Game Recap: Phillies 5 -- Mets 2

The Mets held a 2-0 lead early, but the Phillies rallied back to beat the Mets and spoil their final Opening Day at Shea Stadium, by a score of 5-2. (For a batter by batter game recap, check here.)

Oliver Perez lasted 5 2-3 innings, needing 93 pitches. Perez allowed only three hits, walking three and striking out two. Perez had his slider working today, and used it to his advantage while in the game. Perez hit Chase Utley twice, once in the first and once in the fourth inning. He also balked in the sixth inning when he threw to Carlos Delgado who was not covering the bag.

He looked pretty good today, but got into a bit of trouble a few times. His pitch count was up there early, but still had all his pitches working for him today. Good stuff.

The bullpen was almost completely ineffective today, allowing all five runs to score. Joe Smith came into the game in relief of Perez, walking one to load the bases before getting a ground out to end the threat. Scott Schoeneweis only lasted 1-3 of an inning, allowing three runs, one of them earned. After allowing two hits to Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino, Schoeneweis pegged Utley for the third time in the game. This is where the game got a little nutty. With Ryan Howard at the plate, and the bases loaded, Schoeneweis got Howard to ground a ball to Delgado. Delgado turned to second to try and start the double play, but his throw plunked Utley in the back and scooted away, allowing two runs to score.

Utley ran to second correctly, bowing out in the basepath and obstructing Delgado's throw. Very smart on his part. I don't think they could have turned the double play either way, but only one run would have scored.

Jorge Sosa relieved Schoeneweis, getting Pat Burrell to pop out for the second out of the inning. Jayson Werth poked a single to right field, driving in Utley. Aaron Heilman had a disaster of an outing, allowing two runs on two hits and three walks. Heilman walked the leadoff batter in the eighth inning who moved to second on a sac bunt. Rollins singled under the glove of a diving Delgado, scoring Carlos Ruiz. Brian Schneider had two passed balls today, one in this inning, that allowed Rollins to move to second. An Utley double plated Rollins for the second run of the inning. Heilman induced a pop up from Geoff Jenkins, which put the infield fly rule into effect, and then a pop up to right from Werth to end the threat. Rollins left the game with what has been reported as a sprained ankle. Carlos Muniz, recently called up to replace Matt Wise, turned in a 1-2-3 inning in the ninth.

Three walks from Heilman is troubling. This whole outing from Heilman is troubling. Where is Duaner Sanchez?? Oh, injured. Of course. Not a good day for Schneider behind the plate either. Rollins was injured playing a cat and mouse game off of second with Heilman, as he turned his ankle getting back to the bag. He was healthy enough to come around and score, but left the game after that.

The Mets offense got off to a quick start, scoring in both the second and fourth inning, but was shut down from there on out as they managed seven hits, three for extra base hits.

Carlos Delgado had the biggest day for the Mets, crushing a solo home run in the second inning off the HIP sign near the base of the scoreboard. Delgado also picked up a single, poking one the other way in the fourth inning.

Good stuff from Delgado today. He's learning to put the ball the other way and it's working for him.

Church picked up the other RBI for the Mets today, when he dribbled a ground ball to Utley with the bases loaded in the fourth inning. Carlos Beltran came home to score on the play. Beltran picked up his seventh double of the season today, doubling down the third base line in the eighth inning. David Wright, whose biggest problem today was that Victorino was patrolling center field, also picked up a double, his coming in the fifth inning. Victorino tracked down many balls in the outfield today, even colliding with Werth while making a catch in the gap.

Church had two big chances to drive in runs for the Mets, and capitalized on one with the dribbler. He could have had a huge day for the Mets. Still, he's going to help this team a lot in the future. Beltran is absolutely going nuts with these doubles. Keep it up.

Game Ball: Perez and Delgado.

Injury: Luis Castillo left the game in the fifth inning, with what has been reported as a "sore right knee."

Hopefully he can bounce back, but he just hasn't looked right at the plate this season.

A very nice ceremony at Shea to open her up for the final season. Too bad it had to end like this.

Castillo forced to leave game in 5th

Luis Castillo was removed from the game in the fifth inning with "right knee soreness."

Damion Easley replaced him at second base.

Live Game Thread: Phillies @ Mets | Final Opening Day at Shea

Check out the game preview as we wait for the game to begin...

I'm official excited, and I love that they're taking on the Phillies today. Man, I hate that team.

Pre-game:

• I dig Daryl Strawberry as a new analyst on SNY. I think he'll be pretty good and won't pull any punches.
  
