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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- John Franco knew there was a reason he came back to the New York Mets' bullpen for another season, a reason he kept playing the game after turning 40 last month.
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GAME 2 AT A GLANCE
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Every game a hero
Al Leiter was certainly brilliant and J.T. Snow provided the most dramatic moment with his game-tying three-run homer, but John Franco gets the nod here. Brought in to relieve Armando Benitez, Franco retired the final three batters of the game, the last of which was Barry Bonds on a called third strike.
Key play
With the bases empty and two outs in the top of the 10th, the Mets' Darryl Hamilton doubled off Giants fireballer Felix Rodriguez. A batter later Hamilton scored the game-winning run on Jay Payton's RBI single.
ESPN analysis
Armando Benitez is still a volatile pitcher. I've said for a long time that if the Mets are going to get to the World Series John Franco has to be a major part of it. We saw it in the at-bat against Barry Bonds. Fastball, fastball, fastball, hard sinker, then he throws that great breaking ball. That's as gutsy a pitch as you can throw. John Franco doesn't throw 100 mph like Armando Benitez, but in October it comes down to heart and Franco's is as big as any pitcher you're going to find.
-- Peter Gammons
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This was why.
Franco, the last hero in a game full of them, got the first
playoff save of his 16-year career by striking out Barry Bonds to
end the 10th inning of New York's 5-4 victory over the San
Francisco Giants on Thursday night.
After Jay Payton's go-ahead single in the top half, Franco did what Armando Benitez couldn't: Franco closed it out as the Mets
survived J.T. Snow's game-tying, three-run homer in the ninth and
evened their best-of-five NL playoff series at 1-1.
Franco has 420 career regular-season saves -- but not much
common ground with his teammates any more. He has a recliner in
front of his locker instead of a stool, and he's quick to change the clubhouse stereo when the youngsters put rap on the system.
But his experience gives him a late-season poise on the mound that Benitez -- already scarred by numerous postseason mistakes -- doesn't have.
Moments after striking out Bonds looking with a delicate
curveball and pumping his fist in joy, Franco said his only concern
was for his shaken teammate.
"He's our closer. The guy's a human being," Franco said. "He's going to make mistakes like we all do. ... It was a team effort, that's all. Jay got the big hit, I got the big out. Saturday, it could be somebody else.
"One of the reasons I came back was because I felt this team could win."
Edgardo Alfonzo's two-run homer in the ninth off Felix Rodriguez
had created a 4-1 lead.
Al Leiter, who held the Giants to four in the first eight innings, gave up a leadoff double to Bonds in the bottom half, and
Mets manager Bobby Valentine went to the bullpen for Benitez.
Jeff Kent reached on an infield single and, one out later, Snow
launched the first pinch-hit homer of his career. The ball hit the
facing of the walkway over right field at Pacific Bell Park and
landed maybe two feet to the left of the foul pole.
"When I hit it, I just hoped it stayed fair," Snow said. "Of course, none of that matters right now."
|  | | Edgardo Alfonzo's two-run blast in the ninth didn't provide enough cushion for the Mets, who had to win Thursday's game in 10 innings. |
As the Giants' fans went wild, Benitez's shoulders sagged into
an all-too-familiar pose. He allowed three game-deciding hits the
1997 AL championship series while he was with Baltimore, including
a game-winning homer by Tony Fernandez that broke up a scoreless
tie in the 11th inning of the series finale and a three-run.
"I've been in a lot of hard situations. I'm not scared by nothing," Benitez said. "It's not easy. It's very hard. I just try to relax and do my job."
But the Mets, who had been 0-5 at Pac Bell, came back in the
10th with a two-out double by Darryl Hamilton, who struck out with
the bases loaded in the eighth inning of the Mets' 5-1
series-opening loss on Wednesday.
Hamilton, who missed about four months of the season because of
an arthritic left toe, lined the ball the right-center and managed
to get to second. Payton followed with a run-scoring single to
center off Felix Rodriguez.
"We knew we were going to get another chance to go up there and
swing the bats," Payton said. "Fortunately, it worked out for
us."
The Giants could have gone to the bullpen for closer Robb Nen,
but the double-switch would have taken right fielder Ellis Burks out of the game, and manager Dusty Baker didn't want to lose Burks' bat. So he trusted Rodriguez, Nen's top setup man.
"It was a heck of a turnaround in a short period of time," Baker said. "We went many innings without anything happening, and then all of a sudden ... things (got) dramatic."
Benitez started the 10th but gave up a single to Armando Rios,
and Valentine called for Franco.
After a sacrifice moved him to second, Rios inexplicably tried
to take third on Bill Mueller's grounder and was thrown out by shortstop Mike Bordick.
Franco ended things dramatically by throwing a called third
strike past Bonds, a curveball that hooked just over the inside
corner. Bonds, who didn't speak to reporters after the game, flung
his bat in protest as the Mets celebrated.
"Tonight was my turn to pick Armando up. He's picked me up,"
Franco said. "Now we want to go to Shea with our fans. They've got
pretty good fans here, but hopefully our place will be rocking."
Until the late-inning craziness, the game was dominated by Leiter. He pitched 4 2/3 hitless innings in the middle and appeared poised to get his first postseason win since 1993.
After allowing a run in the second inning, Leiter held the
Giants hitless from the third through the eighth. He didn't allow
another runner even to reach second base until the ninth.
"I kind of feel bad for Armando. He's been there for us all
year," Leiter said. "I'm happy right now. Doesn't seem like we do
it easy, but that will hopefully build momentum for Game 3."
The Giants lost starting pitcher Shawn Estes in the third inning
when he grotesquely jammed his left ankle into second base while
trying to beat out a force play. Estes limped off the bag and was
tagged out.
Timo Perez had a two-run single to center in the second inning
for New York. San Francisco got one run in the second on Ellis
Burks' RBI double.
Mike Piazza's career .200 playoff average got a boost as the Mets' star catcher went 2-for-4 with a double, though neither of
his hits led to runs.
Bonds, who had two key hits Wednesday after a career of poor
playoff performances, was 1-for-5.
Game notes
X-rays on Estes' ankle were negative. He's day to day. ...
Russ Ortiz (13-12) pitches for the Giants in Game 3 on Saturday
against Rick Reed (11-5).
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
NY Mets Clubhouse
San Francisco Clubhouse
Klapisch: Whew! What a win for Mets
Drehs: The highs and lows of a wild night at Pac Bell
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Mets/Giants postgame news conference.
RealVideo: | 28.8
Bobby Valentine talks with ESPN's Tim Kurkjian.
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Al Leiter talks with ESPN's Tim Kurkjian.
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
 Bobby Valentine feels his team stayed confident in extra innings.
wav: 164 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Dusty Baker feels the Mets got the right hits at the right times.
wav: 158 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
John Franco was happy with his role in Thursday night's win.
wav: 163 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Jeff Kent feels the Giants will go to New York with a level head.
wav: 167 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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