Reds 4, Mets 2

Orlando Hernandez pitched pretty well, but neither the offense nor the bullpen was there to back him up. El Duque struck out seven in seven innings and allowed just two runs on eight hits and two walks. One of the hits was a home run.

When Hernandez left the game, it seemed even two runs were too many for the Mets to overcome. They had just seven hits and one walk in the game and a first inning run was all they could muster until their last turn at bat. Jose Reyes had two more hits, including a double, and Jose Valentin did the same. Carlos Beltran homered in the ninth to give the Mets their second run. He drove in the first with a ground out. Xavier Nady went hitless in his return to the lineup.

Beltran's home run did not tie the game, though, as the heretofore excellent duo of Pedro Feliciano and Chad Bradford let it get away in the eighth. Feliciano retired the first batter he faced, but then gave up two singles and hit a batter. A truly bold umpire might have pointed out to Scott Hatteberg that he made no effort at all to get out of the way of the pitch and told him to get back in the batter's box, but that would have been pretty remarkable. Thus Bradford inherited a bases loaded jam from which he could not escape. He gave up a two-run double before retiring the next two batters.

So the Mets sent out their fourth best starter and lost to the Reds' ace. I suppose that sort of thing will happen from time to time. Tomorrow's pitching matchup is not much more appetizing. Elizardo Ramirez (2-5, 3.44) will start for the Reds. Steve Trachsel (4-4, 4.81) will be hoping to pitch well enough to inspire some newspaper to run a headline proclaiming him "Back on Trach".  ¶ joe | 10:37 PM |