[ThePundit]

Yesterday, far away from the tranquility of Mets camp, Cliff Floyd revealed a most interesting detail from that most painful inning. He said that Willie Randolph was "confused" and that the manager took his cue from bench coach Jerry Manuel.

With the Mets trailing by two runs and runners on first and second with none out in the ninth, Floyd pinch hit for eventual losing pitcher Aaron Heilman and struck out looking against St. Louis closer Adam Wainwright. Many critics thought Willie Randolph should have used a different pinch hitter - Tom Glavine, for instance - to bunt the runners over, putting two men in scoring position with one out.

"I thought he was going to bunt," Floyd, now with the Cubs, said of Randolph. "He thought about it. But Jerry talked him out of it. That's what bench coaches do, I guess. Help them out on decisions."

Advice no help - Newsday.com

[EmpireWF]

C'mon Pundit, trying to stir some trouble? Floyd wasn't ripping Randolph, not in the least. He simply said Randolph was thinking about bunting over or going with Floyd and his power...and Manuel talked him into the latter.

I know some fans wanted a bunt in the situation so Jose Reyes would come up with (potentially) runners on 2nd and 3rd and one out. But we'll never know.