Was talking to one of the Mets the other day and he said the team gets frustrated when Oliver Perez pitches. When he’s all over the place the game slows down and there’s a lot of standing around in the field. Makes for an ugly game.

He’s got such good stuff that he would be better off to “just throw the damn ball.” Perez gets in trouble when the tries to think too much.

With CC Sabathia weighing in at close to 300 pounds, Perez has a chance to make a pile of money this winter in the FA market. He still can, but he’s pitched nowhere close to where he should be considered “the prize.”

Greetings from one of my least favorite spots on the tour. I’m not a big LA guy.

In a cab now heading to the hotel. Then to the park. I confess liking Dodger Stadium.

Oliver Perez tonight. Considering how bad he was last time, a good start wouldn’t be shocking. He is due.

I’ll talk to you later.

This is why the Mets got Johan Santana, to stop losing streaks and to pull the team up after a stinker.

Santana pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth and Ryan Church’s heads-up play and throw to nail a runner at third kept the game tied.

The Mets have now won 15 of their last 17 games here.

IN A NUTSHELL, Mets 5, Arizona 2.

Santana shows his mettle and Church’s hustle pays off.

IN THE CLUBHOUSE

Willie Randolph on winning two of three and moving on to LA: “(Arizona) is a very good team and the Dodgers are playing very well. You like to test yourself against the best competition around.”

Johan Santana on pitching out of a bases loaded jam in the sixth: “You don’t want to get too up. You want to stay focused. You have to be aggressive, but you don’t want to do anything different.”

Ryan Church on being in position in the first place to make the throw to get Chris Burke at third in the eighth inning: “You have to keep running all the time. You never know.”

IN-GAME ANALYSIS

3rd INNING: Santana winning the pitcher’s duel. Mets 1, Arizona 0.
5th INNING: David Wright goes deep and Santana is still cruising for the Mets. Mets 2, Arizona 1.
6th INNING: Santana goes six. I would have liked more, but in comparison to what the Mets had been getting, be grateful.
8th INNING: Church makes a great play to keep the game tied.
9th INNING: The Mets take advantage of an error to score three in the ninth. Mets 5, Arizona 2.

Before you call it a night, tell us what you thought of the game and the Mets taking two of three from Arizona. Talk with you tomorrow from LA.

Willie Randolph said there’s not a gag order on pitching coach Rick Peterson talking with the media.

Nonetheless, The Jacket answers every question with instructions to ask public relations. PR guru Jay Horwitz said there is “no edict” for Peterson not to talk. However, The Jacket is the only uniformed member of the organization who demands interviewers to get permission.

My conclusion is somebody isn’t telling the truth. Either Willie resents him talking, which became an issue last year when we tried to talk to Peterson about the rotation, or Peterson has “misremembered” and is using it as an excuse not to talk.

The fact is when it comes to their pitching the Mets have more issues than five years of Time magazine and that’s Peterson’s responsibility.

-With Brian Schneider back, the Mets will play with their projected Opening Day line-up for the first time.

-Pedro Martinez, on the DL with a strained left hammy, is throwing off the mound in PSL. No word when he’ll face hitters.

-Matt Wise, on the DL with a contusion of the right forearm, should throw in consecutive games this week and could be activated next weekend.

-Ramon Castro, on the DL with a strained right hammy, is running but not 100 percent.

-Orlando Hernandez’s right foot is still in a support boot. He is to be re-examined this week.

METS

SS Jose Reyes
RF Ryan Church
3B David Wright
CF Carlos Beltran
LF Moises Alou
1B Carlos Delgado
C Brian Schneider
2B Luis Castillo
LH Johan Santana

Here’s my take on Mike Pelfrey’s game yesterday.     PHOTO: REUTERS

PHOENIX _ The Arizona Diamondbacks were still running around the bases and piling up runs when Mike Pelfrey flipped on the video.

As the ugliness of the day played on, Pelfrey watched in frustration in the clubhouse his contribution to arguably his worst game of the young season.

“I was looking at film when I finished pitching,” said Pelfrey, who gave up five runs in the Mets’ 10-4 loss to the Diamondbacks, all the time wondering when he would throw another strike.

