| |
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
|
GAME LOG
NEW YORK (AP) -- After putting the New York Mets in an early hole
with a misplay in the field, Jay Payton atoned before it got too
late.
Payton scored the tying run in the ninth inning and hit a
game-winning three-run homer in the 10th as the struggling Mets
rallied to beat the Milwaukee Brewers 4-1 Wednesday.
|  | | Mike Hampton limited Milwaukee to four hits in eight innings but didn't get the victory. |
"I didn't want that one ball to be the determining factor,"
Payton said of Richie Sexson's first-inning flyball that fell
between him and Lenny Harris for an error that led to the only run
until the ninth.
After waiting eight innings, Payton made sure it wasn't, leading
the Mets to their second straight win after starting the month 2-8.
New York entered the day two games behind first-place Atlanta in
the NL East and 4½ ahead of Arizona for the wild card.
With one out in the 10th, Mike Bordick singled off Juan Acevedo
(3-7). Joe McEwing then hit a popup to shallow center and slammed
his bat to the ground. But there was confusion between shortstop
Mark Loretta and center fielder Marquis Grissom, and the ball fell
in for a single.
"I called for the ball about the same time he did," Grissom
said. "He just couldn't get out of the way and I pulled up because
I didn't want to run into him."
One out later, Payton hit a first-pitch slider over the fence in
left-center for his 14th homer.
Payton pumped his fist and yelled out, "Yeah, baby!" after the
ball cleared the wall. His teammates rushed out of the dugout and
mobbed him, letting out two weeks of frustration.
"I thought I got out in front of it and he was going to catch
it," Payton said. "But then it started carrying. It doesn't
matter how we win the games. We need any win we can get right
now."
After managing only four hits in eight scoreless innings against
Jeff D'Amico, Payton led off the ninth with a double against Curtis
Leskanic and moved to third on a groundout.
"The guy who really changed the whole game was Payton,"
Brewers manager Davey Lopes said. "He hits the ball the other way
in the ninth inning. That was a good piece of hitting."
After Mike Piazza struck out for the fourth time, Robin Ventura
lined a double to left field. Ventura had been in a 2-for-31 slump.
"I'll take any positive I can get right now," Ventura said.
"When we win a game, it's a great day."
The Brewers' bullpen had a 2.49 ERA since Aug. 1 -- second-best
in the majors -- before unraveling against the Mets.
"I could have gone back out there but I felt a little dizzy,"
D'Amico said. "It was a 1-0 game. I think you have to hand it over
to the closer."
Armando Benitez (4-4), out the past three days with a sore right
big toe, pitched the 10th for the win.
Mike Hampton threw a temper tantrum in the dugout after his last
start -- a 2-0 loss to Philadelphia on Saturday -- tossing his glove
and hat, and knocking over two water coolers.
This time he was in complete control, allowing one unearned run
and four hits in eight innings. He was done in by the early error
and the Mets' quiet bats.
"I feel satisfied that I did my job," Hampton said. "I told
Jay that stuff happens. We have the same goal in mind. He ended up
winning the game for us."
The Brewers scored an unearned run in the first. Angel
Echevarria walked with two outs and Sexson followed with a fly to
right-center. Payton and Harris called for it and Harris deferred
to the center fielder. Payton pulled up at the last minute, trying
to avoid a collision, and the ball fell, allowing Echevarria to
score on Harris' error.
"I told Mike it was my bad and I'd get it back for him,"
Payton said. "I told the guys I'd buy a steak dinner for anyone
who got that run back. It was my run, not Mike's."
Not all of New York's fielding was shoddy. Bordick turned a
spectacular double play in the seventh inning that even drew
applause from his teammates in the dugout.
Bordick fielded Raul Casanova's hard grounder toward shortstop,
stumbled toward second and touched the bag with his glove while
falling down, rolled over and threw from the ground to complete the
double play.
Piazza, in a 5-for-34 slide, struck out all four times he batted
for just the second four-strikeout game of his career.
Game notes
Hampton is 1-2 with a 1.41 ERA in his last four starts. ...
The Mets, who are 33-37 on the road, head out on an 11-game road
trip to Montreal, Atlanta and Philadelphia. ... New York has 15
wins when trailing after six innings, the most in the majors. ...
Grissom became the 65th player to reach 400 stolen bases.
| |
ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Milwaukee Clubhouse
NY Mets Clubhouse
RECAPS
Minnesota 7
Oakland 6
Cleveland 10
Boston 3
NY Yankees 3
Toronto 2
Chi. White Sox 1
Detroit 0
Baltimore 9
Texas 4
Anaheim 8
Tampa Bay 4
Seattle 2
Kansas City 1
NY Mets 4
Milwaukee 1
Cincinnati 13
Chicago Cubs 3
Philadelphia 15
Montreal 5
St. Louis 9
Pittsburgh 5
Atlanta 4
Florida 0
San Francisco 3
Houston 2
Arizona 3
Los Angeles 2
Colorado 11
San Diego 0
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Bobby Valentine is excited to win 3 of the past 4 while heading on the road.
wav: 65 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Jay Payton talks about his walk-off HR.
wav: 67 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
It wasn't pretty but Mike Hampton will take the win.
wav: 125 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
|
