Just Call Me Mr. Sunshine

Mets 1 - Giants 0

At the end of last night's Mets win several random thoughts passed through my mind:

• This was the kind of game they would have surely lost a month ago.
• Thank God no more 10 pm games.
• Willie would have gotten killed by the disgruntled faithful if sticking with Trachsel in the 8th had backfired.

So many of the weaknesses of these Mets were on display last night: inconsistent offense, a manager still trying to figure out how to manage his bullpen, and a closer that's really a set-up man. Yet you can't completely discount the chances of a team that has six solid starters, developing superstars like Wright and Reyes, and is growing in confidence each day as the calendar turns towards September.

I am and will probably always be a fan that is pessimistic rather than optimistic. As my bleary eyes watched that 8th inning last night, I knew Willie was making a mistake when he let Trachsel pitch to Winn after walking Tucker (although, in fairness, Hernandez had pitched 2 innings last night). Trachsel was obviously struggling with his location at that point, I didn't know whether he was going to grove one or walk the bases loaded. But he got out of it.

Then Looper starts the 9th and gives up a double -- not exactly creamed, seemed like I was watching the game in slow motion as if fell between Beltran and Diaz. I've seen this before, yet I surprise myself by believing that things could still work out. Sure enough, they did. My team is a true contender, and I can actually watch the end of a tight game with hope. What a strange trip this season has been.