Red Sox 4 Mets 3
BOSTON – Melvin Mora walked slowly off the field at Fenway Park last night as the Red Sox celebrated their 4-3, come-from-behind win over the Mets.
With the Mets up 3-2 in the ninth, Armando Benitez looked as if he was going to finish off the game.
With one out and a man on, Benitez got Jose Offerman to ground to short. Mora, who has had his difficulties in the field while replacing Rey Ordonez, flubbed what could’ve been a game-ending double play.
The next batter, Jeff Frye, hit a long fly ball, which Jay Payton hauled in as pinch-runner Manny Alexander tagged up and advanced to third. Then, Benitez gave up a double to Brian Daubach which hit the base of the low wall in right field, chasing home the tying and winning runs.
While Benitez (2-4) suffered the loss after giving up the two unearned runs, it was Mora who walked off shouldering the blame.
“That was a perfect double play, but I missed it,” Mora said. “I feel bad. I feel guilty.”
“I thought the ball sliced on him a little,” Bobby Valentine said. “He was going right and the ball was going left. It was anything but routine.”
Mora’s error wiped away the impressive comebacks of Mike Piazza – who contributed the hit that unlocked a 2-2 game in the eighth in his first game back after being beaned by Roger Clemens – and Mets starter righty Bobby Jones who matched Pedro Martinez pitch for pitch.
Piazza delivered in the eighth inning when his single to center off reliever Rich Garces resulted in the Mets going up 3-2. Ex-Met Carl Everett couldn’t handle the hop and Edgardo Alfonzo scored from first. There was no RBI because of the error.
So, Piazza seemed unaffected, but he really wasn’t the story. In front of 33,894, it was Bobby Jones who offered some very encouraging signs.
In six innings, Jones struck out eight batters, which is unheard of for him. More important, Jones did all the Mets could’ve asked last night.
He dueled Martinez on even terms. He left after six innings, having given up six hits and two runs – on a two-run homer by Red Sox DH Morgan Burkhart in the sixth. It was his fifth consecutive quality start since accepting his demotion to Triple-A Norfolk.
Martinez – who struck out 10 batters for the 62nd time in his career – left after seven having given up two runs as well.
The second came on a Jay Payton solo shot in the top of the seventh to tie the game after Burkhart had given Martinez a 2-1 lead.
Martinez gave up the first run of the game in the second. After Piazza grounded out to third in his first at-bat since being beaned by Clemens Saturday, Robin Ventura struck out.
But Todd Zeile one-bounced a double off the green monster and Payton followed with a double into the left field corner to give the Mets a 1-0 lead.
The lead held up until the sixth when, with a man on, Burkhart hit a 1-2 pitch from Jones into the Red Sox bullpen in right.
But Payton picked up Jones by taking a 2-2 pitch from Martinez over the Monster to tie the score at 2. It was Payton’s ninth homer of the season.