"Tommy was superb tonight," Mets manager Willie Randolph said. "We've been picking each other up all year. Tommy has a lot of post-season experience. You always feel good handing him the ball. He's always ready. He was the key tonight."

"I understand the importance of when I'm pitching now," admitted [Tom Glavine], who threw six shutout innings against Los Angeles in the first round. "But at the same time, I'm trying to mentally play games with myself and dismiss that.

"It pains me to put an 'L' next to [Jeff Weaver]'s name," St. Louis manager Tony La Russa said. "No way was he a losing pitcher."