Can Mets Make It 3 In A Row From Phils???

If so, they'll have to do it without starting catcher, Brian Schneider, who is out with a bruised forearm. Schneider has received a lot of the credit for the success to date of the Mets starting rotation, and tonite's starter, Mike Pelfrey, is on a roll pitching well in all of his most recent outings. Without Schneider, and his pitch-calling and extensive knowledge of NL hitters, Pelfrey will be left to his own devices and those of his battery-mate, Raul Casanova.

Today's game starts at 8:05PM EST, and is on ESPN as their "game of the week." For more on this game, head over to Mets.com for a preview and more on Pelfrey's progress.

By the way- the Phils (and the National League's) reigning MVP, shortstop Jimmy Rollins, was placed on the 15-day disabled list today after pinch-hitting yesterday. Rollins' injured his ankle against the Mets on April 8th and, having never been on the DL in his career, was insistent on staying on the active roster to give his teammates a mental "boost." However, the sprain still severe, the Phils' needed someone to replace Rollins so they aren't continuing to play short-handed. Unlike Phils' fans, we wish Rollins well in his recovery, as we'd rather beat the Phils WITH him then WITHOUT him!!!

Finally, Frank Thomas was released by the Toronto Blue Jays today, a result of what the Jays perceived as Thomas's slow start this season, but what Thomas perceived as a way to save money off of incentive clauses that would have kicked in had Thomas reached 600 at-bats this season which would have paid off in the way of an extended contract. The Jays will be on the hook for his 2 remaining contracted years, and Thomas now joins the ranks of Mike Piazza, Sammy Sosa, Kenny Lofton and Barry Bonds, amongst a number of others, who are all looking for work somewhere in MLB. The "Big Hurt" was a personal and perennial favorite of my late father's, and I wish him well in his job search (and wish he could still play first, not that he ever really could, as I'd love to see him spell Carlos Delgado now and then!)