Liveblog: St. Louis Cardinals vs. New York Mets; 6/26/07

6:30- Watching the pregame show, the guys in the studio mention what happened the last time that the Cardinals were in Shea. Yeah, we get it, the Mets lost in Game 7, thanks for reminding me.

6:35- I wish Keith Hernandez had taken more time off.

Cool. I haven't see a live blog on Armchair in a while. As far as the game, the Cards really need this. They have lsot, if I am correct, 4 straight to the Mets this season. Time for them to get off the snide before they get swept twice.

The Cardinals need this in the worst way. If they get swept, they can probably kiss their season goodbye, even in the weak NL Central.

6:45- Billy Wagner calls Pedro Feliciano the Mets best bullpen pitcher. I agree with him 100%

6:47- Wagner's favorite artist is George Strait, his favorite show is Smallville, and his favorite animal? A cow. Could he be more rural?

7:01- Mention #3 of the 2006 NLCS.

7:02- It's Oliver Perez against Some Guy I've Never Heard of With a 6.55 ERA. Edge: Mets, I think.

7:10- Mention #4 of the 2006 NLCS.

Scott Spiezio's red hair patch has to go down in the Weird Hair Hall of Fame, along with Jake Plummer's neck beard and Drew Gooden's, well, whatever you call the thing on the back of his head.

7:15- I'm sorry, but with 1st base open and Juan Encarnacion on deck, you walk Pujols to set up the double play.

7:17- Reason #546,537 why I'm not an MLB manager: Pujols just flew out and Encarnacion lines a double to center field.

7:18- In case anyone was wondering, Encarnacion's name is Spanish for carnation. Thank you, Keith Hernandez. I'm so glad you were here.

7:23- GET TO THE CHOPPPPPPPPPPAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! Reyes gets a single on a ball that bounces really high.

7:25Paul Lo Duca talking to Willie Randolph after he got ejected:

Paul: I can't believe he called me a psycho.

Willie: Did you see yourself out there? You WERE a psycho.

7:27- Beltran drives in Reyes from second with an RBI double, ties the game up at 1. Keith believes that Beltran has a "beautiful gait." I think they want his Just For Men Free Hair Coloring pass back.

7:30- Wright and Delgado both hit 370-foot shots to right field. Too bad the fence is at 371 feet away. The first ends with a 1-1 tie.

7:33- Mention #5 of the 2006 NLCS.

7:34- Perez strikes out Kelly Stinnett with a backdoor slider. Who doesn't love the backdoor pitches?

7:36- Some guy named Ryan is walked by Perez. I don't know who this guy is, but Gary Cohen appears to not like what happened there.

7:38- Todd Wellemeyer strikes out. Another backdoor slider. Perez loves the backdoor. I'm trying to see how many backdoor jokes I can make in one night.

7:41- Let's take a look at the recent repeat champions in MLB. Why? Who knows? I'm going to have to say that it's not going to happen this year.

7:44- Great explanation of the circle change by Ron Darling. I really do like him as a broadcaster. He's one of my favorites.

7:47- SNY needs to get some new commercials, because I think they have only 10 and they just loop those continuously. It's painful to watch the Mets players read a teleprompter.

7:50- Poll for the night, should the All-Star winner get home-field advantage in the World Series? Answer: NO

7:54- Wow, Albert Pujols is strong. He just poked the ball into right field...for a double.

8:00- Ron Darling tells a story where Tony La Russa overturned the postgame spread table after a tough loss in the early '90s. No word on whether the alcohol survived that barrage. Odds say...it did, but not for too long.

8:01- Remember the Monday Night Football Booth with Dennis Miller in it? I think that's what Keith Hernandez's role is, that comedic relief role. Sadly, he's not very good at that either.

8:04- Beltran strikes out after a 12-pitch AB. That's a really long AB. Probably more like an AAAAAABBBBBB.

Figured i'd let you know, Phils are up 6-1 in the third...

Darling did some research on the shortest pitch count in a complete game. Turns out the record is 58 pitches, somehow. Keith's response? "What's research?"

8:14- David Wright lines a base hit up the middle to lead off the inning. This sets up the double play nicely for Delgado.

8:16- My mistake. Delgado just struck out on 3 pitches, the last two of which were way out of the zone. He looks absolutely awful at the plate right now.

8:17- Well, I called a double play, and there was a double play. I was just one batter too early. Shawn Green with the inning-ending GIDP.

8:21- About 16 years ago, the Mets didn't record an assist against the Phillies. Who was pitching? Keith- Tom Seaver. Just so Keith knows, 16 years ago was 1991, and Tom Seaver retired in 1986. I'm just saying.

8:26- The ball is not carrying tonight. Jose Valentin's flyout was at least the fifth warning-track shot this game.

8:28- Nothing interesting has happened since the first inning. I always pick the worst games for liveblogs.

8:33- Mention #6 of the 2006 NLCS.

8:38- Random Fact for you, courtesy of me. In the 2000 World Series, Roger Clemens faced Timo Perez. 7 years later, Clemens faced Perez in one of the former's minor league tuneups. That's sobering. I wonder where Benny Agbayani is now. By the way, we're through 5 and a half innings. It's still 1-1.

8:48- Beltran just stole a base. That's what I like to see. It's the most interesting thing to happen in about 4 innings.

8:49- Beltran just stole second and third. That's awesome. Delgado's up with two outs, which means the inning will soon be over.

8:52- I hate being right. Delgado hasn't gotten a hit with RISP and 2 outs since the Kennedy administration (OK, since April), and he just grounded out to end the inning.

8:58- Mention #7 of the 2006 NLCS.

9:00- Perez walks back-to-back hitters, and he's done for the night. In comes Aaron Heilman.

9:06- Strange play. Spiezio hits a liner up the middle that deflects off Heilman's glove to Jose Valentin. Valentin has time to make the throw, but he bobbles it and loses the handle. 2-1 Cardinals.

9:12- Great running catch by 2nd baseman Brendan Ryan. 2 outs for the Mets in the bottom of the 7th.

9:14- Carlos Gomez strikes out to end the inning and we go to the top of the eighth.

9:18- Keith Hernandez calls Candlestick Park patrons drunks, basically. Nice job on that, Keith.

9:24- Mention #8 of the 2006 ALCS.

9:25- Ron Darling makes a Cotton Eye Joe reference. I don't know why it's funny when he says it, but it's annoying when Keith does.

9:29- I'm a bad-luck charm for the Mets, they're 0-2 when I do live-blogs. They might be 0-3 after rookie Brendan Ryan lines a base hit into center.

I'm going to stop live blogging now, before it's too late. Goodnight everybody.

Ha, after you leave, lo duca hits a homer!

Shoenweiss shows again why he's the worst signing, by far, in Omars days as Mets GM.

Also - it's amazing how often Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling misuse the words 'well' and 'good'.

IE. Keith always remarks about guys who aren't playing good.