RFK Stadium Sucks
| Box Score >>> Record : 11-13 |
 |
| Umpire Joe West, right, talks with head groundskeeper Jimmy Rodgers, center, as New York Mets pitcher Manny Aybar warms up in the rain during the sixth inning at RFK Stadium, April 30, 2005, in Washington. The game was being delayed by the rain. |
As well as Tomo Ohka pitched on short notice, allowing two hits in six shutout innings, here's all anyone needs to know about the Washington Nationals' 5-3 victory over the New York Mets on Saturday night, which was called before the bottom of the eighth because of rain:
Both managers protested the game.
"The conditions were deplorable. I couldn't see anything. I caught a popup and I still don't know if I caught it,'' Mets catcher Mike Piazza said. "You needed a canoe to get on the field. I'd be surprised if they can get it ready for tomorrow."
Nationals manager Frank Robinson was ejected a few minutes before play was stopped. He said he cursed while arguing with the umpires about why the game wasn't halted and why more dirt wasn't put on the water-logged infield.
"Our job is to get the game in," crew chief Joe West said. "Our job ain't to make Frank happy."
Back to the Past, Mets Lose To 50 Year Cuban Pitcher
| Box Score >>> Record : 11-12 |
 |
| Washington Nationals' Terrmel Sledge (18) slides past New York Mets catcher Mike Piazza to score a run during the sixth inning at RFK Stadium, April 29, 2005, in Washington. Sledge and Jose Guillen scored on a double by Vinny Castilla. |
He had to persuade Nationals manager Frank Robinson to leave him in for one more inning.
Hernandez took care of that task with a quick talk, then went out and let two more runners reach base before completing a 130-pitch outing that he burnished with a home run of his own, leading Washington past the New York Mets 5-1 Friday night.
"He tells the truth. If he's had enough, he'll tell you he's had enough," Robinson said. "But it took a lot of convincing on his part tonight."
Jose Guillen delivered his team-leading sixth homer hours after the Nationals announced they were exercising his $4 million contract option for 2006, and Brian Schneider also hit a solo shot. Vinny Castilla added a two-run ground-rule double.
For Guillen, it was his first homer at RFK Stadium -- a drought of 13 games.
``That's good to hit a homer in this ballpark," Guillen said. "On the road, I've been hitting great. Hopefully this is a good sign."
The top of the first was not promising for Hernandez (3-2). Half of his first 16 pitches were balls, and he spent a lot of time tugging at his cap, prowling around the mound, and kicking dirt. He also allowed a run.
Kaz Matsui and Carlos Beltran singled, and Hernandez walked Mike Piazza to load the bases. Cliff Floyd sent a breaking ball to the warning track for a sacrifice fly and a 1-0 lead.
But Hernandez, who led the NL in complete games and innings the last two seasons, kept escaping. He gave up nine hits and two walks, and his only 1-2-3 inning was the third, but he chewed up innings.
"It's almost like it's by design. He knows what he's doing, he knows how to throw strikes when he needs to and how to add and subtract," said Mets manager Willie Randolph, whose team has lost four of five.
"Livan has a way of kind of lulling you to sleep a little bit. When you think you've got him, that's when he makes a good pitch.''
Such as in the sixth, when Floyd's roller along the third-base line was ruled fair, and Doug Mientkiewicz followed with a single. After Hernandez struck out David Wright, a wild pitch moved the runners to second and third. But Hernandez struck out Victor Diaz, and pinch-hitter Eric Valent sent a sinking liner to center that Brad Wilkerson slid to catch.
Tom Glavine Proving He's A Bust Once Again
| Box Score >>> Record : 11-11 |
 |
| New York Mets pitcher Tom Glavine was shelled again his former Braves teammates again. |
Glavine blamed the QuesTec system at Shea for his inability to get calls from umpires like he did when he pitched against the Mets as a member of the Braves.
Andruw Jones broke out of a big slump with a homer and three hits, and Mike Hampton stayed unbeaten with another solid outing to lead Atlanta over the New York Mets 8-4. "We just know what he's going to do every time we face him," Jones said.
