No Sweep, No Big Deal
The Mets have an off-day on Thursday, but after winning five straight games, they decided to take an early vacation yesterday. New York manager Willie Randolph (pictured) rested many of his superstarsJose Reyes, Paul Lo Duca, David Wrightand subsequently, [Cincinnati hammered the Mets, 7-0].
Randolphs makeshift lineup managed just three singles off little-know right-hander Tommy Shearn after the Mets rocked the Cincinnati pitching staff for 21 runs in the first two contests of the series. But as their 10-game road trip came to an end, New York still had to feel pretty good about itself. Six days after getting s[wept by second-place Philadelphia] in the first four games of the trip and having their NL East-led whittled down to two, the Mets headed home with a [five-game edge](http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/standings) with just three weeks remaining in the season.
The Mets welcome lowly Houston to Queens tomorrow night for the first of a three-game series.