Mets Within One After Big Victory

With Mike Piazza sidelined, the New York Mets turned to the unlikeliest of sources for their offense.

Rey Ordonez went four for five with his first career grand slam and pitcher Masato Yoshii drove in his first two runs of the season as the Mets defeated the Philadelphia Phillies, 11-1, Saturday night at New York to move within a game of Atlanta in the National League East.

Piazza, who leads the Mets with 35 homers and 114 RBIs, did not play after bruising his left hand Friday. Todd Pratt started in his place and had two hits, but the biggest offensive punch came from Ordonez and Yoshii.

“I don’t know if it was Mike being out or that we came out flat last night, but we got a strong effort from everybody tonight,” Met Manager Bobby Valentine said. “The guys who had to step it up did.”

New York, which won for the 10th time in 14 games, maintained a three-game lead over Cincinnati in the wild-card race.

Ordonez, who hadn’t homered since Sept. 15, 1998, singled in the second, doubled in the third, singled in the fifth and delivered his biggest blow in the sixth inning.

After pinch-hitter Benny Agbayani was intentionally walked to load the bases, Ordonez lined a 1-2 pitch from Carlton Loewer into the seats in left field for a 10-1 lead.

Montreal 4, Atlanta 3--Dustin Hermanson won his fourth consecutive start and Brad Fullmer hit a go-ahead, two-run double for the Expos at Montreal.

Montreal scored four unearned runs against Greg Maddux (18-8), who has lost consecutive starts after winning eight in a row. He gave up eight hits, struck out eight and walked one in his fourth complete game. His ERA, which had been 5.02 on May 21, dropped to 3.35.

Arizona 8, Florida 6--Luis Gonzalez hit a two-run homer in the 10th inning, and the Diamondbacks reduced their magic number for clinching the NL West to eight.

Randy Johnson struck out seven in six innings, raising his major league-leading total to 342, the sixth-highest single-season total.

San Diego 11, San Francisco 5--Damian Jackson and Quilvio Veras each homered and drove in three runs as the Padres ended the Giants winning streak at six games.

San Francisco dropped seven games behind NL West-leading Arizona.

Jackson hit a sacrifice fly in the second and had a two-run homer against Mark Gardner (4-11) in the fourth that gave San Diego a 4-1 lead.

Veras homered leading off the first and added a two-run single in a seven-run sixth that gave the Padres an 11-5 lead.

St. Louis 13, Houston 6--Darren Oliver won for the first time in seven starts and the Cardinals chased 20-game winner Mike Hampton in the fourth inning at St. Louis.

Hampton (20-4) missed a chance to tie Boston’s Pedro Martinez for the major league lead in victories but he left after giving up eight runs in 3 1/3 innings.