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Wednesday, Sep. 20 7:10pm ET
Leiter keeps Glavine from 20th win

RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME LOG

ATLANTA (AP) -- The New York Mets desperately needed a win and Al Leiter got them off to a perfect start.

Leiter didn't allow a baserunner for the first 5 1/3 innings and outpitched Tom Glavine as the Mets hit three home runs to beat the Atlanta Braves 6-3 Wednesday night.

Edgardo Alfonzo, Todd Zeile and Mike Piazza hit solo homers as the Mets avoided a three-game sweep and won for just the third time in their last 23 games at Turner Field.

"It's a good win. It boils down to getting over that losing mentality and getting on a winning streak," said Leiter.

"I knew I had a no-hitter going. My belief is if you can get through the sixth inning, you have a chance," said the left-hander, who threw a no-hitter against Colorado on May 11, 1996, when he was with the Florida Marlins.

Perhaps motivated by a tongue-lashing from manager Bobby Valentine following a 12-4 loss Tuesday night, New York moved within four games of Atlanta, its nemesis in the NL East.

Leiter (16-7) and the Mets also prevented Glavine (19-9) from becoming the majors' first 20-game winner.

"We earned it. It's a better feeling when you win," said Valentine. "Al was absolutely outstanding. He was fabulous."

Atlanta manager Bobby Cox also applauded the Mets left-hander.

"The name of the game tonight was Al Leiter," he said.

The Braves magic number for clinching their ninth straight division title remained at seven. The two teams meet next week in another three-game series.

"The Braves aren't going to die for us. We know they want to kick our butts," Leiter said. "But tonight I was focused on the fact that we were facing a great pitcher in Tom Glavine."

The Mets, despite losing two of three, entered the game with a five-game lead over Arizona in the wild card race.

Glavine lost his third straight start in his bid for a fifth 20-win season.

He was not available afterwards, rushing home to be with his pregnant wife, who was scheduled to have induced labor at 5:30 a.m. Thursday.

The Braves threatened late -- loading the bases in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings -- but couldn't break through against Leiter, John Franco and Armando Benitez.

"We have nobody to blame but ourselves in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings," said Chipper Jones. "We just couldn't get the big hit. But give credit where credit it due. They made the pitches."

Leiter gave up two runs -- one earned -- and four hits in 6 2/3 innings. He left with two on and a 3-2 lead in the seventh. After walking Rafael Furcal, Franco retired Andruw Jones to end the threat.

Benitez came on in the eighth with the Mets leading 5-3 after Chipper Jones hit his 34th home run leading off the inning and Andres Galarraga singled with one out.

Benitez walked the next two hitters to load the bases, then retired Keith Lockhart on a pop to third and pinch hitter Wally Joyner on a bouncer to second.

Benitez then retired the Braves in the ninth for his 38th save, tying Franco's team record.

The Mets took a 3-0 lead in the sixth on solo home runs by Alfonzo -- his 22nd -- and Zeile -- his 20th. Glavine gave up three runs and six hits in six innings.

New York also scored in the fifth when Mike Bordick singled with two outs and Glavine walked Leiter, an .055 hitter (3-for-55) on a 3-2 pitch. Benny Agbayani followed with an RBI single to center for a 1-0 lead.

The Braves finally got a baserunner with one out in the sixth when Walt Weiss reached on third baseman Robin Ventura's error.

Weiss advanced to second on a groundout and Furcal singled to left for Atlanta's first hit, scoring Weiss.

Andruw Jones drew a walk and Chipper Jones reached on an infield hit to third, loading the bases, but Leiter got Brian Jordan to pop to first.

The Braves made it 3-2 in the seventh when Javy Lopez and Reggie Sanders drew one-out walks. Weiss singled to left, scoring Lopez, but a baserunning mistake cost the Braves.

On Weiss' single, Sanders rounded second, but couldn't get back in time and was thrown out by left fielder Benny Agbayani.

The Mets scored twice in the eighth off reliever Mike Remlinger. Piazza, who had been 8-for-51 in September, hit his 35th homer and Jay Payton hit a sacrifice fly.

The Mets added their final run in the ninth on Alfonzo's two-out double -- his third hit -- and an RBI single by Zeile.

Game notes
The Mets had lost 13 straight games at Atlanta in September and October, including all three matchups in last year's NLCS. ... The crowd of 48,278 was Atlanta's 23rd sellout of the season. ... Glavine will get another chance to get No. 20 on Monday night in Montreal.