"Maroth solid, but Cards fall in 11th...Lefty limits Mets to one run on two hits in 7 1/3 strong frames" -- June 26, 2007

By Caleb Breakey/MLB.com


NEW YORK -- Russ Springer had a hunch when he came on in relief in the 11th inning. He said he didn't have "it."

Who knows what "it" was? It could have been his cutter, which Mets right fielder Shawn Green connected with but sent foul into home-run territory. Then again, it probably was Springer's fastball, which Green pelted over the right-center-field fence two pitches later.

Springer didn't have to look back. The game was over, and he knew it.

"As soon as he hit it -- yeah," he said.

Green's walk-off homer beat the Cardinals as the Mets won, 2-1, at Shea Stadium on Monday in extra innings. Springer hadn't given up a home run the entire season until Green's blast. It came on a 3-2 pitch.

"He doesn't want to walk him," manager Tony La Russa said. "Give the hitter credit."

Newly acquired Mike Maroth didn't disappoint in his first start as a Cardinal, holding the Mets to two hits and one run over 7 1/3 innings. The left-hander allowed two hits in his 99-pitch, no-decision effort, striking out four and walking two.

Switching logos from Tiger to Bird, Maroth said all of his pitches were in sync -- fastball, changeup, curveball and cutter.

"That's something I really haven't been able to do with the four pitches I've got," Maroth said. "There have been some games where I've stuck with two pitches or even three, but [tonight] I was able to use all four. That was the key."

Only Mets left fielder Carlos Gomez touched Maroth, hitting his second home run of the season to put the Mets up, 1-0, in the third.

Pitching coach Dave Duncan gave Maroth a nod after the game, and La Russa said the lefty pitched as the team expected.

"There was nothing but positive comments of him," La Russa said. "We have excellent expectations for him."

Maroth also showed the Cardinals how deceitful he can be on the mound, as the left-hander picked off Jose Valentin and David Wright.

La Russa took notice of the well-hidden pickoffs.

"That's the advantage of a left-hander who's very crafty and has a good move," he said. "That really nullifies what you can do."

The Cardinals squandered their best chance to pull ahead of the Mets in the seventh. With the game tied at 1, Gary Bennett led off with a walk and Maroth followed with a single. The two moved up to second and third on a double steal.

Then the Cardinals sputtered. So Taguchi -- who extended his hitting streak to 17 games with a double in the third -- grounded out to second. Aaron Miles struck out swinging and Albert Pujols was walked intentionally.

That set up Scott Spiezio with two outs and the bases loaded. He hit a sharp grounder back up the middle, but Mets reliever Pedro Feliciano snagged it and got the out at first.

"I put a good swing on it, hit it into the ground," Spiezio said. "It probably would have gotten through, but he made a good play on it."

La Russa said the Cards had the right hitters at the plate, but what has haunted the team before
came back again: The hits just didn't come.

"Aaron Miles and Spiezio, they're as hot as anybody on our club," La Russa said. "Couldn't break through -- that's a very tough miss, but that's baseball."

The loss dropped the Cardinals to 33-40 on the season and one more game behind the league-leading Brewers. The deficit between the clubs now sits at 9 1/2 games.

Spiezio said he, Troy Percival and other Cards were headed out to dinner, trying to regroup, refresh and figure out a way to end the Mets' four-game winning streak Tuesday.

Whatever they come up with, La Russa hopes it works.

"Sometimes we don't pitch well. The last couple [games], we haven't hit well," he said. "We had a great chance with that second and third, had some of our hottest hitters coming up and we missed it, so it's a tough loss."