-We’re back up and running after a three-day hiatus. I apologize for the inconvenience as my pc was in the shop. Well, at least we got it back in one piece pretty thrifty.

-The NBA has gotten its wish as the dream Lakers/Celtics Finals is upon us after Boston outscored Detroit 29-13 in the fourth quarter to eliminate the Pistons 89-81 in Game Six at The Palace. A jubilant Paul Pierce couldn’t contain himself yelling to ESPN sideline reporter Michelle Tafoya how he waited 10 long years for this. The Celts’ leading scorer who put together a solid night shooting 8-for-12 from the floor with 27 points, eight boards and three assists also spoke of how as a kid he followed those classic LA/Boston series which got him into basketball. Definitely a dream come true. Especially for a player who’s been there his entire career through good and bad. Now, Pierce and teammates Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen will go for the whole marbles against league MVP Kobe Bryant and the Lakers. Bryant finished off the defending champion Spurs by exploding for 17 of a game high 39 in the fourth quarter the night before in leading Los Angeles back from 17 down ousting San Antonio 100-92 in Game Five at Staples Center.

It all should be pretty exciting as the league’s top two seeds will meet in a throwback NBA Finals Edition. Sure. It’s new players including Bryant supporting cast ‘mates Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom. And only Kobe has similar kind of appeal to what Magic and Bird did back in the heyday when Lakers-Celts was pretty common. Of course, Magic had James Worthy and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar while Larry Legend had Kevin McHale and Robert Parish.

The other notable difference is that a couple of decades later, you have different buildings involved. No longer will it be the feared Boston Garden against The Great Western Forum. Instead, it’s been replaced by TD Banknorth Garden and the Staples Center. There’s also ABC covering the Finals instead of CBS. And somehow, that just doesn’t feel right. But hey. Much has changed since the Lakers and Celtics last met for all the marbles in 1987 when Magic led LA past Bird.

So, will it be a good series? I’d have to say yeah cause you got the two best teams and an old rivalry suddenly renewed. And no. The two Boston regular season wins mean zilch. I only wish this anticipated match-up was starting a little earlier. Much like the NHL though, the NBA is taking an extended break before the series starts up next Thursday on ABC. Why such a long layoff? This is something I’ll never comprehend.

Anyway, again it’s nice to be back. And we’ll have more stuff later!

-First off, let’s just wish everyone a Happy Memorial Day out there. Yeah. It’s a bit late cause I was at a great barbecue here in Shaolin VG style. Thanks go out to Nick for putting it together. Whatever ya’ll did yesterday, hope it was as much of a blast as I had. Great food. Awesome people. Dope music. And freestyling!

It’s always worth noting what this day really means. Many of us might be able to kick back and enjoy ourselves but for a precious few who put their lives on the line, they are the true definition of heroes and what makes our country great. So a big thank you to all our troops for making so many big sacrifices. Without you, we wouldn’t be around to celebrate.

Now to some other thoughts:

-I’m never going to say that I’m the biggest lacrosse guy out there but the men’s NCAA championship always is fun to check out. Congrats to Syracuse on winning their school record 10th lacrosse title by defeating defending champion John Hopkins 13-10 yesterday in Foxborough. They held off Hopkins’ star Paul Rabil, who connected six times to keep his school in it. That included an amazing goal which made it interesting late. That guy is some player. The Orange were simply better getting a hat trick from Dan Hardy along with two apiece from Brendan Loftus and Kenny Nims. For the school which missed last year’s tournament for the first time since 1982 due to three players getting suspended, it was sweet redemption. Big ups to them on taking the trophy in front of a record crowd of 48,970.

-Nice to see the Pistons bounceback taking care of the Celtics 94-75 in Game Four to level their best-of-seven Eastern Conference Series. They got a big performance from Antonio McDyess, who went for a double/double (21 and 16) in sparking Detroit to a convincing home win to send the series back to Boston tied at two. The 33 year-old veteran big man shot an efficient 8-for-14 from the floor while connecting on 5-of-6 from the charity stripe while grabbing seven of his game high 16 boards on the offensive glass. The Pistons as a team had nine offensive rebounds and only 34 overall meaning that McDyess nearly accounted for half. Not bad for someone who’s closing in on the end of his career. Richard Hamilton added 20 points and seven assists. Chauncey Billups also dropped seven dimes. The Detroit guard duo’s combined 14 were two better than the entire Celtic roster. Key reserve Rodney Stuckey also added five assists as Detroit spread the ball around. Jason Maxiell also came off the bench to shoot 6-of-6 from the field with 14 points.

The Celtics shot a dreadful 31.8 percent from the field misfiring on 45 of 66 shots. Yikes. The Pistons by comparison shot 36-for-70 connecting at 51.4 percent. Another huge difference was the assist to turnover ratio. Detroit had 27 assists to only seven turnovers while Boston dished out just 12 assists and turned the ball over 14 times. You’re not winning many games with those kind of numbers.

-It’s okay for the Pens to remember to play the game. They’ve now been outscored 6-0 by the Red Wings in the first two games of the Stanley Cup Finals. Guess we didn’t miss much last night. Wonder what the ratings were for that one?

-I’m glad the Mets didn’t axe Willie Randolph but if they don’t put together a decent record on this seven-game homestand, who actually believes Omar Minaya when he says the organization wants Willie around for the duration of his contract through next season?!?!?!?!?!

