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Jul 31

Don’t blame Omar for protecting prospects ….

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The trade deadline is today and if the Mets haven’t done anything by now don’t expect anything in the next four hours. Ted Lilly is an outside chance, but looks headed to the Dodgers.

MINAYA: Will keep pat hand today.

According to reports, and a lot of it is stuff thrown against the wall, the Astros want Bobby Parnell and Josh Thole for Brett Myers. I wouldn’t do Myers straight up for either.

The deadline will pass with the Mets keeping the status quo, and that’s fine by me if what I’ve been hearing is true. Parnell, Thole, Jon Niese and Ike Davis are the names other teams are seeking. That’s the future of this franchise.

I can’t blame Omar Minaya for wanting to protect the future, even if it means not winning this year. Perhaps, if the Mets pulled the trigger on Roy Oswalt a month ago I’d be looking at it differently, because there would have been a chance to make up serious ground. But, at the deadline, not so much.

For years I’ve been hearing the Mets don’t have much of a farm system, but there is a good young core here. To keep it intact is essential.

Jul 30

Mets Chat Room; Pelfrey needs to get it straight.

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Mike Pelfrey was better in his last start, but he’s still not there. At one time he was 9-1, now he’s 10-5. He needs to get back to his earlier form starting tonight against Arizona if the Mets are to break out of their downward spiral that has been the month of July.

Game #103 vs. Diamondbacks

Without a sound Pelfrey the Mets have no chance of making a second-half run at the NL East, which is slowly fading away, and made even more unlikely with the Phillies’ acquisition of Roy Oswalt.

Pelfrey is 0-3 with an 11.40 ERA in his last four starts. Included in that span was giving up four first-inning runs in his last start against the Diamondbacks.

The first inning has been a recent trap for Pelfrey.

“(In eight of my) last nine starts, I’ve given up a run in the first inning and I need to find a way of stopping that,’’ Pelfrey said. “Whether it’s throwing more pitches in the ‘pen, I don’t know.’’

Pelfrey gave the Mets a chance in his previous start last weekend at Los Angeles, giving up two runs in five innings. Even so, he still threw a lot of pitches and was removed for a pinch-hitter.

It was the first time in five starts that he made it through five innings. The Mets have lost four of those games.

Pelfrey is 0-5 with a 6.75 ERA in six career starts against Arizona.

Jul 23

Mets Chat Room; season sliding away.

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The Mets have given up most of the ground they gained in June. They are 5-13 for July, including losers of four straight and seven of eight on this road trip. They have lost 6 ½ games in the standings to be 7 ½ games behind the Braves.

Game #97 at Dodgers

There’s still time, but it is amazing how it slips away.

Things are even more pressing considering the Mets have three games with the Dodgers, and three each with St. Louis, Atlanta and Philadelphia. They also have three with Arizona, but all they need to do is look at the beginning of the week to know that’s not a slam dunk.

For all the talk about needing another starter, which is still true considering Mike Pelfrey’s slide and the erratic performances of Hisanori Takahashi, it is the offense that has collapsed, scoring four runs or fewer in their last 13 games.

Going tonight is Johan Santana, who knows something about non-support as he has watched the Mets give him three runs or less in 12 of his 20 starts.

“This is a team effort, and it’s part of the game,” Santana said. “We’re going to struggle sometimes, we’re going to do good sometimes. All I got to do is go out there and do my job and try to help to get a win. That’s the way I approach the game.’’

Santana has done his part, with the Mets winning his last three starts. He is 2-0 with a 0.38 ERA in that span.

“We’ve got to eventually turn this thing around,” said manager Jerry Manuel. “Somebody’s got to find a way to get hot and carry us for a minute.’’

Well, a little bit more than a minute would be nice.

Jul 20

Pelfrey a mess

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“There was a time when you could say, `Johnson, Jimenez, Pelfrey.’ You can’t say that right now.’’- Jerry Manuel.

PELFREY: He's unraveled.

At one time Mike Pelfrey was making signs and sounds of being an elite pitcher, but he has hit a wall in his development and regressed. Manuel said Pelfrey needs to re-establish his fastball and get back to pounding it low in the zone.

Pelfrey is a hot mess right now. He claims he’s healthy – I guess the dead arm period is over – and maybe so physically, but emotionally and mentally he’s damaged. He’s aiming the ball and going away from his power to finessing his pitches.

It’s now six straight starts in which he’s been off, with the last four being poor. He’s not going to find it overnight. It will be a progression before Pelfrey will be back again.

By that time, the season could be over.

Jul 19

Who is the real Mike Pelfrey?

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PELFREY: Needs to figure it out.

We might know more about one of the Mets’ key second-half questions tonight, which is: Who is the real Mike Pelfrey?

At one time, Pelfrey was 9-1 and cruising toward the All-Star Game. All was right in his world and the Mets were making up ground on Atlanta. However, he has hit a rough five-game stretch since in which he’s gone 1-3 with a 7.52 ERA.

That’s just the beginning of the bad numbers.

In that span Pelfrey (10-4, 3.58 ERA) failed to make it out of the fifth inning in his last three starts, including going four while giving up four runs on 12 hits in his last start against the Braves.

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