pressing the issue

Game 64: Mets 2, Yankees 0
36-28 for the season

bases stolen against Roger Clemens (44 years old, with a birthday in August) in tonight's game:
Gomez (21): 1
Reyes (24 last week): 2
Wright (25): 1

in addition, Carlos Gomez ended the bottom of the 4th inning in which the Yanks had two on and 1 out by absolutely stealing a home run from Cairo (and fan interference from the Yankee fans), preventing it also from being an extra-base hit (and at least one run, probably two), and then throwing Matsui out at second for getting too far away from the base before the ball was caught and not being able to get back before the throw.

lesson: if you're old, and you're a pitcher, the Mets will remind you that you're old. moreover, if you're the Yankees, the Mets will remind you that they might be old, but you're older. this means we don't rely entirely on power hitting, which made the difference tonight.

Clemens went 6 and 1/3 innings, threw 105 pitches, allowed 2 runs on 7 hits, had 7 strikeouts, and 4 stolen bases stolen in 4 tries. I'm not impressed.

Oliver Perez had his best stuff tonight, and held the Yanks scoreless through 7 and 1/3 innings. He had really tough 4th, but came back with a 1-2-3 5th and had retired 12 in a row when he gave up a double to Jeter and left the game. Ollie threw117 pitches, 66 of them strikes, had 6 K's, and whatever Rick Peterson said to him between his last outing and this one and between the 4th and 5th innings has obviously had the magic Peterson effect. This was the pitcher I've grown so fond of, and it was nice to see him back.

I'll admit to being tense until the end, but wow, it's nice to have watched a game where the Mets were playing like the team I've been rooting for all year.