NEW YORK (AP) _ With Todd Helton and Larry Walker sidelined by injuries, the Colorado Rockies found a first-time hero in Bubba Carpenter.

Carpenter hit his first major league home run with one out in the 11th inning as the Rockies beat the New York Mets 4-3 Tuesday night for their fourth straight victory.

"When you grow up as a kid you dream about this," said Carpenter, who hit a 1-0 pitch from Turk Wendell (2-2) over the right-center field fence. "There was so much adrenaline going. It's a great feeling."

Carpenter, 31, spent nine years in the New York Yankees' farm system without making it to the majors. He had 22 homers and 81 RBIs at Triple-A Columbus last season.

"If I had to play nine more years to get here, I would," he said.

Carpenter, called up from Triple-A Colorado Springs on Saturday to replace Walker, batted for winner Julian Tavarez (2-2) in the 11th. Carpenter got his home-run ball back, but said he's not sure what he'll do with it yet.

"I might send it home to my dad, but I don't know if I want to give it up or not," he said.

Carpenter was hitting just .238 (10-for-42) in the minors this season, but batted .360 during spring training and singled in his first big league at-bat Saturday against San Francisco.

"We had a report on him. (Wendell) came in with a fastball and he just hit it," Mets manager Bobby Valentine said. "We had our opportunities to score, they got a one-swing rally."

Jose Jimenez pitched the 11th for his fifth save, sending the Mets to their 10th loss in 14 games. He struck out pinch-hitter Matt Franco with a runner on third to end the game.

"I thought we had that game in hand, even when we were behind," said New York's Todd Zeile, who went 3-for-4 with a double and a home run.

Former Mets catcher Brent Mayne, 4-for-5 with two RBIs, put the Rockies ahead with a two-out RBI double in the second. Robin Ventura's ninth homer tied it in the bottom half against Masato Yoshii, another former Met.

The Rockies pulled ahead 3-1 in the fourth with help from an errant pickoff throw by Mets starter Rick Reed, and run-scoring singles by Darren Bragg and Mayne.

"If I don't make a bad throw, we might win that game," Reed said. "We'll never know."

Mike Piazza had an RBI groundout in the bottom half, and Zeile's homer tied the score in the seventh.

Yoshii allowed three runs and nine hits in seven innings. A favorite of Valentine, Yoshii went 18-16 in two years with the Mets before being traded to Colorado in the offseason.

"The bullpen did a great job," Rockies manager Buddy Bell said. "Yoshii had to feel great about coming back and pitching real well. It was a big win for us."

Reed, who beat Yoshii and the Rockies 13-6 on April 29, allowed three runs _ two earned _ six hits and no walks in seven innings. He struck out a club season-high 10.

Notes: Helton leads the NL with a .417 average, 41 RBIs and 38 runs scored. He sat out after straining his hamstring Sunday against San Francisco, and is expected to be out until Thursday night. Walker is on the 15-day disabled list with an elbow injury. ... The Rockies improved to 7-14 on the road. ... Kevin James, star of the television show "The King of Queens," took batting practice with the Mets and signed autographs in front of their dugout before the game. ... Piazza is hitting .367 with 23 home runs and 93 RBIs in 79 career games against the Rockies. ... Wendell made his team-high 23rd appearance. He picked two runners off first in the 11th by initially faking to third, a play that rarely works. ... It was Colorado's first extra-inning game of the season. Montreal is the only team in the majors yet to play an extra-inning game. ... Mayne's four hits tied his career high.