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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Somebody tell the New York Mets it's the St.
Louis Cardinals who are supposed to hit the home runs.
|  | | Todd Zeile was one of three New York Mets to go deep on Sunday. |
Todd Pratt, Todd Zeile and Edgardo Alfonzo homered and the Mets
finished off a three-game sweep, beating St. Louis 6-2 Sunday.
"This gets us into the right frame of mind," Zeile said.
"We've been playing a little bit sporadically. This last stretch
has been a little bit better for us."
The Cardinals hit just two home runs in the series, none on
Sunday. They lead the majors with 98, and need two Monday at
Arizona to tie the record for quickest to 100 -- Seattle hit 100 in
50 games last season.
New York, which has 38 home runs in the last 25 games, handed
the Cardinals their first sweep of the season.
The Mets swept NL West-leading Arizona at home before heading
out on their current road trip, but dropped two of three at San
Diego before this weekend's series.
"We had a few games where we were flat," Zeile said. "I don't
think we were flat here at all."
Mets starter Glendon Rusch (2-5), victimized by poor run support
this season, allowed two runs in seven innings. He tied a career
high with seven strikeouts, and also got his first major league
hit.
"It feels good to win," Rusch said. "When games are tight, I
try to just keep them tight. It was nice to have a cushion today."
The Mets have scored just 15 runs in Rusch's eight starts -- 1.9
a game. By comparison, Cardinals starter Darryl Kile is getting 5.2
runs per game, and that ties him for lowest on the St. Louis staff.
"I try to pitch like it's a 0-0 ballgame all the time," Rusch
said. "That way, you avoid giving up leads when you get them."
Kile (7-3), looking for his 100th career victory, gave up all
three Mets homers.
"You have to take advantage of mistakes, or you're not going to
hit home runs," Zeile said. "And he (Kile) doesn't make many
mistakes."
Zeile hit his ninth homer in the second for a 1-0 lead. It was
his third home run of the series -- he hit a first-inning solo homer
and a game-winning grand slam Saturday.
Alfonzo extended his hitting streak to 13 games with a two-run
shot in the third for a 3-1 lead.
The Mets made it 4-1 in the fourth on Pratt's home run, a drive
to straight-away center just skimmed over the outstretched glove of
a leaping Jim Edmonds. Pratt has three home runs and six RBIs in
his last eight starts.
"I sighed a little bit when I saw Jimmy starting to time his
jump," Pratt said. "When he went up, I thought he had it."
Joe McEwing doubled home Zeile in the Mets sixth. Jay Payton had
an RBI single in the ninth off Alan Benes.
Benes, recalled earlier in the day from Triple-A Memphis,
pitched the last two inning for St. Louis.
"He made a couple of mistakes," said Cardinals manager Tony La
Russa. "That got him in trouble in that inning, but that's how we
pitched today."
Placido Polanco had a sacrifice fly in the Cardinals second.
Fernando Vina doubled home a run in the fifth.
Game
notes
Mets right fielder Derek Bell was out of the lineup Sunday.
He's in a 1-for-23 slump. ... The Mets used three different leadoff
hitters in three games against St. Louis: Bell, McEwing and Jon
Nunnally. ... Before sitting down Sunday, Ray Lankford had hit
safely in his last six games, raising his average to .193 to .239.
In those six games, Lankford is batting .500 with nine runs, six
walks and 10 RBIs. ... The Mets completed their first sweep at
Busch Stadium since May 1997.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
NY Mets Clubhouse
St. Louis Clubhouse
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