Do we have to take an All-Star break?

The New York Mets won their ninth straight game Sunday night as Mike Pelfrey threw eight innings of six-hit shutout ball and the Mets’ bats provided plenty of run support. The Phillies also won, which leaves the Mets a half game back in the National League East. I think I prefer being a half game back rather than a half game up at this point, as it sends the message that there’s a long way to go before anyone can label this season a success.

The Mets jumped on the board early when Carlos Beltran hammered a three-run shot over the left field bleachers in the first inning. Delgado also pried the giant apple out of the hat with a two-run blast in the fifth.

The Mets have now played 7,415 games without a single no-hitter. And, for the 26th time this season, the Mets lost the no-hitter on the first batter as Pelfrey yielded a leadoff single to Scott Podsednik. It’s the seventh time this season Pelfrey has given up a leadoff hit, so maybe he likes to get that Mets 46 1/2-year baggage out of way early.

But Pelfrey was once again incredibly sharp as he walked none (he did hit a batter in the eighth) and struck out five en route to his eighth victory of the season. Joe Smith gave up one hit in the ninth but kept the shutout in tact.

As far as these potential Mets No-hitters killed by first at bat, we are way over our quota for the year. Over the past 46 years, the Mets have averaged 19 first-batter no-hitter break-ups per season. This year we’ve already had 26 - and we’re just reaching the All-Star break. Amazing.

Pedro Martinez, Carlos Muniz, Aaron Heilman, Scott Schoeneweis and Billy Wagner combined for the 31st full-length one-hitter in New York Mets history Saturday as the Mets beat the Colorado Rockies 3-0 and moved to within a half game of the first-place Philadelphia Phillies.

Martinez was pulled for a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the fourth inning after dealing with tightness in his right shoulder. He lost his no-hitter in the top half of the inning when Brad Hawpe singled to right, making it 7,414 Mets games without a no-hitter.

But the bullpen finished out the game without allowing another hit for the first Mets one-hitter since Sept. 29, 2007. On that day, John Maine (7 2/3 innings), Willie Collazo (1/3 inning) and Muniz (1 inning) combined to one-hit the Florida Marlins 13-0, giving the team a chance to reach the postseason on the final day of the 2007 season. (We all know that didn’t happen)

The Mets have now allowed three hits or less in five straight games - a Major League record according to MLB.com - after following up their previous four three-hit performances. More importantly, the Mets earned their eighth straight victory as they climb into contention in the National League East as the All-Star break approaches.

We all know how rare a Mets no-hitter is (I’m hoping to eventually see one in my lifetime) but Mets pitchers have come just one hit shy of the glorious no-no 31 times (not counting two 2007 rain-shortened one-hitters). Tom Seaver threw five of them, while Jon Matlack, Gary Gentry, David Cone and Steve Trachsel each had two (Cone also participated in a third). With Saturday’s performance, Muniz has now participated in two.

For the full list of Mets one-hitters, visit our One-hitters by Mets pitchers page.

As far as no-hitters go, Billy Wagner (who saved Saturday’s one-hitter with a perfect ninth) participated in one when he was a member of the Houston Astros.

In that June 11, 2003 game, Roy Oswalt (1 inning), Peter Munro (2 2/3 innings), Kirk Saarloos (1 1/3 innings), Brad Lidge (2 innings), Octavio Dotel (1 inning) and Wagner (1 inning) combined to beat the New York Yankes 8-0. That game is significant in that it was the only inter-league no-hitter (although Don Larsen’s 1956 World Series perfect game is technically inter-league) and it represents the most pitchers used to combine for a no-hitter.

The New York Mets won their seventh straight game Friday night, but Oliver Perez lost his bid for the team’s first no-hitter in the top of the fifth when the Colorado Rockies’ Brad Hawpe homered to right.

Right fielder Endy Chavez could only watch as the ball sailed over the fence, increasing to 7,413 the number of Mets games since their 1962 inception without a single no-hitter.

July’s most prolific teams in terms of run scoring (both the Rockies and Mets have been averaging nearly 7 runs a game this month) were locked in a pitchers’ duel until Damion Easley hit a two-out homer in the bottom of the eighth. The Rockies loaded the bases in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings, but could not get the go-ahead run to the plate.