Pelfrey gave up nine hits and walked four in his third straight stinker of a start.

“I can’t continue to have days like this,” Pelfrey said. “My last three performances haven’t been good.”

Pelfrey has given up 14 runs in his last three starts against Philadelphia, Atlanta and Arizona. He has also walked ten and given up 28 hits.

“He didn’t pitch too well,” was Willie Randolph wide-eyed and deadpan response to a television reporter who asked what improvement the Mets’ manager might have seen in Pelfrey. “I didn’t see much improvement.”
Whatever pitching coach Rick Peterson saw yesterday, he wasn’t talking, saying he wouldn’t comment unless it was approved by the public relations staff.

By that time, he was gone.

Pelfrey said his problem is pitching up in the strikezone; he just hasn’t pinpointed the mechanical flaw that causes the problem, and therefore, is unable to find the cure.

“It’s all part of a young pitcher learning,” Randolph said. “When he figures it out, he could be special.”

Pelfrey’s fastball clocked high at 97 mph., which means he has the potential to be overpowering.

But, if the ball isn’t a strike, what good is it?

“I’m not being aggressive and I’m falling behind guys,” Pelfrey said. “I’m not hitting the glove. … I’m making too many mistakes. I’m not executing my pitches.”

Pelfrey gave up two runs in his first two starts, both of which he won. Brian Schneider caught both games, but Pelfrey didn’t want to hear anything about this being back-up catcher Raul Casanova’s problem.

“It’s my job to execute pitches,” Pelfrey said. “It doesn’t matter who is catching. The results are on me.”

It was apparent early this wasn’t going to be Pelfrey’s day.

The Mets got to Brandon Webb for a run in the second on Casanova’s RBI single, but Pelfrey gave it back and more in the bottom of the inning.

Of Pelfrey’s four walks, three scored, including Conor Jackson and Justin Upton, who walked to lead off the second and scored on Augie Ojeda’s grounder past Carlos Delgado.

Pelfrey’s wildness cost him another run in the fourth when he walked Chris Young to extend the inning to set up Stephen Drew’s RBI single. Arizona was the beneficiary of more Pelfrey wildness in the fifth when Jackson singled and Upton walked, and both scored on Ojeda’s double.

Delgado’s three-run homer off Webb in the sixth pulled the Mets within 5-4, but proved nothing more than a tease as they weren’t able to do anything over the last three innings against the Diamondbacks’ bullpen.

The sealer came when the Diamondbacks scored five in the eighth off Duaner Sanchez.
But, that’s another video for another day.

***

You can reach me at  jdelcos@lohud.com.

Mike Pelfrey walked four batters and three of them scored. The fourth prolonged an inning and accounted for another run. Here’s how bad it was: The D-Backs were 6-for-14 with runners in scoring position, but they still left 11 runners.

Tomorrow Johan Santana goes against Dan Haren, the guy I wanted the Mets to trade for last winter.

IN A NUTSHELL, Arizona 10, Mets 4.

If the all the runners the Mets left (four) would have scored they still would have lost.

IN THE CLUBHOUSE

Pitching coach Rick Peterson when approached to talk about Mike Pelfrey: “Ask (media relations director) Jay (Horwitz).” Peterson doesn’t like to talk about his pitchers. He’s the only uniformed Met who routinely won’t comment about what he is responsible for.

Willie Randolph on Pelfrey: “He didn’t pitch too well.”

Pelfrey on Pelfrey: “I can’t continue to have days like this.”

IN-GAME ANALYSIS

3RD INNING: They have to be close to perfect to beat Webb and they haven’t been. Some missed opportunities and Carlos Delgado’s play at first. Arizona 2, Mets 1.
6TH INNING: Pelfrey’s done for the day. So is Webb. Delgado’s three-run homer puts Mets back in the game. Arizona 5, Mets 4.

Just as we shouldn’t get carried away and think the world is coming to an end after one loss, we shouldn’t get sucked into believing all is right in their universe when they win one.

Brandon Webb vs. Mike Pelfrey today, should bring everybody back to Earth.