Wilson Betemit hit his first major league home run and Eddie Perez also connected for the Braves, who beat Glavine for the seventh time in eight tries since he left Atlanta three years ago.
After dropping the series opener, the Braves defeated Pedro Martinez and Glavine in less than 24 hours to take two of three from their NL East rivals.
Pedro Loses on Dominican Night At Shea
| Box Score >>> Record : 11-10 |
 |
| New York Mets batter Cliff Floyd slams down the bat after hitting a ninth inning pop fly with the tying run at third for the final out in the Braves 4-3 victory over the Mets, April 26, 2005, at Shea Stadium in New York. |
The difference was this time Smoltz (1-3) had some runs to work with. The Braves pushed across three in the first inning against Pedro Martinez, matching the total they had scored for Smoltz in his first four starts this season.
Martinez, leading the majors with 38 strikeouts going into the game, added eight, walked two and allowed just one hit after the second inning, Estrada's second double. Smoltz, accustomed to minimal support, didn't need more than that.
The Mets sold 12,000 tickets in the two days before the opening pitch. The Mets' announced attendance last night was 31,511, about 15,000 more than the night before.
Wright Catches Matsui Bobblehands Disease
| Box Score >>> Record : 11-9 |
 |
| New York Mets third baseman David Wright bobbles Wilson Betemit ninth inning grounder for an error that allowed a run to score in the Mets 5-4 victory over the Atlanta Braves, April 25, 2005, at Shea Stadium in New York. |
Armando Benitez called Looper after the game to give some pointers on dealing with New York media and Met fans. "Armando told me to pretend that I don't understand English or give a teammate a haircut" Looper said.
Cliff Floyd and David Wright each belted two-run homers during a big sixth inning to lift the New York Mets to a 5-4 victory over the Atlanta Braves in the opener of a three-game series at Shea Stadium. Mike Piazza also went 3-for-4 with a run batted in for the Mets, who have won four of their last five games and are 11-4 since starting the season with five straight losses.
Aaron Heilman (2-2) turned in a superb outing for New York, allowing just one run and two hits in seven innings. He struck out five batters and walked one. Heilmann has pitched well enough recently to silenced at least a dozen Met from chanting, "Heilmann Sucks!"
Scott Kazmir Ghost Still Haunting Met Fans
| Box Score >>> Record : 10-9 |
 |
| New York Mets' Victor Zambrano reacts after giving up a home run in the fourth inning against the Washington Nationals at New York's Shea Stadium, April 24, 2005. |
Wilkerson opened with a double and after Nick Johnson walked, Jose Vidro singled. Wilkerson was thrown out trying to score by right fielder Victor Diaz. Jose Guillen's sacrifice fly scored Johnson before singles by Terrmel Sledge and Castilla loaded the bases. Gary Bennett followed with a single, delivering two runs.
The Mets came right back in the bottom of the first against Hernandez.
Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran beat out bunts for hits sandwiched around a single by Kaz Matsui, loading the bases. Piazza, who left nine runners stranded on Saturday, delivered this time with a double that cleared the bases and tied the score. Two more walks loaded the bases again, but Diaz, who had four hits Saturday, hit into an inning-ending double play.
In the third, Vidro walked and reached third on an error by David Wright. Sledge then hit into a double play as Vidro scored the go-ahead run. An inning later, Zambrano hit Hernandez in the hip and Wilkerson followed with a two-run homer for a 6-3 Nationals lead.
Washington knocked Zambrano out of the game in the sixth. He walked Wilkerson and hit Johnson with a pitch. Manny Aybar relieved and Vidro doubled, scoring Wilkerson. Then Johnson came home on Guillen's second sacrifice fly. Guillen and Castilla both doubled in runs in the eighth.
Martinez, Glavine, and Say It Ain't Seo!
| Box Score >>> Record : 10-8 |
 |
| New York Mets' Victor Diaz follows through on an RBI double in the fourth inning against the Washington Nationals, April 23, 2005 in New York. |
"We didn't have a whole lot of options," Randolph said.
