Before I leave:

-Why in God’s name did Joe Girardi take out Dan Giese on just 83 pitches after six innings?!?!?!?!?!?! The Angels were held to one run and trailing 3-1 but then the clueless Yankee skipper pulled him in favor of Jose Veras, who promptly gave it up allowing Garrett Anderson and Mike Napoli to go deep tying the game. Unbelievable!

-Aside from that, the unclutchness of Alex Rodriguez rared its ugly head again. With a chance to maybe put the game out of reach with runners on at the corners, the third baseman predictably struck out chasing a high heater out of the zone.

Just another moment where the so-called best player in the game came up short. Oh well.

I’m just guessing but those two innings weren’t exactly what the Yankees were looking for from Ian Kennedy. Does this mean <gasp> Carl Pavano might actually see a start again in the Bronx. You remember him. The $40 million investment which went all haywire since he helped the Marlins beat the Yanks in 2003. Easiest money anyone’s ever made stolen. At least Barry “Baked” Zito pitches every fifth day for the Giants.

It’s way late and I shouldn’t even be up as we have a very busy day heading out with close buddies to see The Police play at PNC Art Center in Jersey. Naturally, I’m amped to see Sting, Copeland and Summers rock the stage again a year removed from a dope concert at MSG exactly a year ago during their 30-year reunion tour. This will be one of their final shows and I know it’s going to be off the hook. I’ll give a full report later.

As for the sports news of yesterday, I could write a lot more but the only one which sticks in my head at the moment is this:

-The Mets have been an unpredictable team all season long. Just when it looked like they had it all together working so well, they drop the first two in Houston and lose the second game in excruciating fashion blowing a four-run lead including 4-2 up in the ninth only to see Billy Wagner implode allowing the Astros to tie it in bizarre fashion with two runners sliding in almost simultaneously past Ramon Castro who couldn’t handle the throw. They lost the game in 10 with veteran Darin Erstad’s sac fly to short left scoring Lance Berkman from third easily due to Tatis making a tough catch and falling down which made his throw way off line.

These Mets have had some brutal losses including that ridiculous one to the Phils which cost them a sweep even if they have owned the defending NL East champs this season taking all four series thus far. However, this defeat was the latest one which tormented their fans who are probably wondering why they continue to root for a team that always seems to do this. Maybe they’ll bounce back and wind up winning the division like they should cause deep down, they’re the best team out of the three even though the Phils lead it by one and a half over the now second place Marlins and two over New York.

Still, how can a team cause so much heartache for their own fans? You have to wonder how much more they can take.  Only Jets and Knicks fans have it worse in this area.

When does it end?

Also, regarding Johan Santana, he has to do better than pitching into the seventh inning with his pen taxed. Especially against such a good hitting club as Houston. They will hit. 103 pitches don’t cut it for one of the elite aces in the game. The Mets needed more and paid the price.

Just inexcusable.

This is just one that’s on my mind and needs to be stated:

-The decision by ESPN to air more SportsCenters is ridiculous. They’re now on from 9 to 3 here on the East coast. What gives? Don’t they have any other creative programming aside from re-doing SC over and over again? It makes no sense. How many SC’s can people watch before they’re sick and finally change the channel? I like sports but come on. This is insanity. It’s the usual overkill which has become the norm in Bristol. Enough’s enough already.

This has nothing to do with sports but rather the balmy weather here in Shaolin, NYC:

-It couldn’t be any hotter if it tried. It’s like 100 here with hot humid winds. Anyone who’s out, make sure you drink plenty of fluids and stay cool. This kind of summer heat isn’t to be messed with. Hope everyone’s safe out there!

