Major League Baseball

Mets take 7-game winning streak into Philly

Published Apr. 29, 2010 9:57 p.m. ET

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Ike Davis bounded into the New York Mets' clubhouse on April 19, his big grin and wide eyes - and big bat - a needed boost for a team that just returned from a demoralizing road trip.

The top prospect raced through a condensed pregame routine, then got two hits in his winning major league debut.

The Mets haven't slowed down since then.

In Davis' first 10 days in the big leagues the Mets matched the franchise's best homestand, going 9-1 for the first time since 1988. They surged from the bottom of the NL East to the top - a turnaround as startling as it was necessary for the snake-bit club.

Next up, a real test. A weekend trip to Philadelphia to face the two-time NL champion Phillies and Roy Halladay.

``The thing about our team right now is we appear youthful. With Ike Davis and Jose Reyes running around, and (Jeff) Francouer, (Angel) Pagan, even the new catchers. We just appear that way at this point,'' Mets manager Jerry Manuel said Wednesday after sweeping the Dodgers. ``We still look like we have a lot of life. I think that's a key for us in going forward is hopefully we can keep that type of spirit as we continue to play.''

Looking at the schedule the day before the season started, Francouer hoped for a .500 record in April. After taking two of three from the Chicago Cubs, and sweeping the Atlanta Braves and Dodgers for seven straight wins, the goals are a bit loftier.

``I think this whole homestand gives us confidence moving forward,'' third baseman David Wright said. ``Everybody should be excited about the direction this team's headed and not relax when we go on the road.''

Only 3 1/2 weeks ago, the Mets appeared headed for also-ran status before the first pitch of 2010 even was thrown. Carlos Beltran was out until at least May, Daniel Murphy was hurt and Reyes was still several days away from returning from a hyperactive thyroid.

Coming off an injury wrecked 70-92 season, everyone from the trainers to beleaguered lefty Oliver Perez was booed on opening day.

New York dropped two series at home then two more on the road - the first time the Mets lost their first four series since 1997. There was talk about several players' dissatisfaction with Manuel's moves and the team was being vilified in the New York tabloids. There was talk, too, that Manuel's job was in jeopardy.

All a distant memory now.

``The way we came in and battled, showed resiliency,'' outfielder Jason Bay said. ``I don't know if guys expected it but I know a lot of guys wanted it.''

Davis arrived with the enthusiasm of a 23-year-old rookie but with the maturity of a kid who grew up around baseball - his dad is former big league reliever Ron Davis - and inspired an insipid offense.

In his first 10 games, he is hitting .355 with six RBIs and has scored five runs.

``If I've helped them that's what I hopefully was brought up here to do, just help,'' Davis said. ``I definitely wasn't the answer. Our pitching has been unbelievable.''

The rookie is right.

Led by Johan Santana, Mike Pelfrey and reliever Pedro Feliciano, the staff has been stellar.

Over the homestand, the Mets had a 2.09 ERA in 86 innings with three shutouts. The bullpen has a 2.51 ERA this season.

Pelfrey, who is scheduled to face Halladay on Saturday, is 4-0 with one save and a 0.69 ERA. He has a 24-inning scoreless streak going.

``It's comfortable on offense to know that we don't have to score that many runs,'' Francoeur said.

After Manuel shook up the lineup a week ago by moving the speedy Reyes to third and dropping Wright to the No. 5 spot to give Bay protection, the offense began to click, too.

Bay is hitting .400 (8 for 20) since the switch and connected for his first homer of the season in the first game of a doubleheader sweep of the Dodgers on Tuesday, Wright broke out of a 7-for-42 slump (.167) with four RBIs in the nightcap. Francoeur who snapped an 0-for-24 skid last Thursday, had a hit and two RBIs in the finale against the Dodgers.

The offense has scored 17 runs in the past two games after scoring 31 runs in the first eight games of the homestand.

``Right now every time we take the field we feel like we're going to score runs, we're going to hit. We feel like our pitching is going to shut them down and when you do that it's a good feeling,'' said Francoeur, a mid-2009 acquisition. ``I know as a team we haven't been able to feel that in a long time. I know since I've been here since July we haven't had this much confidence and this much fun so it's really cool.''

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