Pitching will lead Mets past Cards
OCTOBER 11, 2000

Fan's View

AP Photo
The never-say-die Mets now face the impressive Cardinals.

Today, MLB fan Steve Schindler breaks down the much anticipated Mets-Cardinals series and picks his winner.

The Mets are in the midst of yet another improbable playoff drive. After surviving a five-hour Game 3 against San Francisco that ended with an awe-inspiring, 13th-inning smash by Benny Agbayani, the Mets used Bobby Jones' near flawless pitching to put the Giants away in Game 4. Now the surprising Mets rush headlong into a well-rested St. Louis juggernaut that is hunting for fresh balls to beat on with its hot bats.

The good news for the Mets is that Jones appears to be at the top of his game after making perhaps one of the best playoff appearances ever, allowing just one lousy hit while shutting down the Giants. This was of particular importance since both teams emptied their bullpens in the Saturday late-night sleepover and Jones wasn't really known for turning in strong, complete-game efforts.

Among the Mets' 10-game winners this season abides a stable of three fine lefthanders, led by Al Leiter. If there's anything you must have heading into a series with St. Louis it is strong pitching from the left side of the mound. Backed up by righties Rick Reed and Bobby Jones, the Mets hope to replay their sweeps from early in the regular season before the Cards' bats can recoup for a rally.

Sometimes bad news is merely the forbearer of glad tidings, like when the Mets' Derek Bell injured his ankle against the Giants. His injury opened the way for Timo Perez to make his way onto the field and give the Mets a tremendous spark. He can bunt and he can fly, and he becomes an instant run-producing threat at the top of the batting order.

The Mets' Todd Zeile has a split personality at first. Part fielder and part magician, Zeile has turned in a solid performance this season. About the only place where this team might be suspect on defense might be in the suspect arms of outfielders Perez and Agbayani. Fortunately, both have overcome any weaknesses with their solid offensive production as of late.

In their surprising sweep of the Atlanta Braves, the Cardinals might have done the Mets a favor. At least New York won't have to worry about the team that bounced them from last year's playoffs. But the Mets will have to worry about these strong-armed Missouri river men.

St. Louis virtually pounded the Braves into the dirt to sweep the divisional series. Hitting .275 as a team, Mark McGwire did his damage part-time serving as a pinch-hitter while the dynamic duo of Jim Edmonds and Will Clark burned the Braves as one of the best offensive tandems in recent playoff memory.

Grounded by the solid leadership of the elderly Clark at first, this Cardinal defense is carried by the spectacular play of Edmonds in center field. With Fernando Vina directing double plays and Edmonds hauling in almost everything in the outfield, the Cards are every bit as good as the Mets defensively.

St. Louis probably has the most fantastically scary starting rotation ever put together in the big leagues. Andy Benes, Darryl Kile, Rick Ankiel and Pat Hentgen all effectively can go from Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde, either striking out a baker's dozen or serving up a fistful of wild pitches in any game. St. Louis fans must hope that a bad moon ain't a risin' when festivities open with the Mets.

The Mets won the regular season series with the Cardinals by a count of 6-3. All three series between the two were sweeps, and all were riddled with low-scoring affairs. So we probably can look for more of the same when these two get together tonight.

The one edge that might turn the trick for New York is that fantastic bullpen. There might not be a better one in baseball. Relievers John Franco, Armando Benitez, Rick White and Dennis Cook turned in fantastic performances in the divisional series, allowing only two runs on 11 hits in 12 2/3 innings for a 1.42 ERA. The Cards might not be able to bash their way through this bunch again like they did when sweeping their final three-game series of the regular season.

With intangibles flying like Detroit's swarming winged ants, it's tough to pick which team will come out on top of this one. With St. Louis' powerful offense rested and the Mets limping in off the midnight red-eye, you'd think this might be the end for the New Yorkers.

However, I think the Mets' Bobby Valentine will end up having more pitching tricks up his sleeve than Houdini, and that will be the difference. It might take six or seven games, but I expect that when the dust clears, the Mets will be left standing, black and blue and exhausted.