The Mets are still better than the Nationals. One might even be bold enough to say that they are the best minor league team in the game right now. They have a stranglehold on the fourth place spot in the division right now, and they have no intentions of giving it up.
The Mets got early contributions from Daniel Murphy and Jeff Francoeur to take a two run lead in the first inning and added three more in the second. Five runs was more than enough for Livan Hernandez last night, as he continued his domination of the Nationals, winning his eight straight against them. It was the perfect storm for Hernandez, who had been struggling mightily coming into last night. The combination of playing a team he dominates, who just happens to be the worst team in baseball was just what the doctor ordered.
A lot has been said regarding the Mets turning down a deal proposed by the Blue Jays for Roy Halladay. The deal included four of the Mets top young players, Fernando Martinez, Bobby Parnell, Jon Niese and Ruben Tejada. I personally think that if the Mets are willing to shell out the money that would be necessary to sign Halladay after next year, they need to make this trade. Halladay won’t help the offense score more runs, so he may not be the piece necessary to make a play at the post season this year, so it can’t be a rental trade (similar to CC Sabathia to the Brewers last year). Having a one-two punch like Santana and Halladay at the top of the rotation makes your team an automatic contender for years to come. The biggest reason to make this deal happen, is that it keeps Halladay out of Philadelphia, which is quite possibly the worst case scenario for Mets fans.
The Adventures of Oliver Perez continue tonight. I would love to see a sweep in this series, just for a boost in my mood. It would help even more if the Phillies would drop a game once in a while to make it matter even more.