Jae Seo pitched six sharp innings after being called up from the minors earlier in the day, and rookie Victor Diaz had his first four-hit game to lead New York over the Washington Nationals 10-5 Saturday.
The Mets scored all their runs in the fourth and fifth, batting around in both innings. New York has won 10 of 13 since opening the season with five straight losses.
Ishii went on the disabled list Friday night with a strained muscle in his side. With Kris Benson (strained chest muscle) and Steve Trachsel (herniated disc) also hurt, the Mets recalled Seo, who was 0-0 with an 8.22 ERA in 15 1-3 innings with Triple-A Norfolk.
Seo (1-0) allowed a run and six hits against the Nationals for his first major league win as a starter since June 29. He went 5-10 with a 4.90 ERA for the Mets last season.
"He did a nice job for us. I can't say enough for him," Randolph said. "The fact that he's had some experience -- I'm real comfortable with that."
Seo struck out four and took a shutout into the sixth before allowing an RBI single to Carlos Baerga. Pitching on short rest after throwing 4 1-3 innings for Norfolk on Tuesday, Seo was lifted after 79 pitches.
He even added a two-run single during the Mets' six-run fifth, increasing his career RBI total to three.
Victor Diaz went 4-for-4 with a walk, two doubles and three RBIs for the Mets. His previous career high of three hits came April 6 at Cincinnati.
Glavine Finally Pitches Well Finally
| Box Score >>> Record : 9-8 |
 |
| New York Mets' Cliff Floyd hits a solo home run against the Washington Nationals during the fifth inning, April 22, 2005, at Shea Stadium in New York. |
Glavine limited Washington to two hits over seven innings and Cliff Floyd hit his fourth home run of the season as the New York Mets defeated the Nationals 3-1.
The weather suited the left-hander just fine, thank you.
"I like to pitch in that stuff," he said after recording his first win of the season and 263rd of his career. "It was cool but not so cold that you can't feel the ball. You use it to your advantage. I do what I do, throw as many strikes as I can. It worked well.
Glavine (1-2) pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the first inning when he gave up a pair of walks sandwiched around a double by Jose Guillen. He escaped by retiring Vinny Castilla on a grounder then retired 13 of the next 14 batters before Cristian Guzman opened the sixth with his first home run.
Pedro Cleans Some Fish
| Box Score >>> Record : 8-8 |
 |
| New York Mets pitcher Pedro Martinez celebrates as he comes off the mound after striking out Florida Marlins' Mike Lowell to end the seventh inning, April 21, 2005, in Miami. |
Carlos Beltran homered and drove in three runs for the Mets, who scored seven runs in the second inning against former teammate Al Leiter (0-2).
New York won a Martinez-Leiter matchup for the second time in six days. Martinez (2-0) allowed three hits and one run, retiring 13 in a row during one stretch, and snapped the Marlins' four-game winning streak.
"The game is pretty much over the line when they see a pitcher like me with such a big lead," Martinez said. "They're going to try to swing and make something happen. So I made good pitches."
The drubbing was something new for the Marlins, who gave up no more than four runs in any of their first 15 games. Their team ERA soared from 1.88 to 2.38, still the best in the major leagues.
A crowd of 27,674 had little to cheer about on Al Leiter souvenir poncho night -- although there was a chant of "Pedro! Pedro!" by transplanted New Yorkers in the seventh inning. Martinez struck out eight and walked none, giving him 38 strikeouts and four walks in 29 innings.
Heilman Returns to Reality
| Box Score >>> Record : 7-8 |
 |
| New York Mets catcher Mike Piazza, left, and Aaron Heilman, right, have a conference on the mound after Florida Marlins' Juan Encarnacion singled driving in a run in the third inning, April 20, 2005 in Miami. |
Heilman (1-2), who pitched an improbable one-hit shutout against Florida last Friday, gave up 11 hits and left after four innings trailing 7-0.
"I wanted to show that the last time out was not a flash in the pan," said Heilman, whose career record fell to 4-12. "At this level it's all about the outcome, and that's why this night is hard to take."
