Who ARE these guys??!!

The Division leaders?!

The Mets sure didn’t look like they were the leaders this weekend. 

In fact, particularly in the third game, the defense especially took on more of the feeling of "Night at the Opera" than September-baseball-with-eleven-games-to-clinch.

I mean, I’m not really scared of losing the Division to the Phils at this point or anything, but still.  Being swept by them TWICE?? 

In the first game of the most recent series, in spite of an awesome double-play made on a diving catch by Wright of a bunt and a quick throw to first, and super catch in left by Moises, and innumerable other great moments, when all was said and done, those defensive gems were for naught and the Phillies came out on top.

Saturday, Pedro pitched really well and handed it over to the bullpen with a lead, but some base running blunders, some unintentional walks from the bullpen, and other gaffes rendered Pedro’s work null and void.

And yesterday, well…  Other than Beltran’s beautiful three-run homer that tied the game up, and Wright’s home run to put him squarely in the 30/30 Club, the rest of the game was pretty much ugly and embarrassing. 

If it weren’t so tragic, it might’ve been funny. 

Marx Brothers funny. 

Slapstick funny.

*****

And speaking of the Marx Brothers, one should never underestimate the comic value of a simple prop.

There were laughs a-plenty off the field on the opening game of this series when, upon entering the gates, fans were given false mustaches–courtesy of SNY–in recognition of two separate awards given to the facial hair beneath SNY’s Keith Hernandez’s nose:

It was really fun seeing all the fun everyone was having with this very simple prop:  young and old, male and female, using it as intended and in other ways, like as a caterpillar or other furry invertebrate stuck to one’s cheek.

Or even as a unibrow a la Frida Kahlo:  .

*****

The camera crew had a terrific time panning the crowd as well.  Click here for an SNY video clip featuring some of the fun inspired by the promotion.  My favorite is SNY’s Kevin Burkhart’s blond baby son sporting the jet black stick-on ‘stache.

As you can see from this photo, my daughter, Melanie, and  my husband, Garry, had their own fun too (although Garry came to Shea with his own mustache, thank you very much!!)   

*****