10 INNINGS Mets 4 Brewers 1

Al Leiter, who didn’t even pitch, and Edgardo Alfonzo, who had one meaningless hit, were as responsible as Jay Payton was for yesterday’s 4-1, 10-inning Mets’ win over the Brewers.

Payton deserves the most credit because he is the one who redeemed himself for a defensive mistake in the first inning that nearly cost the Mets the game.

He is the one who scored the tying run in the ninth and hit the three-run, game-winning homer that ended matters in the 10th.

But give assists to Leiter and Alfonzo, who offered some advice before Payton led off the ninth by hitting a 2-1 pitch for a double.

Payton agreed.

“You listen to them,” Payton said.

Leiter and Alfonzo’s basic message to Payton – an intelligent 27-year-old rookie who sometimes goes to the plate looking as if he is trying to make up for time lost to injuries – was this:

Be patient.

That’s what Payton did in the ninth.

So even though Brewer starter Jeff D’Amico dominated for his eight innings, picking up three of four of Mike Piazza’s strikeouts, the Mets might be snapping out of their slump.

Met starter Mike Hampton’s hurled another gem – eight innings, one unearned run – but got a no-decision. No matter. The Mets still won for the third time in four games, and remained two behind the Braves in the NL East.

After Tuesday’s 10-2 win, Leiter pulled the free-swinging Payton aside in the clubhouse and explained a pitcher’s perspective, how taking pitches helps the team. Payton listened.

“He has three World Series rings, so whenever he tries to tell me something I try to take it to heart,” said Payton, who didn’t have to face D’Amico in part because the Brewer right-hander told his manager Davey Lopes he had enough after 112 pitches.

So in the ninth, down 1-0, the wild Curtis Leskanic entered.

As Payton waited to lead off the inning, Alfonzo, knowing Leskanic’s history, pulled Payton to the side and told him to “take a strike.” Payton responded by saying, “Take a strike? To me, that’s like, what?”

Alfonzo backtracked a bit, “You do what you feel comfortable with.” But the seed had been planted.

“When a guy like Fonzie, with the success he’s had, tells you to take a strike, you listen to him,” Payton said.

Payton took the opening three pitches from Leskanic – the first two were balls, the third was a strike – then he hit his double on a 2-1 count to right. After Alfonzo moved Payton to third with a groundout, Mike Piazza struck out for the fourth time.

But with two outs, the struggling Robin Ventura came through with an opposite-field double to tie the game.

It was an up-and-down day – really, a down-and-up one – for Payton.

The Brewers scored an unearned run in the first. Angel Echevarria walked with two outs and Richie Sexson followed with a fly to right-center. Payton, playing center, and Harris both called for it, and Harris deferred to the center fielder.

Payton pulled up at the last minute, trying to avoid a collision, and the ball fell, allowing Echevarria to score on Harris’ error.

In an outfield, a center fielder always has the right of way. So even though Harris was charged with the error, it was Payton’s fault.

“Any time a ball drops between me and one of my corner guys, I take full responsibility,” Payton said.

Met manager Bobby Valentine, who agreed it was Payton’s fault, added, “Thank God that didn’t cost us.”

With one out in the 10th, Mike Bordick singled off Juan Acevedo (3-7). Joe McEwing then hit a popup to shallow center and slammed his bat to the ground. But there was confusion between shortstop Mark Loretta and center fielder Marquis Grissom, and the ball fell in for a single.

“I called for the ball about the same time he did,” Grissom said. “He just couldn’t get out of the way and I pulled up because I didn’t want to run into him.”

One out later, Payton hit a first-pitch slider over the fence in left-center for his 14th homer.

Payton pumped his fist and yelled out, “Yeah, baby!” after the ball cleared the wall. His teammates rushed out of the dugout and mobbed him, letting out two weeks of frustration.

“I thought I got out in front of it and he was going to catch it,” Payton said. “But then it started carrying. It doesn’t matter how we win the games. We need any win we can get right now.”