Encarnacion said the Marlins laid off Heilman's sinker, an effective pitch in his one-hitter, and feasted on fastballs when he fell behind in the count.
Mets Hit Seven Home Runs and Win!
| Box Score >>> Record : 7-7 |
 |
| New York Mets Jose Reyes, right, smiles as he goes by teammate Kaz Matsui after a solo home run off Philadelphia Phillies Gavin Floyd in the 4th inning, April 19, 2005 in Philadelphia. |
Welcome to Philadelphia's homer-friendly park.
"I didn't know what was going to happen with the ball," Reyes said. "Then I saw home run."
Turned out few Mets had to run very hard, and a brief losing streak was going, going, gone in record fashion.
David Wright hit a grand slam, Reyes and Victor Diaz each homered twice and the New York Mets hit a team-record seven homers Tuesday night in a 16-4 rout of the Philadelphia Phillies.
Mike Piazza and Doug Mientkiewicz also homered, and Wright and Diaz each went 2-for-4 with four RBIs for the Mets, who stopped a two-game skid. The seven homers were only five shy of New York's season total coming in.
Mets Comeback Falls Short
| Box Score >>> Record : 6-7 |
 |
| New York Mets' pitching coach Rick Peterson, left, talks to starting pitcher Kazuhisa Ishii after Ishii loaded the bases against the Philadelphia Phillies in the first inning, April 18, 2005, in Philadelphia. |
Kaz Ishii (0-2) gave up five runs, six hits and walked six in five innings in his third start since joining the Mets last month after a trade with the Dodgers. New York has lost two in a row after a six-game winning streak.
Burrell kept up his success against the Mets. He has 26 homers and 70 RBIs in 303 at-bats against New York.
Randy Wolf took a shutout into the ninth inning, and Philadelphia's bullpen barely held on for a 5-4 victory over the New York Mets on Monday night.
Wolf's shutout bid ended when Jose Reyes, Kaz Matsui and Beltran hit consecutive singles to start the ninth, cutting the deficit to 5-1.
Tim Worrell entered and struck out Mike Piazza, but Cliff Floyd hit a 3-0 pitch into the second deck in right field to make it a one-run game. Worrell then fanned David Wright and retired Doug Mientkiewicz on a grounder for the save.
Burnett Shuts Down Mets As Matsui Kicks Ball
| Box Score >>> Record : 6-6 |
 |
| New York Mets second baseman Kazuo Matsui fields a ball in the third inning against the Florida Marlins, April 17, 2005, at Shea Stadium in New York. Matsui misplayed several balls in the third inning and was removed from the game after the sixth inning. |
Burnett pitched a four-hitter for his second straight complete game, and the Florida Marlins took advantage of Tom Glavine's wildness to end the New York Mets' six-game winning streak with a 5-2 victory Sunday.
"I saw something different than I saw in spring training. He wasn't just throwing hard, he was trying to make better pitches," said Mets slugger Carlos Beltran, who was 0-for-4. "Today he was, I think, more aggressive really and his screwball was working well for him inside. It was very tough to handle because he throws hard."
Mets fans began chanting "Cairo! Cairo!" for reserve second baseman Miguel Cairo after Kaz Matsui, back in the lineup after not starting for three games with a scratched cornea, botched three straight plays -- two tough hops going for hits and a poor throw on a double-play attempt -- leading to a Florida run in the third inning.
Looper Blows Another Pedro Outing
| Box Score >>> Record : 6-5 |
 |
| New York Mets' Ramon Castro, center, celebrates with teamates Jose Reys, right, and Carlos Beltran, left, after hitting a base hit to drive in the winning run against the Florida Marlins at New York's Shea Stadium, April 16, 2005. |
They went home happy thanks to Ramon Castro. The backup catcher singled home the winning run with two outs in the ninth inning, and the New York Mets beat the Florida Marlins 4-3 Saturday for their sixth straight victory.
"They never got away from us and we never quit," Martinez said. "I'm very glad I signed to pitch here and I'm able to give the fans what they expected."
Braden Looper (1-1) couldn't hold the lead. He gave up three hits in the ninth, including Juan Encarnacion's tying double with two outs, for his second blown save in three chances this year.
