In his second career start against the Nationals at Citi Field Thursday afternoon, Gee once again flirted with a no-hitter. He held Washington hitless for 5.2 innings, the second time in 10 career starts Gee has gone into the sixth inning with a no-hitter against Washington.

And the only run he needed was a Justin Turner RBI single in the fourth inning, one that stood up as the Mets swept a brief two-game series, 1-0 and now head to the Bronx for three games against the cross-town New York Yankees and the start of interleague play.

Francisco Rodriquez converted his 14^th straight save in 15  tries and extended his scoreless innings streak to 18.0 innings, despite giving up a one-out double to Laynce Nix in the ninth inning. Gee (3-0) gave up two hits in 7 2/3 innings in striking out three and giving up three walks.

“The whole mindset of this game was to come in and attack hitters,’ said Gee about his performance. The Mets shut out the Nationals for the second straight game coming off a 3-0 win in the opening game Tuesday night. It was New York’s first consecutive shutouts since August 12 and 13 of last season against Colorado and Philadelphia.

Gee also got some help on the field that helped preserve the shutout. Turner, playing third for the injured David Wright leaned over the railing to grab a foul pop, Jason Bay made a sliding catch in left and Joe Reyes charged a ball for an out that could have led to a hit.

“I could have finished it if I had to,” said Gee. “I saw it like in the fourth or fifth,” he said about giving up no hits until that point. It is one of the hardest things to do in baseball but it wasn’t on my mind,” he said.

New York won for the ninth time in their last 13 games and since starting the season 5-13, they are 16-9 and the pitching staff has compiled a 2.96 ERA. Gee appears to have solidified a spot in the rotation and manager Terry Collins said, “He pitched his brains out and I was not going to let him lose this game.

The emphasis of course now for the Mets is the first of six games against the Yankees. Three in the Bronx at Yankee Stadium starting Friday evening and three more at Citi Field in early July. Though the novelty of this series has run its course, those in the Mets clubhouse, who have in the past played in the series still believe it has intensity.

More so for the fans, and maybe not the players, as the Mets feel confident they are going into Yankee Stadium with momentum and a winning formula. While the Yankees have been struggling, amid some controversy, they are still the New York baseball team that is always favored to overtake the Mets in the interleague series.

“I’m looking forward to it,” said the Mets Jason Bay about the Yankees series. Bay had a season high three-hits in the win Thursday which for now ended talk about Collins dropping him from cleanup to a lower spot in the lineup. “It’s fun to be in that atmosphere,” he said.

Collins will be managing a game against the Yankees for the first time since 1999 when he was with the Anaheim Angels. “This is a good way to come in,” he said about going to the Bronx. “Back-to back shutouts. It’s going to be fun tomorrow.”

Fernando Martinez is expected to come off the bench and slotted in the designated hitter spot in the Bronx. R.A. Dickey (1-5) opens the series Friday night, Chris Capuano (3-4) gets the ball in the Saturday night Fox Network game, and Mike Pelfrey (3-3) closes the series Sunday afternoon.

“It’s just another series for us,” said Mets catcher Josh Thole. But to Pelfrey, it is another series of importance, more so for the fans. “It’s either the Yankees or the Mets and it’s fun” stated Pelfrey.

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Frustration though won’t come from Collins, at least this early. But his bullpen may change the mood fast after they spoiled a terrific second outing for starting pitcher Chris Young.  After Young was removed after seven innings, giving up one run, the pen and a defensive miscue opened the door for Washington to take the rubber game.

“He got us to where we wanted to go,” said Collins about his starter who retired 15 of 21 on fly balls. “He got us to the eighth inning and we couldn’t hold it for him. It’s a shame, but he pitched great.”  But the pen did not, and that may be leading to early season frustration for the news Mets manager.

An outfield error for the second straight game also gave this one to the Nationals in the eighth inning. Lucas Duda misjudged a ball by leadoff hitter Ivan Rodriguez that led to a double. D.J. Carrasco then gave up a walk and a single. That would tie the game at 3-3.

From there the Mets pen took it from there, maybe more horrific than the pen that blew so many games in 2010 at Citi Field. And it wasn’t Frankie Rodriguez who retired one batter. It was Carrasco, Taylor Buchholz, and Blaine Boyer who added to the pen woes of the Mets that gave up 11 walks and 10 hits in 11 innings in the three-game series.

