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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
MONTREAL (AP) The Montreal Expos aren't rolling over for
anyone.
Orlando Cabrera's homer capped a three-run rally in the sixth
inning as the Expos came back to beat the New York Mets 4-3 Friday
night.
"We're just trying to win some games and make it tough for the
other teams in the race," Cabrera said. "Even though we're not in
the race, we're trying not to give up too easily."
New York is 4½ games ahead of Arizona, which was home against
Atlanta, for the NL wild card spot. The Mets fell 2½ games behind
the Braves in the NL East.
Mike Piazza, who entered the game hitting .162 (6-for-37) in
September, hit his 35th homer for the Mets.
Javier Vazquez (10-7), who pitched his second career shutout in his previous start, worked eight effective innings to win his second straight game.
"I think that he's going to be a 20-game winner someday in this league," Mets manager Bobby Valentine said. "He's a good pitcher."
Vazquez struck out nine and walked none, giving up three runs
and nine hits.
"I made some good pitches," Vazquez said. "They were hitting
the ball on the ground. That's important. We played a good game all
around, good defense, timely hitting, that's what it's all about."
Scott Strickland pitched a perfect ninth for his seventh save.
"(Vazquez) was good enough to finish but we have a kid that's coming around big time in Strickland and he showed it in the ninth inning," Expos manager Felipe Alou said.
Turk Wendell (7-6) allowed Cabrera's two-run homer on his second
pitch after relieving Al Leiter with two outs in the sixth.
"It was a slider," Wendell said. "Live with it, die with
it."
Leiter, who pitched his first shutout of the season in his last outing, allowed eight hits and three runs in 5 2/3 innings.
Trailing 3-1, Montreal got three straight two-out hits in the
sixth to chase Leiter and take the lead.
Vazquez, who drove in his first run of the season with an RBI
single in the second, hit a two-out single in the sixth.
Peter Bergeron doubled to the left-field corner to score Vazquez.
"The pitcher had no business, not only throwing a great game,
but beating me with his bat," Leiter said. "In the second inning,
on an 0-2 pitch, a stupid pitch, he gets a basehit. And then in the
sixth inning he gets a two-out hit and scores. It's pathetic, and
very upsetting."
Cabrera hit Wendell's 0-1 pitch just over the wall down the
left-field line for his 10th homer and a 4-3 lead.
"It was hooking foul a little bit," Wendell said. "I don't
know how much it made it out by, but I don't think it got out by
that much. But it's still a home run, whether it hit the top of the
wall or went 500 feet."
Derek Bell's RBI double gave the Mets a 1-0 lead in the first.
He advanced to third on Edgardo Alfonzo's fly to right, but was cut
down at the plate when Cabrera ranged back from shortstop to catch
Piazza's popup in shallow center field and threw home.
Vazquez's run-scoring single in the second tied it at 1. Piazza
homered in the fourth to restore New York's one-run lead, and
Darryl Hamilton's RBI single in the fifth made it 3-1.
Game notes
Piazza has hit at least 35 homers in four of his last five
seasons. ... Mets OF Jay Payton, who went 1-for-3, leads all NL
rookies with 127 hits, 35 multi-hit games and 194 total bases. ...
A total of nine Expos consulted with team physician Dr. Larry
Coughlin on Thursday. 2B Jose Vidro (left elbow) and C Lenny
Webster (right elbow) were both cleared to play. Michael Barrett is
day-to-day with an inflamed right triceps. Lee Stevens (left big
toe), Mike Mordecai (right knee) and Milton Bradley (back muscle)
are all out of action for at least another week. LHP Trey Moore
(left shoulder), RHP Anthony Telford (right shoulder) and LHP Scott
Downs (left elbow) will all be re-evaluated in 10 days.
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Baseball Scoreboard
NY Mets Clubhouse
Montreal 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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