five straight.

It has epitomized the Mets season. Win a few in a row and then compile a losing streak. Though they have the best road record in the National League, New York still struggles at Citi Field at 22-28. Earlier this season, when New York lost six of seven games in the late innings, also at home, manager Terry Collins said it had to get better. He was not lambasting Turner about the decision Tuesday night about the play to first but offered his opinion.


“When that ball is hit you can’t get two,” he said, also explaining that he talked to his rookie about the play. “You have to go to the plate. I talked to Justin. He knew what he had to do. He just didn’t get it done. We have to make plays because we don’t strike many people out.”

Collins was alluding to his bullpen that gave up the game Monday night. New York has now lost three straight when the winning run was scored in their opponents final at bat, which included the final two games against Washington on the recently completed road trip, and two at home to start the series with Florida.

Chris Capuano pitched six good innings for New York and was the victim of two solo home runs from Omar Infante in the first and fifth innings, both balls going to left field. Infante is not known for the home run ball, now with three on the season. “You have to make the pitches and Infante got me a couple of times,” said Capuano who became the second pitcher in Mets history to start three games against the same opponent in a span of no more than 16 days.

“It’s like they went through that really bad streak and ever since they haven’t let up,” he said about the latest winning ways of the Marlins. Jose Reyes hit his first home run of the season from the right side in the third inning that tied the score at 1-1.

Said Collins about the latest three games, “Three losses in a row, they hurt bad. We now let the Marlins catch us. We let some games slip away when you are fighting for something.”

NOTES: Johan Santana will not make his next rehab start scheduled for Thursday and will see a doctor in New York. The Mets starter, who had off -season left shoulder surgery, is feeling discomfort and it could be a setback to getting him back this season.

“It’s a matter of Johan proceeding at his own pace,” said General Manager Sandy Alderson. Said Collins, “I want this guy on this team, I am disappointed but he knows about pain,” alluding to Santana knowing when it will be the right time to return…

Isringhausen, two saves away from a career milestone 300th, may not be used Wednesday night in game three of the series. The 38-year old veteran, who has become the closer and used more often when Francisco Rodriguez was traded, may be showing some signs of fatigue after a shaky ninth inning that led to the Turner play.
e-mail Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com

“I made a mistake, it was supposed to be fast and down,” said Pelfrey about the home run to right off a 2-0 pitch. It was enough for the Phillies to take two of three from the Mets with an 8-5 win at Citi Field Sunday afternoon. Pelfrey (5-9) went five innings, gave up four runs and the home run to Martinez was the 16^th he gave up this season. When Pelfrey gives up the home run ball, as seems to be a frequent part of his game this season, the right hander has obvious control issues.

“The long ball is what is killing him,” said Mets Manager Terry Collins about his ace starter. Pelfrey has assumed that role more with Johan Santana not slated to return to the rotation anytime soon. Consistency has been an issue for Pelfrey who is 0-2 and with a 9.47 ERA against the Phillies this season. “He’s our guy,” added Collins who saw Pelfrey have two other good outings this month.

Martinez, in for the injured all-star third baseman Placido Polanco, would finish with a career best four RBI game. The Rule-5 pick from the Washington Nationals and native of Santo Domingo DR, said through a translator, “it was worth the wait. I am not a power hitter so I am surprised it left the yard.”

But it was not just Pelfrey that continued to put the Mets further back to the Phillies in the standings, and to the Atlanta Braves in the National League wild card standings. The Mets did make a game of it scoring three runs in the eighth and one run in the ninth, but went 4-for-15 with runners in scoring position. They scored one run off Phils starter and winner Kyle Kendrick (5-4) a,nd three runs off a battered Philadelphia pen, including a run scoring triple by Lucas Duda in the ninth off closer Antonio Bastardo who got his sixth save.

It is obvious, with the Phillies not throwing starters Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay, a combined 20 wins between the two, that to beat them you need to have good pitching. Pelfrey and Collins know that they have a lineup of potent hitters. “I thought the guys fought hard today,” said Collins. “We just didn’t pitch today. That was the difference. You have to hold these guys down to keep them from scoring because they have a good pitching staff.”

In the three game series, New York went 4-for-20 with runners in scoring position. Part of that could be attributed to the absence of Carlos Beltran from the lineup the past two games. Beltran has been sidelined with a severe flu, and Collins said, the weakened Beltran would not be available Monday night when the Mets host the Florida Marlins in a makeup game that was postponed by rain on May 17^th.

