He's Canadian, ya know

Maybe tonight's the night the Mets score more than three runs in Colorado.

Last night the story was 2004 minor league POY Jeff Francis, who does a truly incredible job at altitude (3.94 ERA at home, 6.94 away). The Amazin's also failed to take advantage of a good number of scoring opportunities; stranding 15 baserunners is no way to win baseball games. Yes I'm looking at you, Mr. Cameron (0-5, 4 K, 5 LOB).

On the positive side, Juan Padilla had another solid outing. I was out of commission when he was called up, so I haven't gotten around to praising the move, which may have been slightly overdue. He had been dominating the International League all season, and looks like he can handle high leverage innings. The glasses help, I think.

On the trade front, BP's Will Carroll wrote yesterday that "the current consensus is that they're asking for Lastings Milledge, Yusmeiro Petit, and would love to get Mike Cameron into the deal somehow." That's too much. Not as bad as the reported Mark Redman for top FLA prospect Jeremy Hermida, but bad.

NYP's Joel Sherman reports that the Mets' front office is probably expecting Texas to lower their demands for Soriano as the deadline approaches, and that if the package were pared down to Milledge, Heilman, and another (presumably non-Petit/Bannister) prospect, Omar would "git 'er done." Getting Piazza off the books next year would make re-signing Soriano that much easier.

My two cents on the Kenny Rogers business: I don't see how anyone, from the players' association or wherever, could possibly have a leg to stand on in appealing the 20-game suspension. It was pretty much unprovoked assault, which don't think MLB should permit.

For sheer craziness, he easily trumped Ron Artest. I don't think Rogers should have gone to the All-Star Game, not because it would have been less of a story, but because it would have showed some humility. Anyway, I'm glad to see the appeal was denied.

Notes

Sorry about the sporadic posts and changing template, etc. Trying to work out the kinks.