blueandorange4life snapped this picture from the Champions Club in Section 116, Row 7, Seat 19, during Thursday's nooner with the Cardinals.

(click to embiggen)

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Send the view from your seat to amazinavenue@gmail.com and if it's good we'll post it on the site. Include date of game and your section (or location) from when the photo was taken.

The Wall Street Journal’s pretty cool sports section wrote about the diminishing crowds at Citi and provided more material for my new blog “David Howard is Always Right!” (either that or the A’s Police)

If the TV audience is growing, according to Mr. Howard, it is natural to expect the crowds at games to grow in due time, too. “There’s a lag effect,” he said, and as evidence, he noted that the size of the average attendance at a Mets home game has increased each month since the season began.

Seeing as how today’s attendance was 40,087 (paid, some disguised as umbrellas) it once again proves that DH is always right.

By the way the Mets have won 18 of 26 games at Citi Field following today’s 4-0 victory…The Mets are 28-12 in their last 40 home games, dating to April 22…Overall, they are 32-17

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Related posts:

1. Walt’s Unofficial June Mets attendance
2. Mets Attendance through May 31
3. Mets attendance down: not news to me
4. Great day at Citi Field
5. Why isn’t Citi Field filling up?
6. Citi Field Tours start Memorial Day weekend

Warning, adult language follows.

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Related posts:

1. ESPN: 45% of Citi Field vendors cited for violations
2. Citi Field Tours start Memorial Day weekend
3. This is wrong. You need to show up Sunday.
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6. Hi from Citi Field

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Though he feels a trade is not likely, Ken Davidoff of Newsday says the Mets are still in talks with the Cubs regarding LHP Ted Lilly.

According to Jon Heyman of SI.com, the Cubs want C Josh Thole in a deal for Lilly, and the Mets do not want to trade their young catcher.

In addition, Heyman says the Mets have also asked about LHP Tom Gorzellany, but, ‘The Cubs don’t want to trade him.’

Speaking of relief pitchers…

Peter Gammons said on MLB Network that the Blue Jays wanted ‘a player like Wilmer Flores,’ in a deal for left-handed reliever Scott Downs.

That is ridiculous, by the way.  I think Ted Berg is right.  I mean, if Downs ends up being traded for a prospect like Flores or Jesus Montero, the Mets most certainly should be shopping Pedro Feliciano.

Feliciano could then be replaced with Hisanori Takahashi or Mike O’Conner, assuming Omar Minaya is able to trade for a back-of-the-rotation starting pitcher.

Also, Speaking of trades…

The Marlins traded 1B Jorge Cantu to the Rangers for two minor-league pitchers.

Also, the Padres acquired Miguel Tejada from the Orioles for a minor-league pitcher.

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First baseman has 15 homers this season Andy McCullough/The Star-Ledger http://connect.nj.com/user/amccullo/index.html

So, the Phillies just got a little better as former Houston ace Roy Oswalt was traded for J.A. Happ and two other prospects today. It’s just one more tough customer the Mets will have to face the next time they play the Phils.

Caption: Cole Hamels, left, Roy Oswalt, middle, and Roy Halladay will make a formidable top of the rotation for the Phillies. (AP File Photos)

Now the Mets get to look forward to Oswalt, Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels, all of whom could be the ace of any team. You gotta think this move makes the Phillies the front runners for the National League East title. That is, if their offense can keep up. Yes, the Braves are frustratingly consistent but their starting pitching isn’t as strong as the Phillies’ now.

So, where does that leave the Mets, who have not made a single move before the trade deadline? Sputtering, choking on the dust as they watch the Phillies and the Braves pull away.

It’s true R.A. Dickey has been a savior this year, and Jon Niese is well on his way to becoming everything the Mets dreamed he could be, if he stays healthy. But Johan Santana and Mike Pelfrey have been too erratic to rely on on a consistent basis.

