Talk about "smooth"...
On a rainy Saturday at Shea Stadium in New York, Mets ace Johan Santana proved why Omar Minaya made the deal to obtain the veteran lefthander, as he pitched a three-hitter to keep the Mets wild card hopes alive.
Pitching on three days rest, Santana (16-7) showed he has the heart of a champion, as he pitched the Mets past the Marlins 2-0. After throwing a season high 125 pitches in his last start, Santana came back with a complete game, 117 pitch effort that included three walks and nine strikeouts.
Putting the thoughts of another end of the season collapse behind him, Santana was masterful. You know, if these Mets get into the postseason, they will be a challenge to beat, with this man possibly able to pitch the first and fourth games of the five game set. But let's not get ahead of ourselves as the Brewers were still in the midst of their game against the Cubs, albeit on the losing end at the time of publication.
- B/R Ticket Guide
The big difference between last year's team and the 2008 model is Santana. He asked his manager to pitch in this game, knowing what was at stake.
So now they sit and wait. If the Brewers lose, they are tied in the wild card. If they finish in a tie after tomorrow, they will play Milwaukee in a one game playoff at home, having won the coin toss earlier in the week. Of course, the Mets still have a mathematical chance at the division as well, though the wild card would seem to be their best hope.
At least all of the talk of another collapse was put on hold for another day. As the other Santana would say, "you've got to change those evil ways." Come to think of it, with Johan on the mound, everything was smooth.
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