The game was was the Mets’ pitching staff’s fourth straight three-hitter, the first time an MLB team has gone four straight games allowing three hits or less since the 1974 Baltimore Orioles (thanks to Mets Walk-Offs for that tidbit). The Mets also became the first NL team in the live-ball era (1920 and later) to accomplish that feat.

Perez’s Friday night performance marked the deepest a Mets pitcher went without yielding a hit since Mike Pelfrey took a no-hitter into the sixth inning on May 15. And it was the 153rd time a potential Mets no-hitter was broken up in the fifth inning, according to some research done earlier this year by Retrosheet.

In fact, Mets pitchers have made it through four or more no-hit innings 257 times during their 46-plus years of existence.

Here’s the breakdown:

• 153 potential Mets no-hitters were broken up in the fifth
• 64 potential Mets no-hitters were broken up in the sixth
• 22 potential Mets no-hitters were broken up in the seventh
• 15 potential Mets no-hitters were broken up in the eighth
• 3 potential Mets no-hitters were broken up in the ninth

*Some information used in this post was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted by Retrosheet. Interested parties may contact Retrosheet at www.retrosheet.org.

Mike Pelfrey pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings Sunday to lead the Mets to a 3-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies.

Jose Reyes again opened the game with a triple and David Wright singled him home to give Pelfrey an early 1-0 lead. Carlos Beltran’s blast with Wright on-base in the third provided the rest of the Mets’ offense. The Mets had only six hits and the Rockies managed just four in a rare pitchers’ duel in a hitters’ ballpark.

Rockies’ No. 2 hitter Jeff Baker again killed the no-hitter opportunity - this time with an infield single in the first - to advance the NoNoHitters.com count at 7,394 New York Mets games without a no hitter.

Two steps forward, another step back.

Mets starter Pedro Martinez looked sharp for four innings before giving up a pair of homers in the fifth inning that led to a six-run outburst and a 7-1 loss for a team that had just climbed back to .500.

Jose Reyes led off the game with a triple and scored on a Luis Castillo sacrifice fly, but the Mets could manage just three additional hits during the game. The Colorado Rockies, in contrast, tagged the Mets for 14 hits.

Martinez lost his no-hit bid in the first inning when Jeff Baker lined a single to left, putting our NoNoHitters.com count at 7,393 New York Mets games without a no hitter.

The New York Mets rallied for fine runs in the second inning Friday night to overcome an early deficit and beat the Colorado Rockies 7-2 for the team’s second straight victory.

The Mets are back at .500 and now trail the first-place Philadelphia Phillies by just 4 1/2 games.

John Maine gave up two runs in the first but settled in to yield no more. He gave up just six hits over 6 2/3 innings - starting with an opening single to left by the Rockies’ Willy Taveras. That bumped our NoNoHiitters.com count to 7,392 New York Mets games without a no hitter and marked the 901st time a potential Mets’ no hitter was killed by the first at-bat (Click here for more details.)

Joe Smith, Pedro Feliciano and Aaron Heilman finished out the game to give Maine his seventh victory of the season.

The first hit off John Maine didn’t come until the fourth inning Sunday afternoon but it did a bit of damage. Rockies’ outfielder Seth Smith hit his first major league home run - a three-run dinger to deep right - to bump the NoNoHitters.com count to 7,368 games without a New York Mets no hitter.

Jose Reyes extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a third-inning single, but it was one of just four hits the Mets could muster during a 4-1 loss to the Colorado Rockies. The Mets dropped two games below .500 and now head home to Shea to face the first place Florida Marlins and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

A five-run first inning, featuring a David Wright homer and a Carlos Beltran three-run double, helped the Mets topple the Rockies 9-2. Once again, the no hitter was broken up in the first inning as Matt Holliday homered to left off of Claudio Vargas.

The change in elevation did nothing for the Mets. Matt Holliday singled to right in the 13th inning scoring Jonathan Herrera to give the Rockies the 6-5 win. The Mets had some offense with back to back homers by Delgado and Tatis in the 6th. No no hitter tonight as the Rockies’ Clint Barmes hit a ground rule double to left center off of Oliver Perez in the 1st inning.