Williamson Just Starting to Show Stuff

Scott Williamson is still getting used to starting games.

Williamson, a reliever for Cincinnati last season, pitched six strong innings and Dante Bichette drove in three runs as the Reds ended the New York Mets’ winning streak at six games with a 6-0 victory Monday night.

Williamson (4-7) gave up six hits, struck out three and walked two before leaving the game because of a problem with his left hamstring. Williamson injured himself while running the bases in the seventh, but doesn’t expect to miss his next start Sunday against Florida.

“It started to cramp up, and they told me I had pitched a good game and didn’t want me to take any chances,” Williamson said. “I promise I’ll be able to get past the sixth inning one day. Right now, I think my body is just trying to adapt to the starting role.”

Williamson improved to 3-0 with an 0.51 earned-run average in eight appearances against the Mets, including a 2-0 record and no earned runs in 13 2/3 innings at New York. Larry Luebbers pitched three innings for his first career save.

“We never got anything going--he was on,” Met Manager Bobby Valentine said. “The few times we got him deep [in the count], he seemed to throw a nice 3-2 breaking ball or 2-1 breaking ball. He spotted it where he wanted to.”

Barry Larkin, in his first game at Shea Stadium since rejecting a trade to the Mets on July 23, had a hit, a walk and drove in a run as the Reds extended their winning streak to four. Larkin was booed heartily when his name was called during pregame introductions and before each at-bat.

Ken Griffey Jr., who also turned down a trade to the Mets in December, collided with Mike Piazza in the first inning, but remained in the game.

The Reds took a 3-0 lead in the first against Glendon Rusch (7-8). Chris Stynes led off with a single and Larkin struck out looking. Griffey singled before Bichette hit a long two-run double over center fielder Derek Bell’s head.

Griffey gave the Reds a scare when he slid in ahead of Mike Bordick’s relay throw to Piazza at home and came up limping, but took the field in the bottom half.

Bichette, who went to third on Bordick’s throw, scored on Sean Casey’s groundout to make it 3-0. Casey went 0-for-3 to end a career-high hitting streak at 21 games, longest by a Red since Hal Morris’ 29-game streak in 1996.

The Reds scored in the fourth when Griffey hit a one-out double and Bichette followed with an RBI single.