D’backs 7
Mets 4
PHOENIX – Al Leiter was cruising through his start yesterday afternoon, two-hitting the Diamondbacks over 42/3 innings and outdueling Randy Johnson.
But in a three-batter span with two outs in the fifth, Leiter went from potentially besting the Big Unit to muttering to himself in anger.
Leiter surrendered three two-out hits to squander a one-run lead, and the Mets went on to lose the rubber match against the Diamondbacks, 7-4, at Bank One Ballpark.
Jason Phillips roped three RBI singles in his first three at-bats against the fearsome five-time Cy Young Award winner, but it was all for naught. The last-place Mets (48-69) finished their six-game road trip to Houston and Phoenix with a 3-3 record.
Don’t blame the offense, which had 10 hits off Johnson (3-4). Ty Wigginton even cut the lead to one run with a majestic 411-foot shot to center leading off the eighth before pinch-hitter Alex Cintron’s two-run triple off Jaime Cerda in the eighth put the game away.
The defense committed two errors leading to two unearned runs, and Leiter (11-6) wasn’t up to his own standards as the Mets went from a 3-2 advantage to a 4-3 deficit in a fifth-inning blink of the eye.
Leadoff hitter Matt Kata started the two-out rally off Leiter with a single to left, and the pesky rookie stole second. Craig Counsell blooped an opposite-field single to left, and Joe McEwing’s throw home was late. With Counsell on second, Luis Gonzalez gave Arizona its first lead with a RBI triple to the fence in center.
Although Leiter retired Shea Hillenbrand, he tugged his cap low over his brow as he walked off the field. Jay Bell pinch-hit for him in the sixth, and Leiter was shown on TV talking to himself in the dugout. The loss broke a personal three-game win streak, as the southpaw was 3-0 with a 1.08 ERA in his four previous starts since coming off the DL with a sore right knee.
The first Arizona run was a Met gift. With runners at the corners and two outs in the second, Leiter threw over to first to keep Junior Spivey close. Leiter had a 1-and-2 count on the No. 8 hitter, Chad Moeller, at the time.
Raul Mondesi took off for home, but Phillips’ throw to Vance Wilson easily beat him. Unfortunately for Wilson, Mondesi connected with his left elbow on the catcher’s mitt and dislodged the ball. It was rightfully ruled a caught stealing and an error on Wilson.
Phillips singled home Roger Cedeno in the first and the Mets scratched another run off Johnson in the third. Jose Reyes pulled a one-out double inside the third-base bag and stole third without a throw. He scored on Phillips’ second RBI single of the game, a grounder up the middle through a drawn-in infield.
Arizona tied the game in the bottom of the inning when Kata tripled to the fence in center and scored on Counsell’s sacrifice fly to right field.
The Mets took a 3-2 lead in the fifth when Cedeno beat out a single in the hole, stole second and came home on a Phillips liner into right field. But Leiter coughed it up again.