Each team sent their ace to the mound for game 2.

But the Baltimore Orioles sent him to the mound in a late-season game.

The Mets sent him to the mound, with one strong arm, and saw that he could still swim.

For they were sending 21-game winner Tom Glavine to the mound.

"We're not going to send him to the mound if he can't be effective," Epstein said.

But his decision on which starter to send to the mound against the Cardinals will be based on who has the best camp.

I send four guys to the mound with a combined salary of $11.5 million to preserve the win, and they never get the third out.

They went 25-25 without that remarkably reliable ability to send Gooden, 100-39 in his career, to the mound every five days.

"We sent the right guy to the mound," said Giambi.

The key to victory, literally, was the pitcher Gaston chose to send to the mound.