Back on the Horse

For now, the Mets won't do losing streaks. Even with their fifth starter facing on of the league's best pitcher--albeit in his first start back from an injury--the Mets still took Sunday's rubber game with a 9-3 win over Milwaukee. A day after his team had its seven-game winning streak snapped, Brian Bannister survived five innings of one-run, five-walk ball and earned the victory against Ben Sheets. Carlos Delgado made up for a throwing error with a three-run homer in the eighth inning that helped blow the game open.

Although everyone wants to jump up and down in response to the Mets' 9-2 start, Gothamist urges restraint. The Mets may end up performing well in the not-so-tough National League, but the bulk of their success so far has come against Washington and Florida, two teams that might lose 100 games each this year. Brian Bannister must figure out how to walk less than nine men in 11 innings before his pixie dust runs out. The Mets get arch-nemesis Atlanta next in what could prove a better indicator of the Mets' chances. Of course, it's only April, so the Mets should stay grounded no matter what happens.

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By Tom Boorstein on April 17, 2006 9:15 AM

Comments [rss]

Tim N.

50,000 at Shea? Must've been Soap Day.

maura

i'd suggest that you save your optimism-tempering advice for fans of the yankees -- you know, the team that's racked up half of its wins because it's really good at beating up on the walk-prone, 2-9 kansas city royals. (not to mention that the mets have been able to actually *win* close games this year -- they're not only finding success in blowouts, or in 11-9 footballish contests.)