David Wright

Toronto's Brett Lawrie was suspended for four games after he angrily threw his batting helmet Tuesday - and it bounced off umpire Bill Miller. Lawrie, outraged at ball and strike calls, is appealing and can play until there is a decision. The 22-year-old was in the starting lineup Wednesday night against the New York Yankees - with the same umpiring crew in town. Miller was at third base. Lawrie received the loudest cheer in pregame introductions and the umpires were booed when their names were posted on the scoreboard.

THE PITCHING change came one batter too late, not because the manager spent the night huffing paint, but because his best option was in Indianapolis with his socks pulled high in a Triple A bullpen. Nobody knows if Jake Diekman would have made a difference in the Phillies' latest late-game meltdown, but the 25-year-old lefty at least has the potential, which is more than you can say about the majority of Charlie Manuel's options right now. "That'll come up sooner or later," Manuel said Tuesday night after the Phillies blew a three-run lead with two out in the seventh inning in what ended as a 7-4 loss to the Mets.

Pat Burrell will have to wait at least another year to make his first All-Star team. Major League Baseball announced yesterday that Brewers outfielder Corey Hart won the final fan voting, with Mets third baseman David Wright second and Burrell third. -David Murphy

With Cliff Lee scheduled to return from the disabled list Wednesday night against the Mets, the Phillies have Kyle Kendrick available in their bullpen. Exactly how they will use Kendrick remains to be seen, but his reinforcement is definitely needed. Pitching coach Rich Dubee acknowledged Tuesday that the Phillies need to get their bullpen in order and that's an understatement. After closer Jonathan Papelbon served up a three-run home run to Mets rookie Jordany Valdespin in Monday night's 5-2 loss, the Phillies' bullpen had a major-league worst 4.86 earned run average, which more than neutralized a starting rotation with a 2.98 ERA, the fourth best in baseball.

As Tuesday night's All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium became yesterday morning's All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium, the two managers, both using their last available pitchers, seriously contemplated putting position players on the mound. And if the American League's Justin Morneau hadn't scored the winning run on a close play on Michael Young's sacrifice fly in the 15th inning, Mets star David Wright probably would have been the guy for the National League. "I spoke to David Wright," NL manager Clint Hurdle said.

The Phillies signed veteran infielder Mike Fontenot on Friday to provide infield depth, and his history suggests that he could be a useful reserve capable of playing three infield positions. But he doesn't figure to displace rookie Freddy Galvis, who has impressed with his conversion from shortstop to second base in place of the injured Chase Utley. Fontenot, who will be 32 on June 9, signed a minor-league contract with the Phillies. He was released by the San Francisco Giants on April 3. Last season, Fontenot hit .227 with four home runs and 21 RBIs in 85 games.

At least the kids were happy Mets third baseman David Wright enchanted a group of kids in Atlanta on Sunday with an impromptu game of catch that began when Wright threw a ball into the stands during pregame warm-ups. Instead of keeping the souvenir, a kid tossed the ball back to Wright, who then returned it, starting a game of catch with several young fans that lasted several minutes. Then the game with the Braves began and Wright struck out three time and hit into a double play.

At the start of today's slate of games, the average National League team had allowed 47 unearned runs over the course of the season. The Phillies, on the other hand, had allowed just 19. That number changed significantly today, when the Mets took advantage of a muffed double play ball in the first inning, scoring four unearned runs en route to a 7-4 victory at Citizens Bank Park. The pivotal play came in the first inning, when Michael Martinez bobbled a ground ball by Ruben Tejeda, then was unable to make the throw to second in time for the force out. After a David Wright single loaded the bases, the Mets proceeded to score four runs: one on a groundout by Lucas Duda, and three more on a home run by Nick Evans.

CHRIS CARPENTER noticed a crowd building behind the chain-link fence. Seems word had spread that the St. Louis Cardinals' ace was doing some throwing. These days, even playing a few minutes of catch is a big deal. "Amazing, isn't it? Did I do OK?" Carpenter asked afterward. The reigning World Series champions certainly hope Carpenter did, since their rotation to open the season may depend on how he feels over the next few days. Carpenter's few minutes of catch with teammate Jake Westbrook yesterday may be considered a positive sign for the Cardinals, who have dealt with a flurry of injuries so far in camp - the status of the guy who won Game 7 of last year's World Series most prominent among them.

The New York Mets fumbled a chance to gain ground on the Phillies last night, continuing another late-season swoon. Derrek Lee hit a two-out RBI double off Luis Ayala in the 10th inning and Aramis Ramirez followed with a two-run homer to give the Chicago Cubs a 9-6 win over the Mets at Shea Stadium. It was the fourth loss in the last five games for the Mets, who are evoking memories of last season's collapse - when they squandered a seven-game lead with 17 games to go. The Mets remained 1 1/2 games behind the Phillies in the National League East and are tied with Milwaukee in the wild-card race after the Brewers beat Pittsburgh, 4-2. "At this juncture this is probably our toughest defeat," Mets manager Jerry Manuel said.