But Victor Diaz, who also singled to start New York's eighth-inning rally, doubled off Guillermo Mota (0-1) with two outs in the ninth and scored when Castro lined a 1-1 pitch to right-center for the game-winning hit.
Heilman Tosses One Hitter
| Box Score >>> Record : 5-5 |
 |
| New York Mets Aaron Heilman delivers a pitch to a Florida Marlins batter during the fourth inning, Friday, April 15, 2005 at Shea Stadium in New York. |
That was the formula for a brilliant one-hitter Friday night as Heilman outpitched Josh Beckett and shut out the Florida Marlins 4-0.
He got hitting help from Mike Piazza, who broke out of a slump with two doubles and three RBIs to send the Mets to their fifth straight victory after an 0-5 start.
Heilman (1-1) dominated the Marlins in a dramatic turnaround, by far the best performance of his brief career. Drafted 18th overall in 2001 out of Notre Dame, Heilman has been a big disappointment for the Mets -- he came in with a 3-11 record in 20 major league outings.
Reyes Legs Out Another Win
| Box Score >>> Record : 4-5 |
 |
| New York Mets' Carlos Beltran waits for Jose Reyes as he heads for home for the winning run during the seventh inning against the Houston Astros, April 14, 2005 at Shea Stadium in New York. Reyes scored on an error by the Astros' third baseman Mike Lamb off a ball hit by Miguel Cairo. |
Reyes beat out a dribbler in the seventh inning, driving in the tying run and then stole second and scooted home on an error as the New York Mets rallied for a 4-3 victory over the Astros and a sweep of the three-game series.
Ex-Met John Franco relieved and got pinch hitter Marlon Anderson on a grounder that scored Wright. Now it was Reyes' turn and he squibbed a ball up the third base line and beat Franco's throw as the tying run scored.
Franco knew he had no chance to get Reyes.
"Not with his speed,'' the pitcher said. "It's frustrating but it's part of the game. It was good placement. It happens. You make your pitch, but what can you do?"
What Reyes did was almost immediately steal second, putting the winning run in scoring position.
"You have to wait one pitch to watch him," Reyes said. "I go on my own. We have to play aggressively. You have speed, you've got to use it."
Next, Reyes raced home when third baseman Mike Lamb was unable to handle Miguel Cairo's grounder and just like that, the Mets had their fourth straight come-from-behind victory.
Mets Win In Extra Inning Duel
| Box Score >>> Record : 3-5 |
 |
| New York Mets' Kazuo Matsui, left, greets Jose Reyes after Reyes hit in the winning run against the Houston Astros in the 11th inning, April 13, 2005 at Shea Stadium in New York. |
After Victor Diaz walked leading off the 11th, late-inning defensive replacement Chris Woodward sacrificed him to second. Reyes then hit a bouncer that Astros reliever Dan Wheeler (0-1) reached up and deflected with his glove, but the ball continued past second.
Shortstop Adam Everett dived and also got a glove on it. Second baseman Chris Burke made a weak throw home from short center field, and Diaz scored without a play at the plate.
The Mets ran from the dugout and mobbed a smiling Reyes on the infield, hitting him on the helmet and jumping up and down, after the team used a late-inning rally for the third game in a row to improve to 3-5.
Mets Comeback to Win Home Opener
| Box Score >>> Record : 2-5 |
 |
| New York Mets coach Willie Randolph congratulates Jose Reyes after he scored in the eighth inning against the Houston Astros at Shea Stadium in New York Monday, April 11, 2005. The Mets won 8-4. |
A black sign behind the center-field wall - which flips to advertisements between innings - became stuck on an ad featuring Cablevision's high-definition TV service. It took 14 minutes for the sign to return to black (which batters need to see the pitches), after workers manually turned over the final flaps. Glavine twice returned to the dugout during the delay.
During the stoppage, which included failed attempts to drape black tarp over the sign, Pedro Martinez - enamored that his face was plastered on the ad - did a PG-rated grind against the dugout railing as the crowd went crazy.
