Another damp, chilly night. It's great to see the Mets score two runs with groundouts.How appropriate that Black Baseball History Night was the night that two black managers faced each other at Shea Stadium for the first time ever.

The weather was disgusting but the Mets still managed to pull this one out against the Nationals. SEO SUCKS! I've been saying that ever since he started pitching for the Mets a few years ago but maybe I'm wrong. Incredible for him- held down a first place team and got a hit and two RBI's of his own. And Victor Diaz-that guy's an animal. When Cameron comes back they won't need him so they should trade him and Kaz to the Braves and get Marcus Giles. See, I should be their GM.

ESPN.com's Jayson Stark reports that in this game, Nationals reliever Joe Horgan became the first pitcher since the dead-ball era to strike out the side while allowing six runs in an inning!

It was cold and rainy that morning but the game ended up being played anyway. It was my nephew Robert's 11th birthday and I wrote to the Mets in advance to get his name on the scoreboard. It happened in the 5th inning. All 6 of us (me, my sister, her b-f, nephew, his friend and our family friend Kathy. Me & Kathy are Robert's godparents and we schooled him early on to wear and support the Mets. We left in the 8th inning but the game was well in hand & I got to see yet another NL team in the Nationals at Shea for the 1st time.

This was a great victory for the Mets, as it was the type of game the Mets generally blow and the Nats generally win (at least for the first half of 2005). Close game all night, the Mets got in some trouble in the ninth inning but Heilman got out of it.

In the eleventh, Piazza hit an RBI single (his second RBI of the game) to score Beltran. In theory, this should have brought up David Wright with Piazza on first and Floyd on third and one out, but Piazza was then thrown out by the catcher trying to stretch it to a double, and then Floyd was thrown out trying to sneak home on the Piazza play. Typical Mets concentration blunder, but it wasn't costly as Looper closed the game for a big 3-1 series victory. Beginning with the first game of this series, the Nats took a horrible dive, falling out of the division lead and back to the pack. As of my writing this, they are two games out of the wild card race but still fading.

A great late summer Saturday night to be at the game. I went with my good buddy from high school. There was hardly any humidity, and the breeze from the Long Island Sound was very refreshing. Couldn't ask for better weather and a better matchup, Pedro vs. Livan.

The Mets jumped all over Livan early, opening up an 8-0 lead. Leave it to the Mets bullpen to blow it. The utterly incompetent duo of Danny Graves and Dae Sung Koo let the runs accumulate after Randolph pulled Pedro in the 6th inning.

Randolph then dispatched Looper to put out the fire. He screwed up too, gave up the last run to make it 8-8 in the bottom 9th. Extra innings after an 8-0 lead!! WOO HOO!!!

Somehow, Gerald Williams got on base and Chris Woodward singled him home to win this game in the 10th!! Unbelievable!!

A classic Pedro game for sure. The Mets couldn't even hold an 8-run lead for him.

This game truly does hold a special place in my heart though, as it was at this game that my girlfriend and I took a big step in our relationship. I had been with my girlfriend for 7 years at that point, and for those 7 years I was slowly weaning baseball and the Mets on her.

Earlier in the season, she put her foot in the door of Met-fandom by referring to the Mets for the first time as "we". This night, she officially graduated.

The Nationals start chipping away at the 8-0 lead in the 7th. My girlfriend turns to me and says, "what, did they decide not to play anymore? They have an 8 run lead so they dont have to play hard?" I told her to calm down, the game wasn't over yet, the Mets can still win. Besides, we still had a 2 run lead.

Fast forward to the end of the 9th. The Nats tie the game off Looper and we go to extra innings. For the first time ever, my girlfriend begins fuming: "F*** THIS TEAM! THEY JUST F***ING GAVE UP! LET'S F***ING LEAVE, RIGHT NOW! I DON'T HAVE TO SIT THERE AND WATCH THEIR S*** ANYMORE! F*** 'EM! F***ING A*******!"

I just smiled, laughed, and gave her a hug n kiss. I told her, "that's it, you are now officially a full-fledged Met fan".

Thank god Chris Woodward came through with the RBI single in the 10th. If he hadn't who knows if I ever would have gotten her back to Shea.

This was that Sunday I went down to the Bobby on a whim to catch my last glimpse of Mike Piazza as a Met. He paid me for my trouble by absolutely clubbing two homers. But Mike Jacobs topped him with a Strawberry-esque moonshot, absolutely launched into the private boxes.

It's not usually the moonshot that gets me going in baseball. But when you're on the road and everyone wants to shove a fist in your face, moonshots are a nice crowd-shutter-upper.

The woman in front of me had Nats pins all over her bag and hat, but scarcely looked up from her romance novel throughout the game to see the real romance heroes on display in front of her. Poor creature.

Even though it was only a one-run-final, the game felt never in doubt, and the Nats supporters were kind of disapponited that Piazza got nothing to hit the rest of the way. Stupid Frank Robinson.

This win gives the Mets 28 Opening Day wins in their history. The amazing thing about this fact is that they didn't win a season opening game until 1970, losing their first eight! I believe they have more wins on Opening Day than any other major league team since '70. Has any other team won more openers than the Mets over the last 37 years? If there is, I'd like to know which team that is!

Great opening day win at Shea! The Mets played well, especially Xavier Nady who went 4 for 4. Hopefully he will keep up that kind of performance this year. Now they just need to beat real teams like the Braves and the Astros.

There is nothing better than being out there for Opening Day. The Home Opener is nice, but it doesn't quite have the same feeling as the real Opening Day. Last season, for the Home Opener, it seemed like the game happened, but nobody was really prepared for it. Not this year. Everything was in place. The crowd was ready, the Bunting was in place, and the Mets took the field, and it seemed everything was right with the world.

Tom Glavine's first pitch of the season was a ball outside, prompting my friend to turn to me and say, "That's it, the season's a disaster! Break up the team!"

The first car fire of the season took place behind the bleachers in Left Field during the bottom of the 1st. Took about half an inning before firemen got to the car.

The new guys stood out, especially Nady, who ripped 4 hits, 2 of which led to runs, and LoDuca, who blooped a clutch 2-out hit in the 3rd to drive home the first run of the season.

