New York Mets

After dropping two of three at home to the Phillies, the Yankees are now just 21-20 against teams with winning records, compared to a staggering 20-5 mark versus losing clubs.

In fact, New York hasn't taken a series from a team with a current above .500 winning percentage, aside from the Twins, since beating the Red Sox on May 7 and 8.

The Bombers have a chance to reverse that trend in the Subway Series this weekend against the Mets, a team that has won seven straight and took two of three from the Yanks at Citi Field last month.

In a farm system of pitching prospects that have been flopping for the most part, left-handed reliever Roy Merritt has stood tall. Merritt recently has been promoted to AAA Buffalo after a year and a half of solid pitching at AA Binghamton.

Merritt deserves such mentioning because he has demonstrated consistency out of the bullpen that many other Minor League Mets prospects have yet to achieve. 

The Mets are the hottest team in baseball right now, finishing their second consecutive sweep on the road. The Mets had been struggling for most of the season on the road, not even being able to win a series before sweeping through Baltimore and Cleveland.

The Mets have been doing everything right, getting great pitching, fielding, and hitting. They have been hustling, getting key hits, and adding on extra runs when needed.

Here we are, New York Mets fans. It's nearing the midway point of the season, and the team we love is a half-game out of first, and 10 games above .500.

Who would have thunk it? Certainly not me.

I went into this season with mixed feelings about this team.

I felt that if they could stay healthy, they could put up a fight, and maybe sneak into the playoffs via the Wild Card.

I felt the pitching staff would be a major issue. I felt the team still lacked the "chemistry" that seems to be important when making a run at a championship.

The Mets are officially on a tear. With their 6-4 win over the Indians tonight, the Mets have won seven in a row and 11 of their last 12. They are 12-2 in June and are 18-5 since May 22.

Once again, the Mets tore the cover off the ball, recording double-digit hits in their fourth straight game. The Mets got it going—no pun intended—right off the bat, scoring three runs off Jake Westbrook in the first inning.

Back when the Mets signed Jason Bay, I wrote an article titled "Bay Brings More Than Bat." I wrote about his character, the "grit" that he has, the grinder that he is. I wrote about his professionalism, work ethic, how he goes about his business, the type of team mate that he is, and how that will rub off on his fellow Mets.

If you just look at his numbers this season you will be disappointed. If you are a fan who just looks for highlights and doesn't really appreciate the small things, you could be disappointed in even watching him.

The last time an update was available on Carlos Beltran's status, it was good news. Carlos had been able to play five innings of an extended spring training game and got six at-bats.

However, this last piece of news out of Port St. Lucie is not as good. Adam Rubin of ESPN New York has reported that Carlos Beltran is still running with a limp. There are also reports that Beltran is not yet explosive when running.

CLEVELAND: The Mets are doing a lot of things right right now. They are obviously winning a bunch of ballgames, and that's taking them farther away from the .500 mark, as they are now nine over.

They are winning virtually every night that the Phillies and Braves lose, and when those two teams win, like last night, they make sure they keep pace. It's all a sign of a very good team, that seems to only be getting better, and that's a pretty scary thought.

CLEVELAND- The Mets are going from a team that can stay in the race to a team that may be elite. Now, let's not get carried away; they have won five of their last six against the Orioles and Indians, but who cares? If the Mets weren't winning these games, people would be all over them.

The Mets won their sixth straight game tonight, beating the inept Cleveland Indians, 8-4, and improving to nine games over .500.