Philadelphia opened the game with a three-run eighth inning when Jason Bay in left came in on a Ryan Howard liner and the ball hit off the top of his glove for an error. The Citi Field crowd booed Bay again, as he also went 0-for-4 at the plate.

“I missed it,” commented Bay when asked about the play. “It’s one of those things where I missed it. And with Scott Hairston driving in another run with a pinch hit single in the seventh, hitting .375 with two home runs and 10 RBI over his last 10 games, Bay was asked if he was concerned about losing his spot in the lineup.

To that Bay said, “It’s not my job, not my decision to make. Before the break started I had the momentum going.” Bay was on a streak before the all-star break and the Mets lineup seemed to click with Beltran hitting also, even without the injured Jose Reyes out of the lineup.

“When you saw Jason swing the bat last week, thought he was coming out of it,” said Collins. “When we get Carlos (Beltran) back, that should help.” However Beltran left the ballpark after receiving another IV treatment for loss of fluids because of the flu, and Collins said he was almost sure the outfielder will miss another game.

Leaving 11 men on base did not help. And Collins did have another chance to mix and match out of the bullpen, but did not use Bobby Parnell as the closer with the now traded Francisco Rodriguez now in Milwaukee.  One with Florida Monday night, and then three with the St. Louis Cardinals and he can only hope that Beltran returns to the lineup.

NOTES: Chris Capuano (8-8) gets the start against the Marlins who came to New York Sunday night after a Sunday game in Chicago. After the game Florida will go home and play San Diego for three, and the Mets for three more…Duda with two more hits  upped his average to .328 with nine RBI in his last 19 games…Daniel Murphy with a single in the first extended his hitting streak to seven games…

It was the fourth series loss for the Mets against the Phillies this season…Now the good news. Jose Reyes ran before the game and tested the injured hamstring. He is slated to start Monday afternoon for the Brooklyn Cyclones of the Penn league and if all goes well Reyes could come off the DL and start Tuesday night 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

However, Mike Pelfrey continued to have his first inning struggles and Arizona picked up where they left off last week taking the opening game of a three- game weekend set 9-6. Another loss for the Mets that left them at 52-51, 7-1/2 games behind first pace Atlanta and in a fourth place tie with Florida in the NL East.

It is starting to get dismal at Citi Field.  And the Mets also have to wonder what has happened to Pelfrey who surrendered three runs in the first inning. The Mets would get even in their half of the first on the first of two home runs from David Wright. It was a three- run blast off winning pitcher Ian Kennedy (6-8).

As for Pelfrey (10-5) who failed to get the decision, the Mets have to hope their right hander can return to form if they have any chance of making the postseason. And once again the Diamondbacks had his number, 0-5 in his last seven starts against them. In his last start at Arizona on July 19^th he threw 51 pitches in the first inning and was removed after getting four outs in the shortest outing of his career.

“Everybody else in the rotation has been throwing the ball great and I’ve kind of taken a step back from early in the year,” said Pelfrey. In his last six starts, he’s worked 25.1 innings, allowing 54 hits, 28 runs, 27 earned with 14 walks and 13 strikeouts.

“I definitely plan on getting this thing turned around and back on track so we can plan on winning some games,” he said.  Mets manager Jerry Manuel said adjustments will have to be made. There is the high pitch count, “still confident we have a young pitcher and don’t think it’s demoralizing,” said Manuel about his starter.

Wright drove in five runs and with his second home run in the third off Kennedy, 17^th of the year with two on, gave the Mets a 5-4 lead. After retiring seven straight D-backs with one out in the sixth, Kennedy reached first on an error from shortstop Jose Reyes.

“A routine ground ball, I have to make that play,” said Reyes who extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a single in the first. Pelfrey after throwing 118 pitches had a chance to win. Enter Raul Valdes (2-3) who failed to retire the four batters he faced. The home run to center off the bat of Kelly Johnson gave Arizona a 6-5 lead.

Two more singles and on the 14th pitch thrown by Valdes, Miguel Montero hit a home run off the second deck in right field, a five-run Diamondbacks inning that helped his team snap a seven-game losing streak. “I’m swinging  at better pitches, I think,” said Montero about his fourth home run.

As to why the Diamondbacks have the Mets number, he said, “I honestly don’t know; it’s just baseball I guess.”  Montero has hit two home runs and driven in six in his last two games. Thursday evening he connected against the Phillies and has now hit a home run in consecutive games for the second time this year.