• Jon Heyman looks nothing like his picture that pops up on YES when he's on M&MD. Strange voice to boot.
• Gary/Keith/Ron are all wearing suits. This is a big step up from their ugly polo shirts they wore in Florida. Very dapper.
• There are three generations of Shea's out on the field right now. They're running a great video on Mets baseball and William Shea, voiced by Gary Cohen. Beautiful. Shea Stadium cost $28.5 million to build. That's an average contract for a player in the baseball world now.
• Howie Rose is on the field. I'm getting choked up. Resounding boo's for the Phillies trainers. That sounds about right. Jimmy Rollins wins for loudest jeers, just beating out Pat Burrell. He should be honored.
• Here come the Mets. SNY is screwing up the names and shots. It has to be tough. Here come the coaches, as Howard Johnson is getting a resounding cheer from the crowd. Endy Chavez gets a very loud cheer for a bench player. He's going down in Mets history forever. Matt Wise, who is on the DL, gets boo'd and Aaron Heilman has a mixed reaction. And the crowd literally goes wild for Johan Santana, and rightly so.
• Willie Randolph comes out to cheers. I'm surprised. David Wright comes out to the loudest cheers, as expected.
• The Mets are debuting the name "SHEA" to the wall of retired numbers. Great gesture.
• Here comes the National Anthem. Being sung by Michael Amante. Pretty good, I must say.
• Is a plane flyover really all that special for Mets fans? We get one every 20 minutes at Shea every game!!

First inning:

• Oliver Perez to J-Roll, first pitch of the year: strike, right down the heart of the plate. Rollins taps one three feet in front of the plate, Brian Schneider pounces, and tosses him out at first.
• There goes the no-hitter. Shane Victorino singles to center field.
• The construction crew is hanging out at Citi Field, watching the game. Chase Utley apparently gets tipped on the jersey, and takes his base. Utley was practically on top of the plate and barely got nicked.
• Ryan Howard pops up to Carlos Beltran in center. Perez handled him perfectly.
• Perez is dealing today. Climbing the ladder against Burrell. Called strike three. Inning over. That's how you get out of a first inning jam and get the crowd rocking at the same time.
• 1 hit, 0 runs, 0 BB, 1 K. 0-0 Tie.
  

• Jose Reyes does it again, swinging at the first two pitches of the game and quickly grounding out to short.
• Luis Castillo works out a walk.
• Wright crushes one to the warning track in left-center, but Victorino tracks it down.
• With Beltran at the plate, Moyer keeps checking on Castillo at first. Carlos Ruiz and Moyer have a conference on the mound. Beltran works the count to 3-1. Beltran rolls one along the line to third base. Inning over.
• 0 hits, 0 runs, 1 BB, 0 K. 0-0 Tie.
  

Second inning:

• Perez seems to be working with more of a sidearm approach today, but that might just be me. Jayson Werth singles through the hole on the right side to lead off the inning.
• Pedro Feliz pops one into foul territory, but no one can track it down. Mayor Bloomberg, sporting a nice orange pullover is taking in the game with new Gov. David Patterson by his side. Feliz grounds one right to Carlos Delgado, which freezes Werth. Delgado turns the unassisted double play. Good stuff.
• Carlos Ruiz pops out to Beltran in center.
  
• 1 hit, 0 runs, 0 BB, 0 K. 0-0 Tie
  

• Delgado starts off his season at Shea with a ball crushed to deep right field. Bounces off the HIP sign at the base of the scoreboard. 1-0 Mets. That ball got out in a hurry, and he knew it was gone as soon as he hit it.
• Angel Pagan puts a charge into one, out to the warning track, but again, Victorino tracks it down. He's fast, very fast.
• Ryan Church tries to lay down a bunt down the third base line, which trickles just foul. Nice approach from Church, I like it. Church barely gets nicked on the forearm, and takes first. So now the teams are even.
  
• Brian Schneider grounds one to Utley. Church gets tagged and the throw to first completes the double play.
• 1 run, 1 hit, 0 BB, 0 K. 1-0 Mets.

Third inning:

• I have to hand it to Moyer. I love his socks. Moyer grounds one back to Perez, who makes a diving stab to grab the ball, and makes the toss to first for the first out.
• 3-0 quickly to Rollins. And Perez works in a strike before getting Rollins to ground out to Wright. Two away.
• Victorino pops out to Church in right. 1-2-3 inning for Perez.
• 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 BB, 0 K. 1-0 Mets.

