in NY Sportsday

Two pitchers, both 21, were suspended for testing positive for banned substances. Jose Valentin and Leandro Geremy were both suspended for steroids that were to be injected.

Its been believed that for athletes to acquire steroids and other banned substances is far much easier in latin speaking countries. Information is spread by word of mouth and leaves no paper or internet trail. These two were 21, old by their own standard in a camp with alot of teenagers. They were willing to take a chance to distinguish themselves in any way they could to get to the states and chase their dream.

I love not having to wait until the morning to see the box score. If you’re under 35, you have no idea what I’m talking about.

I know Met fans were so happy for Aaron Heilman. Six straight outs. He vultred that win a bit yesterday, but justice was served. If Heilman is going to be ok, it could mean alot for that bullpen. I’ve always liked the kid.

Speaking of kid….how about Dan Murphy? Two more hits tonight with one in the first in front of Wright’s homer. I can’t imagine any player that Minaya brought in could have had the impact that Murphy has had. It reminds of Gregg Jefferries’ 1988 August call-up. Damn, that’s now 20 years ago. What an tired old blow hard I’m becoming.

Here’s hoping Murphy’s Mets days are more memorable than Jefferries. What a great thing for the organization it will be if they can develop a young everyday player in Murphy.

Do the Mets try to sign Oliver Perez afterall? I’d say its changed to yes, but its Scott Boras as his agent. However, the Mets have always had a fairly constructive relationship with Boras. It may be because around baseball, the Mets have always been considered as one of the better paying clubs.

Perez is young, healthy, energetic and seems to thrive on the big stage. New York’s baseball teams have a tendency not to let those kind of pitchers get away. Or they bring them back like an Andy Pettitte or Roger Clemens.

It would be nice going into next season knowing that Perez, John Maine, Mike Pelfrey and Johan Santana will be four starters that open the gates of the new ball park.

So if the team finishes well, it can comfortably resign Perez and Delgado. Dan Murphy can either play left or he can be farmed out this winter to learn to play second base. Add a power bat for the outfield corner. Maybe even Manny Ramirez if the club decides Murphy can play 2nd. This would leave more valuable time to develop Fernando Martinez.

The emergence of Dan Murphy as a viable everyday player has changed everything for the Mets. In just a few days, one young virtually unknown player from AA made the overall Met outlook for this year and beyond much brighter.

Interesting observation from Mike Steffanos of Mike’s Mets.

Then again, this is a pitching staff that specializes in giving up the long ball, as Johan Santana learned to his dismay as another lead went up in smoke while Scott Schoeneweis was giving up a monster blast in the ninth. Then again, Santana allowed one himself to push his season total to 19 allowed. As a staff, the Mets have allowed 122 on the season despite pitching home games in big Shea. The Phillies staff has allowed two less in their bandbox.

Mike’s correct. Shea’s always been considered pitching friendly, and his application of the number of home runs is more than fair. Thank goodness the one’s allowed yesterday by Santana and Schoeneweis were with bases empty. But man, that one SchoScho gave up to Jody Gerut could count twice. What a freekin bomb!

from Andrew Beaton of Hot Foot.

Ron Darling proved prophetic when he indicated prior to David Wright’s 9th inning time at bat that sometimes when a team has a bad day, the great players bail them out. Wright’s 2-run homer off Heath Bell bailed out the Mets on a days it’s bullpen blew Johan Santana’s 6th lead. The one justice in the game came when hard-luck Aaron Heilman got the win.

Nontheless, even with the spark the young players have provided, this remains a flawed team. Bullpen drama, spotty defense at times with players playing out of position and all too frequent poor situational hitting makes this team lose ugly.

Still the occassional magic like David Wright’s homerun today leaves one with feelings of affection……and hope. Somehow order can be restored to the bullpen. Somehow career infielders will play like outfielders. Somehow they’ll start getting bunts down and getting runners in from third.

Somehow.

