MET NOTES

VERO BEACH – After a miserable side session two days ago, Rick Reed was ecstatic to come back with a fine first spring outing yesterday. Reed gave up an unearned run on two hits over three innings as the Mets and Dodgers skated to a 2-2 tie.

“The other day was terrible,” Reed said. “I could have [thrown up] on the mound and it would have been better than what I did. I felt really good today.”

Reed got a little agitated when asked if he was hurt, but understood the questioning was about his performance at the end of last year.

“I know it’s about the 30 home runs I gave up and going 1-5 at the end,” he said.

For the record, Reed said he felt totally healthy.

“That was vintage,” Bobby Valentine said of Reed’s performance.

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Facing $105 million Kevin Brown in the first inning, Edgardo Alfonzo teed off with a solo home run to deep left center.

“It was just a good swing,” he said. “It’s better to do that during the season. In spring training it doesn’t matter, but it’s a start.”

Mike Kinkade had a very big day, hitting a home run in the five-inning B game in the morning and then going deep again to tie the A game in the ninth. And the pitcher he hit the second one off of was, of course, Mel Rojas.

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Armando Benitez pitched an inning and gave up two hits, but did not allow a run. Steve Phillips, who watched the game with his former boss Joe McIlvaine, emphatically denied a rumor that had the Mets back in the hunt for David Wells.