“For a manager, that’s what you hope for, a relaxing game,” said interim manager Jerry Manuel. “But no game is totally relaxing because you have to wait to the last out. For us to get those runs early in the manner on which we got them was very good.”

It was the type of game Manuel hoped for after he called an infield drill and stretching session at 4:00 p.m. and his hero was the guy he gave some rest yesterday, as David Wright hit two home runs to pretty much put the game away in the second.

This is what Manuel needs to get jump started. After playing down to the Mariners in the first two games of the series, the Mets proved there were the better team tonight from the opening pitch. John Maine pitched into the seventh with Wright and Jose Reyes jumpstarted the offense. If Manuel can bottle that formula, he would because it’s the best possible way for the Mets to pile up the wins.

With the type of starting staff on this team, there’s no reason for Manuel and pitching coach Dan Warthen to expect a cheap outing. Each of the starters can toss 110-120 pitches a game and when they are stretched out, the bullpen will get the rest it will need to stay fresh over the second half.

Then there’s the offense, which has been a sore spot over the last few days. With too many bench players starting and disappointments on the right side of the infield, the Mets need Wright, Reyes and Carlos Beltran to come through in the big spots. Those three have the ability to take over contests and keep the Mets on offense on track, while mending outfielders Ryan Church and Moises Alou work their way back into the lineup.

If Jerry Ball works, then the Mets will have a chance to win a weak division, where there are no clear cut leaders and no team seems ready to seize the opportunity before it.

Yet, it needs to continue and with the Yankees coming in this weekend, it just may. The baseball gods seem to have shined on the Mets with both Joba Chamberlain and Mike Mussina missing the series. The Mets will see Dan Giese and Sidney Ponson in the doubleheader on Friday and with the new Mike Pelfrey and Pedro Martinez on the mound for the Amazins’ it could be the beginning of a nice weekend.

With both the Cardinals and Phillies to follow, this is make or break time at Shea.

“It’s going to be a good stretch for us,” Manuel said. “It’s always somewhat dangerous when you come off an emotional series like the one against the cross-town rivals. And then you are chasing Philadelphia. We have to get up emotionally and stay that way for two weeks. Especially playing these teams, it’s going to be important for us.”

Maybe just as important as an 8-2 laugher against the worst team in baseball.

Nowhere in his job description does it say he has to prove Hank Steinbrenner wrong.

Yet, there he was in the second inning of the game showing the Baby Boss that pitchers can hit when he served up a fat meatball with the bases juiced to opposing starter Felix Hernandez, which the Mariner ace deposited right in front of the old scoreboard in right. It was the first grand slam by an American League batter in over 36 years; back when gas was 35 cents a gallon and Rod Stewart top the charts with Maggie May.

But Hernandez hit one in the era of $4 fuel and all of a sudden it was 4-0 Mariners, pretty much goodbye ballgame for the Mets.

“I was very surprised that happened,” said manager Jerry Manuel. “Very surprised and then he bunted his next turn at bat.”

“I threw a fastball up in the strike zone and he put on a good swing,” said Santana. “All of a sudden, the ball went out of the park.”

Maybe it was Santana’s performances over the last two games Manuel was calling ‘fertilizer’ on Sunday. Well they sure did stink with an 0-2 record and a with a 3.47 ERA. Sure only one run was earned last night, because of David Wright’s error and he only got marked for four of the five runs last Tuesday. Manuel argued this was a good outing, because it was one earned run over seven for Santana, but this is supposedly the best pitcher in baseball, who should overlook errors in the field.

This isn’t what the Wilpons shelled out $137.5 million dollars for seven years. A Santana start hasn’t netted a win for his team since Jun. 1, five appearances ago and you have to go back to May 27 to see a W go in his column.

Heck Steve Trachsel could put up numbers like this for a fraction of the price.

The Wilpons, though, paid for an ace. They shelled out the mullah for the best pitcher in baseball, who dominated hitters in the American League. This is not the Santana we are seeing in New York.

For Manuel to have any chance of managing in 2009, he needs to figure out what wrong with his ace and fast. Although he seems to have the back of the rotation is good shape – especially with the Mike Pelfrey Experience becoming a success – his two so called aces haven’t produced a win for him. Pedro and Santana couldn’t have liked Willie that much.

Manuel and new pitching coach Dan Warthen need to sit down and find out what’s wrong. If it’s mechanical, then it’s time to take some corrective measures. If Santana is hurt – remember he was hit on his pitching shoulder back in San Diego – then shut him down and wait until he is 100 percent, because right now half a Johan is not better than no Johan at all.

If they don’t fix the problem, Santana might as well start a new profession. Here’s one: Second guessing Hank. Pitching like this will prove Hank wrong again, because it was Steinbrenner who wanted him over the winter. And now Brian Cashman is looking smart as Santana’s starts are fertilizing the field in Queens.

But before Santana is called a failure and put on the Barry Zito list, let’s have him reread his job description and win some games.

Think about it, do you honestly believe the Devils will take two games at the Garden, a place where they are 9-2-1 against the Devils in the regular season since the lockout and the two regulation losses had Kevin Weekes in goal? Sure the Devils beat the King twice at MSG in the 2006 playoffs, but remember he did have the hip flexor and migraine headaches back then.

With the Garden rocking and a determined Ranger team, it’s going to be tough for the Devils.

