Johan Is The Man

METS 7

NATIONALS 2

If the Mets somehow find a way to squeak into this year's post season, it will not be because of the bullpen or anything the Mets do offensively; it will because of the arm of Johan Santana. When the Mets needed him the most, Santana was there to save the Mets from even more public humiliation Thursday night when he pitched a seven inning gem against the Washington Nationals.

Santana allowed only eight hits and a run in his seven innings of work. He was dominant at times, striking out eight Nats on the night. He improves his overall record to 14-7 with a 2.65 ERA.

Offensively, the Mets did just enough. Jose Reyes, who has played with his head in the sand for the month of September, led the game off with a double. Dan Murphy singled to center to drive Reyes in, to give New York a 1-0 lead.

In the second, the Mets really got it going, as Biran Schnieder blasted his eighth homer of the year to right. Santana followed with his fifth double of the year, and Reyes drove home Santana with a signle past the second baseman. 3-0 Mets.

In the third, Carlos Beltran laced a triple to right to drive home Carlos Delgado, and Ryan Church singled to drive in Beltran, to give New York a commanding 5-0 lead.

Still, the star of the night was Schneider. In the sixth, he capped off the Mets offensive burst, with another solo shot, his ninth of the year, to give the Mets a 6-0 lead.

The bullpen held on this time, as Pedro Feliciano manufactured a double play in the ninth to end it. The Mets now lead the Milwaukee Brewers by one and a half games for the NL Wild Card but still trail Philadlephia by a half game in the East.