Stottlemyre Evens It Up in the Desert

Todd Stottlemyre, who suffered a partial rotator cuff tear in May and considered it a “minor miracle” that he would be sound enough to pitch a postseason game in October, helped the Arizona Diamondbacks rehabilitate Wednesday night from their potentially critical loss behind Randy Johnson in the opening game of the best-of-five division series with the New York Mets.

Stottlemyre pitched 6 2/3 strong innings, giving up only four hits and one run, as the Diamondbacks defeated the Mets, 7-1, before an approving crowd of 49,328 at Bank One Ballpark to even a series that will resume Friday night at Shea Stadium.

Center fielder Steve Finley, who hit 34 homers and drove in 103 regular-season runs in coming back from a season of 14 homers and 67 RBIs with the San Diego Padres, highlighted a nine-hit Arizona attack by driving in five runs--tying a National League division series record that Edgardo Alfonzo of the Mets had also tied in the opening game--with a single, double and bases-loaded walk.

Matt Williams, one of four Diamondbacks to drive in more than 100 runs this season, had a double and two singles and played brilliantly at third base.

The Mets were forced to employ four pitchers, with Kenny Rogers, 5-1 in 12 starts after his acquisition from Oakland, taking the defeat in a stint of 4 1/3 innings.

Gregg Olson and Greg Swindell worked the final 2 1/3 innings for Arizona, but it was Stottlemyre’s tenacious performance that provided the foundation in the aftermath of the Big Unit’s loss Tuesday night. Stottlemyre was off to a 4-1 start with Arizona after signing a four-year, $32-million contract as a free agent, but he injured the rotator cuff on May 17, opted for therapy over surgery, spent more than three months on the sideline while adding 15 pounds of muscle, and returned Aug. 20 to make eight starts down the stretch, going 2-2 with some inconsistency.

“I have to pay very close attention to my mechanics now,” he said before Wednesday night’s start, “but my arm feels great. I mean, this is more than I could have hoped for three months ago. I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to pitch again, and I’m not sure I’d like to know what my shoulder looks like now, but I’ll take it.”

Stottlemyre looked fine while delivering a season-high 124 pitches. He walked five but struck out six. He held the hot-hitting Alfonzo hitless and had trouble only with Rickey Henderson, who singled twice, walked and stole three bases, setting a division series game record and series record with five in the two games.

The Mets had taken a 1-0 lead in the third when Henderson singled, stole second (his third steal in two games), moved to third on Alfonzo’s fly to right and scored on John Olerud’s slow grounder to short.

Rogers had two out and nobody on base in the bottom of the third when the Diamondbacks rallied for three runs. Jay Bell singled, Luis Gonzalez was hit by a pitch and Matt Williams reached first to load the bases when the Mets were unable to make a play on his slow grounder up the third base line.

Rogers then walked Greg Colbrunn to force in the tying run, and Finley, behind in the count, 1 and 2, grounded a single to right to score Gonzalez and Williams--with help from home plate umpire Wally Bell.

The umpire ruled that Williams beat Roger Cedeno’s throw to the plate, although replays showed that catcher Mike Pizza had the plate blocked and Williams never reached it before Piazza applied the tag.

The Mets had a threat in the fourth, which Robin Ventura opened by drawing a walk.

Darryl Hamilton followed with a double play grounder to second baseman Bell, who booted it, leaving runners at first and second with no out. Cedeno then tried to sacrifice but missed the bunt, and catcher Kelly Stinnett picked Ventura off second. Cedeno compounded the breakdown by hitting another grounder to Bell, who turned this one into the inning-ending double play.

Arizona then extended its lead to 5-1 in the bottom of the fifth. Bell singled, and Rogers struck out the left-handed Gonzalez, but Manager Bobby Valentine chose not to let the left-hander face the right-handed Williams. He summoned Pat Mahomes, and Williams greeted him with a sharp single. Mahomes struck out Colbrunn, but Finley then laced a two-run double to left center for a four-run lead.