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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
PHOENIX (AP) -- The last time the New York Mets lost, the Arizona Diamondbacks couldn't capitalize. They didn't squander a second chance.
|  | | Jay Bell's seventh-inning home run was the difference on the scoreboard. |
Jay Bell hit a solo home run in the seventh inning and Randy
Johnson outpitched Tom Glavine as the Diamondbacks edged the Atlanta Braves 2-1 Friday night to move up on the Mets in the NL wild card race.
Arizona won its third in a row to close within four games of New York in the chase for a playoff spot. The Mets, who lost at Montreal 4-3, trail Atlanta by two games in the NL East.
Arizona and New York both lost on Monday night. Then the Mets won their next three, and the Diamondbacks two before this series.
"We have to win baseball games," Bell said. "We have no room
for error any more. But tonight we won when the Mets and 'San Fran'
lost, and we're in a situation where we need that combination."
Johnson (18-6) struck out 13 in seven innings. He already was
out of the game and was watching when Bell pulled a pitch from
Glavine into the left-field grandstand with two outs, breaking a
1-1 tie.
"It was just a huge win for us," said Johnson, who allowed one
run and seven hits, and walked none. "We got a few big hits off a
very, very good pitcher in this league, and then our bullpen came
in and shut them down."
It was Bell's 16th homer and second solo shot in two games.
Glavine (19-8) failed in his second try at becoming the majors'
first 20-game winner.
Byung-Hyun Kim struck out the side in the eighth and Matt Mantei
worked the ninth for his 15th save in 18 chances.
Johnson evened his head-to-head record with Glavine at 2-2 in
five matchups this year.
"That's what makes Randy so special -- he doesn't back away from
a challenge," manager Buck Showalter said.
Glavine also gave up seven hits in seven innings, striking out
seven and walking one.
Chipper Jones continued his amazing hitting against Johnson, hitting a leadoff homer against the Arizona ace in the sixth inning.
It was Jones' sixth homer in 18 career at-bats against Johnson. He homered twice off the Big Unit in a 5-2 Braves victory in Atlanta on Sept. 5 -- Glavine beat the Big Unit that night.
"I'd have to say he was probably a little sharper," Jones
said. "He pitched me a lot better tonight than he did over there.
You don't strike out 11 guys in the first five innings if you're
not locating and changing speeds, throwing two or three pitches for
strikes. He was the Randy we expect to see every time up."
Johnson reached double digits in strikeouts for the 23rd time in
32 starts this season and 148th time in his career.
He raised his majors-leading total to 326 and his career mark to
3,019. He is 3-4 in 11 starts since he beat St. Louis 3-2 on July
20.
Glavine had early control problems, but did not allow an Arizona runner past second until the fifth inning, when Danny Bautista
tripled off the center-field wall with one out.
After Bell struck out, Luis Gonzalez hit an RBI single for a 1-0 lead.
Jones tied it in the next inning. It stayed that way until Bell,
who was 2-for-4, worked Glavine to a 3-0 count. When the
left-hander grooved a fastball, Bell hit it for the go-ahead homer.
"I had no intention of throwing that ball where I put it,"
Glavine said. "But it was a mistake, and he made me pay for it."
Game notes
Glavine won 20 games or more in 1991, 1992, 1993 and 1998,
and was trying to become the 33rd pitcher with five 20-win seasons
since 1900. ... Arizona's Damian Miller threw out Rafael Furcal in
the first inning. But Furcal extended his Atlanta rookie record to
36 stolen bases when he stole second in the fifth. ... Rookie RF Alex Cabrera got his first start for Arizona since his recall from the minors on Aug. 20.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Atlanta Clubhouse
Arizona Clubhouse
RECAPS
Seattle 10
Baltimore 2
Boston 7
Detroit 6
Cleveland 11
NY Yankees 1
Oakland 17
Tampa Bay 3
Toronto 6
Chi. White Sox 5
Anaheim 16
Minnesota 5
Texas 12
Kansas City 11
Cincinnati 6
Milwaukee 4
Montreal 4
NY Mets 3
Philadelphia 7
Florida 4
Houston 16
Pittsburgh 7
St. Louis 3
Chicago Cubs 2
Arizona 2
Atlanta 1
San Diego 5
San Francisco 4
Los Angeles 4
Colorado 3
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