The Mets play four games in Atlanta this week. Today's game is a day/night double header with the day game making up for a rain out from April 4th. These games are huge!

The Mets have a chance to show everyone that the wins at the Yankees were no mirage. And a good showing in this series, could mean that the Mets vault into first place over Florida.

Three out of four is the minimum acceptable record in this series as far as I'm concerned. To heck with it being Turner Field. The Mets are better than the Braves and they need to go out and show that this week.

Second day running, and the bullpen have succeeded in making it nigh on impossible to catch a slender lead. Jorge Sosa last night was a disaster - a 30 pitch inning? Why didn't Willie pull him before the Kelly Johnson at-bat - he was obviously thinking it, after the meeting on the mound with Rick Peterson. That ended that game... and here I am watching live as Aaron Heilman blows it again, after we had kept it tight. I know there 3 outs left, but let's face it, there is no run support today anyway, so a difficult pull back has just become impossible. Santana pitches well, leaves just 6 outs to go and watches the bullpen blow it. Is the reminding us of anything? Have the lessons of last year not been learned?

Tonight is the first real test for the Mets. Yes and only the fourth game of the season. Turner Field used to be a house of horrors for the Mets. We turned it around last season and routed the Braves in their home park.

With Glavine back on the hill for the Braves it feels a little bit like 2001 again though. We've got John Maine going tonight so I like our chances.

Angel Pagan has been a nice surprise over the first three games with 4 hits and 4 RBIs. Angel shouldn't be a surprise since he had a strong spring. But you never know how spring success translates into the regular season. I hope he keeps it going.

Let's go out and sweep those damn Braves so we can send the message to the NL East that Pedro or no Pedro we will be a force to be reckoned with!

Welcome to September baseball folks. The good news out of Florida tonight is that the Phillies lost 7-6 to the Marlins which means that we've gained a pair of games in the standings over the past two days.

I think it is going to be an exciting month. Hopefully not too exciting, especially if the Mets are able to turn things around and win most of their games.

Sweeping the Braves is a good sign. Delgado is thawing out. Mike Pelfrey could provide us a much needed boost either as a starter or out of the bullpen.

There's plenty of work to do. Jose Reyes is slumping. Billy Wagner will probably give us heart attacks. And the team has been getting caught way too much on the basepaths. I'm looking to Willie Randolph to figure out how to effectively use his bullpen.

We got the pitching we needed to close out the rubber game of the three game series with the Braves.

Tom Glavine gave up a couple of runs but still pitched well. Even Scott Schoenweis was able to come in late and hold the line. Alas, the bats were flat.

I couldn't imagine a better stretch followed by a worse stretch.

First the Mets clean up on a road trip then come home to beat up on the Cubs.

Then the Mets take the first two from the Yanks over the weekend. I went into Sunday night wanting a sweep. Personally I needed a sweep. It didn't happen. Not the end of the world.

Well, it was fun indeed to beat up on the Yanks over the weekend and for the Met fans to have unequivocal bragging rights around the office today. It is fun to see the Yankee fans stammer and try to change the topic when the subject of baseball comes up. My mama always taught me to be humble but it is indeed hard to resist at least a little needling.

Sports roundup for Monday May 14, 2007. The standings and a little (very little) commentary.

How can I be happy after watching the Mets blow this one to the Braves?

The hitting was there in general but oh that relief pitching. Aaron Heilman made a rookie mistake, getting beat when he grooved one on a 2-0 pitch to Kelly Johnson. Johnson struck out four times last night but hit two homers today.