-The Amazin’s sure didn’t get the kind of start at Shea they needed giving up the last five runs in a 7-3 defeat to the first place Marlins, whose payroll is a major league low $22 million. Despite that, they’re 10 over .500 following a three RBI game from veteran outfielder Luis Gonzalez. His two-run double sparked a four-run fourth off losing Met starter Mike Pelfrey, who dropped to 2-6. Though shortstop Jose Reyes went deep twice, he also committed a key error in the first leading to a couple of unearned runs. The Met leadoff hitter is the definition of an enigma. He can be brilliant at times offensively but also sometimes has brain cramps. Whether it’s getting picked off or booting a routine grounder, Reyes has not played to capability. So much of how the Mets perform is on the shortstop. When he goes, they do. Unless he becomes more consistent, the Met season could go up in flames. At three under (23-26), they find themselves six and a half out. It’s important for them to respond with two wins to take this series against the Marlins. Ace Johan Santana will try to halt the losing when he faces Andrew Miller later tonight. Oliver Perez will battle Scott Olsen in the final game tomorrow.

-Meanwhile, the Orioles snapped the Yanks’ five-game win streak defeating them 6-1 at Camden Yards Monday afternoon. Nick Markakis broke a scoreless tie with a solo blast in the sixth off losing starter Darrell Rasner, who fell to 3-1. The great Yankee pen headed by LaTroy Hawkins made certain of that by giving up five runs in the seventh. Aubrey Huff’s three-run two out blast off Jose Veras broke it open as the Birds moved a half game ahead of the Pinstripes putting them back in last place. The lone bright spot for the Yanks was Hideki Matsui, who had three hits and scored their only run on a Chad Moeller ninth inning RBI single. Baltimore rookie starter Garrett Olson worked seven scoreless while fanning seven to win his fourth. The Yanks will look to even the series when rookie Ian Kennedy goes for his first win trying to build on last week’s good outing. He’ll oppose four-game winner Brian Buress.

-In by far the biggest offensive explosion of the day, the Phillies scored 20 times and pounded out 19 hits in a 20-5 home rout of the Rockies. Second baseman Chase Utley hammered Colorado pitching for three hits including a three-run dinger for No.16 on the season and six RBI’s. The Phils scored half a dozen runs in the fourth and sixth improving to a season best five over (29-24) to remain tied with the Braves for second two and a half out.

-In the French Open first round, Roger Federer was a straight set winner over American Sam Querrey defeating him 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 in abbreviated play due to the rain at Roland Garros. Eighth seeded Frenchman Richard Gasquet pulled out with a left knee injury.

-Congrats to Gustavo Kuerten on a great career. The popular Brazilian who won three French Opens was never the same due to a bad hip. He was eliminated in the opening round by Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-3, 6-4, 6-2. It’s too bad because he was a fiery competitor who had lots of flambuoyance energizing crowds. Still, he had a great career and will be sorely missed.

-The Willie Randolph watch continues after the Mets fell to the Rockies 4-1 to drop two of three to a depleted Colorado club who placed NL MVP runner-up Matt Holliday on the DL before the game. Jose Reyes gaveth and taketh away literally. The enigmatic shortstop’s runscoring single had given John Maine a one-run lead. But his E6 of a potential inning-ending double play ball proved costly when a batter later, Seth Smith slugged his first career home run to put the Rockies ahead 3-1. Despite Colorado only getting three hits, Smith’s big one was plenty for starter Aaron Cook, who had the Amazin’s off balance all day going the distance tossing a four-hitter to win for the seventh time. His team has only 20 wins. So he’s accounted for 35 percent of them.

For the Mets, it ended a brutal week which saw them go 1-6 in Atlanta and Colorado after sweeping the A-Rod less Yanks last weekend. Now, they’ll fly home and Randolph will have his pow wow with Met management tomorrow before hosting the first place Marlins for a crucial three-game set at Shea with his team two under .500. Will Willie still be in the dugout? Who knows anymore? I guess we’ll have a better idea sometime on Memorial Day.

-The Yanks continued their winning ways rallying past the Mariners by scoring four in the eighth to pull out a 6-5 win making it five in a row and pulling them within four and a half of Boston, who again lost at Oakland. Following a Bobby Abreu RBI double, Hideki Matsui’s infield hit and Robinson Cano’s sac fly off Seattle closer J.J. Putz tied the game taking Chien-Ming Wang off the hook despite permitting five earned in six-plus. Backup catcher Jose Molina delivered the winning hit with an opposite field runscoring double which plated Matsui allowing the Bronx Bombers to sweep a bad Mariner team which is now a dismal 18-33. So much for contending. Closer Mariano Rivera got the M’s in order fanning a couple including Raul Ibanez swinging to notch career save No.455 (12th of season). Reliever Edwar Ramirez picked up his first win working one and two thirds scoreless and K-ing a couple to keep his perfect ERA.

Suddenly, the Pinstripes are back at .500 25 up and 25 down out of cellar half a game in front of Baltimore. They’re also no longer just looking up at Boston but rather the Rays, who won again and are 10 over .500 a half game better than the Red Sox in the AL East. Don’t look now but the Blue Jays have also reeled off four in a row and are four out. The Yanks sit five back which is much better than it could’ve been. Is the sudden turnaround due to Alex Rodriguez? The offense has been clicking much better since the rating AL MVP returned after the Met series. It makes a huge difference having that big righty bat in there relieving pressure off other teammates.

The Yanks will now take to the road for three in Camden beginning tomorrow afternoon.

-I wish I cared about this Stanley Cup between the Pens and Red Wings but I just can’t get into it. Not with the ridiculous overhype of Sid The Kid. I honestly tuned out of the All Pens Network last night and opted for the radio. I have decided I can’t deal with the insanity of network TV. It really is disgusting.

