After 2-4 Road Trip, Mets Face NL's Best Giants at Home

NEW YORK-- What a wacky season it has been for the New York Mets. 4-8 out of the gate. Everyone had this team dead to rights, had their Manager and even General Manager fired.

Then something happened. Something propelled the Mets to an all-time tying best home stand, 9-1. They did it against the likes of the Cubs, Braves, and Dodgers, but they still did it.

All the positive vibes were there. The fans were even thinking ahead to the Yankees and Phillies series later this month, perhaps finally showing up at the ballpark.

The Mets starting pitching was reminiscent to the early days of the franchise with Seaver and Koosman. Those roles in the Mets 10-day long movie were being played by Johan Santana and Mike Pelfrey. It was the climax of their season.

Then at the end of the production, the Mets couldn't produce, going 2-4 on a road trip that featured them winning their first game in, of all places, Philadelphia, and playing three at the Cincinnati Reds.

The down point, the streak-snapping game actually started with tonight's starter Mike Pelfrey. After going toe-to-toe with Phillies ace Roy Halladay for the first three innings, he blew up in the fourth, allowing six runs. That wasn't a great idea, going up against a shutdown pitcher in "Doc" Halladay.

Then came the absolute fall-off-your-chair stunner. Johan Santana, on national television, a day after the Phils ace did what he did, gave up eight runs in the fourth inning. There went that series victory.

It didn't get better for the Mets in Cincy, losing games one and three, both in walk-off fashion. Their most successful team element, the bullpen, got exposed with both Fernando Nieve and Pedro Feliciano cracking.

Now the Mets, who believe it or not, were actually in first place for a day or two, come limping home, with an ailing starting pitcher in Mike Pelfrey, who claims to have a shoulder problem (how convenient), a bullpen that's worn out (how nice), and must go up against the Giants with their NL-best 17-10 record, and who just swept the Marlins in Miami (oh no!). Oh, by the way, the improved Nationals come in after that.

Mike Pelfrey vs. San Francisco (career)

1-1, 1.77 ERA, 20.1 IP, 14 hits, 3 BB, 12 SO

Jonathan Sanchez vs. New York (career)

2-1, 3.91 ERA, 25.1 IP, 22 hits, 13 BB, 26 SO

2009 season series (New York vs. San Francisco)

New York won series 5-3