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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
MONTREAL (AP) -- Chris Widger can't explain why he hits Mike
Hampton so well.
Widger hit a tiebreaking solo homer and a two-run double off the
New York starter, and Dustin Hermanson came within an out of his
fourth career complete game as the Montreal Expos beat the Mets 4-1
Thursday.
|  | | Dustin Hermanson won for the second straight outing after going 1-4 in seven starts since rejoining the Expos rotation June 5. |
"I'm just happy to get two hits. It doesn't matter who they're
against," Widger said.
Widger is 8-for-12 against Hampton in his career, including
2-for-3 Thursday.
"For some reason, you hit some guys better than others and he
happens to be a guy that I hit," Widger said. "For what reason? I
don't know, because he's one of the best pitchers in baseball.
Maybe it's luck. I don't know."
Montreal stopped a four-game losing streak and won for just the
second time in 10 games. New York had won three straight after
losing nine of 12.
Widger put Montreal ahead 2-1 when he led off the sixth with a
home run off Hampton (9-7) and added a two-run double in the
seventh.
"He's swung the bat pretty well against me," Hampton said.
"He's got his share of hits, usually singles, but today he hit the
home run, of course, and then the double to drive in two important
runs."
Hermanson (8-7) allowed seven hits, retiring 12 straight
following Edgardo Alfonzo's leadoff single in the fourth.
He loaded the bases in the eighth on singles by Benny Agbayani
and pinch-hitter Matt Franco, and a one-out walk to Lenny Harris,
prompting Expos manager Felipe Alou to visit the mound.
"I went there to give an emotional speech," Alou said.
"That's what it was. I was trying to get something out of him and
he responded."
Hermanson struck out Derek Bell and pinch-hitter Mark Johnson to
hold the three-run lead.
"I told him to get those two guys out and he obeyed," Alou
said.
Hermanson, who won his second straight after going 1-4 in seven
starts since rejoining the rotation June 5, was happy to get the
chance to fight his way out of trouble.
"I appreciate his confidence in me and it's just going to build
mine even more," Hermanson said. "It meant a lot to me."
After Jay Payton's two-out single in the ninth, Scott Strickland
came in for his first career save, retiring Agbayani on a grounder.
Hampton allowed all four runs, eight hits and four walks in
seven innings, tying a season high with nine strikeouts.
"I felt fine," Hampton said. "I thought I had some of the
best stuff I've had all year."
Vladimir Guerrero, who leads the Expos with 25 homers and 83
RBI, missed his first start of the season due to a strained right
hip flexor that has been bothering him for several weeks.
Agbayani's RBI single in the second put the Mets ahead, but the
Expos tied it in the fifth on Wilton Guerrero's run-scoring
single.
Game notes
Hampton struck out nine in his 9-0 complete-game win over
Pittsburgh on June 25. ... The Mets, who threw out Jose Vidro at the
plate in a key play Wednesday, cut down two more Expos trying to
score -- Payton threw out rookie Milton Bradley to end the fifth and
Fernando Seguignol was thrown out on Melvin Mora's relay from
shortstop in the seventh. ... Johnson pinch hit for Edgardo
Alfonzo, who left the game due to a sore right hip. "It was really
painful," Alfonzo said. "I could feel it going back and forth
today. It was a little tight and after I got the base hit, it got
even tighter and during the game it was very sore. I couldn't even
stretch it. I tried to loosen it up but it wouldn't." ...
Seguignol fouled a ball off a speaker above the box seats on the
first-base side of Olympic Stadium in the seventh inning. ... The
Expos fired two coaches following the game: bench coach Luis Pujols
and pitching coach Bobby Cuellar. Cuellar, who refused an offer to
remain in the organization, will be replaced by bullpen coach Brad
Arnsberg and Pujols will be replaced by Jeff Cox, who had been
manager at Triple-A Ottawa.
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Baseball Scoreboard
NY Mets Clubhouse
Montreal Clubhouse
RECAPS
Detroit 5
NY Yankees 3
Minnesota 5
Chi. White Sox 1
Boston 11
Baltimore 7
Baltimore 9
Boston 4
(2nd game)
Oakland 5
Seattle 4
Kansas City 10
Cleveland 6
Toronto 6
Tampa Bay 5
Anaheim 6
Texas 1
Montreal 4
NY Mets 1
Pittsburgh 9
Milwaukee 2
Philadelphia 3
Chicago Cubs 2
Atlanta 5
Florida 3
Florida 6
Atlanta 1
(2nd game)
Arizona 3
St. Louis 2
San Francisco 7
San Diego 3
Houston 6
Cincinnati 2
Los Angeles 6
Colorado 3
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