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LOS ANGELES - Willie Randolph doesn't think it was an accident that the Mets looked so relaxed while taking two of three from the Diamondbacks in Arizona over the weekend.
Randolph admitted yesterday that the constant negativity from the fans at Shea Stadium so far this year - an obvious carryover from last September's epic collapse - has turned the road into a welcome refuge.
"In our mind, we moved on," Randolph said of last season's historic meltdown. "Obviously, the fans are having a tough time moving past that."
Met players and officials were struck by how supportive and mild-mannered the fans were in Arizona, even when the hometown Diamondbacks struggled. It was a far cry from Shea in April, when even 2-1 counts on opposing hitters drew boos.
Randolph is convinced the atmosphere back in New York will improve, perhaps as soon as this weekend against the Reds, if the Mets can win their current series here in L.A.
"When we start to play well, you'll see a change in that," Randolph said of the fan reaction at Shea. "We don't talk about it or concern ourselves with it. We just hope that they eventually get behind this team, because I think we're going to make them real proud before the year is over."
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Closer Billy Wagner, who picked up his seventh save with a perfect ninth Sunday in Arizona, is riding one of the most dominant stretches of his career.
Wagner has retired 39 of the 45 hitters he's faced this season. That came after he set a Met record by not allowing a hit to the first 28 batters.
"He's just going after hitters, throwing strikes and getting ahead," Randolph said of Wagner, who did not allow an earned run in his first 13 innings.
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Carlos Delgado's home run Saturday in Arizona was the 435th of his career, moving him past Juan Gonzalez for sole possession of 36th place on the all-time homer list.
The 435 homers also are the most in big-league history by a native of Puerto Rico.
Michael Hurcomb 
