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Santana pitches Mets past Cardinals, 3-2

BY JIM BAUMBACH | jim.baumbach@newsday.com

5:03 PM EDT, June 25, 2009

Johan Santana allowed one run and struck out three in seven innings as the Mets beat the Cardinals, 3-2. (Photo by John Dunn / June 25, 2009)

Can we safely assume the Johan Santana Scare in the past? Sure seems like it.

At a time when the achy, breaky Mets are desperate for positive developments, Santana posted his second straight strong start in a 3-2 Mets win Thursday, further distancing himself from his debacle in the Bronx two Sundays ago.

And, just as important, Santana also helped the Mets to their first series win in what feels like a long time.

This afternoon against the NL Central-leading St. Louis Cardinals, Santana neutralized Albert Pujols and allowed only two runs one earned in seven innings.

Nick Evans provided a two-out, two-run double in the fourth that gave the Mets the lead for good, marking their third in four games against the Cardinals.

The last time the Mets won a series was three weeks ago when they took two of three from the Nationals in Washington June 5-7. Since then they've lost two of three to the Phillies, Yankees, Orioles and Rays.

Playing without position players Carlos Delgado, Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran along with pitchers John Maine, Oliver Perez and J.J. Putz, the Mets gladly appreciate every W they can achieve these days.

"Every win gives us an opportunity obviously to take a game off the schedule," manager Jerry Manuel said before the game. "We have to win just to get games off the schedule and hopefully at some point get healthy, get back at full strength.

"We're looking literally at trying to survive this until the break. The break is a big blow for us to get there safe."

When Santana gave up nine runs in three innings against the Yankees two weeks ago, Mets fans were throwing their arms into the air in exasperation. Everyone else, they could play without. But Santana? If he was hurt, as many wondered, then they might as well call it a season.

Santana, however, has quickly reverted to his old self. In his two starts since that ugly afternoon performance, Santana has given up four runs (three earned) and 10 hits and walked six in 14 1/3 innings.

While he hasn't been downright dominant, he's been close enough to the guy the Mets are used to.

Santana's afternoon did not begin smoothly. With two outs and one on, catcher Omir Santos made contact with Ryan Ludwick's bat for catcher's interference, pushing Skip Schumaker into scoring position. Yadier Molina followed with an RBI single to leftfield, opening the scoring with an unearned run.

Santana was in another jam in the second inning, having to face Pujols with the bases loaded and two outs. Pujols had been 5-for-5 with 16 RBIs (out of a possible 20) in those situations this season, but Santana escaped by getting Pujols to fly to leftfielder Fernando Tatis just in front of the warning track.

"He just got himself out," Santana said.

"I know I was going against a great pitcher," Santana said of Cardinals starter Chris Carpenter. "It was going to take one pitch or one mistake to change the whole ballgame."

Carpenter's only rough spot came in the form of the Mets' three-run fourth inning, which proved to be just enough for the Mets.

After Luis Castillo and David Wright began the inning with singles, Ryan Church grounded out. Tatis tied the score with an RBI single. After Fernando Martinez grounded out, moving two into scoring position, Evans lined a two-out clutch double to rightfield for a 3-1 lead.

The Cardinals got a run back in the sixth on Joe Thurston's two-out RBI single that plated Rick Ankiel, who led off the inning with a double, to pull within 3-2. It stayed that way until two outs in the ninth, when things got interesting. Francisco Rodriguez walked Pujols and Ludwick to put the potential tying run in scoring position and the tying run on.

And then Yadier Molina - who will always hold a not-so-special place in Mets fans' hearts -- hit a liner that for at least a split second scared the 41,221 here in attendance.

But Jeremy Reed ran it down, ending the Mets' victory.