Mets Take Two From Braves Behind Green
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Shawn Green busted out of his slump with a huge day at the plate, Oliver Perez pitched his second career shutout for his first win since May, and the New York Mets completed a doubleheader sweep of the Atlanta Braves with an 8–0 rout yesterday.
Carlos Delgado hit a tiebreaking homer in the opener, and the Mets got another fine pitching performance from Dave Williams in a 4–1 victory.
Green homered late in that one, then connected again in the nightcap and finished the day 6-for-8 with four runs scored and three RBIs, earning a curtain call. Acquired on August 22 from Arizona, he began the afternoon batting only .179 with five RBIs in 39 at-bats with the Mets.
Jose Reyes hit his sixth leadoff homer of the season in the second game, a Mets record. Chris Woodward added a two-run double off Kyle Davies (2–5), pinch-hitter Endy Chavez delivered a two-run triple and Julio Franco had an RBI single.
Playing their third doubleheader in five days, the Braves looked listless against a pair of fill-in lefties.
Perez (3–11) tossed a five-hitter in his first win for the NL East-leading Mets, who improved to 15–4 in their last 19 games and trimmed their magic number to nine for clinching their first division championship since 1988.
Acquired from Pittsburgh at the trade deadline, the left-hander struck out six and walked one in his third career complete game. His previous one was on May 13, 2004, for the Pirates at Colorado, also in the second game of a doubleheader.
Perez had an outstanding season two years ago for the Pirates, but was demoted to the minors this year because of control problems and ineffectiveness. He had not won since May 17 for Pittsburgh against the Reds.
Davies entered 3–0 with a 2.63 ERA in five career games against the Mets, but he’s been roughed up in both major league starts since returning from a torn right groin.
After spending most of an injury-plagued summer in the minors, Williams is 3–0 with a 3.24 ERA in four starts for the Mets, who have won all four of those outings.
“He’s been a very, very pleasant surprise,” manager Willie Randolph said. “So far, I like what I see.”