Toronto's Brett Lawrie was suspended for four games after he angrily threw his batting helmet Tuesday - and it bounced off umpire Bill Miller. Lawrie, outraged at ball and strike calls, is appealing and can play until there is a decision. The 22-year-old was in the starting lineup Wednesday night against the New York Yankees - with the same umpiring crew in town. Miller was at third base. Lawrie received the loudest cheer in pregame introductions and the umpires were booed when their names were posted on the scoreboard.

THE PITCHING change came one batter too late, not because the manager spent the night huffing paint, but because his best option was in Indianapolis with his socks pulled high in a Triple A bullpen. Nobody knows if Jake Diekman would have made a difference in the Phillies' latest late-game meltdown, but the 25-year-old lefty at least has the potential, which is more than you can say about the majority of Charlie Manuel's options right now. "That'll come up sooner or later," Manuel said Tuesday night after the Phillies blew a three-run lead with two out in the seventh inning in what ended as a 7-4 loss to the Mets.

With Cliff Lee scheduled to return from the disabled list Wednesday night against the Mets, the Phillies have Kyle Kendrick available in their bullpen. Exactly how they will use Kendrick remains to be seen, but his reinforcement is definitely needed. Pitching coach Rich Dubee acknowledged Tuesday that the Phillies need to get their bullpen in order and that's an understatement. After closer Jonathan Papelbon served up a three-run home run to Mets rookie Jordany Valdespin in Monday night's 5-2 loss, the Phillies' bullpen had a major-league worst 4.86 earned run average, which more than neutralized a starting rotation with a 2.98 ERA, the fourth best in baseball.

DAVID WRIGHT hit a two-run homer to become the Mets' career RBI leader, R.A. Dickey outpitched Mark Buehrle in a crafty duel Wednesday night and New York beat the visiting Miami Marlins, 5-1. Jose Reyes singled with one out in the Marlins' eighth inning for his first hit against his former team in eight at-bats, eliciting yet another chorus of lusty boos from the crowd that once adored the ever-smiling shortstop. Lucas Duda had an RBI single and pinch-hitter Mike Baxter hit a two-run double in the eighth, helping hand the Marlins their fourth straight loss.

THE METS are trying to send an early message in the NL East: This isn't the same team that finished last a year ago. The Braves are certainly taking note. Ike Davis hit a tiebreaking three-run homer and Dillon Gee pitched four-hit ball over seven innings, leading New York to another victory over host Atlanta, 6-1, Monday night. The Mets snapped the Braves' five-game winning streak and kept up their early dominance in the NL East rivalry, winning again after a three-game sweep of Atlanta in the Big Apple to start the season.

These days, it does not take long for Ryan Howard to change out of uniform. There is no sweat to scrub off, no tape to unravel, no at-bats to replay in loop after loop. So, as the rest of his teammates began the slow unwind Saturday from a second straight loss to the New York Mets, the injured slugger sat in his street clothes and surveyed the scene. "We'll be all right," said Howard, who flashed a confident smile and then reminded reporters that in 2008 and 2009 it was late April before the Phillies eclipsed .500 for good.

The Phillies signed veteran infielder Mike Fontenot on Friday to provide infield depth, and his history suggests that he could be a useful reserve capable of playing three infield positions. But he doesn't figure to displace rookie Freddy Galvis, who has impressed with his conversion from shortstop to second base in place of the injured Chase Utley. Fontenot, who will be 32 on June 9, signed a minor-league contract with the Phillies. He was released by the San Francisco Giants on April 3. Last season, Fontenot hit .227 with four home runs and 21 RBIs in 85 games.

NEW YORK - The No. 4 and No. 5 hitters are batting a combined 4 for 39 (.102). The standout No. 3 hitter is nursing a finger injury. And the Phillies thought they had problems? The New York Mets, the consensus pick to finish fifth in the five-team National League East, will visit Citizens Bank Park on Friday for a weekend series with the Phillies. Still, the Phillies face a team that started on fire by winning its first four games, only to drop the next two in more recent Mets-like fashion, scoring a total of two runs in the two losses.

NEW YORK - It's been 5 years, and only two players remain. One is righthander Mike Pelfrey. He sits by his Citi Field locker after the Mets' game on Wednesday, scanning a clubhouse of an organization that has overhauled its roster and has experienced a dramatic change in its reputation around baseball. The next series Pelfrey and the Mets will play is against the Phillies, beginning Friday at Citizens Bank Park. The Mets will enter the series with a superior record, which might be more a result of sample size than expected performance.

THE SEASON is off to an unexpected start for the New York Mets. They're the ones getting big hits while their opponents make the crucial mistakes. Daniel Murphy singled home the winning run in the ninth inning and the undefeated Mets took advantage of a throwing error by reliever Henry Rodriguez to beat the visiting Washington Nationals, 4-3, on Monday night. Kirk Nieuwenhuis hit his first major league homer for the Mets, who are 4-0 for the first time since 2007. After a surprising sweep of Atlanta, New York rallied from a three-run deficit before a crowd of 23,970.