It wouldn’t surprise me one bit if the trade deadline passed and no moves were made, essentially writing off the rest of the season. That’s the way the Mets roll. I’m sure you’re used to it by now.

One more pitcher the Mets won’t land is the Cubs’ Ted Lilly as they reportedly don’t feel like paying the $4 million left on his contract, according to a New York Post story.

So, who’s left? The Indians’ Jake Westbrook. He’s a mid-level pitcher, more along the lines of a 2007 John Maine. He may not even be worth getting.

What are your thoughts on whom the Mets might trade for?

Quick Game Notes:

Final Score: Mets 4 – Cardinals 0

Box Score: Click here for the complete box score.

Mets Record: 52-50

Key Moment In The Game: In my opinion the key moment was the bottom of the 3rd inning when Ike Davis hit a 3-run home run. That put the Mets up 3-0 at the time and that was all they needed.

Game Ball: R.A. Dickey: 8.1 IP | 4 H | 0 ER | 2 SO. Dickey is now 7-4 on the season.

Additional Comments:

The Mets won their first series since late June.

Mets are now 32-17 at home this season.

Francisco Rodriguez picked up his 22nd save of the season.

Up Next: The New York Mets welcome in the Arizona Diamondbacks: Friday July 30, 2010 at 7:10 pm.

Not sure what I think of this, but here you go…

On Umbrella Day at Citi Field, R.A. Dickey shielded Mets fans everywhere from the elements.

Let the Phillies have Roy Oswalt (the big snot). No way he’s as perfect a righthanded addition to their rotation as R.A.’s been to ours. Kudos to Omar Minaya for making the under-the-radar acquisition of the century last December. Kudos to Jerry Manuel for not pulling him from today’s game until he absolutely had to. Just let R.A. Dickey do his thing and, more often than not, good things will happen.

God, I love this guy. God, don’t we all? For two months we’ve been invoking Terry Leach and Rick Reed to explain the element of delightful surprise R.A. Dickey has brought to Met pitching, how an emergency afterthought became a life preserver and then an every-fifth-day staple. Leach went 11-1 in 1987 when nobody was counting on him. Reed went 13-9 in 1997 and made himself a cornerstone of Met success for five seasons. In the future, I get the feeling that if we’re compelled to cite Leach or Reed, we’ll be able to say, “They came out of nowhere and to our rescue — you know, like R.A. Dickey in 2010.”

In the postgame interview on SNY, Dickey told Kevin Burkhardt there should be no doubt about hard this team works, citing the dirt on the uniforms of Jose Reyes and Angel Pagan after thirteen innings the night before. It was his way of saying “we never give up” without being banal about it. Typical R.A. Isn’t that something? We have enough of a sample to frame something as typical of the journeyman whose arrival in our organization we barely noticed when it occurred. I’d also say getting to one out in the ninth with a shutout the afternoon after a late night bullpenpalooza is Typical R.A.

And as if to back up Dickey’s thoughts on Met effort, Ike Davis said not being in the lineup yesterday allowed him to spend three hours in the batting cage and get some things worked out. Three hours yesterday led to a three runs on one swing today. Another great in-season pickup (of sorts) for those diligent Mets of Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel.

I’m really glad we won this Thursday rubber game, just as I was really sorry we lost the Wednesday middle game and was happy we won the Tuesday opening game. I’m thrilled we won a series. But I have to confess I’ve almost thought not at all about the standings while we’ve been taking on the Cardinals. I’ve glanced at Brave and Phillie scores and just took a look at the daunting Wild Card alignment, but I’ve stopped actively thinking of us being in any kind of race. Maybe that’s why the Oswalt deal isn’t fazing me at the moment. Does it really have anything to do with us for 2010, at least? We’re just some .500 team trying to get back on track, I’ve kind of accepted.

