Glavine guides Mets

NEW YORK -- The laundry is different, of course. As comfortable as he'd become after 16 seasons of picking his clothes off the rack in Atlanta, Tom Glavine elected to do his shopping in New York and try to make a fashion statement in blue and orange.

But really, other than the flecks of gray that peek out from under his cap, what else has changed about Glavine, whether he was facing Joe Carter or Paul Molitor in 1992, Albert Belle and Manny Ramírez in '95, Mike Piazza and Robin Ventura in '99, the Killer B's in Houston in 2001, or the Cardinals of Albert Pujols last night in Shea Stadium.

The posture, as erect as ever. The eyes, set in unwavering purpose. The face, betraying no hint of doubt. And the lefthander's signature changeup, the pitch that will take Glavine one day to Cooperstown, N.Y., rendering the game's best hitters as helpless now at age 40 as it did when he was 25 and 30 and 35.

"It seems timeless, because I've been watching him forever," said New York closer Billy Wagner, who after Glavine threw seven scoreless innings put the finishing touches on the Mets' 2-0 win over the Cardinals in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series. ``He's just been consistent so long, everybody comes to rely on how great he is and how consistent he is, you tend to overlook him.

"Growing up a Tom Glavine fan, I mean, it's not surprising to see what he does."

Glavine, who gave up just four hits and did not allow a Cardinals base runner past second, extended his postseason scoreless streak to 13 innings in his 16th start in an LCS, a record. Glavine became a winner when Carlos Beltran, who must torment Cardinals manager Tony La Russa in his sleep, hit a two-run home run off Jeff Weaver in the sixth.

Beltran's coming-out party came at La Russa's expense two years ago as an Astro, when he hit .417 with four home runs and nearly knocked the Cardinals out of their World Series rendezvous with the Red Sox. Beltran's home run, which traveled an estimated 430 feet to right, followed a two-out single by catcher Paul Lo Duca.

``In a game like tonight where Weaver was pitching so well, we have to try and match what he's doing and hope for that one crack in the armor," Glavine said. ``We got it with Paul getting that big two-out base hit, and then Carlos hitting the big home run off him."

Did the home run bring any flashbacks for Beltran, who parlayed that spectacular postseason into a huge contract from the Mets? ``Of course," he said. ``Every time you do something in October it means a lot."

Wagner, who has been around the block a few times himself -- he's 35-- often chauffeurs Glavine to the ballpark, since they both live in Connecticut. He did so last week, before Glavine threw six shutout innings at the Dodgers, and did so again yesterday.

``His first start, he was real chatty and doing all the talking, which is very unusual in my car," Wagner said. ``It was fun, because we were both nervous. It was great to see somebody like that nervous. This game, he just seemed . . . calm. He wasn't as chatty. Had the radio on, and just cruised in."

The Mets did not want to allow Pujols a chance to beat them, which is what made the eighth inning so pivotal. That's when Guillermo Mota, who had replaced Glavine to start the inning, threw seven consecutive balls, walking David Eckstein and falling behind Preston Wilson, 3 and 0, with Pujols on deck.

Mets pitching coach Rick Peterson practically sprinted to the mound after Mota threw ball one to Wilson. But that didn't help Mota's aim until he was within a pitch of bringing Pujols to the plate as the potential go-ahead run.

That's when Wilson took two called strikes, fouled off two pitches, then lifted a weak popup into foul territory, where it was gathered in by first baseman Carlos Delgado. Pujols thus was forced to lead off the next inning, and lined out to first as Wagner closed out the Cardinals.

``Everybody talks about pitching to Albert," Lo Duca said, ``but the key is to keep the two guys in front of him off base in certain situations so you don't have to face him. That was huge."

Until Beltran's home run, Weaver was turning the NLCS into a personal salvage mission, having borne in recent years as much indignity as a pitcher with his pedigree should have to endure. When he was with the Yankees, someone once posted him for sale on eBay; that October, he gave up an extra-inning home run to Alex Gonzalez in Game 4 of the 2003 World Series that remains the biggest hit of Gonzalez's career, even as he has gone on to the Red Sox from the Marlins.

The greatest indignity of all came this spring, when Weaver was designated for assignment by the Angels to make room for his little brother, Jered. Even the laid-back fans of Anaheim, Calif., called for his head.

But Weaver seemed to find himself after coming to the Cardinals, pitched five scoreless innings against the Padres last week, and had allowed only Shawn Green's single in the third until the Mets struck in the sixth.

``It pains me there's going to be an `L' next to Jeff Weaver's name," La Russa said. ``No way he should have been the losing pitcher."

Gordon Edes can be reached at edes@globe.com