Mets 3 Astros 1

Closer? Who needs a closer?

The Mets began the After K-Rod Era in fine style, taking a close one from the Astros — and sealing the deal with a save by Hisanori Takahashi.

But see, that’s the difference that sets the great teams like the Mets apart from all the rest: DEPTH. Only a team as deep and talented as the Mets can lose an $11.5M closer and not even blink.

Game Notes

Jonathon Niese threw another gem, but wasn’t around long enough to earn a decision. Niese went a strong 7 innings, allowing one run on 7 hits, walking none, striking out 5.

David Wright broke out of his lengthy slump, going 3-for-4 and scoring the winning run in the ninth when he scampered home from third on a slider that got away.

Carlos Beltran‘s bat also showed signs of life — he had two hits including his second homerun of the season, a solo shot that accounted for the Mets’ first run of the ballgame.

The only other Met to swat an extra-base hit was Jeff Francoeur, whose ninth-inning triple scored Beltran with an insurance run.

When the Mets are playing in the NLDS in October, we will all look back at this game, and the exit of K-Rod, as the turning point of the season — the start of when everything began to go right. Or not.

I am traveling for work this week and couldn’t get the game on MLB.com so wound up listening to the WFAN broadcast of this game via my iPhone MLB GameDay app. I can’t decide what is most annoying about the radio broadast: the “Cars for Kids” ad, the NY Auto Giant ad, or Wayne Hagin. Maybe it’s easier to say that the most annoying thing was that I couldn’t get MLB.com video to work.

Next Mets Game

The Mets play in Houston again on Tuesday night at 8:05 PM. Johan Santana will face Nelson Figueroa in a matchup of pitchers facing their original organization.

Image via Hot Foot

Admit it… you thought K-Rod was cool.

His take-no-prisoners approach to baseball and life really spoke to your sensibilities as a Mets fan. The guy had it all – a shaky delivery, a big contract, a balky ankle, an attitude problem, an anger management issue and boy, was that guy tough. He beat up his coach AND his father-in-law in the same season. He lives the life we can only dream of!

Well, not so much, apparently. Turns out Francisco “K-Rod” Rodriguez is as brittle as an old lady playing in the NFL.

MetsBlog is reporting that K-Rod tore a ligament in his right thumb while he was manhandling an old man. Ouch! Couldn’t have happened to a nicer moron.

Now the Mets don’t have to listen to fans booing their decision to let Rodriguez off lightly with a two-day suspension.

Pretty cool, huh?

Mets Gazette – An interview with MetsBlog’s Michael Baron about managerial candidates for 2011.

MetsMerized Online – Joe Spector points out that the performance – and support of – Omar Minaya and Jeff Wilpon by Fred Wilpon is alot like James Dolan’s infatuation with Isiah Thomas. Although the Mets situation is a bit more complicated because Omar is BFF with the owner’s kid. Nepotism is a helluva drug…

MetsBlog – An interesting infographic on the Mets lack of offense during the last six games. How do you hit .088 with RISP and still win three out of six games? That’s practically a positive!

Mets Report – John Wenk ponders the future of Carlos Beltran. Should he stay or should he go? If he goes there will be trouble, if he stays…

And here is snake oil salesman Omar Minaya talking about the triumphant return of Punch-Rod. Nice signing Omar!