Upon further review, Mets back in first place

Maybe the Mets have a matching runs program for Johan Santana. When he is unhittable, they don't score any runs for him. But with Santana more human over his last three starts, allowing nine earned runs in 20 innings and giving up a home run in each game, the Mets have stepped up their attack, helping Santana to win all three games.

Earlier in the year, Santana lost two games in which he gave up no earned runs. Tonight, Santana blew an early lead by allowing a bases-loaded walk and was out of the game after six innings and 120 pitches with the score tied. So this was a game that Santana would not expect to win. But he did, with the help of a rejuvenated Daniel Murphy and the umpires.

Fernando Martinez might have set a Citi Field record for quickest boos of a touted new arrival. But he deserved them for failing to run out a popup that the Washington catcher dropped.

The Mets nearly had another baserunning mishap when Sheffield was out at home after Murphy's hit was initially ruled a double. Had Sheffield stayed at third, the Mets would have had second and third with none out, and would have had a great chance to score. Instead, was one out and man on second before Murphy's double was changed to a home run.

The overly aggressive baserunning is resulting in more runs, but there also seems to be someone out at third or home almost every game, and that is bound to be bad in the long run.

But it is hard to find much to complain about on a night when a Met team missing three-fourths of its lineup core moves back into first place.