Johnson Labors Again as Mets Keep Rolling

The New York Mets are on such a roll, beating Randy Johnson was no problem.

Of course it helped that Johnson, coming off a season-high 145-pitch effort, was as bad as he has been all season.

Johnson lasted just 3 2/3 innings, his shortest outing in more than two years, as the Mets won for the ninth time in 10 games with a 6-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night.

Rick Reed shut out Arizona for seven innings before leaving after Jay Bell’s two-out RBI single in the eighth.

Reed (6-2) allowed six hits in 7 2/3 innings. He struck out four and didn’t walk anyone. Just two starts earlier, Reed threw seven scoreless innings in a 4-0 victory over Greg Maddux and Atlanta.

“It’s a thrill to go out there and beat guys like that,” Reed said. “I mean, they’re the best in the business. When you beat a pitcher like that and a team like the Diamondbacks, it’s pretty special.”

Joe McEwing, six for 17 in his career against Johnson, knocked in two runs with a double in the second and a sacrifice fly in the four-run fourth. Mike Piazza drove in two runs with a two-out, bases-loaded single.

“It’s a challenge to go up against a guy like that,” said McEwing, hitting only .243 this season. “That’s what’s so wonderful about this game. On any given day, anybody can beat anybody.”

The Mets picked up where they left off after an 8-1 home stand.

“We want to keep that momentum going out here,” McEwing said. “We had a great home stand, and just try to keep going, playing winning baseball.”

Johnson (15-4) allowed five runs, but three were unearned because they came after shortstop Tony Womack booted a routine grounder which would have been the third out in the fourth inning.

Johnson failed in his third try to get his 16th victory and has lost two of his last three starts. After a 14-2 start, Johnson is 1-2 with two no-decisions in his last five outings.

“My last four or five starts have been frustrating for me. I feel like I haven’t been doing my job,” he said. “I go out there with a game plan and I can’t get anything going.”

San Francisco 5, Pittsburgh 3--Barry Bonds drove in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning and Jeff Kent had two RBIs at San Francisco.

With the score tied 3-3, Marvin Benard singled off Kris Benson (8-9), and Scott Sauerbeck gave up consecutive singles to Bill Mueller and Bonds. Kent followed with a sacrifice fly, increasing his NL-leading RBI total to 98. He has driven in eight runs in the last two games.

San Francisco won for the fourth time in five games and moved a game ahead of second-place Arizona in the NL West.

San Diego 11, Chicago 9--Eric Owens hit a two-run single in the seventh inning as the Padres rallied to defeat the Cubs at San Diego for their season-high sixth consecutive victory.

Owens also recorded his sixth consecutive multihit game--going two for five--when he singled off Felix Heredia with the bases loaded to break a 9-9 tie. Owens is 15 for 28 during the streak.

The Padres trailed 9-8 before tying the game in the seventh on a bases-loaded walk to pinch hitter Joe Vitiello.

Houston 7, Montreal 6--Chris Truby homered twice and Daryle Ward hit a three-run shot, giving the Astros a franchise-record 83 homers at home this season.

Houston starter Chris Holt left in the fourth inning after getting hit in he left cheek by a line drive off the bat of Peter Bergeron.

Colorado 8, Philadelphia 1--Todd Helton went four for four with two homers and four RBIs at Denver, sending the Phillies to their fourth consecutive loss and giving the Rockies only their seventh win in 29 games.

Kent Bottenfield, acquired Sunday from the Angels for Ron Gant, allowed five runs and 10 hits in six innings in his 100th career start and Phillies’ debut.

Florida 2, Cincinnati 1--Mike Redmond hit a two-run double off Pete Harnisch (3-6) and all-star pitcher Ryan Dempster (10-8) allowed six hits in eight innings at Cincinnati for his first victory since July 1.

Antonio Alfonseca pitched the ninth for his major league-leading 33rd save, send Cincinnati to its third consecutive loss.