"The Mets acknowledge the past. They respect and accept it, too. They just do not care to relive it. Painful reminders of their debacle of a loss from the night before surfaced at every turn Wednesday night, but the Mets repelled them all in their 6-3 victory against the Philadelphia Phillies at Shea Stadium.

Again, their starting pitcher lasted deep into the game. Again, they built a three-run lead through eight innings. Again, their big hit was a home run.

This time, the starter, John Maine, was rewarded for his effort with a win. This time, the bullpen, with closer Billy Wagner available and effective, fulfilled its responsibility. This time, that homer, a three-run blast by José Reyes that snapped a 3-3 tie in the sixth inning, stood up."