Both the Cubs and Mets are looking for consistency. The Cubs can't seem to find a rhythm; they'll win a couple in a row but then lose a couple in a row. Meanwhile, the Mets cannot win a series; they are now 0-8-2 in their last 10 series and have a notorious habit of winning the getaway game of a series after dropping the first two. While of course the Mets are long gone from the race; the Cubs are still hanging on by a thread. According to the ESPN Playoff Percentage; the Cubs have approximately a 2% chance since they are 6 back of the Wild Card. This weekend also marks the homecoming of two players. One who will certainly be roundly cheered (David Wright) and the other certainly roundly booed (Aaron Heilman).


Pitching Matchups for the Series:

Friday- Carlos Zambrano (7-6 3.91 ERA) vs. Bobby Parnell (3-7 5.81 ERA)
-Zambrano's last start (L 1-4 to NYM): 3.1 IP, 4R (3ER), 11H, 0BB, 3K
Career vs. NYM: 4-2 with 4.00 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and .250BAA in 9 appearances (8 starts)
Road this season: 5-2 with 3.17 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and .246BAA in 11 appearances (all starts
-Parnell's last start (L 4-11 to CHC): 4.2 IP, 8ER, 9H, 2BB, 2K
Career vs. CHC: 0-1 with 10.57 ERA, 1.83 WHIP and .344BAA in 3 appearances (1 start)
Home this season: 2-5 with 5.80 ERA, 1.56 WHIP and .271BAA in 32 appearances (3 starts)

Saturday- Rich Harden (8-8 4.19 ERA) vs. Nelson Figueroa (2-3 4.50 ERA)
-Harden's last start (L 3-5 to HOU): 5IP, 5ER, 5H, 6BB, 9K
Career vs. NYM: 0-0 with 2.57 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and .091BAA in 2 appearances (1 start)
Road this season: 5-2 with 2.02 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and .201 BAA in 10 appearances (all starts)
-Figueroa's last start (W 4-1 to CHC): 7IP, 1ER, 6H, 2BB, 10K
Career vs. CHC: 1-4 with 3.79 ERA, 1.51 WHIP and .259BAA in 10 appearances (5 starts)
Home this season: 1-2 with 6.87 ERA, 2.02 WHIP and .383BAA in 7 appearances (2 starts)

Sunday- Randy Wells (10-7 2.90 ERA) vs. Mike Pelfrey (9-10 5.03 ERA)
-Wells' last start (W 4-1 to HOU): 6.2IP, 1R (0ER), 7H, 2BB, 4K
Has never faced the Mets in his career.
Road this season: 4-3 with 2.67 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and .244BAA in 10 appearances (all starts)
-Pelfrey's last start (L 3-8 to COL): 4IP, 7R (6ER), 6H, 5BB, 4K
Has never faced the Cubs in his career.
Home this season: 5-3 with 3.80 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and .272BAA in 14 appearances (all starts)

Can Parnell hold on to his role as starter after three consecutive disasters? Can Pelfrey respond to the challege Manuel has set forth for him and step it up? Can Figueroa continue his hot streak? Can the Mets play role of spoiler and effectively end any hope of the Cubs making the playoffs? Stay tuned.
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Monday April 21
Mets @ Chicago Cubs
7:05 PM
NYC TV: SNY
CHI TV: WCIU
National TV: ESPN

Tuesday April 22
Mets @ Chicago Cubs
2:20 PM
NYC TV: SNY
CHI TV: CSN Chicago

Wednesday April 23
Mets @ Washington Nationals
7:10 PM
NYC TV: SNY
WAS TV: MASN

Thursday April 24
Mets @ Washington Nationals
7:10 PM
NYC TV: SNY
WAS TV: MASN & MY20

Friday April 25
Atlanta Braves @ Mets
7:10 PM
NYC TV: SNY
ATL TV: PTV

Saturday April 26
Atlanta Braves @ Mets
1:10 PM
NYC TV: CW11
ATL TV: SPSO

Sunday April 27
Atlanta Braves @ Mets
1:10 PM
NYC TV: CW11
ATL TV: SPSO
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So when we last spoke, I called out not only the Mets line up, but the Mets bullpen to step it up in this week of games against the Washington Nationals and the Philadelphia Phillies. A week later, it seems that my challenge was answered by David Wright and company, as the Mets just completed an impressive week of baseball that included a sweep of Washington and a series victory against Philadelphia.

