| |
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
|
GAME LOG
NEW YORK (AP) -- John Franco was given a chance to save a game a
little earlier than he's used to.
Franco, second on baseball's career saves list, stranded runners
on second and third in the eighth inning Tuesday night to protect a
3-2 victory for Mike Hampton and the New York Mets.
|  | | A jubilant John Franco got out of the eighth inning unscathed when he struck out Benito Santiago with two Reds on base. |
The Cincinnati Reds already scored twice in the inning when
Franco, the former Mets and Reds closer, entered. He got Sean Casey
to ground out with a runner on third before walking Alex Ochoa.
Franco struck out Benito Santiago looking at an inside fastball to
end the threat and set up Armando Benitez's career-best 26th save.
"I knew it was a good pitch, I was just waiting to see his
hand," said Franco, who jumped after home plate umpire Ed Rapuano
slowly called Santiago out on a 3-2 fastball. "I consider the
eighth inning to be my save situation and get it to the big guy."
Santiago thought he drew a walk.
"He's a good, experienced umpire and he was doing his job and I
was doing my job," Santiago said. "He was calling it a strike so
I guess he thought it was a strike. Things like that are going to
happen."
Franco, the Reds saves leader with 148 and tops with the Mets
with 271, lost his closing job to Benitez while out with an injury
last season.
"I'm just glad I made the pitches," said Franco, who has three
saves this season.
Hampton pitched 7 1/3 strong innings and drove in a run and new
shortstop Mike Bordick had three hits and an RBI for the Mets.
Hampton (11-7) allowed two runs and eight hits to snap the Reds'
four-game winning streak. He struck out six and did not walk a
batter.
The left-hander got into trouble in the eighth when Chris Stynes
led off with a single and Barry Larkin followed with an RBI double.
One out later, Turk Wendell relieved and gave up a triple to Dante
Bichette that scored Larkin and brought on Franco.
"Just a huge pitch," Hampton said of Franco's heroics.
"Johnny's been in that situation so many times it's second nature
to him."
Bordick went 3-for-4 in his fourth game since being acquired
from Baltimore.
"He just battles you," Mets manager Bobby Valentine said. "He
gives you a good at-bat every time up."
Edgardo Alfonzo and Bubba Trammell added two hits apiece for the
Mets, who won for the seventh time in eight games. Bordick,
Trammell and Hampton -- the 7-9 hitters -- were a combined 5-9 with
two RBIs and a run scored.
Steve Parris (5-14) pitched well for the Reds after allowing
single runs in the first two innings. He allowed three runs and
seven hits in six innings and has lost 10 of 13 decisions.
The Mets took a 1-0 lead in the first when Alfonzo singled with
two outs, moved to second on a walk to Mike Piazza and scored on
Robin Ventura's single. Hampton gave New York a two-run lead an
inning later with a sacrifice fly to right, following singles by
Trammell and Bordick.
Bordick made it 3-0 in the sixth with an RBI single after Parris
walked Todd Zeile and Trammell with two outs.
"He kept us in the game for six innings, but those walks can
kill you," Reds manager Jack McKeon said. "The way we were
hitting, we had to keep the runs down a little bit. He gets himself
in trouble with those bases on balls. Two out and nobody on, you
can't walk two guys."
Game notes
The Reds longest winning streak of the season is six from
May 7-13. ... Hampton, who walked nine on opening day in Tokyo, has
walked one batter in his last two starts. ... Bordick was 1-for-10
after his homer on the first pitch he saw with the Mets on
Saturday. ... For the second straight night Larkin was booed by
Mets fans, disappointed he vetoed a trade last month that would
have brought him to New York. Larkin reached on Bordick's error in
the first inning. Bordick, New York's second choice to replace the
injured Rey Ordonez at shortstop, reached in the fourth when Larkin
booted his grounder. Bordick was credited with a hit. ... Reds
pitching coach Don Gullett was doing better after experiencing
tightness in his chest following Monday's game. Gullett was kept
overnight again Tuesday for observation and to wait for the
results of other tests. The Reds don't know if Gullett will return
to Cincinnati with the club on Wednesday.
| |
ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Cincinnati Clubhouse
NY Mets Clubhouse
RECAPS
Oakland 3
Toronto 1
NY Yankees 5
Kansas City 4
Tampa Bay 6
Cleveland 5
Baltimore 10
Minnesota 0
Chi. White Sox 4
Texas 3
Detroit 6
Anaheim 3
Seattle 5
Boston 4
Colorado 2
Chicago Cubs 1
Pittsburgh 6
Los Angeles 0
Los Angeles 5
Pittsburgh 3
(2nd game)
Houston 4
Florida 3
Montreal 4
St. Louis 0
NY Mets 3
Cincinnati 2
San Francisco 13
Milwaukee 8
Atlanta 4
Arizona 2
San Diego 10
Philadelphia 9
|