Manuel said it was the right situation for Valdes who warmed up in the pen four times before coming in. “It was a good match up in that situation,” said Manuel about the home run ball thrown to Johnson.

But the Mets still have two more games with the Diamondbacks and have to figure out how to take this series against the second worst team in the National League. If not the road trip next week against Atlanta and the surging Philadelphia Phillies could determine their season.

“Anytime one or two of their hitters gets hot they can give us trouble,” explained Manuel about his team troubles with Arizona.

Notes:  Before the game outfielder Jason Bay was laced on the 15-day disabled list from the minor concussion he sustained crashing into the outfield wall out in Los Angeles last Friday evening. The Mets recalled outfielder Jesus Felicano from Triple- A Buffalo.

e-mail Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com

An accomplishment because last season at the break the team was 42-45, in fourth place trailing first place Philadelphia by 6-1/2 in the standings. The Mets know they are contending, and know extra help is here with Carlos Beltran coming off the disabled list and making his season debut in San Francisco Thursday evening,

Though Beltran, out since surgery on his right knee, does present some type of dilemma for manager Jerry Manuel. Well sort of, four outfielders and three spots. Someone will have to sit among Jason Bay, Angel Pagan and Jeff Francoeur.

The plan, according to Manuel is to bat Beltran fourth, a spot currently held by the rookie Ike Davis who will be dropped to the sixth spot. And you can’t sit Pagan down, the Mets most consistent hitter who got another three hits Sunday as New York took the final game over Atlanta salvaging their three-game series.

So what will be the situation when the Mets reconvene Thursday for an 11-game three- city trip that also takes them to Arizona and Los Angeles, a trip the Mets say is crucial as the second half begins. The Mets proved to be a good team at home, 30-16 but their fortunes away from Citi Field not as good at 18-24.

“We didn’t want to go onto the break the way we played the past few days,” commented Manuel after another pitching gem by his ace Johan Santana, which ended the first half on a positive note. New York looked lethargic at the plate the past two games against the division leading Braves, and their other pitcher with first half success, Mike Pelfrey, on Saturday once again could not get past the fifth inning.

But Beltran passed through the Mets clubhouse prior to the finale Sunday, afternoon and Santana gave the team an added lift, more so optimism for a good second half. Nothing but a spot for October baseball is what the Mets want. And they believe with Beltran healthy, and the usual second half success of Santana will get them there.

Francoeur was told by Manuel that he would most likely be regulated as a bench player. Occasionally he will get the start in right, that is, if Pagan hits a tailspin and all indications are that’s not going to happen. Pagan is healthy and shows continually, he is a key offensive cog at the beginning of the lineup.

“It’s not my decision,: commented Pagan about the lineup decisions Manuel has to make, He finished the first half with a string of four consecutive multi-hit games and batted .484 with three doubles, a triple, and two home runs since July 4^th in a seven game span.

Pagan added he would like to stay in the lineup. Manuel only indicated that Beltran will get the start and Francoeur will probably sit for the moment, but there is every reason to believe that there will be a platoon of Francoeur and Pagan. Jason Bay, who sat down Sunday, on his bobble head give-away day has been an offensive disappointment but his multi-million dollar contract leaves him in the lineup.

It is no problem for Francouer, He will go with the plan, and the return of Beltran will not disrupt a Mets clubhouse that has good chemistry and has looked forward to his bat back in the lineup.  You heard the comments from the players and realize how important it is to win.

“We’re not satisfied to be three or four games out of first place,” said David Wright who entered Sunday tied for the National League lead in runs batted in with 65 and starts at third base for the NL all stars.  “Our goal is to win the division. There is need for improvement.”

Santana has improved and has thrown shutout baseball the last two starts. The fastball is back and it is helping his other pitches. Now the Mets need to get Pelfrey back into form and with R.A. Dickey and Jonathan Niese having good first halves, perhaps GM Omar Minaya will try and get another starter,  to, compliment them before the trading deadline.

There is the possible return of pitchers Oliver Perez and John Maine from the disabled list, one or the other could be going to the pen. It has been the pitching that has put the Mets in this position of contention and they would like it to stay that way.

With or without Francouer in the lineup, they know what lies ahead in the coming weeks and months. Jose Reyes also is a part of the plan and needs to stay healthy as that catalyst in the lineup.

