For Mets’ Franco, 400th Save Is a Corker

It’s only April, and already the New York Mets are sipping champagne.

John Franco is the reason for the early celebration. When the popular reliever struck out the side in the ninth inning of Wednesday night’s 4-1 win over the Florida Marlins at Shea Stadium, he became the second pitcher to reach 400 career saves.

“The first of many Mets celebrations this year,” Franco said as he raised a glass for a toast following the Mets’ fifth consecutive victory.

Franco, 38, got his third save of season, helping the Mets to a 7-2 start, their best since 1985. He relieved in the ninth and struck out Todd Dunwoody and Preston Wilson before Kevin Orie reached when second baseman Edgardo Alfonzo misplayed his pop-up into a double.

Franco then fanned Jorge Fabregas for the final out, and was mobbed on the field by his teammates.

“I’d be lying if I told you that it wasn’t in the back of my mind,” Franco said. “I celebrated a little prematurely there, but the main thing is that we won.”

The only reliever with more saves than Franco is Lee Smith, who retired with 478.

“He’s still right at the top of his game,” Met Manager Bobby Valentine said. “Here’s a guy throwing over 90 miles per hour in getting his 400th save.”

Orel Hershiser (1-1) improved to 3-1 against the Marlins, needing just nine pitches for his first six batters. He gave up a run in the fifth, when Wilson bunted for a hit and scored on pinch-hitter Bruce Aven’s sacrifice fly.

St. Louis 9, Pittsburgh 5--Darren Bragg hit his first two National League home runs and the Cardinals squandered a four-run lead before rallying with the help of some sloppy Pirate defense in Pittsburgh.

Manny Aybar (1-0) bailed out an ineffective Kent Mercker with three scoreless relief innings and the Cardinals won their second in a row even though Mark McGwire was 0 for 4 with two strikeouts and a walk. The Cardinals’ five relievers combined for seven shutout innings.

Atlanta 10, Philadelphia 4--Chipper Jones, Javy Lopez and Gerald Williams homered at Philadelphia as the Braves won their third straight game. Ryan Klesko went four for four to tie his career high for hits and had two runs batted in for Atlanta, which beat the Phillies for the ninth time in 11 meetings.

Jones, in a seven-for-34 slump with just one RBI on the season, drove in two runs with the homer and a double. Brian Jordan drove in a pair of runs and is nine for 20 with eight RBIs against the Phillies this season.

Chicago 5, Cincinnati 4--Sammy Sosa came out of a slump with two doubles but it was Glenallen Hill who supplied the real power for the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Hill hit a pair of home runs to raise his season total to four as Chicago and fast-working Jon Lieber ended a four-game losing streak.

Lieber (2-0), using a rapid delivery, allowed three runs and eight hits in the 2-hour, 6-minute game. He struck out nine and walked one.

Hill, replacing Henry Rodriguez, who missed his third straight game with a sore side, homered leading off the second against Pete Harnisch (1-1). He hit a two-run home run in the sixth.

Sosa, who had three hits in his first 25 at-bats, went two for three.

Houston 6, San Francisco 3--Jose Lima pitched six solid innings and the Astros hit three homers, including Jeff Bagwell’s first of the season, in San Francisco. Lima (1-1), who retired the first nine batters of the game, allowed three runs on six hits in six innings.

Bagwell homered over the left-field bleachers in the third, a two-run shot off Giant starter Shawn Estes (1-1). Ken Caminiti and Richard Hidalgo hit consecutive homers in the seventh off Miguel Del Toro to give the Astros a 6-3 lead.

Billy Wagner pitched the ninth for his fourth save, getting Rich Aurilia on a fly ball to left with the bases loaded to end the game.

Montreal 15, Milwaukee 1--Chris Widger homered twice and drove in a career-high six runs at Montreal, going four for five as the Expos routed the Brewers and Jim Abbott, who gave up eight runs in three-plus innings..

Miguel Batista (2-0) pitched a six-hitter for his first career complete game, helping the Expos stop a four-game losing streak.

Before a crowd of only 6,525, Jose Vidro had a career-high five RBIs.

San Diego at Colorado, ppd., snow--After two delays totaling 2 hours and 31 minutes, the game was postponed with the Padres leading, 4-0, in the top of the second inning. The temperature was 31 degrees and the wind chill factor was 14 when the game began nearly two hours after the scheduled 6:05 p.m. start time.

Before the game, the Rockies activated right fielder Larry Walker off the disabled list. Walker, the 1997 National League most valuable player and last season’s batting champion, was sidelined with a strained right rib.