Game #55: Cardinals 5, Mets 4

Dillon Gee strikes out eight and allows three runs (two earned) Monday. (NYDailyNews.com)

Well...can't win 'em all.

Allen Craig's 2-run homer off Jon Rauch in the top of the 8th put the Cardinals up for the third and final time as the Mets can't put together and fall 5-4.

The Bad Stuff:

• The Mets went down twice in this game and both times came back to tie it in the very next half inning. There was no comeback in them for a third showing, though. Jon Rauch came on to relieve Dillon Gee in the 8th, gave up a leadoff single, and then the go-ahead home run to Allen Craig two batters later to pick up the loss.
• New York did Amazin' this weekend because their starters pitched just about every inning. Unfortunately, this just doesn't happen very often any more. But if the bullpen were to pull itself together, my goodness, how great this team would be.
• Kyle Lohse has traditionally been Mr. Met's punching bag, but today he had some fight right back in him, allowing 1 run in 6 innings and only needing 76 pitches (had he not been pinch-hit for in the 7th he might've had a shot at a complete game).
• The Mets got runners on second and third with 1 out in the 8th but could only plate 1 as David Wright flew out to right to end the inning. New York then went down 1-2-3 in the 9th to officially run out of chances.

The Good Stuff:

• Dillon Gee wasn't great today but was very good, once again, turning in a quality start with 3 runs (2 earned, but the error was his) on 6 hits in 7 innings, walking 2 and striking out 8. He gets a no decision but certainly deserved a W.
• Lucas Duda pounced out his fourth home run of the series, a monster blast to the Pepsi Porch in the 4th inning that tied the game at 1.
• Down 3-1 in the 7th, David Wright led off with a single. After two groundouts that sent him to third, Scott Hairston came on to pinch-hit for Ike Davis. The Mets' "lefty-buster," as Gary Cohen referred to him as, did his job by launching a towering home run to left to tie it at 3.
• Andres Torres had the other RBI, hitting a sac fly in the 8th that was just a few feet from being a 3-run homer.

Final Analysis:
While the team's first-ever 4-game home sweep of St. Louis would've been nice, the Mets nevertheless win the series and complete their homestand with a 7-4 record, plus some history on the side. The bullpen blew a few opportunities that could've resulted in a couple more wins, but overall the team is playing very, very well, with starting pitching and power shining through this first week of June. They're just a half game out of first place, and with some key pieces coming back this week (Jason Bay as soon as tomorrow, Ruben Tejada soon thereafter), a chance to make some more noise against the best of the best in both leagues is coming.

The Mets start a 3-game series at Washington tomorrow, followed by a set at Yankee Stadium over the weekend and then down to Tampa Bay to take on the Rays at the Trop. It's the toughest stretch of the season, but as they've shown this weekend, Terry's boys are up to the challenge.

MM