So am I suppose to get all excited because of the Mets inspired comeback win last night? Sorry, but I am still smarting from Tuesday night’s debacle. Do you realize the Mets would be 2.5 games up now if it wasn’t for another blown game?

Last night’s win demonstrated one thing. The Mets are a very resilient bunch. They have, unfortunately, had many opportunities this year to prove they can shake off a bad loss. If anything they have shown that bad things do roll off their back. A different team might go into a prolonged tail spin after blowing a 7-0 lead. Not the Mets. They always seem to bounce right back and that’s a good thing. Unfortunately however, their uncanny ability to bounce back does not prevent the next bullpen melt down which will undoubtedly occur in the final 28 games. At some point, the Mets are bound to blow another game and with time dwindling on the season, the next one may come at the most inopportune time.

After the Mets play the Marlins this weekend, September arrives. This will be the biggest test for the Mets this season. While the Mets at times, like last night, may appear to be super-human, they are not. The collapse of September 2007 will weigh on their minds, it has to. And unfortunately, the biggest culprit that contributed to the Mets demise last season is still there—the bullpen. At least this time the Mets can not collapse. A half game lead hardly lends itself to a catastrophic failure. But on the other hand, I can’t get excited thinking the Mets will somehow correct their bullpen problems in time to make the playoffs.

If the Mets are to win this thing, they will need to pummel their opponents into submission. Carlos Delgado is doing his part. However, Carlos Beltran will have to step it up big time. Now is the time for Carlos Beltran to go on one of his patented hot streaks. He has been hitting of late but his power stroke needs to get hot. If the Mets hitters can give their pitching big leads, you have to feel comfortable they will win consistently. The bullpen simply cannot protect small leads. Last night was the exception. Following the Mets four run eighth, Mets pitchers shut down the Phillies. It didn’t hurt that David Wright made a spectacular gold glove play for the second out in the eighth inning either. No question last night’s game was a big win but the Mets are going to have to keep getting big wins. The bullpen will remain the weak link to that goal. That’s a very scary reality.

Notes - The Phillies head to Chicago for a four game series with the best team in the NL, the Cubs. That should favor the Mets but I thought last weekend’s Dodgers-Phillies matchup would have favored the Mets too. It didn’t as the Phillies swept four from the Dodgers.

The Mets will have their own hands full this weekend with the Marlins. The Mets ended July in Miami as they will end August, with a three game set in Florida. This is a big opportunity for the Marlins to get back in the race so the Mets must be very careful. When the Mets were at Dolphin’s Stadium back in July, they lost two of three. Pelfrey has struggled against the Marlins this year. He has three losses and no wins against the Marlins this year. Mike is scheduled to pitch on Saturday.

The Mets continue to handle the Phillies well in spite of Tuesday night’s collapse. New York has yet to lose a series to Philadelphia with the split of this brief two game set. With last night’s win the Mets complete their 2008 games at Citizen’s Bank Park. The Mets finished the road series with the Phillies with a 6-3 mark. The Mets are 4-2 at Shea vs. the Phils with one more series the weekend of September 5th.

Could this be the year the Yankees do not make the playoffs. I’ll believe it when the math proves it. But for now, it does not look good for the Mets cross town rivals who have fallen to seven games back from the Red Sox. With 30 games remaining for both the Sox and Yanks, the former would have to win 23 of 30 if the Sox simply go .500 the rest of the year. That’s a tall order but as we Mets fans know from last year, anything can happen. The Yankees have been in the post season for 13 consecutive years. Derek Jeter has never played a Major League season in which he did not go to the post season. Come on, what Mets fans do not keep an eye on what the Yankee machine is up to.