The Mets improved to 28-14 in home openers at Shea Stadium and 9-2 in their last 11.
Mets Win First of the Year
| Box Score >>> Record : 1-5 |
 |
| New York Mets starting pitcher Pedro Martinez delivers a pitch against the Atlanta Braves during the seventh inning in Atlanta, April 10, 2005. Martinez pitched the complete game to win six to one. |
Martinez pitched a two-hitter, Beltran hit a go-ahead homer and the New York Mets finally won their first game of the season Sunday, overcoming John Smoltz's 15 strikeouts in a 6-1 win over the Atlanta Braves.
Before the season, star catcher Mike Piazza gave Randolph a cigar to smoke in celebration of his first victory. But the rookie manager had to wait seven long days as the Mets struggled to an 0-5 start -- their worst since 1963.
"Ana Benson is going to wear a dress from the GAP, I have a fresh cigar and we are going to play Oval Office" said Randolph.
Can't Beat The Braves
| Box Score >>> Record : 0-5 |
 |
| New York Mets' Doug Mientkiewicz sits in the dugout during the 8th inning of their 6-3 loss to the Atlanta Braves, April 9, 2005 in Atlanta. The Mets are 0-5 on the season. |
Chipper Jones also homered to help the Braves keep the Mets as the only winless team in the majors. New York already trails first-place Atlanta by four games in the NL East.
Jose Reyes' first homer of the season was one of the few highlights for the Mets, who are in danger of being swept in their first two series.
The Mets, who hadn't lost their first four games since 1963, are closing in on the franchise-worst 0-9 start in their inaugural 1962 season.
Aaron Heilman (0-1) gave up five runs in five innings as the fill-in for the injured Kris Benson.
Can Anyone Play This Game?
| Box Score >>> Record : 0-4 |
 |
| Atlanta Braves' Kazuo Matsui, right, steals second as New York Mets second baseman Kazuo Matsui makes the late tag in the second inning, April 8, 2005. |
"We are where we are," first-year manager Willie Randolph said after Friday night's 3-1 loss to the Atlanta Braves. "We'll try to win the next two here and go home and get hot ... and show the fans what kind of team we really are."
In the Mets' only at-bat with a runner in scoring position, Kaz Matsui struck out to end the eighth inning with Jose Reyes on second base.
The lack of timely hitting, four walks by Mets starter Victor Zambrano and sloppy fielding kept the Mets behind after the Braves scored two runs in the first inning of their home opener.
"We have to hit the ball better, do the little things, and it will turn," Randolph said."We've got to grind it out tomorrow. Stay positive, man, that's what I've got to be. I'm not a gloom and doom guy."
The Mets, who have the NL's highest payroll at $105 million, lost their first four games for the first time since 1964, when the franchise was only in its third year and the Braves were based in Milwaukee.
"Obviously, I know we're not pleased, but you can't feel sorry for yourself when nobody else is," Doug Mientkiewicz said. "We'll get some breaks eventually. ... We get a couple guys on and start pressing people, we'll be all right."
The Mets are hitting .289, compared to the .213 average of the 3-1 Braves, who have won three straight since an opening day loss, despite scoring just nine runs on the season.
Meet The New Mets, Losing Old Ways
| Box Score >>> Record : 0-3 |
 |
| New York Mets pitcher Kazuhisa Ishii, right, from Japan, talks with catcher Ramon Castro during their game with the Cincinnati Reds,April 7, 2005, in Cincinnati. |
Aaron Harang allowed only one single in 6 1-3 innings Thursday, and D'Angelo Jimenez had a pinch two-run double off Kazuhisa Ishii that sent the Cincinnati Reds to a 6-1 victory and three-game sweep of New York.
With a combined four-hitter, the Reds improved to 3-0 for the first time since 1990, when they won their first nine and swept Oakland in the World Series. The last time they swept the Mets at home was 1995, also a noteworthy year — the last time Cincinnati reached the playoffs.
Not so for the Mets, who hadn't lost their first three games since 1964, Stengel's third year managing a fledgling club that redefined losing.
