RISP FAIL Applesauce: Mets can't come through against Cain, #selfishbeltran monopolizes all trade rumors, and much ado about Bryce Harper

Meet the Mets

Despite a barrage of extra base hits, the Mets fell to the Giants in the rubber game of their series. Look, if you can't score Lucas Duda from third after he somehow triples, you had a bad game with RISP. The giant face of Mike Pelfrey breaks down his performance. 

This actually happened.

Carlos Beltran is playing well, even though the owner said some mean things about him. Wait, I thought he was soft? Rumors continue to swirl around Beltran, with the Red Sox, the Rangers, and the Giants as potential destinations, but Terry Collins is keeping it light in the clubhouse. And since when does a 4-3 west coast swing count as limping into the all-star break, Adam Rubin?

As far as people we actually need to trade, K-Rod has apparently switched agents to the lovable and cuddly Scott Boras. So now the New York Post thinks we are keeping K-Rod because Sandy Alderson said some vague thing, and, of course, because overpaying for closers is the new market inefficiency.

R.A. Dickey will open the second half for the Mets against the Phillies. Look like Big Pelf has been demoted from ace.

Around the NL East

The Phillies pounded the Braves into submission to take the series win. The Phils set a season high with 20 hits in support of Cole Hamels, who registered his 11th win and celebrated as he usually does. Placido Polanco was on the bench with a bulging disk and will miss the all-star game. He will be replaced by Scott Rolen.

The Marlins completed a sweep of the Astros. In related news, the Astros are terrible.

Jordan Zimmerman helped the Nationals shut out the Rockies. The Rockies have now lost 6 of 8. 

Bill Ladson wrote a particularly fawning piece on Bryce Harper.

Around MLB

The All-Star week festivities kicked off in Arizona with the Futures Game. The Mike Piazza-helmed USA team picked up a 6-4 win over the World Team. Mets top prospect Matt Harvey picked up a three pitch save, after I watched the whole game waiting to get a glimpse of him. Thanks, Mike. Jefry Marte went 0-1 for the World Team, striking out on a particularly nasty Zack Cosart curveball. He did make a nice play at 3B, at least. Mike Bauman wrote a particularly fawning piece on Bryce Harper, who was held hitless. Meanwhile, Anthony DiComo likes Matt Harvey's polish.

In other all-star news, all the all-stars are backing out. It's always nice when over 10% of active players can be on the all-star team. The Players Union says everything is fine, bonus checks for everyone!

Also, expect to see a lot of columns like this one in the next 48 hours. Because if the steroid hearings proved anything, it is that baseball and politics go awesomely together. In actual game news, the perennially underrated Jered Weaver will start the All-Star game for the AL. 

The testy Boston/Baltimore series ended in a sweep for the Sox. Four more players were ejected in the finale. David Ortiz apologized at least. Well, sort of.

Justin Verlander just straight up dominated the Royals, as is his wont.

Shhh, the Pirates keep on winning. Granted, it is the Cubs, but they are four games over at the break now. And they might even be buyers at the deadline. Mets sellers, Pirates buyers, Dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria, etc.

A-Rod will have arthroscopic surgery on his knee and will miss 4-6 weeks. Well, at least the Yanks picked up Eric Chavez in the offseason for depth. 

There were approximately 74,602 articles written about Derek Jeter's 3000th hit. For that, my friends, you are on your own.