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Mets double their pleasure in Game 4

New York rides a doubles record in the NLCS, moves within a win of NL pennant.

By MARC TOPKIN

© St. Petersburg Times, published October 16, 2000

NEW YORK -- Cardinals manager Tony La Russa was planning for a potential Game 7 when he decided to start ace Darryl Kile on three days' rest in Sunday night's fourth game of the NL Championship Series.

La Russa, though, may have been getting a little ahead of himself.

Kile got pounded early and often by the Mets in a 10-6 defeat that left the Cardinals one loss from elimination.

The Mets, meanwhile, did their part to keep the potential Subway Series on track. And with the Yankees extended to at least a sixth game Tuesday, the Mets' train could get there first, with the chance to win the NL pennant at home tonight in Game 5 with ace Mike Hampton on the mound.

"Obviously, we want to end it right here," catcher Mike Piazza said. "That's our goal."

The Mets doubled their way to an early 7-2 lead, survived a Cardinals rally that cut the lead to 8-6 and brought the tying run -- but not Mark McGwire -- to the plate four times, then took advantage of two errors by third baseman Fernando Tatis to put the game away with two more runs in the sixth.

Timo Perez ("The best thing to come out of Japan since the VCR," Piazza said) was on base four times, Piazza had a double and a hefty home run and Robin Ventura drove in three to lead New York.

Kile didn't have a good history on short rest, going 4-8 with a 6.66 ERA in 13 previous outings, but La Russa didn't believe he had a lot of other options in patching together his rotation.

Andy Benes is pitching on a right knee in need of surgical repair, Rick Ankiel can't seem to throw the ball over the plate, 16-game winner Garrett Stephenson is out for the season with a sore elbow, and rookie Britt Reames has made just seven big-league starts. About La Russa's only other choice would have been to use Pat Hentgen on Sunday and again on short rest in Game 7.

La Russa said he thought Kile had good stuff but not the command of his pitches that he normally has -- the opposite of what he would expect from a pitcher working on short rest.

"He was firing, but (his fastballs) were elevated, and (the Mets) didn't miss them," La Russa said. "His location was off. It's been so great; that's what was unusual."

Mets first baseman Todd Zeile, though, noticed an important difference. "My guess is that because of the lack of extra rest, his velocity was not as sharp as it usually was," Zeile said. "He's usually 91-93 (mph), and he was more like 86-89. He got himself in situations where he had to come with the fastball, and it was a little more hittable fastball."

La Russa said Kile had another problem, too -- he wasn't getting strike calls on his curveball from home-plate umpire Dale Scott. "It wasn't the umpire that caused Darryl to give up all those runs, but a couple of counts changed," he said. Pitching coach Dave Duncan thought it was enough of a problem that he got ejected in the fourth.

After the Cardinals scored two runs on four pitches from starter Bobby Jones, the Mets attacked Kile in double time, taking back the lead after nine pitches.

Perez doubled. Edgardo Alfonzo doubled him in. Piazza doubled. And Ventura doubled them in, putting the Mets ahead for good 3-2. One out later, Benny Agbayani doubled in Ventura.

By the time the inning was over, the Mets had set league championship series records for doubles and extra-base hits in an inning.

By the time the next inning was over, the Mets had a seemingly comfortable 7-2 lead. An exchange of homers made it 8-3, then things got interesting, setting up La Russa for another questionable decision.

The Cards pulled within 8-6 in the fifth and had a prime opportunity to tie when Ray Lankford singled to open the sixth. Reliever Glendon Rusch got two quick outs, and Zeile made a huge play. With McGwire in the on-deck circle, Zeile made a diving stop of Carlos Hernandez's grounder to end the inning.

"It would have made things a lot more exciting if he had not made that play," Mets manager Bobby Valentine said. "That's the X factor of X factors."

The Mets added two runs in the sixth -- "A tough two to give up," La Russa said -- to extend the lead to 10-6. Reliever Mike Timlin walked one batter, slipped when fielding a bunt, and hit another Met. Tatis was worse, throwing one ball away and booting another.

Still, the Cardinals had another shot in the eighth when they got two on with two outs. La Russa, though, decided against using McGwire as pinch-hitter Craig Paquette grounded out. "I was surprised he didn't use him there," Zeile said.

"I was going to wait until the tying run came to bat," La Russa said.

And about that Game 7 for Kile?

"I think first thing's first," La Russa said. "We've got to find a way to win (tonight) and get to St. Louis."

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