Mets Squeak Past Astros 3-1. Beltran Hrs And Hiasnori Closes The Door.

The Mets got their road trip off to a good start with a 3-1 victory over the Astros at Minute Maid Park. The team continues to get strong starting pitching with Jonathon Niese getting the no decision while pitching seven innings of one run ball. Niese has pitched well enough to win in 15 of 20 starts (not including the Detroit rain delay game). Carlos Beltran got the Mets on the board with a home run to left in the fourth. Jeff Francoeur added an RBI triple as insurance in the ninth to seal the victory for the Mets. Hisanori Takahashi, closing for the injured and banished Frankie Rodriguez, closed the game for the Mets, earning the first save of his MLB career.Offense continues to be the Met's achilles heal. The Mets and their anemic offense are averaging 2.8 runs per game since the all star break.

Takahashi Tames Yankees, Mets extend streak to Eight!

Mike Francesa said on his radio show today (WFAN, NYC 660AM) that he thought Mets starter Hisanori Takahashi is a five inning pitcher. He also said that he thought The Yankees would "bang him around". Well Mike..you can suck my Dickey! Takahashi extended his shutout streak against the Yankees to 12 innings in winning his sixth game against just two losses. The Mets, winners of eight straight games, including their seventh straight on the road, continue to exceed expectations. Written off for dead back in mid May, the Mets keep on getting baseball's most important commodity. Great starting pitching. Nursing a 1-0 lead, the crafty lefty Takahashi looked more like a vintage Tom Glavine than a  journeyman, by wiggling out of a bases loaded jam in the 6th retiring Jorge Posada to end the Yankee's most serious threat. Ike Davis drove in the Mets first run with a single in the first inning. Angel Pagan added some insurance with a two run opposite field single in the eight, before Jose Reyes capped off the scoring with a rbi single in the ninth. The Mets bullpen continued to do the job with Pedro Feliciano pitching two strong innings before Frankie K gave everyone Agita by loading the bases in the ninth inning before escaping the jam for his 16th save.

Mets Commit Avicide! Slay Birds 3-1

The New York Mets won back to back road games for the first time since they beat the Houston Astros on July 25-26, 2009.  The Mets were 0-7-2 in their previous nine road series. Riding the arm of lefty starter Hisanori Takahashi, who pitched 7 innings of one run ball, the Mets continued a remarkable run by it's starting staff. Over the last five starts, the starters have gone 38.2 innings while giving up only 7 runs. This has given the weary bullpen some rest, and they have responded by giving up no runs over their last 8.1 innings. Jose Reyes led off the first inning with a solo HR and Jeff Francoeur added a big insurance run by smashing a laser to right field for his 7th HR of the year. Francoeur has been contributing all year, despite his very streaky offensive game. Ruben Tejada sparkled in the field on a couple of plays and showed tremendous range on an Adam Jones ground ball up the middle in the 7th inning. KRod saved his 13th by pitching a scoreless ninth.
The Mets are at their high water mark of the season, six games over .500 at 34-28.

Takahashi, Bullpen Blank Phils for second straight night! Mets win 5-0

Jose Reyes continued his torrid hitting with a homerun and two RBI's and Rod Barajas drove in three to back the stellar pitching of Japanese lefty Hisanori Takahashi. Takahashi, improved to 4-1 with six shutout innings and the bullpen continues to impress, blanking the Phillies over the final three.
It seems for the moment that the Mets won't miss either John Maine or Oliver Perez, as the have received a marked improvement from replacement starters Takahashi and R.A. Dickey.

Note-Team speed continues to help as the Mets now have been successful in  47 out of 56 SB tries.