Yet I haven’t accepted that every game doesn’t matter on its own merit. My own personal experience aside, last night sucked because last night sucked. The night before was great because the night before was great. This afternoon’s result fills me with jubilation because it’s a Mets win engineered by guys for whom I root very hard. Even if this Met August becomes as irrelevant to the National League playoff picture as last Met August, these Mets demand our support and our attention. Whatever you think of Minaya and Manuel, their players transcend their performance even in the wake of the horrid several weeks before this very nice bounceback set.

Mets baseball can always be better, but when you’ve got a Dickey and Davis making you happy, it can’t be beat.

Last night's tragic affair is almost too soon forgotten thanks to the RA Dickey led Mets win over the Cardinals.It's nice to see this team bounce back quickly from a punch in the gut, but it's easier to do that when your starting pitcher throws 8+ scoreless innings for you.

The Mets got their revenge on the Cardinals this afternoon, but that cold dish now needs to be served up to the Arizona Diamondbacks. The DBacks thoroughly embarrassed the Mets the other week by sweeping the three game series. If ever the Mets needed a three game sweep, the DBacks series is just the moment as the Mets will then have to travel to Atlanta and Philly the following week.

The Mets should not even pitch to Mark Reynolds this series. The guy sends balls into LaGuardia air space every time he comes to Citi Field. Hit him in the shin and don't even give him the chance to make you pay.

The thing that concerns me is that the Mets have scored 19 runs their last three games. That means their due for a drought. In any case the Mets need to scrap together three more consecutive wins. A 2-1 series win is almost pointless at this point.

It's now or never because next week's NL East battles will determine the direction for the rest of the Mets season or usher in thoughts of fantasy football draft status.

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“I’ve got to tell you, you can say a lot of things about the 2010 New York Mets, but you don’t ever say we don’t play hard.  I mean, look at Angel Pagan’s uniform and Jose Reyes after a 13–inning heartbreaker last night, coming off a 2–9 road trip.  We don’t give up, and we’re not going to give up… These guys don’t give up and it’s an honor to be on the team.”

~ RA Dickey, talking to SNY after today’s game

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http://www.sbnation.com/2010/7/28/1591502/mlb-trade-deadline-faq-what-it-is-rumors-waivers

Remember, the Trade Deadline is this Saturday at 4 pm.

So, I will be here blogging, more or less non-stop, between Friday morning through late Saturday afternoon… so, be sure to keep checking in for the latest on what the Mets are, or are not, up to.

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R.A. Dickey was brilliant once again today as he was just two outs shy of pitching a complete game shutout against the Cardinals, 4-0. He allowed only four hits and two walks as he improved to 7-4 on the season and lowered his ERA to 2.32, the lowest of any Mets starter.

Caption: Mets starting pitcher R.A. Dickey delivers in the second inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Citi Field on July 29, 2010. Dickey was the winning pitcher in the Mets 4-0 shutout of the Cardinals, pitching into the ninth inning when manager Jerry Manuel took him out with two men on base. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

After the Cardinals got runners on first and second with one out in the ninth, Jerry Manuel pulled Dickey. Because it was a save situation, Francisco Rodriguez came into the game and got the final two outs for his 22nd save of the season. Dickey’s pitching deep into this game was important as it gave the bullpen a day to rest, especially after last night’s taxing outing.

Despite a 13-inning loss last night, the Mets did not come out flat-footed. They had seven hits, but it was enough to put up four runs. Ike Davis provided all of the offense Dickey would need by hitting a three-run home run in the third inning. Carlos Beltran tacked on another run in the fifth inning after Angel Pagan hit a triple, his seventh of the season. Pagan had two more hits, raising his average to .309.

The Mets next will take on the Diamondbacks at home. Mike Pelfrey will try to make it back-to-back wins for the first time in a month.

Over at OnTheBlack, Kerel shows off his fancy video equipment and editing skills. with this video from on the field.

All I have for you is blurry iphone pictures with no zoom and I haven’t even posted them yet.

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Related posts:

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Roy Oswalt has waived his no-trade clause, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

In other words, ‘The deal is done,’ says Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com, as the Phillies send JA Happ, and minor-leaguers Jonathon Villar and Anthony Gose to Houston.