That said, Jose Reyes was a good sign last night. But, he’s had those games before. Now he needs to string a few of them together.

The sluggish Mets ripped Arizona, the major league’s best team tonight. Closer Billy Wagner called out his team the other day by saying the Mets don’t match up with the Diamondbacks.

“I had nothing to do with this,” he said.

It all came together last night, even though John Maine has been sharper. For once, the offense carried the load and unlike Oliver Perez Wednesday against Pittsburgh, Maine found a way to go six.

IN A NUTSHELL, Mets 7, Arizona 2.

When Jose Reyes does well, so do the Mets. He had four hits and missed the cycle by a homer.

IN THE CLUBHOUSE

Moises Alou on returning to the line-up: “I felt good. I wasn’t as nervous as I thought I would be.”

Willie Randolph on Jose Reyes hitting the game’s first pitch for a triple: “We talked about that before the game, swinging at the first pitch if it was a good fastball.”

Ryan Church on the Mets being 6-0 when he hits second: “We’ll take it.” Well, maybe not. Randolph basically called it a coincidence.

IN-GAME ANALYSIS

1ST INNING: The offense gives John Maine three. Maine not sharp in the first, but unlike Oliver Perez, he doesn’t have a meltdown when David Wright’s error extends the inning. Mets 3, Arizona 0.
2nd INNING: Offense puts pressure on with another run, but Maine looks anything but sharp. Mets 4, Arizona 2.
3rd INNING: Nice inning by Maine. He needed a quick one.
6th INNING: Wright’s homer might have broken it open. Maine sucks it up for another inning. Mets 7, Arizona 2.
9th INNING: Duaner Sanchez finishes off the night.

Mets Chat Room is open all night. Tell us what you think, and I’ll talk with you tomorrow.

-Manager Willie Randolph didn’t say what Billy Wagner said about Oliver Perez was wrong, but said he wished he would have not taken it to the press. Randolph didn’t exactly tell Wagner to tone it down in the future, but maybe think first. Said Wagner: “It’s been taken care of.” Also, when asked the bigger issue, Wagner speaking out or Perez’s pitching, Randolph said it was the latter.

-No news yet on the roster move they’ll make to clear a spot for Moises Alou. Brian Schneider is still a couple of days away, so I might consider putting him on the DL instead of optioning Gustavo Molina.

-Randolph said moving Ryan Church up second in the order is tied in to Alou’s return because it lends more balance to the line-up.

METS

SS Jose Reyes
RF Ryan Church
3B David Wright
CF Carlos Beltran
LF Moises Alou
1B Carlos Delgado
C Raul Casanova
2B Luis Castillo
RH John Maine

Was skimming the Internet before heading down to the clubhouse and couldn’t help but wonder who is next on Roger’s paramour list.

I’m hoping Debbie Clemens has a better lawyer than Roger.

One of the posters on the previous thread wondered what the batting order should be when Brian Schneider and Moises Alou return.

Interesting.

I would think Willie Randolph would want to sandwich the righty Alou between Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado.

I would do that, but I would also move Ryan Church up to second. They won with him there and I didn’t care for them moving him down again.

I would drop Luis Castillo to eighth.

But, that’s just me. How would you make out the line-up?

There were some bright spots for the month. Billy Wagner and Ryan Church for example. David Wright had his moments, but tailed in the end. Johan Santana deserved more than his record shows.

There were red flags, too.

Jose Reyes still flounders. Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado had down months, with the latter showing few signs of turning things around. The bullpen is overworked and has underperformed. If you aren’t concerned about Aaron Heilman, you should be. Neither John Maine or Oliver Perez have pitched to expectations.

A lot of injuries, too.

Pedro Martinez, Orlando Hernandez, Brian Schneider and Moises Alou. Luis Castillo hobbled for most of the month.

For all that went wrong, the Mets are still a whisper from first place. That shouldn’t be their thinking. During the collapse the Mets’ refrain was “we’re still in first place.”

They sang it until their season was over.

They can’t be thinking how close they are now. They need to be thinking about how overall lousy they have been and realize that won’t cut it.