New York Mets

When and if Carlos Beltran returns this season, The New York Mets will have to decide what to do with Angel Pagan.

Pagan has been starting in CF for the majority of the season in place of the injured Beltran.

What started out as just a temporary fix has now turned into a future conflict.

The Mets suffered a pretty brutal 18-6 loss last night to the San Diego Padres that drops their record to 26-26 and into a three way tie for last place behind the Phillies and the Braves.

Here are some other notes

Hisanori Takahashi had his first bad start: 4 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 1 K.

Oliver Perez ’s agent apparently told the Mets to put the pitcher on the DL so he could go to Florida and see a sports psychologist and the Mets declined.

Through the first month of the season, Jose Reyes’ struggles were very clear. Reyes hit only .238 with a .295 on base percentage. Reyes simply did not look like the player he had been in the past.

People wondered what had caused Reyes’ struggles. Was it his thyroid problem? His new spot batting third in the batting order? Or was it that Jose was washed up?

Baseball's 2010 draft is just one week away, and the Mets will have the seventh overall pick.

After not having a first-round pick in 2009, the Mets will find themselves with a top-10 selection for the first time since 2005.

According to Andy Martino of the NY Daily News, the Mets are not interested in new free agent pitchers Dontrelle Willis, formerly of the Tigers, and Nelson Figueroa, formerly of the Phillies.

After one of their worst losses in recent history, the Mets will hand the ball to their right-handed ace Mike Pelfrey tonight, looking for a rebound against the Padres. Pelfrey has not been Ubaldo Jimenez so far this season, but 7-1, 2.54 ERA isn't too shabby.

The Mets really need to start winning some road games this season. Their road record of 7-17 is dreadful, and if they can't win a couple with Pelfrey and Johan Santana on the mound, then something is up.

SAN DIEGO-- Was this Mets-Padres or Jets-Chargers? The Mets gave up 18 runs in last night's loss, the most they have allowed in a game since 2004.

It may not seem right, but the Mets actually had a 1-0 lead in their 18-6 defeat, but what a disaster. The Mets thought they had a pretty good chance of winning this game, sending Hisanori Takahashi to the mound, who hadn't allowed a run as a starter in his first two starts this season.

Takahashi gave up a shocking grand slam to Jerry Hairston in the second when it seemed he was getting out of trouble.

Last Wednesday, Hisanori Takahashi became the only Met pitcher to go at least six shutout innings in each of his first two big league starts. Only 18 pitchers have ever accomplished this before.

It was only a matter of time, critics argued, before the proverbial wheels fell off. On Memorial Day in San Diego, those wheels flew off in emphatic fashion. Why are you laughing, Taka? I don't think that performance deserves a smile and a smirk.

Baseball is a game of statistics where numbers can prove almost anything.

Already this season there are some interesting things to observe with the New York Mets, including the well-documented fact that they have the best home record in all of baseball despite the worst road record in the National League.

Here are a dozen lesser-known facts about the Mets offense and how it compares with their NL East rivals.

After a trip that didn't really go the way the Mets had hoped in Milwaukee, they will now play three at the National League's best team (record-wise), the San Diego Padres.

No, that's not a typo, the San Diego Padres at 30-20 own the NL's best record and are tied with the Cardinals for the lowest team ERA in baseball at 2.95.