Pedro Martinez is officially your Monday starter.

In response, the entire headline writing staff at the Post has been called in for the holiday weekend to come up with puns on the word 'Pedro' for Tuesdays backpage.  Vegas currently puts the best odds on “Play-Dro”, “She Dro” and “Prey Go”.

Here's whats hot around the blogosphere this morning…

• Metstradamus sends John Maine a fruit basket.
  [The Musings and Prophecies of Metstradamus]
• Trey thinks the Mets are finally fed up. [Do Me Wright]
• Pedro returns Monday in Cincinnati. [New York Daily News]
• A tribute to Wesley Willis [ My Summer Family ]
• WFAN's Joe Benigno melts down over the Mets. [ Mets Blog ]
• Hamels return postponed. [ SI.com ]
• Olney on Endy. [ ESPN.com ]

Marlon Anderson again came through for the Mets last night, ripping the first pitch delivered to him to break the game wide open for the Mets. Marlon thrives on the opportunity to come into a game when the Mets need a big hit, and expressed how much he enjoys it to Jeff Lutz on MLB.com

Marlon is batting .393 with 2 HR and 20 RBI with runners in scoring position. Even more impressive he's batting .462 with RISP and 2 outs, both of Marlon's home runs have come with 2 outs. Marlon really does seem to thrive under pressure.

See that little tag right there? Thats the happy recap tag. Welcome back good friend. Welcome back.

John Maine and Tim Hudson traded 0s for the first three. and then. Carlos Delgado happened. With two out in the fourth, Beltran knocked in a single, and Alou added one of his own. Then Delgado launched one to put the Mets up.  They never looked back. Reyes moved to end his slump by adding a homerun in the fifth.

Maine meanwhile continued to sail, till the 6th. After giving up the leadoff singe to Orr, he walked the bases loaded. He got a nice pop up from Chipper to get a first out, but a wild pitch allowed Orr to score the first and last Brave run of the night. After settling back down, he got another pop from Texiera, and took Mccann down looking.

Maine ended up going seven, taking the win, striking out 8 while giving up just 1 run and 3 hits.  He walked three, two in a row in the sixth. Probably his best start since June, unless you count the rain shortened five inning game.

The Mets added some insurance in the 9th, after intentionally walking Paulie, Endy drew another walk, and Marlon Anderson pinch hit a nice shot pretty deep to score three runs.  Reyes went 2 for 5 and stole his 73rd base. His non homerun hit was a double. Both Carloses went 2 for 4.

And don't forget the D. John Maine finally induced a double play.  Endy playing shallow had a nice long run to rob an extra base hit.  Jose saved another hit by running far out into Alou ground just minutes later.

Great game all around. Great pitching. Great bullpen. Great defense. Great Mets bats. And a Met other than Ollie beat the Braves. now lets go for two!

The Pelf will pitch tomorrow, and as is such, will be recalled from AAA as part of tomorrows roster expansion. Dave Newhan and Phil Humber are also expected to be recalled. Rumors also currently list Collazo as part of tomorrow's call-ups.

The latest news on El Duque is that his foot injury is minor, he has received a cortisone shot, and though his next start might be pushed back, he most likely will not miss it.

In related news, Omar will make a final decision towards if Pedro will pitch in Brooklyn, or for the Mets against the Reds tomorrow. Which according to my Omar to English Phrase Guide, means Pedro will pitch for the Mets against the Reds on Monday. 

And with game time just minutes away, Moises Alou has been released from the hyperbolic chamber in which the Mets Brass use to transport him. The teams travel staff assure everyone there was no damage done to Alou in the shipping proccess.

information courtesy of reader Metsgal.

This day is just crazy. Looks like I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue.

Everythings crazy. The Phils swept the Mets. Up is down. Dogs and cats are playing together.

The Mets are at the Ted, and in need of a win. Please. Anything. With the Pelf up tommorow, pressures on tonight. John Maine starts, 13-8 3.68 ERA.  At the half there was talk of Maine as a possible 20 game winner, but he's been on a slide most of the second half, and has been pulled before the end of the sixth in six straight. He lost his last start, giving up 3 earned, six runs total.  He's faced Atlanta just once, taking a loss while getting shelled for six runs in five and a third.

He'll face Tim Hudson 15-6, 3.23.  Tim is 7-2 with a 3.39 ERA career against the Mets. Booo Tim Hudson.

the lineup:

SS Reyes
2B Castillo
3B Wright
CF Beltran
LF Alou
1B Delgado
C Lo Duca
RF Chavez
P Maine

Wright went 3 and 5 in his last game againt the Braves, and 3 for 4 yesterday.  Endy is 2 for 9 (with an 0 for 4) day since returning to the Mets. The Braves are the root of all evil.

Game time is 7:35, SNY, TBS, WFAN. But nto TBS. Evil. Evil!!!  As always, head on by the Bleachers, where  we'll be discussing the game,  El Duque, Pedro, call ups, crazyness, overreacting, and of course, JoeSmithAAA's new blog.

WFAN has reported that Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez is out for an unknown period of time with a foot injury.  The word at the moment is that Pedro “Pedro' Martinez will pitch Monday.

information courtesy of JoeSmithAAA, who got it from dew

we'll update once we hear more.

The Human Rain Delay, Steve Traschel, has been traded from Baltimore to the Cubs. Trax spent the majority of the 90s with the Cubbies, having been drafted by them in 91, and staying there till 99.  The Cubs sent two younger players, Rocky Cherry who made his MLB debut this year, and Scott Moore, who's appeared in less than 20 games.

There is no word on whether or not Trax will be used as a starter, or merely to toss BP.