HOUSTON -- The Mets maintain they are not a tight team. If they were on Sunday morning as they approached the final game of their stressful and unsuccessful seven-game road trip, it wasn't evident.

Their clubhouse was filled with smiles, laughter and the kind of agitation that the best clubhouses always have had. Players can say and do things to teammates out of the public eye that would be objectionable otherwise.

So it was on Sunday morning that Cliff Floyd found a watermelon in his locker.

He was in mid-conversation about how the Mets clubhouse could benefit from more energy and more of an edge when he hoisted the watermelon over his head like a shot putter, walked across the clubhouse and said, "Catch this" to Ramon Castro. He threw the melon at the reserve catcher, who often is a central figure in clubhouse by-play and shenanigans.

Castro didn't handle the melon as well as he might have. "Passed ball," someone called out as the melon plopped on the carpet and burst open. "Passed melon," was another crack, as the clubhouse roared.

"I just assumed it was Castro," Floyd said, pretending to be angry and offended. And he was right.

Later, Floyd accused David Wright of being Castro's accomplice, and the two faked a fight in the room where breakfast had been served.

And later still, Floyd emerged from the room, smiling. "You can't say we're uptight," he said.

Mets history -- August 1: Cleon Jones' run-scoring single in the 18th inning gave the Mets a 3-2 victory against the Phillies in the first game of a Banner Day doubleheader at Shea Stadium on this date in 1972. ... Felix Millan put the finishing touches on an 18-game hitting streak in a sweep of the Pirates at Shea Stadium one year later. The Mets won, 3-0 and 5-2. ... Steve Henderson christened Shea's new left-field bleacher area with a three-run pinch-hit home run, as the Mets rallied to beat the Astros, 5-4, on this date in 1980. ... Kevin McReynolds hit for the cycle and drove in six runs in an 11-0 victory against the Cardinals in 1989. ... David Cone became the first Mets pitcher to succeed as a pinch-hitter. He singled in a 12-inning, 6-4 win in Montreal on this date in 1990. ... Nine years later, Al Leiter struck out a career-high 15 batters in seven innings in a 5-4, 13-inning victory at Wrigley Field. ... And on this date in 2001, the Mets established a franchise record, scoring six runs in the 10th inning to beat the Astros, 8-2.

On deck: Home is where they hang their hope. And the Mets are home again Tuesday night. They face off against the Brewers in their 54th game at Shea Stadium, hoping the return to their own park will revitalize them, that the six games they are scheduled to play against the Brewers and Cubs will offset the losses they suffered during their seven-game excursion to Denver and Houston. The Brewers and Cubs have both struggled on the road this season. Then again, the Cardinals are the only team in a league of homebodies with a winning record on the road.

The Mets perform well at Shea; their home record is 32-21. That should be of some comfort to Victor Zambrano, their starter on Tuesday. But Zambrano, who has a 5-9 overall record, has lost six of his eight decisions at Shea. His home ERA is 4.55. One of his road victories came against the Brewers. Tomo Ohka (6-6, 3.87 ERA) is the Brewers starter. As a member of the Nationals, he split two April starts against the Mets, lasting only three innings in the first and pitching six scoreless innings in the second.