For Once, It Does Come Easy

Mike Cameron once said that center field at Shea was the toughest center field to play in the major leagues. Xavier Nady proved that theory tonight.

Nady's blatent misplay in the outfield for the Padres turned what could have been a close game into a comfortable one as the Mets beat San Diego 7-3 on Wednesday night. Mike Cameron hit what should have been an easy fly ball out in the 5th inning, but Nady completely lost it in the lights to turn it into a triple, and to me, it was the play of the game. It was not only huge because Cameron later scored on a Cliff Floyd single, which set up Mike Piazza's two run bomb with two men out, but it allowed the Mets to rest key members of their bullpen in the 8th and 9th while going with Aaron Heilman (who looked good but just got dinked and dunked to death in the 8th) and, of all people, Juan Padilla to get the save by pitching out of Heilman's two out bases loaded jam in the 8th. Roberto Hernandez is 40 years old, and in this muggy weather, didn't need to pitch two nights in a row. And now Hernandez should be set to go tomorrow afternoon (although with Ishii going for the Mets, there may not be an opportunity for him to pitch a close game anyway). But Mets pitchers (starters and relievers alike) needed, and deserved, a laugher. And even though the tying run came to the plate in the 8th, that's exactly what they got.

***

Jose Reyes was spectacular in the first two innings, reaching twice, scoring once (almost scored twice, but a balk call which would have scored him was correctly reversed), and driving in a run. Unfortunately, I stood on line for tickets outside of Shea's gate E for the first two innings so I missed the fun. While on line, a guy tapped my shoulder and asked me "are you on line"?

No sir, I'm making sandwiches...for everybody!

So I missed Reyes' adventures, along with Carlos Beltran's two run dinger in the first inning. But that didn't stop Metstradamus' Shea record from going to 4-0 in 2005.

***

See Mike, hitting sixth isn't so bad now is it?

Piazza's HR (which tied Johnny Bench on the all time list with 389), and the ensuing curtain call, felt very 1986-ish in the stands tonight. I can't remember the last time I felt that during a regular season game at Shea. It's a testament to the love that Mike Piazza has earned at Shea Stadium...and maybe a realization by the fans that his time at Shea is winding down, and that any chance to thank him must be taken advantage of.

***

Doesn't Juan Padilla look like a big nasty yellow headed fly with those funky goggles?

Juan "The Fly" Padilla

***

The Daily News' Lisa Olson acknowledges the existance of our blogosphere.

***

I kind of felt bad sitting in the Mezzanine tonight wondering who #52 was on the Padres. Now I know I shouldn't have...it was rookie Clay Hensley, making his major league debut in the seventh and shutting the Mets down for two innings.

***

Livan Hernandez is ending his season? Wow, he might elect right knee surgery and basically abandon his team because he's "mad at something"? Mad at what, losing to the Rockies? Mad at...being lifted in the seventh? Mad at...the D.C. traffic? Mad at...the republicans for their foreign policy? Mad at...Mike Stanton for stealing your dessert? Come on Livan, don't wait until the end of the season...tell us now! The suspense is killing me!!!

As if the Braves need more help!

The Mets can use it though, at only 5 and 1/2 back now.

***

And finally, it was nice to attend tonight's game with one of the legends of baseball, Tony Gwynn...

Oh wait, that's not Tony. Had you fooled though, no? Here's Tony:

The first guy was actually one of my disgruntled Yankee fan friends, who thought he was going to be able to ride Metstradamus after being present at a Mets loss with me. Well, he's 0 for 2 in that regard this season. And to twist the knife a little further, he had the chance to go to A-Rod's 10 RBI game...for free! And he turned it down. Since then, he's tried to pass on his curse to me, to no avail (although I do owe him a couple of trips to Yankee Stadium). Here is how he looked by the end of the night...

Ladies and gentlemen, the face of Anti-Met angst.

He's about as mad as Livan Hernandez!