On Tuesday night Mike Pelfrey took the mound on yet another Jackie Robinson Night at Shea (and yes that was said in a negative way). I'm just going to make a quick public service announcement about Jackie Robinson, that I know some of my fellow bloggers share with me. Jackie Robinson was a great player, he was a great American for his contributions to not only baseball and society, and he was a great BROOKLYN DODGER. Listen I am a fan of history, and the Brooklyn Dodgers for that matter, but it seems with the pending opening of Citi Field, Mr. Wilpon is kind of forgetting that we are the NEW YORK METS. My point being, it would be nice to see some more Mets history invovled with not only this ballpark, but the organization in general. Instead of celebrating the last season at Shea with another Robinson Night, let's have a Seaver Night, or a 1969 Night, or something Mets related. I mean, we are the Mets for God's sake, not the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Now back to Tuesday's game. Ladies and gentlemen can we have a standing ovation for Mike Pelfrey please? Where has this Pelfrey been all of the past two seasons. I mean seven shut out innings from him was just what the doctor ordered on Tuesday night. That was the type of start the Mets needed, and the 6-0 victory was the game the Mets needed to kick off the new week. Pelfrey is starting to earn the respect that I so have wanted to give him for the longest time. Even though he didn't pitch as well on Sunday night against the Phillies, he still got himself out of some tough jams. Can you really fault the man for getting burned by the best second baseman in the league. I'm critical, but not that critical.

After a come-from-behind win on Saturday, the Mets and Nationals played themselves a half marathon of a baseball game on Thursday night. Just to put things in perspective, I was already at my third bar of the night once the Mets finally "pushed" across the winning run in the bottom of the 14th inning at Shea. Trailing 2-1 in the eighth inning, Carlos Delgado did something correct for the first time all season by pushing across Ryan Church to tie the game. In the 14 inning it wasn't even a heroic RBI base hit, but a wild pitch by Washington's Joel Hanrahan that ended the game. The Washington reliever, already in the midst of a sloppy inning let one get away allowing Damion Easley to score the winning run.

Sloppy was the only way to describe the game, but if there is one positive we can draw from it, that would be the bullpen. Six Mets relievers threw seven scoreless innings to keep the Mets in the game. The bullpen in general looked pretty damn solid this week. Billy Wagner looks dominant as usual (along with his awesome wad of dip), we welcomed back Duaner Sanchez, and Aaron Heilman has seemed to settle down. Once again Joe Smith is having another solid start to the season, we can only hope he keeps it up for the whole entire season this year.

So after making waste of Washington it was off to Philadelphia for another round with the Phillies. Johan Santana made yet another important start in this young season as him and Phillies ace Cole Hamels met up for a highly anticipated Friday night showdown. Seven innings later Santana had struck out 10 Phillies and only gave up 3 runs as he led the Mets to a critical 6-4 victory, extending their winning streak to four games. Oliver Perez had himself another great start on Saturday, but in typical Mets fashion the bullpen went and made things interesting. After Scott Schoeneweis and Smith each gave up a run, Billy Wagner put the meat of the Phillies line up in their place and the Mets walked out with a 4-2 victory. Sunday night as I stated ealier Chase Utley made Mike Pelfrey look normal for the first time this season. Utley drove all of the Phillies first four runs. A solo home run in the first and a three run job in the fifth. The Mets made it interesting by tieing it up in the sixth, but the long ball was our downfall all night as Pedro Feliz hit the go ahead home run to give the Phillies a 5-4 win and end our hopes of a sweep in Philly.

This week was exactly what the Mets needed. Jose Reyes has returned to classic Jose form, Wags looks good, Wright is awesome, and even Beltran is starting to come alive. With road games against the Cubs and Nationals, and a three games series back at Shea against the Braves, it has been the perfect time for the Mets to wake up. If the Mets can win two at Wrigley, it would be a huge momentum push coming into the huge Atlanta series this upcoming weekend. Once again I would like to think that we will steamroll the Nats. All-in-all the Mets get a solid A for their efforts this week, and hopefully the effort they have put forth will continue this week.

P.S. As much as I hate to say it, well done to the New York Rangers. I still hate you though.
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Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun reports that the Orioles have traded ex-Met Steve Trachsel to the Cubs for two prospects.

