New York Mets

If the Mets somehow made the playoffs and they started tomorrow, what do you think the rotation should be?

My pick is Santana, RA Dickey, and Niese, with Pelfrey there if anyone gets in trouble.

While Big Pelf was lights out earlier in the season, if the playoffs started tomorrow, I have more confidence in Dickey and Niese.

Hopefully the Mets can stay in the race and Pelfrey can find that arm he left back there somewhere in May.

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NEW YORK— Now is the time to start reeling off some series victories, and the Mets already have one under their belt on the home stand.

After taking two of three from the first-place Cardinals, the Mets will welcome the last-place Arizona Diamondbacks, a team who swept the Mets a week and a half ago.

Tonight's pitching matchup will be a rematch of the series opener in Arizona on July 19—Mike Pelfrey against Ian Kennedy.

Through the first 102 games of the 2010 season, the Mets have gone through just about everything.

They've had their surprises in R.A. Dickey and to a certain extent Angel Pagan. They've gotten a huge lift from rookie first baseman Ike Davis and rookie left-hander Jon Niese.

During the season, the Mets have had two separate eight-game winning streaks to keep them afloat when it seemed things were sinking.

The Mets seem to be shying away from the trade deadline spotlight.

For a team that seemed to be a strong contender in the Cliff Lee sweepstakes only a short while ago, their activity has significantly regressed. And now, with busy teams like the Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, the Mets are looking even more quiet.

The Mets haven't been to a World Series since 2000.

Here are 10 players that have not lived up to the expectations in the Mets uniform since 2001.

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Jerry Manuel's one game suspension is over and done with, and the Mets won the game in which he was not on the bench. Yet, I still have a major problem with the fact that Manuel was suspended and fined by the MLB in the first place. 

Manuel was ejected from a game versus the Dodgers in Los Angeles on July 20, and was handed the suspension a week later from the MLB. Apparently, the brim of his cap brushed the cap of the umpire Doug Eddings. 

The Mets shockingly blasted Cardinals' ace Adam Wainwright last night, and continued to prove they have a significant home-field advantage.

The Mets have the right pitching matchups on hand over the next two days to do some damage if they can hit like last night.

Tonight, the Mets will have their ace Johan Santana on the mound, trying to win the series and give the Mets a reasonable shot to sweep on Thursday.

Recent reports have Omar Minaya saying that the Mets are Buyers, but are in "wait and see" mode....What in the world does that mean?

The Mets were on fire in June and were a half game back from first place, apparently that wasn't a good time to make a trade. Now the Mets are in a horrible funk and just finished a 2-9 roadtrip and apparently they are not sure it's a good time to make a deal either.

Earlier this season, Ubaldo Jimenez threw a No-Hitter which happened to be the first in Rockies history. Tonight against the Tigers, Matt Garza, the former Minnesota Twins player threw the first in Tampa Bay history.

Both were from clubs which I still consider in the new expansion era which encompasses the last twenty years to me (Rockies, Devil Rays, Marlins, Diamondbacks).

We all know by now that the Mets had a road trip to forget, having lost nine of 11 on the West Coast. It may be hard to think of, but that's a thing of the past.

The Mets still think they have a shot at competing, and on July 27, who doesn't think so? Therefore, it's time to move on.

For the Mets, this will be their first home game in over two weeks. The last time they played at Citi Field was on July 11, a huge win over the Braves.