Franco Blows Chance for First

The Mets were poised to claim a tie for first place in the NL East, but John Franco gave up the game winning home run in the 9th inning of last night's game. Bobby Abreu, a fan selection to the All-Star game, smacked the home run, his 18th to hand the Mets the 5-4 loss (box score).

Now, the Mets are two games out of first place and tied for second place with the hated Atlanta Braves. The Mets take on the Florida Marlins this weekend in Miami before the break. The Phillies play the aforementioned Braves, with first place at steak. The best the Mets can hope for before the break is a tie for first with the Braves. After the All Star break, the Mets return home to play four against the Phillies. With games against the top teams in the NL East, there is a chance the Amazins could be in first very soon. Of course, there is also a chance they could be in fourth, a few games out of first.