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With the exception of a start by Mark Mulder (who won't pitch in the playoffs because of injury), the Mets hit Cardinals starting pitching hard during their season series. For St. Louis, Albert Pujols, at .250 (5-for-20), hit well below his season average but still managed to slug two homers and collect nine RBIs against the Mets.
Neither team threw its ace in the season series, as Pedro Martinez didn't pitch for the Mets and Chris Carpenter didn't take the ball for the Cardinals.
Season Series: Mets win, 4-2.
May 16: Mets 8, Cardinals 3
Busch Stadium
Jeff Suppan allowed a Paul Lo Duca RBI double in the seventh, breaking a 3-3 tie. The Mets followed with four runs against the Cards' bullpen after a one-hour, 41-minute rain delay.
May 17: Cardinals 1, Mets 0
Busch Stadium
Steve Trachsel logged a terrific start, but Mulder threw his best outing of the year. The left-hander took a shutout into the ninth, and Jason Isringhausen worked out of a jam for the save.
May 18: Cardinals 6, Mets 3
Busch Stadium
Pujols received his first day off of the 2006 season, but the Cards still scored six runs and tallied eight hits off Jose Lima and several relievers.
Aug. 22: Mets 8, Cardinals 7
Shea Stadium
Carlos Beltran hit a two-out, walk-off homer off Isringhausen, besting a two-homer, seven-RBI night from Pujols.
Aug. 23: Mets 10, Cardinals 8
Shea Stadium
Mulder returned to the St. Louis starting rotation after missing two months with shoulder problems, but the Mets pounded him for nine runs in three-plus innings.
Aug. 24: Mets 6, Cardinals 2
Shea Stadium
Jason Marquis allowed five runs in six innings, and left-hander Dave Williams shut down a Cardinals offense that had tallied 33 runs over its previous six games.
Conor Nicholl is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
