Thanks to an unheralded list headed by Double-A call up Nick Evans (pictured) and Claudio Vargas, the hot seat under Willie Randolph cooled a bit Saturday with a 9-2 win over the struggling Rockies that snapped the Mets’ five-game skid. Talking to reporters before Saturday’s game, Randolph sounded fatalistic about his chances of sticking around, comparing GM Omar Minaya’s vote of confidence on Friday to “the kiss of death.”

Colleague Mike Vaccaro says Willie might have bought himself some time with Saturday’s win.

In the notebook, we take a closer look at Varga’s seven strong innings against the Rockies, as well as offer items on Carlos Delgado, Marlon Anderson, Ryan Church and Jose Valentin.