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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
NEW YORK (AP) – Glendon Rusch isn't sure why he's had so much
success at Shea Stadium this season.
|  | | New York's Glendon Rusch hasn't given up an earned run in his past 21 innings in Shea Stadium. |
Rusch scattered five hits over seven innings and drove in a run
to lead the New York Mets to an 8-1 victory over the Arizona
Diamondbacks on Saturday. He has allowed just one unearned run in
21 innings at home.
"I don't know. It's the same mound, same distance to home,"
said Rusch (2-1). "But I obviously like pitching here. The fans
are great here, they get into the game and when you get into a jam,
they're rooting you on. That's home-field advantage right there."
Rusch, who struck out five, has allowed 13 hits and fanned 19 in
his three home starts.
"He pitched away like (Tom) Glavine and had success," catcher
Todd Pratt said. "Sometimes he gets away from that and tries to be
a power pitcher."
Rusch has struggled on the road, however, allowing 16 runs in
just 9 1/3 innings.
"You need to pitch the same home or away," Rusch said. "I'm
doing good here, but I need to do my job on the road, too."
Todd Zeile went 3-for-4 and drove in two runs, and Rey Ordonez
went 2-for-3 with two RBI for the Mets, who have won the first two
games of this series and four of five games overall.
"We just played well today," manager Bobby Valentine said.
"Glendon really hit that outside part of the plate with his
curveball, and the guys just got some hits."
The Mets used four hits in the third to erase a 1-0 deficit and
take a 3-1 lead against the Diamondbacks, who have lost three of
their last four outings.
"We can't let the pitching do it all," Arizona's Mark Grace
said. "We have to score more runs. It seems like we score one or
two runs, or we score nine or 10. There's nothing in between. We
have to find a way to be more consistent."
Jay Payton reached on an infield single to lead off the third
against Robert Ellis (3-1). One out later, Robin Ventura hit a
bloop single to center, and Zeile followed with a run-scoring double to
tie it 1-1. Tsuyoshi Shinjo hit a sacrifice fly to center that
scored Ventura and gave the Mets a 2-1 lead.
After Ellis hit Pratt with a pitch to put runners on first and
third, Ordonez singled to make it 3-1.
Rusch helped his cause by driving in a run in the sixth. Pratt
led off with a double, his first hit in 20 at-bats this season, and
moved to third on Ordonez's groundout. Rusch pushed a bunt down the
first-base line to score Pratt on the sacrifice.
Ellis allowed four runs and seven hits in six innings in his
first major league defeat.
"I feel like I let the team down," Ellis said. "They are
expecting me to go out there and make quality pitches. Sometimes I
did and sometimes I didn't. The times I didn't, they cost me three
runs."
The Mets broke the game open by scoring four times in the
seventh.
Ventura hit a sacrifice fly off reliever Russ Springer, following
consecutive singles by Payton and Edgardo Alfonzo to open the
inning. Zeile followed with a run-scoring single to drive in Alfonzo, and
Pratt doubled off Troy Brohawn to make it 7-1.
Ordonez added a sacrifice fly to drive in another run.
The Diamondbacks took a 1-0 lead in the third, but could have
scored more.
Craig Counsell hit a leadoff single, and Rod Barajas reached on
catcher's interference when Pratt's mitt made contact with Barajas'
bat. After the runners advanced on a passed ball, Ellis pushed a
hard bunt to the second-base side of the mound. Alfonzo barehanded
the ball and threw home to cut down Counsell.
Rusch hit Reggie Sanders with a pitch to load the bases for Jay
Bell, who lifted a fly ball to left. Barajas tagged up and avoided
Pratt's tag to make it 1-0. But Rusch got Luis Gonzalez to ground
out to end the inning.
"Not taking anything away from Glendon Rusch, but I certainly
thought we got some pitches to hit in that game," Arizona manager
Bob Brenly said. "We just missed them or hit them at somebody."
Game notes
Zeile's run-scoring double was the 1,600th hit of his career. ...
Mets catcher Mike Piazza sat out his second consecutive game with a
sore right hand. Piazza injured the hand Wednesday night when he
hit it against the tip of Jeff Bagwell's helmet while trying to
throw out a runner in the Mets' 6-5 loss to Houston. He is expected
back Sunday. ... Pratt, who replaced Piazza in the lineup, lifted
his helmet in salute and smiled while standing at second after fans
cheered his first hit of the season. ... Valentine said rookie
Dicky Gonzalez (0-0) will start the series opener at Colorado on
Monday.
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RECAPS
NY Yankees 5
Baltimore 2
Boston 7
Oakland 1
Seattle 7
Toronto 5
Cleveland 9
Tampa Bay 4
Kansas City 12
Minnesota 10
Texas 2
Chi. White Sox 0
Detroit 11
Anaheim 2
NY Mets 8
Arizona 1
San Diego 5
Cincinnati 2
Chicago Cubs 20
Los Angeles 1
Atlanta 6
St. Louis 5
Milwaukee 8
Florida 2
Houston 4
Montreal 3
Philadelphia 4
San Francisco 2
Pittsburgh 11
Colorado 3
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