-Could these Laker-Spurs games be anymore competitive?!?!?!?!?!

-The French Open is here. So here are my picks:

Women’s champion: Jelena Jankovic def. Anna Chakvetadze to capture first slam

Men’s champion: Rafael Nadal def. Roger Federer again

-The Mets finally got a much needed win for Willie Randolph scoring five times in the first off Colorado ace Jeff Francis en route to a 9-2 victory snapping their five-game losing streak. Carlos Beltran’s bases clearing double paved the way for the Amazin’s to bat around. The game also saw a coming out party for rookie recall Nick Evans, who had a memorable debut with three extra base hits and two RBI doubles. The left fielder took the place of the injured Marlon Anderson, who went on the DL due to a bad hamstring. With the Mets already without injured starting corner outfielders Moises Alou (DL) and Ryan Church (concussion), the 22 year-old from Double-A Binghamton gave the club a much needed lift. Also getting into the act was suddenly resurgent first base slugger Carlos Delgado, who went yard for the third straight day. His eight dingers tie him with David Wright for second one behind team leader Chuch. Claudio Vargas also tossed seven solid innings of two-run ball giving the staff length for his first victory.

Maybe this will get the Mets going. They swung the bats and definitely got a jolt from surprise Evans. John Maine will look to make it two in a row when he goes against Aaron Cook later today.

-Meanwhile in the Bronx, the Yanks stayed hot by outslugging the Mariners 12-6 for their fourth consecutive win. Jason Giambi continued to swing a hot bat going 3-for-4 with his team-leading ninth dinger and three runs knocked in. Right fielder Bobby Abreu also went deep knocking in four during the sixth and seventh as the Yanks put seven in the two frames to make a winner out of Mike Mussina. Though Moose wasn’t anything special blowing a 4-0 lead by serving up two long balls in the third, the crafty 39 year-old veteran worked five to win his seventh of the year. Melky Cabrera also had a pair of hits and RBI’s. In the Yanks’ continuing effort to prepare Joba Chamberlain for the rotation, the 22 year-old fireballer worked a scoreless sixth and seventh tossing 40 pitches while giving up a hit, walk and fanning a couple.

-The Yanks’ streak came at a good time cause the Red Sox dropped their second in a row in Oakland 3-0. The big story was converted starter Justin Duchscherer, who took a perfect game into the sixth before hitting Jason Varitek. The no-hitter was still intact when David Ortiz broke it up with a single with one out in the seventh. Boston still leads the Rays by half a game and are five and a half up on the Bronx Bombers.

-With the Mets being swept by the Braves last night, the pressure’s on for them to snap out of it this weekend in Denver against a struggling Rockie club which enters 11 games under .500 trailing Arizona by 10. A far cry from winning the NL pennant last October. Troy Tulowitizki is out two to three months with a torn tendon in his left quad. The shortstop who took the league by storm in his rookie season was off to an atrocious start hitting just .152 with a home run, 11 RBI’s while K-ing 17 times in 26 games. Most of Colorado’s problems have come away from Coors where they’re 8-16 as compared to 10-13 in the thin air. Unless they get it turned around soon, Clint Hurdle’s club will be out of contention.

-As for Willie Randolph’s club, losing four straight to the archrival Braves was stunning. They were outscored 27-9 and saw staff ace Johan Santana blow a 2-1 lead by giving up three in the seventh which allowed Atlanta to complete the four-game sweep at Turner Field. As usual, Chipper Jones was in the middle of it with a game-winning two strike opposite field hit. Mark Teixeira added insurance with a base hit to left center. In fact, the Braves pounded out 12 hits against the former Twin which were a career high. Just goes to show how things have been going for the Mets. They had taken two from the Yanks in an abbreviated series and were looking to ride that into Atlanta but instead got totally outplayed in all facets and now have lost six of eight entering tonight’s match-up between southpaw Oliver Perez and promising Colorado rookie Greg Reynolds. The Amazin’s are one under .500 trailing the surprising Marlins by four and a half. If they don’t snap out of it, their embattled manager could be replaced. Is it all his fault that this team doesn’t play consistent ball? Hardly. But it is the manager’s job to get the most out of his players. For whatever reason, that’s not happening. Instead, the September malaise of last year is hanging over them threatening to ruin their season.

-Meanwhile in the Bronx, the Yankees won their second straight to take a series from the Orioles. They pushed across the winning run on a two out walkoff Robinson Cano single which plated Hideki Matsui allowing them to outscore the Birds 10-1 over the last two days. Rookie Ian Kennedy finally pitched well working the first six permitting a run on four hits while walking and fanning four lowering his ERA to 7.27. Jose Veras, Kyle Farnsworth and Mariano Rivera each worked scoreless frames as the Pinstripes found a way to win after skipper Joe Girardi got his first ejection of the season for arguing a strike three call to Jason Giambi on a foul tip. Girardi showed plenty of fire tossing his hat twice and kicking dirt to protest plate umpire Chris Guccione’s ruling. A couple of batters later, his team responded by winning their second in a row for the first time in two and a half weeks. Maybe that kind of emotion was what the Pinstripes needed. Though it did earn Girardi the night off when they host the Mariners for three beginning tonight. Veteran southpaw Andy Pettite will be looking to win for the first time in over a month against Seattle’s Erik Bedard. The Yanks still trail red hot Boston by seven and a half. The Red Sox have won seven straight and show no signs of slowing down. So, the Bronx Bombers must get it in high gear or face the prospect of a double digit deficit by June.

