Mets 2-1 in Seven, long hours and 20 innings.

It took nearly 7 hours, 20 innings and almost every player on both sides but the Mets finally succeeded in winning a game that went more than 20 innings. They outlasted the Cardinals last night in a 2-1 contest. As to be expected in such a game weird things happened as players played where they never had before in a major league game.

Alex Cora of the Mets, usually a shortstop, filled in at first base for an inning or two and made a fantastic catch of a foul ball as he fell into the stands. John Maine, Sunday night's starting pitcher for the Mets, came in as a pinch runner. Another member of the pitching rotation, Oliver Perez came out on deck to pinch hit at one point but never got into the game. Starter Jonathon Niese did come in to pinch hit. And starter Mike Pelfrey came entered the bottom of the 20th in relief and got the save.

For the Cards, Kyle Lohse, usually a starting pitcher, played left field for three innings. Filipe Lopez, who hit a grand slam for all the Cardinal runs in Friday night's 4-3 win, started at short, moved to third, pitched one inning (the 18th) and then went back to third base. Joe Mather pinch hit in the 10th inning and then stayed around to play center, third base, and then pitch the final two innings absorbing the loss.

There were many players on both sides that played all 20 innings, but the one that stands out in my mind is Yadier Molina who caught all 20 innings for the Cardinals. He and home plate umpire C.B. Bucknor deserve a day off.

Take a gander at this box score.

The hitters' batting averages certainly did not improve much in this one, but the pitchers' ERAs plummeted as well--and that's a good thing.

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The Mets have played in some of the longest games in baseball history--and usually ended up holding the short end of the stick. They have lost games that went 23, 24 and 25 innings.

They lost to the Giants 8-6 in 23 innings at Shea on May 31, 1964--the second game of a double header!!

Then the Astros beat them 1-0 in a 24-innings on April 15, 1968, at the Houston Astrodome.

They dropped a 4-3 contest to the St. Louis Cardinals on September 11, 1974, at Shea Stadium after seven hours four minutes, and 25 innings. A game that also tied for the longest game played to a decision in major league history. That game ended at 3:13 AM ET.