i agree that the mets need to win tonight but I find it interesting that everyone keeps saying the mets, who everyone thought was dead after that game 3 loss, are completely blowing this series when they have no pitching. I think its impressive that the mets didn't roll over and die yet, which i figured they would being a lifelong mets fan, and oliver perez didnt' get as rocked as I thought he would and as everyone predicted.

The Mets have been resilient all year long, thought they haven't been tested often, but when they have been, they always pass the test. The Beltran and Wright homers the other night relaxed them, and Willie has been a steady hand...

I like their chances to finish this off tomorrow night...the Cardinals just aren't that good--and Carpenter, the best starter in the series has the perfect style for the Mets...remember, he never faced them during the season...No the Mets are not worried...the pressureis on the Cards...

I agree - it's game 5 or bust for the Mets. They'd be hard-pressed to beat Carpenter in game 6 AND win with a starter-by-commitee in game 7. The good news is Jeff Weaver's on the hill for the Cards tonight. I can say with certainty that there's no possible way he can put together another quality start. He's incapable of consistent performance - trust me - I know from experience since I've had Weaver on my fantasy team. My prediction? The top of the innings will look more like batting practice for the Mets than a major league game.

Both starting rotations in this series have performed poorly. I can't imagine that either team would want to go to a 7th game with the pitcher choices they have.

"Carpenter got knocked around a bit in Game 2 but he'll be on full rest for his start."

He was on full rest for his first start!

As a Life long Detroiter, I have to root for the Mets based on the great regular season they had. This team of all NL teams deserves to be in the big spotlight. I think Game Five is critical to either team in this series. On the other hand being a Tigers fan, I love the history brewing between St. Louis and Detroit. We've met previously in the world series, and this year would be incredible to watch. Mentor v. Student, Team Playoff History,ect... Stuff that baseball fans dreams are made of. Either way.. I see the Tigers taking Five, or Six games to dispose of either team.

Anyone who would count the Cardinals out at this point would be foolish.Look for Albert Pujols to take it up a notch tonight against Glavine after hius comments the other night.If Weaver can hold it together tonight,Carpenter WILL be much better His next outing and look to the Cards to come home winners.

What's the point of using statistics in an article when they completely disprove the point you're trying to make? You show stats that say the Mets have a 36.4% chance of coming back if they lose tonight while the Cardinals only have a 26.3% chance of coming back if they lose...yet your conclusion is the Mets need tonight's game more than the Cardinals do? Maybe if you're a Mets fan.

I think the pitching matchup coverage proves your point (and I agree that the Mets have to win tonight)...just don't lead with those stats.

Coincidental stat left out...Home teams leading 3-2 after 5 (85.4%)Way to say nothing in a whole bunch of words. Please don't confuse me with being a mets fan I am merely commenting on the pointlessness of the article. Its the playoffs both teams will feel pressure dude.

Dawg,
You can certainly take those stats to mean what you just said. However, I wanted to illustrate how much of an edge the Cardinals will have if they can win Game 5 despite having to go on the road for Games 6 and 7, which is why I think it's a relevant stat here.
-- JL

LETS GO METS...last i checked the last two maybe 1 game of this series is at shea...the pressure is on them cards

I've waited 20 years and the Mets don't seem to be letting me down so far. I don't think it'll begin tonite. We'll destroy Weaver, and the bats will keep it close with Carpenter.

If the Mets do not win tonight, this thing is all but over. If Redbirds lose tonight, I think they would still have a reasonable chance of winning with Carpenter and Suppan on deck.

I'm a life-long Cards fan and to be honest...neither team will be able to beat Detroit's pitching.
PS - the Mets are pond scum. Go Cards.

I think, and HOPE, that the CARDS take it tonight and take the series. I still HATE GLAVIN for leaving the BRAVES. I have, and will always root for the BRAVES and whomever is playing a NY team - Yankees or METS....GOOOO CARDS.

Speaking as another lifelong Tigers fan and Michigan native, I would agree that the Tigers will be the favorite going into a Series against either the Mets or Cards, but I believe they have issues, especially with the rotation, that most or all of the writers are overlooking. Nate Robertson, Kenny Rogers and Jeremy Bonderman have all seemingly elevated their games in the playoffs. Can they continue to pitch at this level in the Series? Justin Verlander has looked shaky at best. The bottom line is that all of these guys - except Rogers - and a significant part of the bullpen too, are Y-O-U-N-G. I am hoping for the best, but fearing the worst, when they step into the limelight in the World Series.
So, don't lose heart yet, Mets and Cardinals fans, no matter what the pundits say - BTW no offense intended, Jacob!