The Mets dropped their first nine games in the inaugural 1962 season, on their way to a standard-setting 120 losses. They went 0-8 and lost 111 a year later. By those standards, their 0-4 start in 1964 was deemed an improvement.
This slow start under first-year manager Willie Randolph is nothing but trouble. Art Howe is hanging out on a Florida beach smiling collecting a half-million in umemployment.
Kaz "Bobblehands" Matsui, moved from shortstop to second base this season, let Sean Casey's potential double-play grounder get through him for an error that let in a run, and Austin Kearns followed with a sacrifice fly.
Meet The New Mets, Losing Old Ways
| Box Score >>> Record : 0-2 |
 |
| New York Mets manager Willie Randolph, left, takes pitcher Tom Glavine out of the game in the fourth inning, April 6, 2005, against the Cincinnati Reds in Cincinnati. |
The Reds' anonymous newcomer kept the drama coming Wednesday, hitting a bases-loaded single and a grand slam that set up a 9-5 victory over the New York Mets and had the fans chanting his name.
"That's special," said Randa, who has never hit more than 16 homers in a season. "Being a new guy, I'm just trying to make a name for myself. You don't expect to do it by hitting two home runs. It's been special."
The Mets aren't going to forget him anytime soon.
Randa hit the Reds' first game-ending homer in an opening day game on Monday, a solo shot off Braden Looper for a 7-6 win. The fan who got the ball donated it to the team's Hall of Fame.
"He's a solid hitter, but I don't think you expect him to hit two homers and have all the RBI he has," said Glavine, who lasted only 3 2-3 innings. "He's not a guy you look at and equate a lot of power with."
The Reds won the first two games of the series by getting past three-time Cy Young winner Pedro Martinez and two-time winner Glavine -- a feat the Mets certainly didn't expect.
Glavine is 25-12 against the Reds, his second-highest victory total against any team. Control problems and two borderline calls led to his rare Cincinnati meltdown.
The left-hander threw 37 pitches in the first, helping the Reds load the bases with two outs. He got ahead of Randa 0-2 in the count, then jerked his head in disappointment when plate umpire Chuck Meriwether called the next pitch just off the inside corner. Glavine had started walking off the field, thinking it was strike three.
"I think we all did after that one, including Joe," Glavine said. "You get in the position where you've got to make another pitch. I needed to follow up with another good pitch, and didn't."
Given a reprieve, Randa singled to left on the next pitch for a 2-0 lead.
The Reds loaded the bases with two outs again in the fourth. Glavine went 0-2 on Griffey, then threw a pitch that Meriwether -- who worked his first World Series last year -- decided was just outside. Again, Glavine dropped his head in disappointment.
And once again, he gave up a hit on the next pitch. Griffey singled to right for two more runs, part of his three-hit game. Sean Casey then singled up the middle for a 5-2 lead.
Randa's slam in the eighth left him with a career-high six RBI, drew a curtain call and polished it off. He also made two hit-stealing plays in the third. He dived to his left to snag Kazuo Matsui's liner, then made a backhand catch on Carlos Beltran's sinking liner.
I'm Blowing Ballgames; Memories of Armando
| Box Score >>> Record : 0-1 |
 |
| New York Mets relief pitcher Branden Looper (40) walks off the field after Cincinnati Reds' Joe Randa hit the game-winning home run in the ninth inning, April 4, 2005, in Cincinnati. |
The Met committed $172 million to Martinez and Beltran in their expensive off-season makeover. But perhaps they should have spent a little more on the bullpen. "Beltran misplayed a ball in centerfield leading a Cincinatti run. Mike Cameron told me to say I lost the ball in sun" said Beltran afterwards.
Adam Dunn tied the score at 6 with a two-run homer off reliever Branden Looper that was his second home run of the game. Cincinnati's Joe Randa won the game by following up with a solo homer.
Martinez struck out 12 and allowed only one hard-hit ball -- Dunn's first homer -- during his six innings. Beltran had three hits, including a homer.
The Mets blew leads of 1-to-nothing and 6-to-3. Cincinnati reliever Danny Graves got the win. Looper took the loss.