Four runs in the 11^th including a tie breaking single by Rodriguez, and a three-run homer from Laynce Nix off the loser, Boyer( 0-2) made Young’s outing a short term memory. And most of the 35,157 fans left in the ballpark headed for the exits, changes were made on the roster, and Collins offered some frustration.

Duda was optioned to Triple- A Buffalo after the game and changes were made in the pen. Pitchers Ryota Igarashi and Jason Isringhausen, the 38-year old home grown Met, signed to a spring training contract will be at Citi Field Monday evening when the Mets begin a four-game series with Colorado.

“I guess you’ve got to convince them that they got to get beat by somebody swinging the bat,” commented Collins. After seven games, the (3-4) Mets have plenty of time to find a way to get the outs in late innings. Carrasco has been doing the job, so has Bobby Parnell for the most part.

Bur Collins said he avoided using Parnell after two straight appearances out of the pen.  On using Rodriguez to get an out in the eighth, Collins said, “We are not going to wear Frankie out.”  Not using K-Rod has nothing to do with the new performance clause in his revamped contract of innings pitched.

“This is the big leagues and they’ve got to be able to land some pitches,” offered Collins when asked about concern of the Mets pen not able to pick up a win for Young.  “I’m not saying you’re never going to walk somebody, but we’re walking at too high a rate right now.”

Young who spent most of last season with San Diego on the disabled list, due to a sore right shoulder, had a second outing with his new team in his first start at Citi Field, “It was a great experience to be out there,” he said about the crowd and view of the ballpark.

His shoulder felt fine on another cold day at Citi Field, but Collins opted for his pen, going to Carrasco, after Young threw 108 pitches. “You have to have a short memory and it’s something to build on,” he said about the day.

But Collins also was concerned about the defense. Daniel Murphy is still learning how to handle second base. He replaced Brad Emaus and Rodriguez got a hit past him in that 11^th inning. Said Carrasco, “Its horrible man to just come in there and give the game away like that is very frustrating.”

Frustrating right now is the word for the Mets after seven games. Collins won’t say it, but if things don’t get better this week against the Rockies you get the feeling the Mets manager will also be using that word more often.

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Hughes was not at his best but good enough to get his 17^th win of the season. With 12 games remaining, two with Tampa Bay, and three with Boston that concludes the Yankees home schedule this week, Hughes could get two or three more starts with an outside chance of winning 20 games

“He seemed to get stronger as the game went on,” said Yankees manager Joe Giardi about Hughes. “I liked what I saw.  I like what I saw about Javy and I liked about what I saw about Joba,” continued Girardi referring to Javier Vasquez and Joba Chamberlain who came out of the bullpen and allowed one run.

That run was scored by Tampa in the seventh scored on a single by Carl Crawford off Vasquez. The win enabled the Yankees to reduce their magic number to three for a playoff spot. Still to be determined is whether the post season nod for the Yankees is the Al east crown or wild card.

New York can just about be assured the division crown if they take the next two games in the Bronx against Tampa Bay. They opened a quick 5-0 lead off Rays’ starter and loser James Shields (13-13) who remained winless in September in notching a career high 13^th loss.

Nick Swisher had the big hit in the inning, a solo home run to right center field, his 27th on a 1-0 pitch. It was the American League leading 33^rd home run surrendered by Shields.  All five runs in the first came on five hits but Shields limited the Yankees to four base runners in the rest of his outing of 5.1 innings.

Girardi added, “As far as significance obviously we would like to win our division. Obviously, we want home field advantage in the playoffs.” And to the Yankees, as has been the case, having home field means everything in the postseason.

Right hander A.J, Burnett (10-13) with an ERA of 5.08 opposes (12-9) right hander Wade Davis in game three of the series at the stadium Wednesday evening as the Yankees look to inch closer to another post season.

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The Nationals moved a game ahead of the Mets, now second place in the National League East standings, and for the second straight game a Mets player, this time Jose Reyes was ejected from the game for disputing a called third strike. Does the lack of hitting, and ejection of David Wright the day before and now Reyes have Mets manager Jerry Manuel frustrated?

“It’s a team concern, no doubt about it,” said Manuel about the lack of getting runs home. His team fanned 11 more times at the plate after 14 were struck out by San Francisco Giants pitching the day before. “We will do what we can to address the approach,” added Manuel. “When situations come, basically breathe and enjoy.”

