Davidoff: Change of venue no problem for Mets

PHILADELPHIA

Mets Magic apparently can navigate the New Jersey Turnpike.

A switch to enemy territory seemed to only strengthen your favorite underdogs. In their first 2010 game against their biggest rivals, the Mets clobbered the Phillies, 9-1, on Friday night at Citizens Bank Park, and they continued to exhibit the same mix of strong play and good luck that characterized their 9-1 homestand.

Roy Halladay pitches for the Phillies on Saturday, so reality could set in quickly, and that eight-game winning streak could become history. But this night shouldn't be forgotten.

The 2010 Mets aced their first big test, continuing their run toward relevance. At 14-9, they pushed the Phillies into third place in the National League East, with the second-place Nationals (that sounds odd) sitting a game behind the Mets.

Shoot, when was the last time the Mets generated enough venom to draw boos from an opposing crowd, as opposed to their own fans in Flushing?

"They always boo me here," Jose Reyes said, smiling. "Here, and Miami." Of course, Reyes hadn't played here since May 2, 2009. You get the idea.

David Wright crushed a two-run homer to centerfield in the second, one of three Mets homers before the game even became official. And Rod Barajas made it four homers in the ninth, with his second shot of the game. Consider that the Mets hit a total of five homers during their 10 games at home.

Yet even as the Mets' hitters enjoyed the cozier surroundings, their pitchers kept the Phillies in the ballpark. Jon Niese allowed two deep shots in the second but Jeff Francoeur and Jason Bay went to their respective walls to track down blasts by Raul Ibañez and Shane Victorino.

Niese then didn't allow a baserunner from the third through the sixth, as the lefty rookie produced his best start of the season, tying a season high with seven strikeouts and allowing just one walk and four hits.

"We know we're not going to run off 30, 40 wins, but when you are playing well, you just want to keep things going in a positive direction," Barajas said. "We had the pitching, we had the defense and we had the offense. We want to keep that combination going as long as possible."

As was the case in their Citi Field sprint over the Cubs, Braves and Dodgers, the Mets benefited from catching an opponent at the right time.

The Phillies began their day by announcing that setup man Ryan Madson went on the disabled list with a broken right big toe. Madson suffered the injury by kicking a chair Wednesday in San Francisco.

Then in the fifth, with the Phillies trailing by a reasonable 4-1, Victorino struck out against Niese, and when Barajas dropped the ball, Victorino started to run toward first. Barajas swiped Victorino - but with an empty glove. Victorino didn't realize this, however, slowing his run, and that gave Barajas the time he needed to recover the ball and throw to first for the out.

It's why Phillies manager Charlie Manuel told reporters afterward: "I'm not saying we're loafing. But at the same time, we can have more life.''

"It's nice for us to finally get the breaks," Barajas said.

The biggest beating the Mets received Friday took place after the fifth, when the Phillie Phanatic crushed a Mets batting helmet. This rivalry mattered again.

Reviled, relevant, rejoicing. It turned into a triumphant April for these Mets. Now we'll see if the magic carries over into May.