Hampton’s Injury Doesn’t Break Mets

In the short time he pitched Thursday, Mike Hampton of the New York Mets earned the admiration of the Colorado Rockies.

“It was a really smart move on his part to come out, not to push it to get a win just because they had a cushion,” Terry Shumpert said after Hampton helped the Mets beat the Rockies, 13-2, at New York.

Hampton left the game because of a broken rib and reliever Turk Wendell (5-4) won, backed by homers from Todd Zeile, Benny Agbayani, Robin Ventura and Mike Bordick.

“I cringed when I saw him come out,” Met Manager Bobby Valentine said. “We are optimistic that he’ll be OK.”

Hampton apparently suffered the injury while batting in the third inning, then walked Todd Helton opening the fourth and threw ball one to Jeffrey Hammonds before the Mets took him out.

“You don’t ever want to turn a game over that soon, but I had no choice,” Hampton said.

The Mets, who open a three-game series against the Dodgers tonight at Dodger Stadium, said the injury is a small stress fracture on the right side of Hampton’s rib cage. Hampton is day to day.

Wendell struck out six in four innings, his longest appearance since September 1997. He gave up two runs--one earned--and one hit.

Ventura, Zeile and Bordick each drove in three runs for the Mets, who pulled within 2 1/2 games of the idle Atlanta Braves in the National League East.

Ex-Met Masato Yoshii (5-13), the Rockies’ starter, gave up nine runs, 10 hits and five walks in five innings.

Todd Helton was one for one with a walk, raising his major league-leading average to .396.

San Francisco 5, Montreal 4--Barry Bonds hit his 36th homer and Bobby Estalella hit a three-run homer as the Giants completed a three-game sweep at Montreal.

Shawn Estes (12-3) won his seventh consecutive decision, giving up three runs and five hits in 7 1/3 innings. He struck out six and walked three.

The Giants have won four in a row after losing the first three games of their trip at New York. The Giants lead the second-place Arizona Diamondbacks by 1 1/2 games in the National League West.