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GAME LOG
ATLANTA (AP) – Robin Ventura had never faced Kerry Ligtenberg,
and was hitless against John Rocker before Tuesday. That all
changed in two at-bats for the New York Mets third baseman.
|  | | Tom Glavine ran into trouble in the eighth when he had to turn the game over to this bullpen. |
Ventura hit a pair of two-run homers, including one off
Ligtenberg in the 10th inning Tuesday, to lead the defending NL
champion Mets to a 6-4 victory over Atlanta in the Braves' home
opener.
His eighth-inning homer off Rocker had given the Mets a 4-2 lead
in their season opener.
"I haven't had a lot of success against him (Rocker)," said
Ventura, who was 0-for-5 against the Atlanta left-hander. "To just
get a pitch and get a piece of it was something."
Both home runs came on the first pitch.
Tsuyoshi Shinjo, the second Japanese position player to sign a
major league contract, singled with one out in the 10th off
Ligtenberg. The Braves reliever retired Edgardo Alfonzo for the
second out, but Ventura, who went 2-for-5, hit Ligtenberg's first
pitch into the right-field seats.
"I missed my spot and got it up and over the middle,"
Ligtenberg said. "If I make my pitch maybe it's different, but I
didn't. Some nights you get away with mistakes. Unfortunately,
tonight John and I didn't."
Dennis Cook, who pitched a scoreless ninth, got the win, and Armando Benitez got the save with a scoreless 10th.
The Braves tied it at 4 in the eighth off Mets relievers John
Franco and Turk Wendell, scoring twice on RBI hits by Rafael Furcal
and Brian Jordan.
It was the first of 19 games between the two clubs this season
which has gone to an unbalanced schedule, geared toward more games
between teams in the same division. The Mets and Braves played 13
times last season, Atlanta taking the series 7-6. Since 1998, the
Braves lead the series 29-15, including the postseason.
Atlanta has also won 18 of 22 games against the Mets at Turner
Field.
"They've had a lot of success against us, especially here. To
be up and for them to come back, and then for us to come back is
nice," Ventura said.
"I know us and the Mets are a good rivalry," said Braves
starter Tom Glavine. "And with six more games, it should only be
more interesting."
Pinch-hitter Dave Martinez led off the eighth with a single off
Franco and scored on Furcal's double. After Quilvio Veras was hit
by a pitch, Wendell came on and retired Andruw Jones on a pop-up and
got Chipper Jones on a forceout grounder. But Jordan's single drove
in Furcal.
Ventura hit Rocker's first pitch 400 feet over the
center-field fence for a two-run homer in the top of the eighth to
give the Mets a 4-2 lead.
Javy Lopez hit a solo homer in the seventh off New York starter Al Leiter to tie it at 2 before an announced crowd of 42,117, but
was closer to 30,000 due to a steady rain and thunderstorms that
delayed the start 3 hours, and 3 minutes.
Leiter, who did not give up a run in 19 2/3 innings during the
spring, also gave up a run in the first on three hits – the last an
RBI single by Chipper Jones.
Leiter went seven innings, gave up six hits, two runs and struck
out six.
New York took a 2-0 lead in the first off Glavine when Mike
Piazza hit a two-run homer after Alfonzo's double.
Glavine allowed three hits and three runs in 7 1/3 innings.
Rocker then came on and Ventura greeted him with a homer.
The Braves, seeking an unprecedented 10th division title, opened
the season Monday in Cincinnati, beating the Reds 10-4.
Game notes
Terry Pendleton, the former Braves 3B who led Atlanta to
its first division title in 1991 while winning the NL MVP award,
threw out the first pitch. Pendleton, who shook hands with catcher Javy Lopez after the ceremonial pitch and then hugged Chipper
Jones, wore a Dale Earnhardt sweatshirt. ... Shinjo made his Mets
debut in the eighth, when he pinch ran for Benny Agbayani and
scored on Ventura's homer. ... The Braves are wearing a No. 41
sleeve patch in memory of Hall of Famer Eddie Mathews, who died
Feb. 18.
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RECAPS
Minnesota 3
Detroit 2
Texas 3
Anaheim 2
Tampa Bay 8
Toronto 1
Oakland 5
Seattle 1
NY Mets 6
Atlanta 4
Houston 11
Milwaukee 3
Cincinnati 3
Pittsburgh 2
Philadelphia 4
Florida 3
Arizona 3
Los Angeles 2
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Robin Ventura finally got the better of John rocker.
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