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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Wearing sunglasses and looking, well, like a
right fielder who was trying to pitch, Derek Bell at least provided
comic relief on a day that had quickly turned disastrous for the
New York Mets.
With the San Diego Padres leading 11-1 Tuesday, Bell pitched
the eighth inning to help save an already-burdened bullpen.
|  | | Damian Jackson's grand slam was the 141st of the season, tying the major-league record. The record was broken later Tuesday by Alex Ochoa of the Reds. |
By the time he walked off the mound, Bell had given up five runs
on three hits and four walks, and the Padres won 16-1.
After Joe Vitiello flied out to end the inning, Bell pumped his
fist. The one-time Padres player received a standing ovation and
tipped his hat to the crowd as he walked into the dugout.
"I was just lobbing it up there, like throwing it to a little
kid," Bell said. "I was floating it up there."
The Mets were in deep trouble because left-hander Mike Hampton
missed the start due to a broken rib, and emergency starter Pat
Mahomes was ripped for 10 runs in four innings, serving up Damian
Jackson's first career grand slam and consecutive second-deck
homers to Phil Nevin and John Mabry.
"I took one for the team," Bell said. "I care most about the
bullpen guys' arms. We're in a race and we need those guys."
Bell's first pitch was clocked at 47 mph. He didn't even look in
to catcher Todd Pratt for signs. Not wanting to mess up his arm,
like Jose Canseco once did making a pitching appearance, Bell threw
fastballs and changeups and stayed away from curves and sliders.
Manager Bobby Valentine visited the mound during the inning,
which included a three-run double by Kory DeHaan.
Bell had pitched in the 1981 Little League World Series and in
high school.
"I had to turn it up on Dave Magadan, because he's from Tampa,
Fla.," Bell said. "That's the one person I didn't want to get a
hit off me, but he got a hit off me. I always watched Dave Magadan growing up and he's a pretty good friend of mine and he's from the
same hometown, and he's going to talk about how he's got a hit off
me now."
Bell went up to Valentine in the fourth inning and told him he
could pitch. When he visited the mound, Valentine told Bell that if
he got tired or tried anything silly, that first baseman Todd Zeile
would relieve him.
"You've got to give him a lot of credit for offering his talent
to go out there," said Pratt, who dropped a popup by George
Williams for an error, allowing the Padres' final run.
Bell "didn't have his good stuff today," Padres manager Bruce
Bochy joked. "He looks like he needs a little work.
"The last thing you want to do is let him get you out," Bochy
said. "Five RBIs or not, that would have been embarrassing."
Mahomes said he couldn't locate any of his pitches. "They knew
what was coming and everything ended up in the gaps or as 400-foot
home runs," he said.
Jackson had three hits, including an RBI double, and drove in a
career-high five runs.
Rookie Adam Eaton (5-2) won his third straight decision and
drove in two runs with a double and a bases-loaded walk.
San Diego, which won its fourth straight, improved to 6-2 this
year against the Mets.
The Mets, who lead the wild-card race, lost two straight for the
first time since July 20-21. They had won eight straight series
before dropping this one to the Padres, with the finale still
remaining Wednesday night.
Hampton fractured a rib while batting against Colorado on
Thursday, so the Mets turned to Mahomes (4-2), who made just his
fifth start this year.
Mahomes gave up the most runs by a Mets pitcher since Bobby
Jones also gave up 10 on June 25, 1997, against Atlanta.
Mahomes hurt himself with five walks, all in the second and
third innings. He issued three straight walks with two outs in the
second, including one to Eaton with the bases loaded to force in
Mabry with the first run. Jackson hit Mahomes' next pitch into the
seats in left field, the Padres' fourth grand slam this year, for a
5-1 lead.
"We really needed the jump start," Jackson said. "We haven't
scored many runs lately."
Mahomes served up five more runs in the third. He walked leadoff
batter Ryan Klesko and Nevin hit a 411-foot homer into the second
deck in left, his 27th of the season. Mabry then hit a 415-foot
shot into the second deck in right, the first homer to land there
since the open end of the stadium was enclosed during a 10,000-seat
expansion in 1997.
It was the first time in 32 years of baseball in the stadium
that consecutive homers have been hit into the second deck.
The Padres added two more runs on three straight doubles by
Ruben Rivera, Wiki Gonzalez and Eaton.
Todd Erdos pitched three scoreless innings for his first save.
Game notes
IF-OF Matt Franco pitched twice for the Mets last year. The
only other position player to pitch for the Mets was infielder Bill
Pecota. ... Mets C Mike Piazza sat out with a swollen shin suffered
when he slid into Gonzalez Monday night and was tagged out on an
inning-ending double play. Piazza also has a bruised hip from one
of his two catches of foul pops Sunday in Los Angeles. ... Eaton
raised his average to .321, with three RBI.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
NY Mets Clubhouse
San Diego Clubhouse
RECAPS
Anaheim 11
Boston 4
Cleveland 14
Oakland 6
Seattle 8
Detroit 4
Texas 5
NY Yankees 4
Toronto 7
Kansas City 5
Tampa Bay 3
Minnesota 2
San Diego 16
NY Mets 1
Philadelphia 5
Cincinnati 4
Houston 10
Chicago Cubs 7
Pittsburgh 6
St. Louis 2
Colorado 7
Atlanta 6
Milwaukee 4
Arizona 3
Los Angeles 14
Montreal 6
Florida 7
San Francisco 5
AUDIO/VIDEO
 The Mets' newest pitcher Derek Bell was looking to have some fun.
wav: 49 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Padres' rookie Adam Eaton enjoyed Derek Bell's pitching debut.
wav: 136 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Padres' manager Bruce Bochy thought Derek Bell needs a little work.
wav: 50 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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