Mets 3 – Expos 2
Even in victory, the Mets are uninspiring.
After almost giving the game away, the Mets won yesterday, beating the lowly Expos, 3-2, to end an abysmal homestand. Steve Trachsel continued the Mets’ superb starting pitching, going seven innings and only allowing a Brian Schneider home run.
Trachsel was aided by an Expos lineup that features such hitting luminaries as Matt Cepicky, Ron Calloway and Terrmel Sledge. Montreal has scored a grand total of 26 runs in 16 games.
After taking two of three from the Braves to start the homestand, the Mets lost five of seven to the Pirates and Expos. It could have been worse, though, because the Mets nearly blew yesterday’s game in 1962 fashion.
With one out and Tony Batista on first in the ninth inning, Ricky Gutierrez, playing third for the ill Ty Wigginton, made an error that put runners on first and second. One out later, Shane Spencer dropped a simple line drive in left off the bat of Schneider that would have been the final out. Instead, Batista scored.
Fortunately for Spencer, Braden Looper, showing some fortitude, stranded the tying run on third by forcing Jamey Carroll to ground out.
Even following the disappointing homestand and with a tough nine-game road trip to Chicago, Los Angeles and San Diego looming, Jeff Wilpon, the team’s CEO, remains positive.
“If you look at the way the starting pitchers have pitched, we should have a better record,” he said.
The Mets barely hit yesterday. They stranded 12 runners. Their big inning was the seventh, when they exploded for two runs on three hits.
With the two teams tied at one to start the seventh, Expos lefty Chad Bentz walked Kaz Matsui and Karim Garcia blooped a single to right.
Against Spencer, Expos manager Frank Robinson turned to righty Jeremy Fikac. Spencer, swinging 3-0, meekly flew out to short center, leaving it up to Piazza to break the tie.
Piazza came through as usual, smashing an RBI double into the left-field corner. A pitching change and a fielder’s choice later, Mike Cameron came to the plate.
In Cameron’s three previous at-bats (two of them with the bases loaded), he had left seven runners on base. Now, with two on, Cameron finally came through, crushing a two-out RBI double to left.
That run proved important when Spencer dropped Schneider’s line drive in the ninth.
“You want the ball to end the game,” Spencer said. “I got a great jump on the ball. I cut it off. I just didn’t make the play.”
The Mets got a needed victory yesterday, but they still have plenty to worry about.
