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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
MONTREAL (AP) -- Derek Bell backed up a good defensive play with
a little offensive insurance.
Pinch-hitter Joe McEwing delivered a two-run single and scored
on Bell's single as the New York Mets rallied in the eighth inning
to beat the Montreal Expos 5-3 Wednesday night.
Trailing 2-1, New York's Lenny Harris hit a run-scoring triple
in the seventh to tie it.
|  | | The Mets' Lenny Harris, filling in for the DL'd Robin Ventura at third, makes a diving catch on a grounder by Chris Widger for the out. |
Vladimir Guerrero hit an RBI double that put the Expos ahead 3-2
in the bottom half. Bell prevented Montreal from scoring again in
the inning, catching Lee Stevens' fly ball to right field and
throwing out Jose Vidro at the plate.
"That was obviously a key play," Mets catcher Mike Piazza
said. "I was fortunate the ball stayed in my glove. The throw was
a little short and I don't really recall what happened. I just
remember catching the ball and trying to stretch for the runner, and
fortunately the ball stayed in my glove and I got the tag. It
wasn't pretty, but it worked."
The Mets won their third in a row. Montreal has lost four
straight and eight of nine.
"It was a good throw, a big-league play by a club that's
playing for something," Expos manager Felipe Alou said. "You have
to make that play. You have to make that throw if you have
aspirations to be in a pennant race. Good teams make those throws.
The margin is very minimal."
Guerrero, who started in right field after serving as Montreal's
designated hitter for the final two games of its series in Boston,
left the game after the seventh due to a right hip flexor.
"We didn't want to play him today, but we're hurting," Alou
said. "He doesn't want any days off."
Jay Payton and Benny Agbayani singled off reliever Steve Kline
(1-3) to lead off the Mets eighth.
Melvin Mora sacrificed, and McEwing hit a soft single to center
for a 4-3 lead.
"I'm a very humble person, so when I say that I just want to be
a piece of the puzzle, it's true," McEwing said. "We're all in
this for one common goal and that's to win. It definitely feels
good to be able to help the ballclub."
Bell added a single for a two-run lead.
Pat Mahomes (4-1) won in relief. Armando Benitez pitched the
ninth for his 22nd save in 26 chances.
The Expos placed right-hander Tony Armas Jr. on the 15-day
disabled list just hours before he was scheduled to start.
Armas, bothered by a strained right rotator cuff, told Alou that he
couldn't pitch when he arrived at Olympic Stadium late in the
afternoon.
Emergency starter Felipe Lira allowed two hits -- including Todd
Zeile's leadoff homer in the second -- and walked two in three
innings.
Mets starter Glendon Rusch allowed six hits and two runs in six
innings. He struck out four and walked three, after not allowing a
walk in his last four starts.
"Definitely, Glendon deserves better," New York manager Bobby
Valentine said. "He threw a lot of pitches through six, but they
were all quality pitches. And he gave up two runs, so what are you
going to do? That's usually enough to win.
"We're just waiting for him to come out of the game and we
score. If that's the way we have to do it to get a win, Glendon
will be happy and we'll be happy."
After Zeile's 15th homer gave New York a 1-0 lead, Montreal
rookie Milton Bradley tied it in the bottom half with an RBI single
in his second major league at-bat. Chris Widger's run-scoring
triple in third put the Expos ahead 2-1.
Bradley, recalled from Triple-A Ottawa earlier in the day, hit
three straight singles for Montreal in his major league debut after
fouling out to right while leading off the first.
Game notes
The Mets recalled right-hander Jim Mann for the third time
this season Wednesday, and lefty Bobby M. Jones was optioned to
Triple-A Norfolk. Mann, who made his major league debut on May 29,
allowed a total of four hits and three earned runs over 2 2/3
innings in his two previous stints with the Mets. Jones was 0-1
with a 10.50 ERA in just three games with New York this season. ...
Armas was placed on the 15-day DL list for the second time this
season because of the shoulder problem. He began the season on the
DL because of tendinitis in his right elbow. RHP Guillermo Mota was
recalled from Triple-A Ottawa. ... The Expos also placed OF Terry
Jones on the 15-day disabled list earlier in the day because of a
strained right quadriceps. ... Bradley was batting .298 with six
homers and 25 RBI for Ottawa. ... Montreal relievers Scott
Strickland and Anthony Telford both made their first plate
appearances of the season. Strickland, batting for the first time
in the majors, struck out in the fourth and Telford flied out.
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Baseball Scoreboard
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Montreal Clubhouse
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