With the Mets outfield still affected by injuries, Beltran needs to step up. His problem is his banged-quad, an ailment that is clearly affecting him at the plate. Who knows when Moises Alou will return? Shawn Green will likely see a decline after his hot start. Carlos Gomez has been all but useless. Why not try Ricky Ledee instead? The journeyman outfielder hit a home run to help his cause Monday. On Tuesday, the Mets face American Leauge Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana. Good luck with that.
When Carlos Delgado hit a three-run homer in the first inning, Fox might have started to think about which reruns to air next week instead of baseball. Much to the network's delight -- and the Mets' chagrin -- the Cardinals rallied to a 9-6 win over the Mets on Friday to even the best-of-seven series at one game apiece. With the scored tied at 6 in the ninth, Mets closer Billy Wagner came in and promptly gave up a solo homer to So Taguchi. He allowed two more runs before leaving with two outs in the ninth. His poor outing was one of several by Mets pitchers in a game in which the they couldn't hold leads of 3-0, 4-2, and 6-4.
After making quick work of the Dodgers in the division series, the Mets start a four-of-seven series against the Cardinals tonight. As they stand four wins away from the World Series, the Mets look across at a team that -- like the Dodgers -- could be vulnerable on the mound, especially in the bullpen. The Cardinals have been inconsistent all year, and their pitching has been a big reason why.
-Mets 6, Nationals 2: From the Mets' persepctive, the only notable part of this game was Cliff Floyd's return to the lineup. Bothered by a left achilles tendon injury, Floyd hit leadoff to get extra plate appearances. He'll know Monday if he'll play in Game 1 of the playoffs on Wednesday, but the Mets know they'll welcome the Dodgers, the wild card winner. San Diego's win clinched them the NL West; they'll play the Cardinals.