It’s been a while since I actually put what’s floating around my brain out there. Well, the long wait is finally over! Let’s see:

1.The Mets have turned their season around since taking the last three from the Phillies running the table for a 6-0 homestand against NL West bottom feeders San Francisco and Colorado. While it might be true that the competition wasn’t all that great, it’s still pretty impressive how much Jerry Manuel’s suddenly resurgent ballclub dominated outscoring the two teams by a ridiculous 31-4 margin including four shutouts. Even with Pedro Martinez only going four before leaving with stiffness the other night, they still one-hit the Rockies. Then quickly improving second-year pitcher Mike Pelfrey tossed eight more shutout innings last night en route to his eighth win lowering his ERA to 3.64. He hasn’t allowed a run in 16 straight and has transformed into the team’s second best starter behind only ace Johan Santana. Amazing turnaround for the former 2005 first rounder out of Wichita State who looked lost early on with wildness.

2.The Amazin’s have gotten plenty of contributions from unsung heroes Damion Easley and Fernando Tatis but wouldn’t be a season best seven over .500 (51-44) half a game out of first if not for the turnaround of veteran first base slugger Carlos Delgado and spark plug Jose Reyes. Both have been swinging much better bats during the club’s nine-game win streak with Delgado crushing balls deep and Reyes getting base every game, stealing bases, scoring runs and driving in runs including his 10th homer off the scoreboard the other day. He’s back to wreaking havoc and might even make a run at MVP.

3.Yesterday, the Yankees were completely shutdown by A.J. Burnett until Jason Giambi took him deep for No.19 with one out in the ninth breaking the shutout. Burnett fanned eight and lowered his ERA under 5.00 which means he was having a pretty disappointing year. Though you’d never know it by the way the Yanks swing against him. They rarely ever do anything against the former Marlin. It really makes you wonder what it’s going to take for this lineup to wake up. Here they are six behind Boston and five and a half in back of the suddenly reeling Rays (swept by hapless Cleveland for seventh straight defeat). If the bats woke up, you have to figure they’d make a run. But it’s becoming increasingly clear that without leadoff man Johnny Damon and DH Hideki Matsui, this lineup isn’t that good. The only consistent run producers are Bobby Abreu, Alex Rodriguez and Giambi. Derek Jeter has been hot and cold while Jorge Posada is starting to slow down. Robinson Cano has been a colossal disappointment and Melky Cabrera has regressed. They might have something with the speedy Brett Gardner if he figures out how to reach base consistently.

4.Tell me how Joe Girardi installs Wilson Betemit into the lineup twice against one of the better pitching teams when all he ever does is strikeout? His OBP entering last night was a paltry .275. Before he got to the Yanks, he could draw walks. Now, he’s a K machine who never does. In his two years with the Pinstripes, Betemit has walked a grand total of nine times while fanning 66 times. How does he still have a job?

5.If you haven’t seen A’s pitching prospect Henry Rodriguez throw three straight heaters at 100 MPH, here’s your chance to check it out courtesy of my good Brooklyn buddy Patrick Hickey of dembrooklynbums.com.

6.So Brett Favre has changed his mind once again and wants to comeback which kind of reminds you of John Kerry. Favre is a an all-time great but he’s under contract with the Packers and shouldn’t be released. The team wants to move in another direction with Aaron Rodgers even if Packer fans want to side with No.4 in this debate. They should trade him and get what they can which is only right.

7.Does anyone really care about what silly names Brangelina gave their twins?

8.Speaking of which, the Alex Rodriguez-Cynthia Rodriguez split is getting way too much press. Sadly, that’s what this country has become obsessed with such as silly sites such as TMZ.com. Don’t they got better things to cover than a baseball star’s marriage breakup?

9.The honeymoon on Long Island for Ted Nolan sure lasted long.

10.If Larry Brooks was Ranger GM, he would immediately get rid of half the roster and somehow still find something wrong with it to complain about.

11.I still like the Home Run Derby even though A-Rod, Big Papi and Ryan Howard don’t want to participate because they might waste their arms. Pampered much?!?!?!?!?!

12.If the Knicks don’t get rid of Zach Randolph, they’re even dumber than first thought.

