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Sunday, Apr. 16 1:35pm ET
Ventura's 6 RBI carry Mets past Pirates | |||||
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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- The New York Mets kept losing players to injuries and their bullpen kept allowing runs. It made no difference on a day the Pittsburgh Pirates unwisely tried to trade runs with a superior offense. Robin Ventura homered and drove in six runs and the Mets withstood first-inning injuries to pitcher Bobby J. Jones and Rickey Henderson to hold off the Pirates 12-9 Sunday. Two days after getting 20 hits in an 8-5, 12-inning victory over the Pirates, the Mets had 15 hits -- nine for extra bases -- while scoring in all but three innings. "Those were more like rounds than innings," Ventura said. "It felt like whomever was left standing would win. It seemed like whatever amount of runs you had, it wasn't going to be enough." Mike Piazza went 3-for-4 with two doubles to finish the three-game series 8-for-10 with two homers and three doubles. He reached base in 11 of 12 plate appearances, sitting out a 2-0 loss Saturday following a 5-for-6 night Friday. Brian Giles had a homer, two doubles and four RBI, but the Pirates couldn't overcame another sub-par start by spring training star Kris Benson. The right-hander didn't make it out of the third, surrendering two more homers, six runs and five hits in 2/3 innings. Benson already has allowed six homers -- five with runners on base -- in three starts compared to 16 homers in 31 starts last season. His ERA climbed to 6.89, and he didn't get much help from a bullpen that yielded six more runs. "He's throwing too many pitches high in the strike zone," manager Gene Lamont said. "All the homers he's allowed have been on belt-high pitches. You have to keep the ball down to be effective in the major leagues." Teammates also prefer it when the pitcher keeps the score down. "He hasn't pitched well yet. He's getting a few balls up in the zone and that's what they're hitting for three-run homers," Giles said. "There were so many momentum changes in the game. They were up three, we scored four; they get two, we get three. That can only go on so long." Benson complained of a stiff neck that may be affecting his follow through to the plate, but he doesn't expect to miss his next start. Ventura, who also homered Friday, hit a three-run shot in a first inning kept alive when third baseman Aramis Ramirez threw wildly on what should have been an inning-ending grounder by Piazza. The Mets gave the lead back in a four-run Pirates first inning as Jones lasted eight pitches before straining his right calf backing up third base on a throw. He left the park on crutches and likely will miss his next start. "When I came off the mound, it felt like something definitely happened to it," Jones said. "It started burning. Some of guys on bench said I was hobbling over there." Henderson, the left fielder, also was lifted in the first after being struck in the right thumb by a Benson pitch. The injury isn't believed serious and X-rays weren't taken immediately. After Jones left, Giles greeted Mets reliever Pat Mahomes (1-0) with a run-scoring double and Wil Cordero followed with an RBI single. Still, Mahomes got the victory, his 12th in a row since 1996, despite giving up five runs, two earned, in four innings. The Mets retook the lead at 5-4 in the second on a two-run homer by Jon Nunnally, Henderson's replacement. They lost it at 7-6 on Giles' two-run double in a three-run Pirates third, then regained it for good at 9-7 with a three-run fourth against Chris Peters (0-1) keyed by Ventura's RBI single. Ventura also had a sacrifice fly in a two-run sixth against Marc Wilkins and an RBI double following Piazza's leadoff double in the eighth against Scott Sauerbeck. "You have to stay focused," Nunnally said of the 3-hour, 41-minute game. "That was pretty long and your mind can wander. You get through it and you're glad you didn't lose." Armando Benitez followed up Dennis Cook's two scoreless relief innings by pitching the ninth inning for his fourth save. Game notesThe Mets bullpen allowed seven runs. ... The Pirates began the game with nine homers, the fewest in the majors. ... Pirates 1B Kevin Young didn't start despite homering in the previous two games. ... Ramirez is 1-for-25. ... Benson held the Mets to one earned run in 16 innings in his final two starts against them last season. ... The Mets' infield uncharacteristically committed three errors, two by 3B Ventura and one by SS Rey Ordonez, but only Ordonez's in the third led to scoring. ... The teams played games lasting 4:10 and 3:41 around one lasting 1:57. | ALSO SEE Baseball Scoreboard NY Mets Clubhouse Pittsburgh Clubhouse RECAPS Boston 5 Oakland 4
NY Mets 12
Colorado 14
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