-AL 3 for MVP:

A.Josh Hamilton, Rangers

B.Carlos Quentin, White Sox

C.Kevin Youkilis, Red Sox

-NL 3 for MVP:

A.Lance Berkman, Astros

B.Chipper Jones, Braves

C.Chase Utley, Phillies

-The Yanks finally got back on the winning track with an 8-0 shutout of the Orioles last night at home. Alex Rodriguez homered for the second straight game since returning and also drove in another on a drive which cleared the right field fence but was improperly ruled a double. It was the second blown home run call in the past few days. In Sunday’s blowout loss to the Mets, the umpires missed Carlos Delgado’s shot off the left field foul pole. No matter as the Bronx Bombers will take any win at this point snapping a four-game skid and remaining seven and a half behind Boston. Darrell Rasner continued to pitch exceptional working seven scoreless while fanning six for win No.3.

-The bigger news from last night was revealed by Joe Girardi afterwards when he told reporters that the Yanks have begun extending Joba Chamberlain in preparation to move him to the rotation. The 22 year-old Lincoln, Nebraska native got the final six outs walking a pair and striking out three. Is it the right move? We’re still not certain considering what the Yankee pen would look like. This has Hank Steinbrenner written all over it. Proof that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Does he really care what’s best for the team? I have my doubts.

-Meanwhile, the bigger news is being made across town where the Mets continue to make news on and off the field. Willie Randolph apologized for his comments pertaining to an Ian O’Connor piece in The Record in which he made race an issue in how he’s been unfairly portrayed. It’s obvious that the former Yankee second baseman is under the gun and feeling it. In an interview with WFAN’s Mike and The Mad Dog, he acknowledged that he didn’t realize it was on the record what he said to O’Connor. Obviously, saying what he said was a mistake. This isn’t racial. It’s about how his team performs on the field. However, I do agree with Willie on how SNY unfairly depicts the skipper when they shoot him in the dugout. He’s on to something there. Maybe that’s the orders coming down.

-If the Mets were consistently winning, none of this would’ve come up. That they followed a two-game sweep over the Yanks with three consecutive blowout losses to the rival Braves the last two days only has intensified the scrutiny that Randolph will be replaced. They shouldn’t just be a .500 ballclub through 44 games sitting fourth in the division. The good news is they’re only three and a half out with plenty of time left. Still, you wonder if Johan Santana doesn’t get it done tonight whether that will be the final straw for Randolph. If so, who do they replace him with? Jerry Manuel? Or do the Wilpons give Bobby Valentine a call over in Japan? Who knows? Unless their team starts playing better, there will be a change.

-Somebody finally figured out a way to beat Brandon Webb. The Marlins scored three runs in a 3-1 home win over Webb hanging the Arizona ace his first defeat in 10 starts. A suicide squeeze and a Cody Ross solo shot in the fifth put the Marlins ahead. Luis Gonzalez added an RBI hit in the home seventh for insurance. Webb went seven allowing three earned on six hits while striking out seven falling to 9-1. The Marlins improved to 26-19, a game and a half worse than the Diamondbacks.

-Can anyone get Josh Hamilton out?

-Make it two straight losses for the Yankees, who were blanked by resurgent southpaw Cliff Lee 3-0 in the Bronx tonight. A year removed from an injury sidetracking him back to Buffalo to get fixed in Triple-A, the 29 year-old Lee has returned better than ever dominating opponents. He’s now won all six starts walking only two in 44-plus. The Yanks managed six hits in seven innings but couldn’t come up with the big one to bail out tough luck loser Chien-Ming Wang, who permitted a run in the first, fourth and fifth. He went seven falling to 6-1. The best chance Joe Girardi’s club had was a two out rally but Lee buckled down getting Hideki Matsui swinging on a wicked curve to end the sixth. The lefty fanned seven before giving way to 1-2 punch Rafael Perez and Rafael Betancourt with the latter getting the Yanks in order to save his second straight.

-While the Mets dominate the airwaves in this city for their inconsistencies in the wake of a forgettable September, it’s the Yanks up and down play which has gotten lost in the shuffle. What exactly is this team which wins a few, then loses a few and never seems to be able to come up with the big hit when behind after seven innings? At 17 up and 18 down, the Bronx Bombers are an enigma which continues to lose ground to a much stronger Red Sox club. Only due to the Tigers scratching out two against stingy closer Jonathan Papelbon did Boston not increase their lead which remained at four and a half over the Yanks. Sure. They’re still without Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada which impacts the lineup. However, the good teams find a way to overcome obstacles. Right now, they’re very mediocre with the April excuse behind them. It’s time to step up.

-The final day of a six-game Western swing was a very good one for the Mets, who hammered Brad Penny for 10 earned in four and two thirds en route a 12-1 rout of the Dodgers, salvaging the final game of the series to even their record to 3-3. The Amazin bats awakened with four in the second including a two-run single from third string catcher Raul Casanova. Up five, they batted around for six more in the fifth. Even starter John Maine got into the act with a two-run single. Luis Castillo’s walk forced in a run. Following a David Wright two-run double, Castillo came into score on a wild pitch for an 11-0 lead. Right fielder Ryan Church continued to swing a hot bat taking ex-Yankee Scott Proctor deep into the Dodger bullpen tying Wright for the club lead with six dingers. He paced the Amazin’s with three hits and three runs scored. 

It all came in support of a sharp Maine, who came within two outs of a too rare complete game shutout. Matt Kemp broke up the shutout with an RBI single. After 117 pitches, Maine was done giving way to ex-Dodger Duaner Sanchez, who recorded the last two outs getting James Loney swinging to end it. Maine went eight and a third allowing one earned on four hits with two walks and four K’s improving to 4-2 on the season.

