Cora Plunked As Predicted - Mets Avoid Pujols for Victory

As predicted, Alex Cora was drilled in his first plate appearance in today's game, ostensibly in retaliation for Jerry Manuel's bush league move in yesterday's humiliation of the Cardinals when he used pitcher Livan Hernandez to pinch hit in the bottom of the eighth inning with an 11-0 run lead. But other than that, all things ran smoothly for the non-disabled-list Mets who employed just about the best strategy you can use when you're playing the Cardinals: pitch around Albert Pujols.

With a matchup of Cy Young winners - Johan Santana versus Chris Carpenter - you knew it would be a low scoring game when every run mattered. The 3-2 Mets victory was just what the doctor ordered and the injury plagued Mets somehow managed to win 3 out of 4 from a tough St. Louis team, a team I think we'll see in the postseason. ("We" as in baseball fans, not so much "we" as in Mets vs. Cardinals, although that too is still a possibility).

Once again, recently called up Nick Evans was the hitting star with a huge two-run double in a three-run fourth inning. It brought the crowd of 41,221 (the largest in Citi Field's glorious history) to their feet, many who were there as a result of 50% discounts on their tickets.

Santana won his ninth game while giving up just one earned run and seven hits. He lowered his ERA to 3.08 and needed help from KRod to close the game out. After striking out the first two batters he faced in the ninth, KRod wanted nothing to do with Pujols, and unintentionally intentionally walked him. Then, after another walk to the next batter, all that was left was to make mincemeat of Yadier Molina to end the game. (althought Yadier hit the ball well and looked like it might do more damage than a simple flyout to leftfield).

What's the old adage? "Never let their best player beat you". When you pitch around Albert Pujols, you have a chance to win. The Yankees are up next at Citi Field. They may surprised to find out that broken-bat check-swings from righty batters don't result in right-field upper deck homeruns, like they do in that joke of a park called Yankee Stadium.