Sports

AMAZIN’S SLAM DODGERS IN 9TH

LOS ANGELES – Last night’s come-from-behind victory over the Dodgers was much like this road trip for the Mets. It was long, tedious and back and forth.

But, most of all, it was fruitful as the Mets improved to 5-3 on their latest voyage around the country.

In the longest nine-inning game in team history, the Mets scored six runs in the ninth inning – which featured Todd Pratt’s pinch-hit grand slam – and defeated the Dodgers 10-5 in a game which took four hours, nine minutes to complete.

Against reliever Jeff Shaw, Mike Piazza began the decisive rally with a single to left. With Jay Payton pinch-running for Piazza, Shaw walked Robin Ventura on four pitches to bring up Todd Zeile with no outs.

Zeile continued to make GM Steve Phillips look good by ripping a game-tying single to center. Davey Johnson had seen enough and brought in Terry Adams, who, with men on first and second, struck out pinch-hitter Joe McEwing.

After Kurt Abbott – who played short last night – walked to load the bases, Jon Nunnally struck out. Then this ridiculously long game was decided the only way it could.

Melvin Mora walked on a 3-2, two-out pitch with the ball skipping off Chad Kreuter’s glove. It was fitting.

Pratt put an exclamation point on the victory by belting a grand slam over the wall in left-center. It was Pratt’s fifth homer this season and his first career slam.

John Franco (2-1) got the win, Shaw (2-3) took loss.

The Dodgers got a two-run homer from Eric Karros, while Edgardo Alfonzo was involved in four of the Mets’ runs before their late rally. The Mets’ second baseman drove in three and scored the other on a Piazza single.

Starter Fresno Bobby Jones, pitching in front of his parents, wife and children, pitched into the sixth and gave up four runs, all earned, on seven hits.

The Mets couldn’t hold their second lead of the game, which they took in the top of the sixth. The 4-3 Mets’ advantage didn’t even last half an inning as the Dodgers scored two runs against three Met pitchers.

Former Met Todd Hundley was the final batter of the game for Jones. After Hundley doubled, Dennis Cook came in and allowed another former Met, Kevin Elster to deliver a pinch-hit single to center. Hundley pulled a muscle pulling into third and left the game.

One out later, pinch-hitter Geronimo Berroa blooped a single down the right field line that Alfonzo couldn’t reach, tying the game at 4.

Mark Grudzielanek singled to left off Pat Mahomes to give the Dodgers the 5-4 lead after six.

The Mets had come back off reliever Matt Herges. Down 3-2, they put up two runs in the top of the sixth.

After Herges struck out the first two batters of the inning, Mora knocked a single to left and moved to third when Dodger shortstop Jose Vizcaino made a wide throw to first on a Derek Bell grounder. Ruled a hit and an error, it put runners on second and third for Alfonzo.

The second baseman, who should make his first All-Star team this season, ripped a two-run single to left to give the Mets a 4-3 advantage.

Down 1-0 in the third, the Dodgers put up two runs with two outs thanks largely to Karros. Hollandsworth walked to lead off the inning and stole second.

After an out, Gary Sheffield lined out sharply to Abbott, who shoveled the ball to Alfonzo at second, a moment too late to double up Hollandsworth. This proved costly as Shawn Green and Karros were the next two batters. Green stroked an RBI single to center and advanced to second when Melvin Mora misplayed it.

It didn’t mater what base Green was on because he was heading home after Karros launched a 2-1 pitch from Jones into the left field seats.

The Mets got one of the runs back in the top of the fifth and, in the process, knocked Dodgers starter Eric Gagne out of the game. Alfonzo doubled down the left field line to lead off. Then Piazza singled him home, driving in his 36th run of the year and cutting the Dodgers lead to 3-2.

The Mets almost knocked Gagne out of the game in the fourth, but ended up scoring none, despite loading the bases. The second batter of the inning, Benny Agbayani hit a shot 395 feet to center. But Hollandsworth faded back to the wall and made a nice catch on a ball that would’ve hit the top of the blue padding.

The bases were later loaded for Bell, but he continued his slump by flying out to right.