Mets Live Again After Feeding On Yankees' Corpse

Those who live there would know better than I, but doesn't there seem to be a weighty, menacing cloud hovering over the Yankees these days? That's your last-place New York Yankees, who lost to the Metropolitans, 11-2, on Sunday to complete a two-game sweep. Is Oliver Perez supposed to be beating Chien-Ming Wang? Are the Yankees supposed to be hitting .195 over their past five games? Is David Wright supposed to be getting this fired up over a sacrifice fly?

And don't tell anyone, but the Yankees are also 4-10 against left-handed starters. This may be the final time you see them included in the lead to the closer, because frankly they're just no longer very relevant. Even when Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada return — the former on Tuesday vs. the Orioles, we're told — I don't see them making a Big Brown push toward the finish. Of course there's also the possibility I'm completely wrong. Meanwhile, the Mets — despite problems of their own — find themselves in second place in the NL East, a game behind the soon-to-be-underwater Florida Marlins. Jose Reyes homered for the second straight game and Perez (4-3) threw a three-hitter over 7 2/3 innings, the longest he's gone this season. Wang (6-2) gave up seven runs and six hits over 7 2/3 innings, falling to 0-2 in his past three starts.

• Me Fail National League West? That's Unpossible! The Mariners earned consecutive wins for the first time this month when Jose Lopez lined a two-run, two-out double off of the Padres' Heath Bell in the bottom of the eighth, going on to win 3-2. Seattle has decided to win a few games before they bring Ken Griffey Jr. back into the fold. San Diego has the worst record in baseball at 16-29.

• Who's The Man? The Cardinals celebrated Stan Musial Day by naming the street out in front after him, then knocking the Rays out of first in the AL East with a 5-4 win. Boston ascended to the top spot with an 11-7 win over the Brewers. Skip Schumaker doubled in a run in the ninth to win it for St. Louis.

• The Amazing Randy. Randy Johnson now relies on a sinker, which is all you need to now about turning 44 years old. Johnson went seven scoreless innings for his 288th career victory, tying him with Tommy John for 24th on the all-time list, as the Diamondbacks beat the Tigers 4-0. Chris Young had a double and three RBI. Guess how many times the Tigers have been shut out this season. No, higher.

• Your Lance Berkman Update. He was 2-of-5 to keep his average at .399, and his hitting streak alive at 17 games. Over that span he's 36-of-66 with eight homers and 21 RBI. Astros beat Rangers 5-4.

• Wizard Cat Defensive Player Of The Day. Yankee Stadium Left-Field Foul Pole. The foul pole robbed the Mets' Carlos Delgado of a three-run homer in the fourth; a play which also resulted in Mets' bench coach Jerry Manuel getting tossed. Replays showed that the ball actually hit the pole at its base, just above the top of the stands. But the umpires couldn't see it because the base of the pole was cleverly painted black, and despite the protests of a raving, beer-swilling Kevin James in the stands, ruled it foul. Wizard Cat gives this play: Three wands.

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