Santana Does His Job. Will the Cubs Help?

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↵The Mets needed a victory today to stay alive in the NL wild-card race, so Jerry Manuel let Johan Santana pitch on short rest. Good decision, hoss: Santana went the full nine, giving up no runs and three hits as NY took a 2-0 victory over Florida.
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↵As Santana closed out the ninth, Chicago did the Metropolitans a favor by tallying two in the first inning at Milwaukee off a two-run Daryle Ward blast off the risen Ben Sheets. If Chicago holds on and the Mets win Sunday in the regular season closer, they can at least send it to tiebreakers. But if the Brewers pull this one out, Milwaukee needs no help but a win over the Cubs Sunday to clinch.
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↵There is the off chance both CHI and MIL make it to the dance: if both win out and Philadelphia loses twice to the 100-loss Washington Nationals. So by “off chance” I mean “no chance in Hades.” Suffice it to say, though, that the Mets will be keeping an eye on both the Milwaukee and Philly games for the next couple hours.↵