Game 4 recap---

Sometimes you can tell when things are about to unravel. Sometimes you can feel it. Maybe it’s a skill you acquire as you watch movie after movie.

Like when you’re watching The Godfather, and Sonny’s car is pulling up to the tollbooth. Something doesn’t look right. Then the toll-worker ducks, and you know Sonny’s gone.

You could feel Game 3 unravelling. Through four innings, Reyes looked extremely shaky. Perhaps he’s tired, though that seems unlike since he hasn’t pitched since October 1. Perhaps he’s worn after a long season. Perhaps he’s not the second coming of Mark Prior. His velocity topped out at 89, and he barely threw more strikes then balls.

Tony has been extremely good this postseason. Every move he’s made since he benched Carpenter on October 1 has worked out. Nothing he did last night worked. You could argue that pulling Reyes after four innings was a smart move. You probably didn’t want Carlos, or, for that matter, Carlos, to get a third swing at the rookie. Reyes had thrown 86 pitches in four innings, and allowed 7 baserunners. He was lucky to be tied.

You could even see the logic in throwing Thompson, hoping he’d get through two or three innings. I wanted to see Flores pitch against Carlos and Carlos, but I get the Thompson move.

I truly don’t understand Hancock to start the fifth. The Cards had scored in the bottom of the fourth to make it 5-3. Carlos and Carlos are coming back up. Don’t you have to go with Tyler Johnson there? Get through the fifth unscathed, and, obviously, this is a different game.

Hancock took the hill, and things looked out of sorts. Reyes and the rest of the lineup seemed to feel they were due. Three batters later, the tollbooth worker was ducking.

The Cards had to keep it close, and they used Thompson and Hancock to try to do it. The Mets can hit, and hit they did.

Much as I disagree with the manager for this one, it’s hard to argue he lost it when the final was 12-5. Afterall, Johnson didn’t even retire Valentin, so it’s hard to imagine he’d have gotten Carlos, or, for that matter, Carlos. Still, I like the matchup better.

A few quick thoughts:
Rolen looked good again last night. He had a solid single and kept the ball down for the most part.

Edmonds is locked in, which is nice.

Apparently, Yadier Molina can hit. Who knew?

The Met offense is alive, kicking, and brimming with confidence. Beware Jeff Weaver.

The Cards cannot hit lefties. The Mets had the option of putting Dave Williams on the roster. I’ll bet they’d like to have that one back. If this goes to game 7, expect Darren Oliver, a cast-off from the 1999 Cardinal pitching staff, to start.

Expect too, for Marquis to be back on the roster if we go to the series. He’ll have one more chance to earn some money for next season.

After the last two games, the Mets pen is rested, and ready to go. That could be big if the teams play tonight with both starters going on three days rest.

In retrospect, how good was Suppan to shut that explosive lineup down? Amazing.