Willie Seems To Be Safe as Mets head out West

Coming into the weekend series, it was do-or-die for Willie and his coaching staff against the Rangers. After an impressive 7-1 win or Friday night, and a rain out last night, the Mets and Rangers were back at it today for a rare back-to-back doubleheader.

In game 1, the Rangers took a 1-0 lead in the top of the 3rd after Ian Kinsler singled in Catcher Gerald Laird, who also singled. In their half of the 4th, the Mets got even after a Carlos Delgado home run. The tie was short lived however, after the Rangers went up 3-1 after Third Baseman Ramon Vasquez homered to right, scoring First Baseman Frank Catalanotto, who led of the top of the 5th with a single to right.

Carlos Beltran homered to center in the bottom of the 6th for the Mets to inch them closer 3-2, but in the top of the 7th, Ramon Vasquez singled to center for the Rangers, scoring Left fielder David Murphy who singled to left to lead of the inning, and Gerald Laird, who also singled to left in the inning to give the Rangers a 5-2 lead. They went up 7-2 after Kinsler homered to left to score Vasquez. In the top of the 8th, Right Fielder Milton Bradley homered to put the Rangers up 8-2, and the game seemingly out of reach for the Mets.

However, the Mets showed some fight in the bottom of the 8th as Delgado singled to score Carlos Beltran, who walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch to make the score 8-3. Damion Easley then grounded into a fielder's choice to score Delgado, after new comer Trot Nixon moved Delgado to 3rd after a double to right.

With the score 8-4, pinch hitter Fernando Tatis who hit for Pitcher Scott Schoeneweis, singled in Trot Nixon. The score remained 8-5 until the bottom of the 9th when Luis Castillo scored on a Beltran single. Castillo singled to left to lead off the bottom of the inning, and moved to third after David Wright walked.

With the score 8-6 and Wright on 2nd, pinch hitter Ramon Castro brought in Wright with a single to move the Mets within 1. However, Damion Easley stranded Nixon at 2nd who walked, when he flew out to left to end the game.