Nationals lure Gnome of Defeat away from vacation

The Nationals? Really?

My buddy Will thinks the Mets season started spiraling out of control when we saw them lose the awful Cubs at Wrigley just before the All-Star Game. The team hasn’t been the same since.

This may be linked to depression over David Wright and R.A. Dickey getting hosed in Kansas City by Tony La Russa or the return of Jason Bay, I’m not sure.

But the team has been stink-o ever since.

Sunday offered a chance to win a series. But we knew that was unlikely with Jeremy Hefner on the bump. Not that Hefner has been all that bad, but he hasn’t been that good, either.

And when the other team scores more than two runs, the Gnome of Defeat starts getting ready.
So here’s the Gnome enjoying a day at the beach.

Matt Harvey pitches, hits and raises the long-lost Flag of Victory

It’s back! The Flag of Victory returns to its rightful place of glory after the Mets’ 3-1 win over the Diamondbacks and the electric debut of Matt Harvey.

How good was Harvey? He struck out 11 batters – most for a Mets big-league debut – and even had two hits!

I know there were doubters who feared the bully would blow this for the kid – why should he be different than any other starter? – but it allowed just one run to score, which is cause for celebration in and of itself!

Scott Hairston, rumored to be headed to San Francisco, doubled in two runs in the first inning to give Harvey some breathing room.

Hat’s off to Harvey for a spectacular debut and the Mets for breaking a very ugly losing streak.

Missing: One Flag of Victory -- and the Mets' season

Remember the Flag of Victory? It used to be so cool to see that fluttering in the wind, announcing to all passers-by that the Mets had once again emerged the winner in a big game.

Not that any of us can remember seeing the darn thing. Lots of Gnomes of Defeat, though, as the Mets season is not a fully engulfed free fall.

Not even R.A. Dickey can right this leaky ship, as Mets lost again to the Nationals, this time a 5-2 bonk on the head.

Can’t blame Jordanny Valdespin, who hit his fifth pinch-hit homer of the season, a team record.

The Gnome of Despair now shows up everywhere, including the public art activities at the Grand Rapids Art Museum. 

The Mets will finish their three-game series with the Nationals tomorrow when Jeremy Hefner battles Stephen Strasburg. I’m not optimistic.

Epic ninth inning comback saves Dickey, saddens Phils

Usually R.A. Dickey bails out the Mets. Today, the rest of the team helped him out.

The usually awesome R.A. was relatively human on Thursday and left the game on the short end of a 5-4 score.

But these usually-never-say-die Mets pulled off a ninth inning for the ages.

Ike Davis started the inning with a double, and was sacrificed over the third. Kirk struck out, as he is prone to do.

But this team does a lot of scoring with two outs, as we know.

But Jordanny Valdespin  was working out a walk before getting hit by a pitch and then stole second base.

Then Ruben Tejada worked out a walk to load the bases.

Daniel Murphy then slapped one off the leg of Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon. If Papelbon fields that even semi-cleanly, the game’s over. Instead Papelbon kicks it into foul territory allowing the tying run to score.

That set up a bases loaded, two out situation for the exact guy you want in that situation: David Wright.

The man apparently not good enough to start the All-Star Game blooped one into shallow right to bring home the winning run.

A glorious walk-off victory against the once-dreaded Phillies means we fondly recall the Victory Flag in Philadelphia!

New-look Phillies are a lot more fun!

I have to say I like this new version of the Phillies better than the group of thugs and punks we’ve had to endure the last five years or so.

The Mets went nuts on Tuesday, punching out 11 runs while Jonathon Niese give up just one and three hits over eight innings.

David Wright is just making silly Giants voters look even sillier, launching a 3-run blast that moved him into third on the team’s all-time home run list.

But we expect that. How about Daniel Murphy going 4-for-5 with a near-cycle, taking a triple, two doubles and a single – and a sweet leaping catch!

All this scoring made me remember the 17-run game against the Cubs, which I predicted by unfurling the Flag of Victory at Wrigley last week.

Like Dickey, Johan shuts down the Dodgers

Dodger Stadium and Wrigley Field are both classic ballparks, so we have no problems saluting the Mets 5-0 win in Chavez Ravine with an unfurling of the Victory Flag in the Friendly Confines.

Johan Santana matched R.A. Dickey’s 8-innings of shutout ball, and Ike Davis smashed a 3-run bomb to show signs that he’s busted out of his epic first-half slump.

Daniel Murphy also looks to have turned the corner, too. 

This is one streaky team, seeming to be perpetually swept and sweeping – and they’ll get a chance for a four-gamer tomorrow.