Sheffield’s Drop Gives the Mets a Lift

Gary Sheffield of the Florida Marlins had a tough series against the New York Mets.

First, he was thrown out of Saturday’s game after arguing a called third strike. On Sunday, he dropped a fly ball that gave the Mets an unearned run in a 3-2, 12-inning victory over the Marlins at New York.

The Mets finished the first half with a three-game winning streak and a chance to get back into the National League East race.

“Those three wins have short-circuited the idea that our season was going to be over at the All-Star break,” Met Manager Bobby Valentine said.

Carl Everett singled home Alex Ochoa, who started the 12th inning by reaching second base when Sheffield dropped his fly to right field.

Sheffield appeared to lose the shallow fly in the sun and it bounced off his glove. Then Everett singled to right field off Dennis Cook (1-2), who returned from a two-game suspension for hitting a batter in Colorado.

“There has been steady improvement on defense, in starting pitching and in the bullpen, and I’m proud of this team, the way it keeps coming back,” Valentine said.

It was the Mets’ 22nd come-from-behind victory and gave them the final three games of a four-game series.

Valentine conceded that one of the keys to the unexpected success--the Mets are 48-38, their best mark since 47-31 in 1990--was putting Edgardo Alfonzo at third base. Alfonzo, who was two for five with an RBI, extended his hitting streak to 19 games.

“Fonzie could eventually become a Gold Glove third baseman,” Valentine said. “His bat has been hot, but his glove is really helping our defense.”

Florida Manager Jim Leyland had a less optimistic view, though the Marlins are in second place, four games ahead of the Mets.

“It doesn’t matter who you play if you don’t hit,” he said. “You go that long with two runs like today, that’s just bad hitting. I can’t hide it. We just haven’t done anything offensively lately and did nothing offensively today. That was terrible.”

Montreal 6, Atlanta 2--Jeff Juden gave up six hits in his sixth consecutive win and rookie Vladimir Guerrero homered and had three RBIs as the Expos ended a four-game losing streak at Montreal.

The Expos avoided their first four-game sweep by the Braves and snapped a six-game losing streak against Atlanta while stopping the Braves’ five-game winning streak.

Juden (11-2) struck out 11 and walked one in his fourth complete game of the season and fifth of his career. He has given up 12 earned runs in 49 innings over his last six starts, a 2.20 ERA.

Guerrero broke a 2-2 tie with a two-run homer off Denny Neagle (12-2) in sixth inning. Guerrero also had an RBI single in a two-run seventh.

Houston 6, Cincinnati 5--Jeff Bagwell broke out of a mini-slump in time to give the Astros a positive feeling toward playing the second half.

Bagwell drove in four runs with two home runs and pinch-hitter Tony Eusebio singled home the tie-breaking run in the ninth at Houston.

Bagwell went into the game 0 for 10 in the four-game series against the Reds. But he hit a solo home run in the first inning and added a three-run home run in the four-run third that got the Astros back in the game.

Billy Wagner (5-3) pitched a perfect ninth. Mike Remlinger (3-4) worked a third of an inning for the loss.

Pittsburgh 6, St. Louis 3--Jose Guillen had four RBIs, and Steve Cooke gave up seven hits in seven innings as the surprising Pirates completed a four-game sweep of the Cardinals at St. Louis.

The Pirates have won seven in a row and 10 of 13 after losing a season-high six in a row. They enter the All-Star break in first place in the NL Central at 43-43, despite one of the least-known lineups in the majors.

The last time they swept the Cardinals at Busch Stadium was Aug. 6-9, 1992, which was the final year of a three-year run of first-place finishes for a team that featured Barry Bonds, Jay Bell and Doug Drabek.

The Pirates swept the Cardinals despite a sub-par series by No. 3 hitter Al Martin, who was one for 14. Cleanup hitter Kevin Young struck out three times before singling in the eighth inning.

Chicago 8, Philadelphia 4--Mark Grace returned to the starting lineup with a home run and four RBIs as the surging Cubs won at Philadelphia.

Grace, who had missed three starts because of a sore right ankle, had a two-run home run in the first inning and a two-run double in the fourth as the Cubs won for the eighth time in 10 games. The Phillies lost for the 20th time in 22 games after snapping an 11-game losing streak Saturday.

Chicago’s Frank Castillo (6-9) gave up three runs and six hits in 5 2/3 innings.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

BESTS OF THE DAY

BATTING

*--*

Player Team Performance Team’s Result Jeff Bagwell Houston 2 for 3, two home runs, 4 RBIs, 2 runs Win Jose Guillen Pittsburgh 2 for 4, home run, 4 RBIs Win Mark Grace Chicago 2 for 5, home run, 4 RBIs Win

*--*

PITCHING

*--*

Player Team Performance Team’s Result Jeff Juden Montreal Six-hitter, 2 runs, 11 strikeouts, 1 walk Win Tom Candiotti Dodgers 7 1/3 innings, 4 hits, 1 run, 5 strikeouts Win Mark Gardner San Francsco 6 innings, 5 hits, 0 runs, 9 strikeouts, 1 walk Win

*--*