The Mets, who lost 11 of 18 games against Florida last season, are so far 4-8 against them this season, including losses in Puerto Rico the past two nights.  In the standings, the Mets are 1.5 games back of Atlanta and leading the NL wild card race, and they are 6 games ahead of the Marlins, who are 37-40 on the season.  But for some reason, we just don’t match up well against these guys.

There is talent on the Florida roster, but not the kind of talent that should be dominating our Mets.  Cody Ross, who is batting .295 this year, is batting .413 against the Mets with a .652 slugging percentage.  Against the Phillies, Ross is batting .143.  Jorge Cantu, who is hitting a mediocre .265, has feasted on Mets’ pitching for a few years now, and is batting .304 against them this year.  By comparison he’s hitting .219 against the Phillies.  Ricky Nolasco is 7-6 with a 4.84 ERA this season, but 2-0 with a 3.96 against the Mets.

I haven’t exactly dove in to figure the rest of the teams’ stats against the Mets, but it’s not pretty, at least from our side of the ledger.  And this ineptitude against the Marlins can’t keep happening if the Mets want to reach the postseason this year.

Now with the rubber game today pitting our ace against Cy Johnson, I feel extremely uneasy. Johan will once again be expected to be his stellar self, and will probably deliver like the ace he is. But the Mets have not figured this Josh Johnson kid out, and I have a bad feeling it’s going to come down to a boneheaded play in the field again, with someone playing a position they have no business playing. You’re all thinking the same thing, aren’t you? With Murphy in left, we have to hope Johan makes the Marlins hit everything to right, or not out of the infield.  

I also scanned the USA Today stats yesterday, and I swear I was looking for positive things to say. But it’s ugly, folks, it really is. Through Sunday, Castillo is hitting .365 but only has 5 RBI. David Wright has one homer and 6 RBI, adding one last night. Ryan Church is hitting .357 but only has driven in 7 runs. The Mets are batting .283 as a team, third-best in the National League, but have driven in only 73 runs, 11th best in the NL. Their 11 homers is tied for worst in the league with the Giants, and only better in the entire league than Oakland’s paltry 7 (aren’t you all glad we didn’t get Matt Holliday?).

For team pitching, the Mets rank 13th with a team ERA of 4.60, which I’m sure took more of a hit last night as Babe Cantu continued his torrid hitting of Mets’ pitching. Dude is hitting .411 against our Mets this season and blasted two homers last night, including the dagger of a 3-run bomb off Sean Green. And did any of you feel like the Mets would overcome a 3-run deficit? I know I didn’t, and I don’t think Jerry Manuel did either.

 ”Three runs shouldn’t be something that’s insurmountable,” Manuel said. “It appears when we get in that position, it’s an insurmountable lead. We have to address that.”

 You’re telling me, Jerry.

 Are you all as nervous as I am about today’s game?