From what I can gather, from a Mets perspective, this would have been like trading Jon Niese, Ruben Tejada and Kirk Nieuwenhuis, so to speak.

In the last 12 months, the Phillies have traded for Cliff Lee, then sent him to the Mariners, acquired Roy Halladay and traded for Oswalt.

According to Jayson Stark of ESPN.com, the Astros will give the Phillies $11 million to be used for Oswalt’s 2011 salary.

However, Oswalt’s 2012 option will not yet be guaranteed, explains Rosenthal, who, instead, says the Phillies will add $1 million to his buyout on the ‘mutual option.’

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"I'm not getting a lot of hits, but I'm making it count when I do get them." ~ Ike Davis with Ed Coleman on WFAN after today's game

Ike Davis is now hitting .252 with 15 home runs and 52 RBI this season, and is hitting .282 against left handed pitching, versus .241 against right handed pitching.

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Not that a couple of games is ever the be-all end-all of things, but juxtapose Johan Santana's first-inning meltdown on Wednesday with R.A. Dickey's eight-plus-inning performance on Thursday afternoon and the debate over who is the Mets' best pitcher right now should end pretty quickly. Despite declining velocity and a sub-6.00 strikeouts-per-nine rate, Santana is still the king of Queens for the foreseeable future, but Dickey has almost certainly been the team's best starter this season.

Dickey's 2.32 walks-per-nine rate is the best among Mets starters and his strikeout rate is better than Santana's and Mike Pelfrey's. The walk rate in particular is stunning, as Dickey sported marks in excess of four walks a game in each of the last two seasons. What Angel Pagan has been to the lineup, R.A. Dickey has been to the starting rotation. The Mets are 6.5 games back of the Braves in the NL East, but they'd be far worse off without R.A.

• Mike Hessman looked pretty good at third, which could mean a bit more playing time down the stretch if the Mets look to give David Wright the occasional day off. Then again, if they wind up clawing their way into playoff contention they'll be understandably reluctant to rest Wright at all. Still, the defensive versatility can only help Hessman's chances of sticking around.
• Josh Thole went 1-for-2 with two walks. Rod Barajas getting injured was almost certainly for the best, as there was little chance Thole would get playing time otherwise what with Barajas having hit those dingers a few months ago.
• Ike Davis's 15th home run of the year ties him with Wright for the team lead. Davis only played half of April.
• Even the most shameless Jeff Francoeur apologists can't help but shake their heads when Frenchy comes to the plate these days.

The Diamondbacks come to Citi Field for a three-game series beginning on Friday, fresh off of getting swept by the Phillies.

Poem by Howard Megdal

With groundballs from knucklers and beard nonpareil
Dickey puts W where there had been L
And if it is massive home runs that you like
Well, may I present three-run bomb hit by Ike
Pujols and Holliday no match for Frankie
Remember this next time that he makes you cranky

SB Nation Coverage

* Traditional Recap
* Boxscore
* Amazin' Avenue Gamethread
* Viva El Birdos Gamethread

Win Probability Added

Big winners: R.A. Dickey, +30.1% WPA, Ike Davis, +17.5% WPA
Big losers: Jeff Francoeur, -7.1% WPA, Carlos Beltran, -6.8% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Davis three-run home run in third, +20.6% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: Beltran fly out in third, -6.5% WPA
Total pitcher WPA: +33.4% WPA
Total batter WPA: +16.6% WPA
GWRBI!: Ike Davis

Game Thread Roll Call

Nice job by NetsMets4Life; his effort in the game thread embiggens us all.

Num Name # of Posts 1 NetsMets4Life 77 2 aparkermarshall 57 3 Syler 47 4 Lunkwill Fook 37 5 ljmilman 36 6 itsmetsforme 35 7 Prince 21 8 ZOT! 20 9 The Glider 20 10 Jadden Hopkins 17