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GAME LOG
NEW YORK -- A little bit of luck saved the New York Mets
from a three-game sweep.
Jay Payton hit a go-ahead, two-run homer that went off the top
of right fielder Bobby Abreu's glove in the sixth inning as the
Mets beat the Philadelphia Phillies 5-4 Thursday night.
"I told Derek (Bell) that I thought I had hit it better than
that," Payton said. "I definitely got a little lucky on that."
With the score 2-2 in the sixth, Robin Ventura hit a one-out
double down the right-field line off Cliff Politte (1-2). Todd
Zeile hit a comebacker to Politte before Payton drove a 2-0
fastball to right.
"I was just looking for something to drive," Payton said.
"When I saw the way Abreu approached it, I thought he was going to
catch it."
Abreu went back to the wall and stretched out his glove, and the
ball skimmed off the glove and over the wall for a 4-2 lead.
"I got there in time," Abreu said. "When I started making the
jump, I hit the wall at the same time. I thought I had it for a
second. But when I looked up, I couldn't believe it."
Derek Bell
and Melvin Mora also homered, and Glendon Rusch (5-5)
pitched seven strong innings for the Mets.
"Glendon pitched a great game, and Jay, Derek and Melvin got
big hits for us," Mets manager Bobby Valentine said. "If we got
swept, it meant we lost another game. We just wanted to win and get
back in the win column."
Rusch allowed two runs and seven hits, struck out five and
walked one. Dennis Cook got the last out for his first save this
season.
New York added a run in the seventh off Steve Schrenk.
Pinch-hitter Lenny Harris hit a one-out double, and moved to third
on Mora's deep flyout to center. Bell, 2-for-3 with two RBIs,
followed with a weak grounder down the third-base line that Scott
Rolen could not make a play on.
Rolen hit a solo homer leading off the eighth against Turk
Wendell to make it 5-3. Wendell then walked Mike Lieberthal, who
went to second on Todd Pratt's passed ball. Pat Burrell hit a
grounder to third, and Ventura overthrew first baseman Zeile to put
runners on second and third. Kevin Jordan drove in Lieberthal with
a long drive to left that Joe McEwing, who came in as a defensive
replacement in the inning, caught on the run.
"That play really was a game-saver," Valentine said.
Wendell then got the next two outs to get out of the jam.
The Phillies got off to a quick start against Rusch on RBI
singles by Abreu and Lieberthal.
"I gradually was more aggressive as the game went on," Rusch
said. "After that first inning, I established myself and got ahead
in the count. I'm so much better when I'm ahead of the hitters."
The Mets got a run back in the bottom of the first on Bell's
solo homer to left-center, his ninth of the season.
Mora tied it for the Mets in the fifth with a two-out, solo
homer, his first since April 30.
extra bases, was optioned to Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre
after the game. The move was made to make room for right-hander
Dave Coggin, who will make his major league debut at Montreal on
Friday.
"I made three mistakes, and all three were hit," Politte
said.
Game
notes
The Mets are 5-1 in Rusch's last six outings. ... Ventura
made two errors, giving him 10 this season. ... Bell's homer was
his first since June 9 against Roger Clemens in the Mets' 12-2
victory over the New York Yankees. ... RHP Bobby J. Jones will be
recalled from Triple-A Norfolk on Friday to start against
Pittsburgh. Jones was 1-3 with a 10.91 ERA before being sent down.
LHP Bobby M. Jones was optioned to Norfolk to make room. ... The
Mets play 13 of their next 17 at Shea Stadium ... Mets C Mike
Piazza was given the night off. ... The Mets have 23 home runs in
their last 12 games. ... Abreu started in right field after not
starting in two straight games as punishment for showing up late
Tuesday. ... Phillies RHP Robert Person will miss his scheduled
start Friday night with tightness in his shoulder.
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