After Tuesday’s night’s total meltdown, most expected the same last night. They didn’t and the bullpen held.

Pay no attention to the doomsayers who keep advancing how much of a tragedy it is that the Mets couldn’t win it for Johan Santana. Only Brandon Webb has been a better starter than Santana this season and he has been the ace they wanted when they acquired him. There’s little debate that the Mets wouldn’t be where they are this morning without him.

But it was Dan Murphy again with a big hit last night. Murphy’s debut has been the most stunning debut of any rookie, surpasing Gregg Jefferries 1988 August call-up. Unlike Jefferries, Murphy was unheralded. The 1988 Mets were facing no September challanges as are the current club. Murphy’s playing out of position and is delivering game-winning hits during a pennant race.

You cannot say enough about Carlos Delgado’s post-Randolph surge. There were many who contemplated his outright release at one point. He’s one of the reasons why the Mets have been able to win.

So they’re back in first this morning, and they’re nold folding. The bitterness of last season’s collapse still familar, a special kind of resolve to win has emerged. No matter how bad a loss, the Mets are showing up the next day apparently having washed a previous night’s debacle off in the shower. They won’t be folding this season.