While the Phillies’ 8-2 loss to Atlanta last night coupled with Mike Pelfrey’s steller performance against the Cards dropped Philadelphia to 2 games behind the Mets in the NL East, there’s a much bigger picture to consider this morning. All-Star 2B Chase Utley’s received praise from a local monthly for his efforts on behalf of needy kitty-cats, an initiative that not affords him considerable praise and respect from this corner (ie. there’s about 28 cats living in a house behind mine that would surely love the run of the Utley Estate), but I’m doubly impressed the Philly superstar would dare risk ridicule from persons who think owning a cat is like OD’ing on Depo-Provera.

Cleveland has traded 3B/OF Casey Blake to the Dodgers in exchange for C Carlos Santana and RHP Jonathan Meloan. With Blake and Xavier Nady no longer being shopped, the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Tom Krasovic claims the Mets are interested in Brian Giles, with Binghamton’s Fernando Martinez being the Padres’ prefered ransom.

Though I’m no hurry to see F-Mart become his era’s position-player answer to Scott Kazmir, Giles wouldn’t be nearly as useless playing right field for the Mets as Evan Roberts made it seem this morning on WFAN.  Giles’ HR totals have decreased considerably over the past few years, which Roberts sneeringly implied had something to do with PED’s.   Without knowing anything for certain about Giles’ chemical intake, he’s also been toiling for the past 5 seasons at Petco Park, the place where pets fly balls go to die.