Mets 6, Phillies 3

So far, so good. Five games into the Mike Piazza-less segment of the 2003 season, and one series into the two weeks that will decide whether we gotta believe or we gotta trade all the guys who'll be free agents at the end of the year, the Mets are on the right track. They're 4-1 without Piazza and took two out of three in the first series of the year against the Phillies before heading to Atlanta for the weekend. Rumors that the ghost of Patrick Ewing is inhabiting Shea Stadium are unconfirmed.

The Mets once again got off to a good start, and it was they who would theoretically be on the trading block if things don't go well that got things started. Roger Cedeno doubled to lead off the game. After New Guy Jeff Duncan bunted his way on and advanced to second on a passed ball, Roberto Alomar hit a sacrifice fly to score Cedeno. Cliff Floyd followed with an RBI ground out to score Duncan.

Pedro Astacio had a start not unlike Al Leiter's last night, somewhere between adequate and a struggle. He went six innings on 114 pitches, giving up three runs on five hits and four walks while striking out three. The runs were scored in the second and third innigns, putting the Mets in a 3-2 hole. But Floyd followed in the bottom of the third with his tenth home run of the season and third in as many days. He still can't really run, and got booed for failing to run out a grounded that got bobbled in his first at bat, but he's done a good job picking up some of the offensive slack in Piazza's absence so far.

Jason Phillips is doing his part as well, as he went three for four with a pair of doubles today, but neither scored nor drove in a run. He led off the sixth with a single but was erased when Ty Wigginton grounded into a double play. But with two outs, Vance Wilson singled and Joe McEwing walked. Timo Perez pinch hit for Astacio and doubled to the gap in left center to drive them both home and put the Mets back on top. Phillips narrowly avoided being part of another run in the eighth when he led off with a double. Jae Seo pinch ran for him and scored when Wigginton's attempted sacrifice bunt got thrown into right field.

The bullpen also did the job today, pitching three perfect innings to ice the series win. David Weathers went two innings, striking out two and Armando Benitez struck out two in the ninth for his thirteenth save of the season.

Tomorrow, the even bigger series in Atlanta starts, with a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=5172">Steve Trachsel (2-2, 4.50) going for the Mets and Russ Ortiz (6-2, 3.18) for the Braves.  ¶ joe | 11:55 PM |