Don’t look now but the Mets are in full-blown struggle mode again, with a dry offense and pointless bunting punctating a punchless 4-2 loss to the rival Braves Friday. The Mets played without disappointing import Ryota Igarashi, demoted all the way to Class A St. Lucie to get his stuff together and give the Mets a righthanded bench bat Jerry didn’t bother using in Nick Evans, recalled from Class AA Binghamton. Evans has been bobbing between the minors and the Met roster now for three seasons and seemingly spent much of the last one in Jerry Manuel’s doghouse, ideal for a Met No. 6.

Cliff Lee’s trade to the Rangers this afternoon seems to have officially opened the doors on deadline trading season, and it will be interesting and probably exasperating to see what the Mets do and don’t do with the opportunity this year. In the event you were wondering: Ted Lilly wears 30 and Roy Oswalt 44.

Don’t forget this Monday, July 12, is Amazin’ All-Star Monday at Two Boots at Grand Central Station, where Greg Prince and I will co-host an evening of Met-centric discussion with Howard Megdal, author, journalist and self-professed candidate for Mets general manager; and Marty Noble, Mets beat writer for more than 30 years at the Bergen Record, Newsday and MLB.com. Marty will be taking questions from the audience, and Two Boots will be serving pizza and drinks. Please stop in: Details at the Facebook invite here.