Game 7: Mets vs. Philles @ Shea Stadium

In today's Met home opener, John Maine would toe the rubber looking for a repeat of his last outing in which he threw 7 strong innings for the win. The Mets would also look to make Jimmy Rollins eat some crow.

The Good: In the words of the great Art Howe: "We Battled." After falling behind numerous times, the Mets would overcome their own misplays in the field to take advantage of those by the Phillies. Shawn Green continues to rake and Julio Franco seems to be getting better with age.

The Bad: John Maine was not as effective. Until the 7 run outburst in the 8th inning, David Wright's bat continued to kill the Met offense in crucial situations. Wright missed a grand slam by about a foot, hitting it off the top of the left field fence. Ambiorix Burgos went from hero to goat in a matter of one Ryan Howard swing. Although good for the Phillies at the time, Shane Victorino's sprawling catch to end the seventh inning seemed to have saved the game. The Mets had other ideas.

Overall: The image to the left symbolizes today's ballgame - the Mets just barely pulled one out. You need to win some of these every now and then. A three game losing streak would not have been good. It also feels good to have some hand over Rollins and his comments - at least for one game. Met fans can only hope for more of the same to come from Rollins.

Nuggets: Keith Hernandez threw out the ceremonial first pitch. Jimmy Rollins was booed, all the Mets were not. Willie Randolph stuck with Maine and gave him a chance to go five innings. However, Maine could not finish the job. Billy Wagner would pitch a 1-2-3 9th inning to end the game.

Final Score: Mets 11, Phillies 5. Record: 5-2.