-Now, the Mets return home to Shea for a seven-game homestand beginning Friday with three against the Reds and four versus Lastings Milledge and the Nats before a fun three-game series at Yankee Stadium next weekend.

-Speaking of Milledge, he’s gotten out of the gate slowly. After taking the collar in three plate appearances in a 4-3 walkoff loss to the Astros, the former Mets’ 2003 first round selection is hitting .256 with one home run, 11 RBI’s, 15 runs and three stolen bases in six attempts. Not the kind of start the 23 year-old Bradenton, Florida native wanted in his first full season manning center field in D.C. There’s still plenty of time for him to get going but you’d have to be foolish not to notice the early returns on that trade so far for Omar Minaya. With Church becoming the Mets’ most consistent performer in their lineup and catcher Brian Schneider (.308-0-8, .395 OBP) playing well in 19 starts despite injuries, it couldn’t be going much better for the Mets.

If Church and Schneider continue to perform well, there won’t be much to complain about for Amazin fans when it comes to that deal. Come to think of it, nobody’s had much to say lately about it choosing to take our their frustrations on Oliver Perez, Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado, Aaron Heilman, Willie Randolph and Jose Reyes.

The Mets are 17-15 and still a weird team to get a read on which is why they get plenty of criticism after losses from fans and media alike. It’s because they expect a team which acquired one of the best pitchers in the game to play better than this after how last season ended. The talk from Randolph that his ballclub is more relaxed away from Shea doesn’t take them off the hook. This is New York. Players here must have thicker skin and be able to shake off the booing and heavy criticism. With two last place opponents coming in with a combined record of 28-40, the Amazin’s need to send a strong message by winning at least five of the next seven going into that weekend series against their crosstown rivals. Anything less would raise eyebrows.

-Where would the Braves be without Chipper Jones? With two more hits in a 5-2 home win over the Padres, the 36 year-old switch hitting third baseman is now hitting .429 (51-for-119) with 10 homers and 29 RBI’s. Just amazing stuff from one of the most consistent star players of this era. Last year with his team missing the postseason a second consecutive season, Chipper finished at .337, 29 homers and 102 knocked in despite missing 28 games. With another 42 doubles and four triples, he had 75 extra base hits. Did we mention his OBP was .425 along with a .604 slugging? The guy is just a great player. He needs four more dingers to reach 400 for his career. He’s also closing in on 2,200 hits 32 shy after tonight. By the time he concludes his career, the man they refer to as Larry in Queens will be in Cooperstown.

-Chauncey Billups going down tonight with a possible groin injury changes everything in that Pistons-Magic series. He’s the glue which keeps Detroit together. Tell ya one thing. Rashard Lewis (33 pts, 11-of-15 FG, 5-of-6 3’s) sure is shooting it well. Having Dwight Howard (20 pts, 8-of-13 FG, 12 Rebs, 6 Blk) inside definitely helps. I still think it comes down to the play of Hedo Turkoglu, who came to life in the fourth quarter scoring 10 of his 18 as the Magic outscored the Pistons 38-17 to win 111-86 getting back in the series. If the streaky shooter plays better along with Jameer Nelson, then Orlando should be pretty competitive. Who knows how Billups’ injury will affect him?

-Is there still an NHL playoffs going on? I wasn’t too sure.

-It’s not everyday that Rafa Nadal loses on clay but that happened earlier today when Juan Carlos Ferrero got the better of the Spaniard ousting him 7-5, 6-1 in Rome. It was only Nadal’s second defeat on the red surface in 105 matches. He did play with a blister but give Ferrero his due. This probably isn’t a good sign for Nadal’s future opponents in Roland Garros because it will make the rating three-time French Open champion even more focused and harder to beat.

-I just want to say it’s nice to know that Barry Zito is back in the San Fran rotation again. At least the $128 million man pitched effectively enough to keep his team in a game for a change, only giving up two earned to fall to 0-7. Will he make 20 losses? Hey. His ERA dropped below 7.00. We’re sure Scott Boras is telling Brian Sabean about that.

-Speaking of Boras, when he says Oli Perez is one of the best pitchers in baseball, does he actually believe that?

-Pirate center fielder Nate McClouth is hitting .333 with nine homers, 28 knocked in and 31 runs. Just wanted to make sure you’ve been paying attention.

-The special PBS aired on legendary singer Marvin Gaye was excellent and depicted what one of the most soulful singers went through where despite all his God given talents was never really satisfied. All due to his crazy father, who wound up killing him. It definitely told a sad tale of a man influenced by depression, sex and drugs. If you missed it, find the time to catch it.

-It was a tough night for the baseball locals as both the Yanks and Mets dropped close ones. In the Bronx, Joba Chamberlain got into trouble in the eighth serving up a two out pinch hit three-run job by one-time Bomber David Dellucci to blow a win for Andy Pettite in a stinging 5-3 defeat at the hands of the Indians. Only difference was this time there were no killer gnats. It was the first home run Joba had allowed at the Stadium in his brief career. Called on to protect a one-run lead after Kyle Farnsworth had recorded the final two outs of the seventh, the 22 year-old flamethrower from Nebraska issued walks to Grady Sizemore and Jhonny Peralta. Following the second out, he got to two strikes on Dellucci but the well traveled gritty veteran got around on a 96 MPH heater on the inside of the plate driving it into the short porch. It wasn’t a bad pitch. Just a great piece of hitting by Dellucci, whose fourth dinger of the season snapped a three-game Yankee win streak.