And, of course, David "The Truth" Wright nailed his first HR of the year in the 6th, a Piazza-esque blast to Right, prompting chants of MVP! MVP! MVP!

Heilman was shaky, but a great relay throw from Floyd to Reyes to LoDuca cut down Soriano at home with the potential tying run in the 8th. Beltran also supplied a key assist from the OF as he cut down Vidro trying to stretch a single to a double in the 9th for the last out of the game, and Yes! A victory on Opening Day!

The only downside to the afternoon came following the game. With the impending construction of a new stadium, it seems more people than normal are using the Subway. This is problematic because the entrances to the Subway at Shea are not quite equipped to handle such large crowds. I had to stand around for no less than 15 minutes until the crowd thinned out. This is going to get messy when they start building the new Stadium and wipe out half the parking lot. We shall see...

The National Anthem singer for this game? Queensryche singer Geoff Tate, thank you very much.

After going to Shea several times in '05 and NOT seeing Pedro pitch in any of them, I didn't take that chance and went to Shea on Thursday Night. They tell me that when Pedro Martinez takes the mound, it's an event in itself! And they're right! It wasn't vintage Pedro but it was enough: 6 IP 4 H 5R (4 earned) 5 BB 6 K's and 3 HBP including 2x to Jose Guillen who tried to attack Pedro with his bat but was stopped as both benches and bullpens cleared. Later on, Nats P Felix Rodriguez gets ejected for hitting Paul LoDuca and Frank Robinson rips a new one to the 3 umps (the other ump Ted Barrett got hurt and had to leave the game). Anyway, the 2 Carlos (Delgado & Beltran) smack dingers and the Mets win 10-5. And they play each other 16 more times in 2006, Oh Joy!!!!

This was a great game. Delgado and Beltran both hit homers and Delgado is the scariest hitter we've had since, well, Piazza 5 years ago. Pedro wasn't incredible, but that Jose Guillen incident made the game great.

They had to line up a whole bunch of police dogs on the edge of the field because Pedro was coming to Washington, but he got another victory and the Mets are off to an incredible start.

I was born at 2:13 PM. About 5 hours later Marlon Byrd was the first batter of the game. The first Mets batter ever when I was alive was Jose Reyes and the first Home Run was hit by Carlos Delgado. The Mets ended up walking off the Nationals 2-1.

John Maine's first start as a Met.

Traveled with my sons to DC for a holiday and Mets road trip weekend. The Mets and Nationals wore throw-back Negro League uniforms. Lo Duca hit a homer, and Glavine pitched well, but ex- Met Billy Traber (traded in the Alomar deal) shut the Mets down.

The game was televised on FOX, Channel 5, and color commentator Lou Piniella was just mentioning that Nick Johnson finally went through a season without being injured.

Very shortly after that comment, watching that play unfold, the collision between 1B Nick Johnson and RF Austin Kearns, it reminded me of Joe Theisman getting hit by Lawrence Taylor on Monday Night Football back in the mid '80s. And how it reminded me of that football play was Washington National 2B Jose Vidro motioning to the bench to send medical help over -- just like LT did back then -- the only difference being that Vidro motioned for the help while the play was still ongoing and before he retrieved the ball, probably hearing the sound of the injury. I saw on the internet that Johnson had to chew on a towel to minimize the pain while waiting for medical assistance.

Good luck to Nick Johnson. I wouldn't wish that on anybody.

For future Mets trivia, David Wright hit the ball, and was credited for a triple on the play.

The game was supposed to be a night game but due to FOX, it started at 1:25pm under cool, cloudy skies. Before the game they had a parade of dogs around the field and then they went to their seats in the bleachers.

I also saw the first collision of players in person when National players Nick Johnson and Austin Kearns collided with Johnson winding up with a broken leg. (I thought he had suffered a concussion as he was on the ground for a long time as Shea grew very silent.) Even the P.A. system was silent in the 9th and didn't play "Enter Sandman" when Wagner came in and almost gave us some excitement when he didn't have a 1-2-3 inning in a non-save situlation.

Was at this game with my 4 month old shephard/chow chow mix Dodger! He and I and my girlfriend Krystal had a ball with him there. We got to walk all around the stadium and I was in awe to be on the field where my favorite sport team plays. Went totally bananas when David Wright hit a 3-run homer in the fifth to give the Mets the lead. Was jumping up and down in the bleachers holding Dodger in my arms. It was an AWESOME feeling. Left in the 7th inning and got home in time to see Nick Johnson laying on the outfield grass with a fractured leg. Have gone to 8 games this year and Mets have not lost yet! Wish I had PLAYOFF TICKETS!

I went down to D.C. to see the last two games of the season, and what a great game this was. Glavine shut down the Nationals lineup, and the Mets offense destroyed the Nationals. Julio Franco busted out, needing just a triple for the cycle, and four other Mets homered, including a monstrous homer by David Wright. And the Nationals have great fans. Even with their team down 13-0, they stayed for the last out, and then stood and applauded Frank Robinson for 15 minutes, as this was his second-to-last game in professional baseball.

I was in Washington for this game and got to see Frank Robinson make his final speech and his final managerial appearance, after 51 years in professional baseball. As for the Mets, they had a great game, Julio Franco had another nice day, driving in the first run of the game. Probably the funniest part of the experience was the President's Race. At RFK Stadium, they do this thing called the President's Race, where four mascots dressed as presidents with huge heads (George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, and Teddy Roosevelt). In the standings, George Washington and Abe Lincoln each have about 15 wins, and Jefferson has 10, but Teddy Roosevelt has never won a race. So, on the last day, the other presidents stopped and let Teddy race alone to the finish line. However, it took him so long to get there that he got disqualified, so Teddy Roosevelt never won a race at RFK Stadium. This was the one time I ever felt bad for a mascot.

El Duque was SUPERB! Ruben Gotay's clutch single in the 7th wins it for the Mets.

This has to be the hardest loss for me to swallow this year! Down 3-0 in the sixth Mets score 3 with 2 out. Then give it right back in the 8th! Then mount a comeback in the bottom half to only fall 1 run short. Might also have lost Paul LoDuca to a hamstring injury. Didn't understand why Ramon Castro did not pinch hit in the 8th instead of Marlon Anderson. As it would prove costly in the 9th inning when Tom Glavine was called upon to pinch hit!

