Mets-Cubs Series Preview

Seven games left. Fasten your seatbelts. The Mets are at a disadvantage in the playoff race, though, because they have two opponents every game: the other team and their own bullpen. Their relief situation is not getting any better. There’s no relief from their relievers. If the Mets had just an average bullpen, they’d have clinched the division by now. Jerry Manuel can only do so much with the hand he’s been dealt, but he needs to get Bobby Parnell in there more often. It can’t hurt. And can we please end the Aaron Heilman experiment?

The Cubs come into Shea for the penultimate series of the year. It’s the collapse vs. the jinx. The Cubs are looking to break a 100-year losing streak. They haven’t even been in the World Series since 1945. They have the Billy Goat Jinx, Leon Durham’s error in 1984, Steve Bartman (Mets trivia: Luis Castillo hit the ball, and Moises Alou tried to catch it) and the black cat at Shea in 1969. Isn’t it almost impossible to play 100 seasons and not win the World Series? The Marlins won it twice by accident. This year they’re the NL favorite and have already clinched the NL Central. They have Sweet Lou, Carlos Zambrano, Geovany Soto, Derek Lee, Aramis Ramirez. What can possibly go wrong? The Mets are 0-2 against Chicago this season, and 334-335 all-time vs. the Cubs.

Here are the pitching matchups:

Monday: Jason Marquis (10-9, 4.39) vs. Jon Niese (1-0, 4.09)

Tuesday: Rich Harden (10-2, 2.03) vs. Johan Santana (14-7, 2.65)

Wednesday: Carlos Zambrano (14-6, 3.77) vs. Oliver Perez (10-7, 4.10)

Thursday: Ted Lilly (16-9, 4.17) vs. Pedro Martinez (5-6, 5.50)

Cubs Leaders:

AVG: Ryan Theriot .298; OBP: Aramis Ramirez .376; SLG: Alfonso Soriano .551; HR: Soriano 29; RBI: Ramirez 109; RUNS: Mark DeRosa 100; SB: Theriot 21

WINS: Ryan Dempster 17; ERA: Dempster 2.99; SAVES: Kerry Wood 32

Mets Leaders:

AVG: Jose Reyes .298; OBP: David Wright .384; SLG: Wright .533; HR: Carlos Delgado 37; RBI: Wright 118; RUNS: Carlos Beltran 113; SB: Reyes 52

WINS: Johan Santana 14; ERA: Santana 2.65; SAVES: Luis Ayala (active) 8