Since the Tank is running low on vacation days (burned a valuable vacation day during Wednesday night's rainout), Linda's Mom is going in my place.

As tonight's guest blogger Linda noted in the title, Comedy Central's Jon Stewart threw out the first pitch like a girl. He must spend more time on his comedy than practicing his pitching. CNBC's Maria Bartiromo and even President Bush in Game 3 of the 2001 World Series (who Stewart is often critical of) are better pitchers than Stewart.

Reyes gets on base with a lead-off double off defending. Lo Duca grounds out to defending NL Cy Young Award winner Carpenter and advances Reyes to third.  Beltran walks on a 3-1 count.  Delgado hits a three run home run toward left-center field and into the new stadium.  Mets 3 - Cardinals 0.  Wright works out a walk.  Shawn Green advances him to second.

The Cardinals counter in the top of the second after Molina doubles in Edmonds and Encarnaction who both walked. Mets 3 - Cardinals 2.

To start the top of the second, Chavez doubles, Maine sacrifices him, and Reyes singles him in.  Mets 4 - Cardinals 2.

The "young couple" to the left where I would have been sitting say hello.  Hi guys! I wish I was there (rather than work).

After a walk to Pujols, Edmonds hits a two run home run that just clears the fence to left-center field. Mets 4 - Cardinals 4.  Willie Randolph needs to call Linda's Mom before it's too late because she kept score last night and has knows the Cardinals tendencies.

Activity in the Mets bullpen.

To start the bottom of the third, Delgado grounds out to Eckstein. Wright works out a walk.  Green works a 3-2 count.  Green "increases the pitch count and increases the peace" (Tank) by fouling off a couple of pitches to work out a walk.  The struggling Valentin grounds out into a double play.  Still Mets 4 - Cardinals 4.

Eckstein and Carpenter walk.  Lo Duca throws the ball away according to the radio but Linda says I jinxed Valentin.  (I said that Valentin is a better defensive player than A-Rod who would have grounded out into a quadruple play given his luck.)  Anyway, Maine thankfully works out of trouble.

Chavez grounds out to open the fourth.  PH Tucker (for Maine) gets Hit By a Pitch.  Reyes grounds to Eckstein but beats out the throw at first.  Lo Duca grounds out to end the fourth, still Mets 4 - Cardinals 4.

Chad Bradford starts the fifth to face King Albert Pujols.  Pujols grounds out to Reyes.  Edmonds flies out to left-center.  Spiezio flies out to Chavez.

To start the fifth, the Tank needs to go to the restroom.

Upon the Tank's return, Linda text messages that Delgado hits another home run to make up for the one that he hit earlier in the game while her Mom was stuck in traffic.  Mets 5 - Cardinals 4.

Hancock strikes out Hernandez. Future UN Secretary General Jose Reyes works out a walk.  Since Hancock is much more deliberate than Carpenter even from the stretch, will Reyes try to steal? On an 0-2 count, Lo Duca doubles down the left field line and Reyes scores.  Mets 6 - Cardinals 4 as the Cardinals go to the bullpen and bring out Flores. Beltran grounds out to Belliard and Lo Duca advances to third. Delgado grounds out to Belliard.  At the end of six, Mets 6 - Cardinals 4.

Mota comes out to start the seventh.  Mota gets the first two batters out but Pujols lines down the left field line but held to a single.  Edmonds is walked. Spiezio hit a ball to right. Did it clear the fence? Tony La Russa thinks so and the umpires confer. The WFAN review the video replay and say Steve's favorite Shawn Green saves a home run.  Spiezio is awarded a triple and the game is tied 6-6.

After Wright flies out and Green grounds out, Valentin singles to break out of a slump.  Chavez is out to end the inning.  Still tied at 6 at the end of 7 innings.

Heilman works out of "water torture" trouble according to Linda in the top of the 8th.  Still tied at 6 going into the bottom of the 8th.

Kinney strikes out the ageless Julio Franco. Reyes gets his third hit of the game and singles to center. Is he going to steal this time? No, as Lo Duca walks on four pitches. Kinney still in the game against Beltran. Beltran grounds out into a double play. Darn it! Still tied at 6 going into the 9th.

Metallica's "Enter Sandman" blares as Billy Wagner comes in from the bullpen to try to hold the game at 6.  So Taguchi hadn't had a hit against Wagner.  "'My stats against Billy Wagner were maybe 0-for-something,' Taguchi said. 'I never got on base, and always strike out, ground ball, pop up. So, I just stayed on top of the ball and try to get on base.'"  For the superstitious, you know what this means since it's Friday the 13th.  Translation: Taguchi's due and hit a home-run over the left-field wall on a 3-2 pitch after starting in an 0-2 count.  The floodgates started to open when Pujols doubled, Spiezio, doubled him home and then Encarnacion singled Spiezio home for the Cardinals to take a 9-6 lead.

New Cardinals reliever Adam Wainwright (instead of Looper) gets the save after getting Delgado, Wright, and Green out in order.  The Cardinals unfortunately win 9-6 and tie the series at one game each. 

Posted by The Tank in NY with Linda reporting live from Shea on a very unlucky Friday the 13th.