The whole world knows the Mets are "Pond Scum" and they are concerned because a washed up Weaver held thier entire line up in check in Game 1. The Cardnials will show up tonight, just like they found a way to sneak in the playoffs, they will find a way to sneak past the mighty Mets

I find it interesting that the previous message states that "the Cardinals just aren't that good" when the series is tied 2-2 for his beloved Mets. What does that say about the Mets? Both teams are dealing with injuries to important players, so let's see how this plays out.

The mets are pond scum? lol, maybe the 86 Mets, this team is one of the classiest ever. I don't know how a baseball fan could not like Jose Reyes or David Wright. I think if the Mets win tonight it's over...if the Cardinals win tonight it's probably over for the Mets also. Either way Detroit is the favorite in the world series.

This is a dumb point to even discuss...3/4 of the time the team with the lead wins. Each team has had, in my book, a tight win and a dominant win. Whoever wins tonight wins the series.

I think much more pressure is on the Mets simply because the Cardinals have nothing to lose. They have been expected to lose throughout the whole playoffs. The Mets on the other hand have been the best team in the NL and expected to go to the world series since July. Although I admit that the Mets are the best in the NL, I believe that the Cardinals will win the series simply because I think they play with more heart.
I think the Cardnials want it more. I have always been told "its not the size of the dog in the fight, its the size of the fight in the dog."

Hey i believe that the Cardinals need to win tonight becuase Albert Pujols and Spezio not to mention Carpenter needs to have a little bit of encouragement here. The Cardinals need to go to the World Series (even though if they went they would most likely lose) because they need to be recognized as The Cardinals and not one persons name or the other persons name.

I'm a lifelong Cards fan but am not confident about their chances, mainly because of the tendency of LaRussa to over-manage. He took out Reyes who had only given up 2 runs in 4 innings. The bullpen promptly gave up 10 more. Not good.

Well, the Mets have shown a certain toughness all season. Remember Zambrano? Maine stepped up when he had to and Orlando Hernandez waits in the wings. Tough to lose Zambrano, Pedro and Hernandez I agree: yet here they are, even without Cliff Floyd at full strength. Remember: the Yankees could not lose to the Tigers. So watch the Game and enjoy.

Jacob, Baseball can be a world of stats. You may have realized if some team has won 3 out of 5 games that is 60% of the time, it would stand to reason that they would win 1 more game about 60% or 63% of the time. (duh) So the fact that 74% of the time the home team wins in a the same situation gives some credibility to home field advantage.

Isn't every game in the post season a "must-win"? The series is tied 2-2 in St. Louis, Glavine and Weaver will be pitching the most important game of the year. I wrote Friday this was going to be a classic series with tons of baseball to play. It has been exciting, Carlos Beltran killing the Cards with each at bat. Jeff Suppan going yard and pitching 8 shut out innings. All of this has made for an entertaining series. Percentages aside both teams need this game for different reasons. The Cards to close out the series in 6 and hold Suppan to start the World Series. The Mets to go up one game heading home where they hope to pick up a win with no starting pitching. The honest truth is going up one game in a short series like this is always important.
For those of you looking to the next round with Detroit remember this home field advantage is a huge factor in almost all post season series. So no matter what team from this series shows up it will be an uphill battle over the home field advantage, thanks Bud "Used Car Salesman" Selig for making the All-Star game "count". In the absence of this asinine ruling it would be the National Leagues turn for home field advantage. In the over all scope of things that has more to do with winning a 7 game series. Detroit has a great team but look at St. Louis they have taken this series where no one thought they would. If they win this series they will have defied every major “experts” pick in this series. Should the Mets move on they will have to make it work with no starting pitching. But isn’t that putting the cart before the horse? I mean aren’t there 2 more wins needed for a team to move on? So lets keep this in perspective forget the odds and remember EVERY GAME IN OCTOBER COUNTS! Tonight determines who will need one more win to go to the World Series this is the most important game of the year so far. My prediction is another brilliant pitching duel with the Cards coming out on top 4-2. GO CARDS!

Craig

i just want to know, whats with the pond scum comments? Is that supposed to be an insult to met fans? This is a classy team as a poster stated eariler. Besides would you say a hitter who calls a future hall of famer not good, when he clearly was, classy? no no id say that player fits the pond scum description

i do not know what you people are talking about i mean if the cards lose game five they cant leave on a good note because the mets will find a way to beat you they will go on and the world will be owned by the mets i will amit i am a met fan a very lage one to but you have no clue what the mets are cabale of that is why the cards need this one

lies, damn lies, and statistics.

If the Cards win Game 5, the Mets have a 37% chance to come back and win. If the Mets win Game 5, the Cards only have a 26% chance to come back to win. So from a purely statistical point of view the Cardinals need this one more.

But when you look at the potential game 7 starters, it looks ugly for us Met fans.

