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  Wednesday, Jul. 19 7:05pm ET
Mets' rally makes winner of Mahomes
 
  RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME LOG

MONTREAL (AP) -- Derek Bell backed up a good defensive play with a little offensive insurance.

Pinch-hitter Joe McEwing delivered a two-run single and scored on Bell's single as the New York Mets rallied in the eighth inning to beat the Montreal Expos 5-3 Wednesday night.

Trailing 2-1, New York's Lenny Harris hit a run-scoring triple in the seventh to tie it.

Lenny Harris
The Mets' Lenny Harris, filling in for the DL'd Robin Ventura at third, makes a diving catch on a grounder by Chris Widger for the out.

Vladimir Guerrero hit an RBI double that put the Expos ahead 3-2 in the bottom half. Bell prevented Montreal from scoring again in the inning, catching Lee Stevens' fly ball to right field and throwing out Jose Vidro at the plate.

"That was obviously a key play," Mets catcher Mike Piazza said. "I was fortunate the ball stayed in my glove. The throw was a little short and I don't really recall what happened. I just remember catching the ball and trying to stretch for the runner, and fortunately the ball stayed in my glove and I got the tag. It wasn't pretty, but it worked."

The Mets won their third in a row. Montreal has lost four straight and eight of nine.

"It was a good throw, a big-league play by a club that's playing for something," Expos manager Felipe Alou said. "You have to make that play. You have to make that throw if you have aspirations to be in a pennant race. Good teams make those throws. The margin is very minimal."

Guerrero, who started in right field after serving as Montreal's designated hitter for the final two games of its series in Boston, left the game after the seventh due to a right hip flexor.

"We didn't want to play him today, but we're hurting," Alou said. "He doesn't want any days off."

Jay Payton and Benny Agbayani singled off reliever Steve Kline (1-3) to lead off the Mets eighth.

Melvin Mora sacrificed, and McEwing hit a soft single to center for a 4-3 lead.

"I'm a very humble person, so when I say that I just want to be a piece of the puzzle, it's true," McEwing said. "We're all in this for one common goal and that's to win. It definitely feels good to be able to help the ballclub."

Bell added a single for a two-run lead.

Pat Mahomes (4-1) won in relief. Armando Benitez pitched the ninth for his 22nd save in 26 chances.

The Expos placed right-hander Tony Armas Jr. on the 15-day disabled list just hours before he was scheduled to start.

Armas, bothered by a strained right rotator cuff, told Alou that he couldn't pitch when he arrived at Olympic Stadium late in the afternoon.

Emergency starter Felipe Lira allowed two hits -- including Todd Zeile's leadoff homer in the second -- and walked two in three innings.

Mets starter Glendon Rusch allowed six hits and two runs in six innings. He struck out four and walked three, after not allowing a walk in his last four starts.

"Definitely, Glendon deserves better," New York manager Bobby Valentine said. "He threw a lot of pitches through six, but they were all quality pitches. And he gave up two runs, so what are you going to do? That's usually enough to win.

"We're just waiting for him to come out of the game and we score. If that's the way we have to do it to get a win, Glendon will be happy and we'll be happy."

After Zeile's 15th homer gave New York a 1-0 lead, Montreal rookie Milton Bradley tied it in the bottom half with an RBI single in his second major league at-bat. Chris Widger's run-scoring triple in third put the Expos ahead 2-1.

Bradley, recalled from Triple-A Ottawa earlier in the day, hit three straight singles for Montreal in his major league debut after fouling out to right while leading off the first.

Game notes
The Mets recalled right-hander Jim Mann for the third time this season Wednesday, and lefty Bobby M. Jones was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk. Mann, who made his major league debut on May 29, allowed a total of four hits and three earned runs over 2 2/3 innings in his two previous stints with the Mets. Jones was 0-1 with a 10.50 ERA in just three games with New York this season. ... Armas was placed on the 15-day DL list for the second time this season because of the shoulder problem. He began the season on the DL because of tendinitis in his right elbow. RHP Guillermo Mota was recalled from Triple-A Ottawa. ... The Expos also placed OF Terry Jones on the 15-day disabled list earlier in the day because of a strained right quadriceps. ... Bradley was batting .298 with six homers and 25 RBI for Ottawa. ... Montreal relievers Scott Strickland and Anthony Telford both made their first plate appearances of the season. Strickland, batting for the first time in the majors, struck out in the fourth and Telford flied out.
 


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