Saturday’s pitiful showing against the Cardinals could well have been Steve Trachsel’s final game as a member of the Metropolitans.  Metsradamus is less than sentimental about the occasion.

For those of you (and you know who you are) who constantly ask me “Why doesn’t Steve Trachsel get any respect?” Game 3 was your answer. Tonight was Steve Trachsel’s first real chance at some playoff pressure. What does he do? Well, he gives up yet another 2 run triple by Soul Patch Spiezio, and a home run by the opposing pitcher. Five hits, five walks, five thousand remote controls that have flown across the room and cracked their television monitors…all in one inning. As far as I am concerned, Trachsel is done as a New York Met. I’m done defending him. He gets the benefit of the doubt no more.

And that’s win or lose. If the Mets go to Game 7, guess who I’m handing the ball to. I’m handing it to the guy that showed a little heart and a little guts tonight, Darren Oliver. Oliver was rumored to go in Game 5, but now Willie Randolph doesn’t have that option anymore thanks to…”One Inning From Hell”.

If the Mets get to the 2006 World Series to take on the Tigers…a scenario that I hate to say is seriously in doubt at this hour…then it’s “Dave Williams, come on down” in one room, and Tom Berenger as Bear Bryant handing the Malfunction Boy his bus ticket back home in another.

Of the two fateful hits by Scott Spiezio that Shawn Green failed to come up with the past two nights, the New York Times’ Lee Jenkins suggests (not in so many words) that Mike Cameron would’ve had ’em.