I also agree that the Metties need to get a W tonight to take some of the pressure off of Maine for Game 6. However I also feel that the Mets have not gained any respect, even after having tied the Yanks for the best record in baseball. I truly feel that if the Mets had a few more quality veteran starting pitchers there would not be a team in the league that could compete with them with the lineup that they have. Myself being a lifetime Mets fan can hardly remember the 1986 series (as I was only 5 years old), so I am extremely hopefull that we will make it to the big show again and win it all to gain the much deserved respect that the team has worked so hard to gain.

I see the fans in Detroit licking their chops and hoping for a seven-game series. Not only will the Tigers play an inferior team, they'll be playing one that will have depleted its meger pitching. Look for Glavine, Carpenter and Suppan to all step up and exhaust themselves. Mets in seven?

The Cards are lucky they are not down 3-1 and teeing it up tomorrow at 7a. I expect Lo Duca and Wright now understand that to constantly upper-cut is to play into La Russa's pitch selection strategy. Tonight the stinging line drives return for the Mets, and Weaver reverts to career form. Go Tommy Glavine, beat the new Atlanta Braves and Buffalo Bills.

I lived in New Jersey for18 years,
I grew up watching the Mets and I love them dearly. The Cards must be dealt a heavy blow. METS ALL THE WAY to the World Series.

LETS GO METS, DEAL Cards away!

LETS GO METS, LETS GO METS!

Pond scum... I love it.

Can you point to any media quote, any on or off field action by any Met that can back that up? Or do you just not like the Mets winning -- and finding a way to win, despite the odds being against them with injuries, etc.? This team has a little bit of magic and finds a way to pull it all together, which I think annoys people who expect them to lose.

Delgado, Beltran, Wright.... classy as classy comes.

Mets in 6. I'll be there tomorrow to see it happen--screaming my head off all the way.

Fortunately for the Mets, Tony La Russa isn't pushing Carpenter up a game to tonight. I think that non-move will turn out to beat the Cardinals. They finished the regular season with a winning percentage well below .500 on the road. Can they honestly expect to go in to New York and take two? Tonight is a must win game for the Cardinals, and they should have their best pitcher on the hill, even if on three days rest. Jeff Weaver is more effective on the road, and Carpenter's record at home since joining the Redbirds(23-10) speaks for itself. I hope he proves me wrong, but I think Tony made the wrong call tonight.

Like Bob B., I am also a lifelong Tigers fan and am also worried about the level of experience in Detroit's pitching staff.

I think there's more expectations for the Mets to get to the WS, and therefore they are under more pressure to succeed after the season they had and after acquiring Pedro and the others.

Frankly, the Mets batters could provide a real challenge to Detroit's pitching if the Tigers' pitchers throw strikes that the Mets batters go after aggressively.

If Detroit pitchers can stay confident they should win it,...

but you never know what will happen in October......

i dont understand y everyone says oliver perez did a good job in game 4 by givin up 5 runs in 5 and 2/3 innings. if the mets had lost 5-2 or something like that evryone would be like oh he got hammered, but since there scored 12 runs for him everyone is like "oh he did so good, kept us in the game." so i guess a 7.40 era is good.

A 7.40 ERA is not good. It is good ENOUGH when you pitch for a team that scores 12 runs.

does it matter who wins this series as the Tigers will take it all anyway!!

Mets need to win, but why can't they start Heilman in game 7?

The Cardinals need this more. This is the 5th time in the past 7 years they've reached the nlcs, and have 1 nl pennant to show for it. Lose tonight and they'd need to win 2 more in New York. Those odds don't look good.

mets fans are as cocky as yankees fans... that gets really annoying

Glavine can't pitch 5 damn innings. Our bullpen is screwed, and so are we. Good game.

If all you guys think the pressure is on the Cards, your WRONG, how we soon foget the Cards have been in this position the PAST 3 SEASONS, there built fo this, true they don't have quite the same line up (should have kept Reggie Sanders) but we have guys that know how to hit, Spiezo has been here before, and Belliard and Molina have been just as effective as David Wright, don't count the Cards out especially if they win tonight.

"Tonight the stinging line drives return for the Mets, and Weaver reverts to career form. Go Tommy Glavine, beat the new Atlanta Braves and Buffalo Bills."

Hmmm, more like NLDS Game 2 and NLCS Game 1 form. Right buddy? And oh yeah, those A/B's from Reyes and Wright sure have produced some stinging line drives. Wow, you really called it!

Seeing as your precious Mets finally displaced Atlanta (thanks to a $100+ million New York-style payroll), I think we may have found a true successor to the Braves.

I love Glavine, Wagner, Delgado, and Beltran, and I have nothing against the Mets. But people who have no class and talk smack shouldn't throw stones when they live in glass houses.

p.s. Top of the 8th, Beltran hits another Stinging Line Drive! Wow!

Hey, nice work to all the people that said Weaver could not put together another quality start. You are everyting Ms. Cleo aspires to be. Go CARDS!!