But the Mets have not been able to enjoy much after an early season eight-game wining streak. The starting pitching has not been effective which ahs taken a toll on their bullpen, though this time against the Nationals there was no opportunity for another blown save.

John Maine gave up two runs on seven hits in six innings giving up back-to back home runs in the third inning to Adam Kennedy and Ryan Zimmerman. The over used Pedro Feliciano, leading National League pitchers out of the pen, gave up a deciding run in the eighth.

As for Reyes getting ejected, which also led to Manuel getting heaved from the game the manager said, “It doesn’t bother me when a guy is passionate what he does.”  But Wright being ejected Sunday in the ninth inning, which left the Mets short, could have caused Jason Bay to play third base had the game gone to extra innings.

The Reyes ejection may have come out of frustration, another close pitch that caught him looking and stranding two more runners on. That left Manuel to say, “Hopefully, when one guy gets that big hit….”  Meaning hitting is contagious as was the case two weeks ago during the wining streak.

It was a run scoring single by Ivan Rodriguez off Felician that became the decisive run.  The veteran Rodriquez, in his first year with Washington, had a 4-for-4 night at the plate and has been instrumental in handling the young Nationals pitching staff.

“What happened in Washington the last couple of years is already over,” said Rodriquez. “This is 2010,” he said. “We have a team. We’re focused now. We play the game now.”  Miguel Batista was the last of five Nationals pitchers and recorded his first save of the season despite giving up a one-out solo home run to Angel Pagan in the ninth.

But as the series continues against the Nationals Tuesday evening, the lack of getting runs home from Jason Bay, David Wright and Jeff Francoeur have to be a continued concern.

“We have good hitters, have a history of good hitters,’ said Manuel. “Hopefully it is a matter of time.” It better be a matter of time, because the Mets as a team are going to need to score runs if they are going to have any type of respectable season.

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“Try not to do crazy stuff,” is what he told me explained Moquete.  The 6’1, 181-pound point guard who cleared NCAA Clearinghouse issues in late December, scored his first collegiate basket on January 13^th at Madison Square Garden and finished with seven points in a Fordham loss to A-10 opponent Dayton.

Moquete is one of those promising athletes coming from the Dominican Republic, an Island known more for its production of baseball talent that come to the states. But the last few years there has been a revival of talent coming off the basketball court from Santo Domingo and other parts of the Republic,

And as Grasso says, his new point guard has the potential to be a leader and for the time being will get the start as Fordham continues to struggle. They lost their 12^th straight game Wednesday evening 80-73, now 2-17 overall, 0-7 in the conference. Moquete finished with five points, had three assists and was 2-for-2 from the free throw line.

“He’s going to be good in certain spots and comes here in the middle of the season as a starting point guard in a difficult situation,” said Grasso about Moquete. “He’s trying to pick up everything we do offensively and defensively. It was his first start, solid and he will get better.”

Moquete is also getting some help from newcomers, because the young Rams have only one veteran player from last year’s squad that get the start, senior Brenton Butler. Moquete was one of four freshmen that got the start against LaSalle.  And he seemed to adjust quickly in his new role, not doing the “crazy: things that Grasso referred to.

“let the game come to you  and give me the opportunity to help this team win,” said Moquete  after the game, referring to how he approached his first start. It was the same type of approach that got him a spot a spot on the Fordham roster. A graduate of Our Savior New American School in Centereach New York, Moquete averaged 15 points per game in his last year.

A call came from Miami Dade Community College, but he waited to get cleared and go for the good education and potential start up at Rose Hill.  “They showed interest,” he said about Miami and other schools,” so did Fordham.  “I think this is a perfect fit for me. Fordham is a good school and we can do something big here.”

This was the first game Fordham stayed competitive in the second half. And at one point it looked like the Rams were headed to victory. But LaSalle made 17 of their 25 shots in the second half, including mistakes by the young Rams that led to four important free throws in the final minutes that made a difference.

On the court most of the time, Moquete played 25 minutes, there was the intensity, hustle and leadership. Butler missed one of key free throws that could have tied the game at the four minute mark. Moquete went to the line and quickly gave Butler a tap to the head after he missed the first shot.

“Part of my game is to pick my teammates ,” he said   “He will make a difference for us, said the other freshman, forward Chris Gaston who led the Rams with 21 points and 15 rebounds, his 12^th double-double game of the season.

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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.

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