Maybe this team needs to play just 5 innings a game,because when this happens the Mets not only win but their pitcher gets credited for a 1 hitter and a complete game shutout. They have accomplished this feat twice this year; the other time it was Tom Glavine when he faced the Cardinals at Shea. I bet Oliver Perez wished it had rained on Wednesday when he faced the Pirates. Ramon Castro looks like maybe he will get some more playing time this week after Lo Duca got hurt. He went 2 for 2 in this game with a double and a Home Run.

This game was also a birthday present. Only this time my stepsister (divorced parents) took me even though she likes the Yankees better. (She likes the Mets too though and she got me this b-day present.) I went to this game even though I woke up with a fever of approximately 101-103. I was bummed out that it rained but happy about the result while falling asleep on the car ride home.

This was the second Mets game we took our young sons to - the first was the Mike Pelfrey debut in 2006. The game only lasted just past the 5th inning when the skies broke open after about an hour and a half. After a while, we went down to the gift shop to look for souvenirs, and were there when the game was called. I was a little annoyed that the Mets did not offer attending fans another game - even a weekday in September - for coming to a barely legal game.

Not really sure what's going on with this team. Last week they could not lose and now they find themselves in danger of possibly being caught by the Phillies. I am not even going to talk about this game because the bigger issue right now is the fact that the Mets seem to be playing scared. Their bullpen is a mess and their offense seems to score runs early but then falls asleep the rest of the game. Bottom Line: Veterans better step up and say something to get the team out of its funk or they are not going to go to the playoffs and that would be a shame.

Well who would have thought that Mike Pelfrey would have been the stopper? It's the future of the Mets that saves them in the present. Coupled with Phillies loss (thanks to last years NLCS villian Yadier Molina) Mets shave 2 more games off of their Magic number. We are still a long ways away from a division title but there is no doubt the Mets needed this one. Credit Sosa for coming in and putting out a fire in the 6th and credit Alou for playing hurt and producing at the same time. Mets are off to Florida for 4 and then back home to end the season against the Nats, Cards, and Marlins. Hopefully things go well and we can capture a second straight division crown.

P.S. For all the Mets fans that are feeling down, just remember how St. Louis stumbled into the playoffs last year. Maybe the Mets need a reality check before the playoffs begin.

Last Shea game I ever went to. Pelf had a good start but of course he blew up when he got into trouble. Left the game early thinking it's ok there's always tomorrow, not knowing they would only win 1 game for the rest of the year. Listened to the game on the radio on the way home and turned it on tv to see the last out. Thank God for the Mets broadcast team, both radio and tv, for making these blow outs watchable with their great commentary.

I remember the fatalism of the crowd at this game. Everyone at Shea that night had that "here we go again" sigh when the Mets started coughing up runs to a team they should have been beating. There were only a few thousand people left in the bottom of the 9th when the Mets scored six runs, yet fell a run short. The ride home on the subway was a long one. The team had fought back, but it seemed like they were letting the season slip away from them right in front of our eyes.

Four games to go. That's it. That's all the Mets need to think about now. If we miss the playoffs then it could go down as one of the biggest meltdowns in the history of sports. A 7-game lead with 2 1/2 weeks to go in the season and they blow it. I am honestly getting tired of watching these guys go out and get their tails beat by the Washington Nationals. I really hope the Mets make it. We need them to make it.

When is this madness going to end? It is unbearable to watch this team lose big leads. Made the Nats look like the 1927 Yanks.

I was at this game; sat in the loge section 13 with my pal Richie. When the Mets went up 5-0, I was praying that the lead would hold up but alas it DIDN'T happen. Me and Richie stayed to the bitter end unlike many fans that started to head for the exits when Wagner gave up those runs in the 9th. I've been going to Shea since the mid-1970's, I never felt so depressed leaving the ballpark in my entire life.

What an outstanding pitching performance from "BIG" Mike Pelfrey! Looks like Pelfrey has found his groove early this year compared to last season. David Wright had a big game hitting a home run, 2 doubles and driving in 5 runs in a 6-0 victory!

Let me begin by saying it was a pleasure to see Jackie Robinson honored the way he was last night around MLB. His impact on the game and on the world will never be forgotten.

Lots of good things happened in this game. Wright and Reyes combine for 7 hits. Sanchez returns and pitches a scoreless inning. But in my opinion the most important thing about this game was Mike Pelfrey pitching 7 shutout innings. Hopefully this is the beginning of a great career for him. It seems like he finally has confidence in his stuff.

Made my first visit to good ol' Shea for 2008 on this beautiful night and on the 44th anniversary of the Shea opener where Jack Fisher, Tim Harkness and Ron Hunt were on hand to change the number from 74 to 73 games remaining. I went by myself (my pal was gonna go but changed his mind) and during the game some blonde decided to audition for Girls Gone Wild by show off her you- know-whats and a few fans took photos with their camera phones. (By the way, security ejected her.) You know, If I want to see a woman without any clothes on, I can turn on Showtime at 3:00 am or go to the beach at Fire Island and NOT at a baseball game where there were many kids present!

Also, when Nats 3B Ryan Zimmerman came up to bat, I yelled out "It's Randy Orton's twin" as he does look like the smart aleck WWE Raw champion. I stayed the entire 14 innings even though I had to wake up at 6:00 am for work but it should've been over in the 12th when Damion Easley got thrown out at 3rd when umpire Brian Winters blew the call (Easley was SAFE) and fans decided to recreate the 1973 NLCS by throwing stuff. But Easley got revenge in the 14th when he scored on a wild pitch! All in all, a wonderful night at a place called William A. Shea NOW ON ITS LAST LEGS AND I WILL MISS SO MUCH (SIGH!!!)

Another GREAT pitching performance from John Maine. 6 innings 2 hits 1 earned run and he even got a base hit! Mets made some roster moves before this game sending down Jorge Sosa, Nelson Figueroa and placed Angel Pagan on the 15 day DL. Called up Claudio Vargas and took Matt Wise off the DL, also brought up Fernando Tatis. Personally I love the moves and Tatis already showed why the moves are good; he singled and scored a run. This should make the Mets bullpen better than it was.

