RH Joel Pineiro won for the first time in 5 starts and superstar 1B Albert Pujols drove in 2 runs late in the game, leading the St. Louis Cardinals to a 3-0 win over the New York Mets Tuesday night at Citi-Field. The game was only 2 hours and 13 minutes and featured a 52 minute rain delay in the 3rd inning. Cardinals lead off man, 2b-LF Skip Schumaker was the only player to get 2 hits. Mets starter Livan Hernandez(5-2, 4.05) deserved better and alowed Mets skipper Jerry Manuel to rest some of the weary relief corps. He pitched 7 strong, allowing 8 hits, 3 walks and 3 runs.(2 earned) He stuck out 3 while throwing 108 pitches.
Pineiro pitched maybe the best game of the year vs the Mets. Depleted as NY is, he was outstanding. He threw 100 pitches(62 strikes) and induced 22 ground ball outs!!!! This man did not resemble someone who has lost 8 of nine after winning his first 4 starts. His sinker was working and The Mets could not mount a sustained offensive attack. “It’s something you feel when you go out there. When you see something is working, you stay with it,” Pineiro said. “Obviously, they know you are going to throw the sinker. But if I keep it down, they can’t hit it. It makes my curveball and slider better.”
St. Louis scored the only run they would need in the 3rd and Pineiro got it going. He Doubled to lead off the inning and scored 2 batters later when improving Mets 1B Daniel Murphy made a bad throw to 2nd on a grounder to first. Hernandez sucked it up and got two outs before the rain stopped the inning. When the game resumed, Livan retired Cards CF Rick Ankiel to avoid further damage.
Hernandez tired and allowed consecutive hits in the 7th after he popped up Pineiro to open the frame. A walk loaded the bases and Pujols ripped the first pitch into left to score the final 2 runs of the game. Livan escaped frther damage with his pick-off moves and got the final 2 outs at 2nd, 1 withsthat drew 2 infielders. He then got Pujuls into a run down and he was tagged out at 2nd.
Star of the Game: Pineiro- Not only did he shut the Mets out, he matched them in hits(2) while scoring the winning run in the 3rd. His mound counter-part summed it up, “The guy pitched amazing,” Mets starter Livan Hernandez said.
Mets starting line-up:
1- SS Alex Cora
2-1B Daniel Murphy
3- 3B David Wright
4- LF Fernando Tatis
5- RF Ryan Church
6- C Omir Santos
7- CF Fernando Martinez
8- 2B Luis Castillo
9- Pitcher
Game Notes: Mets hitters went 0 for 19 vs Pineiro’s fastball. The Cardinals righty entered the game with batters hitting .286 vs his number 1….. DL-ed starting pitchers RH John Maine(shoulder) and LH Oliver Perez(knee) will both pitch bullpen sessions Wednesday and will pitch Saturday– somewhere!!!! They could throw in the minors in a rehab start or pitch with the Mets….The amazing Pujols is now 5 for 5 with 16 rbis with the bases loaded in 2009… Superstar SS Jose Reyes(leg) took some grounders during batting practice… RH Elmer Dessens made his Mets debut and pitched 2 shutout innings with 1 K… OF Gary Sheffield was again given the night off by Skipper Jerry Manuel in an attempt to give the veteran some rest as he battles a knee problem…Mets 2B Luis Castillo drew a lead off walk in the 6th but was caught stealing by Cards stud C Yadier Molina
Mets killer: Pineiro is now 3-0 with 2.91 era in 5 starts vs NY
No Breaks: The Franchise, Mets 3B David Wright summed up the night for NY hitters rather well post game,“You can’t make any adjustments when he’s got a game plan, he’s sticking to it and he’s executing that game plan,” Wright said. “He went out there, had a good outing. There’s really nothing that we could have done more besides trying to find some holes, and that wasn’t happening tonight.”
Next Game:
Wednesday, Game 3 of 4 game set vs the Cardinals at Citi-Field
7:10
Mets RH Fernando Nieve(2-0,1.84) vs. Cardinals RH Brad Thompson(2-2,3.89)
