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hearts to pine over


Those sad-sack Mets meet the St. Louis Cardinals

Jun 30, 2008

Tonight at 7 p.m. on ESPN it’s a matchup of the National League’s most underachieving and overachieving baseball teams, the New York Mets and the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Mets have been in a tailspin since last fall, when they lost 10 of 14 games, surrendered the division lead they’d held since May and fell out of the playoffs on the final day of the regular season. The team added Cy Young winner Johan Santana in the offseason to complement the big bats of Carlos Beltran, Jose Reyes and David Wright. Once again, they seemed like a sure bet to win the division.

But the acquisition hasn’t seemed to help. Through Friday, the Mets were in third place in the NL East and a game below .500, a disappointing start that resulted in the dismissal of manager Willie Randolph nearly two weeks ago.

The St. Louis Cardinals, on the other hand, weren’t expected to finish second in the division this year, let alone the NL, but they have the league’s second-best record this year, behind only the Chicago Cubs.

Eighteen months removed from a World Series win, the Cards have been decimated by injuries. Starting pitchers Mark Mulder, Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright have all been sidelined, the latter two the top hurlers in the organization. And Albert Pujols, who is third in the NL in batting, is coming off a stint on the disabled list.

Still, if the Mets can right themselves and St. Louis stays hot, it’s conceivable the two teams will meet in the postseason again this fall. They played a memorable seven-game series in 2006, during the Cardinals’ march to the World Series.

ESPN’s “Monday Night Baseball” pulls solid if unspectacular viewership, and should do so tonight. Last week’s matchup of the Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Red Sox averaged 1.57 million total viewers, the network’s fourth-most-watched show of the week.

 

A look at this week’s top TV draws

MONDAY, JUNE 30

Time

Network

Program

Description

7 p.m.

ESPN

“Major League Baseball” (S)

The Mets take on the Cards in St. Louis.

8 p.m.

ABC

“The Bachelorette” (R)

DeAnna takes the final three guys on an island getaway.

9 p.m.

VH1

“46664: A Concert for Nelson Mandela” (A)

Highlights from the London concert celebrating Mandela’s 90th birthday.

9 p.m.

Travel Channel

“Unfriendly Skies: State of Travel” (A)

A look at the trouble plaguing the airline industry.

10 p.m.

ABC

“The Mole” (R)

Competing players need to team up to get out of the freezing cold.

10 p.m.

A&E

“Psychic Kids: Children of the Paranormal” (N)

A 12-year-old helps a teen who claims she’s haunted by spirits.

10 p.m.

Showtime

“Weeds” (C)

Nancy takes her first official trip across the border.

TUESDAY, JULY 1

Time

Network

Program

Description

7 a.m.

NBC

“Today” (N)

Adam West and Burt Ward from the original “Batman” series guest.

8 p.m.

ABC

“Wipeout” (G)

Performed well in its premiere, how will it hold up?

8 p.m.

NBC

“Celebrity Family Feud” (G)

Vincent Pastore and “family” take on the “Girls Next Door” crew.

8 p.m.

ESPN

“ESPY Nomination Special” (A, S)

Nominations for the July 16 event are announced.

9 p.m.

Fox

“Hell’s Kitchen” (R)

The two finalists visit Ramsay’s New York City restaurant.

9 p.m.

Discovery

“Deadliest Catch” (R)

Captain Phil is forced to go to the hospital.

10 p.m.

MTV

“Shot at Love Reunion: Happy Hour” (R)

Season finale. Tila chooses this season’s winner, who will likely be single again in a few weeks.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 2

Time

Network

Program

Description

7 p.m.

ESPN

“Major League Baseball” (S)

Important AL East game between the Red Sox and Rays.

8 p.m.

NBC

“Baby Borrowers” (R)

Two of the girls decide to become working mothers.

8 p.m.

Fox

“So You Think You Can Dance” (R)

The final 14 dancers perform.

9 p.m.

History

“MonsterQuest” (N)

A look at reports of cat-sized rats. Eww.

10 p.m.

ABC

“Primetime” (N)

Investigating the 1998 poisoning death of a Wisconsin woman.

10 p.m.

MTV

“The Real World” (R)

The roomies take a vacation in Cancun, Mexico.

10 p.m.

TV Land

“She’s Got the Look” (R)

The final five appear in a commercial with a special guest.

THURSDAY, JULY 3

Time

Network

Program

Description

Noon

NBC

“Tennis” (S)

Coverage of the women’s semifinals at Wimbledon.

8 p.m.

National Geographic Channel

“Man-Made” (N)

A look at real-life spies who use high-tech gadgets in their work.

8 p.m.

NBC

“Last Comic Standing” (R)

Week two of the semifinal round in Las Vegas.

9 p.m.

Fox

“So You Think You Can Dance” (R)

The final 14 will be trimmed to 12.

10 p.m.

CBS

“Swingtown” (D)

Susan attends a fundraiser even though Bruce doesn’t want her to.

10 p.m.

ABC

“Hopkins” (N)

A woman who needs a lung transplant awaits a donor.

10 p.m.

TLC

“Miami Ink” (R)

The guys decide to go golfing but run into trouble with the course’s dress code.

FRIDAY, JULY 4

Time

Network

Program

Description

Noon

NBC

“Tennis” (S)

More Wimbledon semifinals coverage, this time on the men’s side.

8 p.m.

ABC

“Dance Machine” (R)

Tonight a 70-year-old grandmother shows the youngsters how to move.

9 p.m.

NBC

“Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular” (A)

Natalie Morales and Tiki Barber anchor.

9 p.m.

Travel Channel

“4th of July Live!” (A)

More fireworks coverage, this in Washington, D.C.

10 p.m.

CBS

“Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular” (A)

Not feeling New York or D.C.? Give Boston a try.

10 p.m.

CMT

“Trick My Truck” (R)

Season finale. The crew upgrades a honey-maker’s flatbed truck.

SATURDAY, JULY 5

Time

Network

Program

Description

9 a.m.

NBC

“Tennis” (S)

The women’s final at Wimbledon.

3:30 p.m.

Fox

“Major League Baseball” (S)

Pick your division rivalry: either Yankees-Red Sox or Cubs-Cardinals.

5 p.m.

NBC

“Track and Field” (S)

Day seven coverage of the U.S. Olympic trials, from Eugene, Ore.

8 p.m.

Fox

“Cops” (R)

Cops in Portland and Palm Beach stop cars with expired tags, but that’s just where it starts.

11 p.m.

Fox

“Mad TV” (C)

A re-airing of the show’s 300th episode, featuring former cast members.

11:30 p.m.

NBC

“Saturday Night Live” (C)

Jon Bon Jovi hosts and Foo Fighters perform.

SUNDAY, JULY 6

Time

Network

Program

Description

9 a.m.

NBC

“Tennis” (S)

Wimbledon men’s final, live from the All England Club in London.

1 p.m.

Fox

“Formula One Racing” (S)

The British Grand Prix, won last year by Kimi Raikkonen.

3 p.m.

CBS