Anybody else notice how awful Johan Santana has pitched whenever Terry Collins makes a big issue of giving his ace some extra days of rest? First there was the debacle against the Yankees in the Bronx, then of course we had last night against the Braves. What was odd to me was how emphatic Santana was each time in saying he felt great and didn’t need the extra rest, but why listen to anything the veteran southpaw has to say on the subject?

With that said, you gotta feel bad for Johan this morning. Most will look at the boxscore and say he was awful, but if Andres Torres had simply fielded the flyball cleanly for the first out, and if home plate umpire C.B. Bucknor.hadn’t botched two called third strikes, there wouldn’t have been a six-run fifth inning, and the Braves would have gotten three outs instead of six outs in that frame.

Pitching coach Dan Warthen came to the mound to chat with Johan Santana, but ended up getting ousted by Bucknor instead for arguing balls and strikes. He said he intended to get ejected all along and knew there’s be no turning back once he left the dugout.

“I intended to talk to the umpire. Yes, I didn’t intend to be in the game after that. When I left the dugout.”

Sacrifices like that can never be overstated. Wait, what?

I thought Warthen’s comments after the game in defense of his starting pitchers were kind of funny in a necrophile sort of way.

“After the All-Star break, you’re seeing a whole bunch of six, eight, nine, ten run games. It’s going to take probably a time around the rotation for almost everybody to get themselves back in form.?

Eight, nine, ten run games? Obviously he can’t be talking about the Mets offense? Maybe hitting coach Dave Hudgens would like to weight in on that.

Looks like our closer is still hobbled and continues to have pain from a strained oblique muscle. That means more quality time for Bobby Parnell who couldn’t convert a five-out save opportunity this weekend and makes Francisco look like Mariano Rivera. This is a big setback for the Mets although they’ll downplay it I’m sure.

By the way, I love blogging about the Mets. When I reiterated yesterday my ongoing mantra Parnell doesn’t have the stomach to be a closer, I got one comment that read “great post” followed immediately by another that said “your second terrible post in a row”.

I eat that stuff up. I have no illusions of one day becoming a journalist, and will continue to rant and rave after every win and loss like I have been for over eight years. I’m humbled that so many care to read my ramblings, but more so that each of my posts are either loved or hated daily. Passion goes both ways and I’m happy that my passion can invoke your passion to agree or disagree. 🙂

Lucas Duda has been mired in a horrific slump, so maybe his time off from the lineup while he gets his sore left hamstring checked out will have a positive residual effect. He is day to day, at least until we find out “how bad it is” later today says Collins. Duda isn’t the only one with a sore hammy, Josh Thole has been playing through some soreness since before the All-Star break.

So who’s excited about Jason Bay coming back tomorrow? Let’s have a show of hands… I see one in the front named Mack and is that Brandon back there…

Honestly, I’m more excited about Mike Baxter getting close to a return.

I’ll be back later with some news from the Minors. In the meantime this video sums up my feelings today on our Mets.