1:09p Wow, they played for five minutes. Rain delay again. I wonder if they check weather.com.

1:05p Update: Game underway, after half hour delay. Howie just said it’s raining harder than it was when the tarp was on the field. Probably going to be a long afternoon as they really don’t want to make up the makeup game.

An early start today at 12:35p as the Mets invade Pennsylvania for the rest of the week. One game against Pittsburgh, then onto Philadelphia for three. The Mets will make up the game that got rained out from early June, when the Pirates had won the other three games of the series. On Wednesday the Pirates traded Nyjer Morgan (who’s been a Met killer) and Sean Burnett to the Nats for former Met Lastings Milledge and Joel Hanrahan. L-Millz is currently rehabbing and should return in the next couple weeks.

Tim Redding will try to keep a spot in the rotation with Oliver Perez nearing return. Jerry has mentioned the idea of having Redding and Ollie split games up, one going the first five and the other taking the last four. Paul Maholm will start for the Pirates. The Mets beat up on Maholm back on May 9th in CitiField when he allowed seven runs in five innings and the Mets won 10-1. Maholm homered for the lone Pirates run. Today’s lineup:

Castillo, 2b
Cora, ss
Wright, 3b
Sheffield, rf
Tatis, lf
Church, cf
Evans, 1b
Santos, c
Redding, rhp

Another win heading into Philly for the weekend, where the Phillies have struggled mightily, would be great. It could really  turn the momentum back in the right direction.  Let’s go Timmy!