NL East

I have to admit that I was shocked that Hisanori Takahashi had a great start, going 6 six innings. I never would have expected that out of him. He was really outstanding, especially considering that he got no run support.

With Brooks Conrad’s walk-off grand slam, the Braves have won three games in a row (all by walk-offs) and completed a sweep (even if it was only two games) over the previously surging Cincinnati Reds.

I know momentum doesn’t play as big of a role in baseball as it does other sports (specifically football), but I can’t see how the Braves aren’t flying high after this past win.

The mystery injury to John Maine last night leaves the Mets starting rotation in a bigger mess than we thought it was already. And it couldn’t come at a worse time for Jerry Manuel.

Many of us already have a death watch on his managerial career. Of course, injuries aren’t his fault but he needs some good things to happen soon.

It was one of those humbling moments that reminds you why the fans pay to go to the game and sit in the 400-level while the coaches get paid to go to the game and sit in the dugout.

In the Phillies' half of the sixth inning of a 1-1 game against the Cubs on Tuesday afternoon, Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins came to the plate with two outs and runners on second and third.  

There is a lot being made about Roy Halladay's high pitch count over his past few starts. Over the last four starts he's made he hasn't thrown any fewer than 118 pitches and is averaging 123 with his latest 132-pitch outing against the Pittsburgh Pirates this past Tuesday.

However, is that really so bad for a guy who has an MLB-high 53 complete games over the past eight seasons?

Ahh, it's that time of year again. It must mean we're a quarter of the way through the season, and that it's almost Memorial Day, as rivalry weekend is upon us.

Although I personally am not a fan of it, it's still the Subway Series, where Mets and Yankees fans come together for three days. They watch a ballgame from the same ballpark and they have a chance to finally root against one another.

The Mets finally got some offense for a change, but the game started with a bizarre episode involving John Maine .

He threw five pitches to the first batter and got pulled from the game. His fastball was at 85 mph, and it looked like something was wrong.

He and Jerry Manuel argued in the dugout. Maine appeared to have wanted to stay in the game.

You have to love that scroll at the bottom of the screen.

ESPN’s Bottom Line is one of my favorite things about the network. It gives me everything I need to know in bite-sized pieces, including breaking news.

Boy, am I am captivated by that breaking news red glow at the bottom. It gets my heart thumping and mind racing.

“Did LeBron just buy a house in Chicago?”

“Did the Raiders sign T.O.?”

“Did the Yankees just send a few prospects to Florida for the Marlins’ starting lineup?”

[Every day, stories spread throughout the sports world of another athlete or coach or team involving themselves in situations that inevitably need some PR spin.  Regardless of the severity of these issues, our very own Dr. Aaron Perlut will be there to analyze the situation and offer up some free professional advice.  Because if there is anything comparable to Dr. Aaron's knowledge of mustaches, it's his knowledge of public relations ]

The Mets just can’t seem to figure out the Nationals, as the Metropolitans went to Washington to get beat 5-3 despite a solid performance by starter R.A. Dickey and Angel Pagan’s inside-the-park home run and triple play.

The Mets jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning thanks to Pagan's homer, but two runs were quickly given back in the bottom of the inning.

The Mets tied the game in the top of the sixth only to give it back in the bottom of the seventh when they probably took Dickey out too early.