• Perez is probably one of my favorite Mets to watch bat. I love the jumping off the ground when he swings. He grounds out to Utley for the first out.
• Reyes, who seems to be letting go of the bag a little too early, ground out to third for the second out. Reyes seems to be bailing out and taking too large of a swing. He needs to get more compact and shorten up.
• Castillo grounds out to Howard at first, ending the inning.
• 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 BB, 0 K. 1-0 Mets.

Fourth inning:

• Perez wants nothing to do with Utley today, as he nicks him on the upper arm for the second time today. Two hit batters, both named Utley.
• Howard works the count full, putting Utley in motion. Peres is working his slider today, getting Howard to chase low and away. He had no chance to hit that ball and thats exactly the way you need to pitch him.
• Burrell hits one almost right to Church in right, two away.
• Perez gets Werth ground out to Reyes, who goes the short way, barely getting Utley at second base.
• 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 BB, 0 K. 1-0 Mets.

• Wright is quickly 0-2 against Moyer. Works it to 3-2, which doesn't surprise me. He's such a good hitter. He needs to start calling time more, I think. Wright puts one deep into the right centerfield gap, and Victorino tracks it down again. Werth and Victorino collide on the warning track, both are slightly shaken up and stay on the ground for half a minute, but both seem alright and will stay in the game.
• Now Moyer is quickly behind Beltran 3-0 before laying one across the middle for a strike. Moyer misses outside, and Beltran draws the one out walk.
• Kevin Burkhardt is interviewing Gov. Patterson, who grew up a Mets fan, and it still a fan, shares my sentiment about missing Shea, but is very excited to get to Citi Field. "The biggest surprise of my job so far, is that I am governor!" said Patterson.
  
• Everyone get off Delgado's back now. He literally shoots one into the opposite field, getting his bat out down low, singling to left. First and second, one away.
• Did Pagan just walk up the Indiana Jones theme? I love him even more now. Pagan puts one in the hole, which Utley tracks down. Pagan beats out the throw to first. Utley stuttered a bit, and with Pagan's speed, he beat it out.
  
• Bases loaded, one away for Church. This could solidify him for Mets fans with a hit here. Church dribbles one to second, Utley to Howard, plating Beltran. Two away, runners on second and third. 2-0 Mets.
• They're going to issue an IBB to Schneider to bring Perez up with the bases loaded.
• After waving at the slider on the first pitch, Perez attempts a drag bunt with Delgado on third. He literally left the bat hanging over the plate, and hoped it made contact. Pitch in the dirt and Perez swings, ending the inning.
• 1 run, 2 hits, 1 BB, 1 K. 2-0 Mets.

Fifth inning:

• Luis Castillo has been removed from the game, and Damion Easley has taken his place on the field. I'll let you know what's up with Castillo when it breaks. UPDATE: "Right knee soreness."
  
• Feliz grounds one to short, which Reyes has to backhand. Reyes has trouble finding the handle, makes the high throw, and Delgado goes up to get it. Again, I think Delgado is severely underrated at first.
• Ruiz singles to right.
• Mayor Bloomberg: "Take mass transit."
• Moyer is up there trying to bunt Ruiz over, but Perez wants none of that and walks him instead. First and second, one away. That's just terrible on Perez's part. He's trying to sacrifice and you walk him? Not good.
• Perez goes 2-0 on Rollins, forcing Schneider to come out and calm him down. Perez gets two foul balls to work the count 2-2. Grounded to Wright, who tosses to second to get Moyer, but the ball wasn't hit quick enough to get the speedy Rollins. First and third, two away.
• Castillo is out with "right knee soreness."
• Quickly 0-2 on Victorino, and the crowd gets to it's feet. Victorino pops up to very shallow right, and Reyes goes out and puts it away.
• 0 runs, 1 hit, 1 BB, 0 K. 2-0 Mets.

• Moyer is working everyone inside today. It seems to be working. That looping curveball must be impossible to hit. Reyes is up with the count 1-2. He shoots one to first, which Howard stabs out of the air.
• Easley is getting his first AB of the game. Takes a called first strike. He grounds out to his counterpart on the next pitch for the second out of the inning.
• Wright finally finds a place where Victorino can't catch it, doubling to right field.
• Victorino has saved this game too many times. Beltran smacks one to deep center, and Victorino tracks it down...again!
• 1 hit, 0 runs, 0 BB, 0 K.

