Mets rain on Cardinals’ parade

Tom Glavine patiently watched the St. Louis Cardinals celebrate the World Series title, a championship the New York Mets could have won.

Then the 41-year-old went out and set a good example for how the Mets might finish the job this season, beating the champions, 6-1, in the major league opener on Sunday night.

Glavine earned his 291st win, and Carlos Delgado put the Mets ahead with an early two-run double off Chris Carpenter.

Paul Lo Duca had three RBIs and made a nifty tag at the plate for the Mets, who lost to St. Louis in Game 7 of the 2006 NL championship series, which ended when Carlos Beltran took a called third strike from Adam Wainwright with the bases loaded in a 3-1 loss.

Glavine, counted on to lead the Mets’ rotation while Pedro Martinez recovers from shoulder surgery, gave up one run and six hits in six innings before Pedro Feliciano, Joe Smith, Aaron Heilman and Billy Wagner finished.

“I think he’s better than ever myself,” St. Louis Manager Tony La Russa said of Glavine. “Guys that do it for years and years and years are amazing.”

Carpenter, who topped the major leagues with a 1.81 earned-run average at home last year, retired his first five batters, then allowed the Mets to go nine for 15 with a sacrifice and a walk against him the next 2 1/3 innings.