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Thursday, Sep. 14 7:05pm ET
Mets remain 2 games behind Braves | |||||
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
MONTREAL (AP) -- The New York Mets know that every game counts, no matter who the opponent is. Edgardo Alfonzo, Robin Ventura and Jay Payton homered Thursday night as the New York Mets beat the Montreal Expos 10-4 and remained two games behind Atlanta, the NL East leader. Glendon Rusch (10-10) allowed eight hits in 7 1/3 innings, helping increase the Mets' lead to five games over Arizona in the wild card race. "We want to beat everybody down the stretch," Rusch said. "We need to play these guys just like we're playing Atlanta, or just like we're playing Arizona." Alfonzo hit a solo homer in the first off Mike Thurman (4-6) to reach 20 homers for the second straight season. Ventura, in a 2-for-31 slump before his game-tying double in the ninth Wednesday, hit a three-run drive on Sean Spencer's first pitch in the seventh. "He's still a major contributor," Mets manager Bobby Valentine said. "The numbers don't make a big statement, but his presence always does. He's had a lot of key hits for us." Payton, who hit a three-run, game-winning homer in the 10th on Wednesday, added a two-run homer in the seventh. "Jay had another great night and Glendon pitched a great game," Ventura said. "Those are the things that you need." Thurman allowed nine hits and seven runs -- five earned -- and nine hits in 6 1/3 innings. "Thurman didn't have his best tonight, but he gave us innings," Expos manager Felipe Alou said. "We needed innings." After Alfonzo's homer put the Mets ahead 1-0 in the first, Fernando Seguignol's RBI double tied it in the bottom half and Vladimir Guerrero followed with a run-scoring single. Rusch, 2-for-48 at the plate (.042) with no RBI in his career coming in, tied it with a run-scoring single and Derek Bell drew a bases-loaded walk for a 3-2 lead. New York added a pair of runs in the third on Payton's sacrifice fly and Mike Bordick's RBI single. Wilton Guerrero hit an RBI single in the fourth as Montreal closed to 5-3, and the Mets blew open the game with five runs in the seventh. Jose Vidro hit an RBI single in the eighth. Game notesAlfonzo had a career-best 27 homers last season. ... The Mets have seven players with at least 10 homers. C Todd Pratt has eight home runs in 145 at-bats. ... The Expos have signed a two-year agreement with the Clinton Lumber Kings of the Midwest League. The Lumber Kings will replace the Cape Fear Crocs of the South Atlantic League next season as Montreal's Class A affiliate. ... Lee Stevens rejoined the Expos after returning home to Grapevine, Texas, to rest his injured left big toe. | ALSO SEE Baseball Scoreboard NY Mets Clubhouse Montreal Clubhouse RECAPS Boston 7 Cleveland 4
NY Mets 10
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