- Phillies 8, Mets 6: Johan Santana threw eight innings of two-run ball and then turned the game over to the bullpen with a 5-2 lead. No problem, right? Not quite. Duaner Sanchez, Joe Smith and Pedro Feliciano gave up six runs -- the first five of which came before anyone got an out -- and the Mets choked away the opener of a three-game set that will decide first place, at least for the time being. Sandwiched in the ninth-inning disaster was a mental mistake by Jose Reyes. He tried and failed to get a force at second instead of taking the sure out at first. Then the floodgates opened. Next time Mets fans whine about Wagner, they should think about this: At least he gets an out before blowing the game.
- Yankees 8, Twins 2: Darrell Rasner finally pitched well. Yes, the Twins lineup is not great, but Rasner's recent pitching deserved the same description. Bobby Abreu, who has been impersonating a corpse for much of the season, hit a go-ahead homer in what ended up as the Yankee's sixth straight win. The Yankees are playing better despite missing Jorge Posada and Hideki Matsui, but how much longer can that last?
Photograph of Pedro Feliciano leaving the game by Seth Wenig/AP
