The Mets are almost back to .500 and just 5 1/2 games out with more than half the season to play, so it’s understandable that David Wright (pictured) and his teammates are ready to put the Willie Randolph saga in the past and focus on games. They continue that quest starting tonight in Denver against the last-place Rockies. Colleague Mike Vaccaro continues with that theme, saying the Mets still have time to put together a worthwhile season.

Colleague Phil Mushnick, meanwhile, writes that chronically lazy play by the Mets doomed Willie and still hasn’t been addressed.

In the notebook, Jose Reyes’ mad dash around the bases on a pop-up Wednesday night didn’t go unnoticed by Jerry Manuel or his teammates. We also have items on The Drudge Report’s mistake, Rick Peterson and the Mets’ success in interleague play this season.