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There's even a word for it: triskaidekaphobia. It means a fear of the number 13. It is a word the Mets should, by now, know one and all, having surrendered 13 runs on three consecutive playing days. This has, predictably, resulted in four consecutive losses. On Sunday, they dropped a doubleheader to the Diamondbacks 6-1 and 7-3. On Tuesday night they lost to the Cardinals 13-3 and again Wednesday night 13-4.

With a payroll of $120 million, the team does not have a lot of room to maneuver, lest it wants to start eating expensive contracts. Here's a look at the lineup and its status so far in 2003:

Mike Piazza (c): The good news is that he has the second-highest OPS among team regulars. The bad news is that it's 100 points below his career average. Piazza was beginning to come on but had to sit out Wednesday night's game with a bone bruise, an injury he initially sustained in spring training, according to Bob Herzog of Newsday.

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