Giant Kent Comes Back to Haunt Mets

A day after spraining his neck in a collision, Jeff Kent returned and homered against his former team again, leading the San Francisco Giants over the New York Mets, 3-2, on Monday night.

Kent hit a two-run home run and a run-scoring double in the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader, then crashed head first into the third-base bag and missed the remainder of the game.

On Monday, he hit a run-scoring single in the third inning and a two-run homer in the eighth off Greg McMichael (0-1). Kent was traded by the Mets to Cleveland last July, then dealt to the Giants in the off-season.

San Francisco stretched its winning streak to four games and dropped the Mets to 3-9.

Rich Rodriguez (2-1) retired all four batters he faced, and Rod Beck pitched a perfect ninth inning for his major league-leading seventh save.

Met starter Dave Mlicki left with none out in the seventh after Mark Lewis lined a single off his lower right shin. X-rays were negative, but it wasn’t immediately known if he could make his next scheduled start. He struck out six and walked two.

Kent had a run-scoring infield single in the third.

Butch Huskey, only four for 28 coming in, hit a two-run homer in the second inning. Last season, Huskey batted .190 (four for 21) against the Dodgers and is eight for 40 (.200) in his career.

Huskey, who wears No. 42 in memory of Jackie Robinson, presented a Met uniform with No. 42 to Jesse Simms, Robinson’s grandson.

Armando Reynoso will be activated by the Mets today and will start against the Dodgers. He strained his right shoulder during spring training and was on a rehabilitation assignment with St. Lucie of the Florida State League.

Reynoso has a 4.07 earned-run average against the Dodgers in four games. Last season, he gave up four runs in four innings in his only start against Los Angeles.

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NEXT SERIES FOR DODGERS

WHO: New York Mets

WHERE: At New York

WHEN: Today 4:30 p.m. and Wednesday 10:30 a.m.