If the Mets continue their fast fade in the NL East for the second straight season, should Jerry Manuel be brought back as manager?

That’s the question the Mets are wrestling with, but in the wake of news general manager Omar Minaya will get a four-year extension, how can they not extend Manuel as well? Afterall, part of bringing back Minaya was his decision to ax Willie Randolph and how the team responded.

The Mets were sinking when Randolph was replaced by Manuel, but they’ve rebounded and are tied for the wild card. They still control their destiny despite last night’s miserable showing.

The players responded to Manuel. He has their attention and respect. They play hard for him. The bullpen is awful, but players are trying. Nobody is dogging it.

Manuel has shown he can manage this team and he should get the opportunity to continue with better pitchers.

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With Milwaukee winning last night in the ninth to keep the pressure on, the Mets are faced with another must-win game tonight. Oliver Perez, who has pitched well in big games before for the Mets, will start against a team he hasn’t faced in over three years.

The NL East is still within their grasp, and far preferable to the wild-card. Remember, if it comes down to just Mets and Phillies for the division, the Mets win based on head-to-head. However, for that scenario to apply, the Brewers must fall completely out of wild-card contention.

Do you remember how horrible David Wright looked last week in Washington? He’s turned it around. His two-run hit last night might be one of the most important of the season.

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Jerry Manuel doesn’t care whether it is by winning the NL East or as a wild card. The important thing is just getting to play beyond Sunday.

Said Manuel about last year’s collapse and the playoffs: “The burden … the cloud … the demons … whatever you want to name it. I think we’re gonna be fine. If someone scraps and claws their way in, those teams seem to fare very well in the playoffs. That’s my hope. That we fight our way in and we fight our way through.”

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Johan Santana will be going for his eighth straight decision tonight. He’s also pitching to keep the Mets from falling all but out of the NL East race and to keep an edge over Milwaukee.

It will be all but impossible for the Mets to overtake the Phillies, especially if they lose and Philly wins. A Mets’ loss and Milwaukee win makes the wild card tight.

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The Mets won a coin-flip today with Milwaukee should the teams finish tied for the wild-card.

Speaking of coin flips, I don’t know which Oliver Perez will show up tonight. He’s pitched well against the Braves, winning five of his last seven starts over the last two seasons. Recently, he’s been erratic with his control.

Here’s tonight’s lineup:

SS Jose Reyes
2B Luis Castillo
3B David Wright
CF Carlos Delgado
1B Carlos Beltran
C Ramon Castro
RF Ryan Church
LF Nick Evans
LH Oliver Perez

Comments: They won their last two games with Daniel Murphy in left and batting second. Why change?

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So much for team meetings.

As you can plainly see, it’s more than just the bullpen. Yeah, 27 blown saves says a lot, but so does ranking 11th in the league hitting with runners in scoring position. Of course, last night, they didn’t get many runners in scoring position at all.

They still control their own destiny with the wild card, but one more loss can take care of that. That’s what Brandon Knight is there for tonight.

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In a stunning move, the Milwaukee Brewers fired manager Ned Yost this afternoon following the team being swept over the weekend in Philadelphia.

Third base coach Dale Sveum, a former Yankee, will become interim manager for the remainder of the season.

“This was a very difficult move to make, and we appreciate all of the work that Ned has done to develop this team into a contender,” general manager Doug Melvin said. “In the end, this was a collaborative decision made to put our club in the best position for the final two weeks of the season.”

The Brewers are tied with Philly for the wild-card despite losing 11 of 14 games in September, including seven of their last eight.

I can’t remember the last time a manager was fired this late in the season despite being so close.

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Today was a crusher, and that’s even before the Phillies play their second game tonight against Milwaukee. With a win, they can close even with the Brewers for the wild-card and a game behind the Mets.

The same old issues did in the Mets today. They didn’t hit in the clutch and their bullpen caved. Oliver Perez did not pitch well, but was in position to win. It looks as if Perez regressed in his last few starts and that’s another cause for concern.

If the Mets didn’t take care of business against the Braves at home, it makes you wonder if they can do it next week against them in Atlanta. And, the Washington Nationals always play them tough. For games in DC won’t be a breeze.

Pedro Martinez goes tomorrow, but your guess is as good as mine as to what he’ll give the Mets. His durability is an issue, and you know he can’t be counted on for more than five.

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The Mets lost a coin flip today against Philadelphia. If the teams haven’t both clinched at least the wild card and tied for first at the end of 162 games, the one-game tiebreaker will be in Philly. If they’ve both clinched a playoff spot, the Mets would win the NL East because they took the season series.

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