Mets Unable to Find That Magic Touch

The New York Mets have collapsed at the end of the season for two consecutive years. Their only hope now is for Cincinnati or Houston to crash too.

Brian Jordan tripled and scored on Ozzie Guillen’s sacrifice fly in the 11th inning and the Atlanta Braves handed the Mets their eighth loss in nine games, 4-3, Thursday night at New York.

New York, which had a four-game NL wild-card lead with 12 games to go, trails Houston and Cincinnati by two games with three games left.

To make the postseason for the first time since 1988, the Mets must either sweep Pittsburgh while the Astros or Reds lose at least two games, or win two games and hope Houston or Cincinnati gets swept.

“It’s going to be tough,” Met Manager Bobby Valentine said. “We are going to need some help and we have to take care of our own business.”

Arizona 5, San Diego 3--Randy Johnson tied Nolan Ryan’s record for most double-digit strikeout games in a season, fanning 11 in seven innings for the Diamondbacks at Phoenix. Johnson struck out at least 10 batters 23 times this season to tie the record Ryan set with the Angels in 1973.

The 364 strikeouts by Johnson this season were the fourth most in major league history. The only pitchers to strike out more were Ryan with 383 in 1973, Sandy Koufax with 382 in 1965 and Ryan with 367 in 1974.

Philadelphia 2, Chicago 1--Mike Lieberthal hit his 31st home run and Robert Person held Sammy Sosa without a homer at Philadelphia.

Pittsburgh 3, Milwaukee 2--Kevin Young’s solo homer in the sixth inning spoiled Hideo Nomo’s 10-strikeout performance at Milwaukee.

Around the League

New York Met reliever Dennis Cook was suspended for one game and fined $2,000 by the NL for bumping the cap of an umpire this week. . . . Miller Park at Milwaukee, the opening of which was pushed back a year until 2001, will be the site of baseball’s All-Star game in 2002, the league announced.