Francisco Rodriguez recorded a single-season record 62 saves last season. So was there really any reason for concern last night?

You betcha.

Conjuring his inner-Billy Wagner, and with some assistance from first-base ump Bill Welke, K-Rod issued a pair of walks and allowed the Reds to load the bases with one out in the ninth while protecting a two-run lead. He ultimately struck out Alex Gonzalez and retired Laynce Nix on a flyout to the track as the Mets survived, 9-7.

"I've heard that he can get on the high wire a little bit, but he always seems to figure his way off," Jerry Manuel said. "I sat there and said, 'Maybe that's what this is - the high wire. Just enjoy it.' See if I can hang on it. He's doing all right, but I'm not."

Said Carlos Delgado: "It wasn't pretty. It wasn't quick. But we got a win."

An unusual call helped the Reds load the bases in the ninth. Sandwiched between walks, Edwin Encarnacion sent a grounder to third. Welke ruled Delgado had pulled his foot off the base while receiving the throw and called Encarnacion safe.

"I thought I was on the bag," said Delgado, who couldn't recall the last time he was not given credit on such a close play, especially at a critical moment.

Said Rodriguez: "I was kind of surprised."

Despite Mike Pelfrey's breakthrough 2008 performance, and despite John Maine and Oliver Perez having 15-win seasons as Mets on their r?sum?s, so much is uncertain about how the rotation will perform beyond Johan Santana because of the trio's lackluster springs.

Sure enough, an uplifting Opening Day by the retooled bullpen quickly was offset last night by a woeful first inning in which Pelfrey required 44 pitches to retire three Reds. Yet the Mets rallied to win anyway.

The Mets knocked out All-Star Edinson Volquez in the fifth and Pelfrey recovered from a miserable opening frame to get credit for the victory. Delgado had four RBI as the Mets improved to 2-0.

Pelfrey narrowly got through the fifth with the lead. With the Mets leading 5-4, two out and runners on the corners for the Reds, Jay Bruce broke for second base. Pelfrey stepped off the mound and made an off-line throw to Luis Castillo. Castillo strayed wide to intercept the throw, then fired to the plate in time to retire Joey Votto racing home, ending Pelfrey's night at 104 pitches.

"I probably could have done a little better job," Pelfrey said about the pickoff move called by Brian Schneider.

Two days after the retooled bullpen recorded 10 outs, the bullpen's perfection briefly continued with a scoreless sixth by Bobby Parnell. Pedro Feliciano allowed the relief corps' first 2009 blemish in the seventh when he was charged with two runs, the second scoring after Sean Green inherited Feliciano's runner.

No matter. A half-inning earlier, the Mets had taken a 9-4 lead on Delgado's fourth RBI and Schneider's three-run double against reliever Mike Lincoln.

The Mets had surged ahead, 5-4, with a three-run fifth. Delgado, who belted a two-run homer in the first, had a run-scoring bases-loaded groundout. Carlos Beltran provided the lead with a two-run single that chased Volquez.

Delgado never should have batted with the bases loaded in the fifth, but Jose Reyes screened the shortstop Gonzalez on David Wright's would-be double-play grounder and Gonzalez muffed the ball.

After Delgado blasted a two-run homer off Volquez in the first, Votto answered with a three-run homer off Pelfrey. Pelfrey, who had a 7.77 spring ERA, didn't record an out until his 21st pitch.

Delgado slugged a low-and-in fastball from Volquez 438 feet into the right-field stands. The shot gave the Mets a 2-0 lead and Delgado his 470th career homer, moving him within five of matching Stan Musial and Willie Stargell at 28th on the all-time list.