Wright And Pelfrety Come Alive But Mets Still Fall

Anthony Di Como at Mets.com, writes about the Mets 5-2 loss last night to the Marlins:

Call it a loss with a silver lining. Call it a coming-out party with a regrettable end. The fact remains that despite the outcome, this one was far from empty.

Just ask David Wright, the slumping third baseman who banged out three hits. Or starter Mike Pelfrey, who for the first time this season looked like he belonged. Or even Carlos Delgado, who finally willed a couple of those hard shots to fall in. For that trio, Tuesday marked a renaissance of sorts, one that not even the end result could entirely spoil.

"You don't want to lose," Delgado said, "but it's nice to see David swing the bat good, and it was real nice to see Pelfrey bounce back. It builds a lot of character."

It was a step forward after Pelfrey's last start, when the rookie right-hander threw fastball after fastball into the zone, and paid for it. Tuesday quickly shaped up to be more of the same for Pelfrey, who loaded the bases in the first inning on a hit batsman and two walks, then unloaded them on a Josh Willingham triple.

And then, just like that, something clicked. Pelfrey didn't melt down, as he had last week, but instead rose up, emboldened by the challenge. And suddenly, it was Florida that looked feeble. Only three of the next 20 batters Pelfrey faced reached base.

"He showed me something," Mets manager Willie Randolph said. "I think maybe tonight he learned that sometimes taking your foot off the accelerator a little bit is going to be better"

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