Mets bracket-free after Samuels incident

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- It's been a March without the madness for the Mets. Their clubhouse is a bracket-free zone after the NCAA Tournament pool was scrubbed because of the cloud left by gambling allegations against former clubhouse manager Charlie Samuels.

Terry Collins said there was no edict from either him or the front office that prohibited the players from filling out brackets or organizing any other pool competitions.

But Collins got the sense from some of the players that it was better to skip such things. That probably was a good plan, considering the NYPD visited earlier this month to ask more questions about Samuels.

None of the Mets has been implicated in any illegal activities involving Samuels, and there is a conscious effort to keep it that way. "Guess we've got to keep it clean around here," one Met said.

Pelfrey on track

Mike Pelfrey felt good about his final tuneup before his Opening Day assignment Friday in Miami. He allowed seven hits and two earned runs in 52/3 innings in an 8-2 win over the Braves.

He finished his Grapefruit League schedule with a 5.63 ERA but was pleased with his velocity and sinker movement in his last start. As far as the added pressures of Opening Day, he tried to downplay that part of it.

"Whether you're starting the first game or the fifth, you've got to get people out," Pelfrey said. "My job doesn't change at all."

Extra bases

Jose Reyes (two hits) and Brad Emaus each had a double to lead a 12-hit attack . . . Francisco Rodriguez struck out the side in the ninth but also had two walks. He has not allowed a run in nine appearances and has 12 strikeouts in 92/3 innings.