Sixth inning:

• Perez almost hits Utley, yes, again! Utley pops out to short centerfield, and for some reason Reyes makes the out.
• Perez is working the slider today, getting Howard to pop out to, you guessed it, short centerfield. Reyes goes out, but Beltran puts this one away.
• Burrell is fouling off pitches left and right, with the count 2-2. Burrell works out a walk. One on, two away.
• Since I wrote that Perez is working the slider, he seems to be losing his control. He's up to 92 pitches. Rick Peterson comes out to the mound to have a little chat with Perez as Joe Smith starts to work in the bullpen. Quickly 3-0. Not good. Perez turns and throws to an unoccupied bag, which is a balk. Burrell moves to second. Perez throws ball four low and in, and it gets away from Schneider, a passed ball. Burrell moves to third as Werth takes first. That's the end of the day for Perez. I jinxed him.
• Smith will come into the game with two inherited runners on. Let's see how he handles that. He's been much better this year in that situation though.
• Perez's final line: 5.2 IP, 3 hits, 3 BB, 2 K.
• Scott Schoeneweis is up in the bullpen as Smith is quickly 2-0 on Feliz. Now 3-1. And he walks him. Bases loaded.
• Ruiz grounds one to Reyes, who flips to Easley to end the threat.
• 0 hits, 0 runs, 3 BB, 0 K. 2-0 Mets.

• Moyer is working the curveball to Delgado, quickly getting ahead of him 0-2. Delgado knocks one right into the shift in short right. One away.
• Craig Carton may have just jinxed the Mets, as he claimed they "locked up a win here on Opening Day." Thanks, Craiggy.
• Pagan knocks one to center, Victorino doesn't have to chase it down, but puts it away for the second out of the inning.
• The Phils put the shift on for Church, which I haven't seen before, and he grounds out to the third baseman, who was playing short, to end the inning.
• 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 BB, 0 K. 2-0 Mets.

Seventh inning:

• Smith went out the mound to start the inning, but Moyer was removed for the game in favor of a pinch hitter. Willie Randolph comes out and pulls Smith in favor of Schoeneweis, who will take on So Taguchi.
• I did not know Taguchi was 38-years-old. News to me. The count is full to Taguchi. Big first out, as Schoeneweis gets Taguchi to ground out to Easley.
• Rollins picks up his first hit of the game, singling to Pagan in left.
• Schoeneweis gets ahead on Victorino with a 1-2 count. Now it's full. Victorino grounds one off the mound and up the middle. First and second, both players very quick, with one away. The big guns are coming up.
• Utley gets pegged for the third time today, getting plunked in the arm. Didn't really look like he wanted to get out of the way of that ball, which is understandable. Bases loaded, with Howard coming to the plate.
• Howard grounds one to Delgado, and his throw to second base plunks Utley right in the back. The ball gets away which allows Victorino to score behind Rollins, tying the game. 2-2 Tie.
• Double switch for the Mets, as Schoeneweis will leave the game in favor of Jorge Sosa. Sosa will bat sixth, as Endy Chavez is now playing left in place of Pagan. Chavez will hit ninth.
• Burrell pops out deep to Church in right. Utley tags up and moves to third. Two away.
• Sosa is ahead of Werth, 1-2, and the crowd comes to their feet in support. Werth goes the other way, poking it through the hole between Easley and Delgado, scoring Utley. 3-2 Phillies.
• Feliz pops up to Reyes in shallow left, ending the inning.
• 3 hits, 3 runs, 0 BB, 0 K. 3-2 Phillies.

• Chad Durbin is in the game in place of Moyer.
• Schneider starts off the inning with a single up the middle on the first pitch he sees.
• Chavez, batting in the 9-hole, attempts a bunt on the first pitch. Chavez grounds one to Durbin, who tips it right to Rollins who turns the double play.
• Reyes, batting lefty, grounds one under the diving glove of Utley.
• Durbin keeps checking Reyes at first. Still no pitch to Easley. On his first pitch, Easley puts a charge into one, but Taguchi tracks it down on the warning track.
• 2 hits, 0 runs, 0 BB, 0 K. 3-2 Phillies.

