Baseball is a game of inches and sometimes feet. Case in point was last night’s bottom of the eighth inning. Side arm reliever Joe Smith came in to protect a one run lead, a lead the Mets acquired in the top half of the inning by a sloppy Marlins defense. Smith, the young talented reliever in his second year of duty, made good pitches.

The first batter he faced, Josh Willingham, hit a soft fly ball to deep left center field that was perfectly placed between Fernando Tatis and Carlos Beltran.  A few feet to the left or right and it’s a can of corn. The ball was hit deep enough to allow Willingham to reach second for a double. Dan Uggla came up next and hit a lazy ground ball up the middle. A few feet to the left or right and it’s an easy force play at first. Instead of two outs and no one on, the game was tied with Joe Smith responsible for the winning run on first.

Smith came out, Schoeneweis came in, four more runs scored in the inning and that was the ballgame. Joe Smith took the loss but what could he do. He made the pitches he needed to make. Neither of the first two hits in the inning was hit hard. They were simply hit in the right place. It’s a shame that Schoeneweis could not get out of the inning but a wild pitch and a two run scoring base hit put the game totally out of reach for the Mets.

The loss reduced the Mets lead in the division to a half game but the Phillies are even in the loss column. The pesky Marlins are a game out. Although the Mets lost the game, things could get worse if the MRI on John Maine’s shoulder proves to be a problem requiring some missed starts. Hopefully he’ll just require some rest.

Is there a team in baseball needing a stadium more than the Marlins? That place is simply awful for baseball. There have been many football teams who made their homes in baseball stadiums but only the Marlins make theirs in a football stadium. The place is simply too big with an outfield big enough to land a plane. The people in Miami have done a nice job of making it look somewhat like a baseball park but Dolphin Stadium was built for the Dolphins and they play in the NFL.

The Marlins are hoping they can get a new ballpark built on the site of the Orange Bowl which has now been demolished. The design is being finalized. The new stadium will hold only around 35 to 38 thousand but will have a retractable roof which is essential for south Florida. In the summer you can always count on an afternoon thunder shower or two in the Miami area. Those wanting to attend the game as walkups might not if the forecast calls for rain. With a retractable roof, fans know the game will start on time rain or shine. A ruling on the legality of financing is currently holding up the project but the sentiment is the deal will get done. Once the new stadium is completed and the Marlins move in they will be known as the Miami Marlins. If you want to see a glimpse of some early plans for the new park you can go here.

The Mets will attempt to get back on track with Oliver Perez tonight at 7:10. The Phillies will look to beat up on the Nationals in DC.