Another terrible performance by the Mets offense. Just don't understand this team right now. There is no consistency with the offense. Reyes base-running error in the 8th inning hurt but he was trying to make something happen for an offense that has under-acheived all year long. Mets better hope one of the other teams in the NL East don't get hot or they may find themselves on the outside looking in. This season has been a frustrating one thus far.

After posting my earlier comments I thought of something that I figured I would convey to you all. Bottom of the 8th inning, Reyes on first and nobody out. Castillo bunts the first pitch. Taking away the fact that Reyes got thrown out trying to go first to third on a bunt, can anyone tell me why Reyes was not given a chance to steal 2nd base first? If Reyes steals 2nd base with Castillo at the plate then you can bunt him over to third with less than 2 outs. With a speedy runner like Reyes I think a moderately hit fly ball could have easily scored him. Not sure what Randolph was thinking there.

I was on the field for the national anthem. The cause of this event was for breast cancer awareness.

This was my last game at Shea. I have lots of memories which will be in my mind forever. I will never forget this game it was very memorable.

It was unusually warm for April - almost 90 degrees at game time for this 1:10 start. Ollie Perez got rocked early and often which set the tone for the rest of the season. If I recall Daniel Murphy got a couple of wild chances in left field. Stadium was packed; everyone wanted to see Citi Field. I remember being very impressed with the food and not so impressed with the sight lines from Section 339.

Nice to see the Mets get the sweep of the awful Nationals. Santana was human for 1 inning, but got them through 6 gutsy innings as he always finds a way. The guy is a flat out winner!! Nice to see Murphy have a big game. Lets hope he has some more of those. I am so impressed with the way this team is playing considering all the injuries. This team is showing the heart and desire that was missing the last 2 years.

Gotta say I was tired of hearing Acta and Dunn cry about the replay. (Did they actually think they could win a game in this series?) Dunn stated that if he had caught the ball they would have not over turned the call. Well, why didnt you catch the ball Adam? If it was not a home run you should have been back there to make a play on it, right? Manny Acta should be more concerned about the horror show he is putting out on the field on a daily basis than whether a couple of home run calls go against his team.

Was there for this one, Mets jumped out to an early lead and Livan cruised. Anti-climactic, but that doesn't mean non-enjoyable.

My wife and I did a weekend Baltimore/DC road trip and this was the final stop on Sunday afternoon at the new Nationals Park.

Livan Hernandez looked great the whole game, and it was nice for the Mets to have a laugher game for once.

This was my first game at Citibank Field. It had always been a personal tradition to go to a Mets game on my birthday. For this one, my 32nd, I bought three tickets and invited my friend Jason, as well as my girlfriend at the time, who shall remain nameless.

Jason and I met in front of the Jackie Robinson Rotunda about 30 minutes before the game. My lady friend was still back in Manhattan getting ready, so Jason and I went through the turnstiles, up the escalator, and walked around the new stadium before the game started.

My first impression of Citibank field was that it was a nice recreation of Ebbets Field. I'm convinced I was a die hard Brooklyn Dodgers fan in a previous life, so it was nice to go back in time, but that nostalgia only lasted for a few moments upon seeing the stadium from the outside and then entering through the turnstiles.

Once I saw the field, it more or less seemed like every other ballpark built after 1991. Granted, it did have more character than the stadium in Phoenix (which seemed like an indoor shopping mall with a baseball diamond in the middle). However, in my opinion, it was much less distinctive than Dodger Stadium, or Shea for that matter. It didn't seem like the home of the Mets. It seemed like it could be the Orioles' home park, or the Brewers', or whatever, especially with the color of the outfield walls. I remember complaining to Jason about how that paint job was awful; the walls were a dark green so dark they looked almost black. Thankfully, they repainted them blue before the 2012 season.

This was a Sunday afternoon game and in a way, it seemed like everyone was going through the motions. The Mets were a 64-85 team playing out the string, and the only reason I was even there was due to tradition. The only reason Jason was there was because he was a nice guy and had accepted a free ticket, and as for my girlfriend, she didn't like baseball, didn't care about the Mets, and had only reluctantly agreed to attend this game because it was my birthday. However, at the start of the game she was nowhere to be seen and apparently on her way.

John Maine pitched a no-hitter for four innings. Then with the score 4-0 Mets, Josh Willingham of the Nationals led off the top of the 5th inning. He took the count to 1-1, and at that point, I don't know why- maybe it was angst over being possibly stood up by my girlfriend on my birthday- but I stood up and I screamed, "NO HITTER!", then sat down. On the next pitch, Willingham lined a single into center field and the no-hitter was broken. I honestly think I did that because I wanted to test the "no hitter jinx", you know, about not mentioning a no hitter during a game. Well, it worked, and I wasn't proud of it. I felt like Steve Bartman for a second; everyone around me was silent. I didn't care though; deep in my heart I knew that John Maine was not going to have the stamina to pitch nine no-hit innings, even knowing that he had thrown a one hitter (on July 29th, 2007). Still, I should have kept my mouth shut. Who knows; maybe he would have done it since it was my birthday.

With the no-hit bid over, the only drama was whether or not my girlfriend would finally show up. She did, arriving "fashionably late" in the 8th inning, which allowed me to give her a one-inning crash course on the rules of baseball.

The game itself was inconsequential to the history of the Mets, baseball, and our lives in general. It was a beautiful day in September, the Mets won, I didn't get stood up, and Jason got to see that I wasn't making up a story about a fake girlfriend.

So all in all, it was a good day.

What a season and what a disaster! THANK GOD WE WERE NOT IN THE PLAYOFF RACE THIS YEAR!! It's just ridiculous. 2007, 2008, 2009 has been nothing but disaster with the Mets, when we are not collapsing, we suffering with massive injuries. The way this game ended against the Nationals, out of all teams The WASHINGTION NATIONALS is just embarrassing, a game winning grand slam?? K-rod blows a two run lead in the bottom of the ninth! Just make it stop, let the 2009 season die! Being a Mets fan has not been easy these past three years, and this is nothing!! Remember the early to mid 90s? well I guess we are back to what we were before the 2005 season, us Mets fans know, that when the Mets are that close to becoming a dynasty, they always seem to blow it at the wrong time. Look at the bright side, that's our team, The New York Mets. Good and better things are going to come, only question is, when will these dark days end?

