John Maine pitches the game of the decade

This game showed the whole world what John Maine is capable of. It also showed why I've liked him since the first time I saw him pitch. He has no fear and is capable of completely shutting down a team. He's an ACE in the making. This is the most dominate and complete pitching performance I've seen this decade. NOBODY has thrown a better game while wearing a Mets uniform since at least 1999.

When the Mets were at the lowest point of their season and everything was going wrong, John Maine picked them up. He put them on his back, and carried the team and it's fans to a better place. He showed everyone out there in Mets land that all is not lost. There is still hope, and they'll live to fight another day. In one stirring and dominating pitching performance, he awoke the sobbing fans and gave them reason to wipe away the tears and cheer again. The Fans needed this game as much as the team did.

John threw 115 pitches thru 7 & 2/3rds innings. Struck out 14, walked 2 and only gave up 1 hit. At one point he struck out 7 IN A ROW !! The 14 strikeouts is the highest # since Al Lighter struck out 15 in 1999. The Marlins never had a chance. They were swinging thru his fastball all day and couldn't find his slider or change-up either. He was hitting 91-95 mph all day. He finishes the season now with 15 wins, 180 strike outs in 191 innings. His ERA is now 3.91. I think that is a hell of a fine season for John's 1st full year. With a little help from the bullpen, he could have won 3-4 more games. I look forward to seeing him mature into a star pitcher.

Offensively, not much went wrong except Josie Reyes. He once again failed to run to 1st base on a chopper hit by home plate. The SNY crew ran a text question and asked if Josie should be benched because of that, and 80% said yes. I agree. I hope someone grabs him and gives him a good talking to. It's lazy play like that that has the team where it is now. And I believe Willie hasn't done enough to discourage that kind of lazy effort. David Wright now has 195 hits for the season. So there is still a remote chance for a 200 hit season. It means the Mets will need another 20 hit game to give David a chance. I don't believe a Monday game will count as a regular season game.

Tomorrow's game worries me. Glavine hasn't pitched well, and he needs to throw strikes and keep the ball inside the park. I find little comfort in the fact that the Mets fans are relying on a "Braves" pitcher to win a game to get to the postseason. I say "Braves" pitcher because Atlanta and John Smoltz have already said they want Tom there next year. I say goodbye and good riddance.