Sports

STEVE A HIT AT BAT, TOO

The Mets have been hoping to solidify the back of their rotation all year, recently inserting pitchers Alay Soler and Orlando Hernandez into the mix.

Steve Trachsel is showing lately, however, the team shouldn’t forget about him, either.

The right-hander pitched well and won his third straight start last night in the Mets’ 9-2 victory over the Reds at Shea Stadium. Trachsel pitched into the seventh inning and surrendered a pair of runs.

“I think I’ve been throwing well all year long,” said Trachsel, whose winning streak is his longest since he won four in a row in 2003. “With Duque and Soler pitching the way they have, I just want to keep it going.”

He’s doing that and more. Last night, Trachsel also proved to be a bit of a double threat, blasting his third career home run, a solo shot in the bottom of the fifth off Cincinnati starter Elizardo Ramirez that gave the Mets a 4-1 lead. The homer to left came after an eight-pitch at-bat and was Trachsel’s first since 1998.

It was the first by a Mets pitcher since Shawn Estes hit one off Roger Clemens on June 15, 2002.

“I feel [better] about my outing on the mound,” Trachsel said when asked to compare the win to his newfound hitting prowess. “The home run was kind of a fluke.”

A fluke, sure, but a solid one. Trachsel said it was the first time he saw one of his shots leave the field.

“I never thought any of the others were going out,” Trachsel said. “This was just a matter of staying fair.”

Which it did.

Though the home run was nice, it clearly was Trachsel’s showing on the mound that will help the Mets more. Although Trachsel’s record (5-4) isn’t bad, he has been effective in less than half his starts this season.

He was nearly flawless before tiring in the seventh, when he left with the bases loaded and nobody out. Duaner Sanchez allowed one of the runners to score but preserved the lead.

“That was huge,” Trachsel said. “That’s the only thing I was upset at myself about.”

Because he often has been the subject of trade rumors, his current winning streak doesn’t hurt his future with the team. It’s a far cry from the problems he had earlier in the season, when he went seven consecutive starts without earning his third win.

“He hit his spots and changed speeds well,” Willie Randolph said. “That’s what we need from him.”