Great Success!

The Mets opened powerfully and convincingly today, pushing aside the Marlins 7-2 on one of those days when everything seemed to follow the proper script. I didn't see the game, but in reading the recap and looking at the box score, it seemed that the Mets opened playing in a way that will carry them a long way this season if they can internalize what they did today and make it something of a routine.

The picture you've been waiting for...and this one wasn't even photoshopped

Some positive and particularly illustrative highlights, I think:

• Johan Santana gave up two runs on just three hits and one walk in seven innings. He struck out eight. That's just a downright good game, and starts like this on a regular basis by are what makes a pitcher like Santana the ace of a staff. You could never really count on Tom Glavine to deliver anything like that when he took the mound.
• Jose Reyes went 2-4. Luis Castillo went 1-3 with two walks and stole a base - that's all the more impressive considering the fact that both David Wright and Jose Reyes got caught stealing today. I'm looking forward to watching a healthy Castillo do his thing. A lot of people wanted the Mets to bring in a power hitting second baseman and/or no. 2 hitter this offseason, but Castillo is the type of classic, prototypical 2 guy who can really help energize a lineup. If his knees hold up, him and Reyes could produce a double leadoff combo that will really wear down opponents.
• David Wright went 2-4 with 2 doubles, and was a major player in the Mets first big rally, a six-run sixth where Wright drove in three with the first of those two hits. That's the type of game that makes Wright look more and more like the emerging on-field leader that he started to be towards the end of last season.
• Carlos Delgado had no hits. Big surprise! I'm going to be hard on him this year.
• Although Matt Wise gave up two hits, Scott Schoenweis and Jorge Sosa bailed him out and Aaron Heilman pitched a hitless ninth while recording two strikeouts as the bullpen backed up Santana's solid start and looked good.
• The Mets committed no errors.

I'll probably stop talking about last year eventually, and it really hasn't left any lasting scars or anything. I was thinking today about how it was a totally embarrassing way to end the season, but it didn't really hurt the same way as watching your star center fielder look at strike three to end the NLCS. Besides, it wasn't meant to be in 2007. Think the Mets would have beaten the fired up Rockies in the Division Series? I rest my case.

Anyway, where I'm going with this is that the Mets played the type of game that they never really got used to playing last year. In a season of maddening inconsistency, they often won in spite of themselves but rarely just played well. Today was a downright good game, and made me even more excited for the season ahead.

Plus the Phillies lost (at home) after Jimmy Rollins hit a game-tying home run in the seventh, only to watch Tom Gordon give up six runs to blow it in the ninth. Haha. Ha. Ahahahahahahaha. I hope the Braves aren't good this year.

And I'm out.

(Photo courtesy mets.com)