Eighth inning:

• Aaron Heilman in the game for the Mets.
• Ruiz works the count full, and Heilman walks the leadoff batter.
• Taguchi sacrafices, moving Ruiz to second base for Rollins.
• Rollins pulls one under the glove of Delgado at first and Ruiz comes around to score easily. 4-2 Phillies.
• Schneider can't handle a Heilman slider, and that would be his second passed ball of the day. Not a good day behind the plate for Schneider. Heilman is now behind 3-1 on Victorino. Heilman walks him on the next pitch. First and second, again, both speedy, with only one away.
• Heilman is all over the place today. Missing low, missing away. Everything but his fastball is missing the zone. Heilman is very focused on Rollins at second. He's checked him four times this at bat. Utley doubles over the head of Church, driving in Rollins. 5-2 Phillies. Second and third, one away.
• Howard will get the IBB, brining up Geoff Jenkins in place of the pitcher.
• Gary Cohen is wondering where Pedro Feliciano is. I'm right there with him. Feliciano is like a ghost this season.
• Jenkins is up with the bases loaded. Jenkins pops one up, and the infield fly rule is called. Two away.
• Werth now up with the bases still chucked. Heilman is quickly behind 2-0. Heilman puts a 92 mph fastball by Werth, up at the letters for the first strike. Werth lefts one to right, and Church is under it to end the inning.
• 2 hits, 2 runs, 2 BB, 0 K. 5-2 Phillies.

• It's the middle of the 8th inning, and I can hear Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up" in the background at the stadium. That brightens my day a bit.
  
• Rollins is out of the game, Eric Bruntlett is in the game at short. Good.
• Wright gets called out on a check swing, which was very close. I'm not sure about that. One away on a swinging strikeout.
• Beltran works the count to 3-1, and promptly doubles down the third base line. A stand-up double for Beltran, his seventh of the season.
• 3-2 to Delgado. Grounded to the right side and Beltran moves to third.
• Brady Clark is up in the pitchers spot. Clark is fighting off pitches, with the count 2-2. Full count now, as Clark fouls one off his foot. The AB continues. On the eighth pitch, Clark works out a walk. First and third, two away.
• Church is up with a chance to tie the game. Quickly 0-2 on a high fastball that Church does not agree with. Looked a little outside from my seat on the couch. Church dribbles another one to second, and Utley beats him with the throw by a step. Inning over.
• 1 hit, 0 runs, 1 walk, 1 K. 5-2 Phillies.

Ninth inning:

• Carlos Muniz is in the game for the Mets. Muniz is on the team, taking the place of Wise who was placed on the DL, retroactive to April 5.
• Rollins left the game with a sprained left ankle. Cheers erupt from Mets fans everywhere.
• Muniz gets a ground ball from Feliz, and Wright makes the toss to first for the first out of the inning.
• Ruiz puts one in the air right to Chavez in left field, two away quick.
• Taguchi hits one to right, and Church puts it away for the final out.
• 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 BB, 0 K. 5-2 Phillies.

• Tom Gordon will come into the game for the Phillies to try and put the game away and earn the save.
• Gordon takes down Schneider on three pitches. The shadows between the pitcher and the batter are favoring the Phillies right now.
• Chavez is taking his second AB of the game. On a 2-2 pitch, Chavez grounds one right to Gordon, who flips to Howard for the second out.
• Reyes, again batting left handed, knocks the ball to the warning track, very symbolic of todays game, and Werth puts it away for the final out of the game.
• 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 BB, 0 K. 5-2 Phillies.

Final: 5-2 Phillies.
WP: Jamie Moyer
LP: Scott Schoeneweis

Thanks for sticking around. Hope you enjoyed the Live Blog.

Lineup vs. the Phillies

The New York Mets open Shea Stadium for the final time today, as they take on the Philadelphia Phillies for a 1:10 p.m. start.

Jamie Moyer vs. Oliver Perez

Lineup:
SS Jose Reyes
2B Luis Castillo
3B David Wright
CF Carlos Beltran
1B Carlos Delgado
LF Angel Pagan
RF Ryan Church
C Brian Schneider
LH Oliver Perez

You know the drill, guys. Let's set the tone for the whole year starting today.
Head over to Mets Lounge for some live game chatter.

'Shea Stadium is kind of a dump.'

Says Dan Graziano, and I have to agree.

Don't get me wrong, I love Shea Stadium just as much as the next guy, but we all have to admit that it's an awful looking place. It's filled with memories of baseball, with a little dash of football and a sprinkle of rock and roll music, from the day it was erected, but right now it's a relic. An ugly one, at that.

Today will be special, giving Shea her final opening game sendoff. She's served us very well through the years, but shes old and tired, and it's just about her time to go.

Yes, I will miss Shea, but I'm much more excited to head into Citi Field.

