On August 5, 2004, Victor Zambrano started his first game as a New York Met, struggled into the sixth inning but earned a win. David Wright hit his third big league home run, part of a National League warning shot six-RBI onslaught. Vance Wilson went deep. Ricky Bottalico threw 2-1/3 scoreless innings. Richard Hidalgo drove in a run.
The Mets beat the Brewers 11-6. And I missed all of it.
That was the last Mets game to completely elude my eyes and/or ears. Since then, I've caught at least a little, usually most, probably the entirety of every contest the Mets have played, 311 up to and including Wednesday night's generously rain-delayed affair in Cincinnati. Sure, it was a long precipitation pause, but Mother Nature was doing me a solid. I was in Baltimore until 7:52 PM when I boarded a northbound Amtrak. We weren't due past Trenton — into solid FAN territory — until after 9:20. I had no guarantee there'd still be a game to glean through the Central Jersey static.
But there would be, and much closer to home. My surprisingly effective Sprint PCS Web connection gave me a score:
Mets 4
Reds 0
Inning 2
Rain Delay
Hot damn! The Mets are winning and I'm going to be a part of it all. I could sit back and relax until my regional choo-choo pulled into Penn in time for me to jump on a 10:34 LIRR. Once east of the tunnel, it was only the fourth inning. What a midsummer's bounty: an afternoon in Camden Yards; an early evening dinner in Charm City; a heaping, unanticipated scoop of Amazin'ness for dessert. And we were winning.
Were.
One of the first things I heard was Jose Reyes stretch a single into an out at second. One of the last things I heard was Jose Reyes turn an out into a runner on third…except Jose did that with a lousy throw. In between, Trachsel earned no win, the Mets scored no run and the rain did not fall.
My streak is alive, but the Mets lost. It's not nice to fool Mother Nature.
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