• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Santana goes the distance as Mets roll over Cardinals

Jul 27, 2008 - 8:53 PM By Doug Mittler PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

FLUSHING, New York (Ticker) -- On a day the New York Mets sorely needed a long outing, Johan Santana went the distance on Sunday.

Santana pitched a six-hitter for the first complete game by a Met in close to two years and Fernando Tatis and Ramon Castro hit two-run homers in a five-run sixth inning as New York routed the St. Louis Cardinals, 9-1, in the rubber game of their three-game series.

David Wright also homered for the Mets, who pounded Kyle Lohse (12-3) for seven runs and 11 hits and won for the 15th time in their last 19 games.

The Cardinals outlasted the Mets, 10-8, on Saturday night in a 14-inning game that lasted over five hours and saw 16 pitchers. Both teams needed long outings from their starters and it was Santana who delivered in his marquee matchup with the surprising Lohse, who had won his previous nine decisions.

"We needed that big. I think (Santana) needed that," Mets manager Jerry Manuel said. "He was adamant about going back out there in the ninth."

Santana pitched eight effective innings against Philadelphia in his last start, but lost his chance at a victory when the Phillies scored six times in the ninth off the Mets' bullpen.

"The last game I was told that I was done. I respect that," Santana said. "In the end it didn't happen. That's the way it goes."

The two-time American League Cy Young Award winner left nothing to chance, pitching the first complete game by a Met since Oliver Perez on September 6, 2006 against the Atlanta Braves.

"After last night, I was prepared for this. I was prepared to go as deep as I could," said Santana, who threw 118 pitches overall, striking out five and walking one in his seventh career complete game.

Santana (9-7) was helped by Carlos Beltran, who made a leaping catch at the center field wall to take away a home run from All-Star Ryan Ludwick in the seventh.

"Tremendous. It reminded me of Endy's catch," said Manuel, referring to the spectacular grab by Endy Chavez in Game Seven of the 2006 NLCS.

Albert Pujols, who hit the game-winning homer in the 14th on Saturday, followed immediately with his 20th shot for the lone St. Louis run.

Santana also drove in his first RBI of the season with a single in the seventh.

The Cardinals have lost five of their last six games.

Lohse lasted five-plus innings and lost for the first time since May 9 at Colorado.

"It was one of those games where you had trouble getting into a groove," Lohse said. "I just didn't have good stuff."

The Mets scored twice off Lohse in the second, with Jose Reyes doubling and later scoring on a sacrifice fly by Carlos Delgado before Beltran followed with an RBI single.

"After three innings, (Santana) had about 20 pitches and Kyle had about 60. He was working three times as hard," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said.

Wright hit his 20th home run of the season in the fifth to make it 3-0.

"We had a series of good at-bats against (Lohse), and when you do that, good things happen," Wright said.

Tatis, who belted a game-tying home run in the ninth inning on Saturday, connected on a two-run shot following a single to Beltran. Damion Easley singled and Castro ended Lohse's day with a two-run homer that made it 7-0. Wright drove in his second run of the inning with a single.