Sportsmeat

Is this a joke? Seriously? El Duque is out for the first round, too??!!

The basic facts of this are that the Mets were relying on two aging pitchers and aging players get hurt. It happens. It just doesn't usually happen when both are slated to start Game 1 of the NLDS (obviously not at the same time), and within one week of the team's first postseason in five years.

I know Mets fans are notoriously pessimistic (read my earlier posts for that), but they're seriously screwed now. No team in the playoffs could survive without two of their three best starters (and let's not forget that the Mets' No. 2 reliever, Duaner Sanchez, is also down for the season). You could reasonably argue that the Mets are without three of their five best pitchers, with only Glavine and Billy Wagner remaining.

Can you imagine the Twins without Santana and Silva? The Yanks without Wang and Johnson? The A's without Zito and Dan Haren? Hell, even the Padres without Peavy and Chris Young?

The funny thing is, the Mets can still win (and yes, I know I said they were screwed a few paragraphs ago, but I'm having a few peaks-and-valleys moments here). Maine has pitched well this year and Glavine is solid. Trachsel sucks, but he can go six innings and allow four runs, which would give the Mets a chance. And Oliver Perez (really, it's come to this!!!!) is as likely to throw a shutout as he is to hit the first three batters he faces.

If everything breaks right, the Mets can beat the Dodgers. And maybe even the Cardinals or Padres. But they're underdogs in both series now, and to win three series in a row without Pedro and Duque is about as likely as me and Big Thunder winning the doubles luge at the 2010 Winter Games.