Mike Pelfrey

If chicks did the long ball, there's not going to be a whole lot of love if your team is squaring off against the Mets.

For all of the questions about Jerry Manuel's rotation coming into the season, it has been an unlikely group of pitchers who have helped New York remain in contention in a highly competitive NL East.

Every team has their faults in the division, and with no one team running away with things one-third of the way through the year, it is as wide open as it has ever been.

When the New York Mets traded for Johan Santana, he was supposed to be the staff ace. He was for his first two years on the team.

Santana is still one of the better pitchers in the league, but he has had some struggles recently. Many are hesitant to continue to call him an ace.

Since Santana joined the team, Mike Pelfrey's pitching has significantly improved. Surely, some of it has to do with Santana's mentoring. More of it has to do with Pelfrey coming into his own.

Whew….

It’s funny how long losing streaks feel compared to winning streaks.

Thanks to Mike Pelfrey, the Mets obtained a much needed victory over the Braves.

Big Pelf went deep into this game pitching 7.2 innings for the win.

Tipping Pitches?

I was forced to watch the Braves’ coverage of the game. I have to tell you, they bring a whole new meaning to the word excitement.

I do have to admit, they are a bit more interesting now that John Smoltz is in the booth.

ATLANTA—Things have gotten so bad for the Mets that their general manager has decided to watch them in person on the road.

After yesterday's 10-8 loss to the Marlins, it was announced that GM Omar Minaya was making the flight to Atlanta to watch his team play.

When a GM of a team heads on the road to see his team, it means one of two things: Either he wants to give his team a vote of confidence, or he's all set to fire his manager if the team continues to lose.

ESPN is reporting Mike Pelfrey had MRI in New York this morning for general shoulder tightness. He's been cleared to start this weekend vs. Giants. I noticed him in these past two starts kind of hunching his shoulder after a couple of pitches as if he were trying to shake it loose. Most pitchers feel tightness especially this time of year, as the weather changes, spring going into summer. He was pitching good baseball until his last start. The Mets are taking no chances.

What a whirlwind first four weeks of the 2010 season the Mets have had.

You could argue that no team in the National League felt more pressure to get off to a hot start out of the gate than the Mets.

After the debacle that was the 2009 season, lots of people believed, and still believe, that there could be repercussions for another poor finish in 2010.

This is a weekly focus on the hurlers that dominated their adversaries. These pitchers put up nasty numbers and made big league hitters wish they were playing Tee Ball again.

1) SP Ubaldo Jimenez COL

Ubaldo Jimenez is pitching the best baseball of his life. Jimenez gave Colorado their first no-hitter in franchise history. He struck out seven and pitched 128 pitches.

He has a 1.29 ERA after a flawless pitching performance and has a perfect 3-0 record.

Game No. 17 of 162 in Fantasy Baseball Insiders’ summer-long journey featured a revived Jose Reyes and an impressive pitching performance from this week’s hottest pickup: Mike Pelfrey .

Game No. 17 – Chicago Cubs vs. New York Mets

Mike Pelfrey dazzled the Cubs Tuesday night, allowing no runs on three hits and three walks in seven innings. He also struck out six en route to his third win in as many starts. The 26-year-old now has a 0.86 ERA and 1.00 WHIP with a 16:8 K:BB ratio through 21 innings.

The question all fantasy managers are asking now is: How good is Mike Pelfrey ?

While the Yankees and Rays have each gotten off to hot 9-3 starts to the season, the Red Sox, expected by many to be atop the division when the dust settles, have sputtered out of the gate.

Out West, the A's and Giants continue to win with great pitching, while none of the remaining seven teams in those divisions has a record better than .500.