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GAME LOG
NEW YORK -- At least the New York Mets can rely on one thing
this season -- winning when Al Leiter is on the mound.
Leiter pitched eight strong innings and the Mets remained
unbeaten in his eight starts, ending the Colorado Rockies'
season-high four-game winning streak with a 4-2 victory Wednesday
night.
|  | | With nine more Wednesday, Al Leiter has 26 strikeouts in his past three starts. |
"There's a certain aggressive behavior a pitcher has to have in
a tight game. You can't give in to the hitter," Leiter said.
Leiter (5-0) gave up five hits and matched his season-high with
nine strikeouts, giving him 26 in his last three starts. He has won
four straight starts, beginning with a 14-11 victory at Colorado on
April 30. Last year, he didn't win his fifth decision until June
17.
"The game at this level is mental, and when you make a
contribution to your team's winning, you have to feel good,"
Leiter said. "I honestly believe every pitcher should feel like an
ace. If not, you shouldn't be a big-league starter."
Mets manager Bobby Valentine is thankful for Leiter's ace-like
performances.
"You can give him any nickname you want, he's pitched the best
and is the most consistent New York Met pitcher, a good one,"
Valentine said.
Rockies manager Buddy Bell was equally impressed.
"What he's doing now, as opposed to before, is using both sides
of the plate," Bell said. "He comes at you regardless of his
command, and he had great command. He really is a good pitcher, and
they've got a good lineup."
John Franco pitched the ninth for just his second save.
Colorado took a 2-0 lead in the third on Jeff Cirillo's two-out
RBI double and Jeffrey Hammonds' run-scoring single.
The Mets got one back in the bottom half as Benny Agbayani led
off with a single, went to third on Rey Ordonez's hit-and-run
single to right, and scored on Joe McEwing's RBI single. A one-out
walk to Derek Bell loaded the bases, but Rolando Arrojo escaped
further trouble by striking out Edgardo Alfonzo and getting Mike
Piazza to fly to right.
New York went ahead 3-2 in the fifth after there were two outs.
Alfonzo walked, Piazza reached on an infield single, and Robin
Ventura brought them home with a double to the corner in right.
Arrojo got himself into trouble again with two outs in the
sixth. He walked Leiter on a full count, hit McEwing with a pitch
on a 1-2 count, then walked Bell to load the bases after again
getting ahead 1-2. But Alfonzo grounded out to first, leaving the
bases loaded for the second time and ending the threat.
The Mets added a run in the eighth when pinch-hitter Jon
Nunnally led off with a double, went to third on McEwing's
sacrifice and scored on Alfonzo's single.
Arrojo (1-4), who hasn't won in five straight starts, allowed
three runs on six hits and five walks in six innings, striking out
six.
"I thought our guy pitched good too," Bell said. "He threw
more pitches than he wanted to. He can still pitch better than
that. He's getting closer to what we think he can be."
Game notes
The Rockies haven't won five straight since a seven-game
streak from Sept. 6-12, 1998. ... Colorado 1B Todd Helton missed
his second straight game because of a strained right hamstring. He
is listed as day-to-day. "Good possibility he'll play (today). But
if there's any question, he will not play," Bell said. ... Piazza
has hit in 12 of 13 games, going 17-for-47 (.362) in that span. ...
Ordonez, in a 3-for-30 slump coming in, went 2-for-4. ... Franco
appeared in his 501st game with the Mets, extending his club
record. ... Rick Reed, who got a no-decision in Tuesday night's
loss, was presented with the team pitcher of the month award for
April before Wednesday's game. Reed was 3-0 with a 2.21 ERA in five
starts last month.
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Baseball Scoreboard
Colorado Clubhouse
NY Mets Clubhouse
RECAPS
Texas 11
Tampa Bay 6
Kansas City 4
Oakland 3
Cleveland 7
Detroit 2
NY Yankees 9
Chi. White Sox 4
Boston 8
Toronto 0
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Minnesota 0
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Chicago Cubs 6
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Cincinnati 6
Florida 4
San Diego 2
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Arizona 2
Philadelphia 5
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NY Mets 4
Colorado 2
Atlanta 5
San Francisco 4
Houston 0
Milwaukee 0
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