Los Gigantes

After taking a week off due to immense work and Memorial Day coinciding with the Diamondbacks, it's time to return to the blogosphere. And just in time. For Barry Bonds. But he's already passed the Babe's #2 record and there's no chance in hell he breaks Aaron's. So then it's time to talk about the Mets. They played pretty well against the Diamondbacks. The team exhibited a comeback spirit more furious than Dwight Gooden trying to flee the police. They melted Jose Valverde and made Jason Grimsley look like... well, Jason Grimsley. But there were problems inherent in the series. The X-Factor was injured with appendicitis, while Carlos Delgado was painful to watch, as he went 1 for 14 and his average dropped to .250. Grotesque. But there was good stuff too. Pedro's untouchableness, David Wright and Endy Chavez's clutch and Cliff Floyd's newfound hotstreak. And I'd be remissed if I didn't mention that Firstings is in town as well. But all of that takes a backseat to a series betweeen the Mets and the San Francisco Victor Contes.

Starters:
Game 1: Friday, 7:10
Matt Cain, RHP (3-5, 5.07 ERA) vs. Tom Glavine, LHP (8-2, 2.59 ERA)

Cain is a youngster who pitched well against the Mets earlier this season, but has struggled, posting a high ERA in failing to meet expectations. Of Cain's nine starts, he has only gone more than six innings in two of them. Recently, however, the righty has been on a roll, only allowing one run in his last two starts (14.1 IP), including a CG one-hit gem against Oakland. Unfortunately for Cain, he is facing a pitcher on a much greater hot streak, one who is driven in his search for his 300th win. Although Cain and the Giants bested Glavine and the Mets in this matchup earlier this year in San Fran, the Tom Glavine renaissance continues tonight.

Game 2: Saturday, 1:20 (Semi-National TV: FOX)
Jamey Wright, RHP (5-4, 4.43 ERA) vs. Orlando Hernandez, RHP (3-4, 6.04 ERA)

This matchup pits El Duque against Met-crushed Jamey Wright. El Duque is making his second start in a Mets uniform after a strong outing on Sunday against the Marlins. Although he had minor control problems and allowed a massive longball, he showed signs of being able to pitch well. Wright was shown up last weekend by the Rockies, allowing six runs on ten hits in three and two-thirds innings of work. Wright also has a 1-3 career record against the Mets with a 5.63 ERA. Sounds like a push to me

Game 3: Sunday, 1:10
Matt Morris, RHP (3-6, 5.40 ERA) vs. Steve Trachsel, RHP (2-4, 5.10 ERA)

Two disappointing "innings-eaters" will square off against eachother. Morris, acquired as part of a busy offseason for San Fran, has been disappointing after starting the season 2-0. His last start was strong but he has been victimized by poor control and high hit totals all this season. Trachsel has also been hit hard, making him the official punching bag of the Mets rotation. He pitched poorly in his last start, allowing 4 runs in 6 innings. Trachsel has fared well against the Giants in his career, posting a 9-4 career record against them with a 2.57 ERA. Narrow edge to Trachsel.

San Francisco Giants Breakdown (27-26):
This is a nice club. It's hardly great, though, and I would be shocked if they can keep up with the Dodgers in the NL West on account of the ridiculous depth LA has and their shoddy pitching. The staff is sending out its weaker links against the Mets this series, though they have been buoyed by the resurgence of Jason Schmidt (5-2, 2.70 ERA, 2 CG). Last year's ace Noah Lowry went down with an injury during the season's infancy, but has returned to post solid numbers in six starts including an ERA slightly above 4. The bullpen has been a statistical anomaly, as veteran middle reliever Tim Worrell leads the team in saves despite having a 6.91 ERA, while Armando Benitez has a mere 3 saves (2 blown saves) with a 3-0 record and 0.79 ERA. How much sense does that make? If that didn't blow your mind, Braden Looper also has a 3-0 record. Somewhere in a rec league far far away, John Franco and Randy Myers are competing with 3-0 records for the Rolaids Relief Man Award, where the prize is actually a pack of Rolaids. The offense has been led by the veteran shortstop Omar Vizquel, who has hit .318 en route to scoring 38 runs and driving in 22 runs. The presently injured Moises Alou has posted strong numbers as well, including a .378/.436/.671 line with 7 HR and 25 RBI prior to his injury. Pedro Feliz has also packed a punch, leading the team with 35 RBi. It is essential to mention, however, that their team has been hampered by a leftfielder/cleanup hitter who cannot run and is hitting a mere .254 with 7 HR and 20 RBI, poor production from the position. He also sits out many of his team's games, and, while he recently moved into #2 on the all-time HR list, he has been a disappointment on a whole this season. Willie Randolph must pitch to Bonds this series, on account of his limited power production and sloth on the basepaths.

Players to Watch for:
SF: Omar Vizquel. This type of tiny, scrappy player, like Eric Byrnes or Craig Counsell of the Diamondbacks, always seems like the player who destroys the Mets. Not to mention he's posting amazing numbers this year, and unlike Cream 'n Clear Bonds, he will play in three games this series.

NYM: Jose Reyes. I'd like to see him get on base this series and wreak his typical havoc. He went a disappointing 2 for 14 against the D-Backs, and like Delgado, his average too fell to .250. What a shame.

Player of the Series: Cliff Floyd

Picks: Two of three for the Amazins before they head out west to face the formidable Dodgers.


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