There’s No Place Like Home for Expos

Playing baseball in the Caribbean seems to suit the Montreal Expos just fine.

Livan Hernandez dominated early and Michael Barrett homered, and the Expos remained unbeaten in their new part-time home, defeating the New York Mets, 5-4, Saturday night.

The Expos are getting hot, and it isn’t only because of the tropical weather. The NL East leaders, despite two errors on the springy artificial turf of Hiram Bithorn Stadium, extended their winning streak to three games, including the first two of their 22 games in San Juan.

After drawing 17,906 for Friday’s 10-0 win in the series opener, the Expos got a sellout of 18,264, larger than all but eight crowds last season at Montreal’s Olympic Stadium.

If the Expos make the playoffs, Major League Baseball said those games would be played in Montreal.

The Mets, losers of four in a row and five of six, also made two errors and played poorly, with two throws going between fielders.

Mo Vaughn was nearly thrown out at first base on a line drive to right field, Timo Perez struck out while getting hit by a pitch on the left wrist and Cliff Floyd left the game with a strained right Achilles’ tendon.

Roberto Alomar had two hits and scored the 1,417th run of his career, passing Roberto Clemente for the most among Puerto Rican-born players. Alomar received a huge ovation when the announcement was made.

Hernandez (1-0), facing the Mets for the second time in seven days, gave up two runs -- one earned -- and eight hits in six innings.

Jae Seo (0-1), who pitched against Hernandez on Sunday in New York, lost his first major league decision, giving up five runs -- three earned -- and nine hits in 5 2/3 innings.

Montreal took a 2-0 lead in the second inning, helped by a mix-up between shortstop Rey Sanchez and Alomar at second. After Brad Wilkerson’s one-out single, Barrett hit a grounder to Seo. Neither infielder tried to catch the throw to second, which bounced into center field. Jamey Carroll followed with a squeeze bunt that put the Expos ahead, and Hernandez singled for a 2-0 lead.

Expo right fielder Vladimir Guerrero nearly threw out Vaughn in the fourth on a one-hop liner to right, with Vaughn just beating the throw to first base. Vaughn took second on Ty Wigginton’s bloop single to short left, then ended New York’s scoreless streak at 13 innings when he came home on Jeromy Burnitz’s double off the wall in the right-field corner.

One out later, Seo hit a bouncer that glanced off first baseman Jeff Liefer’s glove to second baseman Jose Vidro. His throw to the plate beat Wigginton, who knocked the ball out of Barrett’s glove. Liefer was charged with an error as the Mets closed to 3-2.