BEIJING, Oct. 16 (Xinhuanet) -- A sellout crowd of 46,600 St. Louis Cardinal fans were left crying in their beer Sunday in Busch Stadium after the New York Mets muscled up a home plate and battered Cardinal pitchers 12-5 in aGame 4 National League Championship Series victory.

Carlos Beltran hit twohome runs and Carlos Delgado added five RBIs as the Mets evened the best-of-seven series attwo games apiece.

"Well, we had a great approach at the plate today," said Beltran, who has three home runs in the NLCS. "We were letting the guy pitch. We took a few walks. And, you know, it felt good, including myself, when I take a walk and have a guy like Carlos behind me make the guy pay."

The franchise record 12 runs in a postseason game madeleft-handed pitcher Oliver Perez a happy camper.

"I tell you sincerely, Oliver Perez to me is one of the best lefthanders in the big leagues," Beltran said. "Unfortunately he's a kid that needs confidence. I think the experience is what will make him a better pitcher."

Perezwas 3-13 this year and had not pitched since the last game of the regular season

"I'd say that the most important thing was that I remained serene and that I didn't put pressure on myself," Perez said. "I kept the team in the game, and I'd say that was the most important thing."

St. Louis starter Anthony Reyes was yanked for a pinch hitter after giving up two runs on homers, three hits and four walks with four strikeouts over four innings. The Mets got the rest of their runs off the Cardinals' suddenly suspect bullpen to surpass the previous franchise postseason record the 1969 Mets set with 11 runs in Game 2 of the 1969 NLCS.

"I played 12 years and never sniffed the playoffs," said Delgado, who has set a Mets NLCS record with nine RBIs. "This is what every athlete wants to be in, the playoffs with the opportunity to win, and it couldn't happen to a better group of guys."

The Mets victory guarantees the series will return to Shea Stadium after Game 5 in St. Louis Monday evening. Rain is in the forecast and the game is in danger of being rained out. Enditem

(Agencies)