Couldn't have asked for a better birthday! Well, maybe weather wise since it was chilly and windy! I enjoyed a nice Acela Club restaurant dinner before watching a 2-HR barrage by both Francoeur and Barajas. While having my birthday message on the scoreboard, I got to watch Pelfrey pitch a solid 6 innings in his season debut and in the 8th inning Ruben Tejada got his first ML hit! Still undefeated at Mets games I've attended on my birthday!

How on earth did Willie Harris catch that fly ball? That was just awful.

My first game at Citi Field for 2010 and the weather was full of blue skies although chilly. Went with my pal Kathy and her son Adam from Vietnam on his 4th birthday and they did put his name on the scoreboard! The game itself was a tepid affair until the Mets had a chance to win it but bad old Willie Harris (yet another Met killer) made the diving catch to deny the Amazins a walk-off win. After the game, all three of us went into the new Mets HOF and Museum and I truly give it my seal of approval. Actress Julia Stiles threw out the first pitch and let's just say she's way better than what Mariah Carey did at a Japanese baseball game.

Angel Pagan hit an inside-the-park home run in the fourth inning of this game. An inning later, he started a triple play by catching a fly ball in center field. This was the second time that Pagan had an in-the-park homer in the same game in which a TP was turned. The other was the previous year at Citi Field, when he hit an ITPHR in the first inning of the game against the Phils that ended with Eric Bruntlett's unassisted triple play.

I was there with my family. R.A. pitched a gem and it was a great game until Rodriguez blew it in the 9th.

What a day!!!! First the sun was obscured by rain threatening clouds, then the trip on the 7 train took forever due to track work, then in fitting fashion, the Mets offense takes the day off (AGAIN). Normally, the last game of the regular season for the most part is a 2 hour plus and then head home for the winter but the Amazins played 14 innings until Oliver Perez walks in the winning run. Typical Ollie!!! Me, my friend Kathy, her son Adam and Kathy's friend Rosemary stayed the entire game like true diehards!!! But the sad part was the Mets DIDN'T even have any giveaways except during the game when lucky fans (NOT US) won some nice prizes!!!! How rude of the Mets to do that, if Mark Cuban was running the team (I WISH THAT HE WAS) there would've been a nice giveaway for all 30,000 + that suffered through another lost season but the diehards like me will be rewarded when the Mets return to the post-season (and believe me, IT WILL HAPPEN!!!!)

The 50th home opener in Mets history and it was my 5th (there was a 6th but it got rained out in 1997).

THE TRAIN RIDE: Talked to some guys and they told me that they were in Port St. Lucie for spring training (FYI, It's on my bucket list, that and a Mets road trip).

THE PRE-GAME: Howie Rose did his usual outstanding intros, Mookie Wilson got a big ovation, so did Wright, Reyes, Ike Davis, Dickey and even Chris Young got a nice cheer but Pelf and K-Rod got booed. The moment of silence was emotional as they put Dallas Green's granddaughter on the video board along with Duke Snider, former Mets manager Joe Frazier among others. The American Flag unfurling was a lump in the throat moment and Michael Amonte did a fantastic job with the Anthem. Ralph Kiner (you better treasure him, Mets fans) threw out the first pitch and Mookie caught it to a great ovation.

THE WEATHER: The winter that won't ever end continued; 42 degrees and very cloudy. I was hoping for a miracle of 65 degrees and sunny but if life were fair, I would be filthy rich and be married to Joy Behar.

THE GAME: Dickey did his best despite a split fingernail and hardly any run support. Then Parnell unraveled in the 8th when Pudge Rodriguez opened the floodgates with a big hit. Jayson Werth (who truly looks like Edge from the WWE) got big boos from his Philly days as well. Many fans left after the Pudge hit but I stayed til the end as usual as a bit of rain hit during the 9th inning. All in all, the food was great (Blue Smoke Ribs, Nathan's and peanuts) and so was the Pepsi Max on tap. But the 2011 Mets are a work in progress and Terry Collins has a lot of work ahead of him.

For the second year in a row, we celebrated my friend Kathy's son Adam's birthday (He turned 5) at Citi Field on a cool and cloudy "winter" afternoon. Chris Young pitches 7 innings of one-hit ball but because of his past arm troubles (he's now on the DL) and pitch counts; Terry Collins takes him out and the Nats tie the game. The Mets should've won in the 10th but in the 11th, bad old Blaine Boyer (NICE KNOWING YA) gives up 4 runs etc...you get the picture. The three of us stayed until the final out as usual and for the second year in a row, Adam's b-day is spoiled by a Mets loss to Washington. However, the magnet schedules given out courtesy of SNY are the nicest I have ever seen!!

My dad went to me and said that we were going to D.C. for a day trip during Easter break. I was like YES! He brought up that the Mets will be playing the Nats during the break and there was a chance that we could get tickets to the game. We went to the game and had a great experience. The ballpark is great. Chris Young as usual pitched a great game and Thole got the key hit that won the Mets the game. K-Rod got me nervous towards the end but got out of trouble. Great seats, great ballpark, great game!

Until this game, the last time I wanted to smash my TV into pieces because of a Mets loss was the infamous Luis Castillo dropped pop fly vs the Yankees. Rookie sensation Jordany Valdespin hits a 3-run homer at a difficult place to hit one (Nats Park) then the great law firm of Parnell, Byrdak and Beato practically give the game away as "Brat" Harper hits a triple!!! As I refuse to call Larry Jones "Chipper"; I refuse to call Harper "Bryce" because he has potential to be the next Willie Mays or the next Angelica Pickles from the "RUGRATS" cartoon. A tough loss indeed and if the 2012 Mets don't see serious October baseball, this will be one of these games why!!!

I was at this game, and after attending ballgames since 1969, I finally got a foul ball! 'Twas Daniel Murphy who provided me with the treasured souvenir.

