The Producers

Only two baseball teams have allowed fewer runs than the Mets this year. One is the Detroit Tigers, who are far ahead of every team in runs allowed, and the other is the Colorado Rockies, who seemed to have figured out how to keep more balls in the park. Of course they play half of their games in a pitcher's park which certainly helps, but the fact they play half of their games in a pitcher's park is why the fact the Mets are leading the National League in runs scored and are fourth overall in the Major Leagues is so impressive. The Mets are on pace to score 870 runs this season. They have only broke 800 runs three times previously when they scored 853 in 1999, 823 in 1987, and 807 in 2000.

Since 2002, the Mets only broke the top twenty in runs scored in the Major Leagues once in 2005 when they finished 18th in the league. They have not finished first in the National League since 1990. This season, the Mets are tops in the National League by twenty-one runs and fifth overall behind the White Sox, Red Sox, Yankees, and the Indians. The Mets are second in run differential to the Tigers and forty-nine runs ahead of the Dodgers in the National League for run differential. While they might not have as deep a lineup as the American League power houses, they are holding their own. They are one of only four teams this season, and the only National League team, with over 400 extra base hits and they are third in the Major Leagues behind only Texas and Toronto, who both play in hitter's parks, in that category. If the Mets can get some hot pitching from Pedro, Glavine, The Duque, and Maine this post season, the Mets will be a tough team to beat.

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Baseball America has it's NL and AL Best Tools piece out yesterday, and the Mets were well represented.

BEST HITTER
1. Albert Pujols, Cardinals
2. Nomar Garicaparra, Dodgers
3. David Wright, Mets

BEST BUNTER
1. Juan Pierre, Cubs
2. Jose Reyes, Mets
3. David Eckstein, Cardinals

BEST BASERUNNER
1. Jose Reyes, Mets
2. Juan Pierre, Cubs
3. Bobby Abreu, Phillies

FASTEST BASERUNNER
1. Jose Reyes, Mets
2. Juan Pierre, Cubs
3. Willy Taveras, Astros

BEST FASTBALL
1. Billy Wagner, Mets
2. Derrick Turnbow, Brewers
3. Brad Penny, Dodgers

Strange how #1 and #2 on the list are really not fooling many people these days.

BEST SLIDER
1. John Smoltz, Braves
2. Brad Lidge, Astros
3. Pedro Martinez, Mets

BEST CHANGEUP
1. Trevor Hoffman, Padres
2. Pedro Martinez, Mets
3. Chris Capuano, Brewers

BEST CONTROL
1. Greg Maddux, Dodgers
2. Brandon Webb, Diamondbacks
3. Pedro Martinez, Mets

Pedro is a stud.

BEST DEFENSIVE THIRD BASEMAN
1. Scott Rolen, Cardinals
2. Ryan Zimmerman, Nationals
3. David Wright, Mets

BEST DEFENSIVE SHORTSTOP
1. Omar Vizquel, Giants
2. Jose Reyes, Mets
3. Adam Everett, Astros

BEST INFIELD ARM
1. Jose Reyes, Mets
2. Rafael Furcal, Dodgers
3. Scott Rolen, Cardinals

BEST DEFENSIVE OUTFIELDER
1. Andruw Jones, Braves
2. Jim Edmonds, Cardinals
3. Carlos Beltran, Mets

BEST OUTFIELD ARM
1. Jeff Francoeur, Braves
2. Carlos Beltran, Mets
3. Andruw Jones, Braves

MOST EXCITING PLAYER
1. Jose Reyes, Mets
2. Albert Pujols, Cardinals
3. Carlos Beltran, Mets

The Yankees appeared nine times (Giambi once, Jeter four times, Rivera once, and Mussina twice) with one of them being their manager Joe Torre on the AL list while the Mets appeared fifteen times (Wright twice, Reyes six times, Wagner once, Martinez three times, and Beltran three times).

Phil Humber made is second start for the B-Mets and though he lost, this one was much better. He lasted seven innings and gave up six hits, four runs, three earned runs, one walk, and one homer while striking out seven.

Fernando Martinez and Mike Carp each pulled 0-fers, but Jesus Flores went 2 for 4 with two solo homers in St. Lucie's 6-2 win. Flores now has sixteen homers this year and is closing in on fifty extra base hits.

Jon Niese had a rough outing in Hagerstown's loss. Niese went six innings and gave up six hits, seven runs, five earned runs, three walks, and one homer while striking out two. Sean Henry went 1 for 3 with two runs scored, a double, and a walk in his low-A debut.

The Tides are the most unwatchable team in baseball. Not that I've ever seen them, but I'm just taking a wild guess. They are so bad they are even causing Heath Bell to give up AAA runs. Bell gave up three hits, one walk, and two runs while striking out three in one inning of work. He had only given up two earned runs in 26.2 innings prior to yesterday's 'nightmare' inning. Brian Bannister also had another rough outing going 4.1 innings and giving up seven hits, four runs, three earned runs, and one walk while striking out five. Steve Trachsel can feel safe again.

From the Devil Rays Media notes:

Through the first 55 home dates, the Rays attendance is up 28% over last year at the same time…The jump matches the White Sox for the largest in the major leagues. Next up are the Mets (20%) and the Tigers (17%).

Anytime you can get your bench into the game and start them at four positions while still winning, it's a good day.

"We've been doing it all year," third baseman David Wright said. "We got a great bench, these guys just step up. Whenever our everyday guys need a day off, you're not losing much at all."

Orlando Hernandez continues to look like a great pickup for Mets and aside from two outings, he has been sparkling.

Hernandez is looking like himself recently, to the relief of Randolph and to the benefit of the back end of the Mets' rotation. Yesterday he scattered four hits and a walk and struck out four over seven innings in a 7-3 victory.

Since coming to the Mets on May 24, Hernandez is 6-4 with a 4.18 ERA. In his last six starts, he is 4-0 with a 3.34 ERA. His last loss was on June 30 against the Yankees.

In thirteen starts with the Mets, he is 6-4 with a 4.18 ERA, 8.12 h/9, 7.77 k/9, and a 1.19 WHIP. If you take out his two horrible starts in which he failed to make it out the second inning, he has eleven starts with a 3.00 ERA, 7.13 h/9, 7.63 k/9, 1.06 WHIP, and a 2.38 bb/9. He as gone at least seven innings in six starts and at least six innings in eight starts. Fucking swell.

Jose Reyes is quickly becoming the man around Queens and biggest part of this offense.

At least they do if they're Reyes, who has a lot going for him. Pedro Martinez has said that if he could start all over again, he would be Reyes. David Wright, who got an even bigger contract than Reyes did last week, calls himself Reyes' biggest fan.

Mike Pelfrey is on the DL.

OH, PEL: Mike Pelfrey has been placed on the disabled list in the minors with a strained right lat muscle and has been scratched from tonight's start. The 2005 first-round pick had made one start with Triple-A Norfolk since being demoted, giving up two runs and three hits in five innings.

Howard Johnson may be done as a Met.

NO DECISION: Howard Johnson's status with Triple-A Norfolk remains unresolved, GM Omar Minaya said. The hitting coach, who was suspended for leaving the Tides without permission to attend a tournament his son was playing in last week, is expected in Norfolk today, but speculation is he may just be there to collect his belongings.

There has to be more to this story. It is all very weird they their relationship would be severed over this.

Beltran apparently has a balky knee.

"[The medical advice was] that I need to be smart, that there are going to be days where I'm going to have big pain and I just need to let the trainers know," Beltran said. "But every day I just feel something there, but [yesterday] I feel like it was sore, and I just took treatment the whole day."