Big First Inning Lifts Mets Over Braves
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
Richard Hidalgo and Todd Zeile hit back-to-back homers in a seven-run first inning, leading the Mets to a 9-4 victory over the Atlanta Braves last night.
Mike Cameron had three hits and drove in two runs for the Mets, who took three of five against the Braves. A day after manager Art Howe was fired, effective at the end of the season, the Mets won their first series since taking two of three at Colorado on August 17-19.
Steve Trachsel (11-13) allowed four runs – two earned – and eight hits in six-plus innings. He had lost five straight decisions and was winless in his last six starts.
The Braves knocked Trachsel out in the seventh when Eddie Perez, Charles Thomas, and Mark DeRosa all singled to load the bases.
Atlanta’s magic number for clinching its 13th straight division title remained at 10 after the Florida Marlins beat Montreal 4-3.
The Mets got to work quickly against rookie Jose Capellan (0-1), pitching on three days’ rest.
Cameron hit a leadoff double, stole third and scored on Jeff Keppinger’s sacrifice fly. Cliff Floyd walked, and Mike Piazza and David Wright followed with consecutive singles to make it 2-0.
With runners on first and second, Hidalgo crushed Capellan’s first pitch for his 25th homer to give the Mets a 5-0 lead. Zeile followed with his eighth homer to make it 6-0.
Capellan, filling in for an injured Mike Hampton, allowed seven runs, six hits, and walked two in one inning in his second big league start.
The Mets added a run in the fifth when Chipper Jones committed an error on Hidalgo’s grounder, and Zeile followed with an RBI double.
Atlanta scored three times in the sixth to cut it to 8-3. Pinch-hitter Dewayne Wise hit an RBI single with one out, Jones hit a grounder went between the legs of second baseman Keppinger for a run-scoring error, and Andruw Jones followed with an RBI groundout.
Also yesterday, the Mets announced that infiedler Todd Zeile, who intends to retire at the end of this season, will start behind the plate for the first time in 14 years tonight when the Mets visit Pittsburgh. Zeile simply wanted to try it one more time before calling it quits.
They announced on Wednesday that shortstop Kaz Matsui would be moved to second base for the 2005 season.
