The Mets went into their three-game series with the Cardinals alone in first place by one game. And after taking two out of three from St. Louis, they’ll stay on top of the NL East by at least a game (and maybe more, pending the outcomes of the Phillies and Marlins games). It’s always interesting watching Tony LaRussa’s unorthodox managing style, as he likes to bat his pitcher eighth, play his left fielder in right, his second baseman at third, has pitchers pinch hit for everyday players and he even uses his gardener as his accountant.

Friday, Mets 7-2: Pelfrey Does it Again

Mike Pelfrey continues to flourish, pitching another outstanding game. And the offense continues to pile up runs while he’s on the mound. Pelfrey went seven innings, allowed only one run on seven hits, struck out five and didn’t walk anybody. The Mets are 9-0 in his last nine starts. And it was the fifth straight game that the starting pitcher went at least seven innings―the last time the team did that was in 2001. Endy Chavez sparked the offense with four hits. You know things are going your way when you hit a double that bounces off the pitcher’s leg. The last two times David Wright tried to drive in Chavez, he was pegged out at the plate. The third time’s the charm, though, as that combo accounted for the first run. Jose Reyes smacked a two-run triple in the fourth. He sent a video over to Citizens Bank Park taunting the Phillies dugout. Carlos Delgado remains on a tear, belting a two-run homer. And Argenis Reyes added an RBI single, and then later hit his first career home run. The only blemish: Duaner Sanchez let three staright batters reach base in the ninth. That’s six straight base runners with no outs in his last two appearances. Maybe Billy Wagner should pitch the ninth no matter what the score is.

Saturday, Cardinals 10-8: St. Louis Wins Marathon

Brandon Knight took the mound at 7:10 PM, and 14 innings, five hours nine minutes, 517 pitches, 16 pitchers, 18 runs and 37 hits later, the Cardinals pulled out the victory on an Albert Pujols home run off a tiring Aaron Heilman (three innings pitched). Knight made his first Major League start, and before the rest of the team even took the field, he let in four runs. He buckled down, though, and pitched four scoreless innings after that. The Mets chipped away and eventually took the lead. Jose Reyes had four hits, including a home run. Carlos Delgado is just on fire, smashing two more dingers. But in the sixth, Carlos Muniz and Joe Smith coughed up the lead. But Fernando Tatis amazed again, when he hit a game-tying homer in the bottom of the ninth. The Mets used every pitcher in their bullpen, and even snuck in Dennis Cook for an inning without anyone noticing. The two teams tried to out-character each other as they both kept coming from behind, but the Cards won the war of attrition. The Mets downfall was their feeble production with runners in scoring position―they were one for 89. Robinson Cancel made his first start behind the plate since 1999. And he stole his first career base. He may be a “Sears husky” as Ron Darling said, but for somebody built like a refrigerator, he can run.

Sunday, Mets 9-1: Santana Gets His Complete Game

Johan Santana gave the Mets everything they were hoping for today with a complete-game victory. He just breezed right through the St. Louis lineup, giving up only one run on six hits, with five strike outs and one walk. He even added two hits and an RBI. He’s now 9-7 with a 2.93 ERA. And he gave the bullpen a much-needed day off. The offense erupted for 17 hits, including home runs by David Wright, Fernando Tatis and Ramon Castro. And Carlos Beltran made a spectacular catch, reaching over the fence and robbing Ryan Ludwick of a home run.