Bottom line, the Blueshirts should win this series, unless a 2004 Yankee-like collapse occurs.

Before we get ahead of ourselves and look at the Montreal matchup, there are still two games to be won and unlike last year’s Atlanta Thrashers, which saw Kari Lehtonen meltdown, Marty Brodeur won’t go out that easy. Tom Renney knows this and will have his team ready.

First the Rangers will need to put more pressure on Brodeur and get more pucks to the net. With only 13 shots through two periods, the team will have to play like they did in the third tonight, while keeping Lundqvist well protected.

It’s not going to be easy, but I am keeping a quiet confidence.  

Game 1 – Wednesday 4/9 at 7 p.m in Newark

Game 2 – Friday 4/11 at 7 p.m in Newark

Game 3 – Sunday 4/13 at the Garden

Game 4 – Wednesday 4/16 at the Garden

Game 5 – Friday 4/18* at Newark

Game 6 – Sunday 4/20* at the Garden

Game 7 – Tuesday 4/22* at Newark

*if necessary

We will be firing up this blog full time come Wednesday and will be covering the Rangers in the playoffs for as long as the postseason lasts.

As a side note, I will be away at the end of the month to get married, but will have replacements on the beat during that time. [it will be at the beginning of the second round].

Towards the end of practice, some of the Rangers were hitting pucks off a piece of wood in front of the net to practice rebounds, which is something Chris Drury brought from Buffalo as part of his routine.

Tom Renney put Marek Malik back on the top pairing with Michal Rozsival, while Marc Staal skated with Jason Strudwick.

I asked the coach if these next two games, against division leaders Ottawa and Carolina, were a test and he said that they were and if they can compete with these teams, we may have better insight on how good the team is.

Think about it, in years past, it would be a Yankee home run going off a Met glove. They would have pounded a rookie like Joe Smith and acomeback like yesterday’s would easily be complete.

Just look at the Yankees tone and you can see how things are different.

“I had it and I lost it,” a flabbergasted Johnny Damon said to reporters. “It’s probably one of the worst feelings I’ve had playing – a chance to take two runs off the board and I couldn’t do it.”

And don’t forget Darrell Rasner, who broke his finger just two batters into the game, causing Joe Torre to burn his bullpen, with rookie Tyler Clippard making his first major league start tonight.

But the starters are dropping like flies with Phil Hughes and Jeff Karstens on the shelf.

“It’s weird stuff that’s happened and they’re all involving the pitcher,” Torre said to reporters. “You just have to fight your way through. You say this is getting ridiculous. It’s not ‘woe is me.’ I don’t want to say it’s comical because people are getting hurt. You have to just shrug your shoulders and move on.

“It’s freaky. It really is.”

But the Mets are just having a good time.

“It’s not going to dictate whether we go to the playoffs or the Yankees go to the playoffs, but it’s bragging rights,” said Billy Wagner, reported by Adam Rubin on his blog. ”It’s bragging rights to say, ‘Hey, we beat the Yankees.’ Or, ‘We split with them.’ That’s what makes it fun.” 

“The idea behind an optional skate is that guys use that time to workout and rest,” Renney said. “Most guys feel they have to be out there. One of the reasons why I don’t go out there is that guys will be there because I am out there. But it tells you what guys you have.”

Not skating today were:

Brendan Shanahan, Sean Avery, Michael Nylander, Fedor Tyutin, Ryan Callahan, Matt Cullen and Game 3 hero Michal Rozsival, who could use the rest.

But the Rangers need to hand it to themselves, they did what they needed to do yesterday, playing in front of a Garden crowd totally on their side.

It’s interesting to see that, because the Blueshirts totally turned around their home record from a pedestrian 12-14-4 on Feb.24 to a 12-1-1 mark since then.

So what has changed?

“We changed our style of play at home,” said Henrik Lundqvist, one of the key reasons why they have an eight game home streak. “We do the small things and take some pride at home, like we do on the road. I think we realize we will get chances from that. We stay back and play a control game, and we will get chances.”

That’s good because the Rangers need to win tomorrow’s game and then a Game 6 at the Garden if they are going to have any chance in this series, because they will have to win a game in Buffalo and maybe two games is too much to ask.

Some other notes from Greenburgh: Jaromir Jagr was asked if there was a defenseman who could contain him. He quipped about him not being born yet.

The mood overall was lighthearted, yet confident and who can blame them, the Rangers looked good not just yesterday, but also for most of Game 2, as well. Now they know there is still a lot of work to do, but this series is not over by any means.

Later on, I will have a report on NY Sports Day from Greenburgh and check out last night’s game story as well.

Game 1: Wednesday 4/25 at Buffalo 7 p.m.
Game 2: Friday 4/27 at Buffalo 7 p.m.
Game 3: Sunday 4/29 at MSG 2 p.m.
Game 4: Tuesday 5/1 at MSG 7 p.m.
Game 5: Friday 5/4 at Buffalo 7 p.m.
Game 6: Sunday 5/6 at MSG 2 p.m.
Game 7: Tuesday 5/8 at Buffalo 7 p.m. 

Makes sense, since both teams were off for the longest periods. I don’t know if I am going to be in Buffalo myself for the first two games – I have some obligations I may not be able to postpone on Friday, but will be there if the series goes long.

And for those who care, the Devils will open up thier series on Thursday at 7 and Game 2 will be Saturday at 8 p.m. due to a figure skating match in the afternoon.