• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Ryan's homer leads Cardinals over Mets

Jun 27, 2007 - 4:59 AM FLUSHING, New York (Ticker) Rookie Brendan Ryan returned the favor for the St. Louis Cardinals with his first major league home run.

Ryan homered to lead off the 11th inning as the St. Louis Cardinals squandered a two-run deficit before edging the New York Mets, 5-3, in the second game of their four-game series.

The Mets had won the opener of the four-game series on Monday on an 11th-inning home run by Shawn Green. New York sent Tuesday's game into extra innings on Tuesday with a home run by Paul Lo Duca in the eighth and an RBI double by Jose Valentin in the ninth.

The Cardinals finally regrouped in extra innings thanks to Ryan, a rookie infielder who belted a full-count pitch from Scott Schoeneweis (0-2) over the left field fence for his third hit of the game.

"I'm a high-energy guy. I think they like that," said Ryan, a California native who said he had 16 text messages of congratulations on his cell phone from the time he hit his homer to the time he got back to his locker.

"What a great moment for him. He had a (heck) of a game," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said.

Ryan had three hits and two RBI and Juan Encarnacion added a run-scoring double for the Cardinals, who defeated the Mets for the first time in five tries this season.

In just his eighth career game, Ryan matched his hit and RBI total from his past seven contests, capping the performance with a clutch homer off Schoeneweis, who saw his ERA rise to 5.86.

"I don't know anything about him and he was on every fastball I threw," Schoeneweis said. "It's just how it has been going. My mom could be in there and hit a home run (off me)."

Adam Kennedy scored the second run of the inning when Jose Valentin booted a ground ball. Ryan, a seventh-round draft choice in 2003, had just six minor-league homers.

"When I saw I was in the lineup, I just prepared myself to help any way I can," Ryan said.

St. Louis thought it had the game wrapped up in the ninth, but Green started a ninth-inning when he battled back from an 0-2 count to draw a two-out walk off Cardinals closer Jason Isringhausen with the Mets leading, 3-2, in the ninth.

"That walked killed me, but it gave a chance for Mr. Ryan to be a hero," Isringhausen said.

With Green running, Valentin lined a 2-1 pitch down the right field line for a game-tying double.

"It's always nice to get a hit like that, but I wish we could have had more of them earlier," Valentin said.

Valentin went to third on a throwing error by catcher Kelly Stinnett but was left stranded when pinch hitter Julio Franco grounded out.

St. Louis originally took the lead with one out in the seventh when Ryan singled before Oliver Perez walked pinch hitter Chris Duncan. Aaron Heilman relieved and Ryan then went to third on a fly ball to right by So Taguchi.

Spiezio lined a pitch back to the box that deflected off Heilman's glove and toward the right of second base. Valentin was unable to make a barehanded play, and Ryan raced home on the infield single to make it 2-1.

The Cardinals added a valuable insurance run in the eighth off Heilman on singles by Encarnacion, Aaron Miles and Ryan.

The Mets cut the deficit in half on Lo Duca's solo blast in the eighth.

Todd Wellemeyer, who made his sixth start since being claimed off waivers from Kansas City, allowed just one run and three hits with three walks and five strikeouts. St. Louis has won each of the six starts by Wellemeyer, who threw a career-high 97 pitches.

"I just stayed in the zone by getting ahead in the count with multiple pitches," Wellemeyer said. "I hope I can stay on a roll."

The righthander used the spacious dimensions of Shea Stadium to his advantage. David Wright, Carlos Delgado and Valentin all flew out to the warning track in the first five innings.

Troy Cate, Russ Springer, Isringhausen and Brad Thompson (6-3) combined to toss 4 1/3 innings of relief, bridging the gap to Randy Flores, who got the final two outs for his first save.

Perez allowed just two runs and five hits, walking three and striking out six in 6 1/3 innings. The Cardinals scored a run in the first on doubles by Spiezio and Encarnacion.

The Mets tied it in their half of the frame when Jose Reyes singled, went to second on a groundout by Lo Duca and scored on a double to right field by Carlos Beltran. Wellemeyer walked two batters with two outs in the sixth, but Carlos Delgado grounded out.

Taguchi singled in the ninth to extend his hitting streak to 18 games.