My first game at Pittsburgh’s PNC Bank Park reminded much like the time when my girlfriend forced me to a Reading Phillies game.  Except, there were more fans in Reading than there were in the ballpark Tuesday night. 

From a skeleton crowd, made up mostly of Mets fans who made the trip west, to the annoying mascots the game felt like anything but a Major League experience.

Going right along with the minor league feel, the Mets put up another light-hitting lineup whose most-feared hitter was David Wright and his 54 strikeouts (187 AB).

No Jose Reyes (DL – calf), No Carlos Delgado (DL – hip), and No Carlos Beltran (who knows?).

The crowd did get to see Mets ace Johan Santana, but even he stooped down to the competition and miserable atmosphere.  He allowed rope after rope during the sixth inning, his last inning of work in what wound up a 3-1 defeat.

Filling in for Beltran once again, Jeremy Reed followed up the two doubles he hit in the series opener by going 3-for-3 in game two.  There’s your Mets highlight right there – Jeremy Reed’s trio of singles.

The Metropolitans went 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position.  Fernando Martinez left two stranded in scoring position on his way to an 0-for-4 day. 

Ramon Martinez left a duck on the pond with two out as well.  That was before the substitute shortstop left the game with a dislocated pinky, which he injured sliding into home for the Mets lone run (can this injury situation become any more bizarre?).

Did I really drive out here for this? 

The Lakewood Blueclaws may have been the better option if I wanted to take in some baseball on my week off (yes, I have another job as surpisingly my work on this blog doesn’t yield enough to pay the bills).

Despite a bad baseball atmosphere, a “B” lineup, and another tough loss, I don’t feel nearly as cheated as I have the past two Septembers.

And, yes, I’d make the drive again because I’ll always BELIEVE.