Crippled as they were, I really felt the Cardinals were outplaying the Mets last night when it was 1-1. The Mets only run came  off the bat of its young outfielder Carlos Gomez who wasn’t expected to be needed maybe at all this season but plays as if he, well, belongs.  But  when Tony LaRussa’s artful   8th inning fell short and Pedro Feliciano got the final out on a comebacker the tide swung. BIlly Wagner then pitched two scoreless and Aaron Heilman threw an inning of what looked to be unhittable pitches in the eleventh.

Then the quiet veteran, Shawn Green took his time at bat in the home half. With the swing he took on the ball that fell just foul, he served noticed to knowing observers that he was going for a homerun. Alot of hitter won’t attempt a similar swing in the same time at bat, but Green did.

The homerun that Green went for was quite a feat against a veteran reliever like Russ Springer who clearly read Green’s intentions. The pitch was a little down and Green supplied the power.

I’m still stunned at time just how good these guys are who play major league baseball. Shawn Green’s walkoff last night was a remarkable feat. Going for a homerun and getting it to end a game at home: priceless.

While on the subject of priceless, the Mets demonstarted last night with subtleties how important the game was. Wagner’s presence in the dugout after his two inning stint was over is one. Closer’s-certainly of Wagner’s status-usually vacate afterwards to get ice, but Wagner leaned on the dugout rail. 

It was the Cardinals first game back after their Game Seven win last fall and it planted the seed of it being a big game. Mike Maroth was making his first Cardinal start after his acquisition from the Tigers and pitched like John Todor, circa 1985. How fitting it was to have another Cardinal lefthander whom frustrates Mets hitters.

Nonetheless the evening had a big game feel about it. And the Mets wanted a big game win. Needed one in fact. And then got it.  

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