Game 115: Mets vs. Braves @ Shea Stadium

The Mets look to build off of last night's great win by taking the noon rubber game from the Atlanta Braves. John Maine takes on Tim Hudson in what should be a good game to watch.

The Good: The Mets scored early and late but fell asleep in between. It was good to see the passion in the players as they fought back from a big deficit. Jose Reyes singled to start the game once again and scored on a David Wright hit. In the ninth inning, the Mets would cut a 7-3 deficit to 7-6 on a David Wright homer. That was the last good news they would receive. Reyes three hits, Wright three hits, and Alou *two hits.

The Bad: Although they were getting robbed on numerous defensive plays, the Mets would hold a lead until the top of the fifth when Chipper Jones crushed a three-run homer off of the scoreboard in right; Mark Teixeira followed that with a homer of his own. It seems like John Maine was rattled after the Chipper homer and consistent concentration is still lacking on his part. Jorge Sosa then allowed a run in his lone inning of work which would prove to be costly. Then, when it seemed like the Mets had tied it in the ninth inning on a Carlos Delgado homer, Willie Harris brought back memories of Endy Chavez as he leaped over the fence to make a game-saving grab. The Mets couldn't get any big outs and ended up getting outplayed & outhustled by the Braves.

Overall: As heartbreaking as heartbroken gets.

Other News: Rick Ankiel, called up for the first time since 2004, is now on the major league roster for the Cardinals as a power-hitting outfielder. After striking out a few times in his first three at-bats, he hit a three-run homer to right field to lead the Cards to a win. Feel good story anyone?

2 Cents: It was great to see the Mets go down swinging while seeing David Wright hold his hands over his head in disbelief. Luis Castillo also continues to impress me as he showed great emotion throughout the series, this time by acting as if he was on the verge of crying when the game ended. Either way, the Mets drop another series to the Braves.

Final Score: Mets 6, Braves 7. Record: 64-50.