Mets Week Four: All is as it should be

After a rough start to their road trip, the Mets won four out of five against the Giants and Braves to finish April strongly. It may turn out that the Braves really aren't much good this year and the Giants' good start is an illusion, but these teams are still a step up from the competition the Mets were beating in the first couple of weeks. And perhaps most importantly, the Mets 16-8 record includes an excellent 10-4 mark against their own division. Beating up on the NL East is the way to get to the playoffs, regardless of the division's quality.

The foremost reason for the Mets early success has been run prevention. New York pitching and defense has allowed just 89 runs, or 3.71 per game, best in the NL and second only to the Tigers (83, 3.32) across the majors. Pedro Martinez and Tom Glavine continued to the lead the way this week with strong outings in Atlanta. The rest of the rotation is pretty troubling as Brian Bannister is hurt and Steve Trachsel was awful on Sunday. But a largely excellent bullpen and good defense have made up some of the slack. Only Jorge Julio has an ERA above 2.63 among Met relievers and both Duaner Sanchez and Billy Wagner are under 1.00 with Sanchez yet to allow a run in sixteen innings pitched. Defensively, David Wright continues to be inconsistent and Paul Lo Duca is proving that clubhouse leadership alone isn't going to stop a guy from stealing second base. But most Mets have looked at least solid with the glove, and that includes the surprisingly competent Kazuo Matsui.

Offensively, the Mets continue to hover around the middle of the National League pack, having scored 120 runs or exactly five per game. Jose Reyes had a ridiculously patient week by his standards to the point where he is actually tied for the team lead in walks with 12. Carlos Beltran got off to a good start upon his return to the lineup with a double, a home run and two walks in two games. And Ramon Castro, through twenty-six at bats, continues to be the best-hitting catcher on the roster with a 1.082 OPS that is best among Met position players.

The Mets get to ease into May with two short series against the Nationals and the Pirates, both unsurprisingly among the worst teams in the league through one month. But then it's three more against the Braves, who currently trail the Mets by six games in the standings. It's hard to believe any team, let alone the mighty Braves, could be put away in the first week of May, but I think the Mets will give it a shot.