The titular quote is from NJ's Newark Star-Ledger sports writer Jeremy Cothran's article entitled, "Mets get past Nats". Here's the first paragraph which leads up to the quote:

"In the National League East hierarchy, any Mets animosity for the Washington Nationals is wedged somewhere in a dark and moldy place. With bigger concerns directed toward the Phillies, Braves and first-place Marlins, the last-place Nats are simply an annoyance."

Game Report - 

...Claudio Vargas strikes out Wily Mo Pena for the first out of the fifth, as I realize, after arriving home from work an hour after game time, that I really missed very little, outside of watching a former DC/Montreal prospect and a well-traveled veteran mow down the opposition. Vargas gets Nationals' catcher Jesus Flores staring at strike three. Vargas and Redding get stuck at 2-2 for a prolonged standoff between two pitchers, but Vargas prevails and completes his fifth scoreless frame. Tim Redding gets a corner call from the home plate Ump on Moises Alou, and Alou disapproves so strenuously he's immediately tossed. Carlos Delgado grounds out for the second out of the Mets' fifth. Brian Schneider(man) drills a liner off the facade of the upper deck, straight into the white lettering of the black 1988 NL Division Champs sign, 1-0 NY. 

Felipe Lopez works a walk to start the sixth. Cristian Guzman grounds to Damion Easley who backhands to Jose Reyes, over to first, double play. Ryan Zimmerman up with two ou...THE KIDS CALL HIM ZIM!! THE KIDS CALL HIM ZIM!!! Out to left and off the upper deck before Vargas can call for a new ball. 1-1 ballgame. Jose Reyes has warning track power, or a step shorter than that actually as he flies out to Elijah Dukes in right center. Dukes catches the second out off Ryan Church's bat. Zimmerman loses Wright's grounder for a moment...but recovers and throws out the "Gold Glove" winner to end the sixth.

Jeremy Cothran, Newark Star-Ledger sports writer, in his Tuesday-postgame article entitled, "Mets get past the Nats", writes:

"If there was any lingering animosity over the Nationals' antics from Monday night, it was cleared up on the game's first pitch. Maine hit leadoff batter Felipe Lopez on his leg, which prompted a warning from home-plate umpire Ted Barrett."

(ed. note - "Why do "Nationals' antics" and "game's first pitch" get the possessive apostrophe treatment, but not "Mets animosity" from the first quote? And this is in no way a dig at Mr. Cothran. I've asked this before, and I want to know if there is some rule for team names and apostrophes, til then I will continue to overuse them...")

Game Report -

...Vargas strikes out Austin Kearns, but walks Elijah Dukes in front of Wily Mo Pena in the seventh. The Mets' much-maligned Manager Willie Randolph takes the ball from Vargas. (6.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 6 K's 1 HR). Aaron Heilman relieves Vargas. David Wright makes a brilliant barehand play to throw out Pena at first. Jesus Flores works back from 0-2 to a full count and then drives a single into left to score Dukes from second. 2-1 DC. Willie Harris walks. Felipe Lopez single to right center, Ryan Church comes up throwing as Flores heads home...Flores slides, Schneider reaches for the tag..."SAFE! SAFE!" the Ump yells. 3-1 Nationals. Cristian Guzman sends Heilman to the showers with a two-run single to center. 5-1 Washington. "Generic" Joe Smith blows Zimmerman away with three pitches to end the seventh. 

And further proof that the New York Media Matrix can't stop hammering Lastings Milledge even when he's only visiting NY for four games, Jeremy Cothran, Newark Star-Ledger sports writer, writing of Lastings Milledge's all-out effort to rob Carlos Delgado Tuesday night, in Mr. Cothran's article entitled, "Mets get past Nats":

"It was Shea's Bermuda Triangle where Lastings Milledge ran down the first baseman's ball, making a tumbling catch along the way and losing his hat in the process. The play came with two runners aboard and two outs. Milledge, never one to test his boundaries here and one of the reported participants in Clap Gate, celebrated with an over-enthusiastic fist-bump, earning him more public condemnation."

(ed. note - "Is that last paragraph a joke? It has to be, right? It's supposed to be funny? OK now I get it...cause I thought...but no, no it's a joke. Funny too!...What? He's serious? No, can't be...")

Game Report -

...Saul "Sa-ool" Rivera gets help from a leaping Willie Harris, who catches Carlos Beltran's long fly ball to left while jumping toward the wall. Endy "Cover Your Heart" Chavez reaches on an infield single Rivera can't field. Carlos Delgado grounds another one off Rivera's glove, and it bounces into the outfield allowing Chavez to take third. Brian Schneider grounds hard to first, a run scores. 5-2 Nationals. The third time it's hit back to him, Rivera fields Easley's grounder and throws to first to end the seventh. 

"Generic" Joe Smith throws a quick 1-2-3 eighth. Saul Rivera heads out for his second frame. Marlon Anderson lifts a sinking fastball to left for a leadoff single. Jose Reyes flies out unproductively. Rivera walks Ryan Church, and Nationals' Manager Manny Acta calls to the bullpen for Luis Ayala. David Wright breaks his bat on a fly ball out to Dukes in center. Ayala out, The Tallest Closer in MLB History Jon Rauch is coming on early...to face Carlos Beltran, and Beltran singles to right, one run scores. 5-3 DC. Rauch pops up Endy Chavez. 5-3 after eight. 

Pedro Feliciano will pitch the top of the ninth for New York...The Tallest Batting Pitcher in MLB History Jon Rauch goes down swinging. Jesus Flores grounds out. Willie Harris goes down looking. Rauch back out. Rauch vs Delgado? Rauch drops a strike-three-slider on Delgado!! Brian Schneider pops up to Zimmerman. Damion Easley chases a breaking ball for strike a swinging three and the final out of the evening. Nationals win 5-3. 

Nationals now 17-24.

Federalbaseball.com's "Quote/Line/Exchange of the Day: From the Live Game Thread Comments Section": (edited for continuity sake)

 

(After Mets' Catcher Brian Schneider homers in the fifth inning Wednesday night to give New York a 1-0 lead...a Mets' fan friend enters the conversation..)

 

Now not a good time to evalute the Milledge for Church/Schneider deal ?

by ottomanrx on May 14, 2008 8:38 PM EDT

 

No, in 5 years from now when Milledge is in his late 20's though maybe...and Schneider can't hit and his defense is on the decline...(ed. note - "I support the party line.")

Everything I say is a "little" sarcastic...

by e chigliak on May 14, 2008 8:41 PM EDT 

 

But really, how does Church have 30 RBI'?

2005 – 42 RBI’s
2006 – 35 RBI’s
2007 – 70 RBI’s
2008 – 30 RBI’s in 36 games?

If this were ten years ago…?

Everything I say is a "little" sarcastic...

by e chigliak on May 14, 2008 8:46 PM EDT

 

I know ! I know ! ....... There's men on base ahead of him !!!!

by ottomanrx on May 14, 2008 8:52 PM EDT 

 

Is now a good time to talk about Delgado's decline? You got another Mo Vaughn on your hands there?

(crosses fingers and hopes Delgado doesn’t win tonight’s game)

Everything I say is a "little" sarcastic...

by e chigliak on May 14, 2008 8:53 PM EDT

 

True. Thankfully he goes away at the end of the year, and Teixiera bats cleanup.

by ottomanrx on May 14, 2008 9:00 PM EDT