13.Mike Lupica said David Wright, who replaced Alfonso Soriano should’ve got in on the first ballot but is he really having a better year than Chipper Jones? Speaking of Mr. Lupica, his piece on that classic Rafael Nadal-Roger Federer Wimbledon final is a must read. Only question I have is why if he spent the first week there did he not stay for such a potential historic match?

14.Speaking of good writeups from a writer we don’t always agree with, Lupica also had a solid column on the greatness of Yankee closer Mariano Rivera who will be where he belongs on the grandest stage at the old Stadium tomorrow night for the All-Star Game. The man is amazing.

15.Is there a less deserving All-Star than Jason Varitek? I like him too but come on already. Is that really the best they can do?

16.If he played on a better team, the season Grady Sizemore (23 HR, 22 SB) is having might get a lot more attention. How did the Indians go from 3-1 up on Boston last October to falling apart and now into one of baseball’s biggest disappointments selling off C.C. Sabathia for hot shot prospect Matt Laporta? Amazing how quick it can change. Just ask the Rockies as they’ll probably be doing the same with Matt Holliday and Garrett Atkins.

17.Name the player:

Player A 

.283

Player B

.284

Hint: Player B was traded and Player A replaced him and could’ve been signed by anyone.

18.There’s no such thing as “the perfect life” which is what Christie Brinkley, who’s been married four times said during divorce proceedings with Peter Cook.

Copyright Flickr

19.After seeing this latest shot of Paula Creamer, there are now as many attractive female LPGA players as WTA stars.

20.Given his latest setback, isn’t it about time Peter Forsberg called it quits?

21.Less than a month until the riveting artistry and sheer grit and determination of Olympic Power Walking.

The other day, I gave my view on the weekend Subway Series between what’s still a couple of mediocre New York teams which have disappointed until proven otherwise. Here’s another one on what’s taken place thus far with one game left later this afternoon:

-It’s hard to believe the Mets dropped the next couple after blowing the doors off the Yanks at the Stadium to sweep all three for the first time in the history of the series. They had the match-ups and momentum but that proved to mean zilch when somehow, they couldn’t solve Sidney Ponson allowing him to escape two bases loaded situations while a more desperate Bronx Bomber attack got to Pedro Martinez to win by an identical nine-run margin Friday night at Shea.

I like Pedro and always have. He’s easy to root for. Hopefully, he gets it together because when he decides it’s over, it will be a sad day. This is a great competitor who’s improvised despite injuries and has worked very hard to become one of the best pitchers this game’s seen over the last decade. I wish him the very best.

Now, for yesterday’s Yankee 3-2 win over Johan Santana with Andy Pettite outpitching the former Twins’ two-time AL Cy winner. Not that Pettite isn’t still a good starter. He has gotten it together after a dreadful first six weeks. He did what he needed giving his team a chance limiting the Amazin’s to two solo homers in six innings which also included a 79-minute rain delay.

Still, one would’ve expected Santana to rise to the occasion and shutdown the Bombers. Sure. He pitched well enough to win working six and K-ing eight looking flat out dominant at times. But the one frame where he lost the strike zone cost him two runs which the Yanks manufactured. And his balk of A-Rod to second allowed Robinson Cano to drive in the winning run. So there is some responsibility for why he’s now a .500 pitcher.

Not what the Mets are paying him for. This isn’t all on the likeable southpaw from Venezuela. It’s also on the talented Jose Reyes, who continues to baffle fans with his up and down play. Oh. The 25 year-old shortstop has turned his season around getting the average close to .300 and hitting for more power and stealing more bases. But sometimes, his lack of baseball instincts are alarming. How was it possible in a two-run game that he managed to get picked off second by Pettite with David Wright at the plate killing a potential two out rally?!?!?!?!?!

There’s just no way he should be going anywhere as WFAN radio man Howie Rose pointed out immediately when the inning ended. You have your most dangerous bat who had hit two Pettite pitches hard forcing Melky Cabrera to come up with a tough running catch near the track. You don’t go in that spot and take the bat out of Wright’s hands.