“Obviously it’s a good problem we have, it’s a good thing to see,” said Francoeur about Beltran. A good problem for this clubhouse if indeed, Beltran stays healthy and shows signs of once again being the run producer that the Mets have lacked since April.

Francoeur said he will do his part when he is in the lineup to make sure “this team wins.”  So do the rest of these New York Mets who feel they are on the footsteps of their first postseason since 2006.

Beltran won’t hurt their chances and neither would a platoon of Pagan and Francoeur. Now if Bay can finally find his home run swing the way Santana rediscovered his fastball.

E-mail Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com

And it was fitting that Martinez would put an unofficial end to this dismal season for the Mets and their fans. Martinez has said, before he put his name on a Phillies contract that he wanted to return to New York and help the Mets. Health was an issue as to why Mets GM Omar Minaya bypassed Martinez, but look who is getting the last laugh.

Martinez has fooled all of the skeptics that he was finished after rotator cuff surgery.  His performance Sunday evening, throwing any pitch with good command and throwing 130 pitches resembled the Martinez days when he wore a uniform with the Boston Red Sox.

Maybe it was all business as to why Minaya would not take the chance.  Perhaps it was better for Pedro, now 5-0 in his comeback and heading to the postseason, while his former team goes home in two weeks and begins the rebuilding process. In the end, Pedro is the winner.

Now it no longer matters who was on the disabled list. That Jose Reyes missed all but two months of the season. That Carlos Delgado could return and play the final two weeks of the schedule, no doubt to audition for a job with another team next April.  It does matter that Carlos Beltran sit down and continue to get strong for next April as a bruised knee has not completely heeled.

Citi Field next Friday evening will in all probability see many no-shows when the Mets return for their next to final home stand of the season next Friday hosting the lowly Washington Nationals. That alone should tell the story.

The humiliation is over.  A team and organization with the highest payroll in the National League will not have a third consecutive September collapse.  But we began to get that feeling in June, even though there was still a pennant race with the Phillies, when Beltran went down with his knee issue.

Only the die hard fans will come to desolate Citi Field next week. Hopefully owners Fred and Jeff Wilpon, and Minaya take notice. You can point to the numerous injuries to position players, injuries to a pitching staff that were unfortunate contributors to a lost season.  You can point to Manager Jerry Manuel perhaps not being the man to start the rebuilding process in 2010.

Agree or disagree with the moves Minaya made last off-season that the bullpen was his only emphasis to putting a winning ball club on the field.  Plenty of decisions to be made this off season and still two weeks left to ponder some of the many decisions Minaya has to make, that is if the GM still has a job.

What matters now is two more weeks of misery.  The Mets can play out the schedule and have some fun for a change   It hasn’t been fun watching this fiasco unfold and Mets fans won’t have to cross their fingers and bite their nails the rest of this September, like they had to do with the last two collapses in September.

The Mets won’t collapse this September because that unfolded months ago and at least that is a relief!

e-mail Rich Mancuso:  Ring 786@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

Sidelined since June 22 with a bone bruise on his right knee, Beltran missed 70 games and was one of the many offensive threats in the Mets lineup that went on the disabled list. Prior to his injury, New York trailed first place Philadelphia by two games in the NL East.

His team is playing out the schedule and perhaps shutting down and preparing for spring training was a better option for Beltran. The bruise has not completely healed but it is good enough to do what Beltran does best, that is perched in his spot out in center field and becoming the offensive threat the Mets hoped to have in what has become a dismal season.

There he was, Beltran leading off the second inning. The announced City Field crowd of 37, 474, but much smaller because of the fans who decided to stay home, gave Beltran a nice ovation. He struck out swinging but his mission was accomplished after a long rehab process.

“It felt good being out there with the boys,” he said.  “Today I felt like a kid in the playground, like when I take my daughter to the playground.  She’s having fun and that’s how I felt today. It felt good.”

Beltran looked good running the bases as he lofted a double to left field leading off the sixth inning. Same result though, with or without Beltran in the lineup as the Mets lost the first game of three to the Florida Marlins 4-2.  And Beltran almost became a hero in the seventh inning. His bases loaded fly ball to deep left was caught and the Marlins had their victory.

“I just got under that one,” he said.  It has been missing, that long ball threat in the Mets lineup since Beltran went down along with Carlos Delgado.  There was also a sliding catch in center off a ball hit by the Marlins Jorge Cantu in the eighth inning.  Mets manager Jerry Manuel could be seen smiling after the catch but will be cautious when using Beltran for the remainder of the schedule.

