New York Mets

For all the heat Omar Minaya got over the off-season, it is about time we give him some credit.

While it was definitely warranted to question him in the past, Minaya has overseen a farm system that has provided some quality players for the big league team this season. I am talking about first baseman Ike Davis and starting pitchers Mike Pelfrey and Jonathon Niese.

Ike Davis has solidified first base for the Mets, a position that has not seen a full season of production since 2006.

Mike Puma of the NY Post is reporting that “a player friendly with Roy Oswalt ” said the Astros 32-year-old pitcher would approve a deal to the Mets.

Gregerson is having an All World year for the Padres.

I was watching the New York Mets-San Diego Padres series last week, and in two games of that series, Padres’ manager Bud Black summoned Luke Gregerson out of the bullpen. In those two appearances, Gregerson faced six Met batters and struck them all out.

He went through them like a hot knife through butter.

I thought to myself, "Wow, Gregerson is having himself a pretty good year."

According to an interview conducted by Mike Silva (check out his site here), RP Heath Bell would be interested in coming back to the Mets if the Padres decide to move in a different direction.

Bell even goes as far as saying that the Mets would be his first choice, and that he would love to "lead the Mets to a championship."

For some teams, a relationship with the fans can be strictly based on winning games.

Other teams are more defined by the character of the team.

Very good teams maintain a balance between these two aspects, creating an organized team that may come across as very likable.

BALTIMORE—The Mets will be looking for their first road series sweep since September, 2008 at Milwaukee. Believe it or not, the Mets have not had one since then. Last season, the injuries were just too much to overcome.

Today, the Mets will have a shot, and they have plenty of reasons to be confident that they will get it.

First of all, they're facing an Orioles team that's 17-45. Secondly, the pitching match-up is as lopsided as can be. The Mets will start Mike Pelfrey (8-1), the Orioles will start Kevin Millwood (0-7).

BALTIMORE: It's finally happened. The Mets have won a road series for the first time in 2010. Albeit against the Orioles, the Mets have gotten that story out of the way, helped out by a bounce back from Hisanori Takahashi.

The Mets got off to a fast start against lefty Brian Matusz, as Jose Reyes hit a leadoff home run, his third of the season.

The Mets only had five hits in this game, but they had two big blows, the other being a Jeff Francoeur solo home run in the eighth.

BALTIMORE: July 25 and 26, 2009. Seems like random dates from last year's awful season. Those dates are actually of meaning.

It was the last time the Mets won consecutive road games. On those dates, the Mets played in Houston after losing the first game and took the series.

This time, having not won a road series this season and having not won back-to-back road games since those dates, it should come a little easier for the Mets. After all, they are already up 1-0 against a 17-44 Orioles team.

BALTIMORE-- At 8-18 on the road this season, the Mets needed to inch towards the .500 mark, and they were at the perfect place to do so.

In Baltimore, the team with the worst record in the American League at 17-44, the Mets took care of business behind knuckleballer R. A. Dickey, who improved to 4-0 on the season.