I begin with a question...
I've seen a couple of colleagues note how important Paul Lo Duca's hit was, just prior to Carlos Beltran's go-ahead two-run home run, and I totally agree with them.
My first look at the replay tells me that Jeff Weaver made a great pitch, and Lo Duca used his great bat control to place the ball in just the right spot. There's luck involved once the ball is hit, but putting the ball in play is the key to success.
Anyone out there who can think of other Mets postseason scenarios in which a Mets batsman came through in a big spot against a GREAT pitch.
The one example that comes to mind (and perhaps this is a blog entry in itself) is Ray Knight fighting off an 0-2 pitch that jammed him almost in on the bat handle, for a base hit to center field, keeping alive the 2-out rally just prior to Mookie Wilson's AB in the last of the 10th inning of Game 6 of the World Series. Wilson's foul ball on a 2-2 count (the one after which Dwight Evans leaped up thinking that Wilson had swung and missed) is another good candidate, as is Gary Carter's game-winning bloop hit on Jay Howell's (8th straight) outside-corner curveball in Game 1 of the 1988 NLCS.
Any others come to mind? If so, please fill in the comments section...In the meantime...
* This was the first postseason win in Mets history in which one swing of the bat (Carlos Beltran's HR) accounted for all of the runs in the game.
* It was their 6th shutout in postseason play and their first postseason win by a 2-0 score since Game 5 of the 1973 World Series against the Oakland Athletics
* The Mets have held the Cardinals scoreless in their last 22 postseason innings. Jim Edmonds has the last Cardinals postseason RBI against the Mets, in the 5th inning of Game 4 of the 2000 NLCS.
* The Mets 6 hits were 2 shy of the club record for fewest hits in a postseason win. They had only 4 hits in their 2-1 win in Game 5 of the 1986 NLCS.
* Prior to this season, the Mets had never had a player get 2 doubles in a game in postseason play. Carlos Delgado became the 3rd Met to do so THIS SEASON, joining Shawn Green and David Wright.
* Jose Valentin went 0-3 on his 37th birthday, which also happened to be the date of the Mets first World Series win, a 2-1 triumph over the Baltimore Orioles in Game 2 of the 1969 World Series. The Mets are now 3-3 in postseason games played on October 12.
* Billy Wagner's 3rd postseason save tied the club record for most postseason saves (3) with Tug McGraw and Armando Benitez.
* The Mets have now played 15 straight postseason games without a walk-off win. That ties the club record for most consecutive postseason games without one. The last time they went 15 straight postseason games without a walk-off win, Len Dykstra broke the streak with a 2-run home run to win Game 3 of the 1986 NLCS.
I've seen a couple of colleagues note how important Paul Lo Duca's hit was, just prior to Carlos Beltran's go-ahead two-run home run, and I totally agree with them.
My first look at the replay tells me that Jeff Weaver made a great pitch, and Lo Duca used his great bat control to place the ball in just the right spot. There's luck involved once the ball is hit, but putting the ball in play is the key to success.
Anyone out there who can think of other Mets postseason scenarios in which a Mets batsman came through in a big spot against a GREAT pitch.
The one example that comes to mind (and perhaps this is a blog entry in itself) is Ray Knight fighting off an 0-2 pitch that jammed him almost in on the bat handle, for a base hit to center field, keeping alive the 2-out rally just prior to Mookie Wilson's AB in the last of the 10th inning of Game 6 of the World Series. Wilson's foul ball on a 2-2 count (the one after which Dwight Evans leaped up thinking that Wilson had swung and missed) is another good candidate, as is Gary Carter's game-winning bloop hit on Jay Howell's (8th straight) outside-corner curveball in Game 1 of the 1988 NLCS.
Any others come to mind? If so, please fill in the comments section...In the meantime...
* This was the first postseason win in Mets history in which one swing of the bat (Carlos Beltran's HR) accounted for all of the runs in the game.
* It was their 6th shutout in postseason play and their first postseason win by a 2-0 score since Game 5 of the 1973 World Series against the Oakland Athletics
* The Mets have held the Cardinals scoreless in their last 22 postseason innings. Jim Edmonds has the last Cardinals postseason RBI against the Mets, in the 5th inning of Game 4 of the 2000 NLCS.
* The Mets 6 hits were 2 shy of the club record for fewest hits in a postseason win. They had only 4 hits in their 2-1 win in Game 5 of the 1986 NLCS.
* Prior to this season, the Mets had never had a player get 2 doubles in a game in postseason play. Carlos Delgado became the 3rd Met to do so THIS SEASON, joining Shawn Green and David Wright.
* Jose Valentin went 0-3 on his 37th birthday, which also happened to be the date of the Mets first World Series win, a 2-1 triumph over the Baltimore Orioles in Game 2 of the 1969 World Series. The Mets are now 3-3 in postseason games played on October 12.
* Billy Wagner's 3rd postseason save tied the club record for most postseason saves (3) with Tug McGraw and Armando Benitez.
* The Mets have now played 15 straight postseason games without a walk-off win. That ties the club record for most consecutive postseason games without one. The last time they went 15 straight postseason games without a walk-off win, Len Dykstra broke the streak with a 2-run home run to win Game 3 of the 1986 NLCS.
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