I was at this game with my best friend. Matt Harvey started and he looked sharp. The first base runner of the game for the Nats didn't come until I think the 6th inning. I thought for a while there we might see a perfect game that night.

With that being said Collins pulls Harvey out after the 7th leading 4-1. The Nats get a base clearing triple in the 8th and tack on two more in the 9th. Nats win 6-4 and ruin Harvey's performance.

Instead of being upset I was just numb to it by now. If you follow this team long enough you know what's coming!

After 25+ years of being on WFAN, the Mets begin a new era on the radio: 710 WOR-AM (Although they did broadcast 15 spring training games, some on weekday afternoons undoubtely angering Rush Limbaugh's fanbase). I didn't go to the game but watched on SNY beginning its 9th season (WOW, how time flies). But I wasn't totally happy that New York mayor deBlasio threw out the first pitch but I don't want to throw him under the bus since he's from the Boston area and a Red Sox fan. But I felt that honor should've gone to Ralph Kiner's family or maybe Ron Darling.

Mets offense is hot early and their starter pitches well until the 7th. Terry left Gee in for too long before turning to the horrible bullpen. 2 walks in a row to let the Nats tie the game? Sickening. Then Parnell (who should not be the closer) blows the lead, and the Mets lose in extras.

With this loss, the Mets begin the season with two consecutive defeats in their home ballpark. This hasn't happened since 1965, a year that the team won only 50 games. Let's hope that's not the case in 2014!

This was the best game I've ever been at. The game was SO intense, not only because of the playoff implications, but in extras, no-one would get on base until the Flores walk-off home run. There were several chants with his name. It was a thriller.

I think it was this game that turned the Mets season around.

I remember that it was an uncomfortably hot and humid night. I was sprawled across my seat at Citi Field, wondering how much longer the game would last. Many fans had left because it was late. The remaining crowd was rather subdued, like I was. But at the crack of the ball coming off Wilmer Flores’ bat leading off the bottom of the 12th, the crowd instantaneously came to life. Everyone sprang to their feet in anticipation and when the ball cleared the fence, the celebration was on! It was an exhilarating moment in a memorable season.

Raymond, you're right about this game being the one that turned the Mets' season around. It was the start of a series sweep over the Nationals that tied them with the Washington team for first place in the National League East. The Mets would take over the lead for good in Miami one night later.

The Mets' victory came under some unique circumstances. It was declared "Wilmer Flores Night" at Citi Field just two days after the supposed trade of Flores to Milwaukee that never happened. The sight of Wilmer in tears over the trade rumors was fresh in everyone's mind and a special tribute was being paid to the man who didn't want to leave New York. In storybook fashion, Wilmer drove in both Mets runs with a single and a walk-off homer that ignited the team on its run to the title.

The home run in the twelfth inning was the first of four walk-offs that Flores would have in a Mets uniform. Four other players in team history had accomplished this feat prior to Wilmer. Coincidentally, this first one came on the same calendar date as Chris Jones' fourth walk-off homer as a Met in 1996.

I had picked out this game some time ago to take my wife and sons to Citi Field and it turned out to be the first game for Cespedes as a Met and was SRO. The place was rocking more than I ever had experienced at Citi Field - reminded me of the good times at Shea. The start of one of the best months in Mets history.

Cespedes’ first game with the Mets and a Lucas Duda show. deGrom didn’t have his best stuff, but fought through 6 innings to keep the Mets in it. Familia save was a welcome relief!

I got out of work in time for the start of the game, and with the third inning home runs, the Shea Bridge went BANANAS! Wild screaming, some fans waving The 7 Line hit towels, it was an awesome scene at the ballpark that night.

The Mets win moved them into a tie for 1st place with the Nationals and then gained first place for good the next night in Miami.

I've been to games before at Citi but no game was as intense as this one. I lost my voice after the third inning. It started out shaky after a home run by Escobar in the first inning but that was all but forgotten in the third inning. The crowd went crazy after Syndergaard struck out Thor. Overall awesome game and the start of an amazing run.

Memorable game as the 2015 Mets once again shrugged off a tough loss with big with the next day - and in come from behind fashion. David Wright's reaction at home plate after scoring in the rally will be shown for years to come. Lots of heroes, lots of fun to watch.

An incredible game that followed and topped another memorable game . Reminded me a bit of the 1969 NLCS when the a Mets team known for winning low-scoring games found a way to win high scoring affairs instead. Overcoming a 7-1 deficit with numerous hitters reaching safely with two outs. A classic moment in Mets history. Lots of heroes, lots of fun to watch.

During the game besides the fact that Scherzer pitched a no-hitter I noticed everyone on both teams seemed to be striking out except for the very few guys on Washington who were involved in the two runs scored. Harvey with 11 Ks and the other Mets pitchers combined for 18 strikeouts, while Scherzer got struck out 17. 35 struck out batters for two teams in a nine inning game is a record by FOUR. I was there and the lighting looked ok from the stands but who knows? PS with the Dodger win later in that night the Mets were eliminated from home field for the Mets vs Dodgers playoffs.

This was the second no-hitter pitched against the Mets during a season in which they won a National League championship. The only team previously to be no-hit twice and reach the World Series the same year was the Chicago White Sox in 1917. In the words of Casey Stengel, "You could look it up."

NYB Buff pointed out that this was the second no-hitter vs. the Mets during a season when they won the NL Pennant. I was at both. It was very cold this night. Aside from Mad Max’s no-hitter, my favorite memory was when my son came back to our seats in the upper deck with a mug of hot chocolate. “How much was it?” I asked. “$16”. “$16???? For hot chocolate?” “Well, it does have Bailey’s in it”. “Was there a long line? No? I’ll be right back”. Thank God it was blanket giveaway night. We begrudgingly had to cheer for Scherzer. He was brilliant that night.

This game was such a disappointment. Not only did the Mets lose and score only one run, on a dinger by Cabrera, but both Syndergaard and Cespedes got injured, which meant both of them had to miss the all-star game.

During the previous week, Noah refused an MRI of his arm, and this, his very next start, throws out his arm in the second inning and was lost for the season. Don't know what the MRI would have shown but he got MRI the next day.