-With Joba showing his human side, lost in the shuffle were good nights from Pettite along with struggling sluggers Jason Giambi and Robinson Cano. The only damage Pettite gave up was a Peralta two-run homer, going six and a third on two earned, five hits while walking one and fanning six. As for Giambi, the veteran first baseman drove in two of three runs including a tying opposite field double. Cano drove him home with an RBI single to left for just the second baseman’s ninth RBI. Maybe that will get each going.

-As for the Mets, they suffered their own tough loss at the hands of former Yankee skipper Joe Torre’s Dodgers, who stayed sizzling with their 12th win in 13 thanks to a come from behind 5-4 win at Dodger Stadium. The Amazin’s got off to a quick start when right fielder Ryan Church took Dodger starter Hiroki Kuroda yard in the first inning. Willie Randolph’s ballclub increased the lead to 3-0 when they took advantage of a Kuroda throwing error plating two more runs courtesy of Luis Castillo’s RBI single followed a couple of batters later by Jose Reyes RBI base hit.

An inning after a Juan Pierre runscoring single got the Dodgers on the board, Moises Alou executed a double steal swiping home to restore a three-run lead. However, it was shortlived thanks to a memorable night for Dodger rookie third baseman Blake DeWitt. The 22 year-old former 2004 first round pick came up with a huge two out two-run third inning hit off ineffective Met starter Nelson Figueroa to slice the deficit to one. Two frames later also with a man on and two out, he drove a Figueroa pitch to deep right. A hustling Church couldn’t haul it in allowing Russell Martin to score the tying run.

What he didn’t know was that the ball was still in play. Thinking it had cleared the wall, he didn’t get up right away. By the time he did, it was too late as the sprinting DeWitt came around to score on third base coach Larry Bowa’s signal for an exciting inside the park home run. A night before, he had slugged his first career major league homer the conventional way. This time, it was his speed which victimized the Mets and wound up being the winning run due to outstanding relief work from Hong-Chih Kuo (W, 3.2 IP, 1 H, BB, 8 K’s), setup man Jonathan Broxton (1 IP, 1 H, 2 K’s) and closer Takashi Saito, who stopped a two out Met rally by freezing Castillo on a nasty slider to end the game.

Dodger pitchers struckout 12 Mets including David Wright looking with the tying runner Church in scoring position to end the Met eighth. The Mets stranded 21 runners in dropping their second straight in L.A. They’ll send John Maine (3-2, 3.48 ERA) to go against Dodger ace Brad Penny (5-2, 3.19 ERA) looking to avoid a sweep this afternoon (3:10 ET, WFAN, SNY) with an early start time out West.

-As usual, the Roger Clemens saga has been beaten to death by the usual suspects. This is probably Mike Lupica’s version of a wet dream. Like this nerdy columnist doesn’t have a few skeletons in his closet? Come on. Obviously, the Rocket is a liar. The question is does anyone really care anymore?

-Think recovering Ranger Sean Avery was exaggerating when he told the NY Post’s Larry Brooks that he thought he was done? Just saying.

-So it turns out A-Rod fainted when his wife gave birth to their child. It just makes him more normal even if he makes all that dough.

-The talk about that filly Eight Belles wanting to race in last Sunday’s Kentucky Derby is a travesty. Like it had a choice. I must not have realized it could talk. It’s about horse racing and gamblers getting rich off poor innocent horses such as Eight Belles, who had to be jettisoned on that very track where favorite Big Brown won the first leg of the triple crown. Gamblers don’t care what happens to these horses who basically put their lives on the line. Maybe it’s time for us to rethink this brutal sport. Sure. It gives us excitement. But something’s very wrong.

-LeBron just bricked another shot and lost the ball off his leg. Just thought you wanted to know.

-Tell ya one thing. If that’s the best the East has, it should be a cake walk for whoever comes out of the West. I’m still betting on Kobe’s Lakers.

-How special is Chris Paul? Two splendid games in uncompetitive second halfs against the defending champion Spurs has the Hornets thinking big. I still have to believe Gregg Popovich will get his team back in this one. Never count out Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili.

-TNT’s Ernie Johnson happens to be the coolest studio host in all of sports. Who else would wear a fisherman’s hat during the end of a segment with Kenny Smith and not bust out laughing?!?!?!?!?!

-It was 25 years ago yesterday that Darryl Strawberry debuted with the Mets. What a talented player he was. The Amazin’s most exciting first round pick lived up to the hype slugging catastrophic homers which defied logic. Remember when he hit one off the light beam in Montreal? Or what about in the old Astro Dome? Straw was just awesome. You never missed an at bat because you wanted to see what the powerful right fielder out of Los Angeles could do. He made you believe anything was possible as did teammate Dwight “Doc” Gooden. In eight seasons at Shea, he slugged 252 homers and stole 191 bases. He never hit lower than 26 dingers in an era when 30-or-more was considered great. Something Straw did three times including 39 in back-to-back seasons (1987, ‘88). The 1983 NL ROY was robbed of the MVP in 1988 losing to Dodger outfielder Kirk Gibson. The eight-time NL All-Star (Mets-7, Dodgers-1) also finished third in 1990 which turned out to be his final season in Queens.