So, was it any shock that Wright ledoff the home sixth with a solo shot to cut the lead to one? Of course not. Instead of maybe tying or putting his team ahead, he made it 3-2.

From there, the Yankee pen of Jose Veras, Kyle Farnsworth (pitching bandaged up) and the impeccable Mariano Rivera closed the door to give the Pinstripes at worst a split of the four-game weekend series.

For the Mets, it proved costly as the Phils finally figured out how to win again for only the second time in 10 games beating the Rangers and gaining a game in the standings. They lead the Queens club by four (two in loss column).

Now, they’ll send out jekyll and hyde lefty Oliver Perez this afternoon trying to salvage the final game at Shea. That should be an advantage over Darrell Rasner if we’re going by paper. But these days, you can’t figure out much. Either Perez will be very good bouncing back from an abysmal outing that saw the lowly Mariners tattoo him or he’ll have a repeat performance and it will be a slugfest becoming a survival of the pens.

The Yanks meanwhile are seven over and need to keep winning just to not lose ground to Boston and Tampa, who almost never lose. They finally recalled promising relief prospect David Robertson. He was lighting up Triple-A Wilkes Barre/Scranton. We’ll see if he makes his major league debut later on.

I only have one thought crawling around my head as I get ready to head out to cover a more fun brand of baseball between the Staten Island Yankees and Hudson Valley Renegades. It’s this:

-Why whenever the Mets beat up on the Yankees does a professional broadcaster such as Howie Rose turn into such a complete homer? Suddenly, a man who’s one of the most respected play-by-play men in the business feels the need to exceed in his calls making silly references to how “most Yankee fans have left” when their team is down by seven runs in the eighth at The Stadium. Well, duh Howie! Let’s not be too obvious about how important it is for the Amazin’s to beat up on the Yanks’ Double-A pitching version in Game One of an overhyped Subway Series between two overrated teams. Heck. I bet if I put together a team of high school All-Stars, they could’ve batted around against what the Yanks sent out there for the first game in the Bronx.

Has anyone even seen the pitching match-ups for this dreaded series? Tonight when it shifts to Shea for the rest of the weekend, the Yanks send out veteran scrub Sidney Ponson for his second tour of duty against Pedro Martinez. That’s about as fair a fight as Mike Tyson in his prime against Michael Spinks.

Don’t try telling Mike Lupica, who always takes cheapshots at the Yanks whenever he can while pushing Mets propaganda in the Daily News whenever possible even if they’re the bigger embarrassment in this town. He probably still thinks the Yankees play in the weaker division when at last check the Rays were for real and even the Orioles are playing a respectable brand of ball having taken a couple from the Cubs at Wrigley when nobody had beaten the majors’ best team there in a while.

Let’s be real. Before the WFAN Mets homers wave their pom poms if their team does what it should this weekend with very favorable match-ups, the only reason they’re in the hunt is because their division is mediocre. The Phillies have comeback to earth and the Marlins are remembering who they are. On paper, you’d still have to say the team in Queens should wind up winning the NL Least.

Heck. If you went and looked at what’s happened to the senior circuit since Interleague, only two teams boast great records and they both reside in the NL Central which happens to also be the best division in the league with the Cubs, wild card leading Cardinals and Brewers all playing well. Even the Pirates have improved but don’t tell Lupica that they entered Friday only a game and a half worse than the NL’s highest payroll.

It doesn’t count. Only the BIG BAD Yankees do when they lose to much cheaper teams which have more chemistry and better pitching without three of their starters hurt. See. Facts sometimes elude this columnist who continues to write the same recycled columns.

But again, what would you expect? This town has officially become a circus. While there’s a much more glorious event going on over in London at the All England Club with Wimbledon, the New York papers continues to obsess and overanalyze every move in what basically is a meaningless series. Will it mean much in late August and early September? We already know the answer.

