It's Game 7!

What did we learn from Game 6?

How about that the Mets’ bullpen – excluding Billy Wagner – is the perfect anecdote to the Cardinals’ offense. Much has been made in the aftermath of the 5 1/3 innings and two-hit outing by rookie John Maine, but the Mets’ three-headed monster of Chad Bradford, Guillermo Mota and Aaron Heilman gave up two hits 2 2/3 innings before yielding to Wagner in the ninth.

Better yet, much kudos has been heaped on Mets’ skipper Willie Randolph for finding the right mix with his ‘pen. Randolph got Maine out of there at the right time as the rookie teetered on the edge all night long (he walked four and escaped a big jam in the first), and seemed to have learned a lot from Joe Torre during those runs with the Yankees.

Back then, when Randolph was a coach on Torre’s staff, the Yankees did it with their bullpen. Yes, they always had a formidable lineup and strong starting pitching, but those great Yankees’ teams were built from the bullpen forward. Mariano Rivera, obviously, is the focal point, but Mike Stanton, Jeff Nelson, Ramiro Mendoza, and Graeme Lloyd were the cogs in the machine.

Plus, it always comes down to pitching. Sorry I can’t be any more insightful than that. Pitching and defense gets it done.

In that regard, I believe we found an ex-Phillie struggling worse than Scott Rolen.

Billy Wagner, come on down…

Wagner allowed two more runs in the ninth inning in Game 6, including a double to right from the slow-swinging Rolen, who may have saved his starting position for Game 7 with the hit. Never mind that Wagner sped up Rolen’s bat so that he could actually pull a fastball, or that the closer was not in a save situation – though he turned the game into one – and was just getting some work in, his playoff performances have been atrocious.

In six outings, Wagner has given up runs in three games for a 9.53 ERA. He’s also allowed 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings, though he has saved three games.

The problem, it seems, is Wagner’s fastball. It just doesn’t seem to have its old velocity or movement, which isn’t too uncommon for this point of the year. Wagner has been in 76 games since April, though his all-important strikeouts-per-nine innings (11.7) was up significantly this season. That’s probably why Tony La Russa believes Wagner will be a different pitcher if he gets into Game 7 with a one-run or two-run lead.

That’s what Wagner’s hoping for. He still wants the ball.

“This is what you dream of,” he told reporters after Game 6. “You want to go out. You dream of pitching the ninth and getting bum-rushed and going to the World Series.

“These are the games that define your year. You want to go out there and get it done.”

Still struggling…
Rolen had a chance in the first inning to knock out Maine and potentially win the game for the Cardinals, but he harmlessly flied out to right field. In fact, Rolen has had a lot of harmless at-bats despite the four-game hitting streak he’s carrying. Though the gold glover hasn’t been striking out much (three in two games during the playoffs), he hasn’t driven in a run, either.

Perhaps La Russa will place Rolen seventh in the batting order for Game 7? Perhaps he will find a spot for Scott Spiezio and So Taguchi in the lineup. The Cardinals could be tougher with Juan Encarnacion and Preston Wilson available for late-game pinch-hitting duty.

And another thing
Those white, pinstripe uniforms the Mets wore in Game 6 look sharp. It’s so 1986.