The question is how great would he have been if drugs and alcohol didn’t hound his career? He was a flawed superstar who somehow wound up back in NYC getting a second chance with the Yankees, where the baby face produced some nice moments including a towering blast to cap off the ALCS against Baltimore on the way to a second World Series in a decade. Only this time with the AL New York team. There also was a pinch hit ninth inning walkoff against the Royals where then WPIX’s Bobby Murcer actually predicted it. I also recall being at a three home run game against the White Sox with buddies. Special to say the least. I also was at Gooden’s no-hitter against Seattle with a good buddy. That we saw it for nothing due to snow in the home opener was pretty darn cool.

In many ways, Strawberry and Gooden will always be linked due to on field performances and off field disappointments. What if they had stayed on the field all the time? How great could they have been? We’ll never know.

-And finally, on that very theme comes the story of Cubs closer Kerry Wood. It was 10 years ago yesterday that as a rookie, he tied Roger Clemens’ strikeout record by fanning 20 Astros at Wrigley Field in just his fifth outing. To hear Houston hitters tell it in the Daily News baseball writer Anthony McCarron’s well written column, they had no chance against the wiz kid who at the time was 20 looking like a Cy Young fixture at the top of the Cubs’ rotation. He’d win 13 games in 26 starts losing just six while posting a 3.40 ERA and striking out 233 batters in 166-plus to win NL ROY and get them back to October. Then the next year, Wood’s elbow snapped and he missed all of 1999 and was a shadow of the promising hurler he once looked like drawing favorable comparisons to a young Clemens and Nolan Ryan.

That’s what injuries can do unfortunately. At least he’s still closing for the same team which selected him fourth overall 13 years ago. In 15 appearances this season, Wood’s 2-1 with a 4.24 ERA converting five of seven saves while fanning 16 in 17 innings. I’m rooting for him to have a good year.

-You don’t think the Phillies wish they could have that Gavin Floyd for Freddy Garcia deal back. Do ya?

-Big ups to former Baby Bomber pitching prospects George Kontos, Zach McAllister and Dellin Betances. All three are pitching extremely well rising up the Yankee charts. The other night, Kontos who only pitched Staten Island to a repeat with a dominant seven innings two summers ago K’d a season high 11 in five innings to notch his first win with Double-A Trenton. He’s 1-3 with a 3.79 ERA in seven starts with 33 K’s in 35.2 IP. Eighteen strikeouts have come in the last 10 and a third showing the promise the former Northwestern product has.

McAllister continues to perform very well. Sunday, the 20 year-old former 2006 third round pick went seven strong allowing no runs on six hits with a walk and four K’s to improve to 4-1 with a miniscule 0.92 ERA. In 39 innings with Single-A Charleston of the South Atlantic League, the Chillicothe, Illinois native has permitted 26 hits walking only five while whiffing 29 with a batting average against of .190.

Betances also has fared well with Charleston matching McAllister with his fourth victory in seven starts despite a season high seven walks Monday. The 20 year-old former Grand Street High School standout from Brooklyn, New York is 4-1 with a respectable 2.92 ERA with only a .171 BAA. In 37.0 frames, the former Yankees’ 2006 eighth round pick has given up 21 hits while walking 28 and K-ing 45. If he can improve his command, the lanky 6-8, 245 pound hard thrower with a mid-90’s fastball and wicked curve could crack the Yank rotation as early as 2010.

It’s always nice to see a few players I had the privilege of covering doing well. As we draw closer to another New York-Penn League season in mid-June, we’ll have more prospect updates. Stay tuned!

-Nice response by the Mets this weekend in Arizona taking two of three. Ya don’t think Billy Wagner had something to do with it? Jose Reyes had a real good series going 5-for-11 with three extra base hits including two triples, three runs scored, two RBI’s and a  stolen base in each game. It’s the first time all season he’s had steals in three straight.

-Ryan Church continues to impress with four hits and his fourth homer in the series opening 7-2 win. The 29 year-old right fielder who was acquired with catcher Brian Schneider from the Nationals for Lastings Milledge is looking like a steal. He leads the team in hitting with a .318 average, four home runs, 22 RBI’s and 23 runs. Church also boasts a respectable .382 on-base percentage and has played solid defense which included a key toss out of Chris Burke, who was trying for third in a tie game with nobody out in the eighth Sunday. It was Church’s fourth assist of the season.

-How about Melky Cabrera’s sudden power boost. With a two-run dinger in yesterday’s 8-2 Yankee win over Seattle to complete their first three-game sweep of 2008, the 23 year-old center fielder now has six homers in 103 at bats. Last season, the Melk Man hit only eight in 545 ABs. The switch hitter had a very good Spring Training and has carried it over so far. You just wonder if it’s legit. In this day and age, that’s what it’s come to sadly.

-The Yanks also have to be pretty happy with Darrell Rasner’s first start. He went six strong permitting only a two-run Adrian Beltre homer in the first while scattering five hits and striking out four to pickup his first win. Most importantly, he didn’t issue a walk.  Just maybe the 27 year-old from Nevada can give the staff a boost. 

-Roger Clemens is sorry because his personal life is in ruins and there’s virtually no way to recover that no matter what statements he makes.

-It’s amazing how well Oakland is playing. Despite retooling by unloading stars Dan Haren and Nick Swisher, here they are playing solid ball winning 19 of their first 33 games with the third best record in the American League. I criticized him but it turns out that GM Billy Beane does know what he’s doing. Greg Smith, who was one of the players acquired in the Haren deal from Arizona is off to a 2-1 start with a 2.54 ERA allowing 27 hits in 39 innings with 13 walks and 31 strikeouts. As evidenced by their 18 homers, the A’s don’t hit for much power which is why reclaiming veteran slugger Frank Thomas could be a wise move. He’s had success there before.

