Mets vs. Marlins @ Dolphins Stadium, Game 50, 2005

Serenity now. Met fans can cheer again. After 3 disappointing losses in Atlanta, the Mets beat the Marlins once again on Saturday night. Following a dominating performance by Pedro Martinez, Kaz Ishii looked to lose the inconsistent tag that he has carried all season. He did all of that, and then some. Much like Martinez the night before, Ishii managed to lay some goose eggs against the Marlin offense. Florida eventually scratched one run across the Met starter but that is all they would get. For the fourth time this season, Ishii pitched into the seventh inning and also collected his first win since the trade that brought him over to the Mets in late March. The Met offense also showed signs of life vs. eight-game winner Dontrelle Willis. Willis, one of the season's best pitchers, did not depart with a win for one of the few times this season. Although the "D-Train" certainly looked dominant in the early going, Mike Piazza had different ideas. After being robbed by Jeff Conine in his first at-bat, Piazza immediately came back with three hits and collected three rbi. The game itself was also filled with exceptional defensive plays from both teams. Jeff Conine, Alex Gonzalez and Chris Woodward all contributed on the field with plays that won't show up in the boxscore. All in all, it was a good day for the Mets as they look to charge to the top of the NL East Standings. After a 4 game losing streak and a sweep in Atlanta, the Mets have climbed right out of the dumps and are feeling confident heading into the finale of their four-game series against the Marlins. Ishii's fellow inconsistent pitcher, Tom Glavine, will oppose Josh Beckett on Sunday afternoon as the Mets look to complete the sweep. Final Score: Mets 6, Marlins 1. Record: 26-24

Game Analysis:
Met fans should not get too carried away. Although the Mets did beat the Marlins on three consecutive days, they have faced the weaker part of their starting rotation. As of right now, the Mets continue to be a .500 team. If these winning ways should carry over into later series' against the Marlins, then the Mets may find themselves as contenders for a playoff berth. At any rate, the Mets continue to play without injured superstar Carlos Beltran. Manager, Willie Randolph, has indicated that Beltran will continue to ride the pine until the start of the Mets homestand on Tuesday. Randolph also hinted at the possibility of Kaz Matsui heading to the D.L. due to his injured neck. Miguel Cairo, however, sees no problem with that as he has been playing solid baseball since Matsui went down. Victor Diaz was also recalled to join the parent club as struggling outfielder Eric Valent was reassigned to AAA Norfolk. Lastly, the Mets have been playing great baseball down in Miami and continue to hang around in the N.L. East standings. Should they catch fire at any point in the season, then performances such as Ishii's will be greatly needed to fight off the Marlins and Braves.