Let There Be Runs: Mets 10, Nationals 8

Another day, another 900-some-odd feet of Carlos Delgado homerun. He's still not the MVP, but that doesn't mean he won't win the award and it certainly doesn't mean I wouldn't like to see him do so. He's been the third or fourth best offensive player on the Mets this season, which doesn't really smell like MVP to me. Nevertheless, Jimmy Rollins won the award last year with a good story despite turning in an inferior season to both Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, so it's certainly not out of the question that if Delgado stays hot for the next three weeks that he could take home the Mets' first MVP award. Mets probably should have won the last two, so it would only be fitting that the least deserving player of the three would take home the hardware.

The 2008 decline of Oliver Perez continued tonight. He did manage to walk fewer than three batters for only the second time in six starts, but he also allowed seven runs on eight hits in 3.1 innings. After a long stretch of terrific starts, he has drifted back into frustratingly waffling between decent and inept. That may seem unfair considering he only allowed a few runs in some of his more recent starts, but his walks and other peripheral stats paint a different picture, and I can't be the only one surprised by his recent downturn.

Once again, I really have to hand it to the Mets' bullpen. Nelson Figueroa came in and promptly imploded, allowing the last two of Perez's seven runs to score, but he and the rest of the relief corps allowed just one run over the game's final 5.1 innings. Brian Stokes continues to amaze, throwing 95 MPH heat and showing good control to boot. He and Luis Ayala may not be the 8th-9th inning duo we all envisioned in April, but they're getting the job done.

Sorry about the goofy question on the game form; everyone gets it wrong because there's no way to make both answers correct. My bad.

Big winners: Carlos Delgado, +33.7% WPA, Carlos Beltran, +28.7% WPA
Big losers: Oliver Perez, -40.7% WPA, Nelson Figueroa, -14.0% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Beltran two-run blast, +31.3% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: Guzman wall-scraper, -18.1% WPA
Total pitcher WPA: -34.2%
Total batter WPA: +84.2%
GWRBI: Carlos Beltran

Game Thread Roll Call

Nice job by LOUtheMETSfan; his effort in the game thread embiggens us all.