Though Manuel and the Mets lost another one, it was a reprieve to see one of their regular guys back in the fold. “It will probably take him a few games to really find his rhythm at the plate,” commented Manuel. “I think once that starts he will get on track. He looked pretty good.”

Manuel thought that eighth inning drive to left would make it.  “He gave it a pretty good ride,” said the Mets manager. But with the bases loaded this season and two outs the Mets are batting an abysmal .073.  A healthy Beltran next season, along with David Wright and perhaps Delgado, or another potent hitter can make a difference with the bases loaded. For now though, having Beltran in the lineup again can bring some optimism during this dull September stretch at Citi Field.

Hanley Ramirez and Cameron Maybin supplied the runs for Florida hitting two-run homers off Mets starter Tim Redding (2-5) in the third and fourth innings. Florida, with the lowest team payroll in baseball stayed in the playoff hunt, six games behind the first place Phillies in the NL east division and 5/1-2 behind NL wild card leader Colorado.

“Probably the worst day I had command with a fastball,” said Redding who threw 102 pitches in five innings. “When you’re not locating your best pitch the other team knows that,” he said.  Luis Castillo went 3-for-4 and his fifth inning single to second base, which allowed Angel Pagan to score form third, was his 38^th infield hit which tied him for the National League lead with Michael Boum of Houston.

But the attention was on Beltran who could make the final weeks of the season a little more interesting for Manuel and Mets fans. And even more interesting if Delgado returns as expected next week.

Second game of the three game series Wednesday evening at Citi Field and Beltran is expected to be in the cleanup spot again.  “The knee feels good,” said Beltran. And those are good enough words to hear for the Mets and their fans in what has been a season of all bad news.

e-mail Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com

The confidence also attributed to K-Rod, who got the win for starter Mike Pelfrey, now 4-0. And Rodriguez got his fourth consecutive save in as many nights, perfect nine times now coming in a game as he retired Jimmy Rollins and stranded Matt Stairs at second who had walked.

The confidence that has Carlos Beltran, batting .382, leading the National League in hitting and fourth highest in baseball, also hitting his fifth home run of the season in the first inning. A two-run homer that led to a Mets four run first inning that went along with a two-run homer from David Wright.

“We had a little bump early and the confidence has always been there,” said Wright who went 3-for-3 with two runs scored and two runs batted in. Two home runs over the past nine games from Wright, including two doubles and a triple, a .406 average over that span certainly builds confidence.

It was the second time this season Beltran and Wright hit two-run home runs in the first inning. Wright has also found the fences at Citi Field. His third long ball of the season, Pelfrey winning his second game against Philadelphia this month, and of course K-Rod staying perfect certainly helps/

This is something the Mets need to overtake the Phillies in the NL East race.  The past two seasons, those September collapses were attributed to the big bats of Beltran and Wright going cold.  The bullpen failed to have a closer like Rodriguez who is on pace to save 62 more games this season.

But can K-Rod continue to come out of the pen so often in order to keep this confidence building for the Mets?  “I am not going to change my routine,” K-Rod responded when asked if he could come and save a fifth straight Friday evening at Citi Field when the Mets open a three game series with Pittsburgh.

“Mentally after the seventh inning,” he said, “I always make sure I’m doing my routine. You have to be prepared when that phone rings; make sure you’re prepared,” he said also commenting that every game counts at the end.

And indeed every game does count, and these Mets know how important it is to have a guy like K-Rod that can be depended on to get the win. It builds confidence that certainly was lacking for Manager Jerry Manuel last September. Now he has K-Rod and doesn’t have to mix and match out of the pen to preserve a win.

“The more he pitches the better he feels,” said Manuel who also sounds more and more like a confident manager. Because he has a closer that can do it, Pelfrey continues to make adjustments and has improved, and of course the confidence of calling on K-Rod that makes a starting pitcher that much better at the end.

“Don’t think you can get 62 Saves without throwing a lot,” added Pelfrey about his closer. And the Mets offense getting six or more runs for Pelfrey while he was on the mound added more confidence.

Said Beltran, “There’s no better feeling than how you feel at the plate.”  And no better feeling for the Mets right now. They are confident and go for five straight and perhaps five straight saves from K-Rod Friday evening.

e-mail Rich Mancuso: Ring 786@aol.com