The Orioles today traded veteran right-hander Steve Trachsel to the Chicago Cubs for Triple-A reliever Rocky Cherry and Triple-A third baseman Scott Moore.

Cherry, a 28-year-old right-hander, was 2-0 with a 4.59 ERA and seven saves in 43 games for Triple-A Iowa. He also made 12 relief appearances for the Cubs, going 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA.

Moore, 23, batted .265 with 19 home runs and 69 RBIs for Iowa. He appeared in two games for the Cubs and went hitless in five plate appearances. He played 16 games for the Cubs last season, hitting .263 with two homers and five RBIs.

Baseball America named Moore, the eighth overall pick by the Detroit Tigers in the 2002 draft, the Cubs' seventh best prospect after last season.

Both players are expected to join the Orioles in Boston when rosters expand tomorrow.

Trachsel, who the Orioles signed just days before spring training when they learned that Kris Benson would likely need shoulder surgery and miss the entire season, went 6-8 with a 4.48 ERA in 20 starts for the Orioles.

He allowed three earned runs or less in 17 of 25 starts and was especially good in August, going 1-1 with a 2.37 ERA. Today marks the last day for teams to acquire players that are eligible for the playoff roster.

This is a great trade for Trachsel, he moves from the bottom of the AL East to the thick of the NL Central. Trachsel figures to be a big part of the Cubs' playoff chase. The Orioles also benefit by unloading an aging pitcher who does not factor into their 2008 plans. In exchange they acquire a reliever (Cherry) who could help reshape their horrible bullpen and some infield depth (Moore).

Castro is a free agent after this year. With 9 homeruns in 124 ABs for the Mets this year, Castro could move to the front of a weak class of catchers. Assuming Jorge Posada and Ivan Rodriguez never hit the open market, that leaves Castro, Michael Barrett, Paul Lo Duca, and Jason Kendall.

Castro signed for $850K last winter to again serve as Paul Lo Duca's backup. Lo Duca hasn't been healthy or hitting, and Castro's having his best season with an .889 OPS.

In 119 games as a Met, Castro has a .255/.324/.455 line with 21 HR in 459 ABs. One has to wonder if he could do that in a single season. If so, he'd be one of the better catchers available. In the past, Castro has shown the ability to throw out 30%+ of would-be basestealers. However, he's nailed just two of 25 this year. Mets fans - what's up with that?

Teams like the Devil Rays, Mets, Cubs, Astros, and Padres may all be looking for catchers this winter. Castro should get consideration as a regular, and might be a decent buy at two years, $8MM or so. Read More...

Tonight in Chicago, Tom Glavine will try for a second time to become the 23rd pitcher in MLB history to reach 300 career wins.

Many people feel Glavine will be the last pitcher to ever win 300 games due to the nature of the game today with the evolution of the bullpen and pitchers who just make less starts in a season than ever before.

Glavine will be facing off against the recently resurging Chicago Cubs, who have climbed out of their early season funk, and have come storming back to the top of the NL Central. Read More...

JEFF CONINE

The Chicago Tribune is reporting that the Mets and the Cubs are interested in the Reds' Jeff Conine, a professional pinch-hitter who can play both first base and the corner outfield spots.

Jeff Conine has a .368 average (7-for-19) as a pinch-hitter in Cincinnati and is hitting .303 since the All-Star break. The Cubs reportedly could get Conine for a mid-level prospect and he could back up Derrek Lee and spell Cliff Floyd in right at times. Since he makes only $2 million, whoever acquires Conine would only have to pay him about $600,000.

ERIC GAGNE

THe Milwaukee Journal-Sentinal is reporting that the Brewers have joined the Mets, Yankees, and Red Sox in bidding for Texas closer Eric Gagne. Milwaukee GM Doug Melvin would only say "no comment" Monday night when asked specifically about his interest in Gagne.

Gagne has a no-trade clause, which should work in favor of the Mets and other contending teams. However, Texas seems to be asking more than any of the potential suitors are willing to give up, and Gagne is reluctant to go anywhere that he won't remain a closer.

SAMMY SOSA

The New York Mets have spoken with the Texas Rangers about Sammy Sosa, who could platoon in right field with Shawn Green. But the Newark Star-Ledger reports that the Mets are wary of bringing him in because of the controversy that surrounds him. Read More...

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune mentions that the Cubs, Braves, Mets, and Diamondbacks as teams that like Silva. He could be used as a starter or reliever. Read More...