-Even with some questionable calls and non ones, the younger Pens were the better team. They just had too much speed, size and skill for the Rangers even if Jaromir Jagr turned back the clock with 15 points (5-10-15) in only 10 postseason games. If this was the last of him in the NHL, he’ll be sorely missed. No.68 truly is one of the most fun players to watch. He never complained about how many times he was hacked and didn’t take Oscar Award winning dives to draw calls unlike a certain superstar. He just played the game which is how it’s supposed to be. Too bad the NHL doesn’t seem to think so.

-Evgeni Malkin was the best player in the series and dominated the puck. The no-look backhander he scored on to beat Henrik Lundqvist was ridiculous. It’s the 21 year-old Russian who deserves all the accolades along with some endorsements. Though his slewfoot of Paul Mara was uncalled for. Pull that in the next series against a tougher Flyer team and he could pay the price.

-Has anyone ever complained more than Michel Therrien despite winning the series in five games? Apparently, he learned well how things are done on his club.

-He doesn’t always do the right things on the ice but we’re wishing Ranger Sean Avery the very best as he recovers from a lacerated spleen. The NHL needs more Averys in the game who are willing to mix it up. They’ve become a bland league with boring intermission segments and blah quotes from even their best players. That doesn’t get ratings. They need more colorful analysts who will speak their mind instead of being afraid of their shadows like the hypocritical league. Sucking up to stars doesn’t work. Neither does being serious all the time. We suggest they watch TNT’s NBA coverage cause it doesn’t get much better.

-He can say whatever he wants but until Roger Federer beats Rafael Nadal in the best three-of-five at Roland Garros, the No.1 ranked Swiss player isn’t as good on the red surface.

-Anyone who doesn’t watch Spurs/Hornets will be missing a great series. Even if Bruce Bowen bitches about every call against him. Tony Parker against Chris Paul is worth every penny. And could someone please explain to me why the Spurs are boring? Why? Cause they execute in the halfcourt and play solid D unlike teams such as the Nuggets and Suns. Parker and Manu Ginobili are fun players to watch. Tim Duncan might not show a lot of emotion emulating a robot but he’s one of the game’s greatest players.

-Unless he performs up to expectations against the Pistons, Dwight Howard doesn’t deserve to be tossed around with the Duncans, LeBron’s and Kobe’s.

-It’s okay now to tell the Avalanche to cover Detroit’s Johan Franzen. Oops. Too late!

-Ditto the Canadiens and finding the Flyers’ R.J. Umberger. After the way Carey Price performed, maybe Canada really is jinxed.

-That four overtime epic between San Jose and Dallas was as good as it got. You talk about great hockey and awesome goaltending from Evgeni Nabokov and Marty Turco, it was the kind of game which anyone could enjoy featuring great skating, hitting and awe inspiring battles. So much for that magic 33 theory. Maybe next round!

-It’s amazing how a couple of wins in a row by the Mets over the Phillies can change the tune in these parts. Before a solid performance by Mike Pelfrey and outfield find Angel Pacon’s 11th inning heroics, Amazin fans were already in panic mode after a disappointing final Shea Opening loss to Philly sent their team to a third consecutive defeat and 2-4 through half a dozen games. Heck. Even on the WFAN official site, nearly half the fanbase voted that their team would get swept by the Phils. Geez. Talk about waiting for the sky to fall.

It’s just way too early for such pessimism. Especially if you’re a New York baseball fan. God forbid our teams didn’t have the resources to spend the dough and get marquee stars. What would fans do? Jump off a building. Try being a Pirates fan. We’ve got nothing to complain about.

-The start by Melky Cabrera is definitely something for Yankee fans to hang their hats on. Especially if this new found power stroke continues.

-I don’t pretend to be an expert but can anyone rationalize why new Yankee skipper Joe Girardi used Kyle Farnsworth before Ian Kennedy the other night in Kansas City due to rain? Talk about throwing in the towel.

-It might be early but that young staff the Royals got might keep them in a lot more games this season. Especially with ex-Met Brian Bannister anchoring it and Zach Greinke now looking as advertised. Closer Joakim Soria sure looks pretty legit too.

-Can anyone explain why Evan Longoria isn’t at the hot corner for Tampa other than it costing a little more cash?

-The Miguel Cabrera E5 tracker is at three and counting. He’s also hitting .138 so far with nine K’s in 29 at bats for the 1-8 Tigers.

-Remember when the Nats got out to a 3-0 start? They’ve now dropped seven in a row. So much for being tired of losing.

-Find me a more entertaining ballplayer than Hanley Ramirez. 

-It’s nice to know that the Caps vs Flyers series will actually get underway tonight. Gotta love that playoff schedule. Especially with hockey fans itching to see the best player in the game Alexander Ovechkin.

-He’s done it so much in the past that it’s hard not to see Marty Brodeur bouncing back from his Game 1 gaffe later tonight against the Rangers. Especially in such a must win situation for the Devils.

-It really is ashame that either Denver or Golden State won’t be in the NBA playoffs.

-Just for those Knick fans keeping score, Donnie Walsh still hasn’t changed coaches yet.

-That clutch shot by Mario Chalmers will be remembered forever in Kansas. You talk about a money shot to send the championship game to overtime propelling the Jayhawks to an improbable victory over Memphis. It don’t get much better.

-Missed free throws can always comeback to bite you and it sure did to John Calipari.

-If you didn’t get out to MSG the other night, you missed one heck of a show by Santana. Definitely one of the most underappreciated and best guitarists of all-time. He just doesn’t get the respect he deserves. He’s a genius.