PEN-DA-MOAN-IUM !!!!!!

(With thanks to Marilyn Budd for the title)

So, here I am, heading out of a restaurant with my 2 daughters and the wife, relying on scores from my cellphones' version of an internet browser, going into the top of the 9th inning, down 2-1. I figured that was it, being that the Mets hitters' treat the 6th - 9th innings like a cheap hooker in the middle of the Bellagio. As I got into the car, before I could turn on my XM, Jon called me to let me know about Beltran's Grand Salami (and who said he wasn't "clutch") and our new 5-2 lead!! Sounded great, no? But, once again, Pen-da-moan-ium ran wild, as my new "least favorite" reliever, lose-n-I-yell-atcha (or Luis Ayala to those not following that closely) nearly blew it, letting 2 runs score before getting out of the inning with a ground-out, the Mets winning 5-4. It was much too close for comfort, and left me wanting to go back to the restaurant and pound down a few more shots of hard liquor! That's what this bullpen will do to you, and unless we can get some real help from the likes of Figueroa, Parnell, Niese, Muniz and Kunz, it's going to be that much harder to hold the hated Phils' at bay. In fact, on the radio today in Florida, a Phils' fan asked Peter Gammons about the Mets-Phils battle, and Gammons responded that they both have the same problem- the 6th-9th innings. Let's hope that somehow changes soon...and as Aaron said earlier today in his post, some revenge for last September would be real sweet about now versus those fish (and listening on the XM feed, you could hear fans cheering "let's go Mets" during the broadcast- no surprise there, as why should it be any different then when we attended the first two games of the season?)

Hasta!