Let's Play Two --

Hall of Famer Ernie Banks once expressed his joy for the game by saying "Let's Play Two'. I don't think he meant two sports in the same day at even two different venues.

That's what happened yesterday when the Mets played a day-night doubleheader (Not what Banks meant by the way) and the U.S. Open had to make up some things due to the rain on Saturday. The plan was originally to go to the tennis but the rain created a chance for the Met game.

The game started at 2:15 because the players didn't want to be sitting around for close to four hours since ESPN had the second game at 8:10. The Phillies started the game two behind the Mets following Brett Myers' 10 strikout showing on Friday and they were within one after Pedro Martinez had very little if anything.

A key lengthy at-bat by David Wright off Jamie Moyer resulted in the third baseman flying out to right. Wright is hitting under .250 with runners in scoring position and then in the fourth Greg Dobbs homered again, hitting a fastball over the right-center field wall. Dobbs has homered in his last three September games played at Shea.

Obviously the first two wins might have some thinking it was 2007 again but for Wright, the answer is an emphatic NO!

Well I'm going to agree with him for one reason, the rotation. Once you got past Glavine, Perez, Maine and Martinez last year, they were also trotting out the likes of Brian Lawrence, Orlando Hernandez and Phil Humber. Now they have what they hope what is a big-game pitcher with Johan Santana.

Santana delivered last night but by then I made my way through my shortcut from Shea to the U.S. Tennis Center for the Serena Williams-Jelena Jankovic final. The match was pretty good as Williams won in over two hours, which is almost as long as she took to get to her post-match press conference.

Williams also reclaimed the number one spot in the rankings for the first time in five years and it was obvious how excited she was. The Mets also held on to their top spot, although it would have nice for them to take two.

Some Random tidbits or whatever, this was the sixth two-sport doubleheader I attended. The others were Knick and Ranger game twinbills in the same building. I've considered doing that from Yankee games but Yankee games take too long more times than not.

The Yankees are in fourth place. When that last happened this late in the season it was 1992 and I was in the eighth grade and Joba Chamberlain just turned seven. They've been done since last month in Anaheim, where they are this week but I'm still looking forward to the final homestand there.