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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
NEW YORK (AP) -- They sprayed each other with champagne more out
of duty than happiness.
|  | | Edgardo Alfonzo's fifth-inning home run gave the Mets a 3-run lead. |
Last year, the New York Mets were elated to make it to the
playoffs. This year, they're relieved.
"It's good just to get it over with," Mike Piazza said after
New York beat the Atlanta Braves 6-2 Wednesday night and clinched
the NL wild card berth.
Rick Reed (11-5) limited Atlanta to four hits in eight innings,
Derek Bell made a spectacular catch in right field, pinch-hitter Darryl Hamilton singled in the go-ahead run in the fifth and Edgardo Alfonzo hit a two-run homer.
"This is just one step," Reed said in the clubhouse, where the
champagne celebration was more businesslike than wild. "Last year,
it was a tough battle for us. Once we won the game in Cincinnati, a
lot of steam was let out."
Last year, New York needed to beat the Reds in a tiebreaker
playoff on the day after the regular season was scheduled to end.
This time, the Mets clinched with four games to spare, eliminating
Los Angeles, its final wild card rival.
"We've been at this step before," said Reed, who struck out
seven and walked one. "We've been to the next step. We have to get
to the step after that."
After the Mets beat Arizona in the first round of last year's
playoffs, Atlanta eliminated New York 4-2 in the NL championship
series. For 11 months, the Mets have been thinking about that.
They even clinched before the New York Yankees, who have lost 11
of 14, delaying them from ensuring their sixth straight trip to the
postseason.
"I think everyone knew we were going to clinch, it was just a
matter of when," pitcher Al Leiter said. "We kind of knew that
coming out of spring training."
After opening September with 13 losses in 20 games, the Mets
rebounded and will open the playoffs Oct. 4 at San Francisco or St.
Louis. The NL East champion Braves start a day earlier against the
Giants or Cardinals, with the matchups depending on final records.
After the final out, the Mets walked out of their dugout and
celebrated on the field in low-key fashion, with hugs and
handshakes, much like the Braves did the previous day when they
clinched their ninth straight division title at Shea Stadium.
Inside the clubhouse, plastic covered the lockers and players poured champagne over each other, but it wasn't wild. They talked with determination about using the next six days to prepare.
"I think this year we played much better than last year," Alfonzo said. "Last year we went to the last game -- and an extra game."
Before last year, the Mets' only trips to the playoffs were in
1969, 1973, 1986 and 1988. By beating their biggest rival for just
the 13th time in 42 games over three years, the Mets ensured
back-to-back trips.
"Everyone said we've struggled, and this is our 90th win,"
Mets manager Bobby Valentine said.
After Andruw Jones put the Braves ahead with a first-inning homer, Bell may have saved another home run in the fifth, leaping
and catching Jones' drive to the top of the right-field wall in the fifth.
"I thought it was gone. Sure did. No doubt about it," Reed
said. "I let out a lot of air. I didn't think he had a chance."
Bell left the game with a bruised left knee and a bloody gash on his left shin. His replacement, Hamilton, got a key hit in the bottom half.
With the score 1-all against Kevin Millwood (10-13), rookie Timo
Perez lined a two-out pitch into the right-field corner and
stretched it into a triple. Hamilton blooped a pitch into short
center for the go-ahead run, and Alfonzo sent the next pitch into
the left-field bleachers for a 4-1 lead, his seventh homer in 14
games.
Jay Payton hit an RBI single in the sixth after Robin Ventura
tagged and went from first to second when former Met Bobby Bonilla
was slow throwing the ball back following Todd Zeile's flyout to
left. Ventura made it 6-1 with an RBI double in the seventh off
Scott Kamieniecki.
"They deserve to have their day in the sun," Mets nemesis Chipper Jones said. "They played good all season. We certainly didn't want them to do it in front of us, but they deserve it."
Millwood finished the poorest of his three full seasons in the
major leagues, giving up five runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings
and forcing in the Mets' first run with three walks in the fourth,
including one to Zeile with the bases loaded.
New York thought the Braves might have been flat after their clincher.
"I don't think we came out to play with any less vigor,"
Millwood said. "I wasn't going out for a tuneup. I was going out
to win the ballgame."
Now the Mets and Braves can rest, getting ready for bigger games. This wasn't an end, rather a beginning.
"We went through some bumps in the road to get to where we want to go," Valentine said. "Now, the journey begins."
Game notes
John Rocker was booed by fans in the left-field bleachers
during batting practice but didn't get into the game. ... Mets OF Benny Agbayani hit against soft-toss pitching and intends to take regular batting practice Thursday. He is bothered by a sore
hamstring. ... Bell said he should be back in the lineup Saturday.
... Chipper Jones left in the sixth because of turf toe in his left big toe. ... Armando Benitez allowed Andres Galarraga's leadoff
homer in the ninth. ... Millwood was 17-8 in 1998 and 18-7 last
year.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Atlanta Clubhouse
NY Mets Clubhouse
Man imprisoned in baby's death pleads innocent in bottle-throwing case
One half of Mets' ownership likes idea of renovating Shea
Valentine bothered by criticism of team
Stark: Braves' bottom line means first place
Maddux goes for 20th win Thursday
RECAPS
Oakland 9
Anaheim 7
Toronto 4
Baltimore 0
Cleveland 8
Minnesota 2
Tampa Bay 11
NY Yankees 1
Boston 2
Chi. White Sox 1
Kansas City 3
Detroit 0
Seattle 6
Texas 4
Florida 6
Montreal 3
Houston 10
Pittsburgh 1
NY Mets 6
Atlanta 2
Chicago Cubs 1
Philadelphia 0
Milwaukee 10
Cincinnati 6
Colorado 6
Arizona 4
San Francisco 4
Los Angeles 0
St. Louis 3
San Diego 0
AUDIO/VIDEO
 After clinching the NL wild card, John Franco talks with ESPN's Jeremy Schaap.
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
 Darryl Hamilton is happy to be back in the playoffs.
wav: 96 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Met's GM Steve Phillips feels his team still has some work to do.
wav: 112 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Mike Hampton knows that everyone in the playoffs is after the same thing.
wav: 105 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Mike Piazza feels that all the NL playoff teams have been the best in the league at one time.
wav: 83 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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