The memories will have a short commute, only having to go a few steps beyond the confines of Shea and will no doubt head over to Citi when the time is right. Even when Shea is picked apart piece by piece and taken to the ground, us fans will all still, and always, have the memories we made at the park.

Mets Man Caves

There's a show called Man Caves on the DIY Network, hosted by Tony Siragusa (ugh) and they recently completed a room that was entirely Mets themed.

Check here for the rest of the photoset.

I guarantee you that's what my basement will look like in 10 years. Without a doubt. I love the home run apple bar, too perfect.

Wise to DL; Muniz coming up

Matt Wise, who is suffering from forearm stiffness, looks like he's heading to the disabled list, according to Adam Rubin. The Mets will call up Carlos Muniz.

From Rubin:

Wise appears headed for a DL trip with right forearm stiffness, which has sidelined the righthander since he surrendered a game-winning homer to Florida's Robert Andino in the 10th inning on Tuesday.

"I've had three elbow surgeries, and this doesn't feel like anything," said Wise, who signed a one-year, $1.2 million contract after spending the past four seasons with Milwaukee.

The Mets intend to call up Carlos Muniz from Triple-A New Orleans.

As long as Wise is just a little sore, with a tweak or something, and can bounce back quickly from this it will be all right.

Muniz has appeared in two games in AAA, pitching 6 2-3 of an inning, allowing six hits and two earned runs. He has walked one and struck out four while on the mound. So Muniz is looking pretty good at AAA, and he'll get his shot very early.

This is exactly why you stockpile arms, no matter what.

Mets are this much closer to getting RickRoll'd all season long

Due to an onslaught of votes for write-in candidate: Never Gonna Give You Up is among the top six songs to be the new eighth inning song for the New York Mets. It actually "won" the vote, but the vote was never going to decide the song, just weed out the bad ones, says the Mets.

From Adam Rubin:

Rather than commit to that as the new eighth-inning tune since it probably doesn’t reflect the fan base’s wishes, the Mets will play the top six selections once apiece during the first six games of their home stand. The one that draws the largest crowd response will stick.

The other songs that made the cut, in descending order: Livin’ on a Prayer, Bon Jovi; I’m a Believer, The Monkees; Movin’ Out, Billy Joel; Sweet Caroline, Neil Diamond; and Build Me Up Buttercup, The Foundations.

The Mets suggested the Fark tune winning didn’t necessarily result in the runoff, saying the contest rules stipulated Internet voters would “help decide” the outcome.

I want Astley to win, without a doubt. It's an amazing song and it holds my sentiments about the Mets. Through thick or thin, I'm never going to give them up. (I can't believe I just wrote that.)

Check out the old-school Pop Up Video...

Is Willie already in trouble?

I don't think so, but some people do.

I don't know how going 2-3 in your first five games of the season could possibly put you on the hotseat. Sure, you landed the best pitcher in baseball this offseason, but you have to remember he only pitches every fifth day. When he does pitch, and your offense only manages five hits and one run, that's not a good sign, but it's early.

Eddie D'Anna, over at Ya Gotta Believe, thinks Willie Randolph is already in hot water and "Willie Watch" has begun.

From D'Anna:

After this weeked, the 2008 New York Mets look an awful lot like the 2007 New York Mets.

And that's not a good thing for skipper Willie Randolph, who, after The Collapse, will be on a short leash this time around.

---

But if this weekend's trend continues much longer, there's only one change left to try.

And if that is indeed the case, Randolph will fall on his sword quickly, because Omar's gonna do anything in his power to right a wayward ship he spent 140 million sacagaweas assembling.

Whether the Mets admit it or not, the "Willie Watch" has begun.

Geez. It's been five games. You can count that on one hand. Most players are still getting into the swing of things for the new season. Give the guy a break, for once. There are so many fans and people that get all over Randolph just because. I'm convinced most of these people would hate any manager that comes in to succeed Randolph if he's ever bumped.

Willie has obviously started to learn about his bullpen, as he's working them less and using them in proper situations. He fell back into his old groove when he left Jorge Sosa in the game, and he promptly gave up a grand slam.

I think Randolph has started to learn the ropes a bit, but who knows how long Omar Minaya and the Mets brass will hang on to him if the team continues to "struggle."

Photo of the Day: Anderson

Marlon Anderson slides into second in the eighth inning of the Mets game against the Atlanta Braves. The Mets offense was very quiet, only waking up in the ninth inning, when it was a little too late.
The Mets will come home to open the final season at Shea Stadium against the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday.
(AP Photo/John Bazemore)