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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
NEW YORK (AP) -- Bobby J. Jones made a name for himself and
carved out a place in postseason lore.
Known as much for being one of two Bobby Joneses on the Mets as
for his own pitching, Jones threw the sixth complete game
one-hitter in postseason history as the Mets eliminated the Giants
with a 4-0 win in Game 4 of their NL Division Series on Sunday.
|  | | From left, Robin Ventura, Bobby J. Jones, Mike Piazza and Todd Pratt celebrate their four-game victory over the Giants in the NLDS. |
Left off last year's playoff roster and sent to the minors in
June, Jones pitched the first one-hit shutout in the postseason
since Boston's Jim Lonborg in the 1967 World Series against St.
Louis.
"At that time I was not helping the ballclub," Jones said of
his two-week trip to Triple-A Norfolk. "After experiencing the
playoffs last year and not being a part of it, I wanted to come
back in the best shape and have a great year. The way I pitched was
obviously not the way I was capable of throwing."
Jones limited the Giants to a clean, fifth-inning double by Jeff
Kent as the wild-card Mets won the final three games of the series
to avoid a cross-country trip and a decisive Game 5 in San
Francisco.
The Mets earned themselves two days off before opening the NLCS
in St. Louis on Wednesday. The Mets were 6-3 against the Cardinals
this season.
"It's not going to be easy," Jones said. "They're a great
team and play great baseball. We just have to go out and play the
best we can."
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GAME 4 AT A GLANCE
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Every game a hero
In the best performance by a Bobby Jones since the golfer of the same name won the Grand Slam in 1930, the Mets' pitcher delivered the sixth one-hit CG in postseason history. Kevin Millwood pitched one in last year's Division Series against the Astros and the other four came in the World Series: Ed Reulbach, 1906 Cubs; Claude Passeau, 1945 Cubs; Bill Bevens, 1947 Yankees (lost); Jim Lonborg, 1967 Red Sox.
Key move
The Giants actually mounted one scoring threat in the game. In the fifth, Jeff Kent led off with a double down the line and J.T. Snow and Doug Mirabelli walked to load the bases with two outs. With pitcher Mark Gardner up and trailing 2-0, Dusty Baker elected not to hit for him. Gardner popped out to shallow right and then gave up two runs in the bottom of the inning. Game, set, match.
Key number
Barry Bonds' career postseason average dipped to .196 after he went 3-for-17 with one RBI in the series. In 27 playoff games, he's 19-for-97 with just six RBI.
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The Giants (97-65), who finished with the best record in the
majors, had their magical season end with a whimper, in part
because Barry Bonds was a postseason bust again.
Bonds dropped to 0-5 in playoff series -- three with Pittsburgh,
two with the Giants -- with a .196 batting average overall.
Fittingly, the three-time MVP made the final out of the series,
hitting a fly ball to center field that left him 3-for-17 against
the Mets.
Fireworks shot out from behind the center-field fence and the
Mets shot out of their dugout to mob Jones on the infield. The Baha
Men's "Who Let The Dogs Out" -- the song that blared throughout
Pacific Bell Park when San Francisco clinched the NL West -- played
as the Bonds and the Giants glumly walked to the clubhouse.
"I'll keep trying," Bonds said.
After a few minutes, a leaping Lenny Harris led the Mets to a
celebration in the clubhouse. Jones' teammates chanted his name as
they doused each other with champagne.
"I'm so happy for Bobby Jones," Al Leiter said. "I'm so proud
of him. To go out and pitch the best game of his life and dismiss
all the critics who thought this was a bad decision ... He went out
and nailed it."
Shea Stadium was still filled with electricity from Saturday
night's 3-2 Mets win in 13 innings. Fans chanted Benny Agbayani's
name as he stretched before the game, about 18 hours after his
homer had brought the Mets one win away from the NLCS.
That was New York's fifth straight postseason win in the last
at-bat, including a 5-4, 10-inning victory in Game 2 at San
Francisco.
Mets fans didn't need to wait nearly as long this game. Jones
struck out Bonds on a high fastball to end the first, drawing an
ovation from a crowd ready for another celebration.
Robin Ventura gave them much more to cheer about in the bottom
half. After Mark Gardner walked Mike Piazza with two outs, Ventura
turned on a first-pitch fastball and hit it off the scoreboard in
right field for just his second hit in the series.
"He's an aggressive pitcher and tries to jump ahead," Ventura
said. "I was a little lucky."
That would be all Jones needed, pitching his first shutout since
1997. After struggling to a 1-3 record with a 10.19 ERA after eight
starts, the right-hander was banished to the minors and bashed in
the newspapers. He returned two weeks later and won 10 of his final
13 decisions.
Jones wasn't even certain to start in this series. Manager Bobby
Valentine toyed with the idea of starting Mike Hampton on three
days' rest or using left-hander Glendon Rusch in Game 4, but stuck
with Jones.
"If he needed vindication, I'm glad he got it," Valentine
said. "People like to look at the speed gun and say he's not an
upper-echelon pitcher. But it's what he does with that 84-mph
fastball that torments people."
Jones made the decision pay off. He baffled the Giants with big
breaking curveballs that didn't even reach 70 mph. He struck out
Bonds twice -- both to big ovations -- and retired the first 12
batters before Kent's double over Ventura's head down the
left-field line.
"I figured we would pop one," Giants manager Dusty Baker said.
"It wasn't a one-hitter where he was completely dominating. We hit
some balls hard. He pitched a great game and pitched to his
defense."
One of the biggest decisions in the game came in the fifth
inning. San Francisco loaded the bases with two outs and Gardner
coming up. With a weary bullpen, Baker chose to let his pitcher
hit, and Gardner popped out to second base.
"I figured we'd get some runs," Baker said. "I don't regret
it. If you don't have a full bullpen, you don't have a full
bullpen."
Making the move even worse, the Mets knocked Gardner out with
two runs in the bottom of the fifth. With one out, Jones swung and
missed at strike three in the dirt, but reached first on a wild
pitch.
Late-season callup Timo Perez followed with a double to the
right-field corner, his fifth hit of the series. Edgardo Alfonzo
hit a two-run double to center to make it 4-0.
Jones then retired the final 13 batters, making him perfect in
every inning but the fifth.
"Just textbook pitching. He really knew how to work the
hitters," Piazza said. "As the game wore on he just got tougher
and tougher."
Game notes
Atlanta's Kevin Millwood pitched the last postseason
one-hitter in Game 2 of the Braves' Division Series against Houston
last year. ... San Francisco hadn't lost three straight games since
dropping three to the Mets at Shea Stadium Aug. 8-11. ... Gardner
allowed four runs, four hits and two walks in 4 1/3 innings.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
San Francisco Clubhouse
NY Mets Clubhouse
Baker lets Gardner hit -- and takes hit for it
Shea it isn't so -- Bonds' postseason ends poorly
RECAPS
NY Yankees 7
Oakland 5
NY Mets 4
San Francisco 0
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Tim Kurkjian roams the Mets locker room searching for interviews...and a towel.
RealVideo: | 28.8
New York Mets postgame news conference.
RealVideo: | 28.8
 Mike Piazza is happy with the team effort of the Mets.
wav: 154 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Edgardo Alfonzo talks with Alvaro Martin as the Mets advance to the NLCS.
wav: 615 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Al Leiter comments on the turning point in the Mets series with the Giants.
wav: 233 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Benny Agbayani says the Mets know what to expect from St. Louis.
wav: 142 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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