Good Morning Mets Fans!

Some games just get the juices flowing, and last night's thrilling come from behind victory over the Braves was certainly one of them.

Ollie Perez started for the Mets and didn't have his best stuff. He gutted it out and only gave up 3 runs in 6 2/3, but he also walked 5 and gave up 7 hits. Still, he battled all the way, and the Braves scored all 3 of their runs in the third inning.

The old Ollie might have imploded early on, but this "Post Peterson" version did everything he could and somehow managed to put up a bunch of zeros for his team before exiting in the 7th with runners on first and third and one out, and the Mets on the wrong side of the score in a 3-2 game.

"I was all over the place," said Perez, "but the guys picked me up."

Newly acquired Luis Ayala had his "welcome to the Mets moment." It was a huge spot--one where the Mets bullpen hasn't always succeeded in recent times.

Taking the ball from his countryman, Ayala immediately knocked down Omar Infante with his first pitch. He mixed in a plus fastball with his signature sinker and got both Infante and Brian McCann to hit short popups. Absolutely changed the entire feel of the game. The Braves went from poised to extend their lead, to frustration and tightness.

The Shea faithful rewarded the newcomer with a thundering, and well-deserved, ovation.

"That probably kind of changed the momentum right there," Mets manager Jerry Manuel said. "To hold them right there probably was the turning point in the game."

The bullpen was efficient the rest of the way. Aaron Heilman pitched the 8th, and Scott Shoeneweis took his turn in the 9th in the "closer by committee" lottery. He had an outstanding inning.

"It was nice to be on the other end of one of those games," Schoeneweis said. "Somebody else's bullpen gave it up and ours didn't. Amazing how that works sometimes."

After Heilman held the Braves in check, the Mets stormed out in the 8th and opened the floodgates. The surging first-place Mets loaded the bases twice and did something they haven't done often with the sacks full this year--they delivered.

Carlos Delgado had the big hit--a smoked opposite field double that banged loudly off the fence and plated two.

Mr. Professional , Damion Easley, added to the fun after Fernando Tatis was intentionally walked. Easley hit a solid line drive single that plated two more. Ramon Castro joined in the fun with an RBI double.

All told the Mets scored 5 and pulled victory from the jaws of defeat---a championship caliber 8th inning effort.

"Good teams win these kinds of games," said Delgado. "They find a way to battle back and win these games. You're not going to win them all, but it's nice when you do."

It was a thrilling, scintillating, pump up the players and fans type of win, and it kept the Mets 1.5 games up on Philly and stretched the lead over the fading Fish to 4.5 games.

Of course it wasn't all good news for the Mets (is it ever?)...the inflammation in closer Billy Wagner's elbow is getting worse, not better, and he is shut down indefinitely. His teammates realize how important he is, but they also believe in themselves and their ability to get the job done.

"This is about picking each other up," Delgado said. "Billy's a big part of our bullpen, but we've got to do what we can do until he comes back."

Enjoy your coffee!

Scoreboard
Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Atlanta (56-70)	0	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	9	0
N.Y. Mets (69-57) «	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	5	x	7	8	0

Player of the Game

New York

C. Delgado	AB	4
	R	1
	H	1
	HR	0
	RBI	2

New York Mets
Hitters	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Jose Reyes, SS	2	1	0	0	3	0	0	.303
Nick Evans, LF	3	1	2	0	1	0	1	.276
Endy Chavez, PR-RF	1	1	0	0	0	0	3	.270
David Wright, 3B	2	1	0	1	1	2	1	.291
Carlos Beltran, CF	4	1	2	0	0	0	0	.275
Carlos Delgado, 1B	4	1	1	2	0	1	2	.255
Fernando Tatis, RF-LF	3	1	1	1	1	0	0	.294
Damion Easley, 2B	4	0	1	2	0	1	2	.262
Ramon Castro, C	3	0	1	1	1	0	0	.263
Oliver Perez, P	2	0	0	0	0	1	1	.122
Luis Ayala, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
a- Daniel Murphy, PH	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.419
Aaron Heilman, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
b- Argenis Reyes, PH	1	0	0	0	0	0	2	.272
Scott Schoeneweis, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Totals	30	7	8	7	7	5
a-grounded out for Ayala in the 7th
b-lined out for Heilman in the 8th
Batting
2B - Carlos Delgado (25, Ohman), Fernando Tatis (11, Reyes), Ramon Castro (6, Tavarez)
SF - David Wright (9)
RBI - David Wright (96), Carlos Delgado 2 (81), Fernando Tatis (37), Damion Easley 2 (37), Ramon Castro (24)
2-OUT RBI - Fernando Tatis (8)
Team LOB - 7
Fielding
DP - Wright-Reyes-Easley

New York Mets
Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Oliver Perez	6.1	7	3	3	5	3	0	3.93
Luis Ayala	0.2	0	0	0	0	0	0	5.71
Aaron Heilman (W,3-7)	1	1	0	0	1	0	0	5.48
Scott Schoeneweis	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	2.98
IBB - Jones by Oliver Perez
Pitches-Strikes - Oliver Perez 114-66, Luis Ayala 8-4, Aaron Heilman 20-11, Scott Schoeneweis 14-10
Ground Balls-Fly Balls - Oliver Perez 7-8, Aaron Heilman 1-2
Batters Faced - Oliver Perez 30, Luis Ayala 2, Aaron Heilman 5, Scott Schoeneweis 4

Game Information