Open Thread - Game 52: Mets vs Diamondbacks (05/31/2005) on MSG

Starting Pitchers  B. Halsey ARI vs.  K. Benson NYM 3-2 Record 3-1 3.34 ERA 3.86 33 K 24 12 BB 9 8 HR 5

Lineups  Arizona  New York C. Counsell, 2B J. Reyes, SS J. Cruz Jr., CF M. Cairo, 2B L. Gonzalez, LF C. Beltran, CF T. Glaus, 3B M. Piazza, C S. Green, RF C. Floyd, LF C. Tracy, 1B M. Cameron, RF R. Clayton, SS D. Wright, 3B C. Snyder, C D. Mientkiewicz, 1B B. Halsey, P K. Benson, P

Okay. Piazza is inexplicably back at cleanup, but at least Minky is batting eighth where he belongs. Although technically the Mets have three or four hitters who should be hitting eighth, them's the bricks. With the next two games looking like a split of big mismatches, the Mets really need to win tonight if they want a good shot of winning this series. Despite their success so far this season, I am not yet drinking from Arizona's Kool Aid just yet. If Kris Benson can contain the top four hitters in the D-Backs lineup he should be in for a good night, seeing as 5-9 can't hit a lick. I'm also not convinced that Craig Consell all-of-a-sudden is an on-base machine and not the replacement-level bench player he's been throughout his career.

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