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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
ATLANTA (AP) -- The second-place New York Mets didn't get the man
they wanted to bolster their playoff drive. Then, like rubbing salt
in a wound, the first-place Atlanta Braves showed off their prize
acquisition.
Andy Ashby, picked up in a trade during the All-Star break to
bolster Atlanta's rotation, pitched a four-hitter for his second
complete-game victory with the Braves, 1-0 over the Mets on Sunday
night.
|  | | Since coming to the Braves in a trade earlier this month, Andy Ashby has two complete-game victories to his credit. |
Atlanta increased its lead in the NL East to six games after
taking two of three in the weekend series.
"I could definitely feel the adrenaline, the crowd, the
excitement," said Ashby, who was booed out of Philadelphia after
struggling for a last-place team. "It was exciting. I want to go
to the World Series and win one. That's what you play the game
for."
"You can gain ground quickly, you can lose ground quickly,"
New York's Mike Piazza said. "We could win a few games and be
right back in it."
The Mets won't get back in it with Barry Larkin. They were told
before the game that the All-Star shortstop rejected a proposed
trade from Cincinnati.
To make matters worse, while New York was trying to make up
ground on the Braves, Larkin signed a stunning three-year contract
extension with the Reds.
Asked his reaction, Mets general manager Steve Phillips replied,
"Astonishment." Afterward, most of the players just shrugged off
the incredible turn of events.
"Until the deal was done, we were not counting on it," Piazza
said. "That's baseball. You have to move on."
Ashby (6-7) and the Braves made sure it was a miserable day all
around for the Mets, who are 2-18 at Turner Field since September
1997.
"This was very big," Chipper Jones said. "We definitely don't
want to lose a series in our home ballpark, especially to them.
We've played well against them here and kept them at arms' length.
If we let them win this series, all of a sudden they've got
confidence coming in here later in the year."
Having made a slight tweak in his delivery, Ashby won his fourth
straight start, the last two since being acquired by the Braves. He
struck out seven and walked two in his eighth career shutout, and
first since July 4, 1999, while pitching for the Padres.
"Andy is very established as a No. 1 or No. 2 pitcher in any
rotation," said Wally Joyner, who drove in the game's lone run and
played with Ashby in San Diego. "Having him over here brings back
some fond memories and a lot of confidence. It's good to have him
on the team."
Ashby pitched a seven-hitter in his Atlanta debut, a 4-1 victory
at Baltimore. Then, he benefitted from a rainout at Florida on
Wednesday, having surrendered six runs in three innings before the
game was called.
New York's best chance to score came in the fourth inning, when
the Mets loaded the bases with one out. But Todd Zeile hit into a
6-4-3 double play to end the threat, which might still have
produced a run if Lenny Harris had not been picked off at first
after leading off with a single.
Ashby threw high to first after fielding Jay Payton's dribbler
leading off the ninth, the error allowing Payton to reach second.
But Ashby escaped the jam by getting Piazza on a grounder to third,
and Zeile and Benny Agbayani on grounders to short.
"We had a couple of shots at Ashby," Mets manager Bobby
Valentine said. "He made the error in the ninth, but then made the
pitches he had to."
The Braves scored the only run in the sixth. Brian Jordan led
off with a single to right and came all the way around when Joyner
followed with a double into the right-field corner against Bobby
Jones (4-5).
Jones allowed seven hits in 5 1/3 innings and benefitted from a
brilliant defensive play by right fielder Derek Bell.
In the fourth, the Braves had two runners on with Mets-killer
Jones at the plate. Last year's NL MVP, hitting .367 in his career
against New York, sent a towering drive that seemed headed for the
seats.
Instead, Bell made a perfectly timed leap above the fence,
snaring the ball for the third out.
"When I looked up and saw Derek making a stutter step, like he
was timing his jump, I got a sinking feeling," Jones said. "I
knew what was coming."
Game notes
The temperature at the start of the game was 69 degrees,
much cooler than the 90-plus readings for the first two games in
the series. A line of severe thunderstorms moved through Atlanta a
couple of hours before the game, cooling things down, and the game
was played with a gentle breeze blowing through the stands. ...
Braves reliever John Rocker, who made a memorable return to New
York last month after his inflammatory magazine article, did not
pitch in this series. ... Mets 2B Edgardo Alfonzo missed all three
games against the Braves with a sore hip.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
NY Mets Clubhouse
Atlanta Clubhouse
Barry happy: Reds extend Larkin's contract after all
Signing rubs Mets GM wrong way
RECAPS
Boston 1
Chi. White Sox 0
Detroit 12
Kansas City 9
NY Yankees 5
Tampa Bay 1
Toronto 4
Baltimore 1
Cleveland 8
Minnesota 3
Oakland 5
Anaheim 0
Texas 3
Seattle 2
Cincinnati 5
Arizona 3
Philadelphia 4
Pittsburgh 1
Chicago Cubs 5
Milwaukee 4
San Diego 6
Colorado 4
Houston 15
St. Louis 7
Montreal 7
Florida 6
Atlanta 1
NY Mets 0
Los Angeles 5
San Francisco 0
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Steve Phillips says the Mets could not work out a contract with Barry Larkin.
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