After pounding some Bud and stuffing themselves with cheese steaks while going 5-3 out in St. Louis and Philadelphia, the Mets headed back to Shea for a six-game homestand before the All-Star break. They started their three-game series with the Giants with a record over .500 for the first time since June 5th, and two-and-a-half games out of first place. And when it was over, the Mets impressively swept the light-hitting Giants, and moved to within a game-and-a-half of first place.

Tuesday, Mets 7-0: The Mike Pelfrey Variety Hour 

The Mets kept things rolling with their fourth straight win, and it was a lot easier than any of the games in Philadelphia. Pelfrey put on a show on the mound, tossing seven shutout innings, striking out five without walking anybody. He mixed things up in this outing by occasionally using his newfound curveball. In his last eight starts he’s 5-0 with a 2.61 ERA, and for the season he’s now 7-6 with an ERA of 3.93. The offense continued to pound the ball, smashing 14 hits including three home runs (Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado, Fernando Tatis). It was Jets Night at Shea, which may explain why Endy Chavez was wearing shoulder pads the whole game. And Joan Rivers was in the stands for some reason. There’s a rumor she’s following Tim Lincecum around the country, attending all his starts. Or maybe she just thought it was Frozen Face Night at the ballpark.

Wednesday, Mets 5-0: Everybody Loves Ramon 

Another easy win for the Mets, and the second straight shutout to boot. Ramon Castro had the big blast of the night when he hit a three-run home run in the fourth inning. He’s not the best backup catcher in baseball for nothing. Or maybe he’s the starter now. Flip a coin. Carlos Delgado had three hits, including two doubles. And Argenis Reyes notched his first career RBI. On the pitching side, Johan Santana picked up his first win since June 1^st, upping his record to 8-7, with a 2.84 ERA. He threw five innings of shutout ball, but was removed after the game was delayed by rain. He could have continued pitching but during the delay was whipping up a batch of his famous meatloaf for the team and was busy glazing when the game resumed. Aaron Heilman, Duaner Sanchez and Joe Smith combined to pitch four perfect innings to finish the game. What more could you ask for?

Thursday, Mets 7-3: My Name Is Fernando

John Maine and Barry Zito walked a combined 11 batters. They even walked each other. They got so confused they didn’t know who should go to first base and who should head for the showers. Maine only lasted 4.2 innings, letting in three runs, striking out eight, walking five and even threw two wild pitches. Maybe he has a cramp in both arms. But the star of the day was Fernando Tatis. He hit two doubles, and then broke a 3-3 tie with a two-run bomb. So far he’s the leading candidate for Reclamation Project of the Year. And the bullpen was once again perfect, throwing 4.1 shutout innings. The Mets have now won six in a row as Colorado comes into Shea for the last series before the All-Star break.