Both of the starting pitchers did everything they could to let the other team win, but the Mets managed to pull out the victory this evening. 

Oliver Perez pitched scoreless first and second innings, but that is about the only thing that went well for Perez.  He allowed a 2-run HR to Cristian Guzman in the third, and the fourth was even worse.  The Nationals had four hits in a row off of Perez and seven total base runners in a row, including when Nelson Figueroa relieved him with one out in the third.  The Nats scored five in the fourth, and another in the fifth. 

You know, it seems sort of fabricated when we talk about Perez being poor against worse teams but it is really the truth.  For somebody so talented it becomes increasingly frustrated when in a September game he can’t manage to be decent against a below-average Nationals team. 

The Mets and Carlos Delgado never backed down.  Ryan Church had a homerun, David Wright had an RBI single but Delgado stole the show.  Delgado hit two HRs, one of them a monster shot off the scoreboard in right center.  Carlos Beltran also hit a home run and through six innings, the Mets were winning 10-8.  Thankfully, the score never changed again.   

Jerry Manuel was certainly exuberant with the fact that he had an expanded roster this evening.  In total, he used six relievers including Luis Ayala who recorded his sixth save of the season.  Ayala now has more saves than blown saves, which was previously not the case.  The bullpen was strong once again with only Brandon Knight allowing a run.  In total the bullpen threw 5.2 innings.