MET NOTES

Rey Sanchez, already on ice as the Mets’ second baseman, was traded to the Mariners last night for minor-league outfielder Kenny Kelly.

The move, not unexpected, cleared the way for Joe McEwing to show what he can do every day at second the rest of this season.

McEwing started his 10th straight game last night as the Mets hosted the Brewers.

“He’s been a bright spot in the last week to 10 days,” manager Art Howe said of McEwing before the trade was announced during last night’s game.

Kelly, 24, who will report to the Mets’ Triple-A Norfolk affiliate, was hitting .246 with 13 homers, 37 RBIs, 42 runs scored, 15 doubles and five triples in 96 games for the M’s Triple-A farm team in Tacoma.

Met interim GM Jim Duquette called Kelly a prospect with a good arm who needs to work on his hitting game.

Sanchez had been the starting shortstop before Jose Reyes was called up from the minors, but he was hitting .207 and was being peddled to contenders.

McEwing, meanwhile, had raised his average from .218 to .247 since he began starting on July 20. His average was .211 on July 11, but he and hitting coach Denny Walling began retooling his stroke.

Gone are the crouch and head movements that destroyed McEwing’s chances of waiting on and/or driving a pitch.

“I was just swinging over the top of balls or under them,” McEwing said. “It’s allowing me more time to see the ball. It was another [adjustment] I needed to make mentally as well as physically.”

McEwing had drawn eight walks in the previous nine games and joked, “I think I’ve walked more in the last three weeks than my entire life. It’s an outstanding feeling. It’s giving yourself a chance to hit in hitter’s counts.”

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Davey Johnson was on hand for Gary Carter Night. Although he just returned from managing the Dutch National Team into Olympic qualifying, he said he wouldn’t manage in the majors again.

“I really don’t see that happening,” he said. “I’m not gonna put myself through that stress.”

Reminded of 72-year-old Jack McKeon, the 60-year-old Marlin skipper, Johnson asked, “Is he married?”

Johnson’s memory of Carter was as a great team player who never wanted a day off.

“The moments that stand out are when I benched him and rested him, the sucker was in my face all day long making my life miserable,” Johnson said, “but in a good way. There were a lot of good moments. Too many.”

Of his 1986 champions, he said, “We were not going to be denied.”

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Double A catching prospect Justin Huber was 16-for-39 since July 17 and had raised his batting average from .222 to .310 through Sunday.