Mets Make Ugly Win Look Beautiful

METS 6

BREWERS 5

Here is the difference between the 2008 Mets and 2007 Mets: last year's Mets squad could not deal with adversity. Whenever they were put in an adverse situation, they more often than not shrank like a turtle into its shell.

This year's team is battle tested. Whenever they fall behind early, you get the feeling that they will comeback to win. When they jump out in front early, you get the feeling that the game is over, confident that the Mets will win.

This is what it takes to win world championships, especially in this game, where overcoming adversity is only way a team wins in October.

Tonight was ugly. For whatever reason the Mets decided to start a rookie, Jon Niese for tonight's game and the kid, as expected, got shelled. He gave up five runs in just three plus innings of work. He walked four, and could not get his ball to move in the strikezone.

Yet the Mets, found ways to overcome this.

Down 1-0 in the second, Carlos Beltran walked and Carlos Delgado singled to left center to set it up for Fernando Tatis with no one out. Tatis slapped a double down the right field line, driving home Beltran to tie it. A batter later, Damion Easley grounded out to short. The Brewers allowed the run to score giving the Mets a 2-1 advantage.

In the third it got real interesting. With two on and one out, Beltran blasted a three-run homer to left field giving New York a commanding 5-1 lead.

Unfortunately, Niese couldn't hold onto it, as was KO'd in the fourth after loading the bases and giving up three runs.

The game would remain tied deep into the night. Nelson Figueroa came in relief of Niese and pitched two shutout innings. Duaner Sanchez pitched a scoreless sixth. Brian Stokes was brilliant in his first two innings, surrendering only one hit. However, in the ninth he got into big trouble. Stokes walked Ryan Braun to start the inning, putting the Mets between a rock and a hard place, with slugger Prince Fielder stridding to the plate.

Jerry Manuel made the move to bring in Pedro Feliciano. The lefty found a way to get Fielder to ground into a inning killing double play to keep the game tied.

Joe Smith came in and got Corey Hart to ground out to third to end the inning.

In the tenth the Mets broke through. Dan Murphy singled to center to start things off. Jose Reyes tried to lay down a bunt, but, on the relay throw to first for the out, there was throwing error by Milwaukee catcher Jason Kendall. Reyes moved to second and Murphy took third.

Finally, Endy Chavez, who is not known for getting big hits, drove the ball to deep right for the sacrifice fly, allowing Murphy to score the go-ahead run.

In the bottom of the tenth, Luis Ayala made things very interesting. He was able to get the first two outs with ease, but struggled to get the final out. Brad Nelson doubled to right, and was substituted for a Tony Gwynn Jr. as a pinch runner. Ayala proceeded to walk Gabe Kapler.

Finally, in a long at bat, Ayala was able to get Rickie Weeks to swing a miss at a slider in the dirt on a 2-2 pitch to end the game.

The Mets are 2-0 in September, 78-61 overall. They also maintain a two game lead on the Philaldephia Phillies.