But the way Rose and Lupica act regarding these games is like some sort of holy war. This is exactly what the late great George Carlin- the best comedian ever- was talking about when it comes to this country. The press have lost their minds.

Oh. The Yanks and Mets do play in New York where everything is heavily scrutinized. But they’re about as much rivals as the Giants and Jets. Unless these teams start fulfilling lofty expectation$ and meet in the World Series daily, there’s not much of a rivalry to speak of no matter what propaganda the talkies on WFAN feed you.

The one time they met for all the marbles, the Pinstripes were the superior team winning their last World Series.

You want old fashioned rivalries? You have to go back to the 50’s with the Dodgers and Giants occupying Ebbets Field and The Polo Grounds.

Maybe one day, the papers will come to this realization because our ballclubs are flawed and not that good.

It’s late and I don’t feel like recapping the Celtics’ blowout of the Lakers for championship No.17 at this moment. I’ll certainly give them their due later on.

However, that performance or lack there of by Kobe and the rest of his teammates was truly pathetic. They should be embarrassed by how they performed. In fact, even their two wins weren’t much to speak of. The Celtics easily could’ve swept them because that’s how much superior and more determined they were in these NBA Finals making history for the greatest turnaround.

While Finals MVP Paul Pierce who was really “The Truth” like his nickname along with Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and super shooting subs James Posey and Eddie House were so intense on both ends of the floor playing a great brand of basketball, Kobe and his teammates were soft and at times looked uninterested. Have you ever seen softer options than Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom?

Clearly last night in from the middle of the second quarter on, one team wanted it while the other went through the motions and tossed in the towel. Never before had there been such a telling difference between the NBA’s two elite franchises during the Finals. You would never have seen a Larry Bird or Magic Johnson-led roster quit.

That’s what was most disappointing about this series. When you saw Phil Jackson basically speechless in the locker room begging and pleading for his team to “give themselves a chance,” it told you all you needed to know.

It was a sad sight and an even more pathetic second half by the Lakers who apparently forgot that they nearly erased a 24-point fourth quarter deficit in Game Two.

Kudos to the Boston Celtics for having the killer instinct to make history winning their first NBA title in 22 years. A huge thumbs down to Los Angeles for not even bothering to show!

It’s hard to put into words what’s wrong with the Mets. Even not being a fan of theirs, I can’t even believe how brutal some of their recent losses have been. That Billy Wagner blew a third consecutive save after Johan Santana had his best Met performance fanning 10 in seven frames is just unthinkable.

You would’ve thought the Amazin’s would get so much momentum from last night’s Carlos Beltran 13th inning walkoff. And for the first seven innings, you would’ve been proven correctly. Then Santana left having thown 116 pitches for the vaunted Met pen. Joe Smith gave half the lead back on an eighth inning Mark Reynolds two-run triple which some on WFAN felt Beltran misjudged. No matter.

Wagner entered looking to atone for another poor outing last night in which he served up a second straight three-run home run which forced extras before Beltran’s bat rescued the Queens club from a five-game skid. Once again, the lefty fireballer couldn’t finish the job allowing two runs to score including a Conor Jackson RBI fielder’s choice which extended the misery.

Unfortunately for Met supporters, this time their team wouldn’t be so lucky as the D-Backs escaped a bases loaded two out jam in the home ninth due to great defensive gems and then pushed across the winner on a Miguel Montero sac fly.

Arizona closer Brandon Lyon tossed a second straight scoreless inning inducing Chris Aguila into a game ending 5-4-3 double play to give the D-Backs the series and send the Amazin’s to a sixth defeat in seven back to three under.

Afterwards, a frustrated Wagner who never minces words harshly critiqued himself saying, “I suck right now.”

What a bad time for Billy The Kid to go into a funk.

So, can the Mets get it turned around? Who knows what to think anymore? They’ve become way too hard to predict and their inconsistencies continue to prove costly.

Are they really this mediocre? I still have a tough time buying that. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.