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Mets heavy hitters aim to get back on track

Sep 17, 2008 - 10:12 AM NY Mets (83-67) at Washington (58-93) 7:10 p.m. EDT

WASHINGTON (Ticker) -- The New York Mets need their slumbering bats to wake up in a hurry, or else they face the prospects of another baseball-free October.

Clinging to a slim lead in the wild-card race, New York aims to get its powerful offense back on track Wednesday and avoid losing three straight to the lowly Washington Nationals.

New York held a 3 1/2-game lead over Philadelphia (84-67) a week ago. It vanished on Tuesday when the Mets managed four hits in a 1-0 loss. David Wright, Carlos Delgado, and Carlos Beltran have each drove in over 100 runs, but combined to go 1-for-12 on Tuesday and have totaled one hit in their last 23 at-bats.

New York has scored eight runs in dropping three straight and four of its last five. The Mets were knocked from their perch atop the National League East for the first time since August 26, and trail the Phillies by a half-game.

The meltdown isn't as dramatic as last season when the Mets blew a seven-game lead with 17 to play, but it has the media peppering them with questions about that historic collapse.

Still, righthander Mike Pelfrey says there are no lingering affects from last season.

"The only time anybody ever thinks about that is when you guys (in the media) bring it up," said Pelfrey, who allowed one run and four hits in seven innings. "It happened last year. I feel the atmosphere of the team is totally different. Nobody's worrying about that, nobody's playing and thinking about last year."

"I think we are going to be fine," Mets manager Jerry Manuel said.

The good news is New York holds a half-game lead over Milwaukee (83-68) in the wild-card race. The bad news is they are relying on 32-year-old journeyman Brandon Knight (0-0, 6.43 ERA) to give them a solid effort.

Knight, along with rookie Jonathan Niese are trying to fill the void left by John Maine, who is questionable for the rest of the season with a bone spur in his pitching shoulder.

In his first career start, Knight allowed four runs and seven hits in five innings, but did not receive a decision in a 10-8 loss to St. Louis on July 26. He also pitched for Team USA in the Beijing Olympics.

The Nationals, who won five of six meetings with New York last September, counter with rookie Shairon Martis (0-2, 2.70). Martis allowed two runs - one earned - and two hits in five innings in his second career start on Friday, but did not receive a decision in a 2-1 loss to Florida.