The Mets look to take the rubber game of their three game set tonight against the Marlins in Miami. Mike Pelfrey will toe the rubber for the Mets opposite Josh Johnson for the Marlins. Gametime is slated for 7:05 EST and can be seen on SNY.

Keys to the Game:

• Get Beltran Going: Last night, Carlos Beltran finally broke through with a clutch 2 out rbi single to put the Mets on top 2-1. We are going to need Beltran’s bat down the stretch if we want to make a serious push for the division title.
• Keep Scoring for Pelf: IN Pelfrey’s last 11 starts, the Mets are 10-1. Although Pelfrey has been pitching fantastic, the Mets have also been scoring a lot of runs for him. Since June 27th, the team has scored seven runs in every game (6 games). The Mets face a tough Marlin pitcher in Johnson tonight and unless he’s off his game, we will need Pelfrey to throw another gem for us to win.

Notes:

• Argenis Reyes starts at 2B.
• Marlon Anderson gets the start in LF.

For a lineup, head to John Delcos’s blog for the Journal News.

As always, to chat during the game head to The Hot Foot Bleachers.

Appearing on ESPNews, Peter Gammons reported that the Marlins and Red Sox are in “serious discussions” regarding OF Manny Ramirez. He reported that OF Jeremy Hermida could be part of a package.

Wow, well it looks like the Marlins are in it to win it. Gammons is one of the few hot stove writers I believe, so I’m a little concerned this could be legit.

ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark is reporting that the Mets have decided to drop out of the Raul Ibanez bidding war, and will instead look for a bat after tomorrow’s trading deadline. The Mets balked when the Mariners insisted LHP Jon Niese be included in a package.

Looking like Fernando Tatis will be our LF for the remainder of ‘08. Cross your fingers that Ryan Church comes back healthy..

Rotoworld is reporting that the Pirates and Rays are “deep in talks” over OF Jason Bay and that their is a 50/50 shot he gets dealt before Thursday’s 4pm deadline.

I believe that SS Reid Brignac would have to be part of any package, as the Pirates are looking to move their own SS, Jack Wilson. RHP Wade Davis could also be part of a deal…

Update 6:04

Dan Graziano of the Star Ledger is reporting that a Bay to Rays deal is still “very much alive”.

The Mets defeated the Marlins by a score of 4-1 tonight in Miami. Oliver Perez got the win for the Mets and Scott Olsen took the loss for the Marlins. Billy Wagner closed it out for his 27th save of the year. With the win, the mets stay a 1/2 game ahead of the Phillies in the NL East

Perez didn’t have his best stuff tonight, yet he battled, and finished with an impressive line: six innings, one run allowed. That’s efficient.

The Mets started the scoring in the 1st, when Jose Reyes, Nick Evans, and David Wright all doubled. Reyes was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple, but Wright drove in Evans to put the Mets up 1-0.

Josh Willingham tied it up with an rbi double of his own in the 1st.

In the top of the 6th, Carlos Beltran finally broke through, with a 2 out rbi single to drive in Evans to put the Mets up 2-1.

The Mets tacked on in the 8th, when Carlos Delgado drove a Renyel Pinto pitch into the stands for a two run homer.

Aaron Heilman pitched two innings of shutout ball.

Wagner pitched a 1,2,3 9th for the save.

The Mets look for the series win tomorrow with Mike Pelfrey on the mound. He will be opposed by Josh Johnson.

John Maine’s MRI showed that he suffered a mild strain of the rotator cuff last night in his start versus the Marlins. It is unknown whether he will miss a start.

Ugh, I don’t like any injury to the rotator cuff. Let’s hope Johnny doesn’t miss any significant amount of time..

The Mets take on the Marlins in game two of their three game set tonight in Miami. Oliver Perez will toe the rubber opposite Scott Olsen. Gametime is slated for 7:05 and it can be seen on SNY, heard on WFAN.

Keys to the Game:

• Take Advantage of Shotty Marlins D: The Marlins may have the most homers in the league, but they have also committed the most errors. Last night, Dan Uggla single handedly could have been given three. We can’t let these opportunities pass, as we saw last night the Marlins have alot of fight in them and won’t give up
• More of the Same from Ollie: Perez had his best game of the year last time out against the Phillies. He went 7.2 innings, giving up only one run while striking out 12. Perez might be able to do the same to the Fish today, as they are an all or nothing team and are notorious for striking out (they lead the league).

Notes:

• Ramon Castro starts against the lefty.
• Nick Evans plays left field in place of Endy Chavez.

For a lineup, head to John Delcos’s blog for the Journal News.

As always, to chat during the game head to The Hot Foot Bleachers.

The Mets unveiled their latest Baseball Academy in Boca Chica, Dominican Republic today. The state of the art facility contains weight rooms, fields, and batting cages.

Let’s hope this facility brings us a few more Fmarts…

Rotoworld is reporting that disgruntled Royal OF Jose Guillen wants out of Kansas City and would be willing to give back some of the 24m he is owed for the next two years following 2008. Guillen and Kansas City manager Trey Hillman do not speak and it is clear Guillen wants to be dealt.

Guillen has hit .260 with 14 homers and 69 rbi this year. He is hitting only .148 in July.

I believe Guillen’s July stats are due to his unhappiness with being stuck in KC. He is a headcase but when its screwed on he is some hitter and if we can get him for lower tier prospects i say we pull the trigger.

Added by Gary Grund

I personally would rather pass on Guillen. He is due $36 million through the 2010 season…an enormous amount for the type of player he is. He would have to give up a lot of money to make this trade even worth it. In addition to only hitting .260, he has only walked 10 times in just under 400 at-bats, putting his on-base percentage at .287. At this point, I’d rather take my chances the rest of the season with Fernando Tatis in left field.