Jeff Suppan’s lone 2006 start against the Mets wasn’t good, but he’s held a few of the Mets veterans down historically. As with any mediocre pitcher, the question is whether Suppan will be tough or roughed up against a strong lineup tonight in Game 3.

On May 16, Suppan allowed four earned runs on six hits over 62/3 innings in an 8-3 loss. But Shawn Green is 3-for-24 with no homers, Carlos Delgado is 6-for-29 with just one homer, Carlos Beltran is 2-for-11 with no homers and Cliff Floyd is 4-for-21 with one homer against the Cardinals righty.

The Mets offense, though, begins with Jose Reyes (2-for-6 lifetime) and Suppan knows it.

“He does a lot of things well,” Suppan said Wednesday. “Obviously, keeping him off base is key. But you just try to make your pitches, make him hit it on the ground.”

Instead of Game 2, Suppan played the waiting game instead. He was pushed back two days, but it might work out better for a few reasons.

The Cardinals righty was originally slated to start on Thursday, but he was supplanted by Cards ace Chris Carpenter due to Wednesday’s rainout. The Cards wanted Carpenter to pitch as early as possible in the series and on normal rest.

Suppan said he wouldn’t be dismayed by Wednesday’s rainout, but it bears watching how he’ll respond.

“I think you try to keep it as normal as possible,” Suppan said. “It doesn’t matter when you’re pitching.

“As an athlete, as a baseball player, you have to deal with distractions or delays or, you know, you kind of just deal with it and you prepare the best you can.”

The 31-year-old pitches better at Busch Stadium than on the road. Suppan was 7-2 with a 3.18 ERA in St. Louis, 5-5 with a 5.36 ERA outside the city.

If there’s a Game 7, here’s a positive sign for St. Louis: In 2004, Suppan won Game 7 of the NLCS versus Houston, outdueling Roger Clemens. He allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits over six innings, fanning six.