This was a close, high-scoring battle before the Nationals blew it wide open. Washington had a 6-5 lead in the fourth inning when the roof caved in completely on the Mets. The Nats erupted for thirteen runs on twelve hits against three relievers from the fourth to the seventh. It got so out of hand that reserve catcher Kevin Plawecki had to be called in to pitch. Plawecki fared no better in the eighth with three Nationals homers coming off him to make things just downright laughable. A game that had the look of an offensive thriller had disintegrated into total disaster.

Jacob deGrom hit his first major league home run in this game. He led off the third inning with a drive off Washington's Joe Ross that landed over the left field wall. The Mets then scored four more runs for a victory on Father's Day at Citi Field.

The homer by deGrom created an amazing case of deja vu. It came exactly 45 years after Tom Seaver slugged a home run to give the Mets the lead for good in a win over the Reds. Not only did Jacob's and Tom's homers come on the same calendar date, but they were both hit against pitchers named Ross (Seaver connected off Cincinnati's Ross Grimsley) on a Father's Day afternoon. Also, the uniform numbers of #48 deGrom and #41 Seaver were the same for Grimsley and Joe Ross, respectively. The baseball gods can present themselves in mysterious ways!

The Mets are not scared of harpo the big crybaby. The Nats are a bunch of whiny crybabies. Grow up. The Mets are for real.

I know this game is not worth writing about, but I'll do it anyway. It was among the most horrifying experiences the Mets and their fans have ever had to endure. The Nationals got seven runs in the first inning, three of which came in on a double by their starting pitcher. They scored three more times in each of the next four innings to increase their lead to 19-0. The Washington line on the scoreboard looked more like one for a football team that had kicked a winning field goal in overtime!

Things were so disastrous for the Mets that Jose Reyes came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth. Reyes was no savior as the Nats tagged him for a pair of homers and scored another six runs. It was a night that every Mets fan had a good excuse for going to bed early.

This was a poor excuse for a ball game. The Nationals piled up nineteen runs in five innings while the Mets didn't do a darn thing at bat. If there had been any kind of mercy rule applied, the game would've been stopped early with a "no contest" win declared for the Nats. Major League Baseball has no such policy, though.

There were things about this fiasco that were similar to another Mets defeat at Washington on April 30th the previous year. In addition to both games being played on the last day of a month, each one featured a non-pitcher taking the mound for the Mets in the bottom of the eighth inning. Just like Kevin Plawecki did in the '17 game, Jose Reyes pitched the eighth in this one and gave up some homers that added to the misery. Also, the Nationals had 19 total runs entering the inning each time and broke the 20-mark against both Plawecki and Reyes. It was a very eerie case of deja vu for the Mets.

Wilson Ramos's grand slam was the seventh in Mets history to be hit on May 14. It came 50 years after the first one, which was provided by Cleon Jones in the 1969 championship season. The five other Met grand slams on May 14th came from Rusty Staub in 1972, Hubie Brooks in 1991, Ryan Thompson in 1994, Mike Piazza in 2000 and Cliff Floyd in 2004.

First game I ever took my daughters to, ages 7 and 13. Bought the tickets for cheap when the Mets were 11 games under right after the All-Star break. Never imagined at that time the Mets would pull themselves into the race, and the place would be rocking thanks to a big win the night before (plus Hawaiian shirt night!). So much excitement, I think my older girl is now a fan for life. For better or worse of course...

This was the night the Mets gave up seven runs in the ninth inning and lost in Washington. When Pete Alonso homered in the top half to extend the lead to 10-4, Gary Cohen stated on the air that it was "icing on the cake." That cake was devoured by the Nationals immediately, with Kurt Suzuki slugging a three-run homer to eat up the icing and top off a miracle comeback. It was not one of the more memorable games for Mets fans, that's for sure!

Looking back on this one a couple months later, this game SUCKED. It sucked when it happened, it sucked at the end of the season, and it's still a salty wound right now. This might've been the first time Washington has beaten the Mets in a crazy comeback fashion and not vice versa, the Mets are the ones who are supposed to do this to the Nats, but it did not happen that night. It was easily the most embarrassing loss of the season, it probably took the Mets out of the playoff race and it gave a huge boost of confidence to the Nationals. A 6-run lead in the 9th inning? Really?

The Washington Nationals are the 2019 World Champions, and that's a fact I hate but have to live with. This team somehow beat both the Dodgers and Astros in the playoffs and they didn't even win their division. Where do you think they got their comeback swagger from? I remember thinking that the two teams were exactly alike, maybe if the Mets had won this game they would be the ones with a World Series title and not the dumb Nationals. I thought the Nats were the famous chokers, but no, I guess.

It really shows you how bad the bullpen was. They had a ridiculous amount of blown games over the course of the year but this one was the most crushing defeat. You can't put up 6 in the top 9th and give up 7. That's worse than the 23-5 and 25-4 deficits from previous years, both against- you guessed it- the Washington Nationals.

Did I mention Edwin Diaz sucks and needs to leave Flushing ASAP? Because he does.

This game was so horrible, the cardboard faces in the Citi Field stands were walking out of the place as early as the fifth inning!

All right, that was just a joke. But it was bad enough that an infielder had to be brought in to pitch the top of the ninth. Luis Guillorme did the "honors" and retired three straight batters to salvage something out of the Rocky Horror Pitching Show the Mets had all night. The game's only positive fact is that no actual human Met fans were in the ballpark to see it.

This was the third time in four years that a non-member of the Mets pitching staff took the mound for the last inning of a lopsided loss to the Nationals. Both Kevin Plawecki (in 2017) and Jose Reyes (in 2018) had previously served as emergency relievers in blowout defeats at Washington. Plawecki and Reyes combined to give up a total of five homers and ten earned runs to the Nats in those two games. At least Guillorme pitched a perfect frame and didn't make things any worse for the Mets.

