I always knew that Mike had it in him. Watching Mike Pelfrey last season I could see a pitcher that was a few good coaching tips away from being a dominant starter. It looks like Mike has learned some lessons and the dividends are paying off. I'm very excited to see this development.

A nine game winning streak is all that we could have hoped for going into the all-star break. I'm also glad that the Mets have won six straight at home, finally giving the fans something to cheer about. The streak puts the Mets right back into the thick of things in the NL East. The Phillies are holding on to a sliver of a lead just above us. The Marlins are right behind us. The joy of all these wins is great but there is a lot more work to do. For the moment this Mets team looks to be very capable of getting that work done.

Have a look at the schedule and you will see that much of the work takes place this month. After four games with the Reds we've got nine games with the Phillies, Cardinals and Marlins. All of these games have playoff implications. They will be the real test. I believe we can pass!

The Reyes Effect

It's also worth noting the similarity between the Mets' record and the performance of Jose Reyes. I have said all season that as Jose goes, so do the Mets. Jose has hit safely in every game of the current winning streak. Jose has either scored or knocked in a run in every game of the streak. What's surprising is that Jose has stolen only three bases during the streak. When Jose is playing at his best his game is multi-faceted. So stolen bases are just one part of the larger story.

One thing is for sure. Jose getting on base makes the jobs of the 2 thru 5 hitters a lot easier. If Jose Reyes keeps it up he will match (and hopefully eclipse) his fabulous 2006 performance by driving in more than 80 runs and scoring more than 120 runs. If Jose makes that happen then the Mets are back in the playoffs for sure.

Throwing Blanks

The pitching over the last nine games has been ridiculous. Aside from the abominable performances in the 10-9 victory over the Phillies, the Mets' pitching has been mostly stellar during the streak. Johan Santana, Oliver Perez and Mike Pelfrey have been the standout starters. The bullpen has been terrific too. Since coming home from Philadelphia the pitching staff has given up four runs in six games with four shutouts.

The pitching performances have been mostly dominant. John Maine is the only starter that hasn't really joined the party of late. I think John has the skills to work through it. Hopefully the all-star break rest helps out with that. The real test for the entire staff will come when the Mets start to play more competitive teams later this month. I'm hopeful that the trend of getting guys out when we need it will continue as long.

Injuries

The Mets are the oldest team in the league so injuries continue to pose the biggest threat to the team. Moises Alou is out for good. Pedro Martinez may or may not have to miss a start or two due to a groin problem. Orlando Hernandez may be back at some point. Ryan Church has been very questionable since his second concussion. Angel Pagan may return to the team after the all-star break. Luis Castillo will return soon but may have to fight to get his job back.

There are a lot of ifs and a lot of question marks with the Mets injury situation. The outfield is the most critical area where the Mets need help right now. We've got reserve type guys playing everyday which means our bench depth is severely limited.

The Spoilers

The contributions of the likes of Damion Easley and Fernando Tatis must be recognized. Both of these guys are playing like they mean it and taking opposing teams by surprise in the process. Neither Easley nor Tatis are big numbers guys. but they have been clutch hitters and hustlers on the bases and in the field. These guys are playing like they really want to be major leaguers. There's something to be said for a true desire to be on the field. This is an intangible that you don't see in the box score.

The Second Half

Who knows what drama and excitement the second half will bring. For the moment I'm just glad that the Mets have proven that they can win and at least contend for a title in 2008. It's just the right way to reward the fans and give Shea Stadium a proper send off.

Let's Go Mets!