Daniel Murhy had three hits tonight and produced the Mets two runs. Eddie Kunz popped his proverbial cherry a gave up a homerun, but added three grounball outs. Even in a close Mets loss did two who Minya would not trade contribute. The next stop for Kuntz will be to get the last three outs at Shea sometime this week. For Murhpy it will be another day as the number two hitter, but against lefthanders. If he succeeds, it solidifies the line-up and makes Rich Aurillas possible acquisition make more sense for the stretch run. He’s played only 1st and 3rd this season but can probably still provide innings at short. So if Murphy can play everyday in left, the Mets can send down Evans and acquire Aurillia. Chavez can be the number one OF replacement for defense. The wild card on any of this is whether of not Ryan Church can return. Still, non of those could ever be contemplated if the two Mets prospects in Kuntz and Murphy didn’t play like they are ready to be big leaguers.

UPDATE: It appears that Jerry Manuel was influenced by Pedro’s power of persuassion in the Met sixth with two out and a man on first. Grady Little is forever cursed by this that I dont feel Martinez means any harm by. But, no. Manuel did not use a pinch hitter in front of Jose Reyes and hot-hitting Daniel Murphy. As bad as the Mets have been some pinch hitting has been pretty good. Most notably in Argenis Reyes and catchers Ramon Castro and Robinson Cancel. This oppotunity was hot in its potential. Jose Reyes followed and has earned a reputation as a late inning RBI guy. A vetarn manager in Manuel was seduced by a veteran pitcher who wanted to stay in the game as had Grady Little. We saw the results.

Randy Niemann (an old drinking buddy who like me knows where the bodies are buried) and PT Chris Correnti reported on Garcia. Talk about lightening in a bottle. If Niemann says he can he can go, get him in there.

At any rate, I’ve told Mets folks - not that my opinion matters - that Niemann is a manager and needs to be given a job doing that one day. I can hear him cursing me, but I’m holding my position. Niemo, youre a leader. Do it.

That poor kid. But we won and Hielman came out to greet his mates after they picked him up. Great job by Mike Pelfrey to get into a jam and get out with a double play in the seventh. Jose Feliciano did great getting two lefties in Giles and Gonzalez before turning it over to Joe Smith. Save poor Heilman’s long ball the pen performed remarkably. Kuntz would have been there in the event Schoenweis faltered. Kuntz needs to see Gonzalez, Giles and/or Gerut tomorrow to see just how heavy that sinker is.

Two big doubles by the LF platoon of Evans and Murphy were very big. The club needed some extra base hits and the two delivered. Good night for the rookies as they contributed late with well struck extra base hits that helped produce runs. It looks like they can hit big league pitching. If the miracle of Fernando Tatis keeps on giving like it did tonight, we can be ok. Its only seven weeks.

If Kunz can get a save opportunity and deliver it could make dreams come true.

Manuel got Pelfrey to get own jam in the seventh signaling that starters will going further. Mex has been calling for this and I agree. You have some starters who can in Johan Santana, Mike Pelfrey and Oliver Perez. The Mets can win this thing but the things that happened tonight need to keep on happening. I believe that they really can

I believe that Omar Minaya will get another player. Maybe Freddie Garcia. Maybe Livan Hernandez. One or both could enable Pedro’s move to the bullpen to shut down an inning and even get the last three. Pedro wants to come back and his effectiveness in this role can help.

Numerous Mets bloggers have weighed in and said that the Mets do not need 3 catchers. Wrong. Having only two is the same as having one. People over reacted when Robinson Cancel took 3rd base Sunday in Houston. Bad decision on his part, but it has nothing to do with the roster. All clubs - not just the Mets carry 12 to 13 pitchers. Way too many. They’ve been trying to protect starters arms in the minors and the Mets have been wrong about the way they use their bullpen. Its no wonder they’ve used up Aaron Heilman to keep starters at 100 pitches. They have to go more as Keith Hernandez said the other night.

UPDATE: In Metsblog, Joe Janish has more.