According to my research, in the history of the franchise, this game ranks as the second highest game score of all time for a Mets pitcher, only behind David Cone's effort on the last day of the 1991 season. Briefly, here are the top five Mets game scores of all time:

1. David Cone, Oct 6, 1991 (GS 99), 2. Jacob deGrom, Apr 23, 2021 (GS 98), 3. Matt Harvey May 7, 2013 (GS 97),  4. Tom Seaver, May 15, 1970 (GS 97), and 5. a tie between Tom Seaver on April 22, 1970, Tom Seaver on July 9, 1969, Tom Seaver on July 4, 1972, R.A. Dickey on June 18, 2012, Chris Capuano (!) on August 26, 2011, all with a game score of 96.

Therefore, this was Jacob deGrom's best start ever, and the second best start in Mets history, at least according to the game score metric, so I had to revisit it. Also, I find it weird that I don't remember this game from only two years ago. Honestly, all I remember from this stretch of pitching greatness is worrying that Jake's arm might 'break'. 

Jake came into this game 1-1 with an 0.45 ERA, and 35 K in 20 IP.

His first opposing batter struck out on a 101 MPH heater. Snapping 100 MPH fastballs right on the corner, the ease in which he dispatched opposing batters almost seemed mechanical. Indeed, the deGrominator was a perfect nickname for him. It kind of makes sense why I took him for granted; he was like a pitching machine spitting out 100 MPH heaters on the corners to a team of 12-year olds. Not only this game, but every game that he pitched after he cut his hair.

Watching this game now, even in the first inning, this is like every other Jacob deGrom start from 2018-2021; you could count on him for 7 innings, double-digit strikeouts, 0 or 1 ER, and a tie game or slim lead that the bullpen would blow half the time.

2021 was a weird year for the Mets. The NL East was extremely weak (Atlanta clinched first with 88 wins) and the Mets were 5.5 games up on June 26. They stayed in first place until Aug 13 and then they imploded, pretty much when deGrom got hurt and was shelved for the year (his last 2021 start was on July 7). Yet, all I remember from 2021 is the Ratcoon Game and my anger in my aftermath of the 'Thumbs-Down Protest' (flashbacks of Rey Ordonez from 2002 came to mind). The Mets' collapse was so damaging (9-19 in August, followed by an 11-16 September, and 1-2 record in October) that the entire Mets 2021 season was wiped from my temporal lobe.

Back to this one. In the 5th inning, the SNY camera cut to a lady in the stands with a sign that said: 'Score RUNS For JAKE. PLEASE'. That sign pretty much summed up deGrom's later years on the Mets.   True to form, in the bottom of the 5th, JAKE THE SNAKE (my secret nickname for him) hit a hard opposite field double to make it 1-0. He did that a lot didn't he? Two more hits by Nimmo and Lindor made the score 3-0 Mets at the end of five innings.

In the 7th inning, Jake was still throwing 100 MPH. With his 14th strikeout (in the 7th inning), he set a record for the most strikeouts in MLB history after four starts. He also became the third pitcher in MLB history to tally 14 strikeouts for three starts in a row, joining Pedro Martinez (1999) and Gerrit Cole (2019).

To end the seventh inning, Jake struck out his 15th batter, a career high, earning a standing ovation from the sparse Citi Field crowd (10,782 in attendance). It was also the most strikeouts in a game for a Mets pitcher since David Cone in 1991.

After eight innings, the deGrominator had retired 16 batters in a row. When he came to bat in the bottom of the 8th inning, "MVP" chants could be heard, and Jake lined a single for his second hit of the game, which prompted Gary Cohen to say, "He is just a phenomenon."

After this game, Jake's batting average was .545 and his OPS was 1.182. He ended the year (the last year that pitchers hit in MLB) with a .364 batting average in 33 at bats.

Brandon Nimmo drove Jake in with a line-drive home run to make it 6-0. In the 9th, Jake retired the last three batters in a row, so he ended this one with 19 batters retired in a row to end the game.

Jake's final numbers for this gem were 15 K, a shutout (one of two in his career and his last to date), 0 BB, 2 H, 109 pitches thrown, 84 for strikes. At the end of this game, he had registered 50 Ks in 29 IP and a 0.31 ERA on his way to an injury-shortened 1.08 ERA campaign with 146 K in 92 IP. 

"Jacob deGrom. The best," was the way Gary Cohen summed this one up. 

I'll put it this way. Yes Virginia, there was a deGrominator.

If you needed more proof Jacob deGrom is a future Hall of Famer, here it is. A career high 15 K masterpiece. Two hits, no walks. 9 innings. He went 2 for 4 with an RBI.

As I'm writing this, deGrom has an admittedly unlikely bid to finish the season with an ERA under 1.12, surpassing Bob Gibson's 1968. It is July. He is undeniably the best pitcher in the game.

The Mets' 100th win of the season, their first 100 win season since 1988. Those 34 years really flew by. Not!

A cute golden retriever named Renegade went to this game and ended up with Lindor's home run ball. It was the second of three homers in a row to start the game, and I'm sure half the people in the stadium were saying to their friend, "Why couldn't they do this in Atlanta?"

In the 6th inning, Francisco "the Natural" Alvarez hit a no doubt laser shot to the second deck in left field. It was his first major league hit after going 0 for 8 to start his career. Too bad he was only called up with 6 games left to go. This guy is for real.

This was also the day the Mets slipped out of first place for good, since Atlanta won their game at Miami and clinched. The defending World Series champs set a record for being in first place the least amount of days (10) before they clinched the division. They have Billy Eppler to thank for that.

You know it's getting bad when the Thrivewell Infusion Mets player of the game, Jeff Brigham, DID NOT EVEN PLAY in this shambolic debacle. Howie had to choose someone, and any Met who actually played in the game was automatically disqualified.

Also, today I realized a possible cause of the Mets' recent slump. I haven't heard a Scott for Scott's commercial since the Mets were on the west coast. What happened? I know lawns aren't cool and all, but the Mets were winning with that guy. Why did they lose that account?

In order to turn their season around, they need to call up Vientos and Mauricio and bring back Scott for Scott's. That still doesn't help the pitching, unless Scott can do that too.

I don't care what the official distance was, Pete's first home run in this game had to be among the longest in Citi Field history. It was in the second deck, but it was in deep left center and it was toward the back of the section he hit it to, almost on the concourse. That guy has some power, man.