What can you say? It was the Braves against a .500 team.

Trachsel was horrible early -- how Andruw Jones didn't hit one of the several awful pitches he saw in the first inning to the moon is beyond me -- then settled down and pitched quite well. Met For a Minute John Thomson was horrible early and then settled down. After that, well, pick 'em: If you're feeling superstitious, you can leave this one moaning that we played well but it's Turner Field, so the other guy broke on top. If you're feeling philosophical (like I am these days) you can say that we made the kind of mistakes teams that are still works in progress make, and those were enough to beat us. Two stuck in my craw:

1. Victor Diaz trying some ludicrous little pop-up slide in the seventh when the only chance he had was to try and steamroll Johnny Estrada. Not to be all bloody-minded, but the only play there was the football play. I don't blame Manny Acta for sending him, though -- it demanded a perfect throw to get Victor, and Jeff Francoeur uncorked a perfect throw. A beyond-perfect throw. Uncle, Monsieur Francoeur -- we've heard of you now.

2. In the ninth, Marlon Anderson works a 2-2 count against Kyle Farnsworth, who's just come into the game, and singles. So Jose Reyes, of course, POPS UP THE FIRST PITCH. It's too late in the season and Jose has come too far for him to keep making these stupid, overaggressive mental mistakes.

Funny aside from Gary and Howie: The Mets tried to get a call against Francoeur tagging up from second, and Angel Hernandez said no. Howie noted this, and Gary chimes in, "Either that or he wasn't watching." God bless Gary and Howie.

It was the best of sixths. It was the...yeah, it was the best.

The short season that just passed -- the 28 games encompassing August 5 through September 4 -- ended with a record of 16-12 and a winning percentage of .571. That's the best Mets' mark compiled in such a period since we began paying homage to Newsday's pioneering sportswriter Joe Gergen with our adaptation of his Short Season Awards.

Let's compare that to the four sixths that preceded it.

First Sixth: 12-13 (.480)
Second Sixth: 16-13 (.551)
Third Sixth: 12-15 (.444)
Fourth Sixth: 14-13 (.519)

On a sheer numbers basis, you've gotta take the fifth. And momentum/delusion was also running highest during the span covering these 28 contests. So yes, we just lived through a golden era.

Because of the massive popularity of the Short Season Awards, I haven't been able to answer every question that's come in regarding them, but I will clarify one that's been asked quite often:

Why doesn't each sixth add up to 27 games -- is it because you guys are still having math problems?

That's a great inquiry made by too many readers to thank individually. The answer is that the Short Season Award Committee (SSAC) didn't think it wise to break up eligibility periods in the middle of a given series. So for the fifth sixth, we waited until the weekend's Mets-Marlins set was complete to call it a sixth even though at 28 games, it was slightly longer.

Thanks for asking. It makes us feel good that there's such a high level of interest in this feature. I want to assure all of you that there will be a sixth sixth report issued before Faith and Fear wraps up the 2005 season as a whole. Rest easy, gang. The SSAC is on this.

Housekeeping out of the way, it's post time in the fifth.

Guns Of August
1. David Wright: MVP! MVP! Sit down Cliff, we're not talking to you.
2. Jae Seo: Say, we used to have a pitcher named Jae Seo. You're not related to him, are you? Couldn't be. You pitch nothing like that guy.
3. Ramon Castro: When he doesn't just stand there, he does something.
4. Jose Reyes: Watch him run. Hell, watch him walk.
5. Tom Glavine: We've Met at last.

Late-Summer Saggers
1. Miguel Cairo: An excellent bench player, thus the rub.
2. Marlon Anderson: He's no Lenny Harris and that's not a compliment.
3. Danny Graves: Eight-run lead, dude. Ya lost me when ya lost it.
4. Braden Looper: Someday we'll take note of the saves you do get. This is not that day.
5. Mike DeFelice: Get a batting average and we'll talk.

Best Things From The Worst Moment Of The Season
1. Mike Cameron and Carlos Beltran being alive
2. Carlos Beltran being shook up but staying conscious
3. Carlos Beltran returning to the lineup
4. Mike Cameron returning to Shea
5. Guys like these playing the way they do...but for god's sake, be more careful next time

These Things Were Good
1. Seo bests Maddux
2. Jacobs' unconscious debut
3. Wright's barehanded grab
4. The Diamondback staff (good for us to poop on!)
5. Steve Trachsel's two-hit cameo

These Things Were A Drag
1. Antonio Perez and Jayson Werth
2. Ryan Howard and Chase Utley
3. Jason Schmidt and Noah Lowry
4. Zach Duke and Dontrelle Willis
5. Shingo Takatsu and Miguel Cabrera

Five Stages of Wild Card Grief
1. Denial: "Are you kidding? We're gonna win the division!"
2. Anger: "Are you kidding? Can't Looper hold a lead?"
3. Bargaining: "Are you kidding? I'd gladly take two out of three."
4. Depression: "Are you kidding? I can't watch another pitch."
5. Acceptance: "Are you kidding? We're gonna win the Wild Card!"

Entourage Characters' Met Equivalents, More Or Less
1. Vince: David Wright
2. E: Roberto Hernandez
3. Johnny Drama: Doug Mientkiewicz
4. Turtle: Gerald Williams
5. Ari Gold: Pedro -- who else?

Alternate Names For Marlins' Home Facility
1. The Continuously Exposed Sack
2. Hideous Mistake at Nowhere's Middle
3. Joe Robbie Pro Player Dolphins Stadium Park Stadium
4. Florida Turnpike Southbound Rest Stop Number Fourteen
5. Shea Sans Charm

Things Victor Diaz Will Never Be
1. A Gold Glove winner
2. A Gold Glove candidate
3. Allowed to look at a Gold Glove
4. Much of a rightfielder
5. Endorsed by Fred McGriff

Failsafe Predictions For The Rest Of The Way
1. Willie Randolph will make some people unhappy.
2. The St. Louis Cardinals will make some people unhappy.
3. The New York Mets will make some people unhappy.
4. Fran Healy will make everybody unhappy.
5. I will drop the names Julio Valera, Cesar Cedeño, Luis Aguayo and Jeff Francoeur into agitated conversation.