"Mets win the game - again"

"Mets win the game - again". That's how Howie described it after Beltran's 13th inning winner. Joy mixed with relief because the Mets should have wrapped this one in the regulation 9.

I understand why Willie took Pelfrey out in the 9th. 112 pitches and he hasn't thrown that many too often. And, it was the 9th and he'd just given up a hit. I know the crowd booed, but did you really think Willie was going to leave Pelfrey in when the Mets needed to win that game?

Of course, that need is really dependent on whether you believe the Mets have a real shot still. I'm inclined to think otherwise and wouldn't have minded Pelfrey staying in for that reason. The Mets need Pelfrey to be a tough guy and trying to gut it out in the 9th might have helped there. Might have. Pelfrey has, it should be said, been showing some real toughness lately. So, like I said I didn't really mind Pelfrey coming out at that point.

Wagner's certainly lost it, unfortunately. He was untouchable before he mouthed off after that game a few weeks ago. Since then he's been all too hittable. And he hasn't been used all that much either. There have been few enough save opportunities lately.

I thought the Mets might have put the game out of reach when Webb left, but no such luck. The offense seems to have gone back to its no-late-inning-runs mode again. At least they got 2 in the 13th. Right?
*****

Howie remarked a number of times at how quiet it was at Shea after the homer off Wagner. It's what happens when your feeling punchy. How many times can Met fans take a blow to the head and answer the bell this year?

Starting the bottom of the 13th Howie pointed out that the fans had had an hour and a half to recover from the shock of Mark Reynolds's 9th inning HR. You could hear more life from the crowd when the Mets came to bat. Even after Wright was out - after just missing a pitch that he should have crushed